Submission

"Who exactly are you, Your Excellency?" Tang Xiao's voice trembled.

He had considered the possibility of losing, but never imagined he would lose so miserably.

He had unleashed his full strength, building up eighty-one layers of power with the Chaotic Cloak, then adding his Ninth Soul Skill, Thousand Mountains Shattered, yet he had failed to force his opponent to even reveal his martial soul. The man had caught every one of his attacks effortlessly with just one hand, without even activating his martial soul!

"Doesn't your Clear Sky Sect still have a move called Ring Detonation? And that Blue Lightning Tyrant Dragon up there-put on the True Dragon Nine Crowns, and if the two of you join forces, you might have about a twenty percent chance of beating me. Well? Want to try?" Wang Qiye smiled faintly.

But cold sweat broke out on Tang Xiao's face. "You must be joking, Senior. You haven't even brought out your martial soul. Even if Sect Master Yu and I attacked together, I'm afraid we couldn't harm a single hair on your head."

After that round of attacks, not only Tang Xiao but also the Clear Sky Sect's Two Elders and Yu Yuanzhen had calmed down.

They had not held back at all just now, attacking with their Martial Soul Avatars and the soul skills of their eighth and ninth rings. Yet after that entire barrage, they had not even touched the hem of his clothes. Their opponent had even been holding Ning Rongrong up with one hand while fighting them with the other.

He probably had never taken any of them seriously at all.

"Hmph, now you know how powerful my master is, don't you? Just now, you wanted me to serve you tea and water, and even marry that idiot grandson of yours. Do you still want me to serve you tea and water now?"

Ning Rongrong folded her arms across her chest, her nose almost pointing at the sky. She had swallowed so much anger earlier. If she did not make up for it now, wouldn't she have suffered all that for nothing?

When the two sect masters and Two Elders heard Ning Rongrong's words, they instinctively wanted to rebuke her, only to suddenly remember that they could not beat her backer now.

They were just like Ning Rongrong had been earlier. Even with her climbing onto their faces and berating them like this, they could only lower their heads in silence and let the spit on their faces dry on its own.

Riding on Wang Qiye, Ning Rongrong grew more animated the more she spoke.

Seeing that she intended to keep going, Wang Qiye could only give her little bottom a hard smack before tossing her aside.

"You unruly disciple! Do you take your master for a mule or a horse? You climbed aboard and wouldn't get off."

Ning Rongrong covered her bottom with both hands. "Master, what are you doing? I wasn't done scolding them yet."

Wang Qiye ignored her and instead looked at Tang Xiao and the others. "Sect Master Tang, are you not planning to keep fighting, then?"

Tang Xiao cupped his fists and bowed. "Your divine might is unrivaled, Senior. We cannot compare. We admit defeat."

Wang Qiye nodded. "Since you don't intend to fight anymore, prepare to be sent on your way."

"Sent... sent where?"

Wang Qiye did not even acknowledge him. He clenched both hands, and the space around his fists distorted.

Although he had neither swung nor built up power, Tang Xiao seemed to see in them the might unique to the Chaotic Cloak after all eighty-one hammer strikes had finished accumulating power.

"S-Senior, please don't act rashly! We're willing to compensate the Seven Treasure Glazed Tile Sect for all its losses. We only ask that you show mercy."

Wang Qiye chuckled. "No need. I can have as much worldly wealth as I want. If I kill you today and display your heads at the sect's entrance, I imagine no one will dare offend the Seven Treasure Glazed Tile Sect afterward. I'll be able to leave with greater peace of mind in the future, too."

Tang Xiao and the others were instantly scared out of their wits, wishing they could flee that very moment. Yet all four of them could feel that a force had already locked onto them.

Wang Qiye might only have been clenching his fists, but it felt as though he held their lives in his grip.

"Senior, Senior, we can talk this over! We can talk this over!"

Just as they were scared out of their wits and felt death approaching, Wang Qiye suddenly unclenched his fists.

They gasped for breath as though they had nearly drowned.

Wang Qiye had not relaxed his fists because he wanted to spare them, but because a line of small text had suddenly appeared on his information panel just then.

Nether Communion Nine Lives Mystic Art, progress: 5%.

He glanced thoughtfully toward the west, then chuckled. "Tang Xiao, it seems your time hasn't come yet."

Tang Xiao immediately followed the opening like a snake climbing a proffered pole. Just now, he had truly felt one foot step through the gates of the underworld. "What do you mean, Senior?"

Wang Qiye pondered for a while. "Transfer all your Clear Sky Sect's authority within the Blacksmiths' Guild to the Seven Treasure Glazed Tile Sect. Then you can scram."

Tang Xiao and the others could scarcely believe their ears. They had thought they might meet their end here today, but unexpectedly, for some unknown reason, their opponent had abandoned the idea of killing them.

"Senior, we'll order our clansmen to handle it as soon as we return. Thank you for sparing our lives."

Although the Blacksmiths' Guild was their economic lifeline, between money and his own life, he firmly chose his life.

With his life almost gone, there was no point worrying about economic lifelines.

"If you fail to make the transfer as agreed when the time comes, I assume you know what will happen, Sect Master Tang?"

Tang Xiao's heart pounded. He had indeed just considered reneging on this once he escaped, but when he thought of provoking this man into attacking their sect directly because of it...

Although the sect's location was rather hard to find now, this man was as unfathomable as gods and ghosts. Heaven knew whether he had any tracking soul skills.

Tang Xiao immediately turned and said solemnly, "I'll make the transfer as soon as I return, Senior. Within three days at most, someone will approach the Seven Treasure Glazed Tile Sect's disciples to discuss the arrangements."

Wang Qiye waved a hand. Tang Xiao and the other two immediately felt as though they had received a grand pardon and turned to flee. Yu Yuanzhen of the Blue Lightning Tyrant Dragon Clan also tried to slip away with them, fishing in troubled waters.

"Did I say you could leave?"

Yu Yuanzhen instantly froze. Tang Xiao and the others were also frightened into stopping, before realizing that Wang Qiye was speaking to Yu Yuanzhen.

"Brother Tang Xiao, please plead with Senior for me too! Ask him to spare my life!"

Tang Xiao did not even acknowledge him. He took a tentative step, and when he found that Wang Qiye did not stop him, he immediately hurried away.

Yu Yuanzhen was furious, yet he did not dare take even one step outward.

"Tang Xiao! The Upper Three Sects are branches of the same tree! You faithless traitor, you're not human!"

Hearing the curses behind him, Tang Xiao did not dare stop for even a moment, much less think of turning around to trade insults.

Once Tang Xiao and the others had fled into the distance, Yu Yuanzhen abruptly realized that he was the only one left on the field.

"Senior, please spare me. Our Blue Lightning Tyrant Dragon Clan controls several Dragon-Type Soul Beast Secret Realms. We can give them all to you. I only ask that you spare my life."

Ning Rongrong scoffed. "What dragon-type secret realms? Stop gilding your own face. They're nothing but some subdragon species."

"But these soul beasts' hides, meat, and even their bones and certain special parts all sell well. They can earn the Seven Treasure Glazed Tile Sect lots and lots of money!" Yu Yuanzhen hurriedly said. "These dragon-type secret realms can only be opened through the True Dragon Nine Crowns of the sect master's lineage. The True Dragon Nine Crowns recognizes only me. As long as you spare my life, I'll hand everything over."

Those words seemed to have truly moved Wang Qiye. After a moment's thought, he nodded. "In that case, I'll spare your life."

Yu Yuanzhen excitedly knelt and kowtowed with repeated thuds. His hundred-meter-long dragon body and enormous dragon head made the ground boom.

"But while you may escape death, you cannot escape punishment."

In a flash, Wang Qiye plucked the True Dragon Nine Crowns straight off Yu Yuanzhen's head. "Stay by my side for the next few days while I refine this True Dragon Nine Crowns anew."

Only then did Yu Yuanzhen understand. This was hardly an agreement to spare his life. The man clearly wanted to take the True Dragon Nine Crowns for himself.

Yet even so, Yu Yuanzhen did not object in the slightest.

He had not sensed Wang Qiye's movement at all when he took the True Dragon Nine Crowns.

In other words, even with the True Dragon Nine Crowns equipped on Yu Yuanzhen himself, it was no different from having it lying in Wang Qiye's palm.

Then why the hell should I even struggle?

However, Yu Yuanzhen had some other ideas.

The True Dragon Nine Crowns only recognizes its original owner. No matter how Wang Qiye tries to refine it, his efforts will be wasted. Once he discovers he can't refine it, I'll take the True Dragon Nine Crowns and flee.

The entrances to the dragon-type secret realms aren't fixed anyway. As long as I hide with the disciples, I doubt he'll be able to find me.

The corners of Yu Yuanzhen's dragon mouth lifted slightly, but he quickly forced them back down.