The door to the private room was kicked violently open.
Five cultivators filed inside, hostile looks written across their faces.
At their head was the Second Shopkeeper who had just spoken with Old Ancestor Xiangyun. He looked calm and composed, as though everything were well within his grasp.
Just as he was about to speak, he heard one of the men among the Four Emperors of Divine Flower speak up.
"These people don't know much about doing business. At the very least, they should've waited until we finished spending and boosted their GDP before making trouble," the speaker was none other than Qi Yuan. "Way too impatient. You can't achieve great things like that."
They had only just mentioned that someone might stir up trouble, and trouble arrived right away.
The Second Shopkeeper froze upon hearing that. He didn't quite understand Qi Yuan's words.
Unhurriedly, he said, "A treasure of Wangxian Tower, the Exquisite Pot, has gone missing. A waiter saw that it was done by you people. Please step outside with us."
Qi Yuan rubbed his nose. "You better stop talking. Every time you speak, my nose grows longer."
The Second Shopkeeper frowned. It was an awful feeling when someone was completely on a different wavelength.
With a wave of his hand, a waiter who looked rather nervous stepped forward.
As soon as the waiter entered, he immediately glared at Qi Yuan and Rogue Celestial Venerable, anxiously shouting, "Shopkeeper, it's the two of them! I saw it with my own eyes—they stole the Exquisite Pot!"
By this time, the private room's door stood wide open, and the cultivators outside overheard the conversation.
No matter where one went, people who loved watching drama and gossiping were everywhere.
Many cultivators secretly paid attention to what was unfolding inside the room.
"They actually stole Wangxian Tower's foundational treasure, the Exquisite Pot!"
"What immense audacity!"
"Wait, that person seems to be Feng Xie! He actually left his mountain!"
"There's... something fishy about this."
These people watched the excitement from nearby.
Among them, a green-robed man frowned, worry in his eyes. "Wangxian Tower is an asset of the Phoenix Palace. This matter... isn't so simple."
"Ye He, do you mean they're targeting... Feng Xie?" another man asked in a deep voice, anger in his expression.
"Yes. The people from Phoenix Palace are crossing the line more and more. Lord Feng is also that person's scion... yet..." Ye He said, his voice brimming with dissatisfaction.
In the Fengtian Domain, undercurrents surged violently.
Those from the Phoenix Palace frequently went out of their way to covertly suppress the disciples of Mount Wenfeng.
The faction Ye He belonged to had good relations with Mount Wenfeng.
He and Feng Xie were also nod-and-greeting acquaintances.
Now that Feng Xie was being targeted, the situation was precarious.
On the other side, fury surfaced in Great Sun Flame Emperor's eyes. "Finding some random waiter to say my two brothers stole the Exquisite Pot counts as evidence?"
The Second Shopkeeper remained leisurely as he replied, "These two cultivators acted suspiciously. If they wish to prove their innocence, they must produce their storage pouches for us to search!"
Arrogance and unquestionable authority dripped from his tone.
Evidently, he had come purely to stir up trouble.
"Where under heaven is there any logic in demanding someone prove their own innocence?" Great Sun Flame Emperor said in a deep voice.
Though he had long anticipated someone might cause trouble, facing it still filled him with indignation.
It was precisely for this reason that he had remained in seclusion on Mount Wenfeng, rarely venturing out or making friends, out of fear of dragging them into his troubles.
As for Qi Yuan, Iceberg Overlord Woman, and the others, he had already voiced these concerns prior to meeting up in person.
"If you don't prove your innocence, what will you do about being wronged?" A sarcastic voice chimed in. Old Ancestor Xiangyun strolled forward, swaggering with arrogant smugness, smiling triumphantly as he looked at Great Sun Flame Emperor.
"I originally came to Wangxian Tower today to gather with dear friends, only to find no private rooms available on the ninth floor. Luckily, your friend here is quite amusing, Feng Xie—stealing the Exquisite Pot just in time to free up a spot for me. I really ought to thank you for this!"
As Old Ancestor Xiangyun spoke, he pulled out a spirit stone.
"Take this spirit stone as a reward for yielding the private room to me."
Old Ancestor Xiangyun certainly knew how to humiliate someone.
If it were anyone else, they would truly have had no choice but to swallow their anger.
"I advise you to confess quickly and spare yourselves physical torment. Otherwise... if this implicates the sects behind you, things won't be resolved so easily." Old Ancestor Xiangyun adopted a lofty, condescending stance.
The cultivation world was always thus: the strong ruled.
In the Cuiyun Continent, the Palace of Light might still tread carefully around certain Yin God factions.
In the Fengtian Domain, however, the Phoenix Palace knew no bounds or scruples.
Before true grand figures, Old Ancestor Xiangyun could be as humble as a servant, but toward anyone weaker than himself, he pushed arrogance to its absolute limits.
Flattering superiors and bullying inferiors was his greatest specialty.
The Second Shopkeeper also chimed in at an opportune moment, his tone cold and indifferent: "If you two confess and take your own lives in atonement, the sects behind you won't be implicated. Otherwise..."
Behind him, several cultivators wore menacing expressions, radiating powerful auras.
Seeing this, Ye He in the distance furrowed his brows and hurried forward. "I can testify! After entering the room, they never left. Everything... must be a misunderstanding!"
Ye He's intervention caught everyone off guard.
The Second Shopkeeper was slightly startled.
Old Ancestor Xiangyun raised an eyebrow. "Ye He, do you know what you are saying?"
Ye He's background was rather special.
Back then, after that Mythological figure fell, he left behind his daughter, Great Venerable Moli.
At the same time, he also left behind a disciple, who happened to be the founding ancestor of Ye He's sect.
That disciple had never been very fond of Great Venerable Moli, instead leaning closer to Lord Feng.
The Phoenix Palace's attitude toward Ye He's sect was similarly delicate and ambiguous.
"I am merely stating the facts." Ye He's gaze was firm, resolved to lend Great Sun Flame Emperor a helping hand.
Great Sun Flame Emperor looked at Ye He with gratitude in his eyes.
At a time like this, someone who dared speak on his behalf was truly a friend worthy of trust.
The Second Shopkeeper turned his gaze toward Ye He and said slowly, "The Biluo Sect and Mount Wenfeng have always been on good terms. Ye He, your words cannot be taken as truth. I would much rather believe my waiter."
"You are going too far!" Ye He could not help saying. "This is how the Phoenix Palace's reputation has been ruined by the likes of you! If Senior Taifeng were still alive and saw you abusing your power to bully others like this, he would surely strike you dead with a single palm!"
Senior Taifeng was the sole Mythological figure of the Fengtian Domain, having fallen during the Great Tribulation.
Now, the several Great Venerables of the Fengtian Domain all possessed countless ties to Senior Taifeng.
The old ancestor of the Biluo Sect was Taifeng's disciple.
Lord Feng of Mount Wenfeng was suspected to be Taifeng's illegitimate son.
Great Venerable Moli of the Phoenix Palace was Taifeng's daughter and rightful heir.
"Great Venerable Moli is Senior Taifeng's biological daughter, and the Phoenix Palace was entrusted to her charge! If Senior Taifeng were alive and saw his disciple colluding with outsiders to scheme for the Mythological Secret Vault, he would probably wipe out your Biluo Sect with a single palm!" Old Ancestor Xiangyun retorted.
The Phoenix Palace had never acknowledged Lord Feng as Taifeng's illegitimate son.
Nor did Great Venerable Moli recognize Lord Feng as her brother.
The cultivators locked horns, arguing back and forth.
At this moment, Qi Yuan's eyes widened, a delighted expression spreading across his face. "You people are from the Phoenix Palace?"
Old Ancestor Xiangyun froze for a second, then sneered, "Now that you know we are from the Phoenix Palace, why haven't you taken your own life in atonement?"
"It's all a misunderstanding." A brilliant smile lit up Qi Yuan's eyes. "Actually... you could say I'm practically half a Phoenix Palace person myself."
Old Ancestor Xiangyun and the Second Shopkeeper exchanged a glance, bewildered.
"Hmph, half a Phoenix Palace person? And you think that gives you the right to claim connections?" Old Ancestor Xiangyun wracked his memory; among the second generation of the Phoenix Palace, there was definitely no such man.
Therefore, even if this man had some tenuous link to the Phoenix Palace, he would only belong to the lowest tier.
Wouldn't such a person be all the easier to crush?
"Oh?" Qi Yuan sneered. "Sounds like your status in the Phoenix Palace is quite high? Quick, tell me, who's your backer in the Phoenix Palace?"
Disdain flashed in Old Ancestor Xiangyun's eyes. "My father is an elder of the Phoenix Palace, Venerable Xiangshan! What, do I not have the qualifications to clean up the sect on the Phoenix Palace's behalf?"
Within the Phoenix Palace, besides Great Venerable Moli, there were five Yin God Venerables in total.
Venerable Xiangshan was one of them.
"A mere elder's son, and you dare act so insolent? Do you have any idea... who I am?" Qi Yuan stared down at Old Ancestor Xiangyun, overbearing and arrogant, looking for all the world like a pampered young master of a prestigious clan.
His domineering aura momentarily stunned Old Ancestor Xiangyun.
Could it be... he was some elder's illegitimate son?
Yet even if that were true, Xiangyun had nothing to fear.
"I'd certainly like to know who your backer is!" Old Ancestor Xiangyun sneered.
Hearing this, Ye He was dumbfounded. He never expected events to unfold in this direction.
Rogue Celestial Venerable was equally bewildered.
The onlookers nearby watched the spectacle with amusement.
"Fascinating. Is this an internal feud within the Phoenix Palace?"
"Pity for that young man. Even if he really is some elder's illegitimate son, dining openly with Feng Xie seals his fate—he won't have a good end in the Phoenix Palace."
Nobody held high hopes for Qi Yuan.
The Phoenix Palace's suppression of Mount Wenfeng was political correctness.
For an elder's illegitimate son to party with Feng Xie of Mount Wenfeng—what was the meaning of that?
At best, he would be swept out the door; at worst, that elder might execute him on the spot.
With a smile in his eyes, Qi Yuan said, "I'm afraid if I say it, I'll scare you out of your wits!"
Having a backer felt great.
Whenever someone came looking for trouble, hitting them with "My father is Zhang Erhe" was guaranteed to work.
Too bad Qi Yuan didn't currently have a father around.
Old Ancestor Xiangyun sneered and said nothing.
The Second Shopkeeper also wore the face of a bystander watching a good show.
"Since you still refuse to admit your mistake, I'll just have to call someone over," Qi Yuan said with a look of helplessness.
Old Ancestor Xiangyun looked at Qi Yuan as though watching a clown.
The others in the room grew excited as well.
"Fight! Fight!"
"Who knew coming for a meal would come with such entertainment!"
"A shame, though. In this confrontation, Old Ancestor Xiangyun is already invincible!"
Those who came here to gather were either wealthy or noble.
They were well aware of the conflict between the Phoenix Palace and Mount Wenfeng.
Even if Qi Yuan's backer were also a Yin God, they could hardly compare to Old Ancestor Xiangyun's backing.
Calling someone over would only bring humiliation upon himself.
At that moment, Qi Yuan suddenly raised his head and looked at Great Sun Flame Emperor. "The Phoenix Palace is in Qinghong City?"
Great Sun Flame Emperor nodded.
Both the Phoenix Palace and the Dao Seeking Palace were located in Qinghong City.
Qinghong City was also the foremost city in the Fengtian Domain.
The other cultivators chuckled mockingly at the sight.
He didn't even know the Phoenix Palace was in Qinghong City, yet he claimed to be of the Phoenix Palace?
Just then, a formidable aura abruptly surged from Qi Yuan.
An overpowering scent of blood billowed forth at this very instant.
His robes turned entirely blood-red.
A voice that seemed capable of piercing straight through the heavens exploded beside the ear of every single cultivator:
"Great Venerable Moli! Weren't you secretly in love with me?
"Now, I, the Blood-Robed Sword God, have arrived at Wangxian Tower! Won't you come out and meet me?!"
Qi Yuan's voice was like thunder, laced with thick, suffocating killing intent.
In a single breath, it swept across the entirety of Qinghong City.
In every corner of Qinghong City, whether cultivators or ordinary mortals, all heard this voice transmission.
"What... the Blood-Robed Sword God?"
"The Blood-Robed Sword God is here!"
"That God of Slaughter is here!"
The voice resonated thunderously, penetrating the Dao Seeking Palace and piercing into the Phoenix Palace.
Inside the Dao Seeking Palace, a majestic man furrowed his brows, his gaze profound and somber, before eventually closing his eyes again.
Inside the Phoenix Palace, several elders who heard the shout were all taken aback.
For such a bellow completely defied their expectations.
Reasonably speaking, even if the Blood-Robed Sword God came... shouldn't he meet Great Venerable Moli with discretion?
How could anyone do it like this?
At this moment, deep within the Phoenix Palace, a colorful-robed woman draped in lusterless glazed garments lay lazily upon a couch, her jade-like figure reclining with alluring charm. A playful, teasing smile curled in her eyes. "Interesting."
Meanwhile, inside Wangxian Tower, all the cultivators stood petrified with shock.
Old Ancestor Xiangyun in particular was utterly thunderstruck: "You... you are the Blood-Robed Sword God?!"
How could this be!
How could the man before his eyes be the Eastern Lands' hegemon, the Blood-Robed Sword God!
The Blood-Robed Sword God's reputation was renowned even in the Fengtian Domain.
Most notably, when Great Venerable Moli rejected Great Venerable Wujun, she mentioned that her heart belonged to the Blood-Robed Sword God.
Only then did people in the Fengtian Domain investigate what sort of person the Blood-Robed Sword God was.
Upon investigating, they discovered that the Blood-Robed Sword God was a veritable God of Slaughter.
And he wasn't just any ordinary God of Slaughter!
When an ordinary Yin God powerhouse was called a God of Slaughter, at most they slew cultivators of the same realm, or at least Purple Mansion experts.
The Blood-Robed Sword God was different. He slaughtered Yin Gods, slaughtered Purple Mansions, and didn't even spare... Origin Cores or Foundation Establishment cultivators!
The Blood-Robed Sword God's reason for killing was equally straightforward.
On the Divine Flower Society forum, whenever anyone dared slander him, he tracked them down in person, brought along a suona band, and slaughtered them directly.
He didn't even let Foundation Establishment cultivators off the hook.
Because of this, the Blood-Robed Sword God had gone viral in the Fengtian Domain and gained numerous fans.
At this moment, the onlookers in Wangxian Tower turned pale.
"He's the Blood-Robed Sword God!"
"He's actually the Blood-Robed Sword God?"
"Just now... I probably, maybe, supposedly... didn't badmouth him, did I?"
"Truly a handsome talent! No wonder Great Venerable Moli fell for him!"
At this moment, Old Ancestor Xiangyun's legs trembled uncontrollably.
Cold sweat drenched the Second Shopkeeper's forehead.
A person's name preceded them like a tree cast its shadow.
Anyone who knew of the Blood-Robed Sword God knew he was a monstrous fiend who slaughtered people like mowing grass.
No one even knew how many Yin Gods he had killed.
Rumor had it he had slain hundreds of Purple Mansions, setting back the Eastern Lands' cultivation world by ten thousand years all by himself!
The Qi Yuan before them stood draped in blood-red robes, exuding a pungent aura of blood as his killing intent condensed into tangible substance.
Besides the Blood-Robed Sword God, who else could possess such a terrifying presence?
Old Ancestor Xiangyun had considered that his opponent might have considerable backing, but never imagined it would be this colossal!
Caught in a dilemma with no way out, anguish twisted across Xiangyun's face.
"A misunderstanding... it's all a misunderstanding..."
He genuinely could not comprehend why the magnificent Blood-Robed Sword God, a Yin God powerhouse rivaling a Great Venerable, would act as a sworn brother to a cultivator like Feng Xie!
Chapter 252