The Heavenly Lightning Mark could indeed boost one’s combat strength by a single rank, but it couldn’t possibly allow someone to so easily inflict severe damage on Mo Song.
The fact that the Chu Heavenly Clan Leader could so effortlessly wound Mo Song indicated that he was already a Ninth Rank Exalted himself.
Because his base cultivation was already at the Ninth Rank Exalted, when he activated the Heavenly Lightning Mark on top of that, he was able to defeat Mo Song with such ease.
But consider this: the Li Heavenly Clan Leader, Li Dragon King, from one of the Ten Heavenly Clans, was only an Eighth Rank Exalted.
Now, the Chu Heavenly Clan Leader’s cultivation had reached the Ninth Rank Exalted—how could this not shock everyone?
It wasn’t just Mo Song who was stunned; those present were even more horrified.
Such strength was completely at odds with their impression of the Chu Heavenly Clan Leader.
Seemingly anticipating the crowd’s shocked reactions, the Chu Heavenly Clan Leader paid them no heed. Instead, he opened his palm.
Buzz—
A surge of martial power emanated from his palm, forming a short sword half a foot long.
The sword wriggled constantly, resembling a worm, and had an eerie quality to it.
“This is a Venerable Taboo Martial Skill I stumbled upon by chance,” he said.
“It’s called the Venerable Taboo Soul-shattering Sword.”
“In direct combat, the power of this Venerable Taboo Soul-shattering Sword is quite limited. But if it can be stabbed into someone’s body, that person will suffer excruciating torment until death.”
“If you confess honestly, I can spare your life. Otherwise… we’ll have to test just how potent the torment of this Venerable Taboo Soul-shattering Sword truly is on you.”
The Chu Heavenly Clan Leader looked at Mo Song as he spoke.
“Hahaha…” In response to the Chu Heavenly Clan Leader’s threat, Mo Song suddenly burst into laughter. Then, his gaze turned resolute and eerie. “I never would’ve thought you’d have such cultivation. You hid it well. Today, I miscalculated, but… my Blood-devouring Demon Clan will surely avenge me.”
Splurt—
As soon as he finished speaking, the blood-red wounds on Mo Song’s body began to spurt blood. At the same time, the blood glowed with a crimson radiance, and his entire body shone like a blood-red sun, radiating intensely.
“Brother Chu, be careful!” Seeing this, the Li Heavenly Clan Leader hurriedly warned.
But the Chu Heavenly The Chu Heavenly Clan Leader seemed prepared. With a flick of his finger, the short sword shot toward Mo Song’s body.
The moment the sword pierced Mo Song, a golden light erupted from within him, enveloping him.
Boom—
Suddenly, a tremendous explosion shook the Void Sacred Tree, causing the heavens and earth to tremble.
When the light surrounding Mo Song dissipated, he was gone, leaving only a pool of red and blue liquid on the ground.
“I knew the Blood-devouring Demon Clan members were tight-lipped, choosing to self-destruct when faced with interrogation. To think that after so many years, their resolve remains so fierce,” the Chu Heavenly Clan Leader remarked.
At that moment, the crowd realised that the dagger in the Chu Heavenly Clan Leader’s hand wasn’t meant for torture at all—it was specifically designed to counter self-destruction.
From the start, the Chu Heavenly Clan Leader had devised a strategy to deal with this. His earlier words were merely a ploy to intimidate Mo Song.
But what astonished the crowd most wasn’t the Chu Heavenly Clan Leader’s meticulous planning—it was his cultivation.
“Brother Chu, I never would’ve thought your cultivation surpassed mine. You’ve hidden it well,” the Li Heavenly Clan Leader said, stepping forward.
“The Chu Heavenly Clan Leader truly keeps his cards close to his chest,” echoed the experts from various forces, approaching him.
But the most obsequious among them was Moyi Qing from the Moyi Heavenly Clan.
Though the Moyi Heavenly Clan was formidable, even they had to treat an Exalted Pinnacle expert with respect—let alone someone like him.
Especially when he recalled how he had tried to snatch the golden fruit from the Chu Heavenly Clan Leader, he grew even more uneasy, doubling his efforts to curry favour to avoid any blame.
As for the others, they had previously looked down on the Chu Heavenly Clan Leader, but now they dared not. No one would disrespect an Exalted Pinnacle expert—unless they were a Supreme Venerable.
Across the entire Ancestral Martial Starfield, Supreme Venerables numbered only a handful.
Thus, the Exalted Pinnacle was an immensely powerful realm, just a step away from the Supreme Venerable Realm.
The most awe-inspiring aspect, beyond his cultivation, was the Chu Heavenly Clan Leader’s patience.
Many believed he had long been a Ninth Rank Exalted, far from mediocre, but had kept it hidden.
For so many years, he had concealed his true cultivation, enduring humiliation, oppression, and even severe injuries in silence. This level of endurance earned their deep respect.
“In truth, I didn’t intentionally hide my cultivation. My current achievements are largely thanks to Chu Feng,” the Chu Heavenly Clan Leader said with a smile.
“Chu Feng? Brother Chu, don’t jest,” the crowd responded, thinking it a joke.
No matter how talented Chu Feng was, he couldn’t possibly have helped the Chu Heavenly Clan Leader improve his cultivation, could he?
After all, Chu Feng was only at the Exalted Realm himself.
To their reactions, the Chu Heavenly Clan Leader merely smiled, offering no further explanation. But he knew full well that his current cultivation was indeed thanks to Chu Feng.
Back in the Wuma Heavenly Clan’s territory, within that ancient ruin, many had left empty-handed.
But Chu Feng, with his exceptional comprehension, had obtained a vast amount of cultivation treasures. These treasures were immensely beneficial for Exalted Realm experts, allowing rapid cultivation breakthroughs in a short time.
It was precisely because of those treasures that the Chu Heavenly Clan Leader had advanced from Fifth Rank Exalted to Ninth Rank Exalted in such a short period.
After years of slow cultivation progress, he had achieved such a dramatic leap solely through these treasures.
No one would believe it if told, and even he would have doubted such a story if it had happened to someone else.
But having experienced it himself, he had no choice but to believe.
And knowing they wouldn’t believe him either, the Chu Heavenly Clan Leader chose not to explain further.
