C83 Death Exemption Order(2)

Zhou Muyuan spat out another mouthful of blood, using his last bit of strength to shout, "Woo Zhengyang... are you really going to make an enemy of the entire Heavenly Martial Academy?"

"Heavenly Martial Academy? From the moment I entered the Mystic Trace Realm, didn't you already put me on your hit list?"

"I'm not talking about the academy disciples in the Mystic Trace Realm, but the entire Heavenly Martial Academy! You should know, I'm one of the top ten outer disciples and I have immunity!"

"Immunity? What's that?"

Zhou Muyuan was too weak to resist any longer. Woo Zhengyang, feeling a bit uninterested, was about to finish him off when the mention of immunity piqued his curiosity.

Since that was the case, he decided to keep fighting a little longer.

With Zhou Muyuan barely able to speak, Woo Zhengyang finally understood the situation. The so-called immunity wasn't a real token but a deterrent established by the most powerful force in the country, the Heavenly Martial Academy.

To protect its promising disciples, the academy had long made it clear: in the country, the top ten outer disciples and the top ten inner disciples of the Heavenly Martial Academy could be injured but not crippled, and certainly not killed. If someone did kill them, the entire academy would seek justice, unless the perpetrator's identity remained unknown.

Among the cultivators participating in the Mystic Trace Realm this time, there are fewer than eighty individuals. Based on past experiences, at most only half of these eighty will make it out safely. Of those who do, the majority are usually disciples from the Heavenly Martial Academy.

If any of the top ten disciples from the Heavenly Martial Academy were to die in the Mystic Trace Realm, the killer would likely be among the disciples from the other four major sects. The Academy wouldn't bother investigating who the killer is; they wouldn't waste their energy on that. With their dominant stance, they could easily use various methods to eliminate each cultivator from the four sects who entered the Mystic Trace Realm.

This kind of situation happened a few years ago. It's said that the top ten disciples who died from the Heavenly Martial Academy back then weren't killed by others. They simply overestimated their abilities, ventured too deep into the secret realm, and never came back.

"You guys at the Heavenly Martial Academy are really overbearing. You say life and death are left to fate in the Mystic Trace Realm, yet you have a 'pardon order' for yourselves. But don't forget, you may have a pardon order, but I have a kill order!" After hearing Zhou Muyuan explain the pardon order, Woo Zhengyang wasn't particularly moved. While others might find this unfair or intimidating, for Woo Zhengyang, it was just business as usual.

Even at the Profound Heaven Sect, he faced unfair treatment, so why would the Heavenly Martial Academy be any different? As for fear, that was a feeling Woo Zhengyang had long left behind.

"A kill order?" Woo Zhengyang asked weakly.

Zhou Muyuan had no interest in continuing the experiment on him. By now, he was sprawled on the ground like a ragdoll.

"Your people have already put a kill order on me. Even though we're in the Mystic Trace Realm, do you really think your Heavenly Martial Academy would let me walk away if I managed to leave? Even here, that guy Bu Qianshan probably wouldn't allow me to live. So, I not only have to kill you but possibly him and even more people!"

As Woo Zhengyang spoke, he picked up Zhou Muyuan's silver spear and plunged it into his heart. During their brief conversation, Woo Zhengyang had fully recovered from the energy he expended during the experiment. After ensuring Zhou Muyuan's peaceful departure, he sent him on his way.

Woo Zhengyang then began to gather his spoils: some ordinary spirit herbs, demon cores, and a treasured spear. "It's a real shame about that Seven Star Flower..." he lamented once more before stepping off the platform of Profound Heavy Mountain.

Below the platform was a stretch of soft sand. Stepping onto it meant entering the inner realm of the Mystic Trace.

The sand showed no signs of previous footsteps, leading Woo Zhengyang to guess that Zhou Muyuan had assumed he hadn't yet descended from Profound Heavy Mountain because of this. What lay ahead on the sand was uncertain, as the trial grounds of Profound Heavy Mountain were ever-changing, with different landscapes each year.

In the inner realm, there are also specific locations, but only four. No matter which one Woo Zhengyang reaches, he can determine his position and head toward the Ice Fire Mystic Realm. The method to move to the next specific location is the same as in the outer realm of the Mystic Trace Realm—just keep moving forward.

Half an hour later, the Profound Heavy Mountain had disappeared behind him, and Woo Zhengyang found himself in a vast desert. As far as the eye could see, there was nothing but endless yellow sand. Suddenly, Woo Zhengyang sensed a looming danger approaching him. With nothing around but sand, the source of this threat could only be coming from underground.

Having already experienced the perils of the outer realm of the Mystic Trace Realm, Woo Zhengyang was even more cautious now in the inner realm. Without any hesitation, he executed the Tyrannical Mountain Shattering Fist to perfection, slamming it forcefully into the ground beneath him...

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