Chapter 158 Demanding Justice!

The next morning, as the first ray of sunlight pierced through the clouds and shone upon the Eastern Continent, a shocking piece of news spread to every corner of the Eastern Continent with astonishing speed, as if it had grown wings.

The Great Chu Dynasty, which had stood in the Eastern Continent for five thousand years and was known as the strongest nation, had fallen!

The Great Chu Imperial Family had been completely wiped out!

The two peak Martial Venerable Realm experts who descended from the Central Plains were killed on the spot by a mysterious expert from the Asura Hall!

This series of news, like heavy bombs, sent the entire cultivation world of the Eastern Continent into a daze.

The first reaction of countless sects, families, and rogue cultivators upon hearing this news was—Impossible!

But with the news of the nine great dynasties carving up the territory of the Great Chu Dynasty, and the release of the recording stone showing the mountain of corpses and sea of blood at Tianmen Pass, everyone had to accept this insane fact.

Asura Hall. Ye Haocheng. Three thousand Martial Saints. Overnight, these three names became the most terrifying taboos in the Eastern Continent and the most fervent legends in the hearts of countless young people.

In teahouses, taverns, and on every street corner, everyone was discussing that earth-shattering battle.

"Have you heard? That Palace Master Ye killed a Central Plains expert with a single sword strike! And that was a peak Martial Venerable Realm expert!"

"Pfft, what's that? The most terrifying one is that gray-robed elder. I heard he covered the sky with just one hand!"

"The Great Chu Imperial Family deserved it. They committed so many sins back then, and now, it's retribution."

"The sky of this Eastern Continent has changed..."

Some were happy, while others were sorrowful.

The happy ones were the small factions that had been oppressed by the Great Chu Dynasty for years, while the sorrowful ones were the families that had once been attached to the Great Chu Dynasty.

But regardless, everyone knew one thing: a new era had arrived.

The Central Plains were vast and boundless.

This was the center of this world, where spiritual energy was so dense it turned into mist and fell as sweet rain.

Between famous mountains and great rivers, sects stood in great numbers, and dynasties were as numerous as rain.

For the spiritually barren Eastern Continent, this place was the legendary "Immortal Realm."

The Chu Family, Shenxiao Ridge.

As one of the top ancient families in the Central Plains, the Chu Family occupied this Shenxiao Ridge, which possessed ninety-nine supreme-grade spiritual veins.

Floating islands appeared and disappeared in the clouds, magnificent palaces stretched on endlessly, countless rare birds and beasts shuttled through the forests, and auspicious clouds and aura shrouded this ancient land.

In the deepest forbidden area of the Chu Family, there was a simple and solemn hall—the Hall of Longevity.

Inside the hall, there were no golden or magnificent decorations, only rows of black jade lamps arranged in a staircase pattern.

Within these lamps, what burned was not ordinary fire, but ghost-blue soul flames.

Each soul flame represented the life of a core direct descendant or high-level elder of the Chu Family.

As long as the soul flame did not extinguish, life continued.

Responsible for guarding the Hall of Longevity was a hunched, gray-robed old servant.

He had guarded this place for three hundred years and had long since grown accustomed to its silence.

However, today's silence was broken by a crisp and harsh cracking sound. "Crack!"

This sound seemed exceptionally terrifying in the empty hall.

The gray-robed old servant, who was cleaning dust, suddenly froze, a flicker of confusion flashing in his murky old eyes.

He slowly straightened his back and looked toward the direction the sound came from.

That was the third step where the elders' life tablets were placed.

When his gaze touched the two purple jade tablets standing side by side, his pupils suddenly constricted to the size of pinpricks, and the broom in his hand fell to the ground with a "clatter."

He saw that the two life tablets engraved with the characters "Xuan" and "Ming" were currently covered in cracks like spiderwebs.

"Bang! Bang!" Immediately after, before he could react, two even more violent explosions rang out.

The two life tablets symbolizing the peak Martial Venerable Realm experts had actually shattered into powder at the same time!

The two soul flames that had been burning vigorously were extinguished in an instant, turning into two wisps of green smoke that dissipated into the air.

"This... how is this possible?!"

The gray-robed old servant was scared out of his wits, his legs went weak, and he collapsed onto the ground, emitting a shrill scream: "Something terrible has happened!! The soul lamps of Elder Xuan and Elder Ming... are extinguished!!"

This scream, amplified by spiritual power, instantly spread throughout the entire Shenxiao Ridge.

Boom—!!!

Almost at the same instant the soul lamps were extinguished, in the magnificent palace named "Star-Plucking Pavilion" at the highest point of Shenxiao Ridge, an extremely terrifying aura suddenly erupted.

The strength of this aura instantly scattered the clouds for ten thousand miles, causing the originally clear sky to instantly become covered in dark clouds, with lightning snakes dancing wildly.

The entire Chu Family, from the Supreme Elders in closed-door cultivation to the newly entered chore disciples, felt as if a great mountain was pressing on their chests, and their souls were trembling.

"That is... the Patriarch's aura?!" "Why is the Patriarch so furious?"

In the midst of countless terrified gazes, the figure of a middle-aged man wearing a purple-gold dragon-patterned robe tore through the void and appeared above the Hall of Longevity.

This person had a majestic face, eyes like lightning, and nine golden giant dragons condensed from pure spiritual power circled his body, each dragon's breath causing the space to vibrate.

Chu Yunxiao's figure flashed, and he appeared inside the Hall of Longevity.

Looking at the two piles of jade tablet fragments that had long turned into powder, for the first time, Chu Yunxiao's face, which had been as calm as an ancient well for years, revealed undisguised shock and fury.

"Dead?" "Elder Xuan and Elder Ming... actually dead?!"

His voice was low and hoarse, suppressing a volcano about to erupt.

These two elders were not ordinary tribesmen, but genuine peak Martial Venerable Realm experts!

They were only half a step away from the Martial God Realm!

The two of them combined, with the joint-attack secret techniques and life-saving trump cards bestowed by the family, even if they encountered a true low-stage Martial God, even if they couldn't win, they could definitely escape.

Moreover, the place they went to was the Eastern Continent, known as the "Abandoned Land" and "Prison"!

In that barren land with thin spiritual energy, where it was difficult even for a Martial Venerable to be born, how could someone be able to kill them?!

"Who is it?!!!"

Chu Yunxiao roared at the sky, the terrifying sound wave directly collapsing the roof of the Hall of Longevity, "Who dares to kill my Chu Family's people!!"

"Whether it is the remnants of that abandoned dynasty or some blind reclusive old monster, if you dare to touch my Chu Family's core elders, I will definitely extract your soul, refine your soul, and exterminate your nine generations!!"

Anger clouded Chu Yunxiao's reason.

Humiliation! This was a great humiliation the Chu Family had never experienced in ten thousand years!

Two peak Martial Venerable Realm experts died in a godforsaken place like the Eastern Continent. If this news spread, how could the Chu Family maintain its footing in the Central Plains?

"Come here!"

Chu Yunxiao's eyes were blood-red as he roared at the void, "Summon the First Elder and Second Elder! Muster the family's Divine Guard! Activate the cross-domain teleportation array! I will personally go to the Eastern Continent and wash that wasteland in blood!!"

However. Just as Chu Yunxiao was preparing to disregard everything and mobilize the family's resources to kill toward the Eastern Continent, Hum—The space above Shenxiao Ridge suddenly distorted without warning.

It was not in one place, but from the four directions of southeast, northwest, huge spatial vortices appeared simultaneously.

Four terrifying auras, not in the least weaker than Chu Yunxiao, and perhaps even more unfathomable in some aspects, crossed the boundary from those four vortices, instantly locking down all spatial nodes where the Chu Family was located.

The originally furious Chu Yunxiao's expression changed suddenly after feeling these familiar auras.

He looked up fiercely, his gaze piercing through the void, staring fixedly at the descending figures.

"These old foxes... how did they come so quickly?"

The anger in Chu Yunxiao's heart was forced down by half, replaced by deep wariness and gloom.

He knew that these people appearing at the same time were definitely not here to drink tea and chat about old times.

Chu Yunxiao snorted coldly, his figure flickered, and he arrived directly at the ten-thousand-foot altitude outside the Chu Family's protective array.

Opposite him stood four majestic figures.

In the due east, one person had a simple sword on his back, his sword intent piercing the sky, as if the person himself were a divine sword piercing the firmament.

He was the Sect Master of the Heavenly Sword Sect, the number one sword cultivation sect in the Central Plains, Sword Venerable Dugu Ao.

In the due south, one person wore a crimson robe, surrounded by exotic fire that burned everything, the Tower Master of the Alchemy Tower, Medicine Venerable Yan Jin.

In the due west, a beautiful woman wearing a hundred-flower flowing immortal dress, her face peerless but exuding a coldness that kept people at a distance, she was the Holy Master of the Yaochi Holy Land, Yao Ji.

In the due north, there was a mysterious person shrouded in black mist, whose face could not be seen, and from whom only waves of ghostly wailing could be heard; he was the Hall Master of the Soul Hall, Soul Heavenly Emperor.

These four, plus the Chu Family's Chu Yunxiao, were the five giants standing at the very top of the pyramid in the Central Plains.

"Fellow Daoists, coming uninvited today and joining forces to lock down my Chu Family's space, what is the intent?"

Chu Yunxiao stood with his hands behind his back, and although he felt wary, he did not give an inch in momentum, coldly questioning, "Could it be that you are bullying my Chu Family, wanting to join forces to start a war?"

"Hehe, Patriarch Chu, you take it too seriously."

Yan Jin of the Alchemy Tower spoke with a fake smile, toying with a wisp of flame in his hand, "We come here this time, not for war, but for 'the rules'."

"The rules?" Chu Yunxiao frowned.

"Feigning ignorance." Dugu Ao, who carried the long sword on his back, said coldly, his voice as harsh as a sword cry, "Chu Yunxiao, you have crossed the line."

"According to the 'Four Continents Convention' jointly established by the major forces of the four continents of the West, South, North, and Center, it is also that untouchable iron law—above the Martial Saint Realm, one must not step half a step into the Eastern Continent!"

"This iron law is to maintain the balance of the four continents, and also to prevent any mishaps in that 'prison', the Eastern Continent."

Dugu Ao's gaze was like a sword, piercing straight into Chu Yunxiao's eyes: "But your Chu Family, just a few days ago, privately dispatched The Xuan-Ming Duo, these two peak Martial Venerable Realm experts, to sneak into the Eastern Continent through secret channels."

"Chu Yunxiao, you are openly tearing up the convention, treating us as if we are nothing!"

As soon as these words were spoken, the gazes of the others also became sharp.

The Yaochi Holy Master Yao Ji spoke lightly, her voice as cold as ice: "Patriarch Chu, do not forget, although the Eastern Continent is barren, we all know clearly what is buried there."

"Your Chu Family sent people there, is it because you want to monopolize the 'opportunity' there?"

The Hall Master of the Soul Hall even let out a sinister, strange laugh: "Hehehe... Chu Yunxiao, if you break the rules, you have to pay the price. Otherwise, if the four of us join forces today, I'm afraid this Shenxiao Ridge will have to change its master."

Facing the accusation of the four giants, Chu Yunxiao's face was extremely ugly.

Of course he knew this iron law.

The reason why the major forces blocked the Eastern Continent and forbade experts from entering back then was, on one hand, because the Eastern Continent was indeed barren and not worth developing; on the other hand, it was because of an ancient legend and the secret of that "ten-thousand-year period."

He originally thought he had done it without anyone knowing, as long as The Xuan-Ming Duo went and returned quickly, took back that thing, and killed that so-called Ye Haocheng, everything could be covered up.

Unexpectedly, not only did The Xuan-Ming Duo not return, but these old foxes were also so well-informed.

Chu Yunxiao took a deep breath, knowing that if he didn't give an explanation today, these four would definitely not let it go.

"Since everyone already knows, I won't hide it either."

Chu Yunxiao snorted coldly, speaking half-truthfully, "My Chu Family does not want to monopolize any opportunity."

"It is just that back then, a branch of my Chu Family was stranded in the Eastern Continent and established the Great Chu Dynasty."

"A few days ago, that branch sent a distress signal, saying that someone wanted to exterminate them."

"Out of consideration for the kinship of the same bloodline, I sent The Xuan-Ming Duo to rescue them, and incidentally bring back the orphans of the branch. That is all."

Speaking of this, Chu Yunxiao paused, his eyes flickered, and he continued: "This matter is indeed me breaking the rules, and I accept the punishment."

"My Chu Family is willing to bring out ten supreme-grade spiritual veins, plus three Nine-Turn Soul-Returning Pills, as compensation to be distributed among you. How about that?"

Ten supreme-grade spiritual veins! Three Nine-Turn Soul-Returning Pills! This was definitely a huge expenditure! Even for these four major forces, this was a significant windfall.

Hearing this offer, the originally tense atmosphere suddenly eased a lot.

The flames in Yan Jin's eyes flickered, revealing a satisfied smile: "Patriarch Chu is indeed generous. Since it was just to save people, that is understandable."

Yao Ji also nodded slightly: "Since that is the case, let this not happen again."

Dugu Ao restrained his sword intent and said lightly: "Since the compensation is settled, this matter is passed."

The few giants looked at each other and saw the satisfaction in each other's eyes.

Their purpose in coming here was originally to extort, and also to beat the Chu Family down a peg. Since the goal was achieved, naturally there was no need to really fight to the death.

Just as the few were preparing to turn and leave, to go back and divide the spoils, Chu Yunxiao did not turn back to the mansion, but instead remained standing in place, the killing intent in his eyes rising again.

He looked at their backs and suddenly said in a deep voice: "Everyone, wait a moment."

"I will give the compensation, but this Eastern Continent... I must send someone there again!!"

As soon as this sentence was spoken, it was like a pebble thrown into a calm lake.

The four giants who were just about to leave suddenly froze, then turned around in unison, their faces instantly turning gloomy.

Terrifying pressure once again shrouded this sky.

The long sword in Dugu Ao's hand hummed, his tone cold to the extreme: "Chu Yunxiao, are you playing with us?"

"Just paid the fine, and you want to break the rules again? Do you really think this iron law is your Chu Family's backyard, where you can enter and leave as you please?"

The Hall Master of the Soul Hall said even more sinisterly: "Patriarch Chu, if you insist on this, then it will not be solved by ten spiritual veins. Could it be that you really want to monopolize the secret of the Eastern Continent?"

Seeing that the situation was out of control again, and even more dangerous than before.

However, a look of extreme complexity appeared on Chu Yunxiao's face. It was anger, grief, and a trace of deep... fear.

"Monopolize?" Chu Yunxiao gave a miserable laugh, his voice trembling, "Where do I have the mood now to think about monopolizing any opportunity!!"

"The reason why I must go to the Eastern Continent again is because... I want to take revenge!!"

"Revenge?" The four giants were all stunned.

Chu Yunxiao took a deep breath and threw out the news that struck everyone present like lightning: "Just a moment ago, the soul lamps of The Xuan-Ming Duo... shattered."

"They... died in the Eastern Continent."