The Master and His Wealthy Fiancée

Chen Dong finally saw it for what it was. The whole "falling to the demonic path" excuse was bullshit. It was nothing more than a clash of interests and allegiances!

To the ancestors from the Zhao and Lin Families, Tian Sisi—representing both the Tian and Liu Families—was a far more critical target than the inhuman Gu Insect.

As for the Chen Family Ancestor, his temporary neutrality was just a ploy to win over Chen Dong.

Chen Dong didn't expect to change the minds of these centuries-old fossils with just a few words. He leveled his Thunder Spear and said coldly, "If you want to disrupt her tribulation, you'll have to get through me first!"

The Lin Family Ancestor, Lin Yizhi, narrowed his aged eyes. "Elder Chen, this Chen Dong is one of your Chen Family, and you even pushed for him to be the current Patriarch. He's being so unreasonable. Aren't you going to discipline him?"

Though he said "discipline," he was actually forcing the Chen Family to pick a side.

The Chen Family Ancestor's brow was furrowed with worry. On the battlefield, there was one Inner Realm Peak from the Calamity God Department, the three family ancestors, and a monster with a terrifying Inner Realm aura. On Chen Dong's side, there was only him and Tian Sisi, whose tribulation's outcome was still unknown. The disparity in power was glaringly obvious. Furthermore, if they were to completely fall out with the Military Suppression Department and the three great families now, the Chen Family would face an incredibly difficult future. They would be suppressed at every turn and might even risk annihilation.

The Chen Family Ancestor had always been a decisive man. He glanced at Chen Dong's resolute expression and made his decision in less than two seconds. He declared imperiously, "What he does has nothing to do with my Chen Family. He never accepted the position of Patriarch, and he has never been one of us!"

Chen Dong's eyebrow twitched. 'So this is what these ancestors are really like.' When they wanted something from you, they would shamelessly lavish you with attention, but the moment you affected their interests, they would abandon you without a second thought.

Now, facing the ancestors of the four great families, one agent from the Divine Department, and a monster, even Chen Dong, a Saint recognized by the Celestial Dao, felt that the situation was incredibly dire.

Two fists are no match for four hands, but now he was facing eighteen—that monster Guo Lingtong had eight all by herself. Even if he managed to repel two or three of them, a single mistake would leave him unable to stop the others from interfering with Tian Sisi.

So, Chen Dong used his ultimate move: calling for backup!

He pulled the Black Feather from his robes and sent a telepathic message: "Lord Corpse Dove, come save me, quick!"

At that moment, his opponents on the field gave Chen Dong no time to breathe. Guo Lingtong, in particular, lunged at him again.

E Xuanfu seized the opportunity to coordinate their attack. "I'll hold off Chen Dong! The rest of you, go stop Tian Sisi!"

As he spoke, his figure melted into the shadows. In a flash, he warped through Guo Lingtong's shadow and burst out, his twin swords striking rapidly at Chen Dong's abdomen.

Chen Dong, long prepared to fight against many, braced himself and took a claw strike from Guo Lingtong, using the opening to drive his spear straight through E Xuanfu's chest.

Guo Lingtong might have possessed the power of the Inner Realm Peak, but her techniques, martial skills, and combat experience were arguably the lowest on the battlefield. Her claw strike had barely managed to breach Chen Dong's defense and rip his clothes; it hadn't even broken the skin.

E Xuanfu hadn't expected Chen Dong to be waiting for his move, and the spear struck home. In that critical moment, his vast combat experience allowed him to shift just enough to avoid his heart. Otherwise, that one spear thrust would have snuffed out his life and scattered his dao, even with the power of the Earth Veins.

He quickly twisted his body, using the momentum to pull free of the Thunder Spear and melt back into the shadows. He would rather suffer the secondary damage from the spear than fail to put distance between himself and Chen Dong. If he had been any slower and Chen Dong had detonated the Thunder Spear, his injuries would have been far more severe.

Sure enough, a fraction of a second after he escaped, the Thunder Spear in Chen Dong's hand exploded.

Compared to the cunning E Xuanfu, the witless Guo Lingtong had two of her forelimbs blown off in the blast and came tumbling out of the sky, even though the attack hadn't been aimed at her at all.

This commotion naturally drew the attention of the four ancestors, who were all completely stunned.

They thought they had already been generous in their estimation of Chen Dong, rating him at least at the Mid-stage Inner Realm. They'd figured he could exchange a few blows with the agent from the Calamity God Department, but that the Inner Realm Peak expert would inevitably win. The reality, however, was that Chen Dong had not only withstood the attack from that monster with the terrifying aura, but had also heavily wounded the Inner Realm Peak expert in a single exchange. At such a young age, with such talent... wasn't he several times more formidable than the Tian Sisi who was still undergoing her tribulation?

At that moment, a single thought took root in their minds: they had to eliminate not only Tian Sisi, but Chen Dong as well.

Such a person could not be allowed to exist in the Martial Artist Circle that their great families controlled. He was simply too heaven-defying!

A single look was exchanged, and the three ancestors attacked in unison, their movements perfectly synchronized. Only the Chen Family Ancestor hesitated for a moment.

Staff Fist Sword struck Chen Dong's back in an instant. Tian Sisi was some distance away, while Chen Dong was right in front of them. It was better to eliminate one first; a defenseless Tian Sisi would be much easier to deal with afterward.

Chen Dong had overcommitted to his last move, and detonating the Thunder Spear had caused a momentary disruption in his aura. Though he sensed the attack from behind, he had no time to dodge and could only brace himself for the full force of the three ancestors' attacks.

BOOM!

Chen Dong's figure was instantly blasted from the sky. With a deafening CRASH, he slammed heavily into the side of the mountain.

The three ancestors were worthy of their veteran status. Without the slightest pause, they immediately swooped in to deliver the finishing blow, knowing that their combined attack hadn't been enough to take Chen Dong's life.

But a terrifying black fissure suddenly ripped open in the air before them, and the sheer horror it exuded forced them to a halt.

A strange, bald black bird hopped out of the fissure and cackled, "Hahaha! So there's a time when even you have to come crying to this great one for help, boy!"