Chapter 974 - 59: Killing Is Not a Crime! (Second Update)

Chapter 974: Chapter 59: Killing Is Not a Crime! (Second Update)

On the arena, flames filled the sky, and the powerful Fire Element Power even caused Yu Lv and Li Chao, who were battling on the other side, to simultaneously pause and glance toward the direction where Mu Qingge and Yan Quan were located.

"Hmm?"

Upon the Ice Lotus, Divine Emperor Zhong Shan seemed to sense something amiss within the flames. His body leaned slightly forward.

However, after a brief moment, he appeared to have considered something, and his body returned to its original posture.

A hint of an elusive smile appeared at the corner of his mouth.

Inside the smile, there was a kind of expression that was unreadable.

"Is this... the power unleashed from the Third Layer of the Spirit Cave Realm?"

"It’s too terrifying! Why is the activated Power of Laws so formidable?"

"It’s not just that, I feel the flames are also unusual!"

"Heavens! This Fire Bath Heaven is the magic of the Zhuoyu Domain, never openly passed on. Yet, the Third Young Leader of Huan Yue Domain mastered the critical point just by watching it once?"

"If it’s truly so, such talent, as long as it doesn’t perish, will surely make a name in the East Divine Land!"

"Why only the East Divine Land? I fear that after this, the name of Mu Qingge, the third leader of Huan Yue, will resound across the Four Seas Divine Land."

The previous voices of disdain gradually transformed into shock.

Meanwhile, those elders from Zhuoyu Domain looked extremely grim, staring at Yan Quan, who was enveloped in flames on the arena, wishing he would jump out and severely teach Mu Qingge a lesson.

Naturally, they didn’t think that Yan Quan, who possessed a Fire Spirit Root, would be significantly harmed by the move.

Firstly, Yan Quan had a Fire Spirit Root; the Fire Element Law wouldn’t harm him much.

Secondly, he was at the Sixth Layer of the Spirit Cave Realm, so a Fire Bath Heaven executed by someone at the Third Layer, especially a mere imitation, couldn’t possibly harm him.

Unfortunately, while they had great confidence in Yan Quan, they neglected that Fire Bath Heaven required the Sixth Layer’s strength to be an effective Attack Technique.

They also forgot that, according to Yan Quan’s character, he wouldn’t just stand still even if engulfed by flames; he would certainly fight back.

But now, quiet... too quiet!

They anticipated Yan Quan’s counterattack, looking forward to Mu Qingge’s defeat.

Si Mo hid among them, his gaze toward the flames filled with slight amusement. His eyes flickered, landing on those elders from Zhuoyu Domain.

Watching them, Si Mo slightly furrowed his brow and thought to himself, ’How can I let you old fellows trouble my little Ge’er?’

Narrowing his eyes, Si Mo’s mouth flashed a cold smile.

Unnoticed, while everyone was drawn to the flaming spectacle on the arena, thin threads entwined around Si Mo’s fingertips, snaking like Spiritual Snakes from his fingers, silently settling upon those Zhuoyu elders, penetrating their skin.

At that instant, their bodies stiffened momentarily, their eyes dazed for a second, then returned to normal.

Boom—!

On the arena, the Fire Element Power finally dissipated.

Amidst the crowd’s anticipation that Yan Quan would stand undamaged like Mu Qingge before, they discovered that where Yan Quan had stood, the figure had turned to a mound of burnt ashes.

A gust of wind blew by, scattering the ashes until they disappeared entirely.

What!

Yan Quan died?

Yan Quan actually just died like that!

The crowd was shocked.

Around the arena, there was suddenly dead silence.

Yan Quan’s death was unexpected by everyone except Si Mo and Divine Emperor Zhong Shan; they seemed already aware of his death and were completely unshaken by the outcome.

"Eldest Young Master!"

"Yan Quan Brother!"

"Yan Quan Brother has died?"

The disciples of Zhuoyu Domain stood near the arena, stunned by this scene. As if doubting their eyes, they couldn’t help but rub them. Yet, upon reopening, the outcome remained unchanged.

Yan Quan had died.

Li Chao furrowed his brow tightly, his lips pressed into a line, his face tensed. He glanced at Mu Qingge, who stood as if nothing had happened, his eyes solemn.

"Yan Quan is dead, this is going to be interesting. Brother Li Chao, it seems we two don’t need to compete anymore." Yu Lv’s indifferent remark earned a glare from Li Chao, further weighing his mood.

Yan Quan had died, what would happen to Mu Qingge?

In this discussion, killing is forbidden; otherwise, one would be permanently expelled and barred from participating again.

’Sigh! Old Three was too impulsive this time.’ At this moment, Li Chao didn’t feel any joy over Mu Qingge’s victory but was filled with worry instead.

By the arena’s edge, Zhuang Shan and the others felt similarly, all concerned about Mu Qingge’s fate.

"You actually killed our Brother Yan Quan!"

"He committed murder!"

"You killed the top disciple of the Zhuoyu Domain’s ten main disciples!"

"Expel him!"

The disciples of Zhuoyu Domain finally awoke from their shock and began denouncing Mu Qingge.

The disciples of the other Three Divine Domains remained silent, not voicing their opinions. At this moment, the people from Huan Yue Domain also did not know how to defend Mu Qingge, each worried for her.

"What to do, the Third killed that guy, and I feel relieved in my heart. But if he’s expelled from this debate..." The Fifth Young Master of Huan Yue furrowed his brows.

The Fourth Young Master slowly shook his head, "Now this matter is beyond what we disciples can influence. Pity, the Divine Emperor is not here; if he were, perhaps the Third would have hope."

Around the platform, some worried about Mu Qingge’s fate, some were gloating, some were indifferent, and others were mocking, waiting.

All kinds of people, each different.

On the Ice Lotus, the Zhongtian Divine Emperor glanced, intentionally or not, in the direction of the few elders of Zhuoyu Domain, seemingly curious about their current silence.

By right, in such a situation where a core junior of Zhuoyu Domain was killed, they should have jumped out long ago, vowing to eradicate the murderer on the platform.

Amidst the various opinions, Mu Qingge lightly remarked, "What? Can this Fire Bath Heaven actually kill people? I didn’t know that."

"..."

"..."

"..."

What did she say?

She said she didn’t know Fire Bath Heaven could kill people?

Ha ha!

What kind of ridiculous answer is that!

Mu Qingge’s words brought silence all around, as if they were seeing a ghost, looking at her.

The Zhuoyu Domain disciples couldn’t stand it and began to criticize one after another—

"Hmph! Fire Bath Heaven is one of the strongest Fire Techniques of our Zhuoyu Domain, its destructive power is naturally immense, how could it not kill people?"

"Exactly! Almost no one can survive Fire Bath Heaven." The Zhuoyu Domain disciple who just uttered this suddenly thought of how Mu Qingge remained unharmed previously in Fire Bath Heaven and fell silent again.

"Fire Bath Heaven is so powerful, how could it not kill?"

"You killed, don’t argue!"

Mu Qingge’s lips slightly curled up as she said faintly, "So, Fire Bath Heaven can kill! I saw Brother Yan Quan use it on me first and thought it was some harmless spell. Why am I not dead, yet Brother Yan Quan is?"

This sentence left everyone in a daze.

None present were fools. How could they not hear the sarcasm in Mu Qingge’s words?

Your Zhuoyu Domain disciples deemed this Fire Bath Heaven as a lethal move, yet the first to use it was your Brother Yan Quan. And Mu Qingge? She merely, due to her innate talent, comprehended the essence of the technique from Yan Quan’s move, mimicked it, and executed a high-quality imitation.

Now with Yan Quan dying unluckily and Mu Qingge surviving, how did it become a murder charge against her?

If we must discuss this, the intent to kill was indeed initiated by Yan Quan.

The implication in Mu Qingge’s words made the situation suddenly become subtle. The amusement in Zhongtian Divine Emperor’s eyes deepened, those ice-blue eyes reflecting Mu Qingge’s figure.

Mu Qingge’s calmness under pressure, her tranquility and clear speech, brought silence all around.

On the side of Huan Yue Domain, the Fourth Young Master and Zhuang Shan’s eyes sparkled, a faint smile emerging. On the platform, Yu Lv slightly knitted his brows, while Li Chao’s tightly furrowed brows relaxed.

"You say I killed, I merely used the same move to counterattack, how does that count as murder?" Mu Qingge asked innocently.

"You... you survived, but Brother Yan Quan died!" A voice of accusation, no longer as firm as before.

Mu Qingge’s lips curled upward, breaking into a smile. "I lived because of my good fortune, and it’s not that Brother Yan Quan didn’t want to kill me. He died because of his misfortune, neither because I intended to kill him. At this moment, I’m extremely shocked too, how did Brother Yan Quan die right in front of me, just a beginner? Clearly, I’m unscathed. Your logic is indeed amusing, claiming Fire Bath Heaven is a killing move; now that I’m not dead, does that not count?"

She snorted coldly, flicking her sleeves as she questioned: "Dare I ask, people try to kill me, and I retaliate; isn’t this the natural order of justice? Someone attempts to kill me, and I counterattack. Now that I’m not dead, how have I become a murderer? How innocent am I? What does this have to do with me? Could it be that in your hearts, when someone comes to kill, one should just sit and wait for death, giving up without a fight? Furthermore, my duel with Yan Quan was completely fair; he used Fire Bath Heaven, and so did I. He died, and it’s my fault?"

A round of impassioned speech absolved herself completely.

"Brilliant!" The Fourth Young Master exclaimed excitedly.

The Fifth Young Master looked at him, confused.

The Fourth Young Master glanced at him, slowly shook his head, and was too lazy to explain.

At this moment, the disciples of Zhuoyu Domain by the ring, along with others and spectators from afar, were all held by Mu Qingge’s words and for a moment, couldn’t find words to refute.

Mu Qingge stood upright on the platform, head held high, with an unyielding expression. She looked at the Zhongtian Divine Emperor, and spoke powerfully: "Zhong Shan Divine Emperor, I, Mu Qingge, am innocent. Please, Emperor, clear my name. This debate forbids killing, and I’ve always adhered to this. Since Fire Bath Heaven is a deadly move, why did Yan Quan use it against me?"

The Zhongtian Divine Emperor let his gaze fall lightly upon her, with a playful smile at the corner of his mouth.

After a while, he looked towards the elders of Zhuoyu Domain, and said slowly: "Gentlemen, Yan Quan was one of yours from Zhuoyu Domain. What is your view on this matter now?"