The power of beauty was unimaginably immense.
In just a short while.
A vast crowd had gathered before Ji Mo.
Calls of "Uncle!" and "Esteemed Uncle!" echoed incessantly. These people seemed to genuinely regard Ji Mo as a close maternal uncle, stepping forward to protect him.
Of course, their actions weren't entirely for Chi Qingying and Xia Wan'er; it was more about currying favor with Ji Mo.
A being as young and talented as an Immortal Emperor was enough to inspire everyone to seek connection, leverage, and patronage.
As for the lecher who had called him "brother-in-law," he was silenced. Someone had struck him from behind and dragged him to a corner for a thorough beating.
How dare he harbor lecherous thoughts about Madam Chi? It was suicidal!
The situation changed in an instant, leaving the ten-odd factions preparing to attack stunned!
What in the world was going on?
Were these people out of their minds, scrambling to claim him as an uncle, shamelessly?
They awaited Han Zhu's instructions, wondering if they should engage in combat.
Upon discovering that Han Zhu had already departed, they could only hurl a few harsh words and slink away.
"You scoundrels, traitors, I will not let you go."
Madam Chi watched their retreating figures, her face filled with murderous intent.
The situation was now crystal clear. These individuals had undoubtedly betrayed Lanyu City and sided with the Sea Clan, making them unforgivable.
Especially those few aristocratic families that belonged to the West Coast Defense Line Alliance – they were the most detestable and must be utterly purged.
"Madam Chi, don't you recognize the reality? The Heaven and Earth Three Talents Array Diagram has been destroyed. You, a widow with an orphan, how can you possibly deal with us? If you know what's good for you, flee and escape immediately, far from the Arctic Ocean. Otherwise, when the Sea Clan lands, your Chi family will have nowhere to be buried."
Facing Madam Chi's threats, those people retorted.
They no longer bothered to conceal their intentions. It wouldn't be long before Han Zhu led the Sea Clan army to occupy Lanyu City.
Madam Chi trembled with anger, yet she was helpless.
This was the truth. With the Heaven and Earth Three Talents Array Diagram lost and so many traitors emerging, Lanyu City was no longer impregnable. The West Coast Defense Line would definitely not be able to withstand those ambitious Sea Clan members.
The Chi family now had only two options: flee or hold their ground.
But the Chi family had defended Lanyu City for generations, their ancestors' blood spilled across the West Coast. How could they flee? How would they flee?
"Madam Chi, as long as you let me go, I will surely put in a good word for you with the Merfolk, asking them to spare your Chi family… Ah…"
Ximen Yaoqing seized the opportunity to negotiate for his life.
However, before he could finish, he let out a scream. Ji Mo's slap had already sent half his face askew, preventing him from babbling further.
"Ji Mo, if you kill me, Chi Qingying will have to accompany me in death."
Ximen Yaoqing spat out a mouthful of blood, his eyes filled with malice.
He felt that his tragic life had begun the moment he met Ji Mo by the sea.
"Miss Qingying is blessed with great fortune and a long life. She won't be harmed even if you die ten thousand times."
Ji Mo had some confidence in his metaphysical skills and completely ignored Ximen Yaoqing's threat.
Ximen Yaoqing retorted directly, "Heh, now Chi Qingying has fallen into the hands of my ancestor, Ximen Dun. She is already a lamb waiting to be slaughtered. If anything happens to me, my ancestor will surely kill Chi Qingying in his rage…"
However, before he could finish speaking, he was interrupted again.
This time, the interruption wasn't a slap, but a deafening roar.
In the mountain range a hundred miles from Lanyu City, a world-shattering explosion occurred. A mine there had directly detonated.
"Judging by the location, it seems to be the Ximen family's Lanyu mineral vein. Could some treasure have appeared?"
Almost all eyes were drawn to the spectacle, eager to see what had happened.
Some quick-witted individuals immediately set off for the scene.
The mountains surrounding Lanyu City were rich in Lanyu ore. Lanyu was not only a precious gemstone but also an expensive material for refining artifacts.
Furthermore, Lanyu ore possessed the characteristic of preserving items for long periods, thus ancient divine objects and rare herbs were often unearthed from the mineral veins.
Some even excavated the corpses of deities, suspected to belong to a previous civilization.
The appearance of divine objects was often accompanied by celestial phenomena and various significant events, which led to such speculation.
"It's not the appearance of a treasure, but a battle between powerful beings."
Some beings with powerful divine senses detected the anomaly. There were two incredibly potent energy fluctuations in that area.
Boom!
Boom!
Another two consecutive roars echoed, and another peak collapsed.
Following that, a brilliant, crescent-shaped sword energy tore through the earth, shooting straight into the sky.
"Void Sword Qi! It's Godmother."
Xia Wan'er cried out excitedly.
Indeed, a petite and beautiful figure emerged from the ground. Chi Qingying had finally broken through the heavy killing formations within the underground mine and escaped.
However, her consumption was immense. A fine layer of sweat beaded on her smooth forehead, and her considerable chest heaved, revealing her ample assets.
Meanwhile, another ancient figure pursued her at an even faster speed, intercepting Chi Qingying in mid-air.
"I am truly surprised that you have mastered the Void Sword Dao of the Great Immortal Kongxu! If you don't want to die, surrender obediently and hand over the Void Sword Technique. Otherwise, don't blame me for bullying the young and destroying the beautiful."
Ximen Dun's eyes gleamed with greed.
Who wouldn't covet the sword techniques of the Great Immortal Kongxu? Who wouldn't want to obtain them?
Although the Void Sword Technique was peerless in offense, Chi Qingying had expended a large amount of immortal energy breaking through the formations, causing Ximen Dun to still not take her seriously.
"A good dog doesn't block the way. If you don't move aside, don't blame me for being impolite."
At this moment, Chi Qingying was worried about the safety of the Chi family and her immediate priority was to return.
Being blocked by Ximen Dun now, she was filled with frustration.
"Youngster, do you really think that by learning some superficial aspects of the Void Sword Technique, you can disregard the immensity of heaven and earth and dare to bark orders at me? Beneath the Immortal Emperor, all are ants. Today, I shall let you witness the resplendent heavenly might of the Emperor Immortal realm!"
Ximen Dun laughed wildly towards the sky, unleashing his pressure without reservation.
He had one foot already in the Emperor Immortal realm, having preliminarily grasped some abilities to control the laws of heaven and earth. He was absolutely confident that he could easily crush Chi Qingying.
The sky roared with wind, clouds churned, and heavy leaden clouds rapidly gathered above Ximen Dun's head.
Lightning flashed, electric snakes danced, and thunderous roars reverberated through the heavens and earth.
Ximen Dun manipulated the laws of lightning, his body crackling with electricity, as if he had transformed into a master of thunder. With every move, he unleashed vast seas of lightning, his aura terrifying!
"Ximen Dun has been in seclusion for a thousand years and has actually taken this step!"
"No wonder the Ximen family dared to oppose the Chi family. It turns out they are about to have an Immortal Emperor, giving them sufficient confidence."
"Chi Qingying is also a peerless prodigy, but ultimately she is far inferior. Her current condition is also not right. She will likely be utterly defeated."
Almost everyone was not optimistic about Chi Qingying's chances. The disparity in strength between the two was evident to all.
It was likely that within a few moves, Chi Qingying would be captured by Ximen Dun.
"See? My ancestor is already a half-step Immortal Emperor. Killing Chi Qingying is as easy as flipping a hand. Hurry and release me, and I'll have my ancestor spare Chi Qingying's life."
Ximen Yaoqing couldn't help but shout, regaining his arrogance.
Xia Wan'er grabbed Ji Mo's hand and said anxiously, "Mr. Ji, quickly display your divine powers, kill Ximen Dun, and save Godmother."
Madam Chi and Cui Niang also cast pleading glances, their hopes now resting entirely on Ji Mo.