Chapter 2842: Choose One  

When the Lu family had been exiled, some people had taken action, while others had refrained. It had been difficult for Lu Qi to see everyone that had been involved at the time.

Before Wang Jian could reply, Leng Qing’s saber slashed at an unpredictable angle, and it slipped through Wang Jian's defenses, wounding the Progenitor.

Wang Jian did not dare to get distracted in his fight.

"Lu Qi, you bastard! Let me go!" Wang Miaomiao continued to struggle.

Lu Qi finally lowered his head to look at Wang Miaomiao, his expression cold and serious. "When my Lu family was exiled, did Wang Jian have any part in it?"

Wang Miaomiao stopped struggling and bit her lip. As Lu Qi continued to stare at her, she finally shook her head. "My ancestor was always in the Outer Realm, and he never left his planet. He had nothing to do with the Lu family’s exile. I promise this on my life."

Lu Qi still stared at Wang Miaomiao, who was not afraid to meet his gaze.

After watching for a while, Lu Qi suddenly smiled. "I believe you."

With that, he released the woman, and she fell to the ground, landing on her butt with a yelp. She glared up at Lu Qi.

The man just set a hand on Wang Miaomiao's head. "You told me to let you go."

Wang Miaomiao tried to slap Lu Qi’s hand away, but he was already gone.

Wang Jian pointed a finger, and black ropes shot out of the void to bind Leng Qing. In response, the man simply raised his saber and chopped down. While secret techniques could be deciding factors in battles between juniors, they would not have too much of an influence in a Progenitor-level battle.

After all, Progenitors could create secret techniques.

Wang Jian used the secret technique to open up some distance between himself and Leng Qing. He was panting. It was clear that Leng Qing had only recently broken through, but he was already very difficult to deal with. The sharpness of his saber reminded Wang Jian of Xia Shenji. Even in such a short amount of time, Wang Jian had already been injured. He was no match for Leng Qing.

While the man’s saber seemed ordinary, it was difficult for Wang Jian to defend against it.

"Senior Leng Qing, leave him to me." Lu Qi approached the battlefield while staring at Wang Jian.

Wang Jian instinctively glanced at Wang Miaomiao, and upon seeing that she was still fine, he secretly released a sigh of relief. Even though he had just angrily scolded Wang Miaomiao and dealt with her harshly, he still highly favored her. The only thing that continued to infuriate the Progenitor about Wang Miaomiao was her affection for that bastard, Lu Qi.

Leng Qing loved fighting, as it allowed him to sharpen his blade. However, this was a matter of the Lu family's revenge, which meant that the situation should rightfully be dealt with by the Lu family.

"Thank you," Lu Qi said as he looked at Wang Jian, "Progenitor Wang Jian, we meet again."

Wang Jian glared at Lu Qi angrily. "The heavens must be blind to allow a bastard like you from the Lu family to become a Progenitor."

Lu Qi laughed wildly. "Is that how it is? In that case, the more you look at me, the more irritated you’ll become, and the more I’ll taunt you. I’ll make you question everything about your entire life."

Wang Jian grew furious. Even though he had not participated in the Lu family’s exile, he had absolutely approved of the matter, and that was solely because of Lu Qi.

Wang Jian had been born in a branch family, which made him fully understand just how helpless and humiliated the branch families could be when suppressed by the family’s direct line. The fact that Wang Jian had become a Progenitor had elevated his own branch family’s status to be equal to that of the Wang family’s direct line. What’s more, Wang Miaomiao offered the branch family hope of maintaining that status.

However, all of that had been ruined when Wang Miaomiao met Lu Qi. The bastard had had the audacity to tease Miaomiao, and she had fallen in love with him. Truthfully, the matter should have been nothing at all. Even if Lu Qi was a scoundrel, he was still a member of the Lu family, and even their direct heir. At worst, Wang Jian would simply have Miaomiao marry Lu Qi.

Unfortunately, the bastard had no such intentions. Wang Jian had personally visited the Lu family to propose the marriage, only to be rejected, which had humiliated him before countless people.

This was why he had left for the Outer Realm and stayed there, protecting one of the planets. He had no face to meet with others, and even after the Lu family’s exile, Wang Jian had refused to return.

The bastard had stolen his own wife, and then gone on to harass Miaomiao. The bastard was beyond shameless.

The more he thought about it, the angrier Wang Jian became, and he quickly unleashed an attack, determined to kill Lu Qi with one blow.

Lu Qi shrugged. "Being called the four ruling powers has driven you mad. You actually dare to attack someone from the Lu family in the same realm? You’re just asking for a beating."

Elsewhere, Lu Tianyi and Lu Yin moved on from Shenwu's Sky, making their way to the Celestial Frost Sect.

While only a few people from Shenwu's Sky had been punished, the place had still been cast back down to the Middle Realm.

Only the Lu Sanctum could remain in the Higher Realm. No others would be permitted.

Just like at Shenwu's Sky and the Wang family, all of the Celestial Frost Sect’s most important people had already been taken away.

However, Bai Qi had not left, which was not something that Lu Yin had expected. After all, the woman was Bai Wangyuan's daughter.

The Lu Sanctum arrived at the Celestial Frost Sect.

The Celestial Frost Sect had once enjoyed a majestic, untouchable status, but it looked tiny when the golden light of the Lu Sanctum shone down upon it.

Upon arriving at the Celestial Frost Sect, Lu Tianyi frowned. "Bai Wangyuan used the Sky Beyond the Sky to place an invisible mark on those who passed, rendering them all incapable of standing up to him. Given the character needed to create such a thing, we should have seen through his malicious intentions.

"The Lu family oversees the Fifth Mainland, but it does not rule it. The Lu family had no control over what Celestial Frost Sect or the others did, and we never wanted such control.

"However, from this moment forward, things have changed. The Lu family, Heavens Sect, and Xiaoxuan will have the final say.

"We are too exhausted. Lu Feng is dead, and your father, Lu Qi, has an out-of-control personality that leaves him unsuitable to lead the Lu family. You are the only option."

Ancestor Lu Yuan had already mentioned this matter, and Lu Tianyi reiterated it now. Lu Yin could not help but feel that they were on guard against something.

Bai Qi and Bai Teng led a group of people out from the Celestial Frost Sect.

In terms of numbers, the Celestial Frost Sect had more people than any other among the four ruling powers, and the sect was constantly recruiting more disciples.

The most unfortunate people were the newly accepted disciples who had just joined the Celestial Frost Sect. These were the same people who had been trying to join the Celestial Frost Sect when Lu Yin had left a palmprint just beyond the Celestial Frost Sect’s main gate. They faced the same difficulties associated with joining the sect as the previous applicants, but they had never been able to enjoy the lofty status like those earlier disciples. The four ruling powers had been struck back down to their former status by the Lu family too quickly.

Bai Teng followed behind Bai Qi, a bitter expression on his face. He had wanted to escape, but he had been forced to stay behind. This was the sect master’s responsibility, but unfortunately, Bai Teng had never truly been the sect master. He had been nothing more than a figurehead, and yet Bai Su had already slipped away.

Before the people who had emerged from the Celestial Frost Sect were even able to bow to Lu Tianyi, the Higher Realm trembled. This was from the shockwaves of a distant battle between Progenitors.

Bai Qi's expression changed drastically. Who was being attacked?

Lu Tianyi raised a hand and pointed a finger. "Bai Wangyuan's dirty tricks should be dealt with."

The line of energy shot out again, and in the same way that the orb of light above Wang family’s floating continent shattered apart, the Celestial Frost Sect’s Sky Beyond the Sky was also split asunder. Soon, all the white clouds dissipated, and the tranquil atmosphere that had perpetually enveloped the Celestial Frost Sect was gone.

However, Bai Qi had no intention of paying attention to that at the moment. She was focused on Lu Yin. "Why are Progenitors fighting?"

A smile touched Lu Yin's lips. "You don’t know?"

Bai Qi's face turned pale.

The Celestial Frost Sect and the Wang family had cooperated and planned the escape to the Sixverse Association, but they had been discovered by the Heavens Sect. If they had known that they would be caught, they would have made their escape without ever leaving the sect.

Bai Qi did not know that even that option had been taken from them. Their guides from the Sixverse Association had fallen under Lu Yin’s control, or rather, under Wang Wen’s control.

In order for anyone from the four ruling powers to escape, they would need to tear open the void and flee to an unknown parallel universe. Anyone who met up with the Wang family would be invariably betrayed by Wei Rong. The four ruling powers had already locked down every single path of escape. Only Bai Wangyuan and the others who had already left the Origin Universe had succeeded.

Bai Qi closed her eyes. In the end, no one could escape.

"Bai Teng greets Progenitor Tianyi." Bai Teng bowed.

Behind him, the disciples from the Celestial Frost Sect who were present also bowed.

Lu Tianyi did not even look at them, as his eyes were focused on Bai Qi. "I held you when you were born. I never thought that I would one day personally destroy the Celestial Frost Sect."

Bai Qi's eyes dimmed. "Progenitor Tianyi, please allow the disciples behind me to go free. They are innocent."

Lu Tianyi's eyes were like shards of ice. "Whether they are innocent or guilty of persecuting the remnants of my Lu family will be investigated."

The Celestial Frost Sect had always been in the Higher Realm, even before Bai Xian'er had brought an end to the Lu family with the rain of red flowers. The Lu family had been exiled on the day of Lu Xiaoxuan and Bai Xian'er’s wedding, so the Celestial Frost Sect was naturally different from the other three.

However, Bai Wangyuan and Bai Xian'er were absent, and the Celestial Frost Sect was but a shell of its former self.

The Lu Sanctum pushed the Celestial Frost Sect down to the Middle Realm. This was the third time that this scene played out. The fall of the Celestial Frost Sect represented the end of the four ruling powers’ era.

Bai Qi and the others were cast to the Middle Ocean, just like the people from the Wang family.

Bai Wangyuan and the others would eventually return to the Origin Universe, and even if they did not, the Lu family would eventually collect the debt that was owed to them.

They were the true culprits.

Far away, Wang Jian blankly stared at the air before him. His sword was broken, and his Progenitor’s world had also been pierced.

Across from him, Lu Qi shook his arm. "Progenitor Jian, did you properly cultivate your Progenitor’s world? What the hell? Why is it so weak?"

Wang Jian felt bitter. He had cultivated for so many years, but Lu Qi, who had only been born after Wang Jian had already become a Progenitor, had defeated him so easily. This was the power of the Lu family. This was the invincible Lu family.

"In that case, let's end this." Lu Qi raised a hand and aimed a Hidden Needle at Wang Jian.

Wang Miaomiao shouted, "Lu Qi, stop!"

Lu Qi looked over. "What? This old man beat you so badly. Are you sure that you want to beg for mercy?"

Wang Miaomiao glared at him. "That’s my business! Ancestor had nothing to do with the Lu family’s exile, so you cannot kill him."

Wang Jian felt torn as he waved a hand. "There’s no need to say anything, Miaomiao. Live well.

"Lu Qi, I can die, but I hope that you won't anoint me as a champion."

Lu Qi lowered his hand. The Hidden Needle disappeared. "Are you kidding me? How could I not anoint a Progenitor champion? Do you think I’m nuts?"

Wang Jian roared, "People hate your Lu family precisely because of your Investiture of the Gods and Champions’ Stage! If you don't repent, the matter with the four ruling powers will eventually repeat, and others will rise up to supplant you!"

Lu Qi's eyes flared sharply, and the golden scroll of the Investiture of the Gods appeared above his head. The golden light swept across the Higher Realm, drawing everyone's attention.

"This is how my Lu family does things. Someone like you who has already been defeated has no position to comment on our champions or gods! Wang Jian, I will give you a choice: the Investiture of the Gods, or the Champions’ Stage. Choose!"

Wang Jianqi trembled.

"Ancestor, Progenitor Wang Fan was also conferred as a god, and he agreed in order to help in the fight against the Aeternals!" Wang Miaomiao shouted. Wang Jian had always treated her well, and if not for him, Wang Fan would have killed the woman 10,000 times over already.

Wang Jian clenched a fist.

Lu Qi rolled his eyes. "Don't bother trying to comfort yourself. I just want to confer a god. I'll use it to fight Wang Fan one day. How about it? If you have the balls, go ahead and choose death. I don’t have a problem killing you."

Wang Jian shouted, "Lu Qi, you mad rogue!"

Lu Qi remained contemptuous. "I don't like your attitude. You are clearly afraid of death and are merely making excuses to make yourself look better. Hurry up. My time is limited.”

"I want to go catch up with my precious son and get to know him again."