“Clear out loose ends?”
“Li Taiyi, what do you mean by that?” someone asked.
“With the Gate of the Upper Realm open and the two worlds merged, a clash between my Li Celestial Clan and the Chu Celestial Clan is inevitable. If I don’t eliminate him now, when will I?” Li Taiyi replied coldly.
“This…”
The crowd, initially inclined to mediate, fell silent. It wasn’t that they’d given up—they simply realized, after hearing Li Taiyi’s motive, that persuasion was futile.
To Li Taiyi, the treasure here likely paled in comparison to killing the Chu Celestial Clan Leader.
After all, with the Chu Celestial Clan Leader dead, the clan would be leaderless, incapable of opposing the Li Celestial Clan. The Great Thousand Upper Realm would fall into their hands.
Yet someone spoke up—the Wuma Celestial Clan Leader.
“Brother Li, Brother Chu has been my close friend for years. Even if your clans will clash someday, while we’re in Wuma Celestial Clan territory, could you give me some face?” As he spoke, he stepped in front of the Chu Celestial Clan Leader, shielding him.
A faint smile curved the Chu Celestial Clan Leader’s lips.
True friendship shines in adversity. Though the Wuma Celestial Clan Leader was notoriously stingy and sharp-tongued, his actions now revealed his loyalty and honor.
“Brother Wuma, it’s not that I won’t give you face—it’s that opportunities like this don’t come twice. Since he’s delivered himself to me, how could I let him go?” Li Taiyi sneered, showing no intention of yielding.
“Brother Li, if you insist on acting, my Wuma Celestial Clan won’t stand by idly,” the Wuma Celestial Clan Leader declared.
“Brother Wuma, I don’t mean to belittle you, but ask yourself this: even if you want to protect him, can you?” Li Taiyi retorted.
As he spoke, a tremendous aura surged from him.
Sixth-rank Venerable—Li Taiyi was a Sixth-rank Venerable.
The Chu Celestial Clan Leader and Wuma Celestial Clan Leader were both Fifth-rank Venerables.
The Wuma Celestial Clan Leader couldn’t stop him.
“Hmph.” Facing Li Taiyi’s arrogance, the Wuma Celestial Clan Leader snorted, then turned to the crowd. “Everyone, we owe our presence here to Lord Liangqiu Chengfeng’s efforts. But without young Chu Feng breaking the other main formation, even Liangqiu Chengfeng couldn’t have brought us this far.”
“Now, Li Taiyi attacks the Chu Celestial Clan Leader for his own gain. Is this just? If Lord Liangqiu Chengfeng weren’t injured and unconscious, would he allow this?”
“This…”
The crowd fell into contemplation.
They’d all seen Liangqiu Chengfeng’s fondness for Chu Feng. If he were awake, he’d never permit Li Taiyi to harm the Chu Celestial Clan Leader.
“Elder Li, we’re allies for now. Why not settle your grudge with the Chu Celestial Clan Leader later?” someone suggested.
“Right, with Lord Liangqiu Chengfeng gravely injured, we should unite—how can we afford infighting?” others chimed in.
“I’ll make this clear: anyone who stands in my way today will face my wrath,” Li Taiyi said coldly.
His released pressure bore down on everyone, silencing those who’d spoken.
Li Taiyi was known for his ruthlessness—he didn’t just talk; he acted. No one wanted to risk their neck for the Chu Celestial Clan Leader.
“Li Taiyi, what if this old man stops you?”
At that moment, a gray-haired elder stepped from the crowd, positioning himself before the Chu and Wuma Celestial Clan Leaders.
Joy lit up the faces of the Wuma Celestial Clan Leader and the others.
This elder, Song Boqiu, was a lone wanderer unaffiliated with any faction, yet his strength was formidable.
Aside from Liangqiu Chengfeng, he was likely the only one present who could stand against Li Taiyi.
Li Taiyi’s brows furrowed, a glint of killing intent in his eyes. “Song Boqiu, this doesn’t concern you. I advise you to stay out of it, lest you bring trouble on yourself.”
“Haha, I’ve roamed the Ancestral Martial Star Region for years—trouble’s the last thing I fear!” Song Boqiu laughed heartily. His robes billowed as a mighty pressure erupted from him.
Even Li Taiyi’s expression shifted.
Song Boqiu’s aura dwarfed Li Taiyi’s by several magnitudes—he was a Seventh-rank Venerable.
“Li Taiyi, still think I’ll bring trouble on myself?” Song Boqiu taunted.
Li Taiyi’s face darkened. With a flick of his sleeve and a cold huff, he fell silent.
He was fuming. He’d planned to eliminate the Chu Celestial Clan Leader here, but Song Boqiu’s intervention threw him off. The man had no ties to the Chu Celestial Clan and was famously aloof, often refusing to help even in dire situations.
Yet today, he’d chosen to aid the Chu Celestial Clan Leader—a miscalculation on Li Taiyi’s part.
His biggest error, though, was underestimating Song Boqiu’s cultivation, which surpassed his own.
*Buzz—*
Suddenly, a boundary gate opened on the opposite side of the hall.
Chu Feng and the younger generation poured out from it.
“Senior?”
Spotting the injured Chu Celestial Clan Leader, Chu Feng rushed to his side.
“Chu Feng, I’m fine,” the Clan Leader said with a weak smile. Though the Wuma Celestial Clan Leader was treating him, his soul was wounded—a injury Chu Feng couldn’t heal. It would take time to recover.
“Senior, who hurt you? Was it Li Taiyi?” Chu Feng’s gaze shifted to Li Taiyi.
He could tell at a glance that the injury was man-made and fresh, likely inflicted here. Li Taiyi was the only suspect.
“It was me. What can you do about it?” Li Taiyi sneered, his eyes dripping with contempt.
Even if Song Boqiu outmatched him, he doubted the elder would kill him.
And aside from Song Boqiu, no one could challenge him—least of all Chu Feng.
Chu Feng’s brows furrowed, rage flaring in his eyes. Uncontrollable killing intent surged from him.
Yet he was powerless. This was an opponent even the Chu Celestial Clan Leader couldn’t handle—what could he do?
Seeing Chu Feng’s frustration, Li Taiyi’s mocking grin widened.
“Chu Feng, come quick—my senior brother’s hurt!” the Liangqiu sisters called out in unison.
Only then did Chu Feng notice Liangqiu Chengfeng’s condition.
He hurried over, assessing the injury.
At first, he was tense.
The Chu Celestial Clan Leader’s soul wound could heal with time, but Liangqiu Chengfeng’s injury was dire. The boundary energy eroded his body like poison—untreated, it could be fatal.
Soon, though, Chu Feng relaxed. He’d found a way to help.
A ruthless glint flickered in his eyes.
Instead of treating Liangqiu Chengfeng immediately, he stood and scanned the room. “Everyone, do you want that treasure?” he asked, pointing to the object sealed within the formation.
“Young Chu Feng, can you break that formation and claim it?” the crowd asked eagerly.
“I can’t, but I can dispel the boundary energy afflicting Senior Liangqiu Chengfeng. Once he’s awake, he’ll surely have a way,” Chu Feng said.
“Chu Feng, if you can help, why aren’t you saving my brother?” Liangqiu Hongyue demanded urgently.
Chu Feng ignored her, addressing the group instead. “Kill him for me, and I’ll heal Liangqiu Chengfeng. Otherwise, none of you will get that treasure.”
The crowd stirred, stunned that Chu Feng would use Liangqiu Chengfeng’s treatment as leverage to exact revenge.
“Hahaha!” A wild laugh erupted—Li Taiyi’s.
He laughed hysterically, his voice thick with mockery. After a while, he fixed Chu Feng with a scornful stare. “Chu Feng, you’re too naive. Who do you think I am? What do you think the Li Celestial Clan is?”
“Do you really believe anyone here would dare offend my clan for you—or for that treasure?”
Boom—
Before he finished, his expression twisted. He flew backward, crashing into the rock wall.
When he landed, his body was mangled, his flesh torn, his soul gravely wounded.
Someone had struck!
