Chapter 54: They Can Retreat, But the Taoist Sect Cannot

Time flowed by, and in the blink of an eye, the leaders of the hundred schools of thought from the Jixia Academy had gathered in the State of Chu.

Before the royal palace, the philosophers and masters stood in a row.

A faint glow of divine powers swirled, shaking the winds and clouds of heaven and earth.

"Now that the masters have gathered here today, I wonder what the purpose might be?"

A charming and alluring voice rang out.

From within the palace gates, two figures emerged.

A handsome man and a stunning woman, appearing like celestial beings descended to the mortal realm.

They were none of us other than Lord Xiang and Madam Xiang.

Master Xun, acting as the leader and foremost figure of the Jixia Academy, stepped forward.

"Ahem, ahem, ahem..."

After a fit of coughing, Master Xun finally spoke.

"I have heard that your esteemed nation has detained a member of our academy. May I know what laws he has broken?"

Lord Xiang pondered slightly before replying, "Master Lu and Master Shen broke into the royal palace without authorization."

"At that time, Master Shen even used his divine power to suppress the imperial guards."

"Such an act is no different from rebellion."

"Therefore, he was captured and suppressed within the heavenly prison."

Master Xun narrowed his eyes slightly and said, "Yet I have heard that it was your nation's Grand One who first set an ambush, attempting to intercept and slay the Taoist Patriarch."

"The Taoist Patriarch brought Master Shen here merely to settle a personal grievance."

"Furthermore, the King of Chu himself did not raise any objections at the time."

"How is it that charges are being fabricated after the fact?"

Madam Xiang giggled and said, "At the time, Master Lu's ferocity was overwhelming, so His Majesty chose to temporarily yield."

"A crime is a crime; what difference does it make whether it is before or after?"

Master Xun glanced at her and said, "I see. Rebellion is a heinous crime punishable by death."

"Why does your esteemed nation not execute him immediately and behead Master Shen to uphold the law?"

"Instead, you sent letters to the academy, claiming that if we do not wish Master Shen to die, we must obey your commands?"

Boom...

Behind Master Xun, the leaders of the hundred schools simultaneously unleashed their imposing auras.

High above in the firmament, ten thousand miles of white clouds were blasted apart and scattered in an instant.

The expressions of both Lord Xiang and Madam Xiang changed drastically.

"Today, you dared to use Master Shen to coerce the Taoist school."

"Will you fabricate charges against me another day to coerce the Confucian school?"

"Or perhaps seek out others to coerce the hundred schools of thought?"

"Such sinister intentions and despicable methods."

"Do those who conceive such base schemes even deserve to stand beneath this bright sky?"

Master Xun pressed on with every sentence. Though his body was elderly, his momentum was like the majestic wrath of heaven.

Lord Xiang and Madam Xiang involuntarily took steps backward.

"You, what on earth do you want?"

Frightened by the overwhelming aura of the masters, Lord Xiang's voice trembled slightly.

Master Xun shouted coldly, "Didn't you say Master Shen committed the grave crime of rebellion?"

"Then please execute him immediately to uphold the law."

Madam Xiang turned her head to look at Lord Xiang, her eyes filled with panic and the question of what to do next.

Lord Xiang was equally helpless.

The two of them had merely been summoned by the Eastern Emperor Taiyi to help out.

How could they possibly know what to do?

Fortunately, at that very moment, the voice of the Eastern Emperor Taiyi rang out.

"Master Shen is also a member of the academy; does Master Xun wish for him to die so badly?"

Hearing the voice, the masters raised their heads to look.

They saw the Eastern Emperor Taiyi stepping through the air, dragging a figure covered in blood.

"Master Shen!"

Upon seeing Master Tian's blood-soaked condition, Master Yinwen and the others felt their eyes split with rage.

With his consciousness hazy, Master Shen struggled to raise his head and looked at the masters before him.

His lips moved as if he wanted to say something, but he lacked the strength.

"It is not that I wish for him to die, but rather that you claimed he committed the grave crime of rebellion."

"Since the Eastern Emperor has brought him here now, it seems you intend to execute him before our very eyes."

"In that case, please proceed without delay."

With a calm expression, Master Xun stared at the Eastern Emperor Taiyi in the sky.

Behind him, the leaders of the hundred schools shouted in unison.

"We ask the Eastern Emperor to execute the sentence!"

Their voices were like thunder, shaking the nine heavens.

The Eastern Emperor Taiyi clenched his teeth tightly as he looked at the masters ahead.

These people were acting fiercely right now.

Though they shouted for him to execute and behead Master Shen,

they were actually trying to take his life.

Among those hundred schools, both the School of Diplomacy and the School of Names were adept at eloquent debate.

Once he beheaded Master Shen, they would likely leap forward and wash away the charges with just a few words.

And along the way, they would pin several crimes upon him.

For instance, failing to judge cases impartially and wrongfully executing a member of the academy.

Using this as a pretext and standing on moral high ground, they would swarm forward and beat him to death right here on the spot.

If he did not dare to kill him, he would have to concede and release the prisoner, which would play right into their hands.

The Eastern Emperor Taiyi had already seen through the intentions of the leaders of the hundred schools.

However...

The Eastern Emperor Taiyi sneered inwardly.

A clever scheme indeed, but this world is one where strength is supreme.

Even if I truly kill Master Shen and bear the crimes you have pinned on me, what of it?

Do you truly believe you can kill me?

The power of a god is far beyond what the likes of you can imagine.

A single Master Lu was enough to make you bow your heads.

And I, the one who slew Master Lu, can make you prostrate yourselves even lower.

Over this period, the Eastern Emperor Taiyi had long since figured things out.

Originally, he had planned to hold Master Shen hostage to command the Taoist school.

But given the vehement reaction of the hundred schools of thought, that path clearly would not work.

Not only had they all gathered at the royal palace, but they were also using their collective might to suppress him.

Since that was the case, he might as well wipe them all out in one sweep.

Since you have all come, do not bother leaving.

No matter how great your collective momentum is, can it surpass that of a deity?

When the time comes, he would directly summon a deity to descend into the mortal realm and suppress them with sheer force.

Those who wished to live would have to submit.

Those who obeyed would prosper, and those who defied would perish.

"Very well."

"Since you all make such a request, how can I refuse?"

The Eastern Emperor Taiyi spoke in a resounding voice, his robes fluttering wildly in the heavenly winds.

"Today, right here before all of you, I shall carry out justice according to the law."

"I shall personally act to slay this wicked rebel."

As he spoke, he clenched his right hand in the void, and a divine sword condensed from primordial energy materialized in his palm.

Seeing the Eastern Emperor Taiyi adopt such a posture, the Four Elders of Taoism were the first who could no longer sit still.

What did this mean?

Judging by this appearance, did he actually intend to kill?

This Eastern Emperor Taiyi was no fool; could he not see the stakes involved?

"How dare you!"

Huan Yuan shouted angrily, his wide sleeves unfolding like the gates of a grotto-heaven, enveloping the Eastern Emperor Taiyi.

The Eastern Emperor Taiyi smiled faintly and flicked his finger casually.

A blazing sun fire condensed into a beam of divine light that shot forth, piercing through Huan Yuan's sleeve in an instant.

Huan Yuan's divine power was shattered, and his face instantly turned pale.

"What is the meaning of this?"

"Was it not you who asked me to kill him?"

"Why is it that the moment I am about to strike, you go back on your word?"

The eyes of the Eastern Emperor Taiyi were filled with mockery and a smile.

Gathering all his remaining strength, Master Shen abruptly raised his head.

"To die is to die."

"At least I will be able to accompany the Patriarch, so he will not be lonely along the way."

"I will forever remember how you all traveled here for my sake."

"But it is enough."

"My death is of little consequence; you must all leave quickly."

"This person can summon the descent of a deity, and he cannot be matched by mortals."

"Now that he acts without restraint, he undoubtedly harbors the intention of using a deity to suppress you all."

"Leave quickly, leave quickly."

Master Shen had witnessed the divine manifestation with his own eyes; he understood that its overwhelming might was far beyond what the masters of the hundred schools could resist.

Master Yinwen's eyes were bloodshot, his fists clenched so tightly as he prepared to fight to the death.

Others could retreat, but the people of the Taoist school could not.

They had agreed upon it before coming.

To save Master Shen so as to prevent the decline of Taoism, and to slay the Eastern Emperor to avenge the Patriarch.

The Taoist lineage lived and died together.