127: Chapter 127 You're not worthy!

"Yangguan Upper Sect? We have no grievances with your Sect, so why have you struck us so viciously!"

Elder Lingyun suppressed the terror in his heart and questioned sternly.

Aboard the flying vessel, Hao Yun didn't even bother to spare him a glance.

He merely curled his lips in annoyance.

"A bunch of ants—are you even worthy of speaking to me?"

He spoke to the Elder beside him, "Be quick about it. I don't have time to waste with them."

"Yes."

The Elder nodded again, and this time, he no longer held back.

A pressure a hundred times more terrifying than before erupted from within his body.

In an instant, it enveloped the entire Tianyan Sect!

The terrifying aura of a Soul Transformation expert was like a massive mountain.

It weighed heavily on the hearts of everyone in the Tianyan Sect.

Under this pressure, Elder Lingyun and the other Nascent Soul Elders felt their spiritual power stagnate, and even breathing became incredibly difficult. Their faces turned pale, and their scalps tingled with numbness.

Although the Tianyan Sect's mountain-protecting array had been reinforced by Yuan Muyu and Chu Xiao and was enough to withstand the siege of several Nascent Soul Peak Cultivators, it was still lacking when facing a true Soul Transformation expert!

The Second Elder's eyes were indifferent as he raised his palm once more.

This time, he didn't even condense a giant hand of Spiritual Qi.

He simply pressed a palm down through the air toward the barrier, which was already covered in cracks.

Boom!!

The space itself seemed to collapse.

The Tianyan Sect's mountain-protecting array couldn't even hold out for a single breath; with a deafening roar, it shattered!

Countless fragments of spiritual power scattered like fireworks.

Announcing that the Tianyan Sect's mountain-protecting barrier...

...had completely vanished.

The aftershocks of that terrifying palm force were like crashing waves.

They slammed violently into Elder Lingyun and the others.

Pfft—

Several Elders spat out large mouthfuls of blood as if struck by lightning. Like kites with severed strings, they were sent flying backward through the air, crashing heavily onto the main Peak's square.

Just the aftershocks of breaking the array had severely injured the top Elders of the Sect!

This scene plunged all the Disciples watching below into a deathly silence.

Immediately following that was endless despair and fear.

It was over.

The Sect's Elders were crushed in a single encounter.

The mountain-protecting array was shattered with a single palm strike.

Today, the Sect was doomed!

Under the terrified and desperate gazes of all the Disciples, Hao Yun and that Elder descended slowly through the air as if taking a casual stroll.

They finally landed in the center of the main Peak's square.

Hao Yun's gaze swept over the trembling Disciples around him, his eyes devoid of any emotion.

It was as if he were looking at a flock of chickens and ducks waiting to be slaughtered.

He kicked aside an unconscious Elder at his feet. His voice wasn't loud, yet it reached everyone's ears clearly.

"I will give you ten breaths of time."

"Have your Sect Master, Yuan Muyu, crawl out to see me."

"Otherwise, after ten breaths, for every breath that passes, I will kill a hundred people until your Tianyan Sect is slaughtered to the last Soul."

It was cold and cruel, without a hint of emotion.

The entire square was deathly still.

Only the heavy breathing and suppressed sobbing of the Disciples remained.

Just as this atmosphere of despair was about to reach its Peak...

...the heavy doors of the Sect Master's Hall slowly opened.

Two figures walked out slowly, one after the other.

The one walking in front was precisely Yuan Muyu.

She had already changed out of her elegant Sect Master's robes and was wearing a set of martial attire suitable for action. Her beautiful face was currently covered in frost, and her phoenix eyes were filled with chilling killing intent.

Half a step behind her was Chu Xiao, dressed in a white robe, his expression calm and unreadable.

The moment Hao Yun's gaze fell upon Yuan Muyu...

...the indifference and impatience on his face vanished without a trace.

In its place was a look of fiery excitement!

It was her!

Yuan Muyu!

The woman from his previous life who was peerless in her generation and eventually became the Empress of the Eastern Wasteland!

Although at this moment, she was nowhere near as powerful or dazzling as she would be in the future!

But that unique temperament!

That face that could overturn nations—Hao Yun would never mistake it!

At this moment, his breathing became somewhat ragged.

His eyes were like those of a hungry wolf, staring intently at his prey.

He completely ignored the killing intent on Yuan Muyu's face.

He didn't even spare a single glance at Chu Xiao beside her.

"Yuan Muyu..."

In Hao Yun's voice, there was a hint of uncontrollable trembling and excitement.

"You finally decided to come out."

"As expected, you are even more perfect than I imagined!"

As he said this, his gaze was like two hooks, locked tightly onto Yuan Muyu's body.

That look seemed as if he wanted to devour her alive.

Being watched by such a blatant gaze...

...the killing intent on Yuan Muyu's frost-covered face grew even more intense.

As the Sect Master of the Tianyan Sect, when had she ever suffered such humiliation?

Moreover, the opponent had severely injured the Sect's Elders right in front of her, shattered the mountain-protecting array, and threatened to slaughter her Disciples!

"You seek death!"

Yuan Muyu's phoenix eyes turned cold, and a terrifying aura, also belonging to the Soul Transformation Realm, erupted from her body.

With a flick of her jade-like hand, a shimmering spiritual sword appeared in her grasp.

The sword tip pointed directly at Hao Yun as she prepared to strike regardless of the consequences.

However, just as she was about to act...

...a warm and powerful palm gently pressed against her wrist.

"Don't be in a hurry."

Chu Xiao's voice sounded calmly in her ear.

Yuan Muyu was startled and turned her head to look.

She met Chu Xiao's eyes.

The overwhelming rage in Yuan Muyu's heart was actually forced down a few notches by this simple gesture and his calm words.

But she was still indignant. Her Sect had been bullied at its doorstep, and the lives of her Disciples and Elders were uncertain; how could she not be anxious?

She lowered her voice, speaking with a hint of annoyance and petulance that only the two of them could hear: "Let go! Leave this guy to me. If I don't skin him alive today, the hatred in my heart will not be appeased!"

She paused, her beautiful eyes glaring fiercely at Chu Xiao as she sent a mental transmission: "If you dare to stop me..."

This threatening sentence only made Chu Xiao chuckle softly.

Instead of letting go, he took the Opportunity to hold her hand and responded in a low voice: "Don't worry, I'll take his head."

Ambiguous and overbearing.

A flush of red instantly flew onto Yuan Muyu's cheeks; she was both ashamed and angry. This guy—what time did he think it was to be so calm!

Yet the fire in her heart truly dissipated by more than half through these few words.

She knew that Chu Xiao never did anything he wasn't sure of.

Since he wanted to act, it meant he had absolute confidence.

While she was dazed, Chu Xiao had already released her hand.

He took a step forward, shielding her completely behind him.

This action was natural and as it should be.

It was as if he was born to stand before her, blocking all wind and rain for her.

Yuan Muyu looked at his back, which wasn't particularly burly but was incomparably reliable.

An indescribable sense of sweetness and peace welled up in her heart.

At this moment, all her worry and anger...

...turned into absolute trust in this man.

On the square, the Tianyan Sect Disciples who had fallen into despair were also stunned by this scene.

What were they seeing?

In a desperate situation where a Soul Transformation expert had arrived and the Sect was in imminent danger...

...their Sect Master was actually being protected from behind by Senior Brother Chu?

And their high and mighty, incomparably majestic Sect Master...

...not only wasn't angry, but instead... she blushed?

This...

Countless thoughts flashed through the minds of the Disciples. The way they looked at Chu Xiao, besides their original fanatical worship...

...now held an indescribable sense of awe.

A man who could make even the Sect Master show such a girlish demeanor...

...in all the world, Senior Brother Chu was probably the only one!

Meanwhile, Hao Yun reluctantly shifted his gaze from Yuan Muyu...

...and let it fall upon Chu Xiao, who was blocking his way.

He sized Chu Xiao up, his brow furrowing slightly as if he were remembering something.

"Oh, I remember now."

Hao Yun had a sudden realization, followed by a contemptuous smile: "You must be that Chu Xiao who's been causing quite a stir in the Eastern Wasteland recently?"

"You got a few scraps from the Ancient Tomb of the God King and really thought you were someone important?"

His tone was full of arrogance.

As if he were lecturing an ant that didn't know the height of the heavens or the depth of the earth.

"Considering you might still be of some use, get lost now, and I can spare your dog's life."

In the eyes of this Rebirth Cultivator, Chu Xiao was merely an unexpected variable that had popped up in this life.

A mere clown.

His true goal was Yuan Muyu...

...and the Heaven-Defying Opportunity she possessed that would allow her to ascend to the throne of Empress in the future!

As long as he obtained Yuan Muyu, this tiny Tianyan Sect...

...and even the entire Eastern Wasteland would just be stepping stones for his rise.

A mere Chu Xiao was not worthy of a second glance from him.

However, Chu Xiao's next words...

...caused his face to instantly darken.

"I really don't like the way you're looking at my woman."

Chu Xiao looked at him calmly, but that flat tone contained a heart-palpitating killing intent.

"So, I've decided."

"I'll gouge out your eyeballs and then cut off your head."

Boom!

As soon as these words were spoken, the entire field went deathly silent!

The Grey-robed Elder behind Hao Yun was stunned for a moment, then looked at Chu Xiao as if looking at a fool.

A junior at the Nascent Soul Peak actually dared to speak such arrogant words to a Soul Transformation Middle Stage expert...

...and a Core Disciple of the Yangguan Upper Sect?

He probably didn't know how to spell the word 'death'!

"What... did you say?"

The contempt and arrogance on Hao Yun's face instantly froze!

He thought he had misheard.

"Your woman?"

Hao Yun's gaze swept back and forth between Chu Xiao and Yuan Muyu, then he let out a sneer, "Kid, you can eat whatever you want, but you can't just say whatever you want."

"What kind of figure is Sect Master Yuan? Is she someone a piece of trash like you can touch?"

"Do you know who you're talking to? Do you know the consequences of slandering a Sect Master's purity?"

However, a scene he never expected occurred.

Facing these words, the furious outburst from Yuan Muyu that he had anticipated...

...did not happen.

That woman from his previous life's memories—cold, aloof, keeping everyone at a distance, and eventually ascending to the Peak alone as an Empress...

...was now just standing quietly behind Chu Xiao.

Not only did she not refute Chu Xiao's phrase 'my woman'...

...she even lowered her eyes slightly, and there even seemed to be a hint of a smile at the corner of her mouth?

No!

Impossible!

At this moment, Hao Yun's brain felt as if it had been struck by a bolt of lightning, going completely blank!

He suddenly widened his eyes and stared fixedly at Yuan Muyu.

He wanted to find any trace of pretense or anger on her face.

But there was none!

There was nothing at all!

Only calm, and an absolute trust in the man standing before her!

This realization slammed heavily against Hao Yun's heart.

It caused the thousand years of memories from his previous life to begin shaking violently!

How could this be?

This was completely different from his past life!

In his past life, Yuan Muyu never married and had a heart like an iceberg; she was the Sacred Empress in the hearts of all Cultivators in the Eastern Desolation, someone to be admired from afar but never trifled with!

But in this life, how could she...

How could she end up with an obscure nobody?

And from the looks of it, their relationship was already far from ordinary!

Could it be...

A thought that was unacceptable yet incredibly logical surged frantically into his mind.

Hao Yun's gaze fell back onto Chu Xiao once more.

He suddenly remembered that according to reports, this Chu Xiao had only recently emerged as a rising star, his cultivation progressing by leaps and bounds, jumping from an ordinary Sect Disciple to a Prodigy stirring up the storms of the Eastern Desolation.

Before, he had only assumed it was an Opportunity from the Ancient Tomb of the God King.

But looking at it now...

"So that's how it is... so that's how it is!"

Hao Yun's breathing instantly became heavy and ragged, and his eyes turned blood-red with jealousy!

He understood!

He understood everything now!

Yuan Muyu!

This woman was hiding a Heaven-Defying fortune!

This Chu Xiao must have used some despicable means to gain Yuan Muyu's favor.

And then, like a leech, he attached himself to her.

Stealing the Luck and fortune that should have belonged to her!

That's why his cultivation could advance so rapidly in such a short time!

He was a thief! A shameless parasite!

He had defiled the supreme treasure that should have belonged to him!

"Bastard!!"

A terrifying killing intent.

Suddenly erupted from within Hao Yun's body!

His originally calm face now became twisted and hideous.

"You lowly thief who steals the Luck of others!"

"How dare you lay a finger on her! How dare you defile her!"

"I will kill you!!"

"I will tear you into ten thousand pieces!"

Hao Yun's roar was like that of a wild beast.

It echoed across the entire Main Peak Square of the Tianyan Sect.

His originally handsome face was distorted beyond recognition by rage; his eyes were blood-red as he glared fixedly at Chu Xiao, as if he wanted to swallow him alive.

Thief?

Defile?

These words left everyone present stunned.

Especially the Disciples of the Tianyan Sect; they could not understand at all why this expert from the Yangguan Upper Sect would suddenly become...

So frenzied.

Could the "she" he was talking about be... the Sect Master?

In an instant, countless gazes instinctively moved back and forth between Chu Xiao,

Yuan Muyu, and Hao Yun, as a bizarre atmosphere permeated the air.

Yuan Muyu's already frost-covered, beautiful face became even colder, like an iceberg.

Hao Yun's possessive and aggressive gaze,

along with the foul language coming out of his mouth,

had completely crossed her line.

"Chu Xiao!"

"Kill him! Now, immediately! Don't let him say another word!"

"Don't worry."

He calmly spat out those two words.

Immediately after, Chu Xiao's gaze moved away from Hao Yun's distorted face.

It slowly landed on the silent, Grey-robed Elder beside him.

"An Elder of the Yangguan Upper Sect?"

Chu Xiao's tone betrayed no emotion.

The Grey-robed Elder's brow furrowed slightly. As a Soul Transformation Middle Stage expert, he was used to being high and mighty; being looked at directly like this by a Nascent Soul junior made him feel displeased.

However, he still maintained the dignity of an expert and spoke indifferently: "What if I am? Kid, did you not hear my Young Lord tell you to get lost?"

"Considering your cultivation wasn't easy, break one of your own arms now and then crawl out of the Tianyan Sect. Perhaps you can still keep your..."

Before he could finish his sentence, he was directly interrupted by Chu Xiao.

"You deserve to die too."

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

The Grey-robed Elder was stunned. He had lived for over a thousand years, yet this was the first time he had seen such an arrogant Nascent Soul Cultivator.

A Nascent Soul Peak Cultivator actually dared to publicly sentence him, a Soul Transformation Middle Stage expert, to death?

He was first taken aback, then laughed out of extreme anger: "Hahaha... Good! What an ignorant little beast! It seems that today, I must personally crush an ant that doesn't know the meaning of death!"

However, the one who moved before him

was Hao Yun.

"Elder! No need for you to act!"

Hao Yun let out a furious roar: "This bastard who stole my Opportunity, I will tear him to pieces with my own hands!"

"I will let everyone know what happens to anyone who lays a finger on the woman I, Hao Yun, have my eyes on!"

Before his voice had even faded, a majestic aura suddenly surged from within Hao Yun's body toward the sky!

That was clearly... the pressure of the Soul Transformation Early Stage!

Although the aura was somewhat floating and the Foundation was unstable,

he had indeed stepped across the threshold of the Soul Transformation Realm!

This scene caused the Tianyan Sect Disciples below to go numb.

Another Soul Transformation Realm!

It's over, this time it's really over!

No matter how much of a Prodigy Senior Brother Chu is, he is only at the Nascent Soul Peak. How can he possibly fight against two Soul Transformation experts at the same time?

"Die!"

Hao Yun roared, giving Chu Xiao no chance to react at all.

He threw a punch directly!

As a reincarnator, although his cultivation was somewhat unstable in this life due to mental state issues,

his application of power retained the insight of his past life's Returning Void Realm.

This punch seemed simple, but in reality, it sealed off all of Chu Xiao's evasion routes.

The circulation of spiritual power was refined to the extreme.

A giant fist gathered from brilliant golden light appeared out of thin air above Chu Xiao's head.

Carrying a terrifyingly high temperature that could melt gold and iron and a pressure that could crush everything, it slammed down!

He wanted to use one strike! Just one strike to grind this "thief" he hated to the bone into meat paste!

He wanted Yuan Muyu to see with her own eyes

how vulnerable the man she relied on was before him!

Looking at the golden giant hand that blotted out the sun,

Yuan Muyu's heart instantly leapt into her throat, and she instinctively moved to help.

But Chu Xiao, standing before her, remained in place, motionless.

He calmly looked at the crazed Hao Yun in front of him.

There was a hint of pity in his eyes.

Just as the golden giant hand was about to fall,

at the moment when the terrifying gale was already making his robes flap loudly,

an invisible and intangible yet terrifying aura that seemed capable of freezing the Soul suddenly erupted from Chu Xiao's body!

It was not spiritual power, nor was it Sword Intent, but a more fundamental and pure power.

It was slaughter! It was death! It was the end!

The aura of the Killing Divine Body

was released without reservation at this moment!

In an instant, the temperature of the entire Tianyan Sect square plummeted.

It was as if they had suddenly fallen from midsummer into the depths of a freezing winter.

An uncontrollable shiver of fear rose from the depths of everyone's Souls!

That golden giant hand, which had an overwhelming presence as if it could shatter mountains, the moment it touched this aura,

actually began to rapidly dissolve and crumble!

Under everyone's horrified and despairing gazes, that golden giant hand, while still three feet away from the top of Chu Xiao's head, exploded after a violent distortion!

It turned into a sky full of golden light specks and dissipated into nothingness.

From beginning to end, Chu Xiao did not even move a finger.

Merely by relying on his own aura,

he had caused the full-strength strike of a Soul Transformation Early Stage expert to disintegrate on its own!

Silence!

A deathly silence!

On the square, whether it was the Disciples of the Tianyan Sect

or the Grey-robed Elder of the Yangguan Upper Sect on the Flying Boat,

all were dumbfounded, their minds blank.

The cruel grin on the Grey-robed Elder's face froze, and he rubbed his eyes.

He simply could not believe everything he had seen.

That was an attack from the Soul Transformation Early Stage!

Even he would need to treat it seriously; how could it... just vanish into thin air like that?

What on earth... did that kid do?

And Hao Yun, who bore the brunt of it,

was even more like he had been struck by lightning, his entire body frozen in place.

He knew the power of his palm better than anyone, and even more so the celestial principles contained within it.

But now, the attack he was so proud of

had collapsed before even touching the corner of the opponent's clothes.

How is this possible?!

"Is this your source of confidence?"

Chu Xiao slowly raised his eyes, and in those eyes, two clusters of golden flames were now burning.

An indescribable pressure, like the mountains and the sea, pressed back against Hao Yun.

"With just this meager bit of cultivation, you dare to covet my person?"

"Are you even worthy?"

The moment the words fell, Chu Xiao's figure moved.

With no fancy movements, he simply took a step forward.

His entire being was like an arrow released from a bowstring, instantly crossing dozens of yards to appear in front of Hao Yun.

Fast!

Fast to the extreme!

So fast that even the Soul Transformation Middle Stage Grey-robed Elder only saw an afterimage!

Hao Yun's pupils shrank suddenly.

His combat instincts as a Returning Void old monster from his previous life made him instinctively want to retreat and block.

But his body simply could not keep up with his consciousness from the future!

Chu Xiao had already closed in, and a seemingly ordinary straight punch, wrapped in the Qi of slaughter,

slammed fiercely toward his chest.

Hao Yun was scared out of his wits; he could feel that if he were hit by this punch, his Physical Body, which had just entered the Soul Transformation Realm, would be instantly blown apart!

Even his Divine Soul would not be able to escape!

"How dare you, brat!"

The Grey-robed Elder, who had been in shock, finally reacted.

With a furious roar, his figure flickered as he moved to provide rescue.

But it was already too late!

At the critical moment, Hao Yun erupted with all his potential, using every ounce of strength he had.

His body retreated violently in an extremely pathetic posture.

At the same time, he crossed his arms, barely protecting his chest.

BOOM~!!

An earth-shattering explosion.

Chu Xiao's fist slammed solidly onto Hao Yun's arms.

"Crack!"

The sound of bone fracturing, enough to set one's teeth on edge, clearly reached everyone's ears.

Hao Yun let out a shrill scream.

He was sent flying backward like a kite with a broken string.