296: Chapter 296 The Feast at Hongmen

A joint war declaration, signed by dozens of high-martial families from Jianghai City and several surrounding major regions, arrived.

The gist between the lines was clear: in the battle at the Huayu Association, the Qiu Family was almost completely wiped out.

And now, they wanted Su Chen to pay for the blood debt.

Su Chen looked quietly at the long string of once-lofty family seals at the end of the letter.

He felt neither anger nor panic.

He simply sneered softly and casually crumpled the war declaration into a ball of waste paper.

"I was just worrying about not finding a reason to clean out these treacherous parasites all at once..."

Su Chen raised his head, his deep gaze sweeping across the six women beside him.

"Since they are so eager to seek death themselves,"

"then we shall fulfill their wish."

Su Chen casually unfolded the war declaration.

On the yellowed parchment, there was no superfluous chatter, only a few lines of bold, murderous calligraphy.

"Three days from now, at the Central Plains Ancient Battlefield."

"The Allied Forces of the thirty-six high-martial families of Great Xia await your arrival."

"We shall determine both superiority and life and death."

"If you avoid the fight, the Allied Forces will consider the Huayu Association and the official Hall of Valor as accomplices."

"At that time, every branch of the Huayu Association and the Hall of Valor within Great Xia will face a thunderous purge, with none left alive."

"The Central Plains Ancient Battlefield?"

Jinyu leaned in, her delicate brows slightly furrowed after seeing the contents of the letter.

"These family parasites certainly have a large appetite; they've chosen quite the location."

The Central Plains Ancient Battlefield was a dangerous site left over from the ancient era of Great Xia, located not far from where the Central China Hall of Valor stood.

It was once the main battlefield two thousand years ago for a powerful southern vassal state's bid for supremacy.

Since ancient times, it had witnessed countless dynastic changes and struggles for power.

The baleful energy there was extremely heavy.

More importantly, it was the customary "Life-and-Death Duel Arena" for the martial arts world of Great Xia after the era of Spiritual Energy Recovery.

Once a martial artist stepped into the ancient battlefield, it meant they had signed a life-and-death contract.

Regardless of the number of participants on either side, the use of any insidious or vicious means, or even forbidden weapons, was not bound by any martial rules or official laws.

Life and death would be left to fate.

"This is clearly a Hongmen Banquet."

Jingjun sneered.

"Because we have been suppressing natural disasters around Jianghai City and repairing rifts in unknown places during this period, we haven't appeared in public."

"They must have concluded that we Transcendent Heroic Spirits had already died in the East Sea battle."

"Thinking that Husband is isolated and helpless, they want to take this opportunity to eliminate Husband legitimately and establish their prestige throughout the world."

"A bunch of clowns, daring to provoke Brother?"

Wanyue clenched her pink fists.

"Brother, no need to wait three days. I'll take people to flatten these thirty-six families one by one right now!"

"Wanyue, don't be impulsive."

Su Chen reached out and patted his younger sister's head, calming her restless mental energy.

He looked at the war declaration in his hand and fell into deep thought.

"This matter is not as simple as it appears on the surface."

Su Chen turned his head to look at the six beauties beside him, analyzing the situation with a grave tone.

"Think about it, that Twelfth Stage old hag from the Qiu Family died at the gates of the Huayu Association before."

"Although the four of you, Xiao Yu, haven't appeared in public, those old foxes from the high-martial families must have guessed that there is at least an existence beyond the Twelfth Stage, or even one who has reached the Transcendence Realm, hidden by my side."

"Perhaps they might think it's Sister Wanyue who just came out of seclusion."

"But they must be certain that I have an extremely dangerous powerhouse guarding me."

"Knowing full well that I am a hard nut to crack,"

"how could these old foxes from the families, who have always been protective of their own lives and profit-driven, suddenly become so daring as to openly declare war on me, and even on the entire official Hall of Valor?"

"Unless..."

Jinyu's beautiful eyes lit up. Instantly in sync with Su Chen, she took over his train of thought.

"Unless they have a more powerful helper behind them."

"Or, someone has secretly given them the confidence and promise to contend against Transcendent Heroic Spirits."

"Exactly."

Su Chen nodded, the name of a faction appearing in his mind.

"It seems that the viper hiding in the shadows, attempting to lure the Otherworldly Demons into the game, has finally lost its patience and is preparing to jump over the wall in desperation."

"If you, my little sister, were to strike at the high-martial families first, even if you won the initial victory, the forces hiding behind these high-martial families would go into hiding, making it impossible to lure the snake out of its hole."

"We must not only go to this decisive battle, but we must do it brilliantly and uproot them entirely."

The news of the Allied Forces of the high-martial families issuing a life-and-death war declaration to Su Chen spread like wildfire.

With the help of those with ulterior motives, it spread across the entire Great Xia in just half a day.

This was undoubtedly the most violent storm of public opinion to erupt within Great Xia just as the natural disasters were beginning to subside.

On the internet and in every street and alley, all surviving citizens and martial artists were frantically discussing this matter.

For a time, the name "Su Chen," which had already become a hit during the Heroic Spirit Contract Ceremony, entered the public eye once again.

The vast majority of ordinary people and low-level martial artists stood on Su Chen's side.

After all, for a long time in the past, the high-martial families had attempted to construct an extremely distorted social structure.

They hoped for martial artists to become the "first-class citizens" who were high above and treated human lives like grass.

Meanwhile, other ordinary people without talent were reduced to slaves with no dignity or human rights, serving only the martial artists.

During this natural disaster, the actions of these families were even more disheartening.

They hoarded goods, seized medical resources, and even deserted their posts in the face of battle, leading to the unjust deaths of countless civilians.

In contrast, Su Chen, although just a young martial artist who had emerged during the Heroic Spirit Contract Ceremony, had climbed up from the bottom step by step.

He represented the backbone of the middle and low-level martial artists, as well as the bottom line of the official Hall of Valor.

"Brother Su Chen, absolutely do not go; this is a trap."

"Thirty-six high-martial families, dozens of Eleventh Stage and Twelfth Stage old monsters declaring war on a Seventh Stage youth—how can he fight this? Is he supposed to fight with his head?"

"That's right. The Transcendent Hall Masters who guarded Great Xia in the Hall of Valor haven't appeared since the battle in the East Sea; it's said they perished together with that great monster."

"The official side is now severely weakened; let alone Transcendence Realm experts, there are barely any Eleventh Stage experts left. They simply cannot protect Su Chen!"

"Although Su Chen is a genius, he is too young."

"He has neither a deep family background nor powerful teammates to support him."

"Going alone into the meeting is absolutely a situation of ten deaths and no life."

"Sigh, having just survived the natural disaster, he is now falling into the clutches of the high-martial families. If one is truly destined to be a beast of burden for a lifetime, it would have been better to die in the natural disaster."

"Great Xia is finished..."

(Children, I'm also going to be finished. I don't want to slack off on updates, please give me some follow-ups and support~ Mwah,)