41: Chapter 41 An Emperor Cannot Be Humiliated!

Watching Lingtian charge into the depths of the wasteland, Xia Youchu felt a sudden jolt of tension.

"Lingtian! You stop right there!"

She shouted subconsciously.

"Are you seeking death?! That is a Peak Yuanling Realm! And there's a Yao Beast King! Even if it's heavily injured, it's not something we can handle!"

Ghost Scorpion itself is at the Peak Yuanling Realm, and his Shadow Demon Scorpion is at the same Realm. Add to that the Thunder Jiao, which, although heavily injured, is already a Yao Beast King in terms of Realm!

Even if her and Lingtian's strength increased tenfold, it would still be a certain death with no chance of survival!

Chairman Zhao also realized what was happening and hurriedly tried to dissuade them: "Your Excellency Stone Lizard! Please calm down! The All-Beasts Rape-and-Kill Order is indeed hateful, but this matter requires careful consideration! They have already fled into the depths of the wasteland, where dangers abound. Pursuing them rashly is too risky!"

The other Pioneers who survived the ordeal also spoke up one after another, their faces filled with worry.

Having just barely escaped with their lives from the claws of the Yao Beast King, they really didn't want to see their savior War Beast go off to die.

However, Lingtian's figure did not pause in the slightest.

But his voice exploded in front of Xia Youchu like a clap of thunder.

"Calm? Calm my ass!"

"That bastard issued the All-Beasts Rape-and-Kill Order targeting me, that's true."

"But I'm your damn life-bound War Beast! Our Souls are symbiotic! What's the difference between issuing such an order against me and issuing it against you?!"

"They are humiliating me, which means they are humiliating you!"

"Can you tolerate this?!"

"Anyway, I can't tolerate it!"

Upon hearing this, Xia Youchu was instantly stunned in place.

The All-Beasts Rape-and-Kill Order issued against her?

That's right.

Lingtian is her life-bound War Beast.

Soul contract, lives intertwined.

Lingtian and she, Xia Youchu, are fundamentally one.

The target of the All-Beasts Rape-and-Kill Order was never just Lingtian!

It was just that she hadn't reacted in time and had completely overlooked this implication!

In her past life, she ascended to the Imperial Throne, dominating the universe. Those cowardly rats from the Myriad Beast Pavilion, when did they ever dare to show her even the slightest disrespect?

Let alone issue such a vicious kill order!

Since her Rebirth, she had suffered repeated setbacks. The infighting within the Family, the slow recovery of her strength, almost made her forget...

She was once an Empress who held the universe in her hands and looked down upon all living beings!

An Emperor's dignity cannot be violated!

An Emperor must repay humiliation with blood!

Why so much hesitation?!

Why so much weighing of pros and cons?!

Since the enemy dared to heap such a great humiliation upon her, if she didn't immediately retaliate with the most brutal means, how could her mind be at peace?!

"You're right..."

Xia Youchu's voice dropped, carrying a chilling coldness that was unsettling.

She suddenly lifted her head. There was no longer any hesitation in her eyes, only monstrous killing intent and the resolve of an Emperor!

"This grievance cannot be tolerated!"

She hoisted the heavy Dragon tail from the ground!

"Chairman Zhao! No need to persuade me! Today, I will kill Ghost Scorpion!"

"Don't tell my father! Otherwise, that book 'Young Married Woman Bai Jie' you hid in the third layer of the secret compartment in your study... I promise I'll tell Mengmeng about it."

Before the words had even faded, Xia Youchu's figure had already turned into a streak of light, chasing rapidly in the direction where Lingtian had disappeared!

Chairman Zhao's outstretched hand froze in mid-air, and the expression on his face instantly solidified.

How did Xia Youchu know about the treasure he had hidden so secretly?!

If his precious daughter Mengmeng found out about this...

Chairman Zhao shuddered, and cold sweat instantly broke out.

Watching the backs of that human and beast rapidly disappearing into the depths of the wasteland, he felt a massive headache coming on, and his stomach even began to cramp in pain.

A second-star Yuan Master and a War Beast with strength at the Yao General level, going to hunt down two Peak Yuanling Realm experts plus a heavily injured Yao Beast King?

This is pure suicide!

But did he dare to stop them? Did he dare to snitch?

He didn't dare!

"Chairman... this..." An Elder beside him looked anxious.

Chairman Zhao's expression shifted uncertainly. Finally, gritting his teeth, he took out a communication talisman from his bosom and threw it in the direction of Xia Youchu!

"Girl Xia! Catch the communication talisman! Report your safety every hour! If there's no message within a day, I'll discard my old face and tell your father!"

The communication talisman flew like a shooting star, accurately towards Xia Youchu.

However, Xia Youchu didn't even turn her head; she threw a backhand punch!

Boom!

That communication talisman was actually blasted into a sky full of light particles by her punch!

"Long-winded!"

Watching the light particles dissipate, Chairman Zhao opened his mouth, but it finally turned into a powerless sigh.

Forget it.

He only hoped that these two lawless fellows could create a miracle once again...

Or, at the very least, come back alive.

...

Cloud City, Xia Family.

Inside the magnificent council hall, the atmosphere was heavy.

Patriarch Xia Yuan sat at the main seat, his face calm, but deep in his eyes lurked a hint of gloom.

Below, the various Elders and deacons of the Family were lined up on both sides.

Grand Elder Xia Mingyuan sat at the head of the left side, expressionless, his eyes lowered, as if it had nothing to do with him.

And Xia Lingfeng was currently kneeling in the center of the hall.

However, although he was the one there to receive punishment, his face carried a hint of hidden smugness?

"Patriarch, Elders."

A deacon leaning towards Patriarch Xia Yuan spoke first, his tone pained. "In the beast tide at Falling Thunder Ravine, our Cloud City Pioneers Guild suffered over two hundred casualties! Among them, seven Grand Yuan Master deacons fell! Over a hundred elite Yuan Master level members were lost! This is the greatest loss Cloud City has seen in the last decade!"

"And all of this was caused by Xia Lingfeng privately using high-intensity beast-attracting incense!"

"His behavior was reckless and stupid, treating human lives like grass, and it has caused our Xia Family's reputation to suffer tremendous losses! The outside world is rumored that our Xia Family disciples are arrogant and domineering, disregarding human life!"

"If he is not severely punished, how can we comfort the deceased? How can we answer to the Pioneers Guild? How can we maintain the reputation of our Xia Family?"

This deacon's words caused many of the neutral Elders present to nod slightly.

Indeed, this incident had blown up too much.

Although the Xia Family was powerful, it was impossible to completely ignore the pressure from the Pioneers Guild and the City Lord's Mansion.

Xia Lingfeng knelt on the ground and defended himself loudly: "I didn't do it on purpose! I just wanted to attract some small Yao Beasts! Who knew it would trigger a beast tide? Can this all be blamed on me? If you want to blame someone, blame those Pioneers for their own lack of strength!"

"Presumptuous!"

Patriarch Xia Yuan slammed the armrest of his seat, and a trace of his Yuan King Realm pressure leaked out, making the air in the entire hall feel as if it had solidified!

"You caused such a huge disaster, and you still dare to quibble?!"

Struck by this pressure, Xia Lingfeng's face instantly turned even paler, and he dared not make a sound.

Grand Elder Xia Mingyuan finally lifted his eyelids and spoke slowly: "Patriarch, calm your anger. Feng'er is young and ignorant; his actions were indeed lacking in consideration. However, he is not entirely without merit."

"Oh? Grand Elder, what do you mean by that?" one Elder asked in confusion.

Grand Elder Xia Mingyuan said indifferently: "If it weren't for Feng'er unintentionally triggering the beast tide, how could we have discovered that Yao Beast King about to transform into a Dragon in advance? And eliminated a major hidden danger for Cloud City?"

"Judging by the results, although Feng'er's actions were flawed in the process, it can be considered a lucky strike, balancing merit and fault, right?"

As soon as he said this, whispers immediately arose in the hall.

This is simply sophistry!

Turning the crime of triggering a beast tide and causing heavy casualties into the merit of discovering a hidden danger?

Patriarch Xia Yuan's eyes grew colder.

He knew that Grand Elder Xia Mingyuan would protect Xia Lingfeng, but he didn't expect him to be so shameless.

Xia Lingfeng's second uncle, Xia Hong, also spoke up at the right moment, his tone mocking: "Speaking of which, I heard that niece Youchu and her War Beast of unknown origin really stole the show during the beast tide."

"Not only were they unharmed, but they seem to have gained quite a few benefits? Their strength has improved rapidly."

"In contrast, my nephew Lingfeng lost his life-bound War Beast and was heavily injured; he has already been punished. Why must the Patriarch persist in hounding him?"

Patriarch Xia Yuan's anger rose, but on the surface, he remained calm: "How can these two things be lumped together? Xia Lingfeng triggered a beast tide, causing casualties; the facts are all there, and he must be severely punished! I propose stripping Xia Lingfeng of his core disciple status and benefits, confining him for three years, and canceling his resources to serve as a warning to others!"

This punishment was considered extremely severe!

Grand Elder Xia Mingyuan sneered: "Strip his benefits? Confine him? Patriarch, Feng'er is about to participate in the college entrance examination. This is a major life event that concerns the future reputation of our Xia Family!"

"If you strip his resources and confine him now, isn't that cutting off his future? Destroying the hope of our Xia Family?"

"Hope?" one Elder couldn't help but retort. "Xia Lingfeng's life-bound War Beast, the Golden Hou, is already lost. A Beast Tamer who loses their life-bound War Beast has had more than half of their potential damaged! What hope is there to speak of? What future?"

These words were like a sharp knife, piercing Xia Lingfeng's sore spot. He suddenly lifted his head, his face full of resentment.

Grand Elder Xia Mingyuan, however, was unhurried, even revealing a strange smile on his face.

"Who said my son... doesn't have a life-bound War Beast?"

The whole hall instantly fell silent.

Everyone's gaze focused on Xia Lingfeng.

Xia Lingfeng took a deep breath, an arrogant look on his face, and slowly raised his right hand.

Hum!

An emerald green light bloomed from his palm!

The light was dense, carrying a majestic life aura and an indescribable noble pressure!

In the light, a small figure slowly condensed.

It was a small bird that looked as if it had been carved from emerald. Its form was elegant, its tail feathers were long, and its eyes were like two pure rubies.

It stood on Xia Lingfeng's palm, gently preened its feathers, and let out a crisp, pleasant chirp.

Although it was only in its juvenile stage, the energy fluctuations and Bloodline pressure it emitted far exceeded the previous Golden Hou!

"This... is this?!"

"Emerald Grade! Emerald Grade Bloodline pressure!"

"My God! An Emerald Grade life-bound War Beast! How many years has it been since one appeared in our Cloud City!"

"The last time an Emerald Grade War Beast appeared was three years ago at the Imperial Capital auction, where it sold for an astronomical price!"

The entire hall was instantly in an uproar!

All the Elders and deacons widened their eyes, looking in disbelief at the emerald bird in Xia Lingfeng's palm!

Emerald Grade!

A Golden Grade War Beast was already one in ten thousand, enough to serve as a life-bound War Beast for core disciples of major families.

Emerald Grade, that is a true heaven-favored child, possessing the qualifications to vie for the Yuan Emperor!

Every evolution provides a massive amount of feedback to the Beast Tamer!

Xia Lingfeng actually contracted an Emerald Grade War Beast after losing the Golden Hou, a blessing in disguise?!

This Luck is simply Heaven-Defying!

Xia Lingfeng enjoyed the envious and jealous gazes of the crowd, smugly saying: "This is an Emerald Spirit Sparrow! It is the life-bound War Beast my father sought for me through all kinds of hardships!"

He looked provocatively at the Elder who had previously retorted to him. "Now, do I still count as the hope of our Xia Family?"

That Elder's face flushed red, and he was speechless.

Xia Lingfeng, possessing an Emerald Grade life-bound War Beast, now had value and potential far exceeding before!

Grand Elder Xia Mingyuan slowly stood up, his gaze sweeping across the hall, finally landing on the grim-faced Patriarch Xia Yuan.

Although his cultivation was only at the Peak Yuanling Realm, not having broken through to Yuan King, the methods he displayed at this moment made his influence instantly overshadow Patriarch Xia Yuan!

"Patriarch, let's discuss Feng'er's punishment later."

Grand Elder Xia Mingyuan's tone was flat.

"Feng'er possesses the Emerald Spirit Sparrow. In the college entrance examination, he will surely win glory for our Xia Family and make a name for himself! Punishing him at this time, what good does it do for the Family?"

"As for the matter at Falling Thunder Ravine, I have already sent people to console the families of the deceased and have taken out a portion of resources to compensate the Pioneers Guild."

"This matter should end here."

Patriarch Xia Yuan looked at the smug Grand Elder Xia Mingyuan, then at the arrogant-looking Xia Lingfeng, and the Spirit Sparrow emitting emerald green light.

His hand on the armrest of the seat trembled slightly.

He knew that he had already lost today's Family meeting.

Grand Elder Xia Mingyuan's faction, relying on this sudden Emerald Grade War Beast, would see their influence reach its peak.

His plan to use the Falling Thunder Ravine incident to suppress the other side had completely failed.

"...Since that's the case, this matter will be shelved for now."

Patriarch Xia Yuan took a deep breath, forcibly suppressing the anger and stifling frustration in his heart.

"Dismissed!"

He waved his sleeves and stood up, no longer looking at Grand Elder Xia Mingyuan and the others, and walked straight out of the council hall.

There was no help for it; he was the head of the Family and had too many things to weigh.

He had originally wanted to suppress Grand Elder Xia Mingyuan's faction with thunderous means and find another opportunity to get rid of that Xia Lingfeng, but things had gone against his wishes.

If he acted willfully, the Clan Elders Council would definitely step in to stop him, and might even strip him of his position as Patriarch!

Grand Elder Xia Mingyuan watched the back of Patriarch Xia Yuan as he left, a cold smile curling at the corner of his mouth.

Patriarch Xia Yuan, oh Patriarch Xia Yuan, so what if your daughter contracted a strange mutant War Beast?

What my son possesses is a genuine Emerald Grade potential life-bound War Beast!

Whose the future Xia Family will be is not yet certain!

Although this Emerald War Beast had cost him too much, even touching his bottom line, so what?

As long as Xia Lingfeng can enter the Yuan Emperor in the future, everything is worth it!

Xia Lingfeng was even more smug, stroking the Emerald Spirit Sparrow in his palm, his eyes filled with ambition for the future.

Xia Youchu! And that damn Gecko!

You just wait for me!

Once I make a name for myself in the college entrance examination and my strength greatly increases, I will definitely repay the humiliation you inflicted upon me a hundredfold!