It had to be said that Xiahou Zong's death brought far greater shifts to the situation than anyone had anticipated. The Xiahou clan, at the very least, had been thrown into immediate disarray — as though they had lost something irreplaceable all at once.
"Clan Head, what do we do? Xiahou Zong was the reincarnation of a god. Is there still hope of reviving him?" Xiahou Zhen clung to the faintest shred of fantasy.
Marquis Xiaoyao's voice came out hoarse and ragged. "When a god reincarnates, as long as the divine soul is not utterly destroyed — as long as even a sliver of awareness remains — there is always hope of resurrection. But that brat Shao Yuan seems to have understood this perfectly well. That's why, when he killed Xiahou Zong, he left absolutely no quarter. He ground Xiahou Zong's divine soul to dust and ash on the spot. The boy is ruthless — a seasoned killer by the looks of it. In terms of combat experience, he far surpasses Xiahou Zong. Alas…"
Marquis Xiaoyao was beside himself with grief.
Xiahou Zong had been the clan's hope, the clan's future, the driving force behind everything they had been striving for. Everyone's goal had been crystal clear: lay as strong a foundation as possible for Xiahou Zong, pave the road ahead of him, and when he had fully mature, gradually hand the clan over to him so that he could lead them into glory.
Xiahou Zong was the reincarnation of a god. No one had ever doubted he could do exactly that.
But now, all those dreams had turned to smoke. Xiahou Zong was dead. Every hope he had represented for the clan had been utterly shattered.
Xiahou Ying was still weeping, her face streaked with tears like a pear blossom drenched in rain. "Clan Head, Elder Zhen — my brother died so horribly! Are you really just going to stand by and watch without killing that beast Shao Yuan to avenge him?"
Marquis Xiaoyao, irritable and distracted, waved his hand. Several personal guards stepped into the hall.
"Take Xiahou Ying away. Keep an eye on her, and put a stop to all this weeping." What good was crying at this point? Could her tears bring Xiahou Zong back to life?
Now that Xiahou Zong was dead, Xiahou Ying's strategic value to the clan had plummeted overnight.
The Xiahou clan had originally planned to leverage Xiahou Zong's martial talent alongside Xiahou Ying's ability to ensnare men, thereby drawing talented individuals from every faction under their banner.
Truth be told, the strategy had been remarkably effective for a long time. But with Xiahou Zong dead, it was as good as worthless.
Without Xiahou Zong standing as their towering benchmark, why would any of those geniuses still care about Xiahou Ying?
After she had been dragged away, Xiahou Zhen fixed the clan head with a venomous glare. "Clan Head — do we continue with our plan?"
"We've already come this far. We're on the tiger's back and can't dismount. How can we possibly give up?"
"But with Xiahou Zong dead, is our clan's authority and leverage over the other factions still sufficient?" Xiahou Zhen fretted over this question.
"The river will find its way around the bridge when it gets there. Without Xiahou Zong, is our Xiahou clan going to simply roll over and die?" Marquis Xiaoyao's voice was clenched between gritted teeth.
…
Meanwhile, the news of Jiang Chen slaying Xiahou Zong on the arena platform spread back to the Eternal Sacred Land and throughout the entire Eternal Sacred Kingdom within moments.
In the Eternal Sacred Land, inside Jiang Chen's dwelling, both Huang'er and Ling Bi'er had already learned beforehand that Jiang Chen's opponent in this round was Xiahou Zong.
Knowing this, the two women had been living on pins and needles.
Ever since Ling Bi'er had come to know Huang'er, she had always admired her — found her remarkably composed, possessing extraordinary mental fortitude. But today, for the very first time, Ling Bi'er saw Huang'er nervous.
Though Huang'er did not let the anxiety show in any exaggerated way, the small details were there for anyone paying attention — her current state of mind was one of profound tension.
"Sister Huang'er, don't worry. Junior Brother Jiang Chen has created one miracle after another on his journey here. This time, when facing Xiahou Zong, he'll create another miracle too."
Ling Bi'er knew her own words of comfort sounded hollow, but in that moment, her heart was tightly bound to Huang'er's.
Huang'er wanted Jiang Chen to win — and how could Ling Bi'er feel any differently?
"Sister Bi'er, with any other opponent, I wouldn't worry about Brother Chen. But Xiahou Zong… he's truly extraordinary. He's the reincarnation of a god — in terms of foundation, he's no weaker than Brother Chen. And his time spent cultivating far exceeds Brother Chen's. His only weakness is that he's never experienced any real setback. His combat experience can't compare to Brother Chen's."
Nervous as Huang'er was, she had not lost her judgment.
Though she couldn't watch the battle in person, she had a deep understanding of the respective strengths of Jiang Chen and Xiahou Zong.
This fight meant far too much.
Huang'er prayed silently — prayed that Jiang Chen would emerge victorious. Only if he won could she legitimately accept his proposal. Only if Jiang Chen won could the matter between her and Xiahou Zong finally be laid to rest.
Time crawled by, second by second. For Huang'er, each moment felt like a lifetime.
Suddenly, she heard footsteps approaching from outside. A voice called out: "Miss Huang'er, this humble servant has been sent to bring good news! Just moments ago, Shao Yuan displayed overwhelming might and slew Xiahou Zong on the battlefield — a complete and total victory!"
The instant these words reached her, Huang'er's slender body swayed. Her eyes flushed red, and the tears that had been building finally came tumbling down.
The two women held each other and wept.
He had won. Jiang Chen had won, just as she had dared to believe.
Once again, Jiang Chen had performed a miracle.
"Sister Huang'er, congratulations," Ling Bi'er whispered softly.