"Luo Ruhai, how dare you violate the rules of the two Houses' decisive contests of the past forty years!"
"Steward Li, please uphold justice for the Chen Household!"
"Give the Chen Household justice!"
The tall, burly, bald elder Chen Xingzhou flashed forward and immediately shielded Chen Heng behind him, then pointed at Luo Ruhai with one hand and cursed angrily.
His impassioned roar spread in every direction, finally snapping the repeatedly shocked cultivators watching the battle back to their senses.
Moreover, his entire expression appeared exceptionally ferocious and terrifying.
Chen Xinshen and Chen Xingyuan silently surrounded Luo Ruhai, Luo Rushuang, Luo Yuyan, and their group.
The attitudes of the Chen Household's three elders were perfectly clear: this matter would not be allowed to rest easily.
Yet they did not dare act rashly. They still had to watch Steward Li's expression or wait for him to speak before making their next move.
This was the survival law of the Moon Gazing Mountain Range. Family cultivators like them had to live by breathing the air beneath the Azure Profound Sect's nose!
At this moment, the cultivators outside the arena were likewise buzzing with discussion.
"Tsk, tsk, tsk. This Chen Heng of the Chen Household had been completely unheard of before. He was even a concubine-born descendant of the Chen Household, yet he actually defeated the Luo Household's favored daughter of heaven..."
"What do you know? This was called playing the pig to eat the tiger..."
"Hmph, perhaps the Chen Household of Jade Spring Mountain pulled some trick..."
"Could it be that the Luo girl was simply terrible at fighting techniques and made me lose so many spirit stones..."
"Indeed. I misjudged her too. All I can say is, if you're bad, train more. If you can't fight, don't come out and make a fool of yourself..."
"You only care about that? Aren't you interested in the Death Substitution Charm Doll the Luo girl used..."
Listening to the sharp words of criticism and abuse drifting into her ears, Luo Yuyan lowered her head and eyes. Her expression was dark and unreadable, and no one knew what she was thinking.
The Palace-Gowned Beauty, Luo Rushuang, held her protectively in her arms like a mother hen guarding her chick.
Her gaze viciously fixed upon the Chen Household's people.
It seemed that whoever dared rush forward, she would dare fight to the death!
Luo Qi of the Luo Household, along with another late Qi Refining cultivator, also hurried forward to stand with the Luo Household and bolster their side.
But likewise, they did not dare act rashly and could only remain locked in confrontation.
The two Houses had held decisive contests several times. Aside from the first occasion, when their Foundation Establishment Ancestors had appeared to witness it,
they had never appeared for the contests that followed.
At this moment, the two opposing sides could only wait for Steward Li of the Azure Profound Sect, seated high in the stands of the magnificent pavilion, to decide the outcome of this decisive contest.
The Luo Household in particular knew they were in the wrong and did not dare make any reckless move.
As one of the parties involved, Chen Heng stood behind Great Elder Chen Xingzhou and turned his head to look. Luo Ruhai's face was as still as water, as black as an abyss.
Especially his tightly clenched fists—his nails had likely already sunk into his palms.
Yet at this time, Steward Li atop the stands wore an amused expression.
He had arranged this decisive contest only because guarding the mining grounds was boring and he wanted something to amuse himself.
Naturally, the reason he reported to the sect was to discover talents for it.
After all these years and four decisive contests between the two Houses, this was the first time he had seen such a dramatic scene.
At this moment, everyone's gazes, whether intentionally or not, converged upon Steward Li.
"Tsk, tsk..."
"How interesting. Little girl of the Luo Household, where did you obtain this Death Substitution Charm Doll?"
"I never heard that old ghost Luo possessed such a treasure!"
At this moment, Steward Li appeared unconcerned with the victory or defeat of the two Houses' decisive contest. Instead, he had focused all his attention on the Death Substitution Charm Doll.
The Death Substitution Charm Doll was a top-tier secret treasure produced by the Divine Puppet Sect in the far western lands.
As long as one nourished it beforehand with essence blood, it could, depending on its grade, block one fatal injury of a certain degree for a cultivator at the corresponding cultivation realm.
It was a supreme tool for preserving one's life and escaping danger while traveling abroad.
Unfortunately, after the Divine Puppet Sect, which had once been overseen by several Nascent Soul True Lords, suddenly perished thousands of years ago, such secret treasures had rarely circulated.
One could generally only find them in the cave residences left behind by ancient predecessors.
The destruction of the Divine Puppet Sect had been extremely strange. Nascent Soul True Lords from both the Southern Chu and Northern Yan cultivation worlds had once gone to investigate.
Yet after those mighty figures who shook their respective regions returned, they had all been vague and evasive, treating the matter as taboo.
In the end, the matter became nothing more than a strange anecdote in the cultivation world.
As soon as these words were spoken, the Luo Household members' expressions immediately turned ugly. They also did not know where Luo Yuyan had obtained the Death Substitution Charm Doll in her possession.
Had their ancestor bestowed it upon her, or had she encountered some other fortuitous opportunity?
"Reporting to Steward Li, I have already crushed a communication talisman and notified my Household Head, Luo Yuanshan, to come. Once he arrives, we will know by asking him."
After considering his words, Luo Ruhai hurriedly stepped forward, bowed, and explained to Steward Li.
"Oh? Did I ask you? Why are you answering?"
Steward Li, seated high in the stands, cast Luo Ruhai an amused glance and spoke leisurely.
Luo Ruhai froze at once. An invisible pressure instantly crashed toward him head-on, making his entire body tremble beyond his control.
The other three members of the Luo Household also could not help shuddering.
Was this the pressure of a Foundation Establishment true cultivator?
And Steward Li applied pressure the moment they disagreed. Wasn't his change of face a little too fast?
"Gasp..."
Seeing this, even Chen Heng could not help drawing in a cold breath, lamenting that Steward Li changed his face faster than flipping the pages of a book.
Those little fairy maidens from his previous life would have had to admit inferiority upon seeing him.
Chen Xingzhou and the other two also did not dare act rashly. They trembled with fear, as though treading on thin ice.
They feared accidentally enraging this chief steward responsible for all matters concerning Little Bamboo Peak's spirit mine.
At this moment, all four Luo Household members involuntarily turned their eyes toward Luo Yuyan, who stood with her head bowed and eyes lowered.
As the user of the Death Substitution Charm Doll, she naturally ought to know its origins.
Under these circumstances, Luo Yuyan did not dare continue playing dead. Beneath the stares of several thousand cultivators, she rose, left the embrace of her clan aunt, and walked to a point not far from the pavilion.
"Reporting to Steward Li, this item was given to me by Venerable Hanfeng, the deputy peak master of Soaring Peak in the upper sect!"
Though she had spoken the truth, Luo Yuyan's complexion did not look very good. She likely had never imagined that she would use up such a precious life-saving secret treasure under these circumstances.
At these words, Steward Li was immediately stunned. He had not expected this item to involve an important figure within the sect.
"When Venerable Hanfeng happened to pass through Golden Luo Mountain, she saw that my aptitude was passable and took a liking to my talent, wishing to accept me as her disciple. This was the meeting gift she gave me in advance."
Luo Yuyan swiftly collected herself, her expression calm as she explained to Steward Li.
Once these words were spoken, everyone present understood.
So she had long been selected in advance as the disciple of a Violet Palace Venerable.
Sure enough, the outstanding disciples in cultivation sects were all recruited internally.
Venerable Hanfeng had likely seen that Luo Yuyan was still young, which was why she had not directly brought her into the Azure Profound Sect to cultivate.
"So that's how it is!"
After speaking, Steward Li narrowed his eyes, and his expression became somewhat unpleasant.
He had never imagined that a Violet Palace Venerable stood behind Luo Yuyan—particularly that female Venerable, who was rather protective of her own.
This matter could not be pursued any further, lest he set himself on fire and bring disaster upon himself.
"Since that is the case, then this decisive contest..."
Steward Li looked expressionlessly toward the Chen Household's people and pondered briefly.
Though he had not directly announced the result, once Venerable Hanfeng's backing had emerged, he could only rule that the Chen Household had conceded defeat.
Just then.
"Steward Li, it was my Luo Household that lost this decisive contest, and Yuyan violated the rules you established."
"The Luo Household is willing to pay the corresponding price for this!"
Luo Yuyan said with her head held high, while Luo Ruhai and the others did not dare object.
Hearing this, Steward Li raised his brows, stood from his seat, and swept his sleeve. "Then the two Houses may discuss it among yourselves."
Before his words had even faded, he rode the wind and departed the scene at the speed of light.
Leaving the Chen and Luo Households, along with several thousand cultivators, staring at one another in dismay.
This decisive contest ultimately came to an end in a rather dramatic fashion.
Before you continue