# Chapter 279: The Fallen Genius
"Brother-in-law... Brother-in-law... Brother-in-law!!"
Xia Yuanba charged forward like a madman, throwing himself at the base of the Execution Heaven Sword. His hands pounded against the platform beneath the Execution Heaven Sword, blood spraying from his split tiger's mouth with each blow. But the suppression of the Execution Heaven Sword could not be budged an inch even if all the power of Tian Jian Villa were gathered against it. Not just one Xia Yuanba, but even a million Xia Yuanba could not damage it in the slightest.
Everyone wore expressions of shock. None of them had imagined that Yun Che, who at the age of seventeen had defeated the core disciples of various major sects, claimed first place in the ranking battle, and shaken all of Tian Xuan with his fame, would only just now have donned this blindingly brilliant crown before hurriedly falling before them in a way no one could have predicted.
And the fundamental reason for his fall was not some accident caused by demonic means, but merely to save a person who, in their eyes, wasn't even worth the title of "waste." As people sighed with emotion, they didn't know whether to praise his loyalty and devotion or lament his utter foolishness.
"How could this be..." Qin Wushang was dumbfounded, standing there frozen in shock for a long time. He had been about to return to Cangfeng Imperial City with great honor and glory, but a nightmare had suddenly descended. He lifted his head, letting out a heavy breath, his chest so stifled it felt like it might explode. Clinging to a thread of hope, he walked with heavy steps to Ling Kun and said with a gloomy expression, "Elder Ling, could the Execution Heaven Sword be raised again... Yun Che might perhaps... perhaps..."
Halfway through, Qin Wushang could no longer continue in his grief... What good would it do to raise the Execution Heaven Sword again? Everyone had clearly seen the horrific state Yun Che was in after the demon's strike. With injuries like that, even for a Tian Xuan realm super-strong expert, let alone a Xuan adept who had just entered the Spirit Xuan realm, death was certain... There wasn't even the slightest chance of hope.
Qin Wushang's words caused Xia Yuanba, who was wailing in despair, to tremble all over. He suddenly threw himself forward, crashing heavily to his knees before Ling Kun, clutching his legs with hands drenched in blood: "Elder Ling... Elder Ling, I beg you... I beg you to show mercy and raise the Execution Heaven Sword... Brother-in-law... he can't die that easily... I beg you... I beg you... I beg you to save brother-in-law!!"
Xia Yuanba's voice was hoarse and desperate, causing everyone who heard it to tremble inwardly. Ling Kun's expression was quite unpleasant, because ultimately this was his fault. If he hadn't had the whim before the ranking battle to let the top ten sects observe the demon's sealing ritual, this never would have happened. If it were Xia Yuanba who died, this would merely be a trivial matter soon forgotten... That's right! No one remembers the weak, let alone a dead weakling. This was the most brutal reality.
But Yun Che—he was the first place in this ranking battle! More importantly, he had no sect or faction and fought as a disciple of the imperial clan's Mystic Palace. His achievement had inspired and motivated countless young people who had no sect support but dreamed of becoming strong. The sensation caused by his championship this time surpassed that of any previous tournament. Although people within Tian Jian Villa were unaware, within the Cang Feng Empire, a massive storm had already been stirred up by Yun Che. Especially in Cangfeng Imperial City, the entire city was decorated with lanterns and banners, preparing to welcome Yun Che's return. Even Cang Feng's emperor, Cang Wanhe, was beaming with joy, eagerly awaiting their triumphant return every day.
His perfect control of the heavy sword had even made Ling Kun entertain the thought of taking him into Tian Wei Sword Domain.
But a person like this had now perished.
If this news were to spread, the waves of public opinion it would stir would be no less than setting off a tremendous tsunami throughout the entire Cang Feng Empire.
Ling Kun took a deep breath and said in a deep voice, "Ridiculous! The suppression of the Execution Heaven Sword cannot be lifted just because one wishes it. The profound formation I used to open it was completed by over a dozen grand elders of Tian Wei Sword Domain working together over an extremely long period... Sigh! Even if it could be opened, what then? His injuries just now... he's undoubtedly dead. This was his own doing... You all... give up hope."
What Ling Kun said was an obvious truth that everyone knew. Even within the Heaven's Might Soul Suppression Formation, the demon could still unleash strength at the King Xuan realm level. A blow from him was simply not something Yun Che could withstand. The injuries Yun Che suffered from that palm strike were seen by everyone, and all of them shuddered. With injuries like that, even if any of those present were surrounded by mountains of miraculous medicines, they couldn't survive.
Even setting that aside by ten thousand steps—even if he somehow didn't die and still had a breath left—he was still under the demon, who was clearly driven to madness. How could he possibly live?
Even setting that aside by a million steps—even if the demon had a stroke of madness and didn't kill him, and he miraculously came back to life... the Execution Heaven Sword's suppression would only be lifted once every twenty years. With the demon's power, he could survive a hundred years without food or drink, but at Yun Che's level, one or two months would be his absolute limit before he died of hunger and thirst.
No matter how you looked at it, Yun Che was undoubtedly dead.
"Sigh!" Qin Wushang let out a long sigh, closed his eyes, and his heart was filled with grief.
Xia Yuanba, meanwhile, had gone still. He knelt there, not moving a muscle, as if he had suddenly died.
"Yuanba, get up. Live well, so that you can be worthy of the life Yun Che saved with his own." Qin Wushang said in a pained voice. But after he spoke, he received no response from Xia Yuanba. He lowered his head, wanting to pull him up, but suddenly saw two long streaks of blood clearly running down Xia Yuanba's face.
Blood tears! Blood tears only flow when a person is in extreme grief, extreme pain, on the verge of mental collapse, and their soul is crying out endlessly!
Qin Wushang's heart trembled violently. In that moment, he suddenly realized he had always underestimated the bond between Yun Che and Xia Yuanba. He couldn't know that when Yun Che's profound veins were crippled and he suffered cold stares and ridicule, besides his grandfather and little aunt, only Xia Yuanba always stood before him, comforting and encouraging him, time and again fighting those who mocked him until both were bloody. In those youthful days, Xia Yuanba was almost half of Yun Che's spiritual support, the only brother he had truly etched into his heart in this life. As he grew strong and brilliant, various "friends" would appear around him, but none of those affections could ever compare to the pure, untainted feelings Xia Yuanba had for him during that time when he was at his most down-and-out, most looked down upon, and even considered to have no future.
That was why, after becoming strong, he couldn't bear to see Xia Yuanba bullied in the slightest. Whoever harmed Xia Yuanba, he would make them pay a tremendous price. When he saw Xia Yuanba facing great disaster, he didn't hesitate for a moment to trade his life for his... because Xia Yuanba was completely worth it.
Qin Wushang hurriedly crouched before Xia Yuanba and consoled him, "Yuanba, are you... are you alright? Sigh... if you want to cry, cry out loud. After you've cried, you must let yourself live well. Live to take care of Yun Che's affairs, and live to help Yun Che accomplish everything he left unfinished..."
Qin Wushang's words of comfort still elicited no response from Xia Yuanba. He knelt there, motionless, his face so pale it had lost all color, his eyes hollow without a trace of spirit. The two streaks of blood tears on his colorless face were shockingly stark...
"Yuanba!" Qin Wushang roared.
This roar made Xia Yuanba tremble all over, as if suddenly awakened from a nightmare. He suddenly let out a "Ah—" scream, stood up, and charged wildly toward the north. His heart-rending cry pierced like steel needles soaked in endless sorrow, stabbing deeply into everyone's hearts. No one stopped him. They all watched with complex expressions as he ran farther and farther away.
"Yuanba!" Qin Wushang cried out in alarm. He wanted to chase after him, but had to consider the unconscious Cang Yue. He let out a long sigh, his heart as heavy as if a mountain were pressing down on it.
"Villa Master Ling, please have someone look after my disciple Yuanba." Qin Wushang said weakly. Unwilling to speak another word to anyone, he carried Cang Yue and flew swiftly toward their courtyard, his back view incomparably desolate and sorrowful.
"How could this be... how could this be..." Ling Jie plopped down onto the ground, staring blankly at the massive Execution Heaven Sword, his mind in chaos.
"Truly, heaven is jealous of geniuses." Ling Yun closed his eyes and said regretfully.
"Elder Wugou, send someone to keep an eye on that... Xia Yuanba. Don't let anything happen to him. Also, have Granny Jiumu go check on Princess Cang Yue. Don't let her hurt her body or heart. Sigh." Ling Yuefeng finished giving his orders and let out yet another long sigh. To claim first place in the ranking battle with True Xuan realm strength—such an achievement was unprecedented and unlikely to be repeated. But a once-in-a-millennium peerless genius like this had fallen, and it was impossible not to feel regret.
"Yes." Ling Wugou withdrew with a grave expression.
"Let us leave as well." Chu Yueli's gaze flickered with complex emotions as she led Shui Wushuang and Wu Xuexin away in silence. She felt some regret, some sorrow for Yun Che's fall, and at the same time, a small amount of relief that shouldn't have been there... because this way, Xia Qingyue would be completely free from any mortal ties and could wholeheartedly remain at Bing Yun Fairy Palace until the day she inherited the position of Palace Master and led Bing Yun Fairy Palace to stand at the pinnacle of the Cang Feng Empire. The great debt Bing Yun Fairy Palace owed Yun Che would also vanish into thin air.
Most people were sighing with regret, but of course, there were also those secretly gloating. For Fen Juecheng, this outcome was like a blessing falling from the sky. He sneered inwardly: "Idiot! To throw away your life just to save a waste... utter fool! But you're lucky—you died clean and neat. If you'd fallen into my hands, you wouldn't have died so easily!"
People began to disperse gradually. They could foresee that a huge storm of public opinion would sweep through the Cang Feng Empire because of Yun Che's sudden fall.
Ling Kun stood where he was, staring at the Execution Heaven Sword, frowning in thought: Strange! After Yun Che entered the Heaven's Might Soul Suppression Formation, the power he released was clearly not weakened compared to before... Why wasn't he suppressed by the Heaven's Might Soul Suppression Formation? Could it be some coincidence, or was there a flaw in the formation?
But the man was dead. Thinking about this any further was pointless. He flicked his sleeve, turned into a streak of light too fast to see, and vanished from the Sword Discussion Platform.
........................
"What... did you say? What did you say?"
After Chu Yueli had fully informed Xia Qingyue of Yun Che's fall, before she could get a response from Xia Qingyue, she first heard Chu Yuechan's voice trembling like a lotus leaf in the wind.
Chu Yuechan stood up. The ice spirits all over her body became wildly chaotic. Chu Yueli looked at her in surprise and asked with confusion, "Sister, what's wrong? You..."
"You say he's dead... He... died?"
In that moment, Chu Yuechan's voice was as weak as if drifting down from the clouds. Her eyelashes, her gaze, her ice spirits, her entire body... were all trembling violently... Chu Yueli was greatly alarmed. She knew her older sister better than anyone. There was almost nothing in this world that could shake her heart in the slightest. But now, her emotions had clearly spiraled out of control—completely out of control! In her memory, this was absolutely the first time. She quickly stepped to Chu Yuechan's side and said anxiously, "Sister, what's wrong? Did you... mishear something? I said the one who died was Yun Che. To save Xia Yuanba who came with him, he died at the hands of that demon. His body is still suppressed beneath the Sword Discussion Platform along with the demon..."
Before Chu Yueli could finish, Chu Yuechan had already flown out, leaving only a desolate, chilling wind behind her.
"Sister!" Chu Yueli cried out in alarm and quickly gave chase.
Shui Wushuang and Wu Xuexin exchanged glances, looking at each other in bewilderment, not knowing what to do.
As for Xia Qingyue... she sat there motionless, her gaze completely still, devoid of color or focus as she stared ahead. Even her breathing and heartbeat had completely stopped. It was as if she had instantly transformed into a lifeless, beautiful ice sculpture...
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