531: Be a good palace master

Inside the entire Burning Heaven Palace, the atmosphere instantly reversed!

Lie Tianxiong's overwhelming Saintly Might continued to permeate the air, but it seemed to hit an invisible wall. He could no longer dominate everything as he once had; instead, he appeared isolated and out of place.

He had become a lonely man trapped in the center of his own main hall!

"You... you all..."

The rage on Lie Tianxiong's face froze, replaced by a bone-chilling coldness and an incredulous daze that gradually spread.

He looked around, seeing faces that were both familiar and strange.

The Second Elder, the Grand Elder, the Third Elder, the Fourth Elder... even several True Disciples he had personally promoted!

They were all there.

But the way they looked at him was exactly the same!

Only at this moment did Lie Tianxiong's mind, clouded by ambition and anger, feel as if a bucket of ice water had been poured over his head.

A thought so terrifying it made his Soul tremble surfaced uncontrollably—

It wasn't just a few people defying orders!

It was everyone!

The entire high-level leadership and core of Burning Heaven Palace!

Had they all betrayed him?!

But how was this possible?!

Burning Heaven Palace was his Foundation! It was the legacy his Lie Family had managed for thousands of years!

These people were veterans who had followed him for years, some with families that had been loyal to Burning Heaven Palace for generations!

Why would they betray him? When did they betray him?

What benefits did the Second Elder give them?

Seeing Lie Tianxiong's face shift from rage to shock, then to incomprehensible daze and a hint of fear, the Second Elder sighed softly once more.

Instead of answering Lie Tianxiong, he calmly asked back, enunciating every word:

"Palace Master, even now, do you still not understand?"

Understand? What do I understand?

Lie Tianxiong forced himself to be calm, his mind racing as he tried to make sense of this absurd situation.

Had the Second Elder taken control of everyone and sidelined him, or were other forces involved?

If other forces were involved, who could have such heaven-defying means to make the Second Elder, the Grand Elder, and even the entire core group defect collectively... the Azure Profound Sect? Xuan Yangzi?

No, impossible! The Azure Profound Sect's strength and heritage are limited; there's no way they could silently take control of the entire high-level leadership of my Burning Heaven Palace!

Myriad Law Pavilion? Yun Canghai?

Does he have such great ability?

The names of the Azure Profound Sect, Myriad Law Pavilion, and even several hidden factions flashed through his mind, but he dismissed them one by one.

The more he thought, the more flustered he became. Finally, a surge of violence replaced reason—since he couldn't figure it out, he wouldn't think about it anymore.

Once he suppressed them, he would interrogate them slowly.

Enraged to the extreme, Lie Tianxiong's Saintly Might erupted again, but this time, he had a clear target, his killing intent locked onto the Second Elder.

"I'll slaughter you, you insubordinate old dog, and then this Saint will interrogate the rest!"

His body surged forward, turning into a streak of red-gold light. A palm strike containing his entire life's cultivation aimed straight for the Second Elder's crown!

He unleashed this palm strike in fury, seeking a one-hit kill to purge the traitor!

However, facing this lightning-fast, mountain-shattering fatal blow, the Second Elder only slightly lifted his eyelids.

Just as Lie Tianxiong's palm was about to strike the Second Elder's head—

The Second Elder casually raised his withered palm, arriving later but striking first, meeting the blow with a light touch.

*Thud!*

A dull sound echoed. There was no earth-shattering energy explosion, nor any phenomena of shattered space.

Lie Tianxiong's incomparably violent saintly power was like a clay ox entering the sea; it was entirely absorbed and neutralized by the Second Elder's seemingly casual palm!

Instead, an even more refined and profound force, like an invisible shackle, instantly pierced through his body, sealing his Meridians and acupoints throughout.

His whole body went numb, his gathered saintly power instantly dissipated, and he stood frozen in place, unable to move!

How is this possible?!

Lie Tianxiong's pupils shrank. His full-strength strike had been so easily neutralized and countered by the Second Elder?

The Second Elder's strength was far more than the Peak King level it appeared to be!

He had been hiding his strength!

"Palace Master," the Second Elder slowly withdrew his hand, his voice still flat.

"Stop guessing blindly, and don't waste your energy. There are some things that, the more you know, the worse it is for you."

He walked up to Lie Tianxiong, looked at the uncertain expression in the other's eyes, and said calmly:

"Just focus on being your Palace Master. Burning Heaven Palace is still Burning Heaven Palace, and you, Lie Tianxiong, are still the Saint Palace Master of Burning Heaven Palace.

As long as you don't go looking for death yourself, no one will touch you."

"Take care of yourself."

The Second Elder gave him one last look, said no more, turned around, and calmly instructed the people in the hall:

"The Palace Master needs to focus on his cultivation. Everyone disperse and return to your duties."

"Yes!"

The crowd responded in unison and retreated in an orderly fashion, as if the conflict just now was merely a minor interlude.

The Second Elder also left the hall with the crowd, his steps composed. From beginning to end, he did not look back at Lie Tianxiong again.

However, the moment he turned and stepped over the threshold of the main hall, unnoticed by anyone, the tip of his finger inside his sleeve twitched imperceptibly.

A strand of dark rune, thinner than a hair, silently merged into the body of Lie Tianxiong, who was still immobilized.

Like a drop of water merging into the ocean, it caused no ripples; even Lie Tianxiong himself was completely unaware.

It placed all of Lie Tianxiong's future major movements and even strong emotional fluctuations under invisible surveillance.

After a long time, the power restraining Lie Tianxiong slowly dissipated.

Lie Tianxiong's body trembled as he regained his ability to move.

He stood there, his face terrifyingly grim, like ten-thousand-year-old ice.

He carefully inspected his body; his saintly power flowed without obstruction, and the terrifying restraining force from before had vanished without a trace, as if it had never existed.

"No matter who you are, you want to treat me, Lie Tianxiong, as a Puppet? Keep dreaming!"

Fury churned in his heart, and the flames of humiliation and resentment burned in his eyes.

But after the anger came the cruel reality he had to face.

The strength the Second Elder displayed was unfathomable, and there was certainly a more terrifying existence standing behind him.

Moreover, the entire high-level leadership of Burning Heaven Palace was no longer on his side. Fighting head-on was undoubtedly a dead end right now.

I can't panic, I can't be reckless! Lie Tianxiong forced himself to calm down, his ambitious mind beginning to calculate rapidly.

The most important thing right now was to endure and find out the truth!

"I'll play along for now, feigning compliance while secretly investigating the background of the Second Elder and the person behind him.

At the same time, I'll secretly contact the peripheral forces and Lie Family loyalists who might not yet be fully controlled!

This Saint has managed Burning Heaven Palace for years; how could I not have backup plans? I might still have a chance to turn the tables!"

A clear, step-by-step plan began to take shape in his mind.

Endure first, accumulate strength in secret, and look for an opportunity to strike back!

However, a rational voice also reminded him that the force behind the Second Elder could silently take over the entire high-level of Burning Heaven Palace; its strength was likely far beyond imagination.

The success rate of his schemes might be slim.

He had to prepare for the worst!

Just then, a name surfaced in his mind like a final escape route prepared in the darkness.

Azure Profound Sect! Shi Wanshan!

Back in the Secret Realm, Shi Wanshan had been righteous and had helped him with all his might; he was someone worth knowing deeply.

"If things really become impossible and there's no place left for me in Burning Heaven Palace..."

A flash of determination crossed Lie Tianxiong's eyes, "Then I'll defect to the Azure Profound Sect! I'll seek a temporary shelter! With my Saint Realm cultivation, I will surely be treated with courtesy."

"I could even secretly take control of the Azure Profound Sect and plot slowly. When the time comes, I might still have a chance for a comeback!"

"That's what I'll do!"

He took a deep breath, the madness in his eyes completely gone, replaced by a deep, abyss-like calmness and endurance.

He didn't stay any longer, turning to stride toward the secluded cultivation chamber in the rear palace.

He needed time, he needed to be calm, and more importantly, he needed to begin his secret war on thin ice.