To say nothing of Li Guanqi, even Immortal Elder Yu pursed his lips and looked toward his Saintess.
His gaze swept back and forth between Meng Wanshu and Li Guanqi. Frowning slightly, an imperceptible gleam flashed deep within his eyes.
*From what the Saintess says... this kid’s talent is even greater than hers??*
*And... what did she mean by all those monstrous geniuses back in the Human Spirit Realm?*
*Could they all be cultivators of the same caliber as this Li Congxin?*
*Hiss... if that’s really the case, now you’ve got my attention!!*
The old man's eyes flickered, his mind already made up.
If the opportunity arose today, he would take this kid along with them right away!
Judging solely by the cultivation realm Li Guanqi displayed and his monstrous talent, bringing him straight to the Jiuding Heavenly Palace in Emperor Heaven was entirely within reason!
Turning back to look at Meng Wanshu, a faint smile appeared on the old man's face.
*Mm, our Saintess truly has fine taste...*
Yet Li Guanqi also noticed something amiss...
In her ragged, tattered garments, Su Mei was now drawing the greedy gazes of many enslaved cultivators.
Having already been reduced to such a wretched state, they had nothing left to lose.
Rather than dying in Xutian Palace at some unknown moment, feasting their eyes right now carried no reservations whatsoever.
Meng Wanshu noticed this as well. Her eyes flashed, and she tossed the iron hammer onto the ground.
Gripping Su Mei's hair with one hand, she hauled the woman up into midair.
This sudden pull tore even more of the woman's garments away, exposing a wide swath of fair skin.
The sight stunned many onlookers; none could guess what Meng Wanshu intended to do.
Panic flooded Su Mei's eyes as she squirmed frantically, desperate to pull up her shredded clothes.
Yet no matter how hard she struggled, she could not manage it. She could only cast a helpless gaze toward Yang Qing.
At this moment, however, Yang Qing sat cross-legged on the ground, frantically trying to stabilize the trauma to his sea of consciousness, completely unable to spare any attention.
Meng Wanshu leaned in close to Su Mei's ear. Though her breath was fragrant as orchids, her voice was like a devil's as she murmured slowly,
"Weren't you aloof and proud?"
"Didn't you love standing at the peak, looking down on the ants beneath your feet?"
"What is it? How does it feel to have those ants staring at your body?"
"Humiliating, isn't it?"
"Thrilling, isn't it?"
"The filthy slaves you once despised can now ogle you without the slightest restraint."
Su Mei's body trembled violently, her eyes brimming with sheer pleading.
She had even begun to guess what Meng Wanshu planned to do.
She bitterly regretted provoking Li Guanqi...
Deep in her mind, the moment the hammer had come crashing down earlier, regret had already begun to take hold.
She regretted not agreeing to Li Guanqi's proposal.
Now, regret came far too late. Whether she could keep her life or her chastity was entirely uncertain.
All she could do now was pray that her father would return soon.
Having already received news from the sect, Su Jinshan was burning with anxiety, frantically tearing open the void as he rushed forward, trying to hurry back to Xutian Palace at top speed.
Elsewhere, an old man in the Golden Immortal realm with an immortal, otherworldly demeanor spread his Nirvana Wings and flew toward the Linluan Realm.
This elder was none other than Master Zhanhe, who held ancestral ties of friendship with the Lin family.
At this moment, a somber expression draped across the elder's face. Holding a horsetail whisk as he traversed the void, he looked into the distance and murmured softly,
"Xutian Palace... sigh..."
"Forget it. No matter what, this favor must be repaid. Consider it settling a thread of karma."
The old man did not yet know what had unfolded within Xutian Palace.
The entire Linluan Realm had erupted in turmoil...
Su Jinshan could not comprehend it no matter how he racked his brain. His subordinates were merely pursuing a rogue assassin.
How on earth had they provoked a colossus like the Jiuding Heavenly Palace?
According to the message sent by Yang Qing, present within Xutian Palace were not just dozens of Golden Immortals,
but even four Immortal Monarchs, and a terrifying powerhouse suspected to be in the Immortal Venerable realm...
Meng Wanshu's gaze swept slowly toward the many enslaved cultivators in the distance.
In a mocking voice, she said,
"Would you like to enjoy the lofty, eldest legitimate daughter of Xutian Palace?"
As soon as these words were spoken, the enslaved cultivators stirred with restlessness, their greedy eyes locking onto Su Mei in Meng Wanshu's grasp.
Those predatory, ravenous stares made Su Mei feel profoundly sick, as if ten thousand ants were crawling all over her body...
Their greedy, burning gazes made no attempt to conceal the desire in their hearts.
Su Mei squirmed. Half her face was mangled with flesh and blood, yet that did nothing to diminish the burning hatred the slaves felt toward her.
More than half of these crippled slaves owed their wretched state to the woman before them.
Su Mei was well aware of this.
Given the chance to exact revenge, they would gladly tear her limb from limb, flay her skin, and extract her bones.
Suffering humiliation went without saying...
She was terrified. She was truly terrified.
At the thought of potentially being violated by dozens of filthy slaves, she even wanted to die right this instant.
Yet Meng Wanshu circulated her immortal primal energy, instantly sealing Su Mei's dantian and sea of consciousness.
Now, Su Mei was reduced entirely to a mortal at their mercy.
"Rest assured, I won't let you die."
"Dying is far too easy; a single sword thrust and it would be done."
"But... reducing the status and prestige you once prized most into something utterly worthless suits me far better."
"Taking a life... is nothing compared to destroying the spirit."
With that, Meng Wanshu threw Su Mei directly toward the crowd!
In a chilling voice, she commanded,
"Do whatever you want. You won't die."
"At least, not right now."
Yang Qing had regained consciousness by now. Seeing this unfold, he turned pale with horror and cried out to stop them:
"Stop!!"
"This... you've gone too far!!"
Had the old man kept silent, it might have been fine, but the moment his words fell, Meng Wanshu turned her head toward him, her face filled with murderous malice.
Her frigid eyes actually forced the old man to take half a step back.
Narrowing her eyes, Meng Wanshu pointed toward Li Guanqi and said coldly,
"Too far?"
"Then what do you call the slave mark on my husband's face?"
"What do you call my husband's shattered legs?!!"
At those words, even Yang Qing dared not speak, his eyes darting away evasively.
Meng Wanshu's eyes burned with fury and hostility.
Glancing at the restless enslaved cultivators, she sneered,
"Hypocrites who play the whore and erect a monument to their own virtue."
Meng Wanshu's eyes were exceptionally cold as she murmured in a chilling voice,
"What are you panicking for?"
"I'm only treating you the way you treated my husband. Why the sudden outrage?"
As she spoke, Meng Wanshu walked slowly toward the old man, continuing,
"What? Is it because you can no longer use sheer power to oppress others?"
"When my husband tried to reason with you, you relied on Xutian Palace's might to act like thugs."
"Now that I represent the Jiuding Heavenly Palace, and my might is greater, I am playing the thug too. Why are you suddenly trying to reason with me?"
Li Guanqi stifled a laugh, never expecting that his Wanshu could be so sharp-tongued.
*Rumble!!*
A dark streak flashed across the horizon, and a small black speck was speeding closer at an incredible velocity.
Many of the enslaved cultivators had already sensed this aura. Several of them hardened their hearts and began pawing and groping at Su Mei!
The crowd swarmed over her. From within the mob came only Su Mei's helpless sobbing and hoarse whimpering.
The faces of the elders and consecrated retainers of Xutian Palace changed drastically, yet not a single one dared step forward to utter a word.
All of them knew that from this day forth...
Even if Su Mei survived, her mind and sanity would likely be severely shattered.
"Stop!!!!"
An enraged roar rang out as Nirvana Wings unfurled behind Su Jinshan, who hurtled through the air at full speed.
Yet immediately following, three sword rays slashed upward with ferocity!
One strike forced Su Jinshan to a halt, and two strikes severed both his arms.
The man's figure plummeted from the sky, grievously wounded.
Chapter 1703