Chapter 17
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Chapter 17: A Deadly Predicament
Xue Feishuang understood all too well the complicated relationship between Zhang Yang and the Demon Slayer Team.
Bai Teng continued, his tone calm yet authoritative. “Regarding the Demon Slayer Team, I’m sure General Xue is well aware of the situation, so I won’t elaborate. The team’s leader is the Seventh Prince himself, and all members of the Golden Guards are also part of the Demon Slayer Team.”
“So far, the first officially registered member of the Demon Slayer Team to be killed is Xiao Hu. The killer? Zhang Yang.”
“I am here on the orders of the Seventh Prince to deliver a message to you, General Xue.”
“If you personally execute Zhang Yang, not only will you be granted a noble title, but you will also be elevated to one of the eight esteemed members of the Demon Slayer Team, second only to the leader and two vice-leaders.”
“In doing so, you will hold a prestigious position within the Demon Slayer Team, which will greatly benefit your future.”
The inevitable had finally arrived.
Xue Feishuang had long known this day would come. She understood the nature of the Seventh Prince of the Great Xia Empire better than most—proud, arrogant, domineering, cruel, and utterly self-absorbed.
However, she hadn’t expected it to happen so soon.
She took a deep breath and asked, “Did the Seventh Prince mention any way he would be willing to spare my junior brother?”
Bai Teng’s response was indifferent. “The Seventh Prince said that Zhang Yang must die.”
Xue Feishuang’s eyes narrowed. “Then please inform the Seventh Prince that I am willing to request my master’s support in leading the Green Sparrow Palace to serve under him—if he spares my junior brother.”
Bai Teng silently took out a *communication stone.
[* a communication stone is a magical or spiritual artifact that allows people to send messages over long distances, similar to a phone or telepathic device.]
This item allowed communication across vast distances.
Bai Teng activated the communication stone and relayed Xue Feishuang’s words verbatim to the Seventh Prince.
A cold voice echoed from the stone: “The first person who dared to kill a member of my Demon Slayer Team must die. No excuse is sufficient for this prince to spare him. Xue Feishuang, I acknowledge your talent, so I will give you a moment to reconsider your decision.”
Xue Feishuang respectfully bowed and said, “Thank you, Your Highness. There is no need for consideration—I will never harm my junior brother.”
“Hmph!”
A chilling voice came from the communication stone. “No one defies my will.”
Then, the stone fell silent.
Bai Teng put it away and said coldly, “General Xue, take care of yourself.”
With that, he turned and left.
Silence returned to Bi Bo Lake.
Xue Feishuang, however, couldn’t calm herself. She knew the Seventh Prince would undoubtedly take action.
The situation had become truly dire.
With Yun Liuhuo scheming, Gu Qianshan lurking, and the Demon Slayer Team now targeting them, they were beset by threats on all sides.
Meanwhile, Zhang Yang, deep in cultivation, remained unaware of these unfolding dangers. He was entirely focused on absorbing the Water Energy from Bi Bo Lake.
Though the energy was not particularly dense, its quantity was sufficient. He continued to draw it in, integrating it into his vital energy until—
Boom!
A powerful tremor surged through his body.
He had finally broken through.
Level Three of the Returning to Origin Realm!
With this advancement, Zhang Yang immediately felt his strength double. His excitement was palpable.
“Sister, I’ve broken through!” Zhang Yang exclaimed. “Next, let’s find the Fire Energy!”
He was eager to reach the peak of the Returning to Origin Realm as soon as possible.
Xue Feishuang responded with a simple “Hm.”
Zhang Yang immediately noticed the heaviness in her expression. “What’s wrong?” he asked.
Before she could answer, the sound of approaching footsteps reached Zhang Yang’s ears.
Since Yang Shilong’s ambush, he had remained highly vigilant, always paying close attention to his surroundings.
He turned toward the noise.
A group of three to five hundred people was approaching.
Leading them was a middle-aged man with a pale, beardless face. Behind him stood two men in golden battle armor—guards, by their appearance. Further back, Zhang Yang spotted Yun Liuhuo, Yun Dongji, and several others.
Xue Feishuang’s expression shifted slightly upon seeing the man at the front. She whispered, “Pavilion Master Li.”
Zhang Yang frowned. A pavilion master? Someone from the palace? What were they doing here?
As Pavilion Master Li stepped closer, his sharp, piercing voice rang out.
“Imperial decree! Xue Feishuang, receive the decree!”
Xue Feishuang took a deep breath, grabbed Zhang Yang’s arm, and whispered, “Don’t act rashly.”
Then, she knelt down.
“Xue Feishuang receives the decree.”
Pavilion Master Li cast a disdainful glance at Zhang Yang before lowering his gaze coldly toward Xue Feishuang. He unfurled the imperial decree and read aloud:
“Xue Feishuang was once an elite of the empire. Her extraordinary talent and significant military achievements were worthy of earning her a title battle opportunity. However!”
He paused briefly, his voice turning icy.
“Xue Feishuang has colluded with a suspect of the world-destroying demon, going so far as to protect this suspect. This betrayal has greatly disappointed the empire. Therefore, she is hereby stripped of all military ranks and demoted to the status of a commoner.”
Then, he turned his attention elsewhere.
“Yun Liuhuo!”
Yun Liuhuo immediately knelt down.
Pavilion Master Li continued, “Yun Liuhuo has demonstrated great loyalty by promptly identifying and reporting the suspect of the world-destroying demon. For this meritorious act, he is granted the title of Feiyun Marquis and ranked as the seventy-second martial lord of the empire. This is the imperial decree.”
Yun Liuhuo’s face lit up with joy. He immediately expressed his gratitude in a loud voice.
Xue Feishuang remained silent. She knew this was the Seventh Prince’s punishment for defying him.
Zhang Yang, however, was furious.
“Why!?” He stepped forward and shouted, “Why treat my sister this way? She won her title battle fair and square! Yun Dongji, on the other hand, not only violated the rules but also failed to complete the title battle—she should be the one receiving the title!”
Pavilion Master Li remained impassive, his expression filled with contempt.
Bai Teng sneered. “Because of you.”
Zhang Yang’s gaze darkened. “Because of me? Do you even know how Xiao Hu identified me as a suspect of the world-destroying demon? He wanted to steal the Golden Sun Spirit Fruit tree from me, and when he failed—”
Bai Teng abruptly cut him off. “Enough! Say no more. We know everything.”
Zhang Yang’s eyes narrowed. His voice turned cold. “You know… and yet you still label me a suspect?”
“Ha…”
Bai Teng let out a mocking chuckle. “As long as a formal member of the Demon Slayer Team identifies you as a suspect, then you are one. If they wish to kill you, you must willingly present your neck for them to behead you. Otherwise…”
His tone grew even colder.
“Your entire family will be wiped out.”
"Bastard!"
Zhang Yang was furious.
He had initially thought that only Xiao Hu was this ruthless, but he never expected the entire Demon Slayer Team to be so domineering, cruel, and brutal.
"How audacious!" Bai Teng snapped coldly. "Who do you think you are, to speak to me with such disrespect? Capture him!"
Zhang Yang immediately tensed, his eyes scanning the people before him.
Suddenly, he heard a cracking sound beneath his feet.
In an instant, two golden ropes shot up from the ground, wrapping tightly around his wrists.
Zhang Yang was startled. He pulled hard, but the ropes held firm.
“Don’t waste your energy,” Bai Teng sneered. “The Feiyun Marquis recognized your extraordinary combat prowess. To ensure your capture, he selected twenty-nine people to perform the Earth Sealing Divine Technique together. No matter how strong you are, you won’t break free.”
Zhang Yang activated his Five Divine Powers.
Creak!
The golden ropes trembled under the strain but showed no signs of breaking.
At that moment, Xue Feishuang swung her sword at the bindings.
Bang!
The impact sent a shockwave through the air, but the sword was repelled—she still couldn’t cut through them.
Bai Teng’s expression turned cold. "Xue Feishuang, you are walking down a dark path."
Xue Feishuang didn’t respond. She simply raised her sword and attacked again.
But no matter how many times she struck, the ropes remained unscathed.
Bai Teng flipped his wrist, revealing a fist-sized stone radiating a faint blue light—the Spirit Communication Stone. As he channeled his power into it, dazzling blue light erupted from its surface, forming an intertwined image.
The image revealed a battlefield.
One side had an army of one hundred thousand troops, an overwhelming force.
The other side was composed entirely of women.
The army stood imposing, led by a man on a tall white horse. He was clad in gleaming armor, a divine sword in his hand.
The moment his figure appeared, Pavilion Master Li, Bai Teng, Yun Liuhuo, and the others immediately dropped to their knees.
"We pay our respects to His Highness, the Seventh Prince!"
This was none other than Mu Shaoyang, the leader of the Demon Slayer Team and the Seventh Prince of the Great Xia Empire.
Opposite him, the women stood before a mountain gate. Behind them, a stone tablet bore an inscription—
Green Sparrow Palace!
Xue Feishuang’s breath caught in her throat. Her eyes widened in shock.
Then she saw the woman leading the group and gasped. "Master!"
The woman at the forefront was none other than Mu Lanxin, the Grand Elder of the Green Sparrow Palace.
With both sides’ identities revealed, Zhang Yang and Xue Feishuang felt an immense sense of crisis.
The Seventh Prince’s voice was cold and unwavering.
"The Demon Slayer Team has decreed that extraordinary times call for extraordinary measures to protect the Southern Region. Anyone who dares to kill a member of my Demon Slayer Team will have their entire family annihilated and their clan slaughtered, so that all may know—our authority is absolute, and our dignity inviolable."
His chilling gaze locked onto Xue Feishuang.
"Xue Feishuang, I will give you one last chance. Will you kill Zhang Yang?"
Xue Feishuang’s grip on her sword tightened. Her voice, however, was firm.
“I won’t kill him. But I will obliterate your sect!”
