Even though the Mountain Suppressing Hammer was a crude weapon, it had its redeeming features as well. Most notably, its enormous size. The artifact was large in every sense of the word and wasn't as fragile as the Mother-Child Flying Sword. Even if Xu Jinsong wanted to destroy the Mountain Suppressing Hammer, his cultivation wasn't high enough to do so.
The overwhelming blunt force of the Mountain Suppressing Hammer had shocked everyone present. It was true to its namesake of being able to suppress entire mountains indeed. Even though Xu Jinsong had managed to knock it away with a single attack, the massive weight behind the Mountain Suppressing Hammer had caused the ground beneath Xu Jinsong's feet to cave in as well, stirring up a powerful eruption of dust and rubble. Like a nail in the ground, the lower half of Xu Jinsong's body sank into the earth, and the wound on his arm which he had previously sealed using his transcendence energy started gushing out blood once again.
At this moment, the silhouette of a greatsword struck at the opening in Xu Jinsong's defenses, piercing through his lower back and coming out the front of his stomach in a spurt of blood. Xu Jinsong spat out a mouthful of blood. His body was suffering from both massive internal injuries and external ones!
The spectators were completely dumbfounded. They couldn't believe that a powerful Red Lotus Second Grade Advisor of Suppressing Tenth Hall was actually being pushed to the brink of death by three Manor Heads!
"Ji Ze! Huang Jizhang!" Xu Jinsong bellowed frantically, having no way of discerning between the swarm of greatsword illusions that surrounded him.
"How dare you!" Ji Ze and Huang Jizhang shouted furiously.
They didn't step in not because they were concerned for Xu Jinsong's safety. Truth be told, neither of them had expected Xu Jinsong to lose his temper here. This was the Hall Master's manor after all. The two of them didn't want to get themselves mixed up in the mess. Not to mention, they had also assumed that Xu Jinsong wouldn't have any difficulty in dealing with those three either. If they could use Xu Jinsong's hand to handle those three bastards, they wouldn't need to take any responsibility. What could possibly be better than that? As such, the two of them simply thought that they only needed to sit back and watch.
However, the results of the battle had completely caught them by surprise. Not only did Xu Jinsong fail to get the upper hand, but his own life was also now at risk.
With things having escalated to such an extent, if Ji Ze and Huang Jizhang were to allow those three to kill Xu Jinsong, then they would lose face as well.
Just as they were about to step in, a black shadow abruptly descended from the sky. At the same time, Shen Huaixin's commanding voice yelled, "Stop!"
Boom! A black pagoda with a vermillion glow suddenly expanded in mid-air, then shot down instantly, pressing down on Xu Jinsong who was already half-buried in the ground and causing the entire plaza to tremble.
A Third Grade Transcendent Artifact! Suppressing Tenth Hall's Master Shen Huaixin had stepped in at the crucial moment!
Bang! A dull sound echoed forth. Just before it could take Xu Jinsong's life, the true body of the Spirit Illusion Greatsword crashed into the black pagoda, igniting sparks as it was knocked backward.
Suffering heavy injuries and with no way of retaliating, Xu Jinsong would have definitely been killed had the black pagoda been a little slower.
The myriad of greatsword illusions in the sky instantly reverted into a single weapon, and the Spirit Illusion Greatsword landed back in Zhao Fei's palm. He had a double-headed flail in his other hand, ready to strike at a moment's notice. It was unknown what sort of transcendent artifact that was. Sikong Wuwei also grabbed his Mountain Suppressing Hammer and tucked it away. At the same time, he also readied a steel hoop. It had seven bells dangling around it and was just as unrecognizable as Zhao Fei's artifact. The dragon-tip Inversed-Scales Spear in Miao Yi's hand was also substituted by the Qilin head Inversed-Scales Spear. The three of them turned their heads to look at Shen Huaixin up on the roof, their murderous intent not subsiding in the least.
Ji Ze and Huang Jizhang also looked to the roof, and so did the rest of the crowd.
Shen Huaixin swept his gaze across Miao Yi and the others. He originally wanted to use Xu Jinsong to test these three and see where they got their confidence from and was prepared to step in right before Xu Jinsong dealt the finishing blow. Much to his surprise, however, Xu Jinsong was actually defeated by them. If he had stepped in a little bit slower, Xu Jinsong's life would most likely have been forfeited by now.
He didn't wish for Miao Yi and the others to be killed by Xu Jinsong, but he also didn't wish for Xu Jinsong to die by their hands either. This place was still his manor after all. If he'd stood by the sidelines while something serious happened, then once the higher-ups started investigating, he would surely be held responsible as well. Moreover, he also wanted Miao Yi and the others to continue going against the three Advisors. That way, he would be able to use the conflict between them to his advantage.
The current situation was clear. Besides he himself, there was no longer anyone in Suppressing Tenth Hall who dared to oppose the three Advisors. After all, they had connections to some of the higher-ups as well. Because of this, he couldn't just oppress them without reason like a tyrant. And much like the three Advisors, there wasn't a single person in all his ten Manors who could contend against Miao Yi, Zhao Fei, and Sikong Wuwei. By maintaining the balance of power between these two parties, he would be able to use Miao Yi and the others to slow down the progress of the three Advisors and protect his position from being threatened. One example of this would be how their three Manors would no longer provide the three Advisors with any cultivation resources as gifts. On the other hand, the three Advisors were also able to prevent Miao Yi and the other two from growing too powerful. Whenever he felt that Miao Yi and the others were slipping out of his control, he would simply allow the three Advisors to suppress them.
Everyone watched as Shen Huaixin leaped down and landed in the center of the plaza. As he spread his palm, the iron pagoda on the ground quickly ascended, then shrunk to the size of a normal mace. It then quickly shot over to Shen Huaixin and entered into his storage bangle.
Miao Yi mused to himself, 'So it's a transforming Third Grade Transcendent Artifact. That's better than Yao Ruoxian's mace artifact. As expected of someone who's sat on the high seat of Suppressing Tenth Hall for so many years; he's had abundant sources of Orbs of Will at his disposal until he reached the Red Lotus Seventh Grade. He definitely has quite a bit of capital saved up.'
Shen Huaixin gently waved his hand, and two Deacons immediately rushed over to Xu Jinsong's side, whose lower half was buried in the ground. They then dug him out using their transcendence energy.
Xu Jinsong's face was already deathly pale. It was evident that his body was in a very weakened state. However, the look in his eyes as he stared at Miao Yi and the others was full of hatred. It was fortunate enough that he was able to survive.
The sight of Xu Jinsong had all the Manor Heads in shock. 'That's a Red Lotus Second Grade cultivator, for crying out loud! To think he was actually beaten up like this. Those three are too ferocious! As expected of Subjugation Crusade survivors. There's no telling what sort of transcendent artifacts they're holding onto right now either. Don't they seem to have a little too many of those at their disposal? It's no wonder they can be so cocky.'
Meanwhile, Miao Yi and the others knew deep down that they were only able to defeat Xu Jinsong so decisively because of their transcendent artifacts. Moreover, they had even worked together to do so. If they were to fight with their own strengths, then there was no chance for the three of them to even take a single blow from Xu Jinsong.
"How dare you start a fight in my manor! It looks like none of you hold this Hall Master in any regard!" Shen Huaixin suddenly barked, "Ji Ze, Huang Jizhang! Who was the one who made the first move?!"
Ji Ze and Huang Jizhang wordlessly looked at each other. Even though they wanted to help Xu Jinsong, there were simply too many witnesses at the time. Furthermore, it had happened right under the Hall Master's nose. They didn't dare to lie.
Their attitude had proved it all. Shen Huaixin slowly turned to look at the frail Xu Jinsong and said, "Xu Jinsong, seeing as how you've worked for my Suppressing Tenth Hall for so many years, I will forgive you this one time. This better not happen again. Otherwise, don't blame me for not showing any mercy! Go back and treat your injuries!"
"I am aware of my mistakes. Thank you for your magnanimity, Hall Master!" Carried by two people at the side, Xu Jinsong lowered his head and thanked Shen Huaixin. After which, the Deacons swiftly brought him away. However, as he turned around, the gaze he tossed Miao Yi and the others looked like he wanted to rip them to shreds.
Miao Yi thought to himself, 'What a pity. This enmity is definitely set in stone now. We might not get such a good opportunity again in the future. This Hall Master Shen sure knows how to step in at the right moment. One of my top-tier Second Grade Transcendent Artifacts just got destroyed for nothing. Then again, it wasn't entirely for nothing. At least I was able to cut off one of Xu Jinsong's arms. And if he wishes to make a full recovery, there will definitely be a hefty cost to pay.'
Shen Huaixin looked at Miao Yi and the others, then pointed to the numerous cracks and craters on the plaza caused by their battle.
Even though Xu Jinsong was the one who struck first, the cost of repairs still fell on their heads. Moreover, it was very expensive too. Who asked the three of them to be rich in the first place? If someone had a valid reason to make money off them, then they definitely wouldn't let the chance go…
Having caused such a big commotion at the top of the mountain, it was natural that all the people in Suppressing Tenth Hall would be alarmed. Even though they didn't dare to go up the mountain, there was no stopping them gathering at the foot of the mountain to figure out what happened.
When the two Deacons brought the heavily wounded Xu Jinsong down the mountain, the crowd was utterly shocked. Who else but the Hall Master could injure a Red Lotus Second Grade cultivator to such an extent?
Earlier on, they had heard the sound of Xu Jinsong and Sikong Wuwei yelling amidst the commotion. Many people started speculating that the three Manor Heads had completely fallen out with the three Advisors, thinking that Miao Yi and the others were in for some trouble if Xu Jinsong and the others were to abuse their authority to make things hard on them.
The aides that Miao Yi and the others had brought with them couldn't help their restlessness as they waited at the foot of the mountain. When they saw how Xu Jinsong was being carried down the mountain, they couldn't help growing more anxious as they wondered how much worse their three Manor Heads would be.
The crowd then noticed the Manor Heads walking down the mountain one by one. Miao Yi and the others were at the very end. Although their faces were solemn, they seemed to be fine otherwise. Everyone was astonished. 'Even Advisor Xu was injured to such an extent, but these three… what exactly happened inside the manor?'
"My lord! What happened?" Mu Tailai approached and asked.
"We're going back!" Miao Yi said curtly. He didn't answer Mu Tailai's question.
Miao Yi and the others led their subordinates and quickly departed Suppressing Tenth Hall, unwilling to stay there for another second. The three of them were quiet on the way back as well. This was not the outcome they wanted to see.
Initially, they had only planned to 'oppose in moderation' against the three Advisors. That way, they would be able to maximize the potential of their benefits. They could avoid having the three Advisors interfere in their business too much, and at the same time maintain the delicate situation between their two parties.
The three of them had never expected Xu Jinsong to actually attack them in a place like that. It seemed the guy had never been this agitated by a subordinate before. As a result, Miao Yi and the others' plans were completely thrown off the rails.
It wasn't good if the situation was exacerbated to such an extent. Once Xu Jinsong recovered fully, he was likely to use every opportunity possible to get back at them. And not just through petty squabbling, but by actual use of force this time. Miao Yi and the others regretted not killing Xu Jinsong and eliminating this potential threat—he was the one who unreasonably picked a fight!
The three of them felt pressed for time. They separated along the journey and went back to their own Manors. After returning, Miao Yi handed down a few instructions to his troops, then looked for Yao Ruoxian to have a serious discussion. After which, he immediately entered closed-door cultivation.
It was impossible to conceal a flame with a sheet of paper. With such a major incident happening in Suppressing Tenth Place, and with so many eyewitnesses at the time, the news quickly spread. Not only was the rest of Suppressing Tenth Hall greatly shocked, but the entire Traversing Water Palace as well. Together, three Blue Lotus cultivators had actually managed to defeat a Red Lotus Second Grade cultivator!
The other Manors in Suppressing Tenth Hall were even more terrified of the three Manors now. On the other hand, the cultivators working under the three Manors were filled with a sense of pride. They'd never thought that their Manor Heads were actually this powerful.
As for the ones who were most shocked by this news, they were none other than Yan Xiu and Chen Fei. They could hardly believe that the Miao Yi from all those years ago had already grown this powerful!
However, no one knew that Miao Yi and the others didn't want such fame that had nothing to do with their actual strength. They all knew that Xu Jinsong had only lost due to his lack of battle experience. The guy's cultivation was purely just for show! The three of them suddenly felt worried that this news would continue to spread further and further. This was because the more people talked about this, the more humiliated Xu Jinsong would feel, and the more desperate he would be in trying to regain his dignity!
Spring Glory House, inside the capital city. As they escorted their respective Palace Lords to deliver the annual tribute, it was inevitable that some of the Hall Masters would meet up with one another.
"Brother Huo! That sworn brother of yours who's currently working under me has really got some spunk to him! He even defeated one of my Advisors and nearly killed the guy, and he's a Red Lotus Second Grade expert!" Shen Huaixin announced as he knocked cups with Huo Lingxiao.
"..." Huo Lingxiao finally seemed to recall that he had a sworn brother working under the other party. He couldn't help asking, "What happened?"
Not far away, Wu Menglan's eyes brightened at the sound of this, and she slowly walked over to listen in on Shen Huaixin's story...