The image-sound box was a combination of the imprint shadow mirror and the sound recording conch, capable of capturing both video and audio at the same time. Yan Zhen had come prepared and secretly recorded the scene from that moment:
“. . . Lan Ke, if you turn around and leave right now, I can pretend none of this ever happened. We’re still classmates, after all.”
Yan Zhen stood atop the wall, looking down at the three figures in the alley below.
Though the night shadows obscured their features, he could still make out Lan Ke in the middle.
“Heh, Yan Zhen, don’t think that slipping on a pair of surging spring boots and picking up a bit of speed will let you escape our combined assault—tonight, I’m definitely killing you to wash away all my shame. Attack!”
With those words, Lan Ke made his move, and the recording abruptly cut off.
The students and mentors in the crowd immediately began whispering among themselves.
Lan Ke had a positive reputation within Mystic Academy, with hardly any black marks against him. He was talented, came from a prestigious background, and was quite handsome to boot. Plenty of girls idolized him.
Sure, he’d previously clashed with Yan Zhen over Yan Ruyu and come across as bullying the weak, only to end up shooting himself in the foot. But that was understandable—who hasn’t lost their head over a girl they like?
No one had expected his hatred for Yan Zhen to run so deep that he’d bring two bodyguards to ambush and kill him.
In that case, Lan Ke getting killed by Yan Zhen meant he’d gotten exactly what was coming to him.
Whoosh!
A blast of icy energy shot straight toward the image-sound box. Mentor Yu Xuan had anticipated it and snorted coldly, deftly pulling the device back into her storage ring.
“What is the meaning of this, City Lord? Are you trying to destroy the evidence in front of everyone?”
The Silver Moon City Lord said coldly:
“Such a thing is nothing more than fake evidence fabricated by that Yan Zhen to dodge his crimes. Mentor Yu Xuan, don’t let him deceive you. Hand him over to this city lord for judgment!”
“It seems the City Lord intends to dispense with reason altogether?”
“My son is dead! What reason do you expect I, your father, to show!?”
The Silver Moon City Lord suddenly roared, his demeanor like that of a madman.
Half of it was genuine fury, and half was an act.
The gathered students and mentors all paled, gaining a new perspective on this city lord while growing anxious for their own safety.
The dean had been invited to the royal capital as a guest and wouldn’t be back at the academy for several days. If the Silver Moon City Lord went berserk, who could stop him?
As these thoughts raced through their minds, the Silver Moon City Lord bellowed:
“City Guard Army, hear my command! Enter Mystic Academy immediately and seize Yan Zhen! Kill anyone who dares obstruct us!”
“”Yes, sir!””
The City Guard Commander raised his arm, signaling the soldiers to advance into the academy.
But at that very moment, a brilliant glow erupted from the top of the academy’s tallest tower. A massive barrier of light slowly unfurled, enveloping the entire academy grounds.
The soldiers who collided with the barrier were all flung back, tumbling into a chaotic heap.
“This is . . . the academy grand array?” The Silver Moon City Lord’s eyes narrowed. He spotted the array disk operating in Mentor Yu Xuan’s hand, and his expression darkened. “You’re even resorting to this? It seems you’re dead set on shielding that brat, Mentor Yu Xuan!”
“The evidence is right here. Those who live by the sword die by the sword—Lan Ke brought his death on himself.”
Mentor Yu Xuan stowed the array disk. With a grasp of her jade-like hand, she summoned the Silver Falcon Bow and stepped forward out of the barrier.
“As Yan Zhen’s mentor, it’s only natural that I stand up for justice on his behalf. How is that shielding him?”
“Fine, fine! If Mentor Yu Xuan insists on this path, don’t blame this city lord for forgetting our ties!”
As his words fell, the Silver Moon City Lord’s Three-Star Mystic General cultivation erupted fiercely. His ice Mystic force swept out like a frigid tide, turning the biting autumn wind into a howling gale of ice that chilled everyone present to the bone.
At the Mystic General Realm, mystic power gained spirituality, capable of influencing the weather and temporarily altering the environment.
Mentor Yu Xuan knew full well she couldn’t block the Silver Moon City Lord with just her Six-Star Mystic Master cultivation. She immediately unleashed a secret art, briefly elevating her power to the Mystic General Realm.
Though it was only One-Star Mystic General level, she possessed the insight and experience of a past-life Mystic Ancestor. Blocking the Silver Moon City Lord posed no issue, and unlike her previous life, she wouldn’t end up injured.
“If you want to harm Yan Zhen, you’ll have to get past me first!”
The two stood with swords drawn and bows strung, battle imminent—when a familiar voice rang out:
“—Silver Moon City Lord, I’m right here.”
Mentor Yu Xuan turned her head and saw that Yan Zhen had actually stepped out of the barrier to stand by her side.
“Yan Zhen, what are you doing here? Didn’t I tell you to stay in the dean’s office?”
Yan Zhen gave her a helpless smile.
“Because I don’t want you getting hurt on my account, Mentor.”
In the script of events he’d foreseen, he would hide inside the barrier, held back by his cousin and her older sister, forced to watch helplessly as Mentor Yu Xuan fought with everything she had to block the Silver Moon City Lord until both sides were battered.
But now, he didn’t want to follow that script. He still had his trump card. He could face this alone.
“—Yan Zhen!!!” The Silver Moon City Lord glared at him murderously, like a wild beast. “You dare kill my son? Pay with your life!”
With those words, the Silver Moon City Lord launched his assault amid bone-chilling frost, aiming straight for Yan Zhen’s head.
Mentor Yu Xuan moved to intercept him at once, condensing a water shield from her water Mystic force to block the Silver Moon City Lord’s attack.
The water shield rapidly froze solid, then shattered.
Mentor Yu Xuan smoothly retreated to her original position and was about to advance again when Yan Zhen pulled her behind him.
Mentor Yu Xuan stared in confusion, but Yan Zhen ignored her and addressed the Silver Moon City Lord instead:
“You old bastard, the way you zeroed in on me right away means you already knew Lan Ke was coming to kill me, right? Why didn’t you stop him? Because you figured with two Four-Star Mystic Scholars as backup, he’d have me dead to rights. Wrong guess—Lan Ke’s death is on you too, as his father.”
Yan Zhen murmured “belt mode” under his breath. He reached out with an empty hand and fastened the system-transformed card box against his abdomen, where it formed a belt and strapped itself securely around his waist.
“You failed to teach him how to be a decent human being, and you failed to stop him from going out to harm others. So he died, and you used my hand to make it happen.”
He pinched his fingers together, summoning the Trump Card (First Order), which he casually slotted into the card box.
Yan Zhen looked up at the Silver Moon City Lord and spat out two cold words:
“Transform.”
Boom!
The belt erupted in gold-silver dual flames that engulfed Yan Zhen’s entire body.
At the same time, the system driver blared an exhilarating tune:
【Emperor Flame! Extreme Flame! Firepower Burst!】
【At this moment, Mystic Dao Transforms to Heavenly Dao, Heavenly General Yan Zhen is Born!】
The flames dissipated, revealing Yan Zhen clad head to toe in flame-patterned armor of gold and silver that obscured his features.
Mentor Yu Xuan’s eyes widened. The Silver Moon City Lord recoiled in shock. Everyone present was stunned.
The aura radiating from the armored Yan Zhen overwhelmed the entire area, inspiring awe in all who felt it.
In that instant, Yan Zhen understood.
The power of the trump card was the extreme flame power—and the heavenly mandate power.
He was as strong as his opponent.
With a Three-Star Mystic General foe, he was now a . . . Three-Star Heavenly General!
“If you want revenge for your son, then come at me. I’ll send you down to join him.”
Yan Zhen spoke slowly, his voice devoid of joy or sorrow.
HENSHIN ‼️‼️🤌🏼