Volume 3 - Chapter 413: Defeat (Part 1)
A surge of domineering and solid energy, like a towering mountain, stood before Su Muqing—it was Su Zhenyuan.
The moment he caught that faint whisper, he rushed over at once, preventing his beloved daughter from falling prey to that demon’s fatal blow.
Beside him stood another figure, his aura restrained and silent—Li Hao.
He too had rushed over the instant danger loomed, standing in front of the young girl.
When he saw her pale, haggard face, a sharp pain stabbed his chest. It felt just like during the Southern Territory battle.
“I’ll remove it for you!”
Su Zhenyuan supported Su Muqing, releasing a burst of overwhelming destructive force that penetrated her divine soul and instantly erased the blood-curse mark left by Chi Xu’s dying will.
This force, troublesome even for those at the peak of the Immortal Lord Realm, was nothing but fluff before him.
Only after healing his daughter did Su Zhenyuan turn his gaze to the youth beside her. His eyes flickered slightly.
This youth had arrived at once and even stopped Su Muqing earlier, intending to fight in her place. Regardless of his original intentions—whether to curry favor with the Su family or otherwise—at this moment, all Su Zhenyuan felt was appreciation.
For someone willing to go that far for his daughter, what harm was there in letting the Su family lend him a hand in return?
“Hmph!”
On the black warship, the purple-robed middle-aged man and his companions wore dark expressions and let out a cold snort.
Su Muqing’s voice had been faint, but she had indeed conceded. Even if the humans wanted to argue, they couldn't claim victory. This was, after all, human territory.
Just a bit more. If they had acted half a second faster, they could have slain Su Muqing.
Had this human prodigy fallen, half of their mission would have been complete.
Su Muqing had already broken free from her dreamlike slumber, and as her awareness returned and she saw her father before her, she immediately felt at ease. Then, catching Li Hao from the corner of her eye, she paused in surprise.
She had expected her father to arrive so quickly—but this guy…
Remembering what he did earlier, her eyes shifted. This time, there was no disgust in them. She quietly looked away and fixed her gaze on the demon prodigy.
As their eyes met, killing intent surged between them.
But since Su Muqing had conceded, she had lost her right to challenge again. Her expression darkened. Even though she was confident that if she had gone all out, she could have defeated him, after fighting someone like Chi Xu, she no longer had the strength to slay two top-tier foes back-to-back.
If this one, too, managed to leave behind some irreversible and hard-to-heal injury before dying… the next opponent like him would surely kill her.
Still not strong enough… Su Muqing clenched her fingers, her face filled with unwillingness.
Seeing the look in her eyes, Su Zhenyuan understood her thoughts. His gaze softened as he said,
“You’ve already done well. You’ve avenged that Jiang boy. Let’s go.”
But Su Muqing didn’t move. Her face remained stormy as she said, “If I leave, who will fight him?”
Su Zhenyuan looked at the demon youth. Even he felt conflicted and uneasy. Before him, the youth was no more than a speck of dust—he could be wiped out with a glance. But among the younger generation of prodigies, this demon was at the very top. Besides Su Muqing… there was likely no one on the human side who could match him.
“But you’re no longer qualified to fight. Let’s think of another way,” Su Zhenyuan said.
“How about… letting me give it a try?”
Li Hao suddenly spoke up.
He too had seen the strain on the human side. That demon prodigy was overwhelmingly powerful—even he couldn’t guarantee victory. Who knew what trump cards the enemy might still be hiding?
“You?”
Su Zhenyuan and Su Muqing looked at him in unison. At once, Su Muqing’s brows furrowed and she said coldly,
“Stop trying to stir up trouble. I can’t fight right now. No need for you to go die in my place.”
With that, she turned and left.
Li Hao watched her back. Though her tone was still cold, this was the first time it hadn’t made him feel repelled.
And this was also the first time he didn’t follow after her.
Sensing that the presence behind her remained rooted in place, Su Muqing halted mid-flight. She turned and looked at the youth, surprise flashing in her eyes.
Especially when she saw how seriously he was looking her father in the eye—it seemed he truly intended to step onto the stage. Her gaze grew more complex.
Not just for her? But also for the humans of the Northern Territory?
That lazy boy who once lacked ambition… actually possessed such courage and resolve?
Within the arena, Su Zhenyuan met Li Hao’s gaze. He suddenly realized—the boy was serious.
His eyes wavered slightly, but he soon shook his head. With a flick, he teleported Li Hao out of the arena and back to the Su family ranks.
“Your cultivation is far too low. There’s no reason for you to fight. If you truly care, then train harder. One day, reclaim this humiliation in full.”
Su Zhenyuan’s voice was low and firm, brooking no refusal. Without sparing Li Hao another glance, he turned to Jiang Qiuyu and Lin Daogong, transmitting a message:
“Muqing has lost. She did all she could. Now, who should we send next?”
Both Jiang Qiuyu and Lin Daogong had seen Su Muqing give her all. That demon prodigy had opened with a bizarre, hard-to-defend technique. Her loss couldn’t be blamed on her.
But… who could they send now?
Even Su Muqing, who had mastered the seventh layer of the Time Origin, couldn’t withstand that power. Who else could?
The entire venue fell silent. Patriarchs of various great clans exchanged uneasy looks.
They were not afraid to die. They weren’t unwilling to send their own clan’s prodigies into battle. But if they lost… an entire Immortal City would be forfeit.
Such a burden… could not be borne by passion alone.
Not just the arena—the whole Gusu Imperial Star had fallen silent. The thirty-six thousand Immortal Cities whispered among themselves, countless eyes filled with anxiety and hope, watching Su Zhenyuan and the others—hoping they still had a plan.
“What’s this? No one dares step forward?”
The purple-robed middle-aged man let out a sneer.
His words, projected through the boundary stone, echoed across the Imperial Star and into the Demon Domain. Waves of cheers erupted from the demon territory.
Though Chi Xu had died, and Su Muqing had snatched a victory, she had nearly died as well—this had turned the tide in their favor.
The only ones still drowned in grief were the Lingblood Clan. The entire clan was cursing and weeping, hatred seeping into every bone. They would remember the Su family for all eternity.
Countless years of blood enmity piled together like a towering wall, each brick forged in vengeance.
“Let me go.”
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