C2 I Walking above Heaven

Shameless?

The onlookers, who had been enjoying the spectacle, watched as Xing Yun effortlessly caught Lee Lang in midair and gently set him down. Their contempt for him was palpable.

No matter how shameless, surely it was preferable to groping the saintess' chest...

As they observed Xing Yun, who appeared unfazed by the situation, the crowd's disdain grew. They had never encountered someone so brazenly impudent!

They were on Xing Yun's turf, so their boldness was somewhat tempered, yet the crowd couldn't help but erupt into raucous laughter.

Even Gu Yan was momentarily taken aback by Xing Yun's retort, but he quickly recovered and burst into uproarious laughter. "I'm shameless? You're the one who's outrageously defiant, so much so that you probably don't even understand the concept of shame!"

"Master..."

Lee Lang looked anxiously at Xing Yun, his eyes brimming with concern, but Xing Yun raised a hand to stop him. "No need to worry. I'll handle this myself! I haven't even begun to settle the score with him, and he's already walked right into my trap!"

Lee Lang watched in amazement as Xing Yun, with a hint of mockery in his eyes and a smile on his face, squinted at Gu Yan and asked, "What exactly constitutes a 'great rebellion'?"

Simultaneously, Xing Yun's attention was drawn to the black, ancient-looking ring on Gu Yan's right ring finger, which was emitting a subtle spiritual pulse.

"So, this is what you've been relying on," Xing Yun remarked scornfully.

It seemed probable that the ring harbored some sort of fortune that had caused Gu Yan's abilities to surge, giving him the audacity to storm the Keep.

Gu Yan arched an eyebrow and responded with a sneer, "Playing dumb now? Who was it that assaulted the saintess just days ago? Do you really think I, Gu Yan, am aimlessly slaughtering the Keep's lackeys out of sheer boredom?"

"Bring it on!" The eager crowd watched the standoff at the center, many chuckling and egging them on.

Bystanders always relished stirring the pot, indifferent to right or wrong as long as their own interests weren't at stake. Their only concern was witnessing a more sensational drama unfold.

Unintimidated, Xing Yun met Gu Yan's cold gaze and declared firmly, "Yes, it was me, Xing Yun. What of it?"

Gu Yan was taken aback, not expecting Xing Yun to be embarrassed. In a fit of anger, he blurted out, "How dare you be so brazen as to commit such an atrocious act!"

Gu Yan was clever, attempting to establish a moral high ground that would encourage bystanders to join in condemning Xing Yun. Perhaps some would even stand with him in battle.

Xing Yun swept his gaze over the restless crowd, his arrogance undiminished. He spoke deliberately, "How can I, Xing Yun, be lectured by others? And you, trying to achieve your nefarious goals under the guise of virtue—it's utterly ridiculous!"

The crowd gasped in surprise at his words. Lee Lang felt a sense of dread and urgently said, "Master..."

To him, Xing Yun's brazen admission and unrepentant demeanor were tantamount to throwing himself into the fire. Yet his master stood undaunted, seemingly by design.

Xing Yun responded with a smile, "No need for concern! There's no need for any of you to intervene. I'm curious to see what sort of deceit this hypocrite is capable of!"

Having merged with the soul and taken over the body, Xing Yun quickly reviewed the events that had transpired. He came to a startling realization—he had harbored different intentions towards the saintess!

The current Xing Yun, faced with the same situation, might not have resorted to assault, but he certainly would have taken similar action. The saintess, it turned out, had been afflicted with a soul-devouring blood curse, undetectable to the average person. Xing Yun had also noticed a deacon eyeing the saintess with avarice, clearly harboring ill intent.

After some deliberation, Xing Yun resolved to take a bold step. His first goal was to draw the Order of the Celestial Veil's attention to the saintess, ensuring she received more vigilant protection and preventing others from approaching her. Secondly, he aimed to guide the Order's experts to detect the blood curse while examining the saintess.

The soul-devouring blood curse was exceedingly rare, even in the Upper Realm from which Xing Yun hailed. The original Xing Yun would have been incapable of lifting it. Moreover, even if the Shadowlands' experts believed Xing Yun's explanation, their actions might inadvertently alert the true culprit, allowing them to escape justice. Thus, Xing Yun had chosen to take this perilous course of action.

In his previous life, Xing Yun was the undisputed sovereign of the Infinite Cosmos, a fact he had never disclosed to outsiders. Now, it was even less likely for him to offer an explanation.

Reflecting on why he had taken such a risk, Xing Yun remembered the saintess, her face veiled, revealing only her captivating eyes. He found her gaze strangely familiar—a recognition that seemed to resonate with both his past and present selves.

Gu Yan, taken aback by Xing Yun's words, soon let a murderous look flash in his eyes as he coldly demanded, "What treachery do you accuse me of?!"

Xing Yun's derisive laughter reverberated around them, leaving everyone bewildered.

"What's so funny?!" Gu Yan barked.

"I'm laughing at your shoddy scheme," Xing Yun taunted. "You aim to tarnish my reputation, incite the crowd's wrath, then slay me publicly to make a name for yourself. Later, you hope to charm the saintess, perhaps even win her affection, and claim her as your prize. Isn't that right?"

His incisive retort left the bystanders momentarily stunned, then realization dawned, and they turned to Gu Yan with newfound discontent. "I almost became a pawn in your game!"

In the Shadowlands, where power is paramount and life is cheap, it's all too easy for the unwary to become expendable in someone else's game.

Gu Yan, usually so articulate, found himself at a loss for words. His face turned beet red as he angrily retorted, "Nonsense! I sought to eliminate you and your lackeys as a service to justice and to honor the saintess who once saved my life. What's wrong with that?!"

Xing Yun stood his ground, his rebuke fierce. "How noble of you! Serving justice? Have I, Xing Yun, taken a life? Yet you, for a trifling reason, slaughtered dozens of my Keep's guards and mutilated them, revealing your true, brutal nature. How could I, Xing Yun, ever let this go?

"Furthermore, who's to say your tale of being saved isn't a fabrication? For all we know, the saintess of the Order of the Celestial Veil might never have laid eyes on a rogue like you!"

For Xing Yun, the veracity of Gu Yan's second claim was irrelevant. His intent was to deliver a crushing blow to Gu Yan's morale, to strike at the heart as well as the body.

The crowd around began to murmur among themselves, "There's some truth to that!"

Gu Yan stood frozen, as if turned to stone. Xing Yun had hit the nail on the head; the tale of the saintess saving his life was a fabrication of his own making. He had sought only a legitimate reason to slay Xing Yun and gain widespread fame, but Xing Yun had called his bluff right then and there.

Seeing Xing Yun remain composed, Gu Yan grew increasingly agitated as he pondered his next move. "He truly is as haughty as the rumors suggest!"

Xing Yun fixed Gu Yan with a frosty gaze, noticing the subtle purple aura around him begin to stir. He couldn't help but smirk inwardly, "What 'son of a Plane,' favored by fortune? For me, Xing Yun, to walk above heaven is nothing out of the ordinary. Why should I fear life and death?"

Gu Yan quickly snapped out of his rage, declaring furiously, "I, Gu Yan, have no need to concoct tales of life-saving grace. If I don't kill you today, Xing Yun, how can I, Gu Yan, show my face between heaven and earth again? How could I ever face the saintess?"

His own stirring words moved Gu Yan, and even the onlookers seemed touched, nodding in agreement, "He's brave, principled, and loyal!"

Xing Yun signaled for his followers to step back. Then, with a gaze full of lethal intent, he boldly proclaimed to Gu Yan, "I have no interest in whether I owe you gratitude or vengeance. But before you die, I will make it clear to all: defying the heavens may hold hope; defying me, Xing Yun, leaves no chance for survival!"

The crowd blanched at his words, hastily retreating, while Gu Yan watched Xing Yun with a wary, furious stare.

Xing Yun's desire to kill was genuine. Gu Yan had mercilessly slain numerous Keep guards without a second thought and now sought to use Xing Yun as a mere stepping stone to further his own reputation. Such a brutal man was no saint, and even if he were a son of the Plane, Xing Yun would defy the heavens to obliterate him!

Moreover, having lived well beyond ten thousand years, Xing Yun's sense of morality had long transcended worldly views. To him, good and evil were mere pretexts people concocted to justify their own stances and interests. In the Infinite Cosmos, power reigned supreme, and for most, notions of right and wrong ultimately boiled down to self-interest, grudges, and allegiances.

Today, the one destined to fall was none other than Gu Yan!

As Gu Yan remained vigilant, a crisp female voice echoed in his mind, "Be careful. This opponent is far from ordinary. With no strong fighters nearby, there's no time to dawdle."

Gu Yan mentally acknowledged the warning. He then fixed a fierce gaze on Xing Yun and bellowed, "Then I cannot let you go. Xing Yun, any last words?"

Xing Yun, unruffled, looked at Gu Yan with a cold intensity and slowly declared, "One move will be your undoing, filled with regret!"

This was Xing Yun's first battle since his rebirth. Now that Gu Yan's fortune had reached the stature of a Plane's Son, Xing Yun was not averse to slaying a Plane's Son to whet his appetite for battle!

At that moment, Liang Zun urgently interjected, "Master, please fall back and let us handle him..."

Xing Yun commanded, "No need. Everyone, step back!"

Upon hearing this, Liang Zun and the others remembered Xing Yun's wish to handle the matter personally. Not daring to contradict, they retreated several dozen steps, watching Xing Yun with trepidation.

"Excellent! With Xing Yun dead, those who are wise can pledge allegiance to me, Gu Yan, hahaha!"

Gu Yan laughed heartily, then concentrated an astonishing amount of golden spiritual energy in his palms. He had already envisioned his grand scheme for taking over Heavenly Luo City!

Yet, Xing Yun remained motionless, which only heightened the crowd's astonishment. "The Lord of Heavenly Luo City is notorious for his arrogance! Let's see how he meets his end, body unwhole!"

The spiritual energy amassed in Gu Yan's palms was so potent that it caused the air around them to shimmer with golden waves. It seemed to be a lethal technique that even warriors of the Awakened Soul realm would hesitate to confront head-on, yet Xing Yun stood still, unfazed.

White Tiger Break!

Gu Yan thrust his palms forward, and the spiritual energy swiftly morphed into a radiant golden tiger phantom, hurtling toward Xing Yun, who was sixty feet away. Its path was so destructive that it instantly shattered the vegetation in its wake!

"This is an Earth-tier martial skill!"

The onlookers exclaimed in disbelief.

In the Shadowlands, martial skills were categorized into four tiers: Heaven, Earth, Profound, and Yellow, each with three levels of mastery and further subdivided into nine grades.

Golden spiritual energy and the sound of it tearing through the air could only be the work of someone wielding the strength of the Profound Fate Realm, using a powerful Earth-tier martial technique at the very least!

"He's a goner!"

The crowd cast glances at Xing Yun, their eyes filled with a touch of mockery. Rumor had it that the esteemed scion from the Upper Realm was nothing but an ignorant fool. Now, it seemed he was about to meet his end at the hands of an unknown soldier!

As the white tiger neared within a yard of Xing Yun, he finally spread his palms open. The overwhelming spiritual energy of heaven and earth rapidly coalesced into form—

The Emperor Dragon Seal!

The incredible spiritual energy transformed into a golden dragon-shaped phantom, its roars echoing like thunder. With a push of Xing Yun's right palm, the dragon and tiger clashed, the dragon's phantom instantly shattering the white tiger's illusion. The force continued unabated, swiftly bearing down on Gu Yan.

"Master, save me!"

Gu Yan's voice was laced with terror, but the ring on his finger remained eerily still. Then, amidst his screams, Gu Yan was torn apart, his blood staining the ground.

A Son of the Plane, destined to ascend to the pinnacle, was felled in a single strike!

Xing Yun paid no mind to the stunned onlookers, striding quickly towards the pool of blood. To his surprise, a wisp of purple Qi emerged from the blood and soared off towards the east.