224: Chapter 224 Xu Chen's Decision: Turning the Tables

The main hall of the Xu Family.

The atmosphere was so heavy it felt like water could drip from it.

A massive memory stone floated in the center of the hall, projecting a real-time image of the western region of Central Province. That blood-red rift tearing through the heavens resembled a greedy, gaping maw, endlessly spewing forth heart-palpitating black, baleful energy.

"Preposterous! Utterly preposterous!"

The Grand Elder slammed his palm on the table, his beard quivering with rage:

"These gutter rats from the Soul Hall, to deal with the Young Master, they would actually go so far as to forcibly open the Ancient Battlefield by sacrificing three thousand living souls! Do they intend to drag the entire Central Province down with them?"

"Not only that,"

Xu Changsheng's face was dark. His fingers lightly tapped the armrest of his chair, his tone carrying deep concern:

"According to intelligence from the hidden guards, this opening of the Ancient Battlefield is extremely unusual. A 'Heaven-Severing, Earth-Locking Grand Array' has been set up around the rift—entry only, no exit. Furthermore, the laws within the Ancient Battlefield are chaotic. The cultivation of any living being who enters will be forcibly suppressed below the early-stage Saint realm."

At this point, Xu Changsheng looked up, his gaze fixed intently on Xu Chen, who was sitting below him peeling an orange:

"Chen'er, this is a death trap."

"They know you've achieved sainthood through physical cultivation and possess unparalleled combat power, so they specifically chose this place. They intend to use the law suppression to lower your realm and use the spiritual sense isolation to sever your connection with the family. Once you enter, you'll be a turtle in a jar."

The elders in the hall all nodded in agreement. At this moment, their opinions were surprisingly unanimous—he must not go.

"Father, esteemed elders."

Xu Chen tossed the last orange segment into his mouth, clapped his hands together, and leisurely rose to his feet.

Not a trace of fear showed on his face. Instead, it was adorned with a casual smile:

"You all only see this as a death trap, but you fail to see that this is also a grand gift the Soul Hall is sending me."

"A grand gift?" The Grand Elder was taken aback.

"What kind of place is the Ancient Battlefield? It's the site where ancient gods and demons fell, littered with ownerless law fragments, broken Imperial weapons, and the inner cores of fierce beasts tempered over countless years."

Xu Chen walked to the entrance of the hall, stood with his hands clasped behind his back, and looked towards the blood-red sky in the west. A flash of greedy light passed through his eyes:

"Although our Xu Family has a vast estate, who would complain about having too many treasures? Recently, the family has been expanding, and expenses are high. The Soul Hall has gone to such great expense to open a 'private dungeon' just for me. If I don't go and plunder it thoroughly, wouldn't that be letting down Patriarch Hun Mie Sheng's painstaking efforts?"

"But the law suppression there..." Xu Changsheng was still uneasy.

"Suppression?"

The corner of Xu Chen's mouth curled into a cold arc. From his body erupted a surge of pure, overbearing, golden blood qi.

This blood qi contained not a shred of spiritual energy. Relying solely on the power of his physical body, it caused the surrounding space to vibrate with a low hum.

"They think suppressing cultivation is enough to kill me? How naive."

"I achieved sainthood through my fleshly body, relying on my fists, not spiritual energy. In a place with chaotic laws like that, everyone is suppressed to the same starting line. It comes down to whose body is tougher and whose methods are more ruthless."

"When it comes to playing dirty or close-quarters combat, I, Xu Chen, have never been afraid of anyone in my life."

Looking at his son's domineering, peerless demeanor, Xu Changsheng opened his mouth but ultimately let out a helpless sigh.

He knew his son had grown up.

This young eaglet had long since transformed into a roc soaring through the Nine Heavens. Some paths were destined for him to walk alone; some traps were destined for him to shatter with his own hands.

"Since your mind is made up, I, your father, will not stop you."

Xu Changsheng stood up, his eyes filled with a father's pride and concern:

"Take the family's most elite Imperial Guards, and also..."

"No need."

Xu Chen waved his hand, interrupting his father. "Too many people would just complicate things. A place like the Ancient Battlefield is suited for small-scale operations. Bringing too many in would make us vulnerable to being split up and picked off. I'd have to worry about protecting them."

"I'll just take two people."

"Who?"

"Mo Han, and Hua Jieyu."

...

Half an hour later.

The Imperial Palace square.

A small Void flying boat was already hovering in mid-air, its streamlined hull gleaming with a cold metallic luster.

Xu Chen stood before the flying boat, looking at the flock of beauties before him, and immediately felt a headache coming on.

"I want to go too!"

Long Aoxue, her belly slightly rounded, wore an unwilling expression as she clutched Xu Chen's sleeve, refusing to let go:

"You promised to take us to fight! How can you go back on your word?"

Beside her, Feng Jiuyou didn't speak, but her resentful phoenix eyes were fixed directly on him, clearly voicing a silent accusation.

"My dear ladies,"

Xu Chen helplessly rubbed Long Aoxue's head, patiently coaxing:

"I did say I'd take you out for fun, but I didn't mean this time."

"That Ancient Battlefield is a mess right now, full of dead bones and rotting corpses everywhere. The air quality is terrible. You're carrying the future pillars of our Xu Family. A place like that is bad for prenatal education."

"And,"

Xu Chen lowered his voice, speaking with an air of mystery:

"This time, I'm going on a 'shopping trip'. I hear there are quite a few ancient dragon bones and Phoenix True Fire seeds inside. I'll scout the path first, grab all the good stuff to bring back and nourish you. After you've given birth and recovered your peak combat strength, then we'll go tear down the Soul Hall's lair together. How about that?"

Hearing "dragon bones" and "True Fire," the eyes of both women noticeably lit up.

Their divine beast instincts held no resistance against such high-level resources.

"Well... remember to bring back a lot," Long Aoxue grumbled, finally releasing his sleeve. "If I'm not satisfied with what you bring back, I'll bite you."

"Absolutely, absolutely."

Xu Chen wiped the cold sweat from his forehead, then looked towards his other beloved wives nearby.

Su Qingge, Jiang Liuli, Ye Qingwu, Luo Hongyi, Nangong Waner... Though worry was evident in each of their eyes, none spoke up to stop him.

They were all intelligent women.

They knew their husband was a man who accomplished great deeds. At times like this, the best they could do was guard the home well, freeing him from worries about the rear.

"Go early, return early."

Su Qingge stepped forward, gently straightening Xu Chen's collar, and said softly:

"The wine at home will be kept warm, waiting for your return."

"Don't worry. It'll just be a quick trip to the market to pick up some groceries."

Xu Chen smiled confidently, planting a kiss on each of the women's foreheads in turn. Then he turned to look at the two who had been waiting behind him.

Mo Han was still clad in her black, form-fitting night attire, a veil covering her face, revealing only a pair of eyes as cold and sharp as knives. She stood quietly in the shadows, as if merging with the surrounding darkness.

Hua Jieyu, meanwhile, had changed into a practical purple martial outfit. Though it diminished some of her usual seductive charm, it added a touch of heroic spirit. She twirled a long whip in her hand, her gaze towards Xu Chen filled with anticipation and a hint of... eager excitement.

"Let's go."

Xu Chen waved his hand and stepped onto the flying boat first.

"Young Master, shouldn't we bring some healing pills or formation plates?" Hua Jieyu followed, asking with some concern.

"What do we need those for?"

Xu Chen stood at the bow of the boat, facing the fierce winds at high altitude. His gaze fixed on the blood-red horizon to the west, the corner of his mouth curling into a cruel, mocking smile:

"We're going to rob people, not on a sightseeing tour."

"If we lack anything, we'll just 'borrow' it from the Soul Hall members."

"They've been preparing for so long; they're bound to be carrying plenty of goodies. If I can't strip them down to their underwear and bring it all back to the Xu Family, then my status as a Saint is utterly wasted."

Hearing this, Hua Jieyu was stunned for a moment, then covered her mouth with a delicate laugh, her eyes sparkling:

"Young Master... you're truly wicked. But, this servant likes it."

Mo Han, expressionless, wiped her dagger and coldly uttered two words:

"Agreed."

"Depart!"

At Xu Chen's command, the Void flying boat transformed into a streak of light, instantly tearing through the clouds as it sped towards the Ancient Battlefield in the western part of Central Province—a place filled with death and slaughter.