Chu Tianlong spoke.
He had sealed the great hall, but the formation he used was a supreme array designed specifically for cultivators of the Peak Heaven Realm.
Chu Yuan saw through it at a glance: Chu Tianlong did not want him to leave!
At the same time, Chu Tianlong dared not strike first, unsure of Chu Yuan’s true strength at this moment.
He was testing him.
"I merely came to visit an old friend. I hadn't expected..." Chu Yuan left the sentence hanging, but his meaning was clear.
Not far away, Chu Yueqing’s gaze suddenly dimmed.
Chu Tianlong obviously understood Chu Yuan’s implication, so he cut straight to the point: "Chu Yuan, I won't waste words. You will stay in the Chu family from now on."
"You are not allowed to go anywhere."
"And if I refuse?"
"You have no say in the matter. Chu Yuan, you are a demonic cultivator! If you dare to leave the Chu family, don't blame us for being heartless!"
"Now that the world knows the Qingyun Sect has placed a bounty on your head, if I reveal your whereabouts, you will never leave the Ancient Sword Dynasty alive!"
"Threatening me? You are welcome to try!" A surge of demonic energy began to emanate from Chu Yuan’s chest.
"What!? You dare! Chu Yuan! Your cultivation has fallen; don't think we three are afraid of you!"
Chu Tianlong and the two elders were startled, leaping to their feet and glaring furiously at Chu Yuan.
"You are still so arrogant even with your cultivation ruined! I see you have no respect for us!"
"To have a junior like you in our Chu family, practicing the demonic arts, is truly a calamity!"
"Chu Yuan, we represent our ancestors here and now to execute you, you demonic scourge!"
Chu Tianlong spoke with righteous indignation before crushing a jade talisman.
The moment it shattered, waves of information spread instantly, transmitting out of the hall!
Clearly, Chu Tianlong realized the three of them could not suppress Chu Yuan alone and had notified the other families to join them before the battle truly began.
"Great Elder, Second Elder, I have notified the powerhouses of the Ancient Sword Dynasty as well as the major noble clans. They will arrive in less than a few quarter-hours."
"We only need to hold on until then! Once they arrive, this Chu Yuan won't be able to fly away even with wings!"
"Agreed! I’ve been itching to stretch my bones!"
"Hahaha, to think I would have the chance to personally suppress this Chu Yuan myself. How ironic fate is!"
The three men's auras surged, with the pressure of the early Heaven Realm expanding in layers, filling the entire hall.
The immense momentum created a gale that whipped Chu Yueqing’s clothes into a frenzy, yet Chu Yuan remained unmoved. Only his black hair and the corners of his robes danced in the wind.
Hidden in the shadows, another great array had already locked onto Chu Yuan, ready to strike at any moment!
Not far away, Chu Yueqing gulped.
Her gaze toward Chu Yuan flickered with a hint of pity. After all, they had grown up together, yet now she was personally sending him to the guillotine.
*Chu Yuan, don’t blame me. Who told you to practice the demonic arts? And to dare show your face in the Chu family’s main city while doing so—you deserve to die here!*
She sneered internally, convinced that Chu Yuan could not possibly survive.
The place was swarming with experts, and a swarm of more were on their way. She couldn't imagine how he could possibly make it out alive.
"Great Wilderness Imprisoning Palm!"
"Cage of Heaven and Earth!"
"Demon-Sealing Palm!"
The attacks from the three men descended with majestic force.
"Terrified into silence, you brat?"
"The combined attacks of three Heaven Realm experts—even if you were still at the peak, you couldn't take this easily!"
"Die!"
But in the next instant, Chu Yuan’s chest split open. Three pitch-black chains, like the heads of ferocious serpents, lunged out. Ignoring the men's attacks entirely, they struck straight toward their chests!
"Squelch!!!"
In a heartbeat, their chests were pierced through as if they were made of paper.
Chu Yuan’s massive hand swept out, grabbing the three of them and throwing them into the black hole within his chest, refining them in an instant!
It all happened too fast.
Before Chu Yueqing could even see how Chu Yuan had made his move, the battle was already over.
"How are you still this strong?" Chu Yueqing cried out in disbelief, tears of regret streaming down her face.
The strength Chu Yuan displayed now was clearly still at his peak!
To effortlessly kill three Heaven Realm experts in seconds—only someone at the Peak Heaven Realm could do such a thing!
What of the rumors that his cultivation had been crippled?
Regret filled Chu Yueqing’s heart. The Chu family was finished! And she would be reduced to nothing more than a rogue cultivator!
If she hadn't harbored ulterior motives, given the friendship they once shared, Chu Yuan could have been her greatest ally!
The very fact that he had come to the Chu family to find her proved he still cared for her.
But now, it was all too late.
[Ding! The Host has powerfully refined three Heaven Realm cultivators, maximizing the demonic path! Rewarded with 1500 Demonic Path Points!]
Hearing the prompt in his ear, Chu Yuan was satisfied.
Just as he prepared to leave, he turned his head toward Chu Yueqing. "Almost forgot about you."
Chu Yuan conjured a large hand, grabbed her, and pulled her into his body before vanishing from the spot.
...
Chu Yuan did not leave the main city. Instead, he emerged from a small alleyway, his face already changed by the time he appeared before the crowd.
He had completely let go of everyone in the secular world.
Tempted by massive cultivation resources and countless divine pills and medicines, no one could resist the urge to attack him.
And so, like an ordinary rogue cultivator, Chu Yuan headed toward the Aurora Sacred Ground.
Once there, it would be much easier to make contact with demonic cultivators within the ancient ruins. Joining a demonic sect was his true destination.
...
A few days later, news that the Chu family head, two elders, and the former young mistress, Chu Yueqing, had vanished spread across the Ancient Sword Dynasty.
But no one cared about their disappearance; instead, everyone focused their attention on carving up the Chu family’s resources.
Without its three Heaven Realm experts, the Chu family was like scattered sand and would soon cease to exist.
In the Great Hall of the Qingyun Sect:
"Master, Chu Yuan went to the Ancient Sword Dynasty, then to the Chu family, and in an act of retaliation, he killed the family head and the others!"
"Oh?" Xiao Junmo arched an eyebrow. "It seems this Chu Yuan began killing in retaliation even before his cultivation regressed."
"A temperament like that has no future!"
"Pass down the order: if Chu Yuan appears again, summon the world's experts to surround and kill him immediately!"
"As you command, Master!" Jiang Wanqing slowly retreated.
Shortly after, another person entered the hall—a very elderly man.
He held a cane, upon which seven light spots arranged like planets were scattered in a profound, chaotic order.
"Elder Guanxing, what brings you here?"
Xiao Junmo addressed the man with a hint of respect.
This man belonged to an era long past, having survived to the present day. His strength was unfathomable, and he possessed the ability to observe the celestial phenomena and predict the future of the Qingyun Sect!
He rarely appeared, spending all his time in the Star-Watching Pavilion.
His sudden appearance suggested something of great importance.
"Sect Master Xiao, there have been anomalous changes in the world lately; the flow of destiny is expanding, and countless opportunities and ruins are erupting from the earth. A Golden Age is approaching."
"Yet, our Qingyun Sect seems to be shrouded in a thick fog, and an invisible, grand momentum has vanished."