King of Creation Chapter 1724 - 1709

"Hmm?"

Great Chief Priest Bai Xiang accepted the Jade Scroll presented by Princess Changle. The moment his Divine Sense penetrated it, an astonished expression dawned on his face, and he cast a curious sidelong glance at the Ba'erlong brothers.

This subtle reaction ignited the curiosity of all the priests assembled, and caused the Ba'erlong brothers, along with Second and Seventh Grand Power Sacrifices, Tongna and Tumen Changyin, a growing sense of unease.

What crucial evidence could possibly elicit such a reaction from the Great Chief Priest?

"Seeing your looks of curiosity, very well, so that none of you may claim I, the Great Chief Priest, am being unfair. Let us all examine this evidence provided by Palace Master Ji!"

With a light chuckle, he unleashed a torrent of Spirit Light from his palm, instantly unsealing the Jade Scroll with a specialized Secret Technique.

Suspended above the Barbarian Spirit Hall, a scene materialized, depicting the great ceremony in progress. It showed the moments just after the Barbarian Clan music and dance concluded and the First Deputy Hall Master Ba'erlong began to stand.

It transpired that the Jade Scroll Princess Changle had delivered was, in fact, a Shadow Capture Jade Slip.

Upon witnessing this revealed image, the faces of the Ba'erlong brothers contorted into ugly grimaces; they had never fathomed that Princess Changle possessed such a potent hidden card.

Such foresight, to have meticulously recorded the Spirit Shadow before their machinations had even commenced.

Indeed, the Shadow Capture Jade Slip had been originally bestowed upon Princess Changle by Ye Zhen.

When Ye Zhen observed Ba'erlong rising, an instinctual feeling arose within him that this particular Ba'erlong harbored ill intentions.

As the adage goes, "It is better to be prepared than caught unaware." In any case, a few Shadow Capture Jade Slips represented a negligible cost for Ye Zhen to expend, so he had simply recorded the Spirit Shadow.

Little did he know, it would prove so remarkably useful.

The Shadow Capture Jade Slip flawlessly reconstructed the events that unfolded within the Barbarian Spirit Hall at that precise moment.

The Ba'erlong brothers initiated the provocation; Princess Changle intervened, halting their planned martial arts demonstration; subsequently, the Ba'erlong brothers escalated their provocations directed at Ye Zhen, deliberately inciting him, which ultimately led Ye Zhen to furiously accept the challenge!

Admittedly, the circumstances at that time also involved Ye Zhen's own intention to engage in a confrontation with them. However, judging from the unfolding image within the Jade Scroll now, everyone intuitively inferred that Ye Zhen had been unable to endure the taunts and had angrily accepted the challenge.

Following the conclusion of the Spirit Shadow playback, a profound silence permeated the Barbarian Spirit Hall until Great Chief Priest Bai Xiang directed a questioning gaze towards the Seventh Grand Power Sacrifice, Tumen Changyin.

The collective gaze of all the priests in the hall shifted to fix upon Tumen Changyin.

Tumen Changyin paused briefly before letting out a dismissive laugh.

"What exactly does this prove?"

"This Spirit Shadow can, at best, demonstrate that the martial arts demonstration was initiated by the Ba'erlong brothers. However, it fails entirely to absolve Ye Zhen of the serious charge of intending to murder a fellow temple priest under the pretense of a martial arts bout."

"Beyond this point, what other substance can this Shadow Capture Jade Slip possibly offer as proof?" Tumen Changyin retorted, his voice sharp.

"Precisely, that is accurate! This indeed proves absolutely nothing!" The Second Grand Power Sacrifice Tongna nodded in emphatic agreement.

The synchronized affirmation from these two influential figures immediately left the other priests immersed in bewilderment.

It would seem, upon closer consideration, that it truly proves nothing substantial and, moreover, does absolutely nothing to clear Ye Zhen of the grave accusation of attempting to murder a fellow temple priest!

"Then, I implore you to examine this Shadow Capture Jade Slip once more!" Princess Changle presented yet another Jade Scroll, instantly reigniting the fervent interest of the priests assembled outside the Barbarian Spirit Hall.

Another piece of damning evidence?

Swiftly, another Shadow Capture Jade Slip belonging to Princess Changle materialized above the Barbarian Spirit Hall.

This time, the unfolding Shadow Capture meticulously detailed the agreement struck between Ba'erhu and Ye Zhen prior to the martial arts demonstration. It particularly highlighted Ba'erhu's emphatic declaration:

"Everyone present bears witness, this performance has received the Hall Master's explicit permission, yet swords possess no eyes; once we strike, the very heavens and earth will tremble. Should Left Chief Priest Ye sustain any harm, I implore you all not to bear any grudges!"

This statement, originally intended to preemptively absolve Ba'erhu of any responsibility for potential injuries, now stood as crystal clear evidence.

By this juncture, any priest possessed of more than a modicum of intelligence could discern the unvarnished truth from these two revealing Jade Slips.

In essence, the strategy conceived by the Ba'erlong and Ba'erhu brothers was to exploit the martial arts demonstration as a means to teach Ye Zhen a harsh lesson. However, events unfolded far beyond their control, primarily due to Ye Zhen's astonishing and unexpected strength.

Not only did their scheme to humble Ye Zhen spectacularly fail, but Ba'erhu himself narrowly avoided a perilous predicament.

Subsequently, consumed by their seething anger and profound humiliation, they resorted to fabricating accusations, falsely charging Ye Zhen with the intent to harm a fellow temple priest under the guise of martial arts.

They had also enlisted the support of the two Grand Power Sacrifices, Tongna and Tumen Changyin, to deal with Ye Zhen, thus escalating the situation and igniting a fierce conflict between the Barbarian Spirit Hall and the Tumen Grand Power Sacrifice faction.

The moment this Jade Scroll Spirit Shadow was revealed, the several Day Priests who had been backing the Ba’erhu brothers fell into silence. Even the Second Grand Power Sacrifice Tongna’s expression turned rather solemn. The opposing side’s foresight was truly…

However, the Seventh Grand Power Sacrifice Tumen Changyin remained composed. He stated, "Can this truly be considered evidence? Isn't it a common practice in our Ancestor God Temple’s sparring sessions to utter these ceremonial words? After all, it's merely a demonstration, but we must give our utmost effort; accidental injuries can occur! This is simply basic martial etiquette. Can it genuinely serve as proof? Preposterous!"

The Seventh Grand Power Sacrifice Tumen Changyin let out a cold laugh, flicking his sleeve. "Everyone says the Tumen Grand Power Sacrifice is eloquent, and seeing it today, it is indeed remarkable! According to your reasoning, accidental injuries are possible. Then how does Ba’erhu injuring me translate to premeditated murder?"

"So, in your view, Ba’erhu injuring me, Ye Zhen, is an accident, while me injuring Ba’erhu is intentional homicide! No matter who wins or loses, the logic always favors Ba’erhu. Does this mean I, Ye Zhen, am simply meant to be beaten?" At this juncture, Ye Zhen, brimming with indignation, vehemently demanded, "I dare to ask the Tup Menn Great Priest, where is the justice in this?"

"I have always acted with justice—" Before Tup Menn Changyin could conclude, Ye Zhen boomed at him in fury, "Justice? So this is the kind of justice from the Tup Menn Great Priest? Are you not afraid of becoming a laughingstock among the 150,000 priests of our Barbarian Spirit Hall?"

Faced with Ye Zhen’s unyielding interrogation and this new piece of evidence, Tup Menn Changyin’s face became exceedingly grim, yet he persisted. "Justice resides within the heart; I merely seek a clear conscience..."

"What a clear conscience!" Princess Changle’s mocking voice echoed. "Tup Menn Great Priest, you had best not speak too hastily, lest you end up slapping your own face and losing all dignity!"

"Great Chief Priest, Changle presents another Spirit Shadow!" This Spirit Shadow was directly projected by Princess Changle above the grand hall of the Barbarian Spirit Hall. It depicted the confrontation between Ye Zhen and Ba’erhu.

As soon as Ba’erhu initiated his attack, the projection showed him unleashing three formidable Tiger Arrows upon Ye Zhen. This time, however, there was not only a Spirit Shadow but also Princess Changle’s accompanying explanation. "Great Chief Priest, fellow Great Priests, fellow Sacrifice Priests, and esteemed priests present, you can observe that while our Barbarian Spirit Hall’s Left Chief Priest Ye possesses outstanding combat prowess, his cultivation is merely at the Sixth Stage of the Divine Communication Realm. Furthermore, the highest combat power and record publicly demonstrated by our Barbarian Spirit Hall’s Left Chief Priest Ye Zhen previously was defeating an expert in the early stage of the Realm King Realm. Conversely, Ba’erhu boasts an astonishing record of vanquishing ninth-stage Realm King Realm experts and immediately employed his signature ultimate technique, the Triple Tiger Arrow Kill. Had it not been for the recent significant advancements in our Left Chief Priest Ye Zhen’s Body Cultivation, those three arrows would have disintegrated him into a mist of blood, leaving no intact remains. Thus, Ye Zhen acted in retaliation out of self-preservation when he was angered! It is evident that the genesis of this conflict actually lies with the Ba’erlong and Ba’erhu brothers attempting to exploit the sparring session to inflict harm upon Ye Zhen! Yet, the Tup Menn Great Priest arrived later, exacerbating the situation, not only insulting our Barbarian Spirit Hall but also attempting to pervert the truth and condemn Ye Zhen..."

"Adding falsehoods to injustice!" Tup Menn Changyin rudely cut off Princess Changle’s indictment. "All of this is merely your subjective conjecture..."

Princess Changle, having grown weary of Tup Menn Changyin’s brazen obstinacy, spoke without reservation. "Tup Menn Great Priest, your eyes may be blinded, but surely not everyone else’s!"

Upon hearing this, Tup Menn Changyin flew into a rage. "How dare you, Ji Changle, you..."

"Enough, remain silent!" Just as Tup Menn Changyin sought to press his advantage, the Great Chief Priest Bai Xiang, his expression as dark as ever, erupted in anger!

"Tup the Seventh, is today not sufficiently embarrassing for you? If you persist, you will bring disgrace upon the Ancestor God Temple!" The Great Chief Priest Bai Xiang pointed accusingly at Tup Menn Changyin.

Tup Menn Changyin’s aged face flushed crimson, but he obstinately retorted, "Bai Xiang, explain to me, where have I brought disgrace..."

Bai Xiang, however, paid no heed to Tup Menn Changyin and instead turned his somber gaze towards the silent Second Grand Power Sacrifice Tongna. "Tong Two, what is your assessment?"

Questioned by the incensed Great Chief Priest Bai Xiang, Tongna hesitated.

Incensed by this, the Great Chief Priest Bai Xiang exclaimed, "Very well, very well, very well!"

"You’ve pushed this to such a point, yet you still refuse to admit your wrongdoings! If you seek disgrace, then I shall accompany you in tearing this facade apart!"

As he spoke and strode out of the Barbarian Spirit Hall, Bai Xiang drew the astonished gazes of all the priests present.

"Since you refuse to acknowledge reason and evidence, you won't accept a forceful judgment either!"

"Then so be it! I shall now issue a Talisman Summoning to convene an ancestral law assembly at the Qiankun Hall of Great Zhou. I will invite the Holy Son of Heaven, the Great Zhou, the Six Ministers, the king, and all officials to arbitrate this matter. They shall witness this evidence and your disgraceful conduct today!"

"Then, judgment will be passed through the Ancestor God Temple and Great Zhou’s ancestral laws!"

If the preceding declarations caused only a drastic shift in the expressions of Tongna and Tup Menn Changyin, this final sentence utterly drained all color from their faces.

The reason was straightforward: despite holding the esteemed position of Great Chief Priest, Bai Xiang lacked the authority to adjudicate major crimes committed by fellow Great Priests. Such matters could only be resolved by the ancestral laws of the Ancestor God Temple and Great Zhou itself.

Regardless of the ultimate outcome, the presented evidence, particularly their shameless behavior witnessed today, would infallibly lead to Tup Menn Changyin's complete ruin and the utter destruction of his reputation once the court officials saw it.

As for the Ba’erlong brothers, their direct involvement in an ancestral law assembly would truly turn them into expendable pawns.

In a moment of panic, the Seventh Grand Power Sacrifice, Tup Menn Changyin, frantically turned to Tongna, signaling him to salvage the dire situation.

"Great Chief Priest, family matters should not be aired publicly. It is true that Tup the Seventh was in the wrong regarding this affair! Please return; we will handle this internally, internally!" the Second Grand Power Sacrifice Tongna stated with a sense of helplessness.

Bai Xiang paused his steps, inquiring with his back still turned, "Tup the Seventh, are you prepared to accept the penalty?"

The Seventh Grand Power Sacrifice, Tup Menn Changyin, wore an expression of extreme humiliation before nodding his head with great reluctance, "Willing... Yes!"