Heavens' Laughter

Dismissing the inferior presence of those around him, Feng Shen kept moving.

Suddenly, his stride came to an abrupt halt.

A subtle yet unmistakable smile began to curve on Feng Shen's lips:

"Now, to what do I owe the pleasure of a visit from the Tournament Overseer?"

The man appeared right before the student, his expression dead serious. "Because of your disgraceful actions in the Tower," he began, his voice cold:

"As I've already warned, you will face a penalty. And that penalty begins now…"

Feng Shen's eyebrows arched in mild curiosity as he considered what sort of "penalty" could possibly be imposed upon him.

His mind briefly wandered to the possibilities—how much damage could it really cause? But even as he pondered, a quiet chuckle escaped his lips.

"What a joke…" Feng Shen muttered to himself.

He couldn't help it—the entire situation was just too amusing.

The roaring crowd, the Tournament Overseer's barely concealed irritation, the students' defeated expressions, and now, this vague notion of punishment.

To Feng Shen, it all felt like an elaborate farce, one that only highlighted his dominance over the competition.

Seeing such a brazen display of arrogance, the Tournament Overseer's jaw tightened as his hands balled into fists.

Every fiber of his being wanted to wipe that smug expression off this student's face, but he knew better than to act impulsively.

Taking a deep breath, the Tournament Overseer forced a small smile to curl at the corners of his mouth.

"Lucky for you," he began, his tone dripping with veiled malice, "His Majesty himself wishes to impose the penalty."

The crowd's uproar shifted, murmurs of shock rippling through the arena.

Even the students who had been sulking in their defeat lifted their heads, their eyes wide with curiosity and apprehension.

"His Majesty?"

The words carried a weight that silenced even the loudest.

Feng Shen's amusement didn't waver.

Instead, his grin widened slightly, his interest piqued.

'His Majesty, huh?' Feng Shen thought. This was getting more entertaining by the second.

The crimson bird, which had been lounging lazily on the Tournament Overseer's shoulder, suddenly let out a sharp chirp.

Without warning, it spread its fiery wings and took off, hovering mid-air for a fleeting moment.

The crowd's attention snapped toward it as a spark ignited in the space it occupied.

In a small puff of flames, the bird was no more.

In its place stood the majestic Phoenix Emperor.

His hands were clasped behind his back, his piercing gaze looking directly at the student with an expression of thinly veiled annoyance.

As the Phoenix Emperor descended, his feet touched the platform with a faint tap:

"Feng Shen… The Second Young Master of the Feng family. Once branded a coward, a disgrace—a waste unworthy of his lineage. And now, miraculously, a sudden transformation. Yet, instead of walking the path of honor, you choose disgrace and arrogance."

The Phoenix Emperor's fiery gaze narrowed, the disappointment palpable:

"Such a tragic reflection of the Feng family's current state. Once a house of pride and integrity, now a shadow of what it was."

The Phoenix Emperor paused. Then, with a sigh that carried disdain, he continued:

"It saddens me to no end that I must be the one to administer your penalty myself."

Feng Shen's golden eyes shimmered with a dangerous light, a smug grin tugging at his lips.
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"Oh~ really? Then I suppose this penalty won't be too severe~" His voice dripped with mockery.

Feng Shen raised a hand to his mouth, feigning an attempt to stifle a laugh, but the effort was futile.

The corners of his lips twitched uncontrollably, betraying the maniacal glee bubbling within.

Feng Shen's shoulders quivered, not with fear or anything alike, but with barely contained amusement.

A sinister intent flickered inside of him.

Feng Shen's restraint was thin, his darker impulses clawing at the edges of his composure.

Oh, how he longed to silence the figure before him—to reach out, plunge his hand into the Phoenix Emperor's chest, and tear out the heart:

"Well~ don't just stand there! Hurry with the penalty!"

The Phoenix Emperor stood frozen for a moment, his pride stung by the sheer audacity before him.

His eyes, once filled with disdain, now flickered with a deeper, more seething rage.

This student's mockery was more than just a slight; it was an affront to his very authority.

The Phoenix Emperor's face flushed crimson with fury, and the flames dancing off his body grew fiercer, crackling with an intensity that threatened to ignite everything around them.

"I see…" His voice was a low growl, dripping with venom:

"So, it is death you seek, is it?"

The ground beneath the Phoenix Emperor's feet began to crack and burn, unable to contain the intensity of his rising anger.

Feng Shen took a bow, his movements exaggerated and insincere, as if he were performing for an audience rather than addressing an emperor:

He spoke with a tone dripping with sarcasm, "Ah, it would be my honor, oh great emperor of a little bird~."

Snapping at the insult, the Phoenix Emperor's patience shattered. He roared, "ENOUGH!"

Without warning, his fist—engulfed in crackling flames—shot forward like a cannon, aimed directly at the student's chest.

The force behind the blow was immense, and the moment it made contact, the surrounding air rushed out, creating a violent gust.

The fiery energy coursed through the wind, causing the very platform beneath them to tremble and shake as though it might crumble under the pressure.

A second later…

Feng Shen stood firm, his golden eyes glinting as he glanced down at the fist.

The power of the strike should have sent anyone else to the Reincarnation Cycle, but he simply took the hit, unmoving, like an unyielding mountain amidst the storm.

Feng Shen's skin, unharmed, absorbed the impact without even a flinch.

It was then…

The Phoenix Emperor's anger faltered as he felt an unexpected wave of excruciating pain.

Slowly, his eyes shifted down, and his expression froze in disbelief.

For the first time in his entire life, a sensation the Phoenix Emperor had never experienced before coursed through his body—his bone was broken.

The bone had snapped, a sickening sound, and the fiery energy surrounding him flickered and sputtered.

The flames dimmed.

The bones splintered like fragile glass.

"ARHGGGGG!!!!" A deep, guttural growl of pain escaped the Phoenix Emperor's lips, his face contorted in shock.

He staggered backward, clutching his now mangled hand, staring at the student in wide-eyed disbelief.

"You... you broke my hand..." The words were barely a whisper.

The Tournament Overseer's face paled at those words:

'Shit… I have to get out of here.'

The Tournament Overseer could feel the weight of the situation shift dramatically.

Without a second thought, he ran. There was no point in trying to contain the storm that was about to hit.

The Tournament Overseer vanished into a cloud of smoke, leaving behind only a faint trace of his presence.

On the other hand, Feng Shen covered his mouth dramatically, his golden eyes gleaming with mock sincerity.

He tilted his head, his lips curling into a wicked smirk as he feigned innocence:

"Oh my~ Did I, really? How careless of me… I didn't mean to cause any harm at all~ Oh, please forgive me~. To think I could ever hurt someone as mighty as you, a man of such power and grandeur! How utterly foolish of me!"

Silence…

Nobody uttered a single word or dared to breathe.

Until a single voice broke the silence…

"I... WANT YOU TO DIE!!! KILL THIS BASTARD, NOW!!"

Flames bursted from the Phoenix Emperor's body, uncontrollable and wild, as they cascaded outward, scorching everything in their path.

The very air around him became a furnace, and the ground beneath his feet cracked and melted.

The arena itself groaned under the weight of the Phoenix Emperor's rage, turning into a seething cauldron of fire.

The sky above, once a clear blue, began to warp, taking on a deep crimson hue as if the heavens themselves were being consumed by his wrath.

Chaos ensued as the students, terror-stricken, scrambled to escape the arena.

The seats filled with panicked voices, and everybody in the crowd fled in every direction, desperately trying to avoid the inferno now tearing through.

On the other hand, the instructors stood firm in the face of the Phoenix Emperor's devastating rage.

Their Qi shields flickered and crackled under the intense pressure of the flames, their faces strained as they struggled to hold back the overwhelming heat.

Sweat dripped down their brows, and their hands trembled, but they did not relent.

Suddenly, dozens of small red birds materialized around the Phoenix Emperor.

They circled and dived in perfect unison.

Then, in a burst of fiery light, the birds coalesced into solid forms—Elite Personal Guards clad in gleaming red armor adorned with intricate phoenix designs.

They landed with a resounding thud, their movements perfectly synchronized, as they took their positions behind the Phoenix Emperor.

Their weapons varied—some wielded massive spears, others short swords, while a few bore shields.

A few stood weaponless.

The Phoenix Emperor holding his shattered hand with his other, looking over his shoulder:

"What are you waiting for!? KILL HIM!!!"