In truth, Yan Zaizen had the most irrefutable proof of innocence. He was still a virgin. Unfortunately, to inspect this, he had to completely open all the secrets in his body and soul to verify this. This meant revealing his Herculean Physique, the Regalia refinement, his cultivation and laws, and even his soul form would have to be vulnerable for this inspection.
One's primal yin and yang were deeply connected to both the soul and body. This was why dual cultivation was exceptional and having many wives was a common thing for powerful male cultivators. It may not help the Essence Path, but body and soul cultivation would benefit greatly.
Normally, this wouldn't be necessary. How many people were still virgins at his level of cultivation? However, he was just too young.
Even factoring in chaotic space-time flow, he was only eighty-three. This was remarkably young for those in the True Essence Realm that could live for twenty-five thousand years on average.
With those requirements to verify his innocence, he couldn't agree. He had far too many secrets, nor did he feel the need to reveal them all for some girl he'd never met.
Dong Lin smiled, "Is that all you have to say?"
Yan Zaizen shook his head in helplessness. "That's not me," was his only response as he shrugged his shoulders. What more could he say?
Dong Sei loudly chuckled, his beefy body and large armor clanking together with every chuckle. His eyes were as frosty as an icy-hell, "You are truly the lowest form of man."
Earlier, Dong Sei or Dong Long didn't say anything as Dong Lin provided public proof of the crime. The reason for this was to incite public hatred and rid Yan Zaizen of his allies in the White Crane Sect. Without them, he was nothing more than a late-Qi Unification Cultivator with an Advanced Aurora Soul Cultivation.
From Yao Wuhen, they gained information about Yan Zaizen. His cultivation at the time, his background, and who he was. They knew he had an exceptional talent in soul cultivation, defeated Yao Wuhen, and had a powerful destructive-based archery. In real time, only two years have passed, that's not enough for his cultivation to progress. Dong Sei or Dong Lin alone could defeat Yao Wuhen even easier than Yan Zaizen did.
What did they have to fear?
"The Soul Recollection Orb can't be fooled easily, even your aura is the same," Guàn Cui coldly stated. In truth, she was holding back because there was a slight possibility of it being false. As for needing him to navigate as a guide, they much rather not associate with someone of such filth. Thus, that was not in her considerations.
Not to mention, Yan Zaizen hasn't helped them at all. Even the corpse test yielded, from an outside perspective, nothing important but revealing the lack of traps. They would've figured that out sooner or later.
For those with good cultivations, they could easily obtain a woman or man for their bed in a willing manner. What need would there be to forcefully take another? Just as Dong Sei said, only the lowest of the low would do so.
Yan Zaizen could feel the fluctuations of true-essence emanating from the women surrounding him. It was obvious they wished to take action.
"Well, at least they have some restraint." He inwardly thought. Thinking about it, he was truly trying to find out a way to clear his name without revealing all of his secrets. However, nothing came up.
"Tch! How pathetic!" Pinaka viciously exclaimed. "Use your brain! Why do you need to prove anything?!" Her voice was filled with deep discontent and frustration.
Wait.
That's right.
Why did he need to prove anything?
Originally, he was going to use force to clear his name anyways. The only reason why he was trying to think of other ways stemmed from his instinctual desire to protect his reputation. If news of this were to spread with this much evidence from the soul projection, he'll be known as that type of person forever.
He chuckled loudly at his momentary idiocy; there was a much better way to prove his innocence. The surrounding gazes locked onto him with interest and disgust. He raised his hands up and slammed them together.
Clap!
Clap!
Clap!
"Bravo to you for this farce. Unfortunately, I have the most indisputable proof of innocence right here." He spoke his words deliberately, everyone was interested in what he had to say, hoping he wasn't joking this time around. Would he pull out a Soul Recollection Orb to verify his innocence? Allow himself to be soul searched to prove it? Swear a heavenly oath? Swear a soul oath? If he does and it works out, would they believe him?
"It's simple really…" his gaze turned towards the three leaders of Presba's Imperial Family, "because I said I am."
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Dong Sei felt enraged, not only him but everyone else. Such tyrannical words, such domineering attitude, and such confidence! Where did this come from? Guàn Cui glanced at Yan Zaizen and seemed to have made a decision. She retracted her aura, and so did the rest. They simply took a step backwards signifying their support of Yan Zaizen was no more.
Tang Li's eyes flickered, but he did the same.
Ma Xiuren only stared at Yan Zaizen. Her dainty little fist clenched, but she didn't take action or retreat.
Witnessing this, Dong Long was the first to take action. One must know, Princess Qin was his daughter! His youngest, most favored daughter! The killing intent that he suppressed so deeply before erupted like a volcano at its peak, and his aura caused the surrounding people to exclaim with interest and even praise. There were even a few weaker cultivators gesturing and shouting out condemnations for Yan Zaizen's words.
Even if they've done things like this in the past, it always felt good seeing other people suffer, especially for the true low-life cultivators in the audience.
However, Yan Zaizen remained calm, continuing to speak, "If I wanted to take this...Princess Qin...what reason do I have to hide it? What reason do I even have to care to declare my innocence?" Hearing this, people from afar felt odd. Sure, this logic was true but only if a cultivator vastly exceeded the other party in strength.
"With a single word, you'd have given Princess Qin to me with joyful glee! Haha!" This was the straw that broke the camel's back. Dong Long, Dong Sei, and Dong Lin simultaneously shot towards Yan Zaizen. The full force of their cultivation base emanated a seemingly invincible pressure! That aura rolled towards Yan Zaizen like a violent storm intending to rip him to shreds. Everyone immediately distanced themselves from Yan Zaizen.
Dong Long wielded an emerald spear with faint spiritual fluctuations. A sky-rank armament! It pierced forward, projecting a nearly peerless penetrating force that transformed into an insidiously vicious emerald-green dragon's head!
Dong Sei punched forward with thunderous momentum. His vital energy and true-essence merged together perfectly to manifest a large dark-silver fist that contained vast power filled with the law of metal. It smashed heavily towards Yan Zaizen.
Dong Lin removed a small folding fan from his spatial ring. Unfolding it, he swung it gracefully. A tall twister barreled forward that reached several hundred meters in height. It was infused with powerful wind-infused true-essence that rotated with the desire to ruin the world in every rotation.
All three attacks shot towards Yan Zaizen in unison, striking with the intention to thoroughly kill him in body and soul!
As for Yan Zaizen, he only shook his head slightly and stood where he was. He closed his eyes, and to those who were watching, it felt like he was giving up his life. As for the truth, the vital energies within Yan Zaizen's body was being rallied to action.
SWINHHG!
"Herculean Avatar Art!"
His eyes opened as the attacks were no more than an inch away from his body.
BOOM! BOOM! BOOM!!!
Several violent explosions resounded that devastated a vast area. Luckily, everyone had high cultivation bases, unless the attack was directly aimed at them, they could easily repel the remnant energy.
Tang Li was in disbelief, "he's dead?" It felt surreal. In truth, with how Yan Zaizen was talking, he expected more.
Guàn Cui squinted her eyes, looking at the field wreathed in destructive true-essence. She had the faint feeling the situation wouldn't end with simply that.
Indeed.
As several seconds passed, the smoke cleared. Yan Zaizen, with his vibrant amber-gold eyes that shone through all, revealed himself brilliantly amidst the cloud of true-essence. As he slowly walked out, it looked as if the attacks never landed. His clothes didn't even seem ruffled. As for him, he had slight differences but the distinctions were overly attracting.
Situated at his glabella was a black and white diamond that seemed to be swirling in constant motion against each other. There was a short, vertical golden-line just below both of his eyes as if they were tears. The normally black hair had faint traces of gold highlights. His hands were covered in faint golden inscriptions that seemed exceptionally profound, the same could be said for his arms, legs, torso, and feet if it wasn't thoroughly covered by clothing.
The Herculean Avatar Art was vastly different from normal manifestation arts that would project an image. Instead, It would make your body be used as the avatar of a Herculean! As your physique was truly brought to its maximum, one's physical attributes would be vastly increased as a result.
If being a true Herculean could be considered a law, then this art used vital energy to erupt with that law! As for the concept? It was the regalia that was refined!
Clap!
Clap!
Clap!
Yan Zaizen clapped some more, his eyes suffused with tyrannical ferocity and unyielding confidence! "I'll say it again: with a single word, you'd have given Princess Qin to me with joyful glee!" After finishing those words, he took several short steps forward, his gaze looking at the Dong group with hints of disdain.
"Now, do you understand me? Well, if not, you will." Yan Zaizen took one more step forward and his figure vanished like a ghost in the night. This wasn't spatial laws, but sheer imperceptible speed!
"!!!"
Dong Long felt a sensation of intense deadly crisis, he immediately retreated, but alas! He was too slow. Appearing before him as if he teleported, Yan Zaizen reached out his palm, violently grabbing towards his throat.
URGH!!
The sound that the throat makes being grabbed resounded from Dong Long and before anyone could even blink, Yan Zaizen already had the mid-True Essence Dong Long at his mercy. His powerful vital energy suppressed Dong Long's cultivation base with relative ease. In his hands, Dong Long was like a child trying to struggle against the grip of a god.
As he fiercely struggled in defiance, the Siphoning Shadow of Death concept was draining Dong Long of his true-essence thoroughly. As it did, Yan Zaizen's vital energies seemed to be spiking with powerful lifeforce fluctuations.
"What?!" Witnessing this, Dong Sei and Dong Lin's eyes nearly popped out of their heads. The other spectators were inwardly shocked, their gazes filled with disbelief. To many, if not the vast majority, they couldn't even see Yan Zaizen's shadow as he moved. It was like a blur in mist!
Yan Zaizen smiled softly at all the exclamations and shocked gazes, turning towards Dong Lin with a profound gleam in his eyes, "Let me ask you this, if I wanted to take this...Princess Qin, why would I need to deny it?" His hand slightly clenched causing Dong Long to squeak like a rubber ducky in pain.
"Do I even need to? Haha."
Indeed.
The most definitive proof was the simplest: If I have to power to destroy all you are, all you can be, and all you will ever be, what reason do I have to sneak behind your back? If I did it openly, what could you even do?!