Zhong Yuande’s vital essence was severed by Chen Jiuyang, damaging his soul and leaving him exhausted by the time he fled to the Fengcheng branch of the Lotus Sect.
His face ashen, Zhong Yuande looked at Chen Jiuyang with terror in his eyes. His dozens of senior and junior brothers and sisters had gone to intercept and kill Chen Jiuyang. How long had it been? Three minutes or five? And Chen Jiuyang had dealt with them all?
Zhong Yuande knew he was no match for the renowned Marquis Xuanyang. Faced with Chen Jiuyang’s stern questioning, Zhong Yuande could only reply, “I am spent; I cannot escape.”
Chen Jiuyang asked, “Why were you harming people and raising Gu in Fengcheng?”
A hint of mockery flickered across Zhong Yuande’s face. “All thanks to you, Marquis Xuanyang.”
“Hm?” Chen Jiuyang’s eyes narrowed, and a terrifying pressure descended upon Zhong Yuande. He spoke slowly, “Do you dare say that again?”
“Crack—crack—”
It was as if a mountain had been placed upon Zhong Yuande. His face contorted in fear as the bones in his body creaked and groaned. What terrified him most was that this was not soul power or true qi, but pure aura!
What kind of martial path did this Marquis Xuanyang tread?
A flicker of greed crossed his mind. If his Gu worms could devour Chen Jiuyang’s physical essence and blood, perhaps his mother’s Longevity Divine Art could be immediately mastered.
Zhong Yuande said, “The martial arts world in Fengcheng is in chaos now, isn’t that all thanks to you?”
“What do you mean?” Chen Jiuyang asked.
Zhong Yuande explained, “Xi Butui held sway in Fengcheng for thirty years, backed by the King of Zhennan. For years, all the martial arts factions showed him due respect, not daring to cause trouble in Fengcheng. If you hadn’t killed Xi Butui, would our martial sects dare to harm people like this?”
Chen Jiuyang’s expression turned ice-cold. “Nonsense!”
“What is the purpose of martial artists practicing martial arts? To be like feudal nobles, devouring people?”
“There are countless martial artists in the world. Why do so many practice diligently, unlike you who tread the crooked path?”
“Showing respect to Xi Butui is a joke. It’s just fear of the strong, bullying the weak, and fear of death. Yet you dress it up with grand excuses.”
“Shifting your own problems onto others, and yet you feel no guilt, living with a clear conscience… This Lotus Sect is truly wicked…”
Zhong Yuande sneered, “This is inherently a world where people devour each other…”
He attempted to disrupt Chen Jiuyang’s state of mind, even hoping to twist Chen Jiuyang’s martial will. However, he underestimated Chen Jiuyang, this mere jester.
“Silence.”
A sharp voice commanded from Chen Jiuyang’s lips, followed by:
“Bang—”
Zhong Yuande’s tongue, lips, and teeth instantly exploded.
Zhong Yuande stared in horror. He hadn’t felt anything, yet his mouth had burst open. What was happening?
Only Chen Jiuyang knew that Zhong Yuande was filled with venom, and his body harbored Gu worms. Chen Jiuyang’s Triple Refinement Pure Yang Blood suppressed evil and was the nemesis of Gu worms. A mere trace of his aura caused the Gu worms within Zhong Yuande to run amok.
Chen Jiuyang’s eyes were cold. “Let’s see how you spew nonsense and mislead people with wicked doctrines from now on.”
“Snap! Snap! Snap!”
At this moment, applause echoed.
A chilling, deeply unsettling male voice spoke, “Marquis Xuanyang wreaks havoc in our Lotus Sect, speaking with such arrogance and acting so domineeringly.”
“Do you think you are one of our Dragon Country’s Heavenly Realm Kings?”
“Senior Brother!” Hearing the voice, Zhong Yuande’s eyes lit up with excitement. His taut nerves and pain seemed to vanish.
Chen Jiuyang’s gaze followed the sound. He saw a young man in black ancient robes slowly walking in from the staircase. The fine fabric was embroidered with various grotesque Gu worms, instilling fear at first glance.
“Though I am not a Heavenly Realm King of the Dragon Country, I am the Marquis Xuanyang, enfeoffed by the Dragon Country. In the face of pigs and dogs like you who commit evil, I, Chen Jiuyang, am arrogant. What will you do?”
Chen Jiuyang slowly raised his Yan Sheng Saber, his voice calm and indifferent:
“I, Chen Jiuyang, act domineeringly. What can you do?”
The domineering intent in his calm words made one’s brow furrow.
“I, Yu Feiyue, am the current chief disciple of the Lotus Sect. May I ask if Marquis Xuanyang would grant me some face and spare my junior brother?” Yu Feiyue’s face was expressionless as he said to Chen Jiuyang, “If Marquis Xuanyang does not grant me face, then it is an open war with our Lotus Sect. Marquis Xuanyang, you are of noble lineage from the Chen family of Shu Mountain. I hope you will reconsider.”
“No need to reconsider.” Chen Jiuyang’s voice was sharp. “Do vermin like you deserve my face?”
“If the Lotus Sect declares war on me, so be it. My life is here. If you have the guts, come and take it.”
A hint of coldness flashed in Yu Feiyue’s eyes, and his expression changed slightly. “Since that is the case, do not blame me for being impolite to Marquis Xuanyang.”
“Impolite?”
Chen Jiuyang scoffed, “Do you have the strength for that?”
As Chen Jiuyang’s voice fell, Yu Feiyue unleashed a foul-smelling, chilling poisonous palm towards Chen Jiuyang. It was incredibly fast, using neither true qi nor soul power, but pure physical strength.
An ordinary Grandmaster of the Earth Realm would surely be caught off guard and unable to withstand Yu Feiyue’s attack.
“Interesting.”
A glint flashed in Chen Jiuyang’s eyes. This Yu Feiyue was treading a similar path to him, not the path of overwhelming divine might, nor the path of invincible ancient martial arts.
Previously, the Heavenly King Alliance and the Chen family patriarch had mentioned that there were five paths to the Way of Heaven. Perhaps this Gu cultivation was one of them?
But this path was too disgusting and brutal, lacking any semblance of a martial artist.
“Bang—”
Chen Jiuyang swung his saber. A trace of his blood and qi leaked out. With this saber strike, he swept away Yu Feiyue’s attack.
“Sizzle! Sizzle!”
Yu Feiyue’s palm, which he had just extended, began to emit sizzling white smoke, causing his face to immediately darken. “Pure Yang?”
Chen Jiuyang said coldly, “It seems you have also taken the lives of many innocent people to achieve your current strength. Vermin like you cannot be spared.”
Immediately, the Yan Sheng Saber in Chen Jiuyang’s hand grew in size. Chen Jiuyang’s aura caused Yu Feiyue to tremble, his pupils constricting. “Such terrifying physique and aura, he walks the path of ancient martial arts, combined with Pure Yang true qi. This is bad; Marquis Xuanyang is naturally a counter to our Lotus Sect’s Longevity Divine Art lineage!”
“Escape!”
Numerous thoughts flashed through Yu Feiyue’s mind. He made an immediate decision, abandoning Zhong Yuande and preparing to flee!
“Do you think a piece of trash like you can escape?”
A cold voice sounded from behind Yu Feiyue. The hairs on his body stood on end, and the Gu worms within him went wild, forcing him to turn his head to look—
A massive saber shadow, carrying a terrifying aura, cleaved towards his body.
This was the last thing Yu Feiyue saw before being cleaved to death by Chen Jiuyang’s saber, leaving no remains!
Dozens of disgusting Gu worms poured out from Yu Feiyue’s corpse, attempting to escape.
“The person is dead, and you disgusting beasts still want to live?”
“Rumble!”
Chen Jiuyang swung his saber again.
The entire Lotus Sect’s branch building bore a massive saber-shaped hole, its walls blasted through.