"It's you!"
"Chu Xun!"
"So you really aren't useless after all!"
The moment Zhao Huangchao saw that figure, the worries in his heart vanished. A surge of relief washed over him, and all the doubts and confusion he had been harboring suddenly unraveled.
Jiang Chen becoming Chu Xun's disciple now made sense. That explained why the Jiang family had caused such a huge stir. A once peerless genius who had looked down upon the Eastern Region, who bound himself for a time, shattered his restraints, and then rose again, such a figure carried terrifying potential. He was more than worthy of the Jiang family's grand display.
So it was Chu Xun.
That explained everything.
The sword intent within the river also made sense now.
Chu Xun had once cultivated the sword. Now that the knot in his heart had been broken, he had stepped into the Human Emperor Realm and achieved enlightenment by the river, leaving behind a radiant divine sword intent that merged into the flowing waters for his sect's disciples to comprehend.
Everything fit.
Even the silent deaths of the Fat and Thin Venerables in the Sutra Pavilion became clear. If Chu Xun, now a Human Emperor, had acted, then those two Venerables had never stood a chance. No matter how strong they were, their fate had been sealed the moment he moved.
"Hah…"
Zhao Huangchao let out a long breath.
In an instant, every tangled thought in his mind was smoothed out.
Clarity surged.
Even his gaze sharpened and brightened.
To the east of the Holy Land, the white-haired old man, Sect Master Xiao Rongyu, and the remaining Human Emperor experts all wore expressions of deep concern. Chu Xun's breakthrough, resolving his inner demon and stepping into the Human Emperor Realm, had been a closely guarded secret of the Donglin Sect. Outsiders had speculated, but no one had been able to confirm it. Now that it was exposed so openly, it was far from a good thing.
Back then, Chu Xun had been far too arrogant.
A green robe.
A sword in hand.
He had offended far too many people.
At the peak of his strength, no one dared to challenge him. But sixty years had passed. Even if he had now entered the Human Emperor Realm, he was no longer at the same level as before. Revealing himself like this might not be wise.
"Master…"
Jiang Chen raised his head, looking at his teacher from so close a distance, his heart filled with emotion. He knew Chu Xun preferred peace and solitude, yet today he had stepped into the open, blocking everything for him, standing in the light. How much resolve must that have taken?
Jiang Chen lowered his head in shame.
He had thought that he alone could bear the consequences.
Who would have expected things to spiral so far out of control?
"It doesn't matter," Chu Xun said calmly.
"It's just a small matter."
Zhao Huangchao sneered inwardly. Now that the mystery had been fully unraveled, the killing intent in his eyes surged uncontrollably. He could not allow Chu Xun to continue cultivating in silence for another sixty years. If that happened, who knew how terrifying he would become? The swordsman in green, sword in hand, might truly return.
Boom!
At that very moment, several overwhelming auras descended from the east.
The white-haired old man.
Xiao Rongyu.
Elder Jiang.
Three Human Emperor Realm experts arrived almost simultaneously. Even the forbidden region housing the Donglin Sect's Holy Land trembled under their combined pressure. A Human Emperor was awakening. Though guarding the forbidden land was crucial, compared to Chu Xun's safety, everything else seemed insignificant.
"It's fine," Chu Xun said softly.
"Just leave it to me."
He glanced at the Human Emperors of the Donglin Sect, his gaze gentle and serene. With a casual wave of his hand, the Taixuan Sword from the eighth floor of the Sutra Pavilion let out a trembling hum and descended into the void.
"Extraordinary indeed," Zhao Huangchao muttered, his eyes burning with greed. Earlier, when that boy Ye Chen had spoken of how remarkable the sword was, he hadn't taken it seriously. Seeing it now, he was genuinely shaken. No wonder it had been bid up to thirteen thousand top-grade spirit stones.
Xiao Rongyu stood clad in bright red robes, a hint of cinnabar between her brows. Her eyes were cold as ice. Just as she was about to step forward, the white-haired old man stopped her.
"For now, let Elder Chu strike first," he said.
Elder Jiang nodded in agreement.
Sixty years of accumulation.
Hidden but not wasted.
A sword concealed within the chest.
It would not be weak.
Moreover, Chu Xun's path to the Human Emperor Realm was already well known. If he did not reveal some strength, it would only invite trouble. Even if things spiraled out of control, elders from the forbidden land could intervene at any moment.
Xiao Rongyu remained where she was, unmoving, but her phoenix eyes were razor-sharp. If Zhao Huangchao dared to touch even a single hair on Chu Xun's head, she swore to hunt him to the ends of Donglin Sect.
The crowd silently withdrew.
The battlefield was cleared.
The Taixuan Sword hovered in midair, releasing wisps of Human Emperor will. Its extraordinary nature grew ever more apparent.
Zhao Huangchao did not conceal his greed.
Chu Xun mocked him lightly. "If you want it, are you worthy?"
Anger and greed twisted Zhao Huangchao's expression. He sneered coldly. "Arrogant fool. Since you're delivering the divine sword to my doorstep, I won't hold back!"
The white-haired old man, Xiao Rongyu, and Elder Jiang all stepped aside, waiting expectantly for Chu Xun to draw his sword. Yet the next instant, their expressions froze. Their pupils dilated in shock.
"He's not going to use his sword!"
"Ah!"
Zhao Huangchao lunged straight for the Taixuan Sword, ignoring all caution. Opportunities like this came only once in a lifetime, miss it, and regret it forever.
"Pitiful," Chu Xun said softly, a trace of compassion flashing through his eyes.
Did Zhao Huangchao truly believe he could barge into the Donglin Holy Land alone and deceive the entire sect?
Chu Xun slowly raised his palm.
A desolate power spread outward.
Boom,
A colossal palm, vast as a millstone, descended, crushing everything in its path. Xiao Rongyu and the others, who were preparing to intervene, froze mid-motion. Their pupils widened as a memory struck them like lightning.
"That palm… it's him!"
The power of desolation surged.
Decay followed.
A suffocating state of mind spread.
Oppression.
Darkness.
Deathly silence.
Endless negative emotions flooded forth, swallowing everything.
Below, the disciples watching the battle felt their hearts empty. A terrifying thought arose, if they simply let this withering consume them, perhaps death wouldn't be so bad.
Suddenly,
A breeze passed.
The gloom vanished.
The disciples snapped back to their senses, staring in horror at the descending palm. In that fleeting moment, they had completely abandoned all resistance. And that was merely a residual state of mind, what, then, was Zhao Huangchao facing directly?
At first, Zhao Huangchao didn't care. He intended to seize Chu Xun and take the sword in one move. He believed Donglin Sect wouldn't dare clash head-on with the Xiandao Sect.
But when the palm descended, the heavens themselves filled with desolation.
"Hiss !"
Zhao Huangchao suddenly felt his vitality being devoured, not an illusion, but real, relentless consumption. The desolation seemed to exist everywhere, leaving him nowhere to hide.
His cheeks collapsed.
His flesh withered.
His eyes sank deep into their sockets.
Skin clung to bone.
It was as if his life essence was being devoured by demons.
"The True Scripture of the Immortal Path!"
Terror flooded his eyes.
He formed seals rapidly. A vast, righteous aura descended from the heavens, manifesting like an ancient god or Buddha, its Dharma image enveloping him in protection.
Too late.
The earthen-yellow palm pressed down.
Boom,
It crushed everything, inch by inch.
The radiant Dharma image dimmed and shattered.
Fear exploded in Zhao Huangchao's eyes.
His red hair flew wildly.
He knew, he was going to die.
Impossible.
How could this be possible?!
He had only just broken through to the Human Emperor Realm!
Crack,
Cracks spread rapidly.
In a single breath, everything shattered.
Bang!
The massive palm slammed down mercilessly.
Zhao Huangchao's body exploded.
Puff!
A cloud of blood mist bloomed in the sky.
Silence fell.
An eerie, deathly silence.
Disciples.
Human Emperors.
All stood frozen, dumbstruck.
Zhao Huangchao, who had entered Donglin Sect as if no one in the world could stop him, had been killed in an instant.
Everything had seemed slow, yet it had all happened in a blink.
A single palm.
Instant annihilation.
Eyes slowly turned toward the calm, unassuming old Daoist.
Only awe remained.
Unchanging expression.
Effortless slaughter.
Killing a Human Emperor with tranquil ease.