C13 Capture

"Punishment? I'm sorry, I'm a bit unclear on this—what laws have my master and Junior Brother Blade Sovereign broken? Why must they be summoned for punishment?"

Su Mo's grip tightened around the broken blade, ready to unleash its sealed blade energy at a moment's notice to vanquish any foe.

No matter how skillful his pretense, it was futile before a woman who was all beauty and no brains.

Should the pink-clad woman lash out without reason, he needed to be prepared with sufficient means to deter the lurking powerhouses in the void!

"Hmph! The rules state that Immortal Platform Stage warriors are forbidden on the Abandoning Continent. Don't think I'm unaware that Blade Sovereign has ascended to the Immortal Platform Stage."

The woman in pink huffed arrogantly, "Considering your connection to Blade Sovereign, follow me back to Purvavideha, and I might allow you to become my servant."

"Servitude is a rather lofty status, one I'm afraid I can't bear." Su Mo replied with a wry smile.

"Ungrateful wretch!"

Zhuang Yan's expression chilled as she declared sternly, "No one has ever defied me, Zhuang Yan, and lived to tell the tale. You will be the first and the last!"

With a whoosh, Zhuang Yan's feet pushed off the ground, and she soared straight towards Su Mo.

"Elder Mo."

As Zhuang Yan charged at Su Mo, the woman in white slightly furrowed her brow and whispered, "The Immortal Burying Mausoleum is the Abandoning Continent's sacred ground, rumored to house supreme experts beyond the Immortal Platform Stage. If Su Mo's master has ventured there, could it mean..."

She left her thought unfinished, yet the implication hung in the air.

The woman in white hesitated to act against Su Mo without understanding the full picture.

Capturing, not killing, was the preferable course.

"No need to worry."

Elder Mo dismissed the concern with a nonchalant wave, "Zhuang Yan knows her limits."

"Very well, let's hope that's the case."

The woman in white nodded reluctantly.

Zhuang Yan knows her limits?

That would be the day pigs climb trees!

Back in Purvavideha, Zhuang Yan was a law unto herself—every warrior who crossed her path met a dire fate.

The elders from the other five major sects made no move to stop Zhuang Yan. However, Ling Xuzi, the patriarch of the Essence Returning Sect, quickly stepped in front of Su Mo and declared with authority, "Young Hero Su is my esteemed guest! I expect you to conduct yourself with respect!"

"You dare obstruct me!" Zhuang Yan snarled, her face twisted in rage. "Elder Mo, take him down!"

With a swift whoosh, Elder Mo sprang into action without a moment's hesitation, following Zhuang Yan's command. He launched a relentless assault on Ling Xuzi, driving him back step by step.

Pfft! Elder Mo stopped short of delivering a killing blow, though. He battered Ling Xuzi until he coughed up blood and his complexion turned ashen, then Elder Mo retreated to the stage. He was well aware that now was not the opportune time to kill Ling Xuzi. Wounding him was permissible, but murder was not—lest they risk alerting the Blade Sovereign and prompting his escape, rendering their efforts fruitless.

"Now, let's see if anyone else dares to come to your aid!" Zhuang Yan sneered, her Yuan Qi surging and coiling around her fist. She unleashed a ferocious punch aimed squarely at Su Mo's head—a lethal strike without a hint of restraint.

Zhuang Yan was not one for half-measures like Elder Mo. She acted on impulse, always opting for a kill over a mere wound when given the chance.

"Take her alive," Su Mo commanded, having carefully considered his options. Without full command over the Heaven Devouring Devil Pot and facing an opponent beyond the Dragon Transforming Nine-change level, his saber qi alone was insufficient to confront an Immortal Platform Stage adversary. By having Shen Muxi capture Zhuang Yan alive, they could turn the tables in their favor.

"No problem!" Shen Muxi was more than ready to take action against Zhuang Yan, whom she had long despised. She had been waiting for Su Mo to gather enough Yuan Qi to assist in finding the Medicine Sovereign to cure her ailment. But Zhuang Yan's untimely arrival had only complicated matters. How much longer would she have to wait to meet the Medicine Sovereign and heal her wounds?

In her fury, Shen Muxi showed no mercy.

Her fist, charged with Yuan Qi, was unavoidable as it smashed into Zhuang Yan's.

Crack!

Their fists met in a violent clash.

Shen Muxi, at the third level of the Dao Palace, remained expressionless.

Zhuang Yan, however, wasn't so composed—her fist shattered, and she was sent hurtling backward.

Swish!

Shen Muxi pursued, seizing Zhuang Yan's arm and flinging her at Su Mo's feet, stating reverently, "She's been subdued. Awaiting your command!"

Swoosh!

The abrupt turn of events shocked everyone, from Elder Mo to the ancestors of the other five major sects.

The ancestors quickly grasped the situation.

Su Mo's master could effortlessly defeat an Immortal Platform Stage adversary, and his junior, Blade Sovereign, had ascended to the First Layer of the Immortal Platform!

Even though Yang Yuqing's group hailed from Purvavideha, with Elder Mo being the mightiest among them at the peak of Dragon Transforming Five-change, he was no match for Blade Sovereign at the Immortal Platform Stage.

Anyone with sense could predict the outcome.

Swoosh! Swoosh! Swoosh!

In a flash.

Five ancestors at the Dragon Transforming Three-change level gathered before Su Mo, ready to stand or fall with him.

Crack! Crack! Crack!

Elder Mo's fists were tight, his knuckles popping.

Boom!

With a surge of aura, Elder Mo stepped forward, his foot sinking into the green stone pavement, and declared sternly, "You've got some nerve! This is a death wish. Release Zhuang Yan now, and I'll overlook this transgression!"

Crack!

With a slight application of force, Su Mo's foot snapped Zhuang Yan's arm. His voice was cool as he said, "I've always detested threats."

"Ahhh!"

Zhuang Yan's screams were ear-piercing, the agony rendering her speechless, leaving her with only the ability to emit blood-curdling shrieks.

Huala!

Far from intimidating the ancestors of the five great sects, Su Mo's decisive action gave them a dose of confidence.

They sided with Su Mo because they trusted that his so-called master had left a few aces up his sleeve. Plus, with the Blade Sovereign on his way from the Blade God Hall, they were confident that together, they could easily handle the brash Purvavideha crowd.

"You can kill Zhuang Yan, but neither the Blade Sovereign nor your master will be able to save you!"

Elder Mo hadn't lost his wits. In a deep voice, he cautioned, "Uttarakuru is the Abandoning Continent. Even if the Blade Sovereign reaches the Immortal Platform Stage, how long can he maintain it? The laws of this land don't allow for Immortal Platform Stage powerhouses. There's still time to turn back."

"Rules are made to be shattered."

With a swift kick, Su Mo sent Zhuang Yan flying towards Shen Muxi and spoke with a detached tone, "The moment anyone from Purvavideha gets within ten meters, eliminate Zhuang Yan without hesitation."

"Got it."

Shen Muxi acknowledged, understanding her orders clearly. Using Zhuang Yan as leverage, she was certain that unless Elder Mo was a fool, he wouldn't dare make a move.

Once Su Mo had briefed Shen Muxi, he pivoted to face the quivering void and declared with serenity, "Show yourself. You may be an Immortal Platform Stage Almighty, but your command of space leaves much to be desired."