The Sword God of the Universe
Chapter 730: A Hasty Retreat

Chapter 730: Chapter 730: A Hasty Retreat

After losing two consecutive matches, Li Tai’s face turned ashen!

He knew his reputation was probably thoroughly ruined. Not just his, but the entire Li Family’s Primordial Energy suffered a huge blow, and there was no telling how long it would take to recover.

Given another chance to choose again, even if he participated in the Alchemy Competition, he would definitely not have come out to challenge Hall Master Jing Yan. The reason he stepped forward was partly as a strategy planned by his family, and partly to step on Hall Master Jing Yan to boost his own fame.

However, what he hadn’t anticipated at all was that Jing Yan was truly a Great Alchemist King, with an Alchemy Dao ability unfathomable.

The Pill Masters in the inner circle all had fiery looks in their eyes. The opportunity to listen to a Great Alchemist King personally lecture about alchemy was incredibly rare, and each one of them knew it well.

Among these Pill Masters, probably a majority had not held much hope for Jing Yan before. But now, they realized that coming to the Splendid Dojo’s Alchemy Competition was the right decision. If they hadn’t come, they would have missed a rare opportunity and probably regretted it to death.

And the countless Martial Artists spectating from the outer circle also started to entertain subtle thoughts. If the rumors were true about Jing Yan being a Great Alchemist King, then the effects of the Longevity Pill might very well be real, a pill far more potent than the Plum Blossom Pill, in Jing Yan’s hands.

"Alchemist Li Tai, you lost," said Jing Yan, as his gaze toward Li Tai turned colder.

"Hall Master Jing Yan, indeed, I acted recklessly. Your capabilities in Alchemy Dao exceed my expectations," Li Tai had to admit his previous words were wrong, though he was loath to do so.

"Mhm!"

"Then, for the insults and humiliations you directed at me before, how do you think I should punish you?" Jing Yan wasn’t planning to let Li Tai and the others off easily.

Had Li Tai and others merely engaged in an alchemy discourse with Jing Yan, he wouldn’t have pursued the matter further. However, their previous mockery had been excessive. If Jing Yan let Li Tai and his group off lightly, others might think him weak and easy to bully.

What would others think if a Great Alchemist King, in front of so many people, was insulted and slandered by an eighth-grade Pill Master without any reaction?

Li Tai’s face paled.

"Hall Master Jing Yan, for my words before, I apologize to you," Li Tai was forced to lower his proud head.

In Alchemy Dao, if Jing Yan’s skills were inferior to his, then he wouldn’t fear Jing Yan’s revenge. If Jing Yan resorted to physical strength for vengeance, it would attract criticism. But now, on the Alchemy Dao, Jing Yan had completely crushed him. If he didn’t give Jing Yan an explanation now, he certainly wouldn’t be able to settle the matter amicably.

For instance, if someone challenged the Li Family’s alchemy and was more skilled, then all was negotiable, and the Li Family couldn’t forcibly keep that individual. But if the challenger lost to the Li Family’s Pill Master during the challenge, would the Li Family let the challenger leave just like that?

Absolutely not!

"Just an apology can’t solve the problem," spoke Jing Yan in a low voice, "Alchemist Li Tai, the three of you stepped forward with a purpose, and we all know it well."

"Each of you will sever one arm and then leave," Jing Yan gestured dismissively.

Not taking their lives directly was already merciful on Jing Yan’s part.

"What?"

"Hall Master Jing Yan, what do you mean? What does this have to do with us?" The skinny Pill Master and the Red Dress Pill Master, on hearing Jing Yan’s words, immediately started to protest.

Sever an arm by themselves?

They were Pill Masters; losing an arm would be a tremendous impact, much more severe than a Martial Artist losing a limb. Although elixirs could regrow a lost limb, many uncertainties were involved. Besides, even if the limb regrew, it would never be as dexterous as the original limb.

"Hall Master Jing Yan, you want me to sever an arm of my own? Isn’t that a bit too much?" Li Tai certainly didn’t want to sever his own arm, his voice rose in challenge.

"Listen carefully, all three of you. I don’t want to repeat myself, nor do I wish to waste my time on you. If you don’t do it yourselves, then I will help you," Jing Yan’s eyes swept over the three, cold intent visible.

The three shivered slightly as they remembered Jing Yan was not just a Pill Master but also a Martial Artist at the Dao Emperor Realm, a whole major realm above theirs in Martial Arts Cultivation.

If they did not sever their own arms, they would be powerless to resist if Jing Yan took matters into his own hands.

But...

"Whoosh!" Jing Yan’s figure flashed.

In an instant, he was before the three of them. A wave of Primordial Energy swept out, completely binding them.

Then, with three lightning-fast flicks of his fingers, three gusts emitted piercing whistling sounds.

"Ah!"

Three cries of agony sounded consecutively.

Right arms of all three, Li Tai included, were severed. From the moment Jing Yan moved to their limbs being cut off, it had all happened in the blink of an eye, not giving the three any chance to react.

"Jing Yan!"

"You... you’re too arrogant! Are you truly willing to make an enemy of my Li Family?" the Li Family Patriarch could not help but stand up, shouting angrily from the outer circle.

Li Tai was one of the strongest Pill Masters in the Li Family, and the Pill Master with the most hope in the family of reaching the Great Alchemist King status.

Being crippled here would have an immeasurable impact on Li Tai. Perhaps this would mean he would never have the chance to reach for the title of Great Alchemist King in his lifetime.

"Li Family Patriarch, right?" Jing Yan fixed his gaze on the man.

"Don’t you find your words laughable? Before this, did I have any grudges with your Li Family? But how did your Li Family behave? At the Alchemy Competition I hosted, you sent family Pill Masters to trouble me, openly insulting me. Could it be that your Li Family thinks it’s easy to bully this Great Alchemist King and the Holy Hall Master?" Jing Yan retorted with a cold laugh.

"Now, I advise you to take your people and leave quickly. Otherwise, I really can’t guarantee you’ll leave the Holy City alive," Jing Yan added mockingly.

"You... you... Very well! Very well indeed!" the Li Family Patriarch was furious.

But angry as he was, he dared not act violently here. Even with Li Tai and the others being Dao King Realm Peak in their Martial Arts Cultivation, they had no power to fight back against Jing Yan. If he acted out, his fate would likely be even worse than Li Tai’s.

He could tell Jing Yan was not bluffing. If he continued to be unreasonable, Jing Yan might really take action against him. Jing Yan had dared to kill Gu Mo, the Supreme Elder of the Gai Family, so killing him, the Li Family Patriarch, wouldn’t likely add much pressure on him. Moreover, today it was indeed the Li Family in the wrong; even if Jing Yan took action to execute them, the people across the Continent might not blame him.

Bottling up his rage, the Li Family Patriarch led the Li Family members away from the Splendid Dojo in a shabby state.