The roar of cheers erupted like a tidal wave.
Chen Jiuyang had sealed his acupoints with silver needles beforehand, but the pain from his depleted spirit was unavoidable. He quickly swallowed a Pure Yang Qi Replenishing Pill to alleviate it.
Yun Tiancheng descended from the high platform and retrieved Chen Jiuyang's identification from a small wooden box. His gaze was complex, and a smile graced his face. "Chen Jiuyang, congratulations on winning the Feng Province Martial Rankings championship. You will soon represent Feng Province and head to Longjing to participate in the National Martial Rankings competition."
"Thank you," Chen Jiuyang accepted the small wooden token.
"Chen Jiuyang, you deserve to die!"
A voice like a thunderclap startled countless people. Xi Butui descended from the sky and, with a palm strike, intended to kill Chen Jiuyang on the spot.
Panic spread among the crowd.
The lame old man beside Qiu Yihan reacted the fastest, rushing to Chen Jiuyang's side to block the attack.
If anything were to happen to Chen Jiuyang under Qiu Yihan's watch, he, the lame old man, would die faster than Chen Jiuyang.
"Boom!" The clash between peak Earth realm experts, with just one move, generated terrifying airwaves that swept across the entire Feng Province Gymnasium.
Yun Tiancheng's expression darkened as he shielded Chen Jiuyang. "Xi Butui, do you know what you are doing?"
Xi Butui stared grimly at Chen Jiuyang. "You little beast, how dare you ruin the plan I've been cultivating for years! You will surely die!"
Yun Tiancheng spoke sternly, "Xi Butui, as the Chief Constable of the Six Gates in Feng City, are you going to break the law you are sworn to uphold? Chen Jiuyang is the champion of our Feng Province Martial Rankings, a glory to Feng Province. If you dare to attack him, the entire Feng Province will not tolerate you!"
The twenty thousand people present were all focused on the martial stage, filled with confusion, schadenfreude, and worry.
Why did Xi Butui want to kill Chen Jiuyang immediately after the martial rankings concluded? What had happened in between?
Yun Tiancheng continued, "This is the venue of the Martial Rankings. Even if the competition has ended, the Feng Province Martial Rankings have not. Xi Butui, I don't care what personal grudges you have with Chen Jiuyang, but now, you must retreat, or I will invite the Martial Rankings to punish you!"
Xi Butui's face turned ashen. He glared at Chen Jiuyang and roared, "The moment you leave here, I will kill you!"
With that, Xi Butui slowly walked towards the gymnasium entrance, simultaneously summoning the constables of the Six Gates. The display indicated his unwavering resolve to kill Chen Jiuyang that day!
The onlookers were stunned. Xi Butui, as the overlord of Feng City, was an uncrowned emperor. To provoke him was to court death.
Chen Jiuyang's expression was indifferent. He knew that his tribulation of life and death had only just begun.
Yun Tiancheng's voice was heavy. "Chen Jiuyang, stay here. Within this gymnasium, Xi Butui dares not lay a finger on you. I will go find the Martial Rankings Association and request reinforcements."
With that, Yun Tiancheng departed.
Only Chen Jiuyang and the lame old man remained. The lame old man said gravely, "Chen Jiuyang, how did you end up in such a predicament with Xi Butui?"
"He set up the Nine Yin Sun Devouring Array for the Yao family. I was afflicted by the Yin cold energy of the array. Without breaking this array, my cultivation would be permanently stunted."
The lame old man slowly nodded, his gaze fixed on the Six Gates constables guarding the gymnasium entrance. "Since you dared to break the array, you must have a plan for the aftermath. How will you proceed?"
A smile played on Chen Jiuyang's lips. "To the Feng Han Marquis's manor."
"I understand," the lame old man said expressionlessly. "You've brought a lot of trouble upon yourself this time."
A figure burst forth from the high platform, erupting with true qi, and immediately engaged Xi Butui in a fierce struggle.
"It seems the old man from the Martial Rankings Association has made his move. An opportunity has arisen, let's go!" The lame old man's eyes lit up. He grabbed Chen Jiuyang and fled, rushing out of the Feng Province Gymnasium.
The clashes between Earth realm Grandmasters were terrifying, like human tanks.
The lame old man had not led Chen Jiuyang far when his expression changed. "Did that old man from the Martial Rankings go easy? Damn it!"
Saying this, the lame old man put Chen Jiuyang down, his face grim. "Xi Butui is catching up. Chen Jiuyang, escape on your own. I will do my best to hold off Xi Butui for you!"
"Thank you." Chen Jiuyang pondered for a moment before uttering these words. Facing imminent death, even though this Old Que had harbored ulterior motives before, his willingness to risk his life to buy Chen Jiuyang time to escape was truly commendable.
Chen Jiuyang was severely injured, not to mention having used the Instantaneous Flash. Even after taking the Pure Yang Qi Replenishing Pill and treating himself, he was now no different from an ordinary person, coughing up blood as he stumbled away.
Chen Jiuyang had run for several hundred meters when he heard the sounds of the lame old man and Xi Butui fighting behind him.
Xi Butui's enraged roar echoed, "Chen Jiuyang, you little beast will surely die today! Hmph, you old cripple from the True Demon Sect, let's see how long you can hold me off!"
"Everyone, capture that little beast Chen Jiuyang!"
Chen Jiuyang's expression remained indifferent as he weakly ran towards the Feng Han Marquis's manor.
For Chen Jiuyang, every passing moment felt like an eternity.
Besides Xi Butui, the constables of the Six Gates were also pursuing him.
The Six Gates, as the foremost power in Feng Province, were affiliated with the Dragon Country's imperial court and were under Xi Butui's control, making them extremely formidable!
Just then, Chen Jiuyang's contingency plan materialized. The Feng Lian Marquis appeared before him. "Divine Doctor Chen, rest assured and proceed. I will hold off the Six Gates personnel for a while."
"Many thanks!" Chen Jiuyang cupped his fists in gratitude and continued to run.
Many people watched the unfolding events from the sidelines, neither helping Chen Jiuyang nor Xi Butui. Assisting either side would have severe consequences, making it the wisest choice to remain an observer.
The pursuers of Chen Jiuyang came in waves, astonishing everyone. Xi Butui had been entrenched in Feng City for thirty years, wielding immense power.
However, for every wave of pursuers that emerged, a Marquis-level Earth realm Grandmaster would step forward to block the onslaught, buying Chen Jiuyang time to escape.
One after another, a total of forty-seven of the forty-nine Marquis-level Grandmasters in Feng Province appeared, escorting Chen Jiuyang!
This also left countless people in awe. Chen Jiuyang's network of influence was apparently no weaker than Xi Butui's. How had he managed to enlist so many Marquis-level Grandmasters?
When they were still a thousand meters away from the Feng Han Marquis's manor, the forty-seventh Marquis-level Grandmaster stood before Xi Butui, whose body was stained with blood.
Xi Butui's face was ashen, his eyes burning with immense killing intent. "Another damned fool. How long can you hold me back?"
The Marquis-level Grandmaster chuckled, "Not long. I know my strength is far inferior to the Chief Constable's. A few breaths of time should suffice. After all, the Chief Constable wouldn't dare kill a Marquis with an imperial title like us."
Xi Butui's face turned purple with rage. "Good, good, good! Since all of you are delaying for that little beast, then I shall cripple you all and let you live out your remaining years in peace!"
"It's fine," the Marquis-level Grandmaster said with a smile. "As long as he lives, Divine Doctor Chen will heal us again."
"Bang!"
Xi Butui, consumed by fury, unleashed a Divine Intent skill directly at the Grandmaster.
"Boom!"
After the explosion, the Marquis-level Grandmaster was sent flying, spitting blood and falling into unconsciousness, struck down by Xi Butui.
Xi Butui sneered as he looked at Chen Jiuyang. "Even if you escape to the Feng Han Marquis, that old man won't be able to protect you!"
The next moment, Xi Butui charged towards Chen Jiuyang, his voice thundering across a hundred-meter radius. "Chen Jiuyang, have you thought about how you want to die, you little beast?"
Chen Jiuyang, utterly exhausted and at the end of his strength, collapsed before the Feng Han Marquis's manor. He looked at the charging Xi Butui with a detached expression.
Everyone sighed, believing that despite Chen Jiuyang's numerous schemes, he would ultimately perish at Xi Butui's hands.