217: Step out of the secret realm

Seeing that the Xuantian Ancestor was ignoring him.

Elder Yu was also happy for the peace and quiet, sitting cross-legged on the surface of the lake with his eyes closed, meditating.

But before he could even begin to circulate his Qi.

The disciples of the Seven Great Emperor-level Factions who had entered the Enlightenment Secret Realm swarmed out.

They flew to the Great Emperor Ancestors of their respective factions and reported with anxious looks.

"Ancestor, this is terrible! The people from the Tianbao Chamber of Commerce directly stole the enlightenment tea tree and didn't even leave a single leaf for us."

"That's right, Ancestor! The people from the Tianbao Chamber of Commerce not only stole the enlightenment tea tree, but they also killed several of our disciples. You must seek justice for us!"

The group exaggerated the situation to their respective Ancestors, describing Night Owl and his companions as incredibly arrogant.

They claimed Night Owl killed people at the slightest disagreement, and after stealing the enlightenment tea tree, he even insulted the Seven Great Emperor-level Factions, calling them trash, acting utterly lawless.

"Trash! Useless trash!"

"With so many of you, you still let the Tianbao Chamber of Commerce steal the enlightenment tea tree? You are utterly useless."

After listening to the reports from these junior disciples.

The group of Great Emperor Ancestors did not immediately blame Elder Yu; instead, they fiercely scolded their junior disciples for being useless.

After all, dozens of Saint King Peaks couldn't stop a team from the Tianbao Chamber of Commerce, most of whom were mere Saints. This was utterly shameful.

"Ancestor, it's not that we didn't want to stop them, it's just that they were too monstrous."

"That's right, Ancestor. They instantly killed three Saint King Peaks the moment they attacked. It was truly terrifying."

The dozens of disciples from the Seven Great Emperor-level Factions felt wronged upon hearing their Ancestors call them useless, and they all hastened to explain.

The terrifying combat power of Night Owl and his companions was truly rare in the world.

If the Ancestors themselves were restricted to the Saint King Peak realm, they would probably be beaten soundly by such monstrous talents. How could the disciples dare to intercept them?

"Hmph, you still dare to quibble!"

Seeing their junior disciples act stubbornly after bringing shame upon their factions.

The Great Emperor Ancestors of the Seven Great Emperor-level Factions violently slapped their juniors across the face.

The Great Emperor Ancestor of Xuantian Holy Land, in particular, hit them with exceptional force.

He beat the ten disciples of Xuantian Holy Land until they fainted and drifted onto the lake surface.

Originally, he had just been mocking Elder Yu, believing the Tianbao Chamber of Commerce wouldn't be able to steal the enlightenment tea leaves.

Now, however, the Tianbao Chamber of Commerce not only stole the enlightenment tea leaves, but they even stole the entire tree, completely humiliating him.

After finishing punishing these junior disciples.

The Ancestors of the great Holy Lands and the Ancestors of several great families all gathered around Elder Yu.

"Fellow Daoist Yu, what exactly does your Tianbao Chamber of Commerce mean by this? Stealing the main body of the enlightenment tea tree—do you intend to isolate yourselves from the Canglan Continent?"

"Fellow Daoist Yu, was this incident instigated by Huyan Zhuo, that Old Thing? Your Tianbao Chamber of Commerce has truly grown brazen."

"Fellow Daoist Yu, if the Tianbao Chamber of Commerce doesn't provide a satisfactory explanation this time, our Seven Great Emperor-level Factions will not let this matter rest."

The Great Emperor Ancestors of the Holy Lands and the great families stared fiercely at Elder Yu.

However, they didn't actually intend to attack Elder Yu; rather, they wanted to seize this opportunity to heavily extort the Tianbao Chamber of Commerce.

After all, Night Owl and his companions were still inside the Enlightenment Secret Realm, so the enlightenment tea tree couldn't be lost.

As long as Night Owl and his companions came out, they could retrieve the enlightenment tea tree and replant it, incurring no actual loss.

They intended to use this excellent excuse to put enormous pressure on Elder Yu and Huyan Zhuo of the Tianbao Chamber of Commerce, forcing the Tianbao Chamber of Commerce to pay a hefty price.

"Fellow Daoists, don't rush, don't rush!"

"There must be some hidden circumstances here. That team includes Fellow Daoist Huyan's own granddaughter. Perhaps the youngsters were just being playful, which led to this incident. Once they come out, I will certainly make them return the enlightenment tea tree."

Seeing the Ancestors of the great Emperor-level Factions, whose cultivation bases were at least Mid-stage Great Emperor, staring intensely at him.

Elder Yu, who only possessed the cultivation of the First Level Great Emperor, was so frightened his legs were trembling slightly.

If the Ancestors of these factions decided to attack him, he would certainly meet his demise today.

"Hmph, you think you can settle this matter with just 'being playful'? Do you think our seven families can be trifled with?"

"Exactly. The Tianbao Chamber of Commerce must give our seven families a satisfactory explanation for this matter, or don't blame us for jointly taking action against the Tianbao Chamber of Commerce."

The Great Emperor Ancestors of the major factions immediately pressured him again upon hearing Elder Yu only promise to return the enlightenment tea tree without offering any other compensation.

If they couldn't gain any advantage from such a perfect excuse for extortion, they would be just as useless as their junior disciples.

"This..."

Seeing their posture, Elder Yu fell into deep thought.

If he still couldn't figure out what they wanted, he would have lived his life in vain.

However, Huyan Zhuo was currently in the Qingtian Sect and unreachable, and the compensation demanded by these Seven Great Factions was certainly not a small amount. As a mere Retainer, he couldn't make decisions on his own.

Elder Yu forced a bitter smile, lamenting inwardly.

He had previously thought Night Owl and the others had low cultivation and wouldn't be able to steal the enlightenment tea leaves, believing they had only gone in to gain experience.

Now Night Owl and his companions had stolen the entire tree—they had truly caused huge trouble.

After pondering for a moment.

Elder Yu decided to first stabilize the Seven Great Factions.

Once Night Owl and his companions emerged, he would have them contact Huyan Zhuo inside the Qingtian Sect to deal with the matter.

"I understand the intentions of all you Fellow Daoists."

"This incident was due to the Tianbao Chamber of Commerce disregarding the rules. We ought to compensate all Fellow Daoists with some treasures to ease your shock. Once they emerge, I will certainly contact Fellow Daoist Huyan and provide everyone with a satisfactory reply," Elder Yu promised, cupping his hands toward them.

"Hmph! That's more like it."

Having achieved the desired outcome, the group finally became amiable, quietly hovering over the lake, waiting for Night Owl and his companions to exit the Secret Realm.

Under the watchful gaze of the Great Emperor Ancestors from the various factions.

Before long, the vortex on the lake surface emitted a wave of spatial fluctuation.

Night Owl, Gu Chen, and the others, along with Huyan Xiaoyao and the other youths from the Tianbao Chamber of Commerce, all appeared on the lake surface.

"Miss, why were you so foolish? How could you steal the entire enlightenment tea tree? Hurry up and hand it over so it can be taken back and replanted."

Seeing Huyan Xiaoyao and Night Owl and his companions emerge.

Elder Yu hurriedly flew to their side to protect them, preventing the Ancestors of the Seven Great Factions from apprehending them.

After all, he was a Retainer of the Tianbao Chamber of Commerce, enjoying the extremely high compensation provided by the Chamber, and thus had to ensure the safety of Huyan Xiaoyao and the others, lest the Ancestors of the factions injure them.

"Elder Yu, the enlightenment tea tree has already been placed into a Storage Ring by my Senior Brother. It is impossible to take it out. We will handle this matter ourselves." Huyan Xiaoyao glanced at the Great Emperor Ancestors surrounding them and slowly told Elder Yu.

"That's right, Senior, we will handle this matter ourselves. You don't need to worry," Gu Chen chimed in beside her.

Since they intended to steal the enlightenment tea tree, they had long anticipated this outcome.

Before entering the Enlightenment Secret Realm, they had already coordinated with Elder Zhao Da and his group, telling them to be ready to act at any moment.

"This..."

Seeing Huyan Xiaoyao and Gu Chen looking so confident, Elder Yu was completely bewildered.

Surrounding them were seven Great Emperors.

These were some of the most powerful individuals in the Canglan Continent. If they joined forces, even Huyan Zhuo would have to yield obediently.

He truly couldn't understand where Huyan Xiaoyao and Gu Chen and his companions got their confidence.

Even if the Qingtian Sect was so mysterious that Huyan Zhuo joined it, it still couldn't possibly contend against so many Emperor-level powers.