The great halberd he wielded was the source of Chi Wuxia’s confidence. Though he now possessed methods beyond the chaos, this weapon was his ultimate reassurance—the treasure that gave him the confidence to challenge the other princes and princesses!

But Lu Yun’s simple, mundane point had completely destroyed the weapon and also left Chi Wuxia’s confidence as rubble.

“I concede.” Qiu Luoyu plopped on the ground and panted for air. He grinned at Chi Wuxia. “You win. Now you have the right to challenge Wen Jian.”

Wen Jian chuckled ruefully; he wasn’t a match for Chi Wuxia. Even if the genius’ confidence was shattered, he still didn’t come close. However, Chi Wuxia didn’t seem to have heard Qiu Luoyu; he stared at Lu Yun with stupefaction.

He wasn’t the only one. Everyone’s gazes were focused on the young man. No one understood what had happened. How had a minuscule fourth level mortal realm cultivator reduced the awe-inspiring halberd to dust with just one point?

“He’s Lu Yun of Inception Palace!” someone suddenly called out. “He already picked up a heritage beyond the chaos before this!”

As the rules of trial were broken, it’d taken the joint efforts of the princes and princesses of the six palaces to clear a safe zone in which the adventurers could gather and rest. Now that they had some breathing space to take a close look at Lu Yun, someone immediately identified him.

Roughly ten thousand people had witnessed Wei Yuan defeating Zhou Wumie and Lu Yun taking back Qing Han’s sword. Not all of them were dead.

“I see. Can it be that these heritages beyond the chaos counter each other?” a voice murmured with a frown.

While they didn’t know what Chi Wuxia had obtained, that great halberd had been more terrifying than the sword in the zombie earlier. Lu Yun had officially entered their line of sight and fires of greed licked at their hearts.

“Are you guys really plotting against the next prince of Inception Palace?” Dressed in a white silk dress, Wahuang suddenly appeared protectively in front of Lu Yun.

Her arrival was a bucket of ice cold water dumped over the heads of everyone gathered. She wasn’t the strongest only beneath sovereign realm, she was the strongest beneath the six monarchs! If she really decided to take action, only the joint efforts of her peers would be able to stop her.

“Chi Wuxia, Qiu Luoyu has been defeated, so you can challenge Wen Jian now.” Wahuang’s lips quirked upwards. “I can make the decision that if you defeat Wen Jian, the ‘sacred land’ title of the now nine sects will be returned to you.”

“Eh?” Chi Wuxia lifted his head blearily and looked at Wahuang, then lowered it again. “What’s the point?” he sighed before waxing eloquent, “The sacred palaces are indeed the sacred palaces. A single mortal realm disciple is enough to break my confidence. What meaning is there in the sacred land name? In the eyes of the palaces, that name is just a joke.”

“You’re rather astute.” Pity crept into Wahuang’s tone. This was one of the greatest geniuses in the chaos; it was only a matter of time before he ascended to sovereign realm. However, one point from Lu Yun had reduced him to a dejected, unsure husk of his former self. She could visibly see how depressed he was.

“The sacred land name isn’t a joke and what the six palaces say isn’t the law.” Lu Yun suddenly walked out from behind Wahuang. He didn’t like taking shelter behind someone’s back; he preferred facing his own challenges. “You’re only a joke if you treat yourself like one.”

“Huh?” Chi Wuxia blinked.

“You’ve done nothing wrong. The sacred land name isn’t something bestowed by another, but won through sweat and blood. What the six palaces took away from you was just a title.

“A sacred land is foundation, faith, and courage. It’s the guiding light for innumerable souls—never just an empty title.” When Lu Yun raised his head, a ball of flame seemed to blaze in his eyes.

A sacred land!

So was the Dao Academy a sacred land!

The Dao Academy was a concentration of the immortal dao’s foundations, faith in the great dao, and its courage that served as a lighthouse in the drifting seas!

“As things stand right now, the nine sacred lands plainly aren’t equipped with any of these. You are indeed just a name, and you’re nothing without it.” Lu Yun smiled. “But you’re not a joke.”

“Mmhmm.” Chi Wuxia nodded. “I don’t know how you destroyed my halberd, but I’ll get my confidence back. I await you in the sovereign realm.”

He took a deep look at Lu Yun, firmly committing the youth to memory. He needed to regain his self assurance as right now, at least, he didn’t have the courage to do battle. Even if he faced the fourth level mortal realm disciple in combat, he still wouldn’t dare to do anything.

When he’d first obtained the halberd, he’d felt invincible and ready to take on even the six monarchs.

All of that had vanished with a casual flick of Lu Yun’s fingers.

“Alright, the exit passage has been opened. Everyone needs to leave right now, whether you are of the six palaces or wandering cultivators!” Wahuang announced. “The rules of trial have been destroyed and this is no gentle land. Even sovereigns can easily lose their lives here.”

The power of the six palaces enveloped the Tomb of Heaven and Earth and the combined efforts of the six princes and princesses had created a small sanctuary. But the situation wouldn’t remain this way for long.

Within the tomb, monsters beyond the chaos were slowly starting to awaken. When they fully came to, that would draw the curtains back on general destruction. While they’d been laid to their final rest here, it would be utter disaster for the chaos if someone accidentally destroyed the layouts of the tomb.

“Everyone, leave. Those remaining within three hundred breaths, die,” coldly uttered the Nirvana princess in a foul mood.

Instead of returning to her, Chi Wuxia had left by himself. This meant he would never return to the Nirvana Palace nor relight his soul lamp. Rather, he would imitate Mo Ke and temper himself on the boundary between life and death.

This was a path fraught with danger as though he possessed the battle strength of a sovereign, there were far too many entities lurking in the chaos that could kill him.

……

Ying Luo and the others had awakened, but didn’t have time to reconvene with Lu Yun before those of their palace led them away. Qing Han’s sword had been recalled and returned to her, and the doors to the tomb creaked shut.

The bloody path leading inside had vanished the moment the rules were broken, leaving Lu Yun slightly disappointed that he hadn’t caught another glimpse of the three-headed lizard. That being was a great master in the mythological realm and an old friend of his past self.