Goulong.
Goulong.
The sound of people swallowing saliva echoed again and again.
No one could hold it in any longer.
Elder Jiang's scalp went numb. He stared fixedly at Chu Xun, his mind flooded with disbelief and shock. Some time ago, the enormous palm strike in the back mountain had been filled with desolate power, making him deeply uneasy. He had always felt that some terrifying existence was looming above him. What he never expected was that this person belonged to their own Donglin Sect.
The white-haired old man.
Xiao Rongyu.
Both of them were equally stunned.
And then came overwhelming joy.
Instant kill.
Killed with a single strike.
The strength Chu Xun displayed completely shocked them. Long ago, they had anticipated his rise, but they never imagined it would come so quickly. Just days after breaking through to the Human Emperor Realm, he had already reached such an unfathomable level of cultivation.
As for Xiao Rongyu, the look in her eyes grew even more entranced. Though Chu Xun was no longer young, what she saw reflected in her gaze was still the peerless swordsman of the past, green robes, sword in hand, unmatched elegance.
In the forbidden area of Donglin Sect, the aura that had surged earlier gradually settled down. Clearly, the existence within was very satisfied with the outcome of this battle. Chu Xun's effortless killing of a powerful enemy was not only shocking, but also an unexpected delight for Donglin Sect.
Below.
Elders.
Disciples.
Handymen.
Everyone stood frozen in shock.
Earlier, when the red-haired old man had come to demand justice, charging alone into Donglin Sect with overwhelming arrogance, no one could stop him. Even two Human Emperors had failed to restrain him. No one could have imagined that the matter would end like this.
A disciple who had joined the sect not long ago lifted his chin slightly, his face full of pride. He nodded and said, "Mm~! As expected of the sect I chose. So strong!"
Some disciples rolled their eyes, thinking this was nonsense, yet when they turned away, they couldn't hide their own pride. They snorted and said, "Donglin Sect has deep foundations and countless experts. Even an elder from the Sutra Pavilion is this terrifying. Looks like I really have good judgment!"
"Terrifying!"
"Absolutely terrifying!"
"This is way too strong!"
There were also spies from other sects hidden within Donglin Sect. At this moment, they were all terrified. In their hearts, they could already foresee a massive storm sweeping across the Eastern Territory.
Chu Xun broke the knot in his heart and entered the Human Emperor Realm.
Zhao Huangchao of the Immortal Dao Sect fell in the Donglin Holy Land.
Either piece of news alone was enough to cause enormous waves and instantly become the hottest topic in the Eastern Territory. Let alone the fact that both originated from the same place. Whether allies or schemers, everyone could predict that turmoil was coming.
…
…
Tianji Sect.
The elder in charge of intelligence trembled. His pupils shrank sharply as he stared toward the eastern Holy Land. He immediately summoned several Human Emperor Realm experts of the Tianji Sect.
"Everyone," he said gravely,
"as expected, the identity of the mysterious Human Emperor from Donglin Sect has been revealed."
"It is Chu Xun, the one who stayed in the Sutra Pavilion for sixty years!"
A Daoist in blue-and-white robes frowned slightly and said, "I already had suspicions when the Fat and Thin Venerables broke into the Sutra Pavilion. It was unexpected, but not shocking. In the end, he wasted sixty years and missed the most critical cultivation period. Just keep an eye on him, there's no need to take him too seriously."
The intelligence elder glanced at him calmly and continued, "The latest news is that Zhao Huangchao of the Immortal Dao Sect charged into the Donglin Holy Land and went straight to the Sutra Pavilion. He was later killed by Chu Xun with a single palm."
Silence fell over the hall.
Clearly, they had yet to digest this overwhelming information.
Zhao Huangchao broke into Donglin Sect?
Forced Chu Xun to leave the Sutra Pavilion?
And was killed instead?
Zhao Huangchao was a fifth-realm Human Emperor. Across the Eastern Territory, he ranked among the very top, second only to the leaders of major powers. To be killed so easily was truly shocking.
"What exactly happened?" someone asked.
Several powerful figures remained calm and attentive.
The intelligence elder continued, "But there's no need to worry too much. Chu Xun's cultivation itself shouldn't be that strong. What he used was a terrifying palm technique imbued with desolate power, capable of devouring vitality. Zhao Huangchao suffered from it without understanding its nature, which led to his swift death. Moreover, this palm technique should originate from the Saint Realm. That means Chu Xun has not yet recovered to an utterly frightening level."
Only then did those in the hall let out long breaths.
They finally felt relieved.
There was a vast difference between casually killing someone and killing with a terrifying secret technique.
One meant overwhelming personal strength.
The other meant reliance on an ultimate move.
"Furthermore," the intelligence elder narrowed his eyes, "Zhao Huangchao's death has exposed a secret, Donglin Holy Land is very weak."
Rumors of Donglin Holy Land's decline had existed for a long time. All major forces knew of them, but none had been confirmed.
The younger generation of the Eastern Territory, however, remained unaware. In their eyes, the Eastern Holy Land was still that ancient, towering force, three thousand years of inheritance, unshakable and eternal.
"A fifth-realm Human Emperor is no weakling. For someone like Zhao Huangchao to force Chu Xun out of seclusion already speaks volumes. His death further exposes Donglin Holy Land's weakness."
Donglin Holy Land had five Human Emperors.
One was guarding the forbidden area and could not leave.
Another, the strongest among them, was rumored to be on the brink of death, and now it seemed that rumor was true.
Donglin Holy Land was weak.
At least,
It was at its weakest point in history.
The intelligence elder squinted slightly. He knew that if he could see this, other forces would too. If Donglin Holy Land truly lacked top-tier combat power, it would soon face grave danger.
…
…
Shenxing Sect.
They received the same news.
And reached similar conclusions.
The intelligence elder of Shenxing Sect curled his lips and said indifferently, "Compared to whether Donglin Holy Land is weak, I'm more curious about one thing, whose sword intent does that river belong to?"
Within Donglin Sect, there flowed a vast sword river, filled with powerful sword intent.
At first, they thought it belonged to Chu Xun.
But now,
Probably not.
When the sword intent of the great river erupted, Chu Xun had only just entered the Human Emperor Realm. From this battle alone, it was clear that he had already stepped into the realm long ago but had remained hidden.
Moreover, Chu Xun's inheritance focused on fist techniques.
He likely had no time to refine such profound sword intent.
Thinking this way,
Donglin Sect might possess yet another Human Emperor.
"It doesn't matter who inherited that great river sword intent," the elder said calmly. "Chu Xun killed an elder of the Immortal Dao Sect with a single palm. With their temperament, how could they just swallow this humiliation and watch from the sidelines?"
"And even if the Immortal Dao Sect doesn't confront Donglin Holy Land head-on, there's still the Zhenwu Sect. Don't forget, the Zhenwu Great Sage came from that sect. Now that Chu Xun has broken his knot and entered the Human Emperor Realm, do you think Zhenwu Sect isn't panicking? If they start biting each other, they won't have time to bother us."
The experts of Shenxing Sect were relaxed and pleased.
Let them fight.
The more chaotic, the better.
It had nothing to do with them anyway.