"Who is this person! How dare she lay hands on the Ancient Martial Artist Association, is she mad?"
"Did any of you see her move just now?"
"This... I didn't notice anything at all!"
"She can easily crush two Martial Master realm guards. Her strength should be at least at the Martial King realm!"
"Martial King! Hiss!"
"But this is the capital! Martial Kings aren't qualified to be so brazen!"
"Who knows?"
"..."
The sudden move by the woman in black instantly drew the attention of the onlookers.
Directly provoking the Ancient Martial Artist Association was no trivial matter.
"Your Excellency! Are you declaring war on our Ancient Martial Artist Association?"
At this moment, an old man in plain clothes emerged. A terrifying pressure emanated from him. His eyes held a hint of killing intent.
"Martial Ancestor! Heh!"
Upon seeing the old man, the woman in black merely cast a disdainful glance. "To only reach the Martial Ancestor realm at such an old age, you truly are a piece of trash!"
The moment she spoke, the scene fell into a deathly silence.
Martial Ancestor!
Trash!
"This..."
Everyone felt a chill down their spines and instinctively took a step back.
As expected, after hearing her words, the old man's face grew even more grim, his killing intent solidifying.
"Good! Good! In all my years of cultivation, I have never seen such arrogance... Ah!"
*Bang!*
This time, his words were also cut short. He was sent flying by an invisible force, crashing into a nearby stone pillar, blood gushing from him.
He had absolutely no power to resist.
"Trash talks too much!"
From beginning to end, the woman seemed not to have moved. Her eyes remained cold.
"What! This..."
"Who exactly is this woman! She's so terrifying!"
"You... you all, can you feel her aura?"
"Fe-feel it! It's as if she has merged with heaven and earth!"
"This... could it be!"
"..."
This time, the woman's actions left everyone wide-eyed, their bodies trembling uncontrollably. It was a fear from the depths of their souls.
In her presence, the very heavens seemed to bow.
"Since you've sensed my presence, aren't you going to show yourself?"
At this, the woman glanced towards the center of Tai Xuan Lake and spoke.
Her voice was like a demonic sound, carrying the wrath of thunder, spreading wantonly through the air.
Half of the capital was enveloped by this voice. Everyone's gaze instinctively turned towards Tai Xuan Lake.
"Alas... Sha Gong! You have finally come!"
After the woman's voice faded, a long sigh echoed from the center of Tai Xuan Lake.
The next second, a blurry figure began to materialize before the woman in black.
This was... Gu Taiyi.
The woman had come for him.
However, before her was merely Gu Taiyi's energy projection, not his physical form.
"What! You dare not meet me?"
Seeing only an energy projection, the coldness in the woman's eyes gradually transformed into killing intent.
And it was a killing intent of extreme purity.
The long saber in her hand seemed ready to be unsheathed at any moment.
"I cannot be distracted for this battle!"
Through the projection, Gu Taiyi's voice echoed, carrying a hint of helplessness.
"Good! Very good!"
*Clang!*
A flash of crimson saber light streaked across the air, and Gu Taiyi's condensed energy form instantly dissipated.
At this moment, the woman appeared bathed in a bloody glow, her entire being looking seductive and eerie, the surrounding air stained red with her killing intent.
The long saber in her hand.
Was unsheathed!
"If you are not dead after this battle! I will strike you down again!"
With that, the woman's figure slowly faded, disappearing to an unknown location.
The onlookers, however, were already stunned.
At this moment, there were still ten minutes until the decisive battle.
...
"Young Master! That woman is so strong!"
On the side of Tai Xuan Lake, Du Yuemian exclaimed in awe after sensing that bloody saber light.
"Mm!"
Ye Ming nodded and said, "Among ancient martial artists, there are probably very few who can match her!"
Very few?
Hearing this assessment, Du Yuemian was not too surprised. After all, how could someone who dared to directly confront Gu Taiyi be simple?
"Ye Ming! Do you think Old Gu did something that angered both gods and men to the woman, thus leading to her pursuing him? Hee hee!"
At this moment, Nangong Qianyu suddenly sidled up, her eyes full of gossip.
"Uh!"
Hearing this, everyone present was a little taken aback.
"What! Don't you all feel curious?"
Nangong Qianyu looked at them and asked, blinking her eyes.
"This... you know, I'm quite curious too."
Ye Ming chuckled lightly.
After all, things that happened to peak Martial God experts were bound to arouse some interest.
"Qianyu! Do you think it's possible that Old Gu abandoned the woman after toying with her, leading to her hate-filled desire for revenge, thus the killing intent?"
Yan Yinluo beside her also ignited her gossip fire.
As a national little diva, she was very familiar with such plotlines!
"Mm! Very likely! Sister Hongying, what do you think?"
"Ah! This... I don't think it's that simple. After all, they are both Martial Gods..."
"Mm! That also makes sense, Old Gu is definitely not a good person! Otherwise..."
"..."
Ye Ming looked at the women engrossed in their heated discussion and felt a bit overwhelmed.
It seemed that a woman's nature, regardless of who she was, would awaken the "gossip" skill.
"My Lord! Time is almost up!"
A moment later, Ying Qianshi returned to Ye Ming's side.
One minute remained until the decisive battle.
"Mm!"
Ye Ming looked towards the center of Tai Xuan Lake, his expression calm as he slowly stood up.
"Ye Ming! You absolutely cannot be careless, do you hear me! If you lose, you know the consequences!"
At this moment, Nangong Qianyu and the other women also stood up.
"Don't worry!"
Ye Ming pulled Nangong Qianyu into his embrace and whispered in her ear, exhaling warmly, "Wait for me tonight, all clean and ready!"
"Eek!"
Hearing this, she blushed beet red and quickly broke free, unable to look at anyone.
"Hahaha!"
Afterward, Ye Ming naturally did not show favoritism, giving each of the other women a big hug.
"Ying! Be vigilant of your surroundings and protect them well!"
Ye Ming clasped his hands behind his back, calmly awaiting the chime of noon.
"Yes!"
...
At the same moment, on the other side of Tai Xuan Lake.
"President Gu! It's time!"
Hearing this, Gu Taiyi, who had been meditating with his eyes closed, opened them.
"Good!"
He stood up and looked straight ahead.
Ye Ming was also meeting his gaze.
"Unless it's a critical moment, do not activate the grand formation!"
Gu Taiyi said calmly.
"Yes!"
...
The outer perimeter of Tai Xuan Lake had now been divided into four regions.
The representatives of these regions were the four great clans of the capital.
Shangguan Clan Region.
"Miss Su!"
Shangguan Yuan respectfully greeted the familiar woman before him.
"We meet again, Clan Leader Shangguan!"
The person standing before Shangguan Yuan was none other than... Su Xin.