More than half of the forty-six marquises immediately knelt on one knee, shouting in unison:
"We are willing to follow Your Highness in battles from now on!!"
Although Prince Qian had abdicated, he had accomplished many great deeds for the nation. Though he held no official title, he had won the hearts of the people.
"Good."
Chen Jiuyang nodded slowly.
The crowd did not know what Chen Jiuyang intended to do.
Chen Jiuyang looked at the Nascent Soul stage ancestor of the Chen family, cupped his fists, and bowed. "Ancestor, we are both descendants of Pure Yang. Junior asks Ancestor one question: my wife and daughter have been abducted. If the enemy is found, will the Chen family ancestors be willing to help Junior kill the enemy and rescue my wife and child?"
The Nascent Soul stage ancestor of the Chen family's eyes burned, and his aged voice was firm. "You are the unparalleled prodigy of my Chen family, who appears once in ten thousand years. The entire family will surely protect you."
Chen Jiuyang asked again, "What if it is a Sacred Land?"
Everyone's brows twitched in unison.
The Nascent Soul stage ancestor immediately frowned.
The five great Sacred Lands had always been united. He hesitated for a moment and said, "Then this matter will require everyone to discuss."
"Good."
Chen Jiuyang's expression remained placid. He cupped his fists again and bowed to the Nascent Soul stage ancestor of the Han family. "Ancestor Han, Junior is the Dao companion of Yi Han Qing Jie, and Zi Xuan is my humble first wife. What do you think?"
"Hahahaha!" The Nascent Soul stage ancestor of the Han family roared with laughter. "You junior are quite interesting. A man of our generation should have countless beauties. A single angry roar for a beauty. If one cannot even protect his own woman, he might as well die."
"Our demonic path's great righteousness is to act according to one's heart, to betray the world rather than betray oneself."
Chen Jiuyang's expression remained placid. "Good."
The Nascent Soul stage ancestor of the Han family stated his position.
Chen Biandao frowned and asked Chen Jiuyang, "Jiuyang, what exactly are you trying to do?"
Chen Jiuyang did not answer Chen Biandao. Instead, he loudly declared, "Please, Sword Bearer, come out and meet me."
The Sword Bearer of Ziyang City, Wan Xiu, appeared with his sword and bowed slightly to Chen Jiuyang. "May I know the reason?"
Chen Jiuyang also bowed to him. "Please, Sword Bearer, use the Authority Sword to summon 'Elder Shu' of the Forbidden City Sacred Land. I have a matter to ask."
That day at the Zhennan Army, Chen Jiuyang discovered that the Authority Sword had a hidden profound mystery. From thousands of miles away, Elder Shu of Jixia Academy could manifest.
Wan Xiu frowned and said, "Unless it is a matter of life and death urgency, you cannot use this. Otherwise, both you and I will suffer punishment from the Forbidden City."
He mentioned the Forbidden City here, not Jixia Academy.
This meant that although Jixia Academy was in the Forbidden City, they were two separate powers.
Chen Jiuyang's expression was solemn and serious. "Is a matter concerning the lives of my wife and daughter considered a matter of life and death urgency?"
Wan Xiu pondered for a moment. Chen Jiuyang had made many contributions to the Dragon Nation along the way, yet he had never wantonly killed innocents, nor had he sought any rewards.
This matter was too complex. Since Chen Jiuyang had said so,
Wan Xiu cut his finger, dripped his vital blood onto the Authority Sword, and said in a deep voice, "For urgent matters, please, Elder Shu, manifest."
A moment later, the Authority Sword erupted with a purple glow, and then the phantom image of Elder Shu from in front of Jixia Academy manifested, looking at Chen Jiuyang. "Junior, what trouble are you causing again?"
Chen Jiuyang cupped his fists and bowed. "Elder Shu, Junior has found the whereabouts of my wife and daughter, and I also know who the culprits are. This time I have summoned you to appear, I wish to ask if the Forbidden City or Jixia Academy are willing to assist Junior in retrieving my wife and daughter."
Everyone finally understood. It turned out that Chen Jiuyang had gone out for a few days and had actually found Yao Zixuan's whereabouts and knew who the enemy was.
But then, another doubt arose in their hearts.
Chen Jiuyang had gathered all the strength he could mobilize to save his wife and daughter.
Who exactly...
Everyone looked at Chen Jiuyang, and then waited for Elder Shu's reply.
Elder Shu's expression wavered, and he looked at Chen Jiuyang with a complex gaze. "I am ashamed of you. Jixia Academy has an agreement with the Forbidden City, and my Jixia Academy cannot intervene."
The hearts of the crowd were violently shaken, churning endlessly. What was going on? This Elder Shu seemed to know the truth of the inside story.
"Ha... Hahahahaha..." Chen Jiuyang suddenly burst into a mad laugh, his eyes filled with mockery as he looked at Elder Shu. "I thought you were a respected elder with a righteous heart. I didn't expect you to be a spineless coward who would bow before the Sacred Lands."
"That day, in front of the Zhennan Army, you appeared and told me that using the Ancestral Artifact to divine my wife and daughter's lives were safe."
"How could I, Chen Jiuyang, be worthy of the Ancestral Artifact moving for me?"
"What a joke."
Everyone's brows twitched violently. What had happened?
Chen Jiuyang's eyes held undeniable hatred. "Everyone present should want to know why my wife's clan, the Yao family, was annihilated, why my wife and daughter were abducted and their whereabouts unknown, and why the Divine Constable of the Six Doors, Ding Dian, could not find any clues."
"Who is the killer? So powerful?"
"Who is it!!!" Chen Biandao asked excitedly.
"The Five Great Sacred Lands."
A cold, murderous voice emerged from Chen Jiuyang's mouth. As the voice fell, it caused everyone's expressions to change.
Chen Fengge and the Nascent Soul stage ancestor of the Chen family's faces suddenly changed drastically.
Elder Shu sighed, closed his eyes, and his figure disappeared, unable to face Chen Jiuyang.
Chen Fengge could not remain calm. "Jiuyang, what exactly is going on?"
"The path of invincible divine power, also known as the path of the Human Emperor, forms its own destiny. I am the inheritor of this generation's path of the Human Emperor. Zi Xuan carries the bloodline of the Three Sovereigns and Five Emperors, and my daughter is the key to opening the rift to the Immortal Realm."
"The Five Great Sacred Lands destroyed the Yao family and abducted Zi Xuan because they wished to ascend to the Immortal Realm."
"Zi Xuan is currently in the Kunlun Sacred Land."
Chen Jiuyang revealed the truth, the amount of information was terrifyingly vast.
Before everyone could digest it, Chen Jiuyang continued, "I wish to join the demonic path and kill the pigs and dogs of the Five Great Sacred Lands to rescue my wife and daughter."
"This matter involves Kunlun, Shushan, the Forbidden City, Baiyujing, and Penglai."
Chen Fengge and the Nascent Soul stage ancestor of the Chen family's faces suddenly stiffened. The Chen family had been a member of the Shushan Sacred Land since ancient times, and their ancestors were even Grand Elders of the Shushan Sacred Land.
Unlike the reaction of the Chen family members, Han Peiling and the Nascent Soul stage ancestor of the Han family immediately burst into laughter.
Such a prodigy wishing to join their demonic path was a stroke of good fortune!
Since ancient times, the righteous and demonic paths had been irreconcilable. However, Chen Jiuyang, who originated from the righteous path, had close ties with the demonic path, and ultimately made a decision between the two.
Upon hearing the news, the world was shocked, and countless people cursed in anger.
"How could this be... how could this be..." Chen Biandao's face turned pale, and his voice trembled as he muttered to himself.
Chen Jiuyang looked at Chen Fengge and the Chen family's Nascent Soul ancestor. "As for the decision, please return and discuss it with everyone."
"If you do not support me, then remove my name from the family tree."
Then.
Chen Jiuyang looked at Lin Buwen and Lin Yuexian. "I am joining the demonic path, and the Lin family will be implicated or retaliated against. The Lin family must also make a decision."
Lin Yuexian immediately rushed into Chen Jiuyang's arms. "Where Brother Chen goes, I will go."
Lin Buwen stroked his beard and immediately said, "From this moment on, Lin Yuexian is removed from my Lin family's genealogy. My Lin family has no such daughter."