201: Imperial weapons to suppress and kill!

To his left was an old man as thin as a stick with sinister eyes, surrounded by green wind blades.

To the right was a shirtless brawny man, his muscles bulging like rocks, with thunder snakes slithering across his skin.

Three Body Integration experts!

That overwhelming pressure caused many low-level Cultivators in the city to spit blood and collapse to the ground.

"Ascending Immortal Gate... actually sent three Body Integration Stage experts?"

Ba Dao rushed onto the city walls holding his broadsword, looking at the formation in the sky, though he didn't voice any fear.

But a layer of cold sweat still broke out on his forehead.

In the past, facing such a lineup, the Chen Family would have had no choice but to kneel and beg for mercy or stretch out their necks to be slaughtered.

But now... Ba Dao glanced back toward the City Lord's Manor, and the panic in his heart instantly settled.

"What's with all the shouting? Can't a person have some peace at midday?"

Chen Xu walked with his hands behind his back, step by step, as if treading on invisible stairs, slowly ascending into the sky.

He didn't release any pressure, nor did he even activate a spiritual energy shield.

Just like a Mortal scholar, he stood opposite the three Integration Stage Great Experts.

"You are Chen Xu?"

Ge Yunsong stared intently at Chen Xu, trying to see through his depth.

But he was disappointed; Chen Xu seemed to be shrouded in a layer of mist, and no matter how he probed, he could only see a void.

"That would be me."

Chen Xu smiled faintly: "The three of you have come from so far away. Instead of staying home to enjoy the shade, you come to my Tianxuan City to shout and scream. What is the meaning of this?"

"Stop playing dumb!"

Elder Lei on the right had a fiery temper. He pointed a Thunder God Hammer directly at Chen Xu: "Did you kill Junior Brother Xu Sen?! Hand over Junior Brother Xu's relics, cripple your own cultivation, and follow me back to the Sect to receive your punishment, and perhaps we can spare the Chen Family from being wiped out! Otherwise..."

"Otherwise what?"

Chen Xu was still smiling.

"Otherwise, we will wash Tianxuan City in blood today, leaving not even a chicken or dog alive!"

Elder Lei roared, slamming his thunder hammer. A bolt of purple lightning as thick as a barrel struck down toward Chen Xu's head.

He didn't hold back at all, fully revealing the violent power of the Body Integration Middle Stage.

If it hit, half of the inner city behind Chen Xu would be turned to scorched earth.

The Chen Family members below cried out in alarm.

However, Chen Xu didn't even bat an eye.

He simply extended a finger and tapped lightly toward the wild lightning.

Puff.

The massive thunderbolt was like a popped bubble, instantly collapsing into a sky full of light specks and vanishing into nothingness.

"What?!"

Elder Lei's eyes nearly bulged out of his head.

Although he hadn't used his full strength, that strike was enough to instant-kill any Void Refining Cultivator. How could it be broken by this kid's single finger?

Ge Yunsong's expression also changed, his gaze becoming more solemn than ever before.

"It seems Junior Brother Xu was indeed killed by you."

Ge Yunsong said sinisterly, "To have such means at such a young age, we cannot let you live! Junior Brothers, let's act together and suppress him immediately!"

He didn't dare to be arrogant; his first move was a killing blow.

The three Integration Stage Great Experts moved simultaneously.

The Law powers of wind, thunder, and clouds intertwined in the air, instantly forming a massive trapping array that locked Chen Xu firmly in the center.

"Now this is interesting."

Chen Xu watched the Law powers closing in to strangle him, and the smile in his eyes gradually faded.

"Since you've come, then stay here forever."

"It just so happens that my purgatory tower is missing a few laborers to guard it."

As he spoke, Chen Xu flipped his palm, and an exquisite small black tower appeared out of thin air.

The air above Tianxuan City seemed to be sucked dry in an instant.

All the noise, the wind, and even the sound of breathing were forcibly erased.

Only a terrifying pressure remained.

The small black tower floating in Chen Xu's palm was only seven inches tall, unremarkable and even somewhat damaged, but the moment it appeared, the rules of heaven and earth seemed to shrink back.

There was no dazzling light around the tower, only a deep, extreme blackness.

Like a black hole, it greedily devoured all surrounding light and Spiritual Qi.

Ge Yunsong stared at the small tower, his originally well-maintained, rosy face now twitching violently.

As the Grand Elder of the Ascending Immortal Gate, he had lived for thousands of years and seen all the world's treasures.

He naturally recognized this aura that stood above all living beings.

"An Imperial Weapon... This is impossible... This is absolutely impossible!"

Ge Yunsong's voice trembled.

An Imperial Weapon was a supreme Divine Artifact that only Mahayana Stage Emperors standing at the peak of the Cultivation World could refine.

Each one suppressed the Luck of a region and was a true vessel of the Great Dao.

In the entire Central State, the number of Sects that possessed a complete Imperial Weapon could be counted on one hand.

And here in the Northern Region, which they considered a wasteland, an Imperial Weapon had actually appeared in the hands of a junior who had just been promoted to the Body Integration Stage?

The sense of oppression made him want to turn and flee, but his legs were as heavy as lead.

He was pinned firmly in the Void Realm by that imperial pressure.

Not just him, but the hot-tempered Elder Lei beside him also had a look as if he had seen a ghost.

The top-grade Spirit Treasure Thunder God Hammer in his hand, the moment the purgatory tower appeared...

...actually let out several crisp "crack" sounds.

This Lifebound Treasure that had accompanied him in battle for thousands of years had its artifact spirit severely damaged just by being unable to withstand a sliver of the leaking imperial pressure.

Several shocking cracks split across the body of the hammer.

"My hammer..."

Elder Lei's heart bled with pain, but he knew even better that even if he threw this hammer away as scrap metal now, it would be worth it if it meant saving his life.

As for the sinister Elder Feng, his previous arrogance had long since vanished.

The green wind blades surrounding him had dissipated on their own the moment the Imperial Weapon's aura erupted.

He hunched his body, hiding behind Ge Yunsong, his eyes flickering uncertainly.

He was already secretly looking for a spatial rift, preparing to slip away.

"What? Weren't you going to wash my Tianxuan City in blood just now, leaving not even a chicken or dog alive?"

Chen Xu held the small tower, his expression as calm as if he were taking a stroll in his own back garden.

With every step he took forward, a circle of black ripples would undulate in the Void Realm beneath his feet.

These ripples looked gentle, but they contained the irresistible Law of gravity. With every step...

...the faces of the three opposite him grew a shade paler, and their backs bent an inch lower.

"A misunderstanding... City Lord Chen, this is all a misunderstanding!"

Ge Yunsong was, after all, an old fox who had lived for ages. After the brief shock...

...his survival instinct made him instantly change his face. Suppressing the surging blood within him, he squeezed out a smile that looked worse than crying and cupped his hands: "This old man was blind; I didn't know City Lord Chen had such heaven-defying Opportunity."

"Junior Brother Xu's death was due to his own lack of skill; he brought it upon himself. Since he is gone, the Ascending Immortal Gate is not an unreasonable place. How about... we just let this matter pass?"

While speaking, he secretly sent a voice transmission to his two Junior Brothers behind him: "Don't just stand there! Although this kid has an Imperial Weapon, his cultivation is shallow; he definitely can't sustain it for long!"

"Immediately use the Blood Escape secret technique and flee in three different directions! As long as one person can escape back to the Central State and deliver this news to the Sect Head, we still have a chance to turn the tables!"

Hearing the transmission, a trace of ruthlessness flashed in the eyes of Elder Lei and Elder Feng at the same time.

That's right. Although an Imperial Weapon is strong, it depends on whose hands it's in.

A kid at the Body Integration Early Stage forcibly activating such a weapon of mass destruction would surely consume an astronomical amount of energy.

As long as they could hold out until his spiritual energy was exhausted, even the strongest weapon would be nothing more than a piece of scrap metal.

"City Lord Chen is magnanimous. We have offended you greatly today and will surely come to apologize in person another day!"

Ge Yunsong continued to speak soft words to lull Chen Xu into a false sense of security.

But the very instant he finished speaking, a thick blood-colored light suddenly erupted from within his body.

His whole body expanded like an inflated ball.

He was clearly burning his Origin blood essence.

"Run!"

With a sudden shout, the three Integration Stage Great Experts moved at the same time.

Ge Yunsong turned into a blood-colored rainbow, directly tearing through the Void Realm and streaking toward the north.

Elder Lei turned into a blinding purple bolt of lightning, and with a thunderous boom, he covered thousands of miles in an instant, heading straight for the east.

As for the slipperiest one, Elder Feng, his figure actually became transparent, merging into the breezes of heaven and earth.

He drifted silently toward the south.

This instantaneous burst of speed was extreme.

Even Cultivators of the same rank would find it difficult to stop these three old monsters who were Hell-bent on escaping.

The people of Tianxuan City below watched with their hearts in their throats.

"Patriarch! You can't let them escape!"

Ba Dao roared anxiously from the city wall, his long blade smashing a piece of the battlement.

If these three were allowed to escape and brought back even stronger enemies later, the Chen Family would be in a difficult position.

Lan Shuyao's expression was also solemn, her long sword gripped tightly, but she couldn't interfere in a chase of this level.

However, facing this sudden turn of events, the expression on Chen Xu's face didn't fluctuate at all, and he didn't even make a move to pursue.

He simply lifted his eyelids slightly, looking at the three streaks of light that had already fled thousands of miles, a playful look appearing on his face!

"Playing this trick in front of me? You're still a bit too green."

"Since this purgatory tower is said to be able to suppress a whole world, if it can't even lock up three Body Integration Stage experts, then wouldn't the Netherworld Demon Emperor's ten thousand years have been lived in vain?"

Chen Xu tossed the black purgatory tower lightly into the air, and it slowly rose.

It didn't expand rapidly; instead, a faint purple light lit up at the tip of the tower.

Chen Xu's hands formed Seals. This wasn't a Human Race hand Seal, but an extremely distorted and strange Demon Race hand Seal.

It was a spatial Seal secret technique he had unearthed from the depths of the Demon Emperor's memories—"Void Prison."

"Buzz—"

A low hum resounded through heaven and earth, like an ancient bell being struck.

Immediately after, an unbelievable scene occurred.

The originally clear sky suddenly became somewhat "viscous."

It was hard to describe, like clear water instantly turning into solidified amber.

Whether it was the flowing wind or the drifting Spiritual Qi...

...even the refraction of light became sluggish.

With Tianxuan City as the center, the space within a five-hundred-mile radius seemed to be sliced away from the rest of the world by some invisible force, forming an independent cage.

Elder Lei, who was fleeing frantically, was the fastest. That streak of lightning seemed as if it would burn right through space.

Seeing that he was about to break out of Tianxuan City's territory, a hint of joy at having escaped death even welled up in his heart: "So what if you have an Imperial Weapon? There's no one in this world who can catch up to my 'Lightning Flash Escape'!"

"Bang!"

A heavy, muffled thud echoed, like a high-speed bird slamming hard into a transparent city wall.

That unstoppable thunderous light hit an invisible barrier without warning, less than a hundred feet from the boundary.

The massive counter-shock caused the thunderous light to instantly shatter, revealing Elder Lei's pathetic and disheveled figure.

He was completely dazed from the impact; his nasal bone had collapsed, his face was covered in blood, and he fell backward seeing stars.

"What the Hell is this?!"

Elder Lei roared while clutching his nose, his damaged Thunder God Hammer frantically smashing at the void ahead.

Boom! Boom! Boom!

Purple lightning poured out madly, each strike possessing the power to shatter mountains and sever peaks.

But that patch of void only rippled with a few black circles, swallowing all the attacks completely.

Not even a sound could be heard.

The barrier remained indestructible, coldly barring his path.

On the other side, Ge Yunsong, who had transformed into a blood-red rainbow, encountered the same situation.

His Blood Escape Technique was even more ruthless; he had directly burned a hundred years of his Lifespan in exchange for extreme speed, even possessing the trait of traversing through space.

However, when he slammed head-first into that barrier, he felt as if he had plunged into a mass of incredibly tough glue.

Not only could he not break through, but he was also stuck fast by that glue, finding it difficult to even turn around.

"Spatial lockdown?! This is an absolute lockdown at the Law level!"

The last shred of hope in Ge Yunsong's heart was completely shattered, and despair appeared in his eyes.

To be able to lock down such a vast area of space and leave Body Integration Stage Cultivators helpless—this was definitely not something achievable by human effort alone.

This was an Imperial Weapon rewriting the rules of this place!

Here, Chen Xu was the one and only god.

If he said no one could leave, even the wind would have to stop.

The most miserable one was Elder Feng.

He had originally merged into the wind, attempting to sneak through.

But after this space was locked down, even the wind element was forbidden.

He was forcibly squeezed out of his ethereal state, like a fly swatted against a wall, unable to move; he could only watch helplessly as the black barrier, like an inverted giant bowl, trapped them all inside.

"Since you've come, then all of you shall stay."

Chen Xu's voice seemed to come from all directions, echoing within the grand array.

He took a step forward, shrinking the distance to a mere inch, and his figure instantly appeared at the highest point of this heaven and earth, looking down at the three old men below who were like trapped beasts.

"The Ascending Immortal Gate wants to exterminate my entire clan?"

Chen Xu's gaze fell upon the blood-covered Ge Yunsong, his tone terrifyingly indifferent. "We can settle this debt properly now."

By now, Ge Yunsong had completely abandoned the idea of escaping; in the face of this absolute suppression of power, any struggle was futile.

He took a deep breath and looked up at Chen Xu, his tone carrying a hint of blustering threat: "Chen Xu, you must think carefully! If the three of us really fall here, the Ascending Immortal Gate will definitely know! I—"

"The Sect still has Grand Elders presiding over it, and even a Mahayana Stage Decree obtained from the Central State's main branch!"

"If you stop now and let us go, I can swear a Great Dao Oath to guarantee that the Ascending Immortal Gate will never step into the Northern Region again! I can even let the Chen Family become the masters of the Northern Region!"

"Otherwise, once the wrath of a Mahayana Stage expert descends, even if you have an Imperial Weapon in your hand, you won't be able to protect Tianxuan City!"

If these words had been spoken half an hour ago, they might have intimidated many people.

After all, to those at the Body Integration Stage, the Mahayana Stage was the true heavens.

But Chen Xu only gave a light smile, one filled with mockery.

"Mahayana Stage?"

He extended a finger and lightly flicked the purgatory tower floating before him, producing a crisp 'ding' sound. "We'll talk about them when they arrive. However, you won't live to see it."

"You... what do you want to do?"

Ge Yunsong felt a chill run down his spine.

"I said earlier that I'm still short a few laborers in my purgatory tower."

A strange light flashed in Chen Xu's eyes—it was an extremely vicious yet efficient secret technique from the Demon Emperor's memories: 'Soul-Refined Puppet'.

Although he had forcibly made this purgatory tower acknowledge him as its master, it was, after all, a supreme treasure of the Demonic Path; to unleash its full power...

...it required a massive amount of Devilish Qi or the refined Souls of high-level Cultivators as fuel.

It would be a bit of a waste to simply kill these three Body Integration Stage Cultivators.

If their Physical Bodies were refined into the tower's structure and their Divine Souls sealed within the tower's base to serve as 'human batteries' for the grand array, it would be a perfect example of recycling waste.

"I originally planned to find a few high-level Yao Beasts to make do, but since you've so enthusiastically delivered yourselves to my door, I won't be polite."

Chen Xu changed his hand Seal, and the purgatory tower suddenly began to spin rapidly, with the pitch-black vortex at its base opening once more.

This time, three ink-black chains extended from the vortex, each burning with an eerie green Soul-fire.

Like living creatures, they lunged toward the three individuals respectively.

"No! I am an Elder of the Ascending Immortal Gate! You cannot humiliate me like this! Kill me! If you have the guts, then kill me!"

Elder Lei watched the chains coiling toward him like venomous snakes and felt the terrifying suction targeted at his Soul; he was scared out of his wits.

For a Cultivator, death was not the most terrifying thing; the most terrifying thing was being unable to reincarnate after death and instead being refined into a Puppet.

To be driven by someone for eternity—this was ten thousand times more painful than death!

He wanted to self-detonate his Nascent Soul, wanted to drag Chen Xu down with him.

But Chen Xu had long anticipated this move.

"Suppress!"

The purgatory tower vibrated slightly, and a strange wave swept through.

The originally violent Spiritual Qi inside Elder Lei's body was instantly extinguished like a bucket of cold water on hot coals, becoming deathly still.

He discovered in horror that he had been stripped of even the qualification to self-detonate.

Clang!

The black chain pierced through his protective spiritual light without any resistance, stabbing directly into his Lute Bone.

Then it jerked back.

"Aaaahhh—!!!"

Elder Lei let out a scream that didn't sound human, and his entire person was forcibly dragged toward the pitch-black abyss at the tower's base.

Seeing this, Elder Feng's mental defenses completely collapsed.

He no longer had even a shred of an expert's demeanor; with a thud, he knelt in the void and kowtowed frantically to Chen Xu: "City Lord Chen, spare my life! Spare my life!"

"I am willing to surrender! I am willing to be a dog for the Chen Family!"

"I'll tell you all the secrets I know! Just please don't lock me in there!"

"Be a dog?"

Chen Xu shook his head. "My Chen Family doesn't lack dogs; what we lack are workers."

Another chain flew out, binding Elder Feng as tightly as a rice dumpling.

Despite his crying and begging for mercy, the chain showed no pity.

It dragged him toward the tower.

Finally, only Ge Yunsong remained.

This Grand Elder had actually calmed down by now.

He knew that begging was useless, and resistance was also useless.

He just stared fixedly at Chen Xu, his eyes full of venomous hatred: "Chen Xu, you will regret this! You cannot bear this Karma! The Ascending Immortal Gate will not let you go, and the Central State will not let you go! I will be waiting for you in Hell!"

"Hell?"

Chen Xu laughed and pointed at the black tower in his hand. "You might have mistaken something. This place right here is Hell. And it is a Hell exclusive to you all."

"Go on, repent well inside. When you've polished the tower bright for me, then we'll talk."

The last chain shot out, dragging Ge Yunsong inside as well.

As the three desperate screams gradually faded away, the vortex at the base of the purgatory tower slowly closed.

The sound of the wind and the flow of light between heaven and earth resumed.

The oppressive feeling of the lockdown also dissipated.

Chen Xu held the small tower in his hand and gave it a gentle shake.

At this moment, because the purgatory tower had swallowed three Integration Stage Great Experts, three faint human-shaped patterns actually appeared on the tower's body, and the originally somewhat dull tower became even deeper and more lustrous.

The pressure it emitted was more than a notch stronger than before.

"As expected, it takes high-grade goods like these to provide a real boost."

Chen Xu nodded with satisfaction, put away the small tower, and turned to descend from the sky.

At this moment, Tianxuan City was silent once again.

Everyone remained in a posture of looking up, their mouths slightly agape and their eyes dazed.

Everything that had just happened had completely exceeded the scope of their understanding.

Those were three Integration Stage Great Experts!

In any place, they were Old Ancestor-level figures capable of founding their own Sects.

And just like that... they were snatched away like little chicks?

Without even making a splash?

"Gulp."

Ba Dao swallowed hard, feeling his throat go dry.

He looked at the figure in green robes slowly descending and suddenly felt that his Family head...

...was even more terrifying than that Netherworld Demon Emperor.

"This... this is just too strong..."

Lan Shuyao's heart was also racing, and her hand holding her sword was trembling slightly.

Is this the power of an Imperial Weapon?

Chen Xu landed on the city wall and, looking at the dumbstruck crowd, lightly clapped his hands to bring everyone's Souls back.

"What are you all standing around for?"

Chen Xu's tone was relaxed, as if he had just swatted a few flies. "Go back to what you were doing. Also, pass the word down: tonight's victory banquet continues."

"By the way, add a few more dishes."

"Our Tianxuan City might have many guests visiting in the future; we need to eat our fill to have the strength to welcome them."

Ba Dao was the first to react, suddenly raising the large blade in his hand and letting out a world-shaking roar: "The Family Head is invincible! Tianxuan City is victorious!"

"The Family Head is invincible!"

"Tianxuan City is victorious!"

The cheers erupted like a tsunami once more, this time even more fanatical and unbridled than before.

Because everyone knew.

From now on, in this Northern Region, no one could ever make the Chen Family bow their heads again!

...Night fell, but the clamor of Tianxuan City did not cease.

Inside the City Lord's Mansion, the lights were brilliantly lit.

While the victory banquet outside was still in full swing with cups being toasted, Chen Xu had already brought the core members of the Chen Family back to the discussion hall.

On the wide black jade table, three storage rings were placed side by side.

These three rings had different designs: one was wrapped in fine purple electric arcs, one had a translucent wind-spirit jade texture, and the last was a simple and heavy purple-gold ring.

These were precisely the 'life-buying money' left behind by the three Integration Stage Great Experts who had just been suppressed into the purgatory tower.