Immortal-Exterminating Divine Venerable

"This brat... he actually has the gall to want to kill us?"

There were twenty-one Void Immortals present, and every single one of them was stronger than Ye Donghuang. It was plain for them all to see the undisguised killing intent in Yang Xiao's eyes.

Their hearts jolted in unison.

Had it not been for the Divine Soldier's automatic protection of its master, they wouldn't have given Yang Xiao's glare a second thought.

Anyone who dared to show them such killing intent would normally be annihilated with a single palm strike.

But after the precedent set by Elder Zhou, none of them dared to make a rash move against Yang Xiao now.

"A Divine Soldier protecting its master is just a basic ability after it recognizes one. This brat's cultivation is low. Whether in terms of strength or Spiritual Level, he's incapable of wielding a Divine Soldier of this tier. As long as we don't attack him, he's powerless against us. We, however, can set up an array to deplete the power of his protective Divine Soldier. Once its power is exhausted, with his pathetic cultivation, won't he be ours for the slaughter?"

Just then, Jin Chengyi, the Sect Leader of the Golden Sun Immortal Sect, spoke up. He had been all smiles until the Divine Soldier appeared, at which point his expression had changed completely.

"Indeed, Sect Leader Jin speaks the truth. Sect Leader Zhen, you bear the decree of the Vast Heaven Immortal Lord. Why not use the power of the Vast Heaven Decree to deploy the Hundred Immortals Demon Extermination Array and wear down the power of this boy's Divine Soldier? What do you say?"

Qin Tianyang had also spoken up.

His suggestion, however, was clearly made with ill intent.

Zhen Dongyue, Sect Leader of the Zhenyou Immortal Sect, shot him a cold sneer. Surprisingly, however, he didn't refuse. Instead, he said, "I can lead the array, but on one condition: the Divine Soldier and that woman must both belong to my sect. How about it?"

Qin Tianyang's expression soured.

But before he could speak, Yan Chihuo, who was normally at odds with him, cut in.

"Don't you think you're being a bit too greedy, Sect Leader Zhen?"

Clearly, in the face of such a prize, even though Yan Chihuo and Qin Tianyang had been at loggerheads, they had now decided to join forces.

"Oh, I'm being greedy? I... Sect Leader Jin, what are your thoughts on this?"

Zhen Dongyue had been looking rather disdainful, but an inadvertent glance at Jin Chengyi's expression gave him pause, prompting his question.

He could afford to disregard both Qin Tianyang and Yan Chihuo.

With the Vast Heaven Decree in his possession, Zhen Dongyue believed that if those two dared to defy him, they would be courting death.

But Jin Chengyi was another matter entirely.

He had always felt there was more to the man than met the eye.

Moreover, he suspected the man might possess a trump card on par with the Vast Heaven Decree.

That was why Zhen Dongyue had asked for his opinion.

"I, too, feel that Sect Leader Zhen is being a bit greedy. The Divine Soldier and the woman... I believe you may only take one. As for the other, it's best you hand it over to me."

For the first time, Jin Chengyi, the smiling and seemingly benevolent fatty, bared his fangs.

The moment he finished speaking, his aura was completely unleashed.

Void Immortal Peak.

A true Void Immortal Peak, a full level higher than anyone else present.

Everyone's expression changed instantly.

"Sect Leader Jin, are you intending to defy me and disobey the Vast Heaven Decree?"

Zhen Dongyue was the first to speak out.

Though he was extremely wary of Jin Chengyi, he was unwilling to give up either the Divine Soldier or the woman who could help him reach the next level.

'If I can get my hands on both of them, who in the entire Profound Sun Continent could possibly be my match?'

'As for Jin Chengyi... if it's just a matter of his cultivation being slightly higher than mine, I have the Vast Heaven Decree. I'm not afraid of him.'

However, what Zhen Dongyue hadn't expected was this.

Faced with this pressure, Jin Chengyi merely smiled.

Then, he pulled a purple-gold token from his robes and brandished it briefly.

Then he put it away again.

But Zhen Dongyue's expression had already transformed.

'Just as I suspected. This fatty also has a token from the Vast Heaven Immortal Lord. And it's the most fearsome one of all—the Vast Heaven Order! Once activated, it can summon a clone of the Vast Heaven Immortal Lord in person! It's far, far more powerful than my decree.'

At that moment, any trace of disdain Zhen Dongyue held for Jin Chengyi vanished. Still, he glanced at the Divine Soldier and then at the woman.

An intense feeling of unwillingness surged within him.

Just then, a voice entered his mind.

"Don't think I don't know what you're planning. Let me be clear: don't be too greedy. Either the Divine Soldier or the woman could grant one of us the power to stand against the Vast Heaven Immortal Lord. The only logical course is for each of us to take one. If you insist on taking everything for yourself, then don't blame me for using the Vast Heaven Order to rally the others against you. I'm sure you know who they'd rather cooperate with when it's time to choose sides."

These words, both a negotiation and a threat, completely extinguished Zhen Dongyue's ambitions.

He nodded at Jin Chengyi.

"Very well. I will agree to Sect Leader Jin's terms. I will not take the Divine Soldier; it is yours. As for the woman, I am determined to have her. You three Domain Lords, what are your thoughts on this arrangement?"

Having said his piece, Zhen Dongyue regained his confidence and turned his gaze to Qin Tianyang and Yan Chihuo.

Though his words were addressed to all three Domain Lords, he had, in fact, completely ignored Zhang Xuanming, the Domain Lord of the Northern Domain.

His gaze fell only upon Qin Tianyang and Yan Chihuo.

Qin Tianyang and Yan Chihuo, for their part, were seething with resentment.

But whether it was Zhen Dongyue's Vast Heaven Decree, Jin Chengyi's own cultivation being a full level higher than theirs, or that fleeting glimpse of the Vast Heaven Order, there was nothing they could do.

Not even if they joined forces.

It would be useless.

They could already see that Jin Chengyi and Zhen Dongyue had come to an agreement.

If they were to team up, the two sect leaders would do the same.

And they would still be no match for them.

"Fine," Yan Chihuo conceded. "We will abide by the two Sect Leaders' decision. We only hope that during the upcoming exploration of the Profound Sun Secret Realm, you will leave a few scraps for the rest of us. Otherwise, don't think you'll be able to claim all the rewards so easily."

Yan Chihuo had compromised.

Qin Tianyang glanced at him. Though he seethed with resentment, compromise was his only option.

He, too, could only nod in agreement.

As for Zhang Xuanming, nothing had changed; neither Jin Chengyi and Zhen Dongyue nor Qin Tianyang and Yan Chihuo had bothered to ask for his opinion.

And he, for his part, was sensible enough to keep his mouth shut and not say a word.

"Isn't this much better? Now, let us deploy the Hundred Immortals Demon Extermination Array. I'm eager to see if this brat still has the same attitude in a little while."

Zhen Dongyue roared with laughter.

"Is that so? You all are truly arrogant. Right in front of my face, you're not only divvying up my Divine Soldier but also plotting to take my woman. If I don't kill every last one of you, and word of this gets out, wouldn't the whole world laugh at me, Yang Xiao, for being incompetent?"

Just then, Yang Xiao, who had remained silent as if watching a troupe of clowns perform, finally spoke.

"But I suppose I should thank you. If not for all your pointless chatter, I wouldn't have had the time to carefully figure out exactly how much Spiritual Power I need to use to eliminate you all... without wasting even a single drop."

As his voice fell, Yang Xiao wasted no more words. His hand instantly closed around the hilt of the Bloodthirsty Divine Sword.

Though the sword remained spiritually connected to him, it felt as heavy as a mountain in his palm. With his current cultivation and Spiritual Power, it should have been impossible for him to lift it, even with the aid of the Bloodthirsty Sword Spirit.

Seeing this, the cultivators were first taken aback.

But that surprise quickly turned to ridicule.

"Heh, he actually thinks he can wield the Divine Sword? He truly doesn't know his own limits..."

Zhen Dongyue, in particular, let out a wild laugh.

But in the blink of an eye, his laughter died in his throat.

Because Yang Xiao, right before their eyes, had lifted the Bloodthirsty Divine Sword.

Everyone froze, stunned.

Then, in perfect unison, they all made the same move.

They turned to flee for their lives.

But could they truly escape?