「Elders' Court.」
In the vast council hall, the Great Elder stood alone by the window, his hands clasped behind his back, motionless.
"Jin Zheng and Wu Xing, those two old bastards! They actually snuck off to Chilian Peak without a word. Even if they knew I wouldn't go, the least they could do was notify !" the Great Elder grumbled, his expression dark with displeasure. "This is getting more and more ridiculous. Where does this put ?"
With a cold snort, he subconsciously glanced at the ti and muttered, "I wonder how far this battle has progressed. Has a victor erged yet?"
Though he appeared calm on the surface, he was inwardly tense and anxious. This battle was of the utmost importance, not just for him, but for the entire Martial Departnt and even the whole empire. So much so that he was beginning to regret not going to Chilian Peak himself.
THUD. THUD. THUD.
As footsteps approached, the Great Elder spun around, his piercing gaze fixed on the doorway. The newcor was a tall, powerfully built middle-aged man: Ye Cang, the Great Elder's assistant and confidant.
Facing the Great Elder's eager stare, Ye Cang quickened his pace and spoke directly. "Great Elder, events have gone completely off the rails."
"Chen Yang has shattered the Qi Family, one of Cangyun City's eight great families."
The Great Elder was speechless for a mont. "What do you an, 'shattered'?" he asked, first stunned and then confused. How on earth did the Qi Family get involved?
Ye Cang's mouth twitched. "With a single sword strike, the entire Qi Family Ancestral Mansion was reduced to rubble. A complete wasteland."
"Of the eight powerful families of Cangyun City, only seven remain."
That damned brat... the Great Elder thought, his eyelid twitching. Does he have to be so ruthless? Causing such an earth-shattering scene with a single move?
"What about Xue Dalong?" The Great Elder decided to ignore the matter of the Qi Family for now and cut straight to the point.
"Xue Dalong has been watching from the sidelines the entire ti. He and Chen Yang never fought after they finished their drinks."
The Great Elder was stunned again. They had drinks together in public? More importantly, just how powerful has that brat beco? To think he could annihilate the great Qi Family of Cangyun City just like that? And with a single sword strike...
"By the way, he used the Su Family's Traveling Dragon Sword," Ye Cang added.
"That Su Yan!"
The Great Elder walked back to the window, clasping his hands behind his back once more. "So, you've all decided to play the hero. And what about ? Heh..."
That sa piece of news sent shockwaves through all of Cangyun City. First, the sudden destruction of the Liu Family, and now the Qi Family.
How could one man be so formidable?
In the past, people had only heard rumors of his military exploits and the number of enemies he had slain. No one had a concrete understanding of his overall strength.
But today, they had finally witnessed it.
Not even a power as great as one of the eight noble families could withstand the might of his sword. So, this was how terrifyingly strong he truly was.
「On this day.」
His power was deeply seared into the minds of everyone present. At the sa ti, many powerful clans and families learned a valuable lesson: it was best to keep their heads down until the situation was perfectly clear.
The Liu Family and the Qi Family were pri examples—their entire clans had been exterminated.
* * *
Tens of thousands of people had gathered on Chilian Peak, yet the once-bustling crowd had fallen into an eerie, deathly silence. As far as the eye could see, the vast, dark-clad crowd stood like an army of statues, utterly still.
In the distance, the smoke had cleared to reveal the Qi Family's estate, now nothing but a field of ruins.
Liu Tianxiong had been pierced through the chest by a sword, pinning him to the rubble. The other clansn were a wretched sight, prostrated on the ground in terror, not daring to move a muscle.
"Tsk, tsk. So that's how this big shot made the Barbarians cast off their armor and retreat thirty miles. It wasn't just his skill in leading troops, but this overwhelming power that eclipses the current generation."
"Everyone thought he'd be a toothless tiger after resigning. This is an absolute shocker."
"The Qi Family... they're well and truly finished."
After a long while, the crowd of tens of thousands finally began to recover, gathering in small groups as a cacophony of discussion erupted. With their ancestral mansion destroyed, only a mob remained, incapable of posing any real threat. They had been one of Cangyun City's eight great families, with a legacy spanning over a century, yet they were wiped out in an instant.
Who would have believed it without seeing it with their own eyes?
Nearby, Qi Ying had collapsed to the ground, his face ashen and his spirit utterly broken, as if all the life had been drained from him. This outco... I never could have imagined it, not even in my wildest dreams! How... how can he be so strong?
"AHH!"
Suddenly, a furious roar ripped from his throat as he tilted his head back and howled at the sky. "To destroy a family's foundation with a wave of your hand! You disgrace the title of Nine Gates Admiral! What kind of great figure are you?!"
"I will not submit to you!"
"When have I, Chen Yang, ever required the approval or submission of others for my actions?" Chen Yang said coolly.
"You are arrogant!" Qi Tianxiong, now in a near-frenzied state, roared hideously. "The Qi Family is destroyed, but you won't live past today! You will join my family in death!"
"Xue Dalong, what are you standing there for? Get over here and slaughter this bastard!" Qi Tianxiong turned, directing the full force of his fury at Xue Dalong. "Delay any longer, and your entire Xue Family will drown in a river of blood! You know the reach of my Qi Family's influence!"
Having reached this point, he dropped all pretense and began issuing direct orders to Xue Dalong. All he wanted now was to witness Chen Yang's death with his own eyes.
"Your Qi Family?" Xue Dalong bared his teeth in a grin. "Is there even a Qi Family left in Cangyun City?"
Qi Tianxiong fell silent. He subconsciously glanced toward the ruins at the foot of the mountain, his eyes burning with such rage that they looked ready to split. My Qi Family!
"If you don't make your move, I have a thousand ways to destroy your Xue Family! That little girl from before... you seem quite fond of her. I will—"
Before he could finish, Xue Dalong moved.
He didn't charge Chen Yang, however. Instead, he swung his long spear down toward Qi Tianxiong.
SWISH!
With a spray of blood, Qi Tianxiong's entire right shoulder and arm were severed from his body. They flew high into the air before landing on a nearby slope.
"You threaten again and again using my Lanlan," Xue Dalong seethed, his killing intent flaring as an icy chill shot from his eyes. "Did you really think I was good-tempered?"
"You... you..." Qi Tianxiong stamred, collapsing into a pool of his own blood with a look of pure horror.
But soon, that horror twisted into a hideous laugh. He knew that neither Chen Yang nor Xue Dalong would survive the day. I'll just sit right here and wait for you all to die!
Chen Yang sheathed his longsword in the side of the airship and turned to Xue Dalong with a smile. "Senior, shall we begin?"
"CO!"
Though just a single word, it was brimming with fighting spirit and an imnse aura. Xue Dalong gave his spear a shake, and the shaft humd and vibrated as strands of golden light coiled around it.
Fifteenth Stage—A Chessboard of Stars.
"Even if you can kill with a single punch, I want you to hold nothing back," Xue Dalong's voice bood like thunder as his aura surged skyward.
He was, in fact, seeking death.
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