Nine Star Hegemon Body Arts

“What just happened?!”

Furious roars erupted from the Bi family’s side. They couldn’t accept that Bi Xingyao had been killed.

While some shouted in disbelief, they failed to notice that several of the Bi family’s higher-ups had fallen silent, their expressions uneasy.

The moment Bi Xingyao summoned the hell emissary, it became clear he had formed a contract with a creature from hell, which was a grave taboo.

For a noble bloodline like the violet blood race, their contractual companions were restricted to only a handful of sacred creatures. Among them, the Divine Blood Lightning Phoenix was one.

Now that Bi Xingyao was dead, the Bi family’s leaders were filled with dread. How were they supposed to explain this to the true higher-ups?

…

On the main peak, one of the mountain lords looked at mountain lord Qingyu with a frown.

He asked, “Did you know Bi Xingyao had contracted that hell emissary? So you used Long Chen to kill him, just to activate Life End Stage’s totemic power using his violet blood?”

“That was the only way he could contribute to the violet blood race,” mountain lord Qingyu replied casually.

The two other mountain lords remained silent, but the first one frostily asked, “Why sacrifice one to benefit another? Why couldn’t both sides win?”

“What’s the point of saying something like that? If you have a way to make both sides win, why didn’t you say it?” Mountain lord Qingyu simply snorted.

“You… We are all mountain lords, and I am your senior. Watch your tone,” the elder said darkly.

“I’m the reigning mountain lord for this cycle. I lead. You may advise, but you have no authority over my decisions. If you’re dissatisfied, complain to the old ancestor,” she said bluntly, without the slightest pretense of respect.

“You—!”

Before tensions escalated further, the other two elders quickly stepped in to mediate. One of them said, “Let’s all calm down. If we have something to say, let’s discuss it peacefully.”

This elder seemed to command a degree of respect, as mountain lord Qingyu’s chilly demeanor softened slightly.

“I already warned the Bi family when Bi Xingyao first visited the Violet Cloud Pavilion and began acting in secret,” she said. “But they ignored my warning. In fact, they helped him behind the scenes, allowing him to learn forbidden arts in secret. Senior Sanyun, you also warned them once.”

Mountain lord Sanyun nodded slightly, sighing. “Yes, we gave them two chances… more than we normally would.”

“In the end, Bi Xingyao still chose to collude with the hell emissary. That was his fate. When he summoned the emissary, he dragged that mysterious woman with it as well, and she killed the hell emissary. The karmic threads are clear as day. Even if your judgment has dulled with age, surely you can see that. Speaking of both sides winning at this point… how would that even be possible?” mountain lord Qingyu said coldly.

Hearing Qingyu’s tone gradually become cold, mountain lord Sanyun hastily said, “Mountain lord Shuangfeng was simply upset over the loss of a Spirit Awakener. It’s unfortunate he died this way.”

Not giving him any face, mountain lord Qingyu scolded, “Elder Shuangfeng, after becoming a mountain lord, you must set aside personal loyalties to the Bi family. Your duty is to all of Sovereign Mountain. Personal emotions have no place in your decisions. Bi Xingyao might be your descendant, but so is Long Chen. I hope you can be clear about that.”

Shuangfeng’s expression was grim, but eventually, he sighed. “Mountain lord, you’re right.”

From the perspective of the Bi family, he naturally didn’t want Bi Xingyao to die. But as a mountain lord of Sovereign Mountain, he had to admit—Bi Xingyao’s actions were treasonous.

Forming a contract with a creature from hell meant their souls were bound. The hell emissary could sense Bi Xingyao’s thoughts and secrets, so if it used him as a gateway, Sovereign Mountain could fall to a direct invasion from hell. Even Sovereign Mountain couldn’t withstand such a catastrophe.

In truth, neither Bi Xingyao nor the Bi family had fully grasped the severity of the situation. Bi Xingyao had believed that, as a Spirit Awakener, he would be protected, perhaps simply punished. And to kill Long Chen, he had felt it was worth the risk.

But the moment Bi Xingyao summoned the hell emissary, his fate was sealed. There were only two possible outcomes: execution by Sovereign Mountain or death at Long Chen’s hands.

In order to dispel the awkwardness, mountain lord Yunshan said, “Mountain lord, that mysterious woman’s appearance was clearly unexpected. Were you not worried Long Chen would die at the hell emissary’s hand?”

All of them turned to the reigning mountain lord. Though all four of them held the title of mountain lord, Qingyu was their leader in this period. They should respect her reign. They could occasionally call her by her name, but in serious moments, they had to address her as the mountain lord.

After a brief silence, the mountain lord shook her head. “Well, I suppose I won’t answer to avoid offending you three. You know I’m not good at social niceties.”

The others were momentarily stunned, but mountain lord Shuangfeng chuckled. “Are you implying that anyone with eyes could see Long Chen was stronger?”

Slightly embarrassed by her bluntness, the mountain lord smiled. She said, “The three of you haven’t interacted with that child directly. But I have. In terms of ferocity and willpower, he’s the strongest I’ve ever seen. He’s definitely a peak genius with almost no weaknesses. Even if the hell emissary hadn’t been weakened by the laws of the Life End Stage, Long Chen still would have found a way to kill it.”

Her confidence in Long Chen was absolute. From her perspective, everything had been under control from the beginning.

Having only observed him through images, the other three mountain lords hadn’t felt Long Chen’s aura directly. Their judgment lacked the clarity hers possessed.

Still, at their level, such a misjudgment was rare. Clearly, time had dulled their instincts. The three elders exchanged glances and sighed. Though unwilling to admit it, they couldn’t deny the truth: they were getting old.

“A Spirit Awakener’s blood will activate the totem… I just wonder what kind of ancestor Long Chen will see, and what he’ll gain from it. I’m looking forward to it,” said mountain lord Sanyun, turning back toward the blank screen.

Life End Stage was one of the violet blood race’s greatest hidden legacies. Now, it was Long Chen’s turn to step into its mystery.