110. Traitors
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Disciple Jiang let go of his stump and held out his remaining hand, then closed it into a sudden fist.
In a split second, the spiky chains completely constricted into a knot of endless spikes, seemingly impaling and crushing Weiyan within.
"Yanyan!" Sect Leader Xu shot to his feet.
"Little sister!"
"Big Sister!" Outside the barrier, the disciples were dismayed.
Almost all of the Wulin, dignitaries, and competitors stared in shock, but in the elevated seats, Lord Li of Yueyan Sect gave a cold smile as he whispered,
"Three, two, one..."
A sudden explosion shook the arena and the massive knot of spiky chains was blown apart, the chains themselves ripping to shreds as if made of cloth, not metal.
At the center stood Weiyan completely unharmed, and engulfed by her white flames. More than that, her eyes also glowed a brilliant white, and an odd symbol appeared on her forehead.
Cheers erupted around the genuinely entertained crowd of spectators, but Sect Leader Xu and the disciples sagged with relief.
Weiyan took a step forward and the platform beneath her foot dented, the cracks fanning outwards.
"Impossible!" Disciple Jiang shot to his feet, staggering backwards. "What are you?!" He quickly raised a hand. "I forfeit! I forfei-!"
He never finished as Weiyan blurred and he was suddenly airborne and crashing into the red barrier, several bones and tendons broken.
Weiyan leapt and landed before him, a cruel expression on her face as she looked down at him. "According to the 'New Rules', you can't forfeit till mortally wounded." She raised her sword, unmoved by his pained whimpering.
"Why don't I make it so you can forfeit? Hmmm?"
Disciple Jiang forced himself into a sloppy kowtow, his face bruised and swollen. "Little siste-! No, no, no!" He slapped his own mouth. "Graceful fairy! Please have mercy on me! I apologise for offending yo-!"
But before he could finish, a wave of aura sent him flying out of the barrier, and he fell to the ground unconscious.
The same aura swept towards Weiyan, but she hastily leapt away and the accompanying dust cleared to reveal four individuals.
They were all Sect Leaders, all within the Astral Tier, and all wearing identical smirks directed at Weiyan.
Weiyan fisted her hand around her sword hilt, a worried furrow on her brow. She was strong, but taking on four elders was daunting, even for a more experienced elder...
"Hmph. A junior disciple who has already stepped into the Astral Tier..." One of them mused, his smirk deepening at her expression.
"Yueyan Sect is really breeding monsters!" Another put in, and a third stepped forward.
"Little girl, hope you won't say we're bullying you? Four of us are your new opponents!"
The last statement was loud and clear, raising instant outrage from the elevated seats.
"City Master! What nonsense is this?!" Sect Leader Xu demanded, and Sect Leader Ju did not hesitate to jump in.
"Did you not say no one from the elevated seats could interfere?! Why then are a few amongst us standing on that platform?!"
All they heard was the gentle swish of a brush, and then...
"Change of rules. They can challenge the opponent."
The entire crowd of citizens began raising their scrolls-full of jargons again.
"What are you talking about?" One citizen asked. "The new rules allow these men to challenge any opponent on the platform!"
But this only enraged the dignitaries, and several Sect Leaders and Wulin elders began to cry out,
"You bastards! What are you trying to do?!"
"What are you playing at?!!"
"How underhanded!"
"Release us!"
"We are no longer interested in your tournament!!"
However, the gentle swish of the brush followed again, accompanied by, "No one is permitted to leave when the tournament has already begun.
Meanwhile, Lord Huo glared down at the four Sect Leaders on the platform. "You traitors. I thought it was suspicious when you lot remained calm and seated earlier."
"Indeed! So you're in cahoots with the enemy?!" The 1st Elder Xu accused, but the four errant Sect Leaders showed no sign of repentance.
"You can't blame us." One said. He was the Sect Leader of the ninth ranking sect, well known for his righteousness before now.
"For years now, the top sects in Baishan have claimed everything good for themselves, including our families."
He looked pointedly at Sect Leaders Huo, Ju, and Xu, who led the top three Baishan Sects.
"Nonsense!" Sect Leader Ju refuted. "One shouldn't open their mouths simply to spout lies! When have we taken anything from you? Most Sects keep to themselves and respect each Sect's boundaries!"
"Hmph. When rising to power, it's easy to only look ahead and never look back," The sect Leader continued, "...but the top sects are rising by stepping on the lower sects! Will you really say you don't hunt beasts in our regions, keeping their cores for yourselves?!"
"Heh! Am I arguing with a melon?" Sect Leader Ju scoffed. "Is it only pulp and melon seeds between your ears? Do you yourselves not send the requests for us to come in and defeat those monsters? I thought you were the righteous sort...!
"Because you're fellow prominent sects, we do not demand payment for such missions, so why then do you think we would leave you the beast cores after we have done the work?!"
"What a high-sounding excuse!" Another traitorous sect Leader yelled, his generous moustache dancing. "We do not have plenty resources to begin with, so how can we pay you? You charge for every little service, keeping the good resources for yourself! And our families are not spared!
"To rise in the martial world, we must send our talents out to your top sects, but then you entice them into remaining as your Sect warriors and elders, further widening the gap between your sects and ours!"
"Wah, from when I was little till now, I've not heard such a shameless accusation!" A thunderous voice jumped in.
It was Lord Li of Yueyan sect who spoke, and those who could see him turned to him in surprise. The whole of Yueyan knew him as someone who fled trouble before it even arrived, so how could he open his mouth here?
How was he even here?
The traitorous sect Leader scowled up at him. "Why is a powerless house head speaking to me right now? Shouldn't you know your place?! How can you open your mouth in a gathering of Wulin Members?!"
Lord Li smirked down at him. "Oh? So you can look down on the powerless, but the top sects can't look down on you?"
"You-!" The traitorous sect leader could only choke on his words, nearly swallowing his moustache with it, but Lord Li did not spare them.
"Hypocrites! You send your talents on your own, precisely because you acknowledge the top sects can give them the training and resources they need. If those talents choose to stay, then they are the ones not loyal to you...
"And besides, a world ruled by power has its flaws, but you have no right to act as victims here... From our brief exchange alone, everyone here can tell you enjoy your elite statuses as Sect Leaders and Wulin members - statuses none of you would enjoy without the current system." He eyed the man.
"You're only in the early levels of the Astral Tier, but because you're a Sect Leader, you have the guts to call yourself a member of the Wulin. Then, is that fair to Xu Weiyan whom you're about to challenge?
"Let me tell you, she's above your current level... According to your victim mindset, should she not be enraged that she's a junior disciple, while a piece of outhouse paper like you is rubbing shoulders with the Wulin?!
"Instead of steadily growing your strengths, your eyes are rounded by greed, and now four shameless old men are trying to bully one little girl!"
"You, you, you...!" The traitorous sect leader grasped his chest and vomitted blood, nearly angered to death.
A wave of murmurs spread through the crowd, including the guests, who couldn't believe a junior- a nineteen year old, had indeed crossed into the Astral tier and surpassed people in the Wulin!
"Xiaofeng, you must really tell me how you're training this daughter of yours!" Sect Leader Huo said to Sect Leader Xu, though he seemed equally as surprised!
Down on the platform, the so-called righteous sect leader yelled out,
"Who are you to say such words here?!! I'll admit there are benefits to the current hierarchy, but I can no longer watch my sect remain at the bottom!"
He turned to face Weiyan. "It breaks my heart to harm such a rare genius, but we must be shameless for the sake of our sects! So don't blame us! You can only sit behind those barriers and watch!"
The Sect Leaders raised their voices in outrage, but the Gatekeeper simply said,
"Begin."
And the four Sect Leaders all leapt towards Weiyan, who lifted her sword, ready to defend...
There was a sudden explosion, and her attackers were instantly flung backwards and away.
They skidded across the platform as several loud gasps erupted through the crowd.
A light blue aura faded away, and standing before Weiyan was a calm Lord Li, a smirk on his face...
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