Star Martial Era: From Mortal to Emperor

Chapter 134 School Affairs Meeting Convicts Qin Cang

Qin Cang's expression changed slightly. The change was so rapid that most people present didn't even notice. His pupils contracted, the corners of his mouth turned down for a moment, and then he returned to his innocent expression.

Su Muyue stepped forward.

Her steps were light, yet each one firm. Today she wore a plain white dress, without any superfluous adornments, her hair pulled back with a silver hairpin, revealing her delicate features. Her complexion was far better than in the secret realm; the pallor, haggardness, and sickly appearance she had displayed there had completely vanished. Her cheeks were flushed, her lips rosy, and the dark circles under her eyes had faded. She looked like a flower washed clean by rain—pure, clear, and full of vitality.

She walked to the long table, raised her right hand, and a faint golden light shone from her fingertips. That was the power of the Su family's Martial Emperor's bloodline, requiring no activation of techniques or hand seals; the mere resonance of the bloodline itself was enough to unleash that millennia-old power to ward off evil. The golden light was faint, but pure, like the morning sun, like dewdrops.

"The Su family has controlled the records of evil spirits for generations, collecting rubbings of all ancient books related to the evil race since the time of Emperor Wu." Her voice was clear and calm, like a mountain stream. "The evil patterns on the fragment of the Blood Sacrifice Jade Pendant perfectly match the curse marks left by the Qin family ancestors when they betrayed Emperor Wu and sided with the evil race a thousand years ago. Every detail of the patterns—the beginning, the turns, the ending—matches perfectly. The ancient book rubbings are here; there's no denying it."

She took out a yellowed silk scroll from her sleeve and presented it with both hands. The edges of the scroll were badly worn, and the writing in some places was blurred, but the key parts—the image of the incantation, the structure of the evil patterns, and the names on the Qin family genealogy—were still clearly discernible.

"Furthermore, my Su family was ambushed by the evil race in our early years, and a blood poison was planted in our bloodline, passed down from generation to generation to this day." Her voice dipped slightly, but quickly regained its composure. "I am one of the victims of this blood poison. The root of this poison was developed by the Qin family with the help of the evil race. During this trip to the secret realm, the poison formula found in the bodies of the evil cultivators was completely consistent with the formula recorded in the ancient books of the Su family. The evidence is overwhelming and there is no room for denial."

Chu Fan stepped out from behind Su Muyue, holding a jade slip in his hand. The jade slip was bluish-white, its surface smooth as a mirror, with faintly visible flowing light within. He raised the jade slip above his head, infusing it with spiritual power, and the jade slip emitted a soft bluish light. The bluish light was projected onto the jade wall on the side of the hall, and the scene slowly unfolded—not a static image, but a dynamic one, a record of the entire array formation of the secret realm.

The scene begins at the entrance to the secret realm. Qin Hao leads his men to intercept Lin Chen, verbally provoking him; evil cultivators launch a surprise attack from both sides of the canyon, raining down poisoned arrows; Qin family guards cooperate with evil disciples to surround and kill the newcomers, amidst flashing swords; on the blood sacrifice altar, Qin Hao initiates the blood sacrifice, and evil spirits manifest, the resentment of traitors from generations of the Qin family coalescing into a giant black and red shadow; Qin Hao laughs wildly to the sky, roaring, "A thousand-year shackle, broken today!"; black and red evil energy soars into the sky, almost engulfing the entire altar.

The hall was so quiet you could hear a pin drop. Everyone stared at the image on the jade wall; no one spoke. The school board members' faces grew increasingly grim, the inspector's gaze grew colder, and Qin Cang's breathing became more rapid.

The scene freezes on the last frame—Qin Hao is holding the Blood Sacrifice Jade Pendant, the evil patterns on the pendant are exactly the same as the curse marks on the silk scroll.

"The image was automatically recorded by the array, and the original jade slip has not been modified in any way." Chu Fan put away the jade slip and adjusted his glasses. "The school can ask any array master to verify its authenticity. If it is forged, I am willing to take full responsibility."

Qin Cang's face turned from white to green, then to ashen. His lips trembled, not from fear, but from anger—the kind of anger that comes from being driven to a dead end with no way out. His hands clenched into fists, his nails digging deep into his palms, drawing blood. He stared intently at the evidence on the long table, at the images on the jade wall, at Qin Hao's ashen face, unable to utter a single word.

"Qin Cang." Zhou Yuncong, Chairman of the Board of Directors, spoke, his voice aged and deep, like the gentle tolling of an ancient bell. "The evidence is overwhelming; what else do you have to say?"

Qin Cang remained silent for three seconds.

Then he laughed. Not a bitter laugh, not a miserable laugh, but a maniacal laugh, like someone taking one last look at the sky before being pushed off a cliff, and then closing their eyes.

"Since there's no other way out—" His voice was forced from deep within his throat, hoarse, low, and filled with hatred. "Then we'll fight our way out of Star Martial University and join the Evil Clan's headquarters!"

Before he could finish speaking, his inner energy suddenly spiraled out of control. It wasn't the activation of a technique, but an explosion—releasing the evil power that had lain dormant within him for years. Black mist surged beneath his black robe, thick as ink, spreading in all directions. Wherever the black mist passed, large holes were corroded in the carpet, and the air was filled with a pungent, acrid smell. His eyes turned bloodshot, and black blood trickled from the corner of his mouth.

A commotion broke out in the main hall. Several young school board members instinctively took a step back, while the martial arts enforcers drew their swords.

Leng Feng had already stepped out.

He moved the instant Qin Cang finished speaking—not as a reaction, but as a premonition—he read Qin Cang's intentions from his trembling fingers, disordered breathing, and constricted pupils. His battle blade was drawn, its gleam as sharp as frost. A thick shield of tan-brown military-style internal energy condensed, blocking Qin Cang between him and the palace gate.

"Trying to leave?" Leng Feng's voice was deep, like two pieces of steel clashing. "You asked my knife."

Qin Cang did not answer. He waved his hands, and the black mist condensed into two giant python-like streams of evil power, blasting towards Leng Feng's face. Wherever the evil power passed, the air hissed and corroded, and several bricks on the ground were blown away. The full power of his late-stage Transformation Realm cultivation was terrifying.

But Leng Feng did not retreat. He slashed down at the evil force, and the moment the blade cleaved through the black mist, the amplification runes on the blade lit up with a dark red light. That light acted like a protective film, isolating the evil force from the outside. The Breaking Formation Blade Technique was executed to its fullest extent, each strike carrying an indomitable momentum. It was not about fighting against the evil force head-on, but about cleaving it, tearing it apart, and disintegrating it.

Qin Cang's evil power was strong, but its foundation was weak. Over the years, he had relied on evil power to replenish his strength, resulting in rapid advancements in his cultivation, but his foundation remained unstable. It was like a tall building built on sand—magnificent on the outside, but hollow inside. Leng Feng's blade repeatedly cleaved through his evil power, repeatedly approaching his body. Qin Cang retreated repeatedly, his steps becoming increasingly erratic, veins bulging on his forehead.

Ten rounds. Twenty rounds. Thirty rounds.

Leng Feng's blade slammed into Qin Cang's shoulder. It wasn't the blade, but the back of the blade, yet the force was enough to numb half of a late-stage Transformation Realm martial artist's body. A muffled thud echoed from Qin Cang's shoulder blade, and his entire right arm instantly lost its strength. The evil energy dissipated, and the surging black mist scattered like kites with broken strings.

Enforcement chains wrapped around Qin Cang from all directions. The chains were specially made, entirely silver-white, and engraved with runes that imprisoned true energy. As the chains wrapped around Qin Cang's wrists, ankles, and neck, the runes lit up, and his true energy was instantly suppressed to its lowest level, like river water blocked by a sluice gate.

Qin Cang knelt on the ground. His knees struck the ground with a dull thud. His hair was disheveled, his suit was askew, and the school badge on his collar had fallen to the ground, bounced twice, and rolled under the long table. He lowered his head, looking at the chains on his wrists, his lips moving, but no sound came out.

The hall was quiet for a few moments.