100: Chapter 100 Intervening

For a moment, the sounds of discussion, gasps, and sharp intakes of breath rose and fell in waves!

If, before, Chu Xiao's ascension to fiftieth place on the immortal seed ranking and his slaying of a Jiuyou Sect Disciple and a Heavenly Demon Sect emissary were seen by everyone as merely the rise of a promising talent from a remote province, tinged with a bit of luck...

Then now, in front of all the top forces of the Eastern Region, killing the Savage Ape—renowned for his formidable Physical Body—with a single punch, this could no longer be described by the word 'Genius'.

He was a true Prodigy! A genuine, peerless Prodigy!

At this moment, no one dared to look at the Tianyan Sect with contempt and disdain any longer.

Replaced by deep awe and fear.

On the bone ship of the Jiuyou Sect, the gloating expression on Grand Elder Lihun's face had long since vanished without a trace!

He had originally thought to let that foolish ox, the Savage Ape, test Chu Xiao's depths, to prepare for his own subsequent plans.

But he never expected the result of that test to be so earth-shattering!

That punch, he had seen it clearly.

No Law, no Divine Ability, only pure power.

Unconsciously, Lihun's back was already soaked through with cold sweat.

He turned his head, looking towards a corner in the shadows behind him. It was empty, but he knew the Heavenly Demon Sect expert, Guigu, was there.

"Fellow Daoist Guigu, you... what are your chances?"

Lihun's voice carried a slight tremor.

From within the shadows, after a long silence, a dry voice sounded.

"This boy is very strong."

"If we were in the outside world, if this old man faced him, the odds... would be fifty-fifty."

Lihun's heart instantly sank to the bottom.

Even Guigu, at the sixth level of Soul Transformation and famed for his decisiveness in killing, only dared to speak of fifty-fifty odds?

Just how terrifying was Chu Xiao's strength?

"However..."

Guigu's voice sounded again, carrying a bone-chilling coldness: "Within the Cave Heaven, the Heavenly Secrets are cut off, and the Laws are in chaos. Power is not the sole reliance. As long as an opportunity can be found, this old man has a ninety percent certainty of making him die without a burial place."

Hearing this, Lihun's expression improved slightly.

But the Killing Intent in his eyes grew even more intense.

This boy absolutely must not be allowed to live!

If he is not eliminated today, in the future, he will surely become the Jiuyou Sect's doom!

Elsewhere, on the Nine Dragon Imperial Carriage of the Great Yan Dynasty.

Ripples stirred in the eyes of Third Prince Yan Zhao.

In the void behind him, a middle-aged Protector clad in black armor, his Aura deep and imposing like a mountain, silently materialized.

"Your Highness, this person..."

"Investigate."

Yan Zhao uttered only a single word, yet his gaze remained locked on Chu Xiao: "This Prince must know everything about him, all intelligence from his birth to the present."

"Yes."

The black-armored Protector bowed to receive the order, his figure once again vanishing into the void.

Others only saw the overbearing nature of that punch, but he saw something deeper.

Within that pure power, it contained a kind of... Dao!

A kind of overbearing supremacy that transcended ordinary Laws, peerless and self-proclaimed!

This was no longer a simple Cultivation Technique or Divine Ability.

It had touched upon the Origin of power itself.

"Tianyan Sect... Chu Xiao..."

Yan Zhao murmured softly, a thick interest flashing in his eyes: "Interesting. It seems this trip to the Liyang Cave Heaven won't be so boring."

On the Yu Family's flying ship.

The maid, Xiao Yuer, her little face deathly pale, tightly clutched her Young Miss's sleeve, her voice trembling: "Yo... Young Miss, that person... he... he..."

She was already incoherent.

Yu Chouxue did not speak, but ripples now stirred in her phoenix eyes.

She too was a Nascent Soul Immortal Master, and even more so than the vast majority of people present...

She saw it more clearly.

That punch had disregarded the Savage Ape's protective Mystic Arts, disregarded his Magic Treasure-comparable Physical Body, and directly crushed him completely!

In her understanding, no Cultivation Technique could achieve such a thing.

Subconsciously, she compared Chu Xiao to herself and arrived at a conclusion that shook her heart and spirit.

If she faced that punch, the result... likely wouldn't be much better than the Savage Ape's.

This discovery gave rise to a peculiar emotion in her heart.

Just who was this man?

Her gaze, involuntarily, fell upon that white-clothed figure, as if trying to see him more clearly.

And among the crowd of Loose Cultivators on the plain below.

Jiang Bai's complexion had become extremely ugly.

The confidence and disdain on his face had long since vanished!

Replaced by shock, jealousy, and a trace of deep apprehension.

"Master Dog! Th-this... how is this possible?"

He roared inwardly: "That Savage Ape, though a fool, had such a strong Physical Body that even I would find it hard to break through his defense without using my trump cards! How could that bastard surnamed Chu possibly... with just one punch..."

"This old man told you, that kid is dangerous!"

From within the ring, Master Dog's voice was grave: "That punch was no longer simple power. It was a kind of momentum! An invincible momentum that crushes everything!"

"That kid is absolutely your greatest enemy in this life!"

"Enemy?"

Jiang Bai's heart seemed to skip half a beat.

He glanced up at the peerlessly beautiful figure on the Yu Family's flying ship, then at the awe-inspiring Chu Xiao who commanded the attention of the entire crowd.

A towering inferno of jealousy blazed fiercely in his heart.

The stage that should have been his, the glory that should have been his, the stepping stone that should have been crushed under his feet!

Now, all of it had been snatched away by another!

"Chu Xiao..."

Jiang Bai gnashed his teeth as he uttered this name, the Killing Intent in his eyes almost materializing!

"Just you wait! In this Liyang Cave Heaven, I will definitely make you die!"

"Everything of yours will be mine!"

On the Tianyan Sect's flying ship, after a brief moment of stunned silence, Elder Lingyun and the Disciples erupted in earth-shaking cheers!

"Senior Brother Chu is mighty!"

"One punch! So domineering! Senior Brother Chu is simply a Divine Being descended to earth!"

They looked at Chu Xiao's back, their eyes filled with fanatical worship.

The previous worries and tension dissipated without a trace.

Now all transformed into pride.

Elder Lingyun was so excited his old face turned red. Patting Chu Xiao's shoulder, his lips trembled: "Good... good lad!"

Hearing this, Chu Xiao smiled faintly.

His gaze swept across the entire venue, taking in everyone's expressions.

The Jiuyou Sect's resentment, the Third Prince's scrutiny, Yu Chouxue's astonishment, and... that gaze hidden within the crowd, brimming with jealousy and Killing Intent.

Everything was under his control.

This was the effect he wanted.

Establishing authority with a single punch, intimidating the small fry.

Let everyone know that he, Chu Xiao, and his Tianyan Sect, were not soft persimmons to be squeezed at will.

Just at that moment, a roar filled with boundless rage and Killing Intent came from the distant horizon!

"Who! Who killed my son!!"

Before the words faded, a golden streak of light, moving at a speed difficult for the naked eye to follow, instantly appeared in the center of the venue.

The light dispersed, revealing an old man in golden robes, his beard and hair bristling.

He was precisely the Grand Elder leading the Fantian Valley contingent this time, Immortal Master Chongguang!

A powerhouse at the fifth level of Soul Transformation!

Without even glancing at anyone else, his figure flashed.

And he appeared beside the enormous crater thousands of feet away.

When he saw the pile of indistinguishable bloody flesh and mud at the bottom of the pit...

A terrifying Killing Intent that seemed capable of changing the colors of heaven and earth erupted with a boom!

"Man'er! My Man'er!"

Immortal Master Chongguang let out a heart-rending cry of grief. He suddenly raised his head, his crimson eyes like two blood-red suns, locking dead onto Chu Xiao on the Tianyan Sect's flying ship.

"You little beast! It was you! You killed my Man'er!"

"This old man will make you pay with your life! I'll make your entire Tianyan Sect bury him with you!"

Boom!

The pressure of a fifth-level Soul Transformation expert bore down on the cyan jade flying ship without reservation!

Elder Lingyun and the others instantly turned deathly pale. Under this terrifying pressure...

They felt their Primordial Spirits were about to be crushed.

However, just as that pressure was about to descend...

Chu Xiao snorted coldly, taking a step forward as well!

An even more domineering Aura shot towards the heavens.

That Aura formed a barrier-like shield, completely blocking Immortal Master Chongguang's pressure.

"Old dog, your son sought death himself. I merely granted his wish."

The next moment, Chu Xiao's voice leisurely sounded: "If you wish to go down and accompany him, I can grant you that wish as well."

As these words fell, the entire venue erupted in an uproar once more.

No one expected that, facing a powerhouse at the fifth level of Soul Transformation, Chu Xiao not only showed not the slightest fear!

But his words were even more arrogant!

He actually declared he would kill the other party as well!

"Good, good, good! Arrogant brat!"

"Today, this old man will let you know the height of heaven and the depth of earth!"

Immortal Master Chongguang was thoroughly enraged!

With a wave of his large hand, a golden dragon claw condensed from magical power, blotting out the sky, carrying the terrifying might to tear the firmament, descended to grab Chu Xiao's head!

This strike, fueled by his rage, aimed to crush Chu Xiao along with the entire flying ship into dust!

Facing this world-destroying claw!

The Tianyan Sect Disciples on the cyan jade flying ship, their freshly kindled pride instantly replaced by fear!

Each one turned ashen-faced, their bodies trembling uncontrollably.

Elder Lingyun desperately activated the flying ship's protective formation!

But the thin curtain of light, under that golden dragon claw, was like fragile rice paper, covered in cracks, on the verge of complete shattering at any moment.

It's over.

This was the only thought in everyone's mind.

A Sect rising from a remote province had produced a Prodigy not seen in ten thousand years!

This should have been the beginning of their resurgence.

Yet, because this Prodigy was too sharp and exposed, today they would be strangled here, along with their Sect.

Many felt regret, but more felt indifference and saw it as natural.

The world of Cultivation was inherently this cruel.

Lacking sufficient backing yet possessing power beyond control was itself an original sin.

"A pity. If this Chu Xiao could bide his time for a hundred years, he would surely have a place in the Eastern Region."

"Bide his time? Do you think he's the type to bide his time? From the moment he ascended the immortal seed ranking, it was destined he would come to this point."

"Fantian Valley's Immortal Master Chongguang is notoriously protective and brutal. With his son dead, this matter absolutely cannot end peacefully. The Tianyan Sect is about to be erased."

On the Jiuyou Sect's bone ship, seeing the golden dragon claw about to descend, a flicker of satisfaction passed through Lihun's eyes.

He wished for Immortal Master Chongguang to kill Chu Xiao right now.

That way, their Jiuyou Sect could save themselves countless troubles.

Third Prince Yan Zhao, however, remained calm!

[part:gemini-3.1-flash-lite]

He merely watched, wanting to see how this young man, who had piqued his interest, would respond!

However, it was beyond everyone's expectations.

Facing the terrifying Dragon claw pressing down from above, Chu Xiao's expression remained unchanged!

His calmness formed a stark contrast to the terror of the Tianyan Sect members surrounding him.

This composure caused even Immortal Master Zhongguang, who had attacked in a rage, to falter for a split second.

Is this brat crazy? Or is he truly fearless?

Just when everyone thought Chu Xiao had been scared silly,

he slowly raised his head, staring directly into Immortal Master Zhongguang's blood-red eyes, a look of mockery appearing on his face.

"With such meager skills, it's no wonder you raised such a good-for-nothing son."

"Since he was inferior in skill and died in a fair duel, you, as his father, should reflect on yourself instead of throwing a useless tantrum here. Fantian Valley, it seems, is nothing more than this."

As soon as these words were spoken, the entire scene fell into a dead silence.

This... this was simply slapping Immortal Master Zhongguang across the face in broad daylight!

He's crazy! This brat is absolutely crazy!

No one could understand why, at such a life-or-death moment, Chu Xiao would say such things to add fuel to the fire.

"Little beast!!"

Immortal Master Zhongguang was indeed completely triggered; his hair and beard danced wildly, and he looked like a madman.

The power of that golden Dragon claw surged by another thirty percent!

"I will not only kill you, but I will also extract your soul and refine your spirit, ensuring you never have the chance to be reincarnated!"

Seeing that the Dragon claw was about to strike again and the Tianyan Sect's flying ship was about to be reduced to powder!

Killing Intent began to gradually permeate Chu Xiao's heart.

After all, to him, killing this old guy at the fifth level of Soul Transformation was not difficult.

"Senior, please show mercy!"

Elder Lingyun endured the pressure and shouted with a hoarse voice: "The death of Fellow Daoist Savage Ape was due to our Sect's lack of strict discipline! Our Tianyan Sect... is willing to provide compensation! This old man is willing to accept punishment on his behalf!"

Clearly, for the sake of the Sect and for Chu Xiao, he was willing to sacrifice everything, including his dignity and his life.

However, his plea only earned an even more violent rage from Immortal Master Zhongguang.

"Compensation? Accept punishment?"

Immortal Master Zhongguang laughed in extreme anger: "Is my son's life something a broken-down Sect from this remote backwater can compensate for? Old thing, since you want to accept punishment on his behalf, then this old man will grant your wish first!"

As his voice fell, a massive Aura came crashing down heavily upon Elder Lingyun!

This pressure was not intended to kill, but to crush his spirit!

He wanted to make Elder Lingyun kneel down in front of all the forces of the Eastern Region!

He wanted to make the entire Tianyan Sect lose all face!

"Pfft!"

Elder Lingyun was struck as if by a heavy blow, spitting out a mouthful of blood, his face instantly turning deathly pale.

His legs bent uncontrollably!

It seemed as if they would be completely broken by this terrifying pressure in the next second, forcing him to kneel on the ground.

Just at the moment when Elder Lingyun was about to kneel!

A hand gently rested on his shoulder.

In an instant, the pressure that had made him unable to breathe, dissipated into thin air.

Elder Lingyun felt his body lighten, and he turned his head, feeling somewhat drained, to see Chu Xiao's calm face.

"Elder, step back."

Chu Xiao's voice was very soft: "Disciples of our Tianyan Sect kneel to heaven and earth, and to our parents; there is no precedent for kneeling to the dead."

After speaking, he took a step forward, shielding Elder Lingyun completely behind him, and faced the monstrous Killing Intent and pressure all alone.

He raised his eyes, looked towards Immortal Master Zhongguang, and spoke softly:

"Old dog, I'll warn you one last time."

"If you dare to move again, today, this place will be your burial ground."

That was not a threat, nor was it intimidation; it was a statement of fact.

These words completely scattered Immortal Master Zhongguang's rationality.

To be provoked and humiliated time and again by a Nascent Soul junior in front of everyone in the world!

And even to receive a death threat.

If he tolerated this any longer, what face would he, Immortal Master Zhongguang, or Fantian Valley have to stand in the Eastern Region!

"Good, good, good! You extremely arrogant little beast!"

"Today, this old man wants to see exactly what skills you have to dare to speak such big words!"

"Die for me!"

Immortal Master Zhongguang was completely insane!

He poured his magic power into that golden Dragon claw without reservation.

Space began to twist and shatter!

And from Chu Xiao's body, heaven-shaking Killing Intent erupted!

The phantom image of the Primordial Mountain Monarch's intent slowly emerged behind him.

It looked as if a bloody massacre was about to unfold.

Just at this moment, a cold, clear voice came from the Yu Family's flying ship!

"Immortal Master Zhongguang, you have quite the imposing manner. Are you really going to do something so unbecoming of your status just as this Cave Heaven is about to open?"

The moment the voice rang out, Immortal Master Zhongguang's impending fatal blow stopped abruptly in mid-air.

Everyone, including Immortal Master Zhongguang himself, looked towards the source of the voice.

They saw Yu Chouxue on the Yu Family's flying ship, dressed in a white dress, stepping forward.

Her expression was indifferent as her gaze landed on Immortal Master Zhongguang.

"Yu... Young Miss of the Yu Family?"

Immortal Master Zhongguang's pupils constricted, and the rage on his face instantly froze.

It was replaced by deep trepidation.

All the Cultivators present were also stunned.

The Yu Family! A true behemoth of the Eastern Region, whose foundation was far deeper than anything Fantian Valley could compare to.

And Yu Chouxue was the most beloved daughter of the Yu Family head!

Her status was so noble that it was even above that of the Great Yan Dynasty's Third Prince Yan Zhao.

Why... why was she standing up for Chu Xiao?

Yu Chouxue ignored everyone's astonishment!

She looked at Immortal Master Zhongguang with a faint expression and spoke again!

But the weight of her words this time made Immortal Master Zhongguang tremble all over.

"Your son was inferior in skill and died in a fair duel; that was his own choice."

"If you want revenge, fine, wait until the Cave Heaven expedition ends, and let the Disciples of Fantian Valley try to settle the score with their own abilities."

"But right now, if you dare to bully the weak and touch a single hair on his head..."

Yu Chouxue paused, a trace of chill flashing in her cold, clear eyes.

"I cannot guarantee whether my father will pay a personal visit to Fantian Valley another day to have a chat with you about what constitutes the rules."

Boom! As soon as these words were spoken, it was no less than a thunderclap exploding in everyone's hearts!

A threat! This was an undisguised threat!

And it was using the name of the Yu Family head to threaten a Grand Elder of Fantian Valley!

Immortal Master Zhongguang's face instantly turned shades of green and white.

He first looked at Yu Chouxue, then glanced at that Chu Xiao!

The rage and Killing Intent in his chest were almost burning his rationality to ashes.

But he did not dare.

No matter how angry or unwilling he was, he did not dare to gamble on whether the Yu Family head would actually pay a visit.

Because he knew that if that existence really went to Fantian Valley, it wouldn't be as simple as just chatting about the rules.

That would be a catastrophe for Fantian Valley!

...

And just at this moment, another voice came from the Nine-Dragon Imperial Carriage.

"Immortal Master Zhongguang, please stop."

The voice was not loud, but it clearly entered everyone's ears.

The moment the voice fell,

a grand and majestic Aura permeated from the Nine-Dragon Imperial Carriage!

That Aura was like spring rain, silently and invisibly dissipating the violent Killing Intent and pressure on Immortal Master Zhongguang.

At this, the whole scene fell into a dead silence.

Everyone's gaze converged on the Nine-Dragon Imperial Carriage, which represented the supreme authority of the Great Yan Dynasty.

Immortal Master Zhongguang's face flushed red, his chest heaving violently, and he turned his head abruptly to look towards the Imperial Carriage: "Your Highness! This brat killed my beloved Disciple; this hatred is irreconcilable! What is the meaning of this? Are you also going to intervene, and for the sake of a boy from a remote Sect, make an enemy of my Fantian Valley?"

His voice was filled with grief and indignation.

Although Fantian Valley was a top Sect in the Eastern Region, it was still not enough compared to the Great Yan Dynasty, which controlled the entire Eastern Region.

He did not dare to attack the Third Prince, so he could only question him with words.

Behind the beaded curtain of the Imperial Carriage, Third Prince Yan Zhao's voice sounded again: "Immortal Master, please calm down. The Liyang Cave Heaven is about to open; this place is where all the Prodigies of the Eastern Region gather, and it is also when the spatial node is at its most fragile."

"As a Soul Transformation expert, if you fight here at this time and cause the space to collapse, ruining this Cave Heaven expedition, is that a responsibility your Fantian Valley can bear, or can my Great Yan Dynasty bear it?"

Third Prince Yan Zhao's words were like a basin of cold water poured over Immortal Master Zhongguang's head.

Although he was blinded by hatred, his reason still remained.

He knew that what the Third Prince said was the truth.

Destroying the opening of the Cave Heaven meant becoming an enemy of all the Sects in the Eastern Region.

This charge was indeed something Fantian Valley could not bear.

But how could he not avenge the death of his son?

"But the hatred for my son..."

Immortal Master Zhongguang gritted his teeth, clenching his fists tightly, his tone full of resentment.

"Savage Ape was inferior in skill and died in a fair duel; no one else is to blame."

"However, I can also understand Fantian Valley's grievance."

"Every debt has a debtor."

"Since it is a grievance between juniors, let them resolve it themselves within the Liyang Cave Heaven."

"Once inside the Cave Heaven, life and death will be up to fate."

"Regardless of the outcome, Elders must not intervene again. Immortal Master Zhongguang, what do you think?"

As soon as these words were spoken, everyone was shocked.

The Third Prince's words seemed fair.

But in reality, it was giving Fantian Valley a chance for revenge.

Inside the Liyang Cave Heaven, the heavenly secrets are chaotic, and killing people for treasure is a common occurrence.

If one dies inside, no one can say anything.

Moreover, Fantian Valley had dozens of Disciples entering the Cave Heaven this time, including many Nascent Soul Disciples.

And the Tianyan Sect, apart from the unfathomable Chu Xiao, had Disciples of mediocre strength.

This was almost a guaranteed kill.

Immortal Master Zhongguang's eyes flickered, and the rage in his heart gradually subsided!

He understood the Third Prince's meaning.

The Imperial Dynasty needed to maintain the appearance of order.

"Fine!"

Immortal Master Zhongguang took a deep breath: "I will follow your instructions, Your Highness! The grievances of the juniors will be settled inside the Cave Heaven!"

After saying this, his eyes looked at Chu Xiao once again.

The Killing Intent contained within them was a hundred times more intense than before.