128: Chapter 128 Temple Order

Inside the Imperial Study, space fluctuated slightly as a crack suddenly appeared. Xia Jin walked out from within, carrying the unconscious Second Elder. He casually threw the other man directly onto the ground.

Emperor Xia Yu and the others' gazes collectively fell upon the disheveled figure on the ground.

"Husband, who is this person?" Leng Yuexi glanced at the unconscious Second Elder on the ground and then at Xia Jin, a hint of confusion flashing in her beautiful eyes.

Xia Jin didn't answer directly, but merely pointed his finger at the man's chest. There, a sword-shaped mark identical to the one on the robes of the Third Elder, who had previously caused a ruckus in the Great Xia Imperial Palace, was visible!

"This mark..." Emperor Xia Yu's pupils constricted, "It's the same as that arrogant old ghost from before! They're together?!"

"Exactly!"

Xia Jin nodded, walked back to the main seat and sat down, his cold gaze sweeping over the unconscious Second Elder on the ground.

With a casual wave of his hand, something from the desk flew out with a "smack" and struck the Second Elder squarely in the face.

"Ugh..." The Second Elder on the ground let out a muffled groan and then slowly woke up.

"Where... where is this!? It's you!" He suppressed his dizziness, his gaze sweeping over everyone in the Imperial Study, finally landing on Xia Jin.

Based on the auras of the several people around, he could conclude that this man dressed in a black Dragon robe was the true person in charge.

The Second Elder took a deep breath, a hint of wariness in his eyes as he looked at Xia Jin: "This old man is the Second Elder of the Heavenly Sword Profound Sect. Your Excellency... where exactly is our Heavenly Sword Profound Sect's Third Elder?"

A faint, ambiguous smile appeared on Xia Jin's face as he looked at him with a beaming expression, not saying a word.

But it was this plain smile that caused an inexplicable chill to rise in the Second Elder's heart.

After a few breaths, Xia Jin spoke leisurely: "That Third Elder you mentioned... I sent him to a good place." He paused deliberately, observing the other's expression, and continued, "If your next answers can satisfy me, I can promise to send you to see him."

"..."

Sitting to the side, Leng Yuexi and the others' expressions all became somewhat strange upon hearing Xia Jin's words.

Good heavens, it turned out Xia Jin intended to send this Second Elder of the Heavenly Sword Profound Sect straight to the Underworld to reunite!

Unexpectedly, the Second Elder didn't seem to catch Xia Jin's underlying meaning. Only a flash of anger crossed his face before he fell into a brief silence.

After a moment, he raised his head to stare at Xia Jin and asked in a deep voice: "Are your words... for real, Your Excellency?"

The corners of Xia Jin's mouth curled up slightly: "Rest assured, I never lie."

"Fine!" The Second Elder seemed to have made a decision and gritted his teeth, "What questions? Ask!"

Xia Jin retracted the smile on his face, a sharp light flashing in his eyes: "First question. I know you are looking for that so-called temple order. Tell me, what exactly is that temple order? What is its use?"

Hearing this question, the Second Elder's brow furrowed subconsciously, and a hint of suspicion flashed in his eyes: "You... you've never even heard of the temple order? It seems people from your Dongxuan Continent know..."

"Hmm?" Xia Jin snorted coldly, a wave of pressure directly weighing down on the Second Elder, causing him to groan.

"I ask, you answer. One more word of nonsense and I won't mind killing you now and finding someone else to ask." Xia Jin's voice was full of threat.

The Second Elder couldn't help but swallow. Seeing the flash of killing intent in Xia Jin's eyes, he quickly spoke:

"The temple order is a guidance token issued by the Temple to various continents."

"Every three hundred years, the Temple sends out envoys to descend upon various continents. Ultimately, the powerhouses who hold the tokens will be guided by the Temple Envoys and brought into the Temple."

"The Temple?" Xia Jin's brow furrowed slightly as if he were pondering something.

"It doesn't sound like a typical Sect recruiting Disciples. After all, those who can finally obtain this temple order are, without exception, all powerhouses of their respective continents. However, what is the purpose of this so-called Temple going to such great lengths to guide powerhouses from each continent?" He looked at the Second Elder and asked calmly.

Hearing Xia Jin's question, a hint of embarrassment appeared on the Second Elder's face, "This... this question, I truly do not know. To be honest, although my Heavenly Sword Profound Sect is considered a major power in the Tianqi Continent, we have never actually obtained a temple order, and no one has ever been guided away."

"If Your Excellency wishes to know more details, you would likely have to ask those few overlord-level forces of our Tianqi Continent to find out!"

He paused, seemingly remembering something, and added: "However... there has always been a rumor in our Tianqi Continent."

"What rumor? Speak." Xia Jin narrowed his eyes slightly, gesturing for him to continue.

"The rumor states, 'When the Great Calamity arrives, only by entering the Temple can one avoid it'." After the Second Elder finished speaking, his expression also became somewhat solemn.

"Wait." After a moment of silence, a cold light flashed in Xia Jin's eyes as he looked at the Second Elder, "You just said you are from the Tianqi Continent?"

"Correct!!" Seeing this, a hint of pride unconsciously surfaced on the Second Elder's face. After all, in his view, compared to the Tianqi Continent with its abundant Heaven and Earth Spiritual Qi, a place like the Dongxuan Continent with only thin Spiritual Qi was just a backwater.

"That means the Everlasting Valley connecting the Dongxuan Continent and the Tianqi Continent is once again passable!!" This thought instantly flashed through Xia Jin's mind.

"If that's the case, these people from the Heavenly Sword Profound Sect are likely just the first batch to come to the Dongxuan Continent. Later, more and more powerhouses from the Tianqi Continent will come here."

Xia Jin's heart felt a faint sense of crisis.

Even though he had now officially crossed the threshold of the Land Immortal Realm and stepped into the higher Tongshen Realm, there would definitely be even more powerful existences within that Tianqi Continent.

At this time, the Second Elder on the ground, seeing Xia Jin silent for a long time, thought the questioning was over. He looked at Xia Jin and asked urgently: "It seems Your Excellency's questions are finished. Now... can you take me to see our Heavenly Sword Profound Sect's Third Elder?"

Xia Jin snapped back to reality and looked at the Second Elder, that unfathomable smile reappearing on his face. He nodded: "Of course. I have never broken a promise I've made."

He slowly stood up and walked over to the Second Elder.

Xia Jin reached out his hand, seemingly to give him a friendly pat on the shoulder. The Second Elder subconsciously didn't dodge.

However, the moment Xia Jin's palm landed on his shoulder.

A burst of White Flames suddenly surged out from Xia Jin's palm, instantly enveloping the Second Elder's entire body!

"Ah!! You... you bastard, you went back on your word!!!" At the first touch, the Second Elder already felt his Physical Body being rapidly destroyed.

Three breaths.

Only three breaths of time.

The White Flames vanished.

On the ground, only a small pile of ashes remained, slightly emitting blue smoke. The Second Elder of the Heavenly Sword Profound Sect, who was alive just a moment ago, had now been completely annihilated, turned into flying ash.

Xia Jin shook his hands nonchalantly, turned around, and looked at the crowd with their varying expressions, his gaze finally landing on that temple order.

"The Purple Moon appears, the superior envoy descends... Tianqi Continent, Temple..." he whispered to himself, the Imperial Study falling into silence, "It seems this pool of water is much deeper... than imagined."