Profound Heaven Soul Sovereign

"Elder Li, Tower Lord, save me..."

Hongde tried to flee in terror but was instantly overtaken by Su Xiuyi. Within a few moves, both he and Qiu Wushuang were decapitated, blood spraying everywhere.

Zhen Li and Xi Yichun were the next to die. Zhen Li's cultivation level wasn't bad, but he had already detonated his Martial Soul. In the ensuing panic, Elder Dong shattered his heart with a single palm strike, sending his lifeless body flying.

As for Xi Yichun, he was completely overpowered by Lin Bo, who shattered his skull with a single finger strike.

In an instant, all the Martial Artists from the Ancient Pill Tower had been wiped out, leaving only the strongest among them, Qi Liming, struggling to hold on.

As for the Li family, few dared to make a move against their core elder, Li Rucheng.

But just because others were hesitant didn't mean Su Xiuyi and his allies were. After slaughtering the group from the Ancient Pill Tower, they immediately shifted their focus and charged toward Li Rucheng.

Su Xiuyi alone was no match for Li Rucheng, but with Lin Bo assisting, Li Rucheng quickly accumulated several new wounds.

"Lin Bo, does the Lin family truly intend to make an enemy of the Li family?" Li Rucheng roared furiously.

"The Lin family is merely upholding justice," Lin Bo sneered, his attacks growing even more ruthless. BAM! A hole appeared in Li Rucheng's chest, and blood gushed out.

Su Xiuyi's gaze turned cold as he moved in to finish Li Rucheng off.

In the past, he would never have dared to kill someone from one of the six major powers. But after following Ye Xuan, Su Xiuyi had become far more decisive. 'Young Master Ye dared to kill even the Vice Master of the Soul Master Tower. What's a mere Li Rucheng in comparison?'

Just as Li Rucheng was about to fall, a figure suddenly appeared before him and sent a palm strike flying at Su Xiuyi.

Ye Xuan's eyes narrowed. "Su Xiuyi, watch out!" he cried.

But it was too late. The palm strike landed, and Su Xiuyi coughed up a mouthful of blood as he was sent flying like a kite with a snapped string.

"Hmph. A pack of insignificant clowns. How dare you act so insolently toward the Li family with such little strength. Today, I'll see what the Profound Light Pavilion is truly made of."

A cold voice emanated from the figure. The newcomer was an old man with a graying brown beard, his face a roadmap of wrinkles. His hands were skeletal, like withered claws, yet he exuded a terrifying aura.

"A Tier Eight Third Layer Martial Emperor."

"It's Li Jiuran, the former Clan Leader of the Li family!"

Gasps rippled through the crowd. The Li family's status as one of the six great families was owed entirely to the fact that they were backed by a Tier Eight Third Layer Martial Emperor.

Lin Bo and the others paled, forced to retreat step by step under the pressure of Li Jiuran's aura. Though only a single layer separated the Second and Third Layers of Tier Eight, the difference in strength was as vast as the heavens and the earth.

"Old Clan Leader, you're finally here! This boy killed Master Rongyang of the Soul Master Tower, wounded me, and framed our Li family! You must seek justice for us!"

Seeing his savior, Li Rucheng felt a wave of relief as if he'd been granted a full pardon. He began to roar madly, his eyes filled with venom.

'I'm saved! I'm saved!' Qi Liming was ecstatic, and he quickly retreated behind Li Rucheng.

Li Jiuran first turned to Yu Chi Bugong and Xiao Wuji, his voice heavy. "Do you two Patriarchs also intend to make a move against my Li family?"

"Hehe, Elder Li, you jest. We're merely passing by. Please, go about your business. Don't mind us," Yu Chi Bugong said with a faint smile.

Xiao Wuji frowned but said nothing.

'While I can't stand the Li family's actions,' he thought, 'there's no need to clash with them over a Profound Light Pavilion I have no connection with.'

'In this world, strength is what truly matters, after all.'

"Good." Li Jiuran seemed to relax. He shot a cold glance at Lin Bo and the others. "Lin Bo, Xu Zhen, get out of my sight. I'll settle the score with you two later. As for this Profound Light Pavilion..."

A cold glint flashed in Li Jiuran's eyes, and a sinister smile spread across his face. "I see no reason for it to continue existing in Celestial Capital Prefecture."

"Die!"

The moment the word left his lips, Li Jiuran wasted no time on pleasantries, sweeping a palm strike toward Su Xiuyi and the others.

Ye Xuan's expression changed. "You attack the moment you arrive," he said coldly. "Don't you care to distinguish right from wrong? Is there no justice in this world?"

"Right and wrong? Justice? I am justice..."

Li Jiuran sneered as a terrifying pressure bore down on Ye Xuan and the others. The pressure was immense. Before his palm strike had even landed, the omnipresent spatial energy had already pinned them in place, rendering them immobile. The weaker experts of the Profound Light Pavilion even coughed up blood under the strain.

"Elder Li."

Lin Bo's expression changed drastically. He rushed forward, intending to both say something and block Li Jiuran's attack.

"Lin Bo, I told you to get out of my sight! Didn't you hear me? Now, back off!"

Li Jiuran barked, and a surging wave of power erupted from him. Lin Bo immediately turned pale and staggered backward.

Ignoring Lin Bo completely, Li Jiuran brought his descending palm down once more. His attack enveloped all of the experts from the Profound Light Pavilion, a clear sign that he intended to slaughter them all in one fell swoop.

Behind Li Jiuran, hints of excitement and mockery touched the lips of Li Rucheng and Qi Liming. For them, watching Ye Xuan and his people die would be an unparalleled thrill.

'So this is the might of a Tier Eight Third Layer Martial Emperor?'

A bitter expression filled the faces of Su Xiuyi and the others. Under Li Jiuran's assault, they had no room to even twitch, let alone fight back. They could only watch helplessly as his palm fell.

"I refuse to believe there is no justice in this world." Ye Xuan's expression was grim as he spoke with sudden anger. His lips moved, and an invisible ripple of sound traveled into the ears of Patriarch Xiao Wuji, who stood not far away.

Ye Xuan's action was subtle; none of the spectating Martial Artists noticed the transmission. They only heard his defiant words and were left utterly speechless, their faces darkening with exasperation.

'Has this kid, Xuan Ye, been scared witless? Did his brain just short-circuit? He's still prattling on about justice. Can't he see the Li family's old Clan Leader is about to kill him?'

But to everyone's astonishment, upon hearing Ye Xuan's sound transmission, Xiao Wuji's previously calm expression abruptly changed, revealing a look of utter shock.

"Stay your hand!"

He roared, abruptly charging in front of the Profound Light Pavilion members. He threw out his right hand, and with a thunderous BOOM, it crashed against Li Jiuran's, blocking the attack.

"Patriarch Xiao, what is the meaning of this?"

Li Jiuran's expression soured as he demanded angrily.

Everyone else was stunned, completely baffled by this turn of events. 'Judging from Patriarch Xiao's expression just a moment ago, he clearly had no intention of getting involved in the dispute between the Profound Light Pavilion and the Li family. Why did he suddenly intervene?'

Xiao Wuji ignored Li Jiuran's question. Instead, he stared coldly at Ye Xuan and said, his voice frigid, "Do you really know..."

Before Xiao Wuji could finish, Ye Xuan cut him off. "You don't need to ask. I wouldn't have sent you that message if I were lying. This isn't the place to talk. I will tell you what you want to know later. But I have one condition: block Li Jiuran for me."

Xiao Wuji glanced at the surrounding crowd, then nodded. "Fine. But if I find out you're lying, don't blame me for being ruthless. I guarantee that the consequences of angering the Xiao family will be more than ten times worse than offending the Li family."

With that, Xiao Wuji turned back to Li Jiuran. "Elder Li, the Xiao family is now protecting the Profound Light Pavilion. Do me this favor and leave with your people."

His tone was cold, leaving no room for negotiation.

An uproar swept through the crowd. No one understood why Xiao Wuji had such a change of heart. However, based on the exchange between him and Ye Xuan, some of the sharper onlookers began to realize that the Profound Light Pavilion must be privy to some vital information concerning the Xiao family.

This sudden turn of events made Li Jiuran's face turn livid. "Patriarch Xiao, aren't you being a little too domineering? The Profound Light Pavilion was trying to kill a member of my Li family, and you expect me to just give up and walk away on your word alone? Things don't work like that!"

Xiao Wuji's brow furrowed. "Elder Li," he said coldly, "I've made myself perfectly clear. Do you truly wish to make an enemy of the Xiao family?"

"It's not that I wish to oppose the Xiao family. But you ask me to give you face, so who, then, will give the Li family face?"

'If this were a minor issue, I would back down for Xiao Wuji's sake,' Li Jiuran thought. 'But Li Rucheng was nearly killed by the Profound Light Pavilion, and members of my Li family have already died here. If I retreat just because Xiao Wuji says so, how will others look at the Li family?'

"Hehe, Elder Li has a point. Patriarch Xiao, you are being rather overbearing, aren't you? So, tell us, what was it that got you so worked up just now? What makes you so insistent on protecting the Profound Light Pavilion?"

Yu Chi Bugong stepped forward at that moment, a sly smile on his face as he spoke.

The Yuchi family and the Xiao family were the two titans of Celestial Capital Prefecture, and they had never seen eye to eye. As such, Yu Chi Bugong was also extremely interested in the contents of Ye Xuan's message.

"Yu Chi Bugong, this is the Xiao family's business. What right do you have to interfere?" Xiao Wuji retorted coldly.

In truth, Ye Xuan had only said a single sentence to him: "I know how Xiao Ping of your Xiao family died."

That one sentence had instantly shattered Xiao Wuji's composure.

Xiao Ping was a direct descendant of the Xiao family. He had been sent out on a mission, but over two months ago, he was unexpectedly found dead outside Celestial Capital Prefecture.

If he had been an ordinary disciple, it might not have been such a big deal. But Xiao Ping was Xiao Wuji's own nephew, and his death was connected to a secret of the Xiao family, making it a matter of grave importance.

For the past two months, Xiao Wuji had been investigating everywhere, trying to find the cause of Xiao Ping's death and identify his killer, but he had found no leads. How could he not be tense now, after hearing Ye Xuan's message?

Therefore, he had to protect Ye Xuan.

Xiao Wuji said coldly, "No matter what, I must protect the Profound Light Pavilion. Li Jiuran, if you dare to attack again, you will be making an enemy of the Xiao family."

Xiao Wuji radiated a dense battle intent, the terrifying aura of a Tier Eight Third Layer Martial Emperor on full display.