Chapter 2467 1 life for 1 life
The atmosphere was solemn.
None of the border soldiers recognized Li Tiangui; they only saw that he was an ordinary mid-stage Mahayana cultivator.
Wang Qicang no longer had the strength to turn his head; he only knew that his old friend had arrived.
Ling Fuye remained expressionless.
Li Tiangui, one of the escapees from Starry Sky Immortal Prison.
He calmly watched Li Tiangui approaching from afar. This man could be killed at will; there was no need to bring him back to the Boundless Immortal Realm.
"Immortal King, Wang Qicang has fled to the Southern Frontier, determined to escape beyond the realms to attend the Immortal Realm's Grand Gathering of Prodigies!"
Li Tiangui continued to shout loudly, and at this moment he actually knelt down on the ground, "These are documents from several lineages of my Three Thousand Immortal Realms. I hope the Immortal King will take a look, I hope the Immortal King will take a look!"
He was already drenched in sweat.
Just a moment ago, he almost died from a single glance before he could finish speaking; the oppressive aura of the immortal was truly despairing.
Ling Fuye's gaze was deep; he had already seen through the jade token document—
"Give this boy a chance."
It seems.
This Wang Qicang was able to traverse hundreds of immortal realms over 20,000 years. Behind him was not only the Heavenly Palace's power struggle, but also the secret assistance of many forces who helped him cross the heavens, all so that he could leave the three thousand immortal realms to participate in the Immortal Realm's Grand Gathering of Prodigies when he was wanted by the whole world.
The Grand Gathering of Celestial Prodigies...
Many cultivators felt a chill run down their spines, simply unable to believe it. The prodigies of the Immortal Realm were practically a different species from their contemporaries in the Three Thousand Immortal Domains. If such a rebellious, Qi Refining stage cultivator were allowed to participate in the Immortal Realm's Prodigy Gathering, what would become of the Three Thousand Immortal Domains...?
What about saving face?!
Ling Fuye's breath hitched slightly: "If I release him, who will I use to explain to the Boundless Heavenly Palace?"
boom!
Li Tiangui suddenly stood up, his eyes flashing with a sharp light: "I am Wang Qicang, and the one who is on the run is Li Tiangui."
A cold smile suddenly appeared on Ling Fuye's dignified face: "Who are you to dare to die for him? A mere Mahayana cultivator, what audacity."
The junior was already pale with fright, his lips trembling, yet he still dared to utter such words in front of him. How interesting...
Faced with the Immortal King's cold laugh that seemed capable of crushing heaven and earth, Li Tiangui suddenly fell silent.
His lips were still trembling, but his gaze was no longer unfocused.
He bowed deeply, his voice steady to the point of being almost ruthless:
"The Immortal King has misunderstood."
"This junior...is not dying for Wang Qicang."
He looked up, meeting the gaze of the powerful Immortal King who guarded the domain, like a madman who had long since severed ties with life and death, yet uttered the most lucid words:
"This junior...is willing to die for the Three Thousand Immortal Realms."
The world fell silent.
The soldiers on the frontier were all taken aback.
Li Tiangui slowly reached out and lifted the jade token—
That was the death warrant he obtained after fleeing thousands of miles and risking his life.
"If the Immortal King kills Wang Qicang, the Three Thousand Immortal Realms will surely lose face again at the Immortal Realm's Grand Gathering of Prodigies, becoming a laughingstock once more. I know the Immortal King will assert that the Three Thousand Immortal Realms have hope in every generation, and that each generation is the most promising one, but that is the reality..."
"The Three Thousand Immortal Realms no longer have any truly capable and courageous prodigies to offer!"
"At that time, due to the defeat in the Great Battle of the Prodigies, the Heavenly Palace will issue punishments to quell the anger of all races of cultivators—"
“Those who died were not only me, Li Tiangui, but countless lineages that dared to send their prodigies into battle.”
His voice began to crack, but he showed no sign of kneeling.
In just a few words, he revealed the pain points and strange situation of the Three Thousand Immortal Realms. No one dared to call themselves a prodigy. If they lost, they would be cursed by all races under heaven. Even behind the scenes, they would suffer punishment from the Boundless Heavenly Palace for trying to quell the public anger.
The three thousand immortal realms' geniuses have been passing down their talents generation after generation, with no one truly daring to fight. Their spirits have all waned, and they live in the tragic fate of their predecessors. The gap between them and the geniuses of the immortal realm is widening, making them even less willing to fight, creating a vicious cycle.
"But if Li Tiangui dies here..."
"If Li Tiangui were to die under the Celestial King's divine might, bearing the name of Wang Qicang—"
"That is because I, Li Tiangui, have violated the King's decree and defied the Immortal King; I deserve to die!"
"The consequences of this should have fallen on Wang Qicang... I will bear them all, at least in exchange for a glimmer of hope."
He tilted his head back, blood trickling from between his brows, as if he were writing an incomparably tragic seal with his life:
"Immortal King, I, Li Tiangui, will settle the karmic debts that need to be settled!"
"I, Li Tiangui, will repay the face that the Heavenly Palace wants!"
"The Boundless Heavenly Palace and the Immortal King desire a criminal who will be brought to justice—and that is me!"
The wind died out in an instant.
Li Tiangui took a deep breath and looked at Wang Qicang, who stood trembling in the bloody wind:
"Brother Qi Cang—"
That soft sound, however, was so powerful it made my heart ache.
"...The step you took was made possible by our lives."
"If you wish to leave, then leave."
"Even if I die on the road ahead of you, don't look back."
"From this day forward—no one in the three thousand immortal realms will be able to stop you from forging ahead."
At this point, he finally knelt down and kowtowed deeply.
It is not addressed to the Celestial King, but to Heaven and Earth.
It's like paying homage to the destiny you've chosen:
"Junior Li Tiangui is willing to sacrifice himself before the Immortal King Fuye in exchange for Wang Qicang's life!"
He lowered his head and remained silent, his face transforming into the likeness of Wang Qicang.
All that's left is for the Immortal King's palm strike to completely obliterate him.
The world was utterly still.
Swah——
suddenly!
The crimson light was dazzling. Ling Family Immortal King held a long spear and pierced Li Tiangui's body with it. The spear shattered and lifted him up. The latter's soul was extinguished in an instant, and his body and spirit were destroyed. Only an empty shell remained, dripping with blood, 'inserted' into the crimson spear.
Wang Qicang's black hair danced wildly as he went completely mad; his roars were buried in the sandstorm and went unnoticed.
"Celestial King..."
The entire army of tribulation cultivators was shocked, and several hundred of them looked particularly grim, even making small movements with their hands. They were not sympathizing with this stranger, but rather because the Immortal King had personally taken action to kill this Li Tiangui.
Wouldn't that mean letting the real Wang Qicang go?
"All troops, form ranks!" Ling Fuye's resounding voice echoed for miles, and the celestial beast beneath him roared.
"Yes!!"
……
The army's expression suddenly turned solemn. Everyone shut up, and all the cultivators immediately stopped their small movements. Their eyes were solemn and cold as they looked at the endless distance ahead. Military orders were like mountains, allowing no room for the Tribulation Transcending Celestial Venerable to think.
"Open the Immortal Pass and wipe out all the bandits and rebels of the myriad races across the land."
bass!
A loud, blood-red gunshot pierced the sky in an instant, majestic and awe-inspiring.
"Yes!"
The 100,000-strong army roared, their killing intent palpable. They dared not utter a single question or make any small move. Any disturbance or disarray would be met with certain death. In the vast southern border region, the Ling family of Tianyun held absolute autonomy. It could be said that the entire southern frontier belonged to the Ling family.
Rumble...
The majestic immortal gate formation slowly opened.
The 100,000-strong Ling family army stretched across the fields like a rainbow, marching majestically towards Chaoxian Pass.
At the front of the army.
Ling Fuye glanced back slightly out of the corner of his eye, wondering if this boy could still keep up after reaching the end of his rope. If he could, the bloody path he had carved out in the outer realms would be his path to survival. If he couldn't, then he would fall in the pass and would not be worthy of bringing shame to the Three Thousand Immortal Realms.
A great battle between the geniuses of all races in the immortal realm...
A barely perceptible shadow crossed his eyes, a regret that remains a deep regret in his heart to this day.
