The Lan family had always been few in number since ancient times.
Especially by the generation of Lan Yu, in the vast lineage, only one male descendant was born.
Lan Qi had only this grandson.
Therefore, even though Lan Yu was not particularly outstanding, only ranking in the lower-middle tier among his peers at Sheng Yang Peak, Lan Qi still doted on his grandson.
But now his grandson had been beaten by Xu Mu, his head pressed into the ground, his breath faint, on the verge of death.
So Lan Qi roared and attacked.
"Rumble!"
Thunder spread, and an extreme pressure descended. Lan Qi Zhenren released his domain, solely enveloping Xu Mu.
Instantly, the bones in Xu Mu's chest trembled violently, bending, and his heart felt as if it would shatter. The ubiquitous thunderous elements in the space condensed into the shape of a fierce Qilin beast, poised to swallow him whole.
Bixu Zhenren remained silent.
He had given Lan Qi and others a chance to investigate, but he hadn't expected them to actually find out, and for Xu Mu to have injured Lan Yu. Thus, he had no reason to stop Lan Qi.
As for the elders on Zuo Mingqiu's side, they could only watch helplessly as Lan Qi attacked. They didn't want to see Zuo Mingqiu's protected person die, but to intervene now would be akin to instigating a civil war. They could not bear such responsibility nor wish to be branded as sinners.
At this moment, the Wine Immortal, hidden amongst the crowd, quietly extended a finger.
But before he could act, Lan Qi's domain was suddenly covered by another solemn and majestic domain. The pervasive thunderous elements and Qilin phantoms were bound in place by fierce, black-grey Great Daos, unable to move an inch.
"Stop!"
"Boom!"
A tall, imposing man in a light gray Taoist robe, with a stern face, descended into the arena, landing between Xu Mu and Lan Qi Zhenren.
"Taiwu Daoist!"
People cried out in astonishment upon seeing the man, for he was none other than the Peak Master of Luosha Peak, the Hall Master of the Enforcement Hall of Tianshi Mountain, Taiwu Daoist.
This man was privately called the King of Hell by the disciples of Tianshi Mountain, a testament to Taiwu Daoist's terrifying presence. In many people's hearts, he held even more authority than the Sect Master or the Heavenly Master.
For the Enforcement Hall could find you at any moment, punishing you with two thousand planks or even taking your life.
Recognizing the newcomer, Lan Qi Zhenren gritted his teeth, stepped forward, and bellowed:
"Taiwu, you who are the Hall Master of the Enforcement Hall, this Xu Mu killed Cao Guang and is now trying to kill my grandson Lan Yu. Why are you stopping me instead of killing him!"
"Greetings, Sect Master." Taiwu Daoist ignored Lan Qi, first turning to bow to Bixu Zhenren with clasped hands, then turning back to address him, "He killed Cao Guang because Cao Guang deserved to die."
"What?" Lan Qi Zhenren faltered, as did everyone else, questioning if they had heard correctly.
Taiwu Zhenren offered no explanation, casually taking a scroll from his sleeve. It was densely filled with small characters, detailing all the wrongdoings of Cao Guang.
"Cao Guang of Biyun Peak, along with Qing Si, Liu Ru Daoist, Elder Qiu Shu, and twenty-six other inner disciples, formed a faction, stole thunder minerals from the Thunder Pool, and sold treasures like the Biyun Peak's Seven-Colored Water Lily to forces outside the mountain."
"Furthermore, Cao Guang of Biyun Peak provided intelligence for the assassination attempt on Daozi Zuo Mingqiu."
"You tell me, did he deserve to be killed?"
As Taiwu Zhenren finished speaking, countless people in the arena were struck with shock. Those he had named, such as Liu Ru Daoist and Qing Si, were successively apprehended by the arriving Enforcement Hall disciples, their faces etched with despair.
Lan Qi Zhenren glanced at Qing Si and the others, cursing them as fools with a grim expression. He then turned back to Taiwu Zhenren and said:
"Cao Guang deserved to die, so what!"
"This brat's identity is unknown. Not only did he injure my grandson, but he also disturbed Zhao Qingdong's cultivation. Should I not kill him!"
Taiwu Zhenren shook his head again and calmly stated, "Whether he should be killed is not for you to decide. I am the Hall Master of the Enforcement Hall."
Lan Qi Zhenren: "You!"
Taiwu Zhenren turned to face the pale-faced Xu Mu, frowning.
"Didn't you say you didn't need my help? Even at this point, why didn't you call my name?"
Xu Mu, clutching his chest, smiled with a pale face.
"I just wanted to see how shameless these people could get. I didn't expect them to be so brazen."
"It was clearly this Lan Yu who provoked me, and now after dealing with the junior, the elder has shown up."
As he spoke, Xu Mu subtly exerted more force, and Lan Yu's head sank deeper into the ground, causing Lan Qi Zhenren's eyes to bulge with fury.
"Get your foul foot off him, quickly!"
Xu Mu did not move. Instead, he looked provocatively at Lan Qi Zhenren and said:
"Do you believe I'll kill him?"
Lan Qi Zhenren roared:
"If you dare kill him, I'll kill you!"
Hearing this, Xu Mu removed his foot and then looked at Taiwu Zhenren and the Sect Master of Tianshi Mountain, smiling and saying:
"You two heard it. It was Lan Qi Zhenren himself who said that if I kill Lan Yu, he will kill me."
"In the future, I ask you both to bear witness, lest Lan Qi Zhenren goes back on his word."
With that, Xu Mu quickly ran to Taiwu Zhenren's side, simultaneously giving a look to the Wine Immortal hidden in the crowd, signaling him to relax.
The Wine Immortal also breathed a sigh of relief upon seeing this.
Excellent, no need to reveal his identity yet, Xu Mu is safe, and their mission to annex Tianshi Mountain can proceed.
"Yu'er!" Lan Qi Zhenren rushed to Lan Yu's side, pulling him from the ground, and then tenderly began to heal him, while glaring fiercely at Xu Mu.
"I ordered him to investigate the case," Taiwu Zhenren said indifferently, meeting Lan Qi's gaze. "In the sleeve of my right hand, there is a scroll concerning Lan Yu. Would you like to see it?"
Upon hearing this, Lan Qi Zhenren's facial muscles twitched.
He knew with his feet that the scroll would detail Lan Yu's past crimes, crimes sufficient to kill him a hundred times over.
Taiwu not presenting it was already a show of respect. If he were to insist on this respect, he would have to let Xu Mu live.
In other words, he could not openly kill Xu Mu.
"Hmph, you all just wait!"
Lan Qi Zhenren picked up Lan Yu and flew away without looking back. His immediate priority was to properly heal Lan Yu and ensure there were no lingering injuries.
His subordinates who had followed Lan Qi, seeing him leave, also understood that it was not advisable to linger. Most of them departed immediately.
However, a considerable number of elders remained, as Zhao Qingdong had not yet left.
"You promised Zuo Mingqiu that if he fought you, you would no longer trouble me," Xu Mu met Zhao Qingdong's gaze for a moment. The sword intent radiating from her was almost overflowing, her eyes bloodshot, clearly eager to kill him.
"If I had known it was you, I should have killed you with a single sword strike back then," Zhao Qingdong said with a calm expression, and slowly dispersed her sword intent.
The next second, from behind her, emerged a young disciple wearing an opulent Taoist robe, wielding a shimmering golden ruler, and wearing a tall headdress. His aura was powerful, at the peak of the third stage.
He looked at Xu Mu and said:
"My name is Mei Chuan, ranked second at Sheng Yang Peak."
"Your business with Senior Sister Zhao cannot end just like this. She failed to break through because of you, so you must pay a price."
Xu Mu heard this and looked at Zhao Qingdong, asking:
"Is this your intention?"
Zhao Qingdong replied calmly:
"If by that you mean to ask them to be more restrained, then yes, that is my intention. Otherwise, you might have been surrounded and killed by now."
Xu Mu was taken aback, then immediately turned to look at the others in the arena. He noticed that at some point, more and more young disciples had gathered from elsewhere, most of them at the third stage, glaring at him with clenched teeth, as if they wanted to tear him to shreds.
Clearly, they were all admirers of Zhao Qingdong.
Xu Mu couldn't help but give a wry smile.
"Alright then, I suppose I should thank you."
Zhao Qingdong remained silent.
The disciple named Mei Chuan frowned and took a step forward, his entire aura pressing down on Xu Mu. He said coldly: "Xu Mu, do you dare to fight me at the Sacrifice to Heaven Assembly, in front of all our peers?"
"The loser is banished from Tianshi Mountain!"
As he said this, the entire place fell silent.
Disciples who recognized Mei Chuan began to whisper amongst themselves.
Li Yuan also regained his senses and quickly transmitted a message to Xu Mu: "Fellow Daoist Xu... Mu, I am unsure how to address you, but that is unimportant."
"You absolutely must not accept Mei Chuan's challenge. His strength is second only to Zhao Qingdong and Zuo Mingqiu. His bone age is twenty-nine, just at the edge of the maximum age for participating in the Sacrifice to Heaven Assembly."
Li Yuan paused, then continued:
"Mei Chuan's talent is already exceptional, and he has cultivated at the third stage for many years. His domain has already taken shape, and he is only one step away from breaking through. Even Zuo Mingqiu and Zhao Qingdong would need considerable effort to defeat him. You absolutely must not agree!"
Li Yuan's face was pale as he warned. Although he had been deceived by Xu Mu, ultimately Xu Mu was someone Zuo Mingqiu had risked his life to protect, and he did not harbor hatred towards Xu Mu because of it.
Mu Yunshu was also concerned. She said:
"Yes, the current situation is very favorable to you. With Taiwu Zhenren protecting you, those people dare not act against you by force. You should directly go to the Hall of Merit and exchange for a cultivation room to go into seclusion."
"Once the Daozi awakens, no one will dare to find trouble with you again!"
Xu Mu nodded slightly and said:
"Thank you both for your good intentions."
"But I do not intend to drag it out that long."
As Xu Mu spoke, he turned to face Mei Chuan, his expression calm, and said:
"I do not accept."
Upon hearing this, Mei Chuan's face darkened, and he was about to say something more when Xu Mu continued:
"There is no need to wait until the Sacrifice to Heaven Assembly."
"Right here."
Xu Mu pointed to the ground beneath his feet, speaking calmly.
...