Chapter 0195: Dead Totem

Chapter 0195: Dead Totem

"I lose, I surrender..." Luo Yan screamed in pain. If Xiao Yuelan struck him with another stomp, he would surely die.

Elder Luo’s gaze could kill as he glared at Xiao Yuelan.

After the flag array was removed, an elder from the Eastern Palace hurried into the martial arena and stood in front of Xiao Yuelan. This elder was the Third Elder of the Eastern Palace, Shui Yihui, whom Qin Yun remembered.

"Old Luo, save your grandson first!" Shui Yihui protected Xiao Yuelan and said.

Elder Luo snorted angrily and hurriedly went to check on Luo Yan's injuries, his expression grim as he coldly stated, "His Inner Essence and Martial Soul have both been severely damaged; they almost shattered!"

If Xiao Yuelan had stomped down again, Luo Yan would have been crippled, if not killed.

Elder Luo was, after all, a martial arts realm expert and was able to stabilize Luo Yan's injuries in time.

"He was planning to cripple me, wasn’t he? So, am I not allowed to strike him like this? Then what's the point of this match?"

Xiao Yuelan, fearless, mocked Elder Luo, "This guy has no real skills but loves to act superior, always putting on an air of being number one in the world."

Elder Luo immediately flew into a rage, shouting, "You brat, shut your mouth!"

Xiao Yanglong was also very angry but didn’t say much. After all, Xiao Yuelan was now considered Qin Yun's wife, and Qin Long was watching him.

"Old Luo, Xiao Yuelan is indeed at the ninth level of the Martial Body stage. Your grandson is far inferior to her! She showed mercy just now; otherwise, your grandson would have been dead," Shui Yihui said with a smile.

Xiao Yuelan had already stepped into the ninth level of the Martial Body stage!

Everyone secretly gasped. Xiao Yuelan was only seventeen or eighteen, yet she was already at the ninth level of the Martial Body stage. Her talent was far more terrifying than Yang Shiyue’s. In another year or two, she would likely step into the martial arts realm.

Reaching the martial arts realm at the age of twenty is a terrifying thought!

Qin Yun looked at Xiao Yuelan in disbelief, never expecting her to have hidden such depth. He was also somewhat worried that she would overshadow him in the future.

Xiao Yanglong was also in disbelief, his eyes wide, staring at Xiao Yuelan. Xiao Yuelan’s cultivation was quickly catching up to his, and when that happened, she would surely settle scores with him.

"Which of you from the Blue Spirit Star Palace wants to challenge me next? Defeat me, and you can marry me... If you can't win, you might die."

Xiao Yuelan's cold eyes were filled with killing intent and arrogance as she scanned the young men dressed in blue robes.

Xiao Yuelan had already severed ties with the Tian Xiao Empire, and the elders of the Eastern Palace no longer needed to heed Xiao Yanglong and the others. They could now protect Xiao Yuelan, so the other star palaces couldn't do anything to her.

The other factions secretly rejoiced at their lack of losses.

However, Elder Luo of the Western Palace suffered significant losses. First, 450 million crystal coins were swindled by Qin Yun, and now his grandson was severely injured, causing the other three star palaces to secretly gloat.

Guo Cheng from the Heavenly Profound Martial Academy stepped forward, saying, "Since Qin Yun and Xiao Yuelan's marriage has been decided, let's discuss another matter!"

"Qin Yun was sent to the Tian Qi forbidden land, and although it was an accident, he spent many days with the Soul Refinement Demon, gaining the Soul Refinement technique. There's a high chance he gained the Soul Refinement Demon's favor! That is an extremely vicious and evil demonic technique!"

The Duke of Tian Qi also hurriedly added, "Back then, the Soul Refinement Demon nearly caused our Tian Qi Empire to collapse; he was terrifying! Although we are on the fringes of the Wuhuang region, we are all righteous martial artists. With the experts from the Blue Spirit Star Palace here, we should resolve this matter."

"What do you mean? Are you accusing my son of practicing evil techniques?" Qin Long sneered coldly.

"He is merely suspected!" The Duke of Tian Qi was somewhat afraid of Qin Long, as Qin Long possessed the Dragon King Spear, an incredibly formidable mysterious weapon.

Qin Long loudly declared, "Wait until you have proof, then bring up this matter. Otherwise, don't just spout nonsense here!"

Shui Yihui said, "I've long heard of the Soul Refinement technique! According to legends, it is indeed an extremely terrifying and evil technique, but it's not something that can be mastered in a short time. Moreover, to practice such an evil technique, one needs a powerful Martial Soul. Qin Yun currently has neither a Martial Soul nor Inner Essence, so there's no need for everyone to worry too much about this."

Qin Yun coldly looked at Guo Cheng, the vice president of the Heavenly Xuanwu Academy, who had been targeting him several times!

Xiao Yuelan also looked at Guo Cheng with murderous intent, which infuriated him. After all, he was a martial realm expert and the vice president of a Xuan-level Martial Academy. Yet, he was being threatened by two brats with just their eyes.

With Qin Long present, nothing could be done to Qin Yun without solid evidence.

"Qin Yun, would you like to join our Blue Spirit Northern Palace? I can offer you very generous conditions!"

An elder from the Northern Palace walked over with a smile and said, "You've only just joined the Star Xuanwu Academy, haven't you? You don't have to stay there. You can cultivate directly in the Northern Palace."

Although the Blue Spirit Southern Palace had dealings with the Ye family and had a very good relationship, they also highly valued Qin Yun's Heavenly Lion Totem. A senior woman also came over and said, "Qin Yun, if you come to our Southern Palace, the conditions we offer will definitely surpass those of the Northern Palace."

The Western Palace also wanted to recruit him, but their conflicts with Qin Yun were too deep.

Elder Luo from the Western Palace sneered, "You're in such a hurry to offer conditions, but are you sure his Heavenly Lion Totem is alive? What if it's dead? You'll regret it!"

He looked at Qin Yun with a gaze full of disgust. "Even though you can learn Totem Martial Arts from it, that doesn't mean the Heavenly Lion Totem is alive. It still needs to be checked."

The senior woman from the Southern Palace quickly nodded and said, "Yes, yes, let's check first!"

Shui Yihui said to Qin Yun, "The key aspect of Totem inheritance is the 'Totem Soul.' Without a Totem Soul, the Totem is considered dead. This is not a good sign and will significantly impact your future. For example, it will consume your soul power and hinder your soul's growth."

Elder Luo said, "If it's a dead Totem, and you don't cut off your arm, you might become a soulless madman due to this dead Totem."

"How do we check?" Qin Yun was frightened by Elder Luo's words and hurriedly asked Shui Yihui.

"It's simple, with a Soul-Testing Stone!" Shui Yihui took out an octagonal transparent stone and placed it on Qin Yun's shoulder, on the Heavenly Lion Totem, continuing, "If your Heavenly Lion Totem has a Totem Soul, the stone will emit light."

The octagonal crystal stone remained there for a while, but there was no reaction.

Everyone stared at the stone. Seeing no reaction, they were secretly surprised and somewhat relieved because Qin Yun's Heavenly Lion Totem was dead.

"No reaction! Haha, it's dead!" Elder Luo said happily.

The senior woman from the Southern Palace also quickly took out an octagonal Soul-Testing Stone and placed it on Qin Yun's arm, on the Heavenly Lion Totem, but still, there was no reaction.

Then, the elder from the Northern Palace also took out a Soul-Testing Stone to test it, and the result was the same.

"The Heavenly Lion Totem is dead," Shui Yihui frowned.

"Qin Yun, you should remain in the Star Xuanwu Academy for now. If you want to join our Southern Palace, you'll need to pass the assessment," the senior woman from the Southern Palace said coldly, then distanced herself from Qin Yun.

"Qin Yun, it's a shame, but you're on your own now," the elder from the Northern Palace said, then disappeared into the crowd.

Their enthusiasm quickly turned to coldness, which made Qin Yun very unhappy.

Everyone thought this was normal because a dead Heavenly Lion Totem wasn't of much value and could even drive Qin Yun mad, which was why the elders from the Southern and Northern Palaces immediately changed their attitudes.

"Qin Yun, you could join our Eastern Palace, but I can't offer you any good conditions," Shui Yihui said.

Qin Yun asked, "Elder Shui, I heard that your Eastern Palace has a Mysterious Rune Sect, right? Can I join the Mysterious Rune Sect?"

Hearing about the Mysterious Rune Sect, Shui Yihui's expression changed slightly, and other members of the Blue Spirit Star Palace were also slightly surprised.

Xiao Yuelan hurriedly said, "Qin Yun, do you want to leave me a widow? You absolutely cannot go to the Mysterious Rune Sect; it's too dangerous!"

Yang Shiyue also said, "The Mysterious Rune Sect of the Eastern Palace is called the Hell for Geniuses. Whoever goes there dies. Although there are many powerful Rune inheritances inside, no one has passed the assessment for many years!"

Shui Yihui sighed, "To be honest, the Mysterious Rune Sect of the Eastern Palace is now empty. There's only an outer sect elder who maintains it, responsible for maintaining the gate of the Mysterious Rune Sect. Whether you can join the Mysterious Rune Sect isn't up to me. Even if you pass the assessment and become the sect leader, there's no one to guide you in cultivation because if you pass the assessment, you will be the sole successor of the Mysterious Rune Sect!"

Elder Luo sneered, "The master of the Mystic Rune Sect holds a status equivalent to the leaders of the four palaces. This is why many geniuses have flocked to take the assessment. But after entering the gate of the Mystic Rune Sect, none of them have ever come out."

"Qin Yun, don't even think about it. Come to the Eastern Palace obediently! I guarantee no one will dare to bully you in the Eastern Palace!" Xiao Yuelan said with a stern look.

Everyone in the hall wanted to laugh, seeing Qin Yun, a man, being sheltered by his wife.

Qin Yun forced a smile and said, "Well... I plan to stay in the Star Profound Martial Academy for now! My situation is quite complicated right now, so I intend to learn the essence of mental martial arts from Teacher Du Gui."

He would rather die than join the Eastern Palace as a disciple. Being under Xiao Yuelan's watch wasn't a good thing. As a man, he couldn't let others think he was afraid of his wife and required her protection.

Shui Yihui said, "Qin Yun, you should resolve the issue with the Heavenly Lion Totem before you step into the Martial Realm! The Martial Realm focuses on cultivating the soul. At that point, your Heavenly Lion Totem will significantly affect you."

Xiao Yuelan suddenly said, "Qin Yun, take me somewhere private, and I’ll reveal the secret of the Burial Immortal Diagram to you!"

"Yuelan, you..." Xiao Yanglong was furious, but had no solution. He had gained nothing from Xiao Yuelan’s marriage to Qin Yun.

If she had married a distinguished young talent from the Blue Spirit Star Palace, he would have received substantial rewards, and he wouldn't need to worry about cultivation resources anymore.

After reaching the Martial Realm, Xiao Yanglong had stagnated. The higher his cultivation level, the more resources he required. Being impatient, he resorted to any means necessary to obtain resources and became unscrupulous.

After seizing control of the Tian Xiao Empire, he embezzled the national treasury’s crystals to fund his cultivation.