Chapter 718: Farewell, Tian Yao

"The Emperor knows!"

"You may leave. Summon all Elders for a meeting!"

The Emperor of Heavenly Fire waved his hand.

The disciple hurried away.

Tian Jinpeng was no stranger to the world; on the contrary, having lived so long, he had seen much and remembered well!

Though initially shocked, after careful thought, Tian Jinpeng quickly confirmed that He Pingsheng possessed a talisman: the Chain Soul Spell Talisman.

Only a sixth-rank Chain Soul Spell Talisman could link the original body and its clone, then eliminate both in a single strike.

"A fine talisman!" the Emperor of Heavenly Fire murmured to himself as he returned to the hall: "Too bad—such supreme talismans are unimaginably rare. One is already astonishing; I refuse to believe you have more than one!"

Tian Jinpeng sat upon the main seat.

Soon, disciples arrived one by one.

Before the Emperor of Heavenly Fire stood more than a dozen.

Among them, only one was Body Integration, the other thirteen were Void Refinement.

Including Tian Yao!

Of these dozen, Tian Yao alone was the Emperor of Heavenly Fire's direct bloodline; the rest were merely his disciples, with no blood ties to him.

Once these disciples reached Void Refinement, they were granted the title of Elder—each an Immortal King, overseeing affairs within the Heavenly Fire Divine Kingdom, some even appointed as sovereigns of their own kingdoms.

"In my lifetime, I've taken twenty-seven disciples. Only one achieved Body Integration!"

"Twenty-one achieved Void Refinement!"

"Fourteen of you now reside in the imperial palace!"

"I have bad news to deliver!"

"A formidable enemy has arrived!"

"And just now, Bing Yi was killed by them…"

At these words, a stir erupted among the disciples.

"Master, who is this arrogant foe?"

"Is it that He Pingsheng?"

"Has he come?"

"If he has, I'll be the first to cut him down!"

The Body Integration disciple below spoke with righteous fury—his name was Jiutian, a Feather Clan member of the Heavenly Peng lineage, a descendant of the Heavenly Peng Demon Emperor, though he later became Tian Jinpeng's disciple.

"Jiutian, don't underestimate him!" the Emperor of Heavenly Fire said. "He Pingsheng has only Void Refinement Level One, yet he cannot be ignored—he may possess great fortune!"

"He possesses a divine art that breaks spatial seals—I myself cannot stop him!"

"Even without using spatial arts, ordinary Void Refinement cultivators are no match for him!"

"Master, that's impossible!" Jiutian said. "Little sister Tian Yao is also a great fortune bearer of the Seven-Nine Thunder Tribulation, and she's only Void Refinement Level One. If that fellow doesn't use spatial arts, he's hardly her match, is he?"

"Otherwise, Bing Yi wouldn't have died at his hands!"

Jiutian said: "But maybe Bing Yi wasn't killed by him alone—perhaps He Pingsheng brought other strong allies?"

"Father!" Tian Yao took a deep breath and spoke suddenly: "What do you want us to do now?"

Shhh…

All eyes turned to Tian Yao.

Everyone knew this trouble was her doing.

Because she was the Emperor of Heavenly Fire's daughter, no one had voiced discontent openly.

But inwardly, every one of them resented her.

"My intent is simple!" the Emperor of Heavenly Fire said. "Since the enemy comes with force, we shall retreat for now!"

"You few, leave the imperial city immediately!"

"Tian Yao stays by my side!"

"That way, even if the enemy comes prepared, they gain nothing!"

"Bing Yi is already dead. I won't let any of you meet the same fate!"

"Enough delay—go now! Return only after this storm passes!"

The Emperor of Heavenly Fire opened the great doors and led his disciples out of the hall.

Yet, just as the disciples prepared to depart, someone suddenly looked up at the void.

A massive golden membrane suddenly appeared.

The array's glow.

It was the defensive array of the Emperor of Heavenly Fire's palace.

The array's rank: seventh-tier.

Equal in level to He Pingsheng's sect defense array.

"This is…" Jiutian gasped: "No good—the enemy has arrived!"

If not for an enemy's arrival, why would the array activate automatically?

No sooner had he spoken than three figures landed in the void beyond the array's shimmering barrier.

Two women on either side, He Pingsheng in the center.

The Emperor of Heavenly Fire's pupils narrowed slightly: "He Pingsheng?"

"What?" He Pingsheng looked down from the void and coldly smiled: "It's been less than a month since we parted—have you already forgotten me?"

"You think it's reasonable for you to storm my sect and start a war, but not for me to come to your imperial domain?"

The Emperor of Heavenly Fire did not answer He Pingsheng's words. Instead, he sent out his spiritual sense toward Ziqing.

He knew Zhou Qingmei's cultivation: Body Integration Level One.

Not a threat.

But Ziqing's Body Integration Level Ten filled him with dread.

Level Ten!

Higher than me?

How do I fight this?

"Open this array yourself!" He Pingsheng said calmly. "Otherwise, when my sword strikes, the deaths that follow will be on your head, Tian Jinpeng—karmic retribution will fall upon you, not me!"

He Pingsheng could not cut through the array with a single sword.

Not even he, nor Ziqing beside him, could do it.

But if his sword struck and the immense energy exploded within the imperial city, how many would die? That was unknown.

"He Pingsheng, what do you want?" Tian Jinpeng took a deep breath, forcing calm.

He Pingsheng did not answer him, but turned to Tian Yao: "Oh… well now… Tian Yao is here too?"

"Princess Tian Yao—since everyone is present, let us settle this matter face to face!"

"At the Tianbo Lake, when you were assaulted by three Water Jiao clan members, wasn't it I who saved you?"

"I saved you, yet you plotted to kill me to silence me—so your humiliation by the three Water Jiao would never be known!"

"I'm not mistaken, are you?"

All eyes turned again to Tian Yao.

Tian Yao trembled, teeth clenched: "You… you're lying!"

He Pingsheng smiled: "Dare you swear a Heavenly Oath that I'm lying?"

Tian Yao said: "Why should I swear? Why should I obey you?"

He Pingsheng said: "Fine… since you refuse to swear, today I shall open the slaughter!"

"Ziqing… prepare to attack the array!"

Ziqing and Zhou Qingmei, one on each side, raised their swords in near-perfect unison.