Chapter 81: Duel to the Death

Jun Wushuang went into seclusion.

The entire Imperial City once again fell quiet.

Yet everyone knew this was only the calm before the storm.

The Azure Cloud Martial Arts Institute and the Royal Martial Arts Institute had harbored enmity for years, a hatred impossible to reconcile.

And Jun Wushuang had repeatedly humiliated the Royal Martial Arts Institute, forging a grudge that could end only with one side dead.

With the Nangong clan and the Eastern clan fanning the flames from behind the scenes, the life-and-death duel would surely end in bloodshed.

Inside the Royal Martial Arts Institute, all the students were nursing a bitter resentment.

The object of that resentment was Jun Wushuang.

Even Dongfang Li, once awakened, swore that he would make Jun Wushuang wish for death and be denied it.

As hatred piled higher and deeper, it became like a powder keg, waiting only for a single spark to detonate it.

That spark was the life-and-death duel.

Two months passed in the blink of an eye.

At last, the long-anticipated duel arrived.

Inside the Royal Martial Arts Institute, Nangong Tianxuan was finally released from confinement.

“Brother Dongfang, I’m sorry. Because of my Nangong clan’s affairs, you were disgraced.”

Having learned of Dongfang Li’s humiliation, Nangong Tianxuan hurried to apologize as soon as he emerged.

After all, if he had not been confined, he would have been the one dealing with Jun Wushuang.

“We’re brothers. There’s no need for such polite words between us. That Jun Wushuang truly is arrogant. Unless he is torn to pieces, the fury in my heart will never be quelled!”

The Dongfang clan and the Nangong clan were on excellent terms.

Naturally, Dongfang Li and Nangong Tianxuan were also close.

Dongfang Li did not blame Nangong Tianxuan, but laid all his hatred upon Jun Wushuang.

“Rest assured. This life-and-death duel will be his death sentence. I’ll personally break his limbs, cripple his dantian, and make him kneel before me like a dog.”

Murderous intent surged in Nangong Tianxuan’s eyes, and he wished he could strike Jun Wushuang down at once.

Jun Wushuang had not only killed his younger brother, but had also slapped him in public, stripping him of all dignity.

This debt had to be repaid with Jun Wushuang’s life.

“I will also take part in this duel. The humiliation I suffered that day, I will make him repay a hundredfold!”

Dongfang Li ground his teeth, hatred for Jun Wushuang reaching the marrow of his bones.

Last time, he had been careless.

This time, he was fully prepared, and he swore that in this life-and-death duel he would reclaim every humiliation, one by one.

“Good. Then let us, brothers that we are, bestow death upon him!”

Nangong Tianxuan and Dongfang Li had both resolved to take part in the duel.

They would not rest until Jun Wushuang was dead.

At the plaza outside the Royal Martial Arts Institute, a sea of people had already gathered.

More than half of the Imperial City had come to witness this life-and-death duel with their own eyes.

Along one side of the plaza stood a gruesome tower of severed heads, stacked from the corpses of past Azure Cloud Martial Arts Institute students.

For centuries, the Azure Cloud Martial Arts Institute had won few life-and-death duels and lost many, leaving behind this horrifying monument.

And today, another bloodied head might be added to it.

“At last, the life-and-death duel is here. I’ve waited two months already; today’s battle is sure to be spectacular.”

“The Royal Martial Arts Institute has been slapped in the face time and again. This time they’ll surely retaliate in blood. I think the Azure Cloud Martial Arts Institute is doomed to lose, and Jun Wushuang’s head will probably end up on that tower.”

“The Royal Martial Arts Institute has sent out their Heavenly-ranked students this time. No matter how strong Jun Wushuang is, how much can he possibly improve in two months? He’s dead for sure.”

The crowd buzzed with discussion.

Before the battle had even begun, most people already held no hope for Jun Wushuang.

The disparity in strength between the two sides was simply too great.

And Jun Wushuang had fought too few times.

Most of the time, he had merely relied on the South Suppression Command to strut about under borrowed authority.

But this was a life-and-death duel, and the South Suppression Command was of no use here.

To challenge the Heavenly Realm head-on with the Sea of Consciousness Realm—was that not like throwing an egg against a rock and courting death?

By now, the tens of thousands of students from the Royal Martial Arts Institute had emerged, their imposing presence enough to make onlookers tremble.

“The Four Great Heavens’ Chosen are here!”

Someone cried out, looking up.

The Four Great Heavens’ Chosen referred to the heirs and heiresses of the four great clans.

Blessed with extraordinary talent, abundant resources, and formidable strength, they stood as the finest prodigies in the Royal Martial Arts Institute, and indeed in the entire Imperial City, second only to the Crown Prince.

There were Nangong Tianxuan, Dongfang Li, and Beiming Ye.

As for the heir of the Ximen clan, he was a lone, aloof youth dressed in black and bearing a sword on his back.

His name was Ximen Xue. He was cold and solitary, preferring to wander alone, yet he possessed the Kingly Sword Heart Physique and was a powerful sword cultivator.

Beyond the Four Great Heavens’ Chosen, one mentor after another also appeared.

Among them, Dongfang Ming took the lead.

Among the vice deans, Dongfang Lan had come; as for Xu Waya, he was still reflecting on his faults in the forbidden back mountain.

“Dean Jiang has come as well. It seems the Royal Martial Arts Institute places extreme importance on this life-and-death duel.”

The crowd erupted when Jiang Taixu appeared.

Jiang Taixu was the second strongest person in the Great Qian Dynasty, surpassed only by the Emperor of Qian.

His status was even more noble.

Not only was he the dean of the Royal Martial Arts Institute, he was also of the imperial bloodline.

Jiang Taixu’s legends could not be told even in three days and three nights.

And the peak battle ten years ago had elevated his prestige to its zenith.

Yet over the past decade, Jiang Taixu had remained in seclusion to recover from his injuries, rarely appearing before the world, which was why the crowd was so stirred now.

“The life-and-death duel has finally arrived. It’s time for the Azure Cloud Martial Arts Institute to be completely destroyed!”

A cold glint flashed in Jiang Taixu’s eyes, and the killing intent in his heart burned fiercely.

“The people from the Azure Cloud Martial Arts Institute are here!”

The crowd went into an uproar.

Then it quickly parted.

This time, the Azure Cloud Martial Arts Institute had come out in full force.

Besides Jun Wushuang and Mo Xingyun, Lin Mengyao had also come along, and even Liu Yiyi and Aman had insisted on following.

“Sixth level of the Sea of Consciousness Realm? In just two months, he actually improved by five levels!”

When the crowd saw Jun Wushuang’s cultivation, all of them were astonished.

Two months in seclusion.

Nurtured by the Spirit-Nourishing Jade and refined by the Black-and-White Grinding Disc, Jun Wushuang’s cultivation had reached the sixth level of the Sea of Consciousness Realm.

Within his sea of consciousness, six spiritual demon runes gleamed brilliantly, like demons lying in wait. Once released, they would surely bring ruin to all living things.

“What of the sixth level of the Sea of Consciousness Realm? This time the Royal Martial Arts Institute has sent out Heavenly-ranked students of the Heavenly Realm; he is doomed to lose.”

“The Azure Cloud Martial Arts Institute has long since declined, yet he still chose to join them. He asked for death himself and cannot blame anyone else.”

“Arrogance invites heaven’s wrath. I don’t think anyone can save him now!”

The sixth level of the Sea of Consciousness Realm was indeed shocking.

But no one believed it could change the outcome.

After all, the gap between the Sea of Consciousness Realm and the Heavenly Realm was like an insurmountable chasm between heaven and earth.

One look after another, all as though gazing upon a dead man, fell upon Jun Wushuang.

Everyone believed Jun Wushuang was as good as dead.

Jun Wushuang ignored all those gazes.

Under everyone’s watchful eyes, he strode forward and faced the entire Royal Martial Arts Institute alone.

His gaze swept across the crowd, sharp and unrestrained.

All along, he had relied on the South Suppression Command to swagger around in false authority.

Today, at last, he was going to unleash a slaughter.

With a flash, the Asura Demon Saber appeared in his hand, its point leveled ahead as he looked down upon all directions.

“Who’s first to come and die?”