Piaoxue Palace, Piaoxue Hall!
Lin Huang stood quietly in the hall, his entire body bound by iron chains. Lin Cangxue stood side by side with him. Surrounding them were Tie Wuxin and several Elders of Piaoxue Palace.
A middle-aged man sat quietly on the Snow Lion Throne of the hall. He wore a Baiyi cross-collared robe adorned with snow patterns. His deep, composed facial features accentuated his striking and extraordinary heroic bearing. His eyes, like ancient wells, contained a profound and sharp aura, akin to a lethal knife. A peerlessly fierce aura lay hidden across his entire being.
Snow Falling on Earth, Yann Nangui!
The Palace Master of Piaoxue Palace, an existence at the Half-Step Martial Marquis Realm.
His chiseled cheeks, appearing as if carved from marble, unconsciously exuded a deep sense of oppression. His captivating eyes stared indifferently at the young man below as his majestic voice echoed faintly through the hall: "Was it you who killed Outer Elder Meng Zhiqiu, as well as Profound Institute disciple Xue Ping?"
Lin Huang remained calm, nodding with quiet dignity.
"Do you know that in Piaoxue Palace, outside of martial tournaments, murderers must pay with their lives? Moreover, as a newly admitted disciple, how dare you act so brazenly!" The oppressive voice exploded in the hall like the roar of an angry tiger, striking terror into one’s heart.
Lin Huang looked up and smiled Wuxie. Gazing at the man before him—one of the Four Great Sect Masters whose name echoed throughout the East Spirit Realm—he spoke with a calmness that carried unyielding resolve. "They simply deserved to die."
"A disagreement in words leads to a fight to the death. Do you not think you are too cruel?" Yann Nangui rubbed his fingers together, his eyes bearing down on Lin Huang as he interrogated him.
"Even a dragon has a reverse scale that, if touched, brings certain death. Does the Palace Master truly believe that in this Martial Arts World of unrestrained slaughter, this is considered cruel?" Lin Huang smiled, lacking any intention to admit fault. He could bow his head for certain things, but for others, he had to stand firm. People could hurl insults at him, but if they insulted Lin Cangxue, the only outcome would be a fight to the bitter end.
In the hall, the crowd looked at Lin Huang with a trace of peculiarity in their eyes. Some elite Inner Sect Disciples even scanned him back and forth, sighing slightly in their hearts.
"This younger brother of Lin Cangxue... he is quite ferocious!"
"To dare slaughter an Outer Elder on his first day of admission, I’m afraid he is the first to do so in the East Spirit Realm for hundreds of years."
"This is a feat that even Lin Cangxue never accomplished!"
"To still refuse to admit his mistake even now, I’m afraid he won’t be able to escape the fate of death!"
In the hall, Yann Nangui stared intensely at Lin Huang, his voice carrying faint anger. "Are you truly unrepentant?"
Had it not been for Lin Cangxue’s past contributions to Piaoxue Palace, as well as Shen Diexin’s approval of Lin Huang, let alone murdering an Outer Elder, just the act of killing Xue Ping would have been enough for this kid to be caned to death right here in the court. Originally, as long as Lin Huang bowed his head and admitted his mistake, although he couldn’t escape punishment, he would have been spared the death penalty. But now, Lin Huang was acting like a stubborn rock, leaving Yann Nangui with no way to back down. The ultimate outcome remained unknown.
If you don’t give me a way out, why should I give you face?
Lin Cangxue tugged at Lin Huang’s arm, looking at him with a hint of pleading in her eyes. She knew that since Yann Nangui was willing to speak so much, he intended to spare Lin Huang’s life—as long as Lin Huang yielded a little.
Looking at Lin Cangxue’s face full of sorrow, Lin Huang felt an inexplicable ache in his heart. A deep sense of self-blame welled up within him, and he couldn’t help but smile self-deprecatingly. "Perhaps... my stepping into Piaoxue Palace has only made my sister worry more!"
After taking a deep breath, Lin Huang looked at Yann Nangui with a suppressed expression. "I was impulsive in this matter. I promise that such a thing will not happen again outside of a martial tournament."
Just as the situation was about to turn for the better, an old man who had been hiding in the shadows with his hands tucked into his sleeves suddenly opened his eyes and spoke with righteous indignation. "Palace Master, the rules of our Piaoxue Palace cannot be broken. For this child to kill an Outer Elder is a capital offense. If we do not execute him as a warning to others, I am afraid the ironclad laws of our Piaoxue Palace will become nothing more than waste paper!"
Lin Huang frowned slightly, turning his head to look at the old man who had spoken. He wore a black round-collared robe, had a somewhat short stature, and possessed a face covered in crisscrossing wrinkles. He appeared to be over sixty years old.
Lin Cangxue grasped Lin Huang’s hand, giving him a quiet signal. Lin Huang understood immediately. This old man presumably had a grudge against his sister. When Lin Huang originally refused to confess—a path that led only to death—this man had been happy to watch the show from the shadows. But now that he had admitted his fault and Yann Nangui seemed inclined to spare him, the old man could no longer sit still.
"Hong Jiu, what do you mean by that!"
Before the crowd in the hall could speak, a crisp voice rang out from outside. Shen Diexin, dressed in a green lotus gauze dress, walked into the hall. Her clear eyes were locked onto the speaking Elder.
Hong Jiu smiled coldly. "What else could I mean? The ironclad law of our Piaoxue Palace dictates that murderers must pay with their lives. Since this child has killed someone, no matter who he is, his only path is death!"
"The ironclad laws of Piaoxue Palace? Are you an Elder of the Law Enforcement Hall? This matter is for the Palace Master to decide. What does it have to do with you?" Shen Diexin retorted angrily, her clear and beautiful face full of Tyrant Path.
"You..." Hong Jiu glared furiously, staring at Shen Diexin as his withered hands clenched tightly into fists.
"Enough!" Yann Nangui’s angry shout suddenly rang out. He shot an ugly look at Hong Jiu before speaking. "This Palace Master will make his own decision on this matter! Lin Huang murdered Outer Elder Meng Zhiqiu. According to the ironclad laws of Piaoxue Palace, he should be caned to death. However, considering that he has just entered Piaoxue Palace and is ignorant of its rules, there is still room for pardon. After some thought, I will change the sentence from caning to death to three hundred strokes of the cane. Whether he lives or dies will depend entirely on this child’s own fortune."
"Palace Master..." Before Yann Nangui could finish speaking, Lin Cangxue’s face turned pale as a sheet, and she immediately cried out.
To the side, Hong Jiu let out a sinister chuckle. "You’re merely a Personal Element Realm brat. Three hundred strokes will beat you to a bloody pulp until you breathe your last."
Caning in Piaoxue Palace was not like caning in the Dynasty. The cane used was a Wolf Fang Club. The one administering the punishment had to be exactly a Great Realm higher in Cultivation than the one being punished; they were not allowed to use their Cultivation, but they had to swing with all their physical strength. Among the disciples who had been caned to death in Piaoxue Palace, not a single one had survived past three hundred strokes.
Yann Nangui frowned. Looking at Lin Cangxue’s drastically changed expression, he shook his head. "Lin Cangxue, you know the rules of Piaoxue Palace. If it weren’t for you, Lin Huang would undoubtedly die. This Palace Master has already spared his life. What more do you have to say?"
Lin Cangxue’s elegant brows furrowed tightly. "If the Palace Master insists on this, Lin Cangxue has no choice but to take Xiaohuang and fight our way out of here." Three hundred strokes of the cane would inevitably lead to death. If she was going to watch Lin Huang get beaten to death, she might as well go crazy one more time.
"Fight your way out of here?" Yann Nangui suddenly chuckled lightly, a flash of anger rising in his heart. He had already shown exceptional leniency by changing the death sentence to three hundred strokes. He hadn’t expected Lin Cangxue to be so relentless! "Do you think you are still the Lin Cangxue of the past!"
Lin Cangxue’s delicate little face gradually turned cold. A Three-Foot Cyan Blade suddenly appeared in her hand, emitting a fierce aura as she spat out a single word, as cold as ice: "Yes!"
The atmosphere in the air instantly grew tense. Even though her Martial Soul was shattered, even though her Realm had plummeted, and even though she hadn’t attacked in three years, she still had Cultivation. She could still stand against everything for Lin Huang!
Looking at the resolute Lin Cangxue, Yann Nangui only smiled coldly, disdaining to clash with a fallen disciple. He looked up at Shen Diexin and asked, "Elder Shen, Lin Cangxue is your disciple. Are you just going to watch?"
"This matter has nothing to do with my master. Since Cangxue has decided to act willfully today, I draw a clear line between myself and my master," Lin Cangxue preempted. "Lin Cangxue may have fallen, but I have a sword strike that I have been brewing for three years. I ask the Palace Master for your guidance!" She spoke sharply, her delicate hand raising slightly to point directly at Yann Nangui.
In the hall, the expressions of everyone present shifted slightly. Many Elders and Inner Sect Disciples sighed. "This former Legend is likely going to completely fall today."
Wasn’t challenging a Half-Step Martial Marquis courting death? Could the current Lin Cangxue even defeat anyone present?
In the corner, Hong Jiu revealed a face full of smiles, feeling incomparably cheerful in his heart.
"What a fine East Spirit Legend," Yann Nangui said as he looked at the woman below, laughing out of extreme anger. "This Palace Master will give you a chance. I will face you using only the Cultivation of the Celestial Element Realm. As long as you can break the Gang Qi surrounding my body, this Palace Master will deal with Lin Huang leniently!"
With that said, Yann Nangui waved his arm. His aura surged like a raging sea, instantly filling the hall. A pale blue, spherical layer of Innate Gang Qi appeared around his body. The atmosphere in the hall became unprecedentedly tense.
Lin Huang looked at the woman beside him, feeling an inexplicable heartache. He only felt a sourness in his nose as a violent aura surged from his heart. His bloodshot eyes slowly swept across everyone in the hall. No matter what, he would not allow Lin Cangxue to suffer the slightest harm. If today’s matter could not be resolved properly, he would fight his way out of this hall. Although his Array Puppet lacked sufficient strength, it wasn’t as if there was absolutely no chance.
While Lin Huang secretly brewed his power, Lin Cangxue’s figure had already moved. Fast as lightning and forceful as rushing thunder, she flashed with a blinding brilliance across the hall, shooting toward Yann Nangui.
Suddenly, snowflakes drifted through the void. In this moment, the atmosphere in the hall abruptly became sorrowful—a bone-piercing sorrow. It was as if those dancing snowflakes were the remnants of life; the moment they fluttered to the ground would mark the final end of that existence.
The moment Lin Cangxue struck, the expressions of everyone present changed. They looked at the figure charging straight toward Yann Nangui with shock and terror. Even Yann Nangui’s expression revealed a hint of shock.
"She actually learned this move!"
During Yann Nangui’s momentary Divine Split, a loud BANG rang out. The Three-Foot Cyan Blade pierced into the Gang Qi surrounding Yann Nangui’s body like lightning. An extremely powerful aura fiercely erupted from the tip of the sword, instantly stabbing a crack into the Innate Gang Qi, which then violently spread outward...
Within a few breaths, the Innate Gang Qi around Yann Nangui’s body gradually shattered and dissipated. In the hall, everyone’s gaze landed tightly on Lin Cangxue. The way they looked at her was exactly like in the past—as if they were looking at a monster.
"This move... she actually learned it!"
"To actually use this move to break open the Innate Gang Qi of a Half-Step Martial Marquis, this is too terrifying."
"Her understanding of this move has likely already surpassed Yann Nangui’s."