Furthermore, Yi Tianyun noticed he had gained a Madness Mode. Upon investigation, its attributes and effects were immediately displayed.
'Huh, a new Madness Mode?' Yi Tianyun investigated it, and its attributes and effects quickly appeared.
Madness Mode: Enhances any effect by two times! This includes Alchemy, consuming Elixir Pills, attacks, cultivation, and gaining experience...
'It can enhance everything by two times, and that's just at level one? If I keep leveling it up, I wonder how many times stronger it will get…' Yi Tianyun was practically drooling over this Madness Mode. It was simply a Divine Skill!
Cultivation effects and consumption effects were both doubled. That meant eating one pill was like eating two! But when he saw the cost, his face fell—one point consumed per minute!
One point per minute, and he only had five points. It would be gone in the blink of an eye. What damn good was that! This was the reward for killing Fang Chen. 'Isn't this a little too small?'
"Fang Chen… is dead? You… you killed Fang Chen!"
Zhao Hao, who was beside them, checked and found that Fang Chen was indeed dead. He collapsed to the ground.
Yi Tianyun wasn't surprised. It would have been difficult *not* to die after being stabbed with one's own Poison Dagger. 'He brought this on himself by trying to ambush me. If my cultivation hadn't broken through, I'd already be dead at his hands.'
He was just that ruthless. He would never let anyone who dared to insult his aunt get away with it!
"I killed him? I wouldn't have done it if he hadn't tried to kill me first!"
Yi Tianyun stared at them, his gaze icy as he spoke.
"What happened?"
The scream had attracted attention from outside, and people quickly rushed over.
The first to rush in were disciples from Merak Palace. When they saw the scene clearly, they covered their mouths in shock. They saw Fang Chen and the others lying on the ground, a dagger embedded in one of their chests. It was a brutal sight.
In contrast, Yi Tianyun stood to the side, gripping a long spear with a cold expression, as if the events here had nothing to do with him.
Shi Xueyun rushed in next. She had sensed the scream came from the courtyard where Yi Tianyun often cultivated, so she had arrived like a flash of lightning.
When she saw the situation clearly, she froze. The three who usually lazed about and wandered aimlessly around Merak Palace were now lying on the ground.
Seeing Yi Tianyun clutching his long spear, she immediately understood what had happened. She knew that Fang Chen and his cronies had been taken down by Yi Tianyun.
"Palace Master Shi, what's going on... Fang Chen!"
A group of people followed them in, led by the Second Elder of the Celestial Spirit Sect. When he saw Fang Chen lying on the ground, his expression changed instantly.
"Brother!"
Just then, someone else charged in even faster, scooped up Fang Chen, and after a brief check, discovered that he was already dead!
"My brother... he's dead..."
Fang Yun's gaze turned cold. He turned his head to look at Yi Tianyun and said furiously, "You actually killed my brother!"
This young man was Fang Chen's older brother, Fang Yun. His talent was far superior to Fang Chen's, and his cultivation had already reached the seventh level of the Body Refining Stage, much higher than his brother's. Among the disciples of the Celestial Spirit Sect, he was considered quite outstanding.
"They tried to steal my Dragon Blood Divine Pill. I refused, so they tried to take it by force. I was just defending myself."
Yi Tianyun said coldly, holding his long spear as he stared at them.
"I—we didn't try to steal his Dragon Blood Divine Pill! He's framing us... We just came in for a stroll, and he attacked us..."
Zhao Hao, off to the side, began to twist the truth. Even though he was seriously injured, the venomous hatred in his eyes hadn't diminished in the slightest. They would never back down.
"N-no, that's right. We just came in for a walk. Who knew he'd claim this was his territory and attack us? We didn't even have time to react before he struck..."
Lin Yuan, lying nearby, painfully struggled to his feet. With their elder backing them up, what did they have to fear?
How could Fang Yun and the others not know Fang Chen's personality? He had definitely been trying to steal the Dragon Blood Divine Pill. The item was quite precious, capable of greatly enhancing one's Blood Qi.
For those with slightly higher cultivation, it was actually of little use, but it was most useful for those with low cultivation.
When one's cultivation was relatively low, they needed stronger Blood Qi to focus on Body Refining. The entry-level Body Refining Stage wasn't just a name; one had to refine their body to break through this realm.
But they would never admit that their disciple had tried to steal a Dragon Blood Divine Pill! Especially since Fang Chen was now dead, the Celestial Spirit Sect would definitely seek to reclaim their honor.
"How could one of our people possibly try to steal a Dragon Blood Divine Pill!"
The Celestial Spirit Sect's Second Elder, Zhao Hualong, stepped forward and said in a grave voice, "Palace Master Shi, you owe us an explanation! We sent our outstanding disciples to cultivate at Merak Palace to foster the relationship between our two sects. We never expected they would be punished so severely for simply walking around. Does Palace Master Shi intend to destroy the relationship between our sects?"
A heavy accusation was slapped not only onto Yi Tianyun's head but onto Shi Xueyun's as well, causing many Merak Palace disciples to look at each other, their eyes filled with anger and dissatisfaction.
Everyone knew the Celestial Spirit Sect's status was not to be trifled with. If they provoked the Celestial Spirit Sect, Merak Palace would not have an easy time.
Shi Xueyun looked at them coldly. How could she not know Yi Tianyun's personality? He would never attack unless someone provoked him first. It was likely just as Yi Tianyun had said: they were the ones who tried to steal the Dragon Blood Divine Pill!
But while Shi Xueyun believed Yi Tianyun, others were not so sure, including the other disciples of Merak Palace. Even if it were true, wouldn't Yi Tianyun's actions damage the relationship between the two sects? If things soured, it would be like making an enemy.
"What do you want?"
Shi Xueyun didn't bother to defend Yi Tianyun. The Celestial Spirit Sect's Second Elder, Zhao Hualong, was determined to pin the blame on them; any explanation would be useless.
"I want a life-and-death duel with him!"
Fang Yun stood up, looked at Yi Tianyun, and said coldly, "You killed my brother. I demand a life-and-death duel with you!"
Zhao Hualong added in a grave voice, "That's right. During our collaborative exchange, we previously stated that no one should be punished as long as they don't enter a restricted area! Now you have injured our disciples and even killed Fang Chen. It's impossible to let this go. We will choose a fair duel. Let him be the representative in a formal battle on the tournament stage. Regardless of the outcome, we will let the matter rest!"
The fox's tail was finally revealed. They all knew about Yi Tianyun's condition—his deficient Blood Qi. Even if his skills were decent, he was still bound to lose. For him to represent Merak Palace in battle was tantamount to throwing the match, wasn't it?
Shi Xueyun frowned. "He cannot be chosen. You can pick anyone else."
She could never let Yi Tianyun represent Merak Palace in the tournament. His Blood Qi was simply too poor. He might be fine in an ordinary fight, but he would surely collapse in a prolonged, difficult battle. He might even die. How could she let Yi Tianyun go on stage?
Zhao Hualong sneered, "Palace Master Shi, this is no longer about whether it's within the rules. He has challenged the authority of our Celestial Spirit Sect! It seems you truly wish to provoke a conflict between our two sects, don't you?"
A threat. A blatant, naked threat!
"No! Anyone but him can be chosen!" Shi Xueyun replied resolutely.
The people from the Celestial Spirit Sect looked at Yi Tianyun standing off to the side, their eyes filled with disdain and mockery.
No matter how Shi Xueyun tried to cover for him, the information would still get out: that Yi Tianyun was a good-for-nothing with insufficient Blood Qi. If he were to fight, he would surely die, and Merak Palace would lose.
Now, it wasn't just the people from the Celestial Spirit Sect who looked down on Yi Tianyun; even the disciples of Merak Palace were deeply dissatisfied with him. Causing such a huge incident at a critical time like this—wasn't he just making trouble for Merak Palace?!
"I think I get what's going on now. If I remember correctly, he must be the son of the former Palace Master."
"Rumor has it he has insufficient Blood Qi and could die at any moment. No wonder Palace Master Shi doesn't want him to participate. It makes sense, I suppose. It wouldn't be a very honorable victory to have a good-for-nothing with insufficient Blood Qi compete."
"But he has now challenged the authority of our Celestial Spirit Sect. Even if he is a good-for-nothing, he must get on that stage! Otherwise, it's tantamount to showing contempt for our Celestial Spirit Sect!"
Their long-winded explanation ultimately led to the same conclusion: Yi Tianyun must participate no matter what. Their shamelessness was thicker than the snow on the ground.
Shi Xueyun's gaze filled with killing intent. Spiritual Power erupted from her body, blasting the surrounding snow into the air, which then fell like a flurry of snowflakes. The terrifying aura instantly put immense pressure on everyone present.
Such was the overwhelming might of a Core Formation Stage expert!
The next second, Shi Xueyun appeared before Zhao Hualong with astonishing speed. Before Zhao Hualong could react, she swung her hand and slapped him across the face. CRACK! The sound of the heavy slap was incredibly loud in the courtyard.
Zhao Hualong hadn't even registered the pain from the slap before Shi Xueyun had already drifted back to her original spot, standing in front of Yi Tianyun. Her white dress fluttered slightly, yet she remained perfectly composed. A faint, sweet fragrance wafted into Yi Tianyun's nose, bringing him a sense of peace.
In contrast, a five-fingered handprint now adorned Zhao Hualong's face, stinging hotly. The slap had struck not only his face but also his pride.
No one had expected Shi Xueyun to do such a thing—to just slap Zhao Hualong directly.
That slap didn't just land on his face; it struck his heart. Where was his dignity now?
"Palace Master Shi, what is the meaning of this? Are you not afraid of inciting a war between our two sects?!"
Zhao Hualong's short, thick neck flushed red with anger. He was furious, but his cultivation was no match for Shi Xueyun's. If he fought back, he would surely be crushed.
"You can eat the wrong food, but you can't speak the wrong words. Hasn't Elder Zhao ever heard that saying? You call him a good-for-nothing? If he's a good-for-nothing, then what does that make your people lying on the ground? Garbage?"
Shi Xueyun's voice was bone-chilling. If Zhao Hualong hadn't been an elder of the Celestial Spirit Sect, she would have killed him with that slap.
Yi Tianyun was her reverse scale—anyone who touched it would die!
Yi Tianyun was stunned by the scene. This was his aunt, the aunt who had always stood by his side, the aunt who protected him.