262: Polar reversal

While Hu Qianxue and the others were excitedly watching the show, the Cultivators on the Profound Sword Realm side felt like every day was a year under Lin Xiao's pressure.

No, it should be every second was a year.

Many Cultivators with weaker strength could no longer bear it and fainted on the spot, while the rest were just barely holding on.

"Such strong Aura..."

As time passed, even top powerhouses among the Great Emperors like Du Meng and Mulan couldn't help but feel increasingly uncomfortable.

They had thought about releasing their Aura to resist, but under the opponent's terrifying Aura, they couldn't even release it from their bodies, only able to resist with their own strength.

"Damn it..."

Ouyang Jie resisted the pressure on his back, while looking up at Gu Ran, who had his back to them, a faint hint of confusion appearing on his face.

"Tower Lord Gu, this is..."

Not only him, but Du Meng, Mulan, and the others were also looking at Gu Ran at the very front with confused expressions.

The opponent had first released his Aura, which could be completely considered a provocation. They had thought Gu Ran would also release his Aura to counter it, but they didn't expect that almost a minute had passed, and the latter still showed no intention of acting.

What's going on? Is this to temper them?

"Tower Lord Gu..."

Ouyang Jie, bearing the pressure, took a few steps forward to stand beside Gu Ran. As he looked at the person in front of him, he was about to say something when his eyes suddenly narrowed.

"You..."

He saw that Gu Ran's face no longer held its previous calm and composure. Instead, his brows were tightly furrowed, and beads of cold sweat rolled down his face. He looked even more pressured than them, which was the most surprising thing for Ouyang Jie.

At this moment, Gu Ran had no time to bother with Ouyang Jie. He was currently fully engaged in a struggle against that Aura.

As early as when Lin Xiao first released his Aura, he had prepared to counter it with his own, but he hadn't expected that the opponent seemed to have anticipated his actions. The Aura, which was originally within an acceptable range, instantly intensified, directly reaching a level of strength more than one tier higher.

Immediately, Gu Ran discovered with horror that his Aura, which could originally pass through his body, was now unable to leave his body under the opponent's suppression.

Let alone contending with the opponent, or protecting others, Gu Ran was now too busy taking care of himself.

And as he desperately tried, his originally calm heart also began to ripple. He never expected that Lin Xiao, a guy who had just made a Breakthrough to Nine Realm Great Emperor, could actually suppress him, someone who had Cultivated in the Nine Realm for hundreds of years, to such an extent. It was simply too absurd.

But no matter what he thought, the fact that the entire Profound Sword Realm was suppressed by one person would still not change.

"Damn it..."

Just as Gu Ran gave up resisting and was about to make a move while enduring the pressure, he suddenly felt his body lighten, and the stagnant spiritual power within him also returned to its smooth circulation. This sudden change made his attacking motion pause, and his expression also froze for a moment, then a complex look flashed in his eyes.

And not only him, but the others were also the same. Under everyone's gaze, the Aura scattered between heaven and earth all flowed back into Lin Xiao's body, as if nothing had happened.

But the large number of fallen people in the Cultivator army and the remaining panting ones silently attested to what had happened in this place just now.

"Hmm, there are still so many people standing?"

Hearing the voice from ahead, Ouyang Jie and the others subconsciously looked up, and then saw Lin Xiao stroking his chin, looking at them with some surprise.

"The strength of the Profound Sword Realm is still pretty good."

"..."

At these words, all the Great Emperors, including Gu Ran, felt their faces darken. The sarcastic meaning of these words was too obvious; it was almost explicitly calling them novices from the Profound Sword Realm.

Yet, a few months ago, they were treating Bone Cultivator and others in the same way, and now the tables had turned completely. It was truly ironic.

Meanwhile, inside the main hall, Hu Qianxue, Shi Hao, and the others were so excited they almost jumped up. Looking at their Revered Master's back, their eyes sparkled.

As expected of their Revered Master! He became invincible again after waking up from his slumber, suppressing numerous Great Emperors into silence all by himself. He was simply overflowing with dominance!

"Alright, Tower Lord Gu."

Lin Xiao didn't pay attention to the others, his gaze falling on Gu Ran, who was at the forefront, and he spoke casually.

"Let's talk about the compensation."

"Hmm?"

At these words, Gu Ran, who had been trying to figure out how to respond, was instantly stunned. And not only him, but Ouyang Jie, Mulan, and the others standing behind him were also the same, with only one thought left in their minds.

Compensation? What compensation??

"Palace Master Lin..."

After much fruitless thought, Gu Ran still chose to look up and frowned, saying.

"This compensation, where does it come from?"

"Where does it come from?"

Hearing this, Lin Xiao raised an eyebrow slightly, then turned his body and gestured with his mouth towards the spatial passage.

"You all gathered here, wasn't it to act once the Seal was broken? If I hadn't awakened, do I need to keep explaining the situation?"

"Uh..."

At these words, all the Emperors, including Gu Ran, were speechless. After all, they were indeed in the wrong here. They had been blocking the spatial passage for about half a year. No matter how good-tempered someone was, they probably couldn't tolerate it, let alone an Emperor.

"Ahem, Palace Master Lin..."

Du Meng coughed lightly and said cautiously.

"This is actually a misunderstanding..."

"Misunderstanding?"

Seeing someone speak, Lin Xiao glanced at the person and sneered.

"I don't believe in any misunderstandings. You all were quite enthusiastic about breaking the Seal I laid out earlier."

"What?"

Hearing this, the faces of several Emperors, including Gu Ran, showed expressions of shock. They hadn't expected that Lin Xiao, who was only at the Sixth Realm at the time, could actually lay down a Seal that even a Nine Realm Great Emperor couldn't do anything about. This matter was simply beyond absurd.

But looking at Lin Xiao, who was currently suppressing all the elites of their Profound Sword Realm with just his Aura, even if they were shocked, they could only believe it and began to look at each other, not knowing what to say for a moment.

After all, earlier, they were indeed very keen on breaking the Seal. Over the past half year, it wasn't just those few times; during fragmented periods, they also organized Cultivator armies to set up formations and bombard the Seal, all wanting to break the Seal early to plunder the rich resources of the opposite Realm.

And now, the few of them also felt waves of regret. If they had known this would be the situation, they would never have done this. One could only say that as enthusiastic as they were in attacking back then, they were now just as apprehensive.

And looking at the other side's current intentions, it was clear that they wanted them to bleed a little.

In response, the group did not dare to make decisions on their own and all turned their gaze to Gu Ran at the very front, waiting for him to make the call.

Facing this situation, Gu Ran was also in a difficult position, as no matter whether he agreed to compensate or not, he wouldn't gain anything good.

If he agreed, it was inevitable that some unwilling forces would have opinions of him, but if he didn't agree, it would be tantamount to falling out with Lin Xiao. According to the combat power the opponent had previously displayed, he, no, the entire Profound Sword Realm probably wouldn't be enough for him to fight.

Thus, after hesitating for a long time, Gu Ran finally made a decision under Lin Xiao's benevolent gaze.

"Although this matter is a misunderstanding, it has indeed caused a lot of trouble for the Fellow Daoists of Wuji Palace, and compensation is indeed necessary."

"Phew."

At these words, the originally tense Emperors also breathed a sigh of relief. Good, they weren't afraid if he agreed, only if he didn't.

Isn't it just bleeding a little? Let's bleed then. The situation is weaker than the opponent, better than being annihilated.

"Elder Ouyang."

Gu Ran glanced at Ouyang Jie behind him. The latter immediately understood, cleared his throat twice, and stepped forward, speaking with a very polite attitude.

"Palace Master Lin, to show our sincerity, our Sword Pavilion is willing to offer two Supreme Emperor Weapons, two Emperor Spirit Pills, and also..."

The Sword Pavilion truly lived up to its reputation as the strongest force in the Profound Sword Realm. The items Ouyang Jie listed were all rare and precious treasures. Lin Xiao was overjoyed inside, but his expression remained calm.

After the Sword Pavilion finished reporting, Ouyang Jie looked at Lin Xiao with some trepidation, wondering if the other party thought it was enough or not. In any case, he had offered quite a lot of substantial goods.

"Hmph."

Lin Xiao, however, let out a light snort and sneered.

"Is that all? Are you trying to send off a beggar, Fellow Daoist? Is this all that the business plans our Wuji Palace delayed and the intimidation and mental distress suffered by our Sect's Elders and Disciples during the past half year are worth?"

"..."

Hearing this, Ouyang Jie opened his mouth as if to say something, but in the end, he remained silent. Not only him, but Du Meng, Mulan, and the others also had bewildered expressions, feeling their heads buzzing.

Mental distress fee? What in the world is that? The other party even made up a new term just to extort them. This is simply outrageous!

"Palace Master Lin, this..."

"What, do you think this is too much?"

Before Ouyang Jie could finish speaking, Lin Xiao interrupted him, grunting while holding his staff.

"This little bit is fine too, but I just woke up and have morning grumpiness. I need to blow up a few Realms to feel better. I think the Profound Sword Realm looks quite good."

Hearing this, Ouyang Jie immediately fell silent, his expression instantly turning ugly.

Threat. This was a naked threat to them.

If the other party really caused trouble with that strength, the Profound Sword Realm would definitely suffer, and their forces would certainly be impacted.

Thinking of this, Ouyang Jie once again cast a pleading look at his Tower Lord.

Gu Ran, however, had already regained his composure. Noticing Ouyang Jie's gaze, he remained silent for a moment before looking up at Lin Xiao and slowly spoke.

"It's indeed not quite enough. In that case, I will make a decision: the compensation from the Sword Tower earlier will all be doubled."

"Tower Lord Gu!"

At these words, the faces of the Emperors behind him instantly changed drastically. Ouyang Jie even cried out in surprise, his usually calm face now filled with anxiety.

He couldn't help but be anxious. One had to know that the previous compensation was already very generous, and for the Sword Tower, it was considered a significant loss.

If it were really doubled, their Sword Tower might not be fundamentally shaken, but it would be close.

Leaving aside other things, just the first item, two Supreme Emperor Weapons becoming four, was not a simple two plus two.

One must know that even among the many Great Emperors, those possessing Supreme Emperor Weapons were extremely few. For example, in the entire Profound Sword Realm, there were dozens of Great Emperors, but only a handful possessed Supreme Emperor Weapons, which showed how precious they were.

And now, to compensate with four at once, how could Ouyang Jie not feel heartache?

Not to mention other things like Emperor Spirit Pills, which were all rare Cultivation resources. Their Sword Tower didn't have many, and now that they were all being compensated, Ouyang Jie felt his heart bleeding.

"This is more like it."

Only then did Lin Xiao nod in satisfaction, then turned his gaze to Du Meng and Mulan, smiling as he spoke.

"Then, may I ask the two of you, what about Jinmu Valley and Wan Du Valley?"

"..."

When they saw the other party's gaze fall on them, the two secretly cried out, "Not good!" And when they actually heard the names of their respective forces from the other party's mouth, they knew they couldn't escape today.

Having the Sword Tower's precedent, Mulan and Du Meng knew that not bleeding was not an option this time. So, they directly offered a high price. Although it couldn't compare to the Sword Tower's, it could still be said to be very sincere.

Lin Xiao didn't continue to make things difficult. He knew that not everyone was as rich as the Sword Tower, so even though the total resources were a bit less, he calculated it and accepted it.

And at this critical juncture of life and death, not only the one Tower and two Valleys, but the remaining Four Great Families also had no intention of bargaining with the other party, and all offered high prices at the first opportunity.

Lin Xiao was very satisfied with how sensible these several forces were. Just when everyone in the Profound Sword Realm thought they were safe, the former's gaze fell on the few figures behind them, and he raised an eyebrow, saying.

"Wait, what's going on with those two Fellow Daoists?"

"Hmm?"

Hearing this, Gu Ran, Ouyang Jie, and the others all looked in the direction Lin Xiao was gazing with confused expressions, and then two figures came into view. It was none other than Tong Yuan and White Shallow.

"Eh?"

Seeing the spotlight fall on them, the two were also a bit stunned. Tong Yuan, who was originally sitting on the back of the green ox, suddenly sat up straight, while White Shallow, after giving a salute, spoke with trepidation.

"Greetings, Palace Master Lin. May I ask why you are looking for us?"

"Of course there is, otherwise why would I call you?"

Lin Xiao stroked his chin and spoke leisurely.

"You two, where is your compensation?"

"Ah?"

At these words, both of them were stunned, as if they hadn't expected this matter to involve them.

Logically speaking, shouldn't he leave after collecting from the major powers? How did the other party turn around and target them, who were poor Loose Cultivators?

"What, you two don't want to give?"

Seeing the two stunned, Lin Xiao raised an eyebrow slightly.

"If I remember correctly, you two were the most aggressive in attacking back then."

Lin Xiao had already learned about what happened during his slumber by reading memories earlier.

That little brat was an old guy who had lived for hundreds of thousands of years but pretended to be young. He was provoked by Bai Xiaochun's two taunts and got angry, then chopped at the Seal for a long time, even splitting the sea.

And compared to Tong Yuan, he was more interested in White Shallow next to him.