Chapter 127: The Pavilion of Spring and Autumn

With less than a quarter of an hour left until noon, Lu Xian had originally assumed she would be the last to arrive, the final act to grace the stage and save the day. To her surprise, none of the other five senior sisters had shown up; she was the only one there, left to face six Immortal Venerables and fifty Immortal Masters from the Immortal Sects all by herself. Yet, not a flicker of fear crossed her face.

Among the six Immortal Venerables, a female cultivator who had been cradling a book in one hand spoke up: "This white-haired woman is the strongest disciple under the seat of the Xuanyuan Demon Venerable. Her name is Lu Xian, and she serves as the Guardian of the Abyss at the Linyuan Pavilion. She is highly skilled and battle-hardened; none of you must underestimate her."

This female Venerable hailed from the Shenyue Palace. Known by her secular name, Jiang Suxin, her title was "Venerable Wanqiu." Beyond her status at Shenyue Palace, she was also a "Pavilion Guardian" of the Chunqiu Pavilion. Most original copies of extant cultivation texts were stored there, and the primary duty of a Guardian was to protect these works from destruction. However, the title had become largely honorary; the Elders of the Chunqiu Pavilion granted it to whomever they pleased, the greatest perk being unrestricted access to the library.

At the far end of Huaiye Street, Song Ye, standing among a crowd of gossiping rogue cultivators, used a detection tool to assess Lu Xian’s cultivation.

[Lu Xian: Second Level of the Emperor Venerable Meta-Demon Realm]

Truly, she was worthy of being the strongest disciple under his little lady’s tutelage. Her cultivation had already reached the third of the three "Demon Venerable Realms," leaving her only seven minor stages away from the Imperial Demon Venerable rank. In a one-on-one duel, none of the present Venerables could hope to match her, but against such overwhelming numbers, she was bound to be at a disadvantage.

Suddenly, a large water bubble materialized out of thin air behind Lu Xian. Like a living creature, it surged forward and engulfed her, trapping her within.

"Excellent! My Water Prison Technique has successfully ensnared this white-haired demoness!" shouted a hulking, broad-shouldered Venerable who stood eight feet tall. His face glowed with smug triumph at the success of his sneak attack. He was Xiao Yongchuan of the Changba Sect, known as "Venerable Yonghai," a master of water-based incantations.

"Well trapped!" Lu Yixian roared, his hands rapidly weaving a seal. "Seventh Thunder Technique—Purple Lightning Descent!"

A bolt of violet thunder cracked from the air above the bubble. In that split second, Lu Xian drew the demon blade "Prison Fire Tai'e" from her waist. Without resorting to any flashy techniques, she unleashed a simple slash. A torrent of flames erupted from the blade, instantly vaporizing the water in the bubble. The descending violet lightning was swallowed by the fire, producing only a muffled thud in mid-air.

"That is the demon blade 'Prison Fire Tai'e,' rumored to be capable of severing all elemental arts," Venerable Wanqiu, Jiang Suxin, continued to narrate from the sidelines, though she made no move to intervene.

"Severing all elemental arts? Then let us see if it can sever the sword in my hand!"

The speaker was a tall, thin man with a deathly pale, sickly complexion. He was the only sword cultivator among the six, hailing from the Xinyu Sect like Lu Yixian. His secular name was Pan Wuyi, titled "Venerable Weeping Sword." Despite his frail, dying appearance, he possessed the highest cultivation among the six present—the ninth level of the Holy Origin Realm. As the second of the three "Immortal Venerable Realms," he was at the Great Perfection stage, only one minor step away from the third realm.

While his cultivation was still a tier below Lu Xian’s, a sword cultivator's strength could not be measured by realm alone; it depended on the spirit sword in their grasp. Pan Wuyi drew a snow-white blade from the void: the "Weeping Snow Sword." Channeling his full cultivation into the steel, he vanished from his spot, reappearing in the next instant above Lu Xian.

He struck downward, and Lu Xian, not daring to be careless, raised her blade to parry. The clash of metal sparked a massive shockwave that leveled the surrounding houses of the execution grounds. The cost of rebuilding these homes would fall upon the Xinyu Sect, Shenyue Palace, and the Changba Sect—one of the reasons the Li Kingdom’s imperial court had agreed to host the public execution.

The Weeping Snow Sword, held at bay by Lu Xian’s blade, suddenly emitted a shrill, piercing wail. Caught off guard, Lu Xian felt her focus waver. At that moment, "Venerable Hanxuan" Ni Xuan finally made her move. She had been secretly preparing a seal, waiting for this exact opening. Her robes billowed as sharp true energy surged around her. Seemingly exhausting her entire reserve of mana, she cast: "Fortieth Thunder Technique—Thunder Chain Prison!"

In an instant, Lu Xian found her entire body bound tight by dozens of lightning chains.

"All Immortal Masters, form the array—Great Dao Demon-Slaying Thunder!" Lu Yixian shouted, seizing the rare opportunity.

He and seventeen Immortal Masters from the Xinyu Palace joined in the incantation. A circular array flickering with golden light appeared beneath Lu Xian’s feet. Golden lightning surged from the formation, lashing her body. Lu Xian gasped in pain, and as Pan Wuyi struck her blade away, the flame-forged edge of her weapon extinguished, leaving only the hilt.

Soon, Lu Xian collapsed powerlessly within the array. In a voice thin with exhaustion, she managed only half a sentence: "Senior Sister, you..."

Through the combined efforts of four Venerables and numerous masters, Lu Xian, the strongest disciple of Qin Xuanxi, had finally been subdued. Less than half a quarter of an hour remained until noon. Once the hour arrived, Lu Yixian intended to execute both Lu Xian and the still-imprisoned He Yixin simultaneously. If the fake Xuanyuan Demon Venerable dared to appear, she would be killed as well.

Watching from the sidelines, Song Ye grew anxious as he saw Lu Xian fall. Why hadn't his little lady arrived yet? If she didn't show up soon, He Yixin and Lu Xian would truly be executed, and he would lose the reward of the rare "Thunder Soul Stone."

...

Meanwhile, on Mount Leyu, Qin Xuanxi had finished her meditation. After a day and a night, she had achieved total control over the power of the Primordial Supreme Heavy Nether Demon Body. When she opened her eyes, she saw her four disciples—Qi Xinyue, Luo Yunshuang, Zhang Qiuyu, and Bai Ruoling—sitting in a neat, orderly row before her.

They bowed in unison, chanting, "May the Master be forever at peace!"

"Mm," Qin Xuanxi nodded slightly.

Qi Xinyue, noticing the time approaching noon, quickly informed her that the Xinyu Palace intended to execute He Yixin at the noon hour in Yancheng. Qin Xuanxi’s brows knitted together as she mused to herself, *I have been gone for a mere three years, and these ants dare to execute my disciple in public!*

She rose and said calmly to the four, "I am going to Yancheng. I shall return shortly. Stay here and wait."

The four disciples remained seated in their obedient rows, mouths agape, responding in unison, "Yes!" With their Master present, they felt an overwhelming sense of security.