257: Finish

Everyone felt the air pressure above them suddenly drop. They looked up abruptly to see a grey-robed figure hovering high in the sky, his robes fluttering loudly amidst invisible ripples of spiritual power.

The Third Elder's expression was gloomy, his brow tightly furrowed. His sharp gaze swept across the messy scene below, and when his eyes landed on Fu Yunze's corpse on the ground, his pupils constricted slightly.

Zhao Xu's teeth chattered as he revealed the person's identity!

"T-T-T... Third Elder!"

"What?"

Lin Xiuqin's face changed drastically, and she cried out in shock.

She never expected that even the Third Elder of the Chusheng Sect would come.

It turned out that while the Third Elder was handling affairs within the Sect, a sudden wave of intense unease had surged in his heart, a palpitations he couldn't shake. Thinking of the recent events at the Demon Suppressing Tower, he had rushed over to check. He hadn't expected to see such a scene upon arrival.

Not only was Fu Yunze dead, but even those truths had been thoroughly uncovered.

His gaze quickly swept over the four people below, and their cultivation bases were instantly clear to him: two Golden Cores, one Nascent Soul, and one martial artist at the Fourth Level of Martial Dao.

"With such a lineup, they actually managed to turn the tables and kill Fu Yunze..."

Stormy waves surged in the Third Elder's heart, and the tension in his expression caused by anger gained a hint of complexity. "It seems the Old Sect Master's dealings were indeed Heaven-Defying; even luck is no longer willing to favor the Chusheng Sect. Has the Sect's tribulation arrived?"

The spiritual power around the Third Elder began to fluctuate as he intended to do his best and leave the rest to fate:

"How dare you kill an Elder of my Chusheng Sect in the Rain God Continent! You have a lot of nerve! Today, no one even think about leaving!"

As he spoke, a powerful pressure instantly enveloped the four people below.

The gravel on the ground crunched under the invisible force. Zhao Jingchen and the others turned pale instantly, and the circulation of their spiritual power became sluggish. Li Pingan's newly stabilized injuries were agitated by this pressure, and he nearly spat out a mouthful of blood. Lin Xiuqin gritted her teeth, trying to circulate her spiritual power to resist, but she felt as if a giant boulder was pressing on her chest, making even breathing incredibly difficult.

And this pressure was far from over.

It layered upon itself like the rising tide, as if it wanted to crush their bones and cause them to explode in extreme agony.

At this critical moment, a gentle yet highly penetrating laugh suddenly came from the Void Realm, like a spring breeze blowing over a frozen lake, instantly dispersing the suffocating pressure.

"The dignified Third Elder of the Chusheng Sect actually disregarding his status to attack four Juniors? Why go so far?"

As the voice fell, a tall middle-aged man with a cold expression, wearing a grey long robe, appeared above the Demon Suppressing Tower.

With a wave of his hand, a seemingly gentle wave of spiritual power swept upward. The Third Elder's pressure, which had condensed his entire cultivation base, instantly vanished like bubbles.

"Revered Master!"

Seeing the newcomer, Lin Xiuqin's tense body suddenly relaxed; this was the first time she dared to let her guard down.

Zhao Jingchen was also somewhat surprised and then breathed a sigh of relief. He hadn't expected his Revered Master to arrive so quickly. If he had been a step later, they might have truly perished here.

Ye Hao and Li Pingan stood up and cupped their hands in salute to Chu Haotian, their tone calm:

"Greetings, Senior!"

Chu Haotian turned around, the coldness on his face softening slightly as he revealed a gentle smile:

"There's no need for such formalities, little friends. I should thank you both for taking action and saving the lives of Xiuqin and Jing Chen."

After some brief pleasantries, Chu Haotian's gaze fell back on the Third Elder high in the sky. He cupped his hands and smiled. "Greetings, Third Elder. I wonder what these unworthy Disciples of mine have done to provoke such great anger, causing you to disregard your status and strike them with intent to kill?"

He specifically said "these Disciples" rather than "two," clearly including Ye Hao and Li Pingan under his protection, making it plain to the Third Elder.

He was protecting these four.

The Third Elder's heart skipped a beat, and his face instantly turned ugly. He never expected the people from the Tianque Sect to arrive so quickly, let alone that Chu Haotian would be the one to show up!

This Tianque Sect Peak Master's cultivation base was unfathomable, and he was famously protective. It was no longer possible to capture these four today.

It seemed the tribulation of the Chusheng Sect had indeed arrived!

Suppressing the resentment in his heart, he forced a smile and cupped his hands to Chu Haotian, saying, "So they are the esteemed Disciples of Fellow Daoist Chu. It was my oversight; please excuse my lack of manners."

"You're too polite, Third Elder."

Chu Haotian's smile remained gentle. "My Disciples are still young, and their actions may be improper. But even if they have truly made a mistake, it should be my Tianque Sect that disciplines them. For the Third Elder to strike so indiscriminately seems a bit against the rules, doesn't it?"

"Yes, yes, Fellow Daoist Chu is right."

The Third Elder quickly agreed, his mind already calculating. "I was also acting in haste just now and didn't verify their identities, nearly causing a misunderstanding. Since they are Fellow Daoist Chu's people, then let this matter be dropped. I won't disturb you further."

The two exchanged a few more sarcastic pleasantries in a Yin and Yang manner.

Only then did the Third Elder circulate his spiritual power, instantly turning into a streak of light and speeding toward his Sect.

This matter had been exposed, and it was a certainty that the Chusheng Sect would become a target for everyone. This mess was best left for the Old Sect Master to handle.

As for me... I must find a way out for myself as soon as possible, lest I be dragged into the abyss by this Sect!

"Revered Master! Are we really just going to let him leave?" Lin Xiuqin asked with some reluctance as she watched the receding back of the Third Elder.

Chu Haotian slowly shook his head, his tone calm. "This Third Elder's Realm is on par with mine. If we truly fought, we would inevitably fall into a prolonged battle, and I wouldn't be able to ensure the safety of you four."

He paused, his gaze turning toward the dilapidated Demon Suppressing Tower, his eyes becoming sharp.

"No rush. Once we make public the heinous acts committed by the Chusheng Sect at the Demon Suppressing Tower and join forces with the Five Elders Gate to demand accountability, we will settle all scores together!"

"Such atrocious behavior, even with the Chusheng Sect's deep heritage, cannot withstand the wrath of all the world's Cultivators."

"So that's how it is!"

Lin Xiuqin came to a sudden realization and nodded gently.

Chu Haotian slowly descended, his gaze quickly sweeping over the ruined Demon Suppressing Tower and then glancing at Fu Yunze's corpse nearby. He already had a general understanding of what had transpired here.

He turned to Ye Hao and Li Pingan, offering a sincere invitation. "This is not a place to linger. If you three Fellow Daoists don't mind, would you be willing to come to the Tianque Sect as guests? It would allow me to show some hospitality."

Ye Hao shook his head slightly and cupped his hands.

"Thank you for your kindness, Senior, but the two of us still have important matters to attend to. We can only visit another day."

Zhao Xu also quickly cupped his hands and declined the invitation.

At this moment, he only wanted to do one thing: return to Pingquan Village, where he hadn't been for many years.

Seeing the three of them were firm in their refusal, Chu Haotian did not insist.

After a moment of thought, he suddenly said, "The ten thousand demon blood quenching pool is indeed effective for Cleansing the Marrow and Forging the Sinews, and solidifying the Physical Body's Foundation. But there's no such thing as a free lunch in this world. The more precious the Opportunity, the greater the risks that usually accompany it."

After saying this, he spoke no more. He nodded slightly to the three of them and then took Lin Xiuqin and Zhao Jingchen, flying up into the air and vanishing into the horizon as three streaks of light.

Ye Hao and Li Pingan cupped their hands toward the direction the three had left. After a brief farewell, they also didn't linger and turned to head toward Yunxi City.