In such a perilous moment, to be "betrayed" with such decisiveness..
Even for someone as warm-hearted and upright as Zhou Yanwei, this became a deeply etched wound, unforgettable for life.
His face turned dark. If it weren't for all the Wind and Rain Tower cultivators surrounding him like tigers stalking prey, he really would've charged straight at Chen Kuang to fight to the death!
But at that very moment, he had no time left for distractions.
The cultivators had already surged forward in a coordinated assault, showing no mercy.
Zhou Yanwei's plea for help unanswered, he turned and ran.
Boom! Boom! Boom!
Spiritual light from various techniques flared all around. The Wind and Rain Tower's cultivators were well-trained and worked seamlessly with each other.
In the blink of an eye, the other half of the tower ship was reduced to a wreck under Zhou Yanwei's frantic escape.
Those skilled in close combat engaged in direct pursuit, while those adept at long-range quickly lit talismans and unleashed Spiritual Treasures.
Together, they chased that pitiful, ducking and dodging figure.
Though Zhou Yanwei's cultivation was lower, he'd roamed the outside world for years and had no shortage of battle experience, especially in the art of running away.
Moreover, his methods were even more extravagant than those of the Wind and Rain Tower cultivators.
He tossed out all sorts of mystic Spiritual Treasures as if they were worthless, significantly slowing his pursuers.
In the blink of an eye, Zhou Yanwei was already at the edge of the ship.
By now, the ship had already half-sunken into the lake and was still going down. In less than half a quarter hour, it would be completely submerged.
Chen Kuang watched with great interest, having finally witnessed how this world's second-generation rich cultivators actually fought, it was just burning money!
His gaze shifted to the thick, multicolored barrier filled with flashy effects surrounding him, and he fell silent.
The one beside him was probably the biggest second-generation of them all.
The Mysterious Divine Path Sect had only sent an invitation for core disciples. There was no way they'd give Shen Meinan this many high-grade Spiritual Treasures.
So clearly, these were provided by her family.
Combined with her skill in zither, calligraphy, painting, and strategy, her family was likely a semi-cultivator, semi-secular aristocratic clan.
Such clans weren't uncommon. The best example was the royal families of various nations.
Aristocratic clans and sects were not opposed to one another, they simply operated in separate spheres.
Shen Meinan watched as Zhou Yanwei was again cornered near the edge of the ship, forced into a desperate fight. That old servant of his, ever loyal, didn't even hesitate.
Ignoring his own vulnerability, he chose to shield his master, taking a blow from Di Wu right to his spine and vomiting blood on the spot.
The ship shuddered violently, and even the surface of the Eastern Court Lake trembled in response.
In that instant, the lake's water level dropped slightly, as if someone had pounded down the lakebed!
With a mere movement, he could shift mountains and reshape the earth!
Di Wu had already entered the realm of a Grandmaster!
Chen Kuang inhaled sharply, heart full of alarm.
If the Martial Saint Pavilion's strength was all at this level... then it really was no different from being hunted personally by the Martial Sage himself.
But that old servant was vicious in his own right. He used his blood like a weapon, converting the force of Di Wu's punch into lethal counterattack.
Swish! Swish! Swish!
The blood droplets scattered outward, each one like a flying dagger, piercing through the eyes of more than a dozen Wind and Rain Tower cultivators.
"Ahhh!"
Screams rang out as all of them fell dead on the spot.
Zhou Yanwei turned back in shock and saw the old servant stumble two steps, then immediately turned to block Di Wu again.
But the old man's spine had visibly collapsed, his upper body had shifted out of place. Another hit would kill him.
The second prince's eyes widened in anguish. "Stop! Don't fight anymore!"
With a flip of his right hand, he clutched a golden command token, ready to reveal his true identity.
But this identity of his was completely disconnected from the title of "Second Prince of Zhou."
He had gone to great lengths to keep it hidden from both his father and his elder brother, carefully crafting the persona of a carefree vagabond with no political ambition.
Now, appearing in Liang's Eastern Court Lake like this would inevitably expose sensitive information, which would be detrimental to him.
Even so, Zhou Yanwei couldn't bear to watch a loyal servant, who had followed him faithfully for years die here because of his own carelessness.
"My lord, there's no need for you to act. Allow this old servant..."
The old man swallowed the taste of blood. Sweat streamed down like rain, mixing with the blood to form a steaming red mist.
Crack, crack, crack...
His muscles twitched and squirmed like earthworms, realigning his shattered spine through sheer brute force!
The old man roared, "My lord, just wait a moment! This old slave will clear the way for you!"
His aged face twisted in a grimace. Like an arrow loosed from the string, he charged toward Di Wu, he was going to fight to the death.
Shen Meinan glanced at Chen Kuang and whispered:
"You're really not going to help?"
Chen Kuang shook his head, his expression earnest. "Of course I'm going to help."
The passive Refusal Stands had already taken effect.
So the one who saved Zhou Yanwei could not be him.
But in truth, he couldn't have saved Zhou Yanwei to begin with, and Zhou Yanwei didn't actually need his help.
The Martial Sage's disciple was the Flying Phoenix General of Great Zhou.
The Martial Sage was naturally aligned with the Zhou royal family.
Martial Saint Pavilion followed the Martial Sage's orders, so the same applied to them.
Zhou Yanwei, as the second prince of Zhou, only needed to reveal his identity and the Martial Saint Pavilion wouldn't dare harm him.
That was precisely why Lin Eryou had dared to pin the name "Chen Kuang" onto Zhou Yanwei so boldly.
He was absolutely sure Zhou Yanwei would be fine.
At the same time, it created chaos, giving Chen Kuang the perfect chance to escape.
What Lin Eryou hadn't expected was that not only did Chen Kuang not flee, he even stayed to test out his new passive.
By now, Lin Eryou had made it to the shore. Shaking his feathered fan, he looked back to see Chen Kuang still on the ship. He raised his brow in confusion, what was that guy up to?
Shen Meinan looked left and right. Things had escalated to a matter of life and death, yet Chen Kuang remained completely motionless.
She blinked, intelligence finally reclaiming its throne, and realized he might be playing her.
"Then... how are you going to help?"
"Wait."
Chen Kuang tilted his head, speaking meaningfully. "We just have to wait."
Shen Meinan reached out to tug on his blindfold, exasperated. "Don't tell me you've seen the 'heavenly secrets' again?"
Chen Kuang caught a glimpse of the token glowing in Zhou Yanwei's hand and nodded smugly.
"I've seen them."
Right now, Zhou Yanwei was about to save himself, and he absolutely would succeed.
But tracing it all back, it was only because Chen Kuang had stepped in earlier and refused him that Zhou Yanwei gave up on seeking help and chose to act.
In other words, it was Chen Kuang's refusal that saved Zhou Yanwei.
He had already altered cause and effect, inserting himself as the origin point.
But the Refusal Stands passive absolutely guaranteed he couldn't be the one to save Zhou Yanwei.
That refusal was irreversible, if he went back on it, the passive wouldn't work. It would be a contradiction.
So if he wanted both statements to remain true, the only thing that could be changed...
Was the process!
He had to insert a new cause, a new variable, to fill in the missing piece.
In other words: his refusal didn't directly save Zhou Yanwei, and Zhou Yanwei didn't save himself either.
There had to be another factor that saved Zhou Yanwei, replacing Chen Kuang's role.
At the very moment Zhou Yanwei raised his token, one of the Spiritual Treasures on Shen Meinan's body began to glow with a cold light.
It was a silver longevity lock adorned with three little bells.
Shen Meinan froze, then turned pale.
"Oh no, I accidentally brought out my soul-linked lock!"
So the variable came from her?
A bad feeling rose in Chen Kuang's heart. He immediately asked:
"What about it?"
Shen Meinan swallowed hard, guilty. "That lock is soul-bound with my sister. It's only to be used in life-or-death situations."
"It just activated and took damage. She's definitely sensed it!"
Chen Kuang: "..."
He was silent for a moment, then asked: "How much can she sense right now?"
"All of it."
A cold, familiar voice suddenly spoke, followed by a pause.
"Chen Kuang? Are you with Meinan?"
Shen Meinan blinked, looking at him. "Chen Kuang?"
Before he could explain, a cry like a mourning swallow cut through the sky, a sword cry that swept across the heavens.
Everyone, Chen Kuang included, unconsciously lifted their heads.
Whiiiiir!
A sword light, three thousand miles long, split the clouds and reached the heavens.
A sword came from the west!
Straight from the imperial capital, piercing into the Eastern Court Lake!
Chen Kuang's eyes widened as his face changed drastically.