Opportunity Knocks Again, the Immortal Assembly Grows Ever More Overbearing

However, his soul, True Essence, and physical body had already completely disintegrated in an instant under the annihilating power of the Thunder Origin.

A hissing sound, a silent annihilation, rang out.

Scarface's entire body, from head to toe, from flesh to soul, was reduced to countless tiny ashes, vanishing into nothingness with the wind.

The remaining three Ninth Tier demonic cultivators who rushed halfway met the same fate.

They were all instantly annihilated, without even the right to scream, leaving not a trace of blood behind.

In just two breaths, the four arrogant and domineering Ninth Tier demonic cultivators, who were poised to deliver a fatal blow, vanished without a trace.

Inside the empty cabin, only four poisoned short blades lay on the ground, along with four scattered pieces of black clothing.

Just as the dust settled, a series of hurried and chaotic footsteps suddenly echoed in the corridor outside the cabin. A large number of people, with an aggressive air, headed straight for the cabin.

Bang!

The cabin door was pushed open forcefully, and a large group of people filed in, instantly filling the entire cabin.

The leader was a middle-aged cultivator dressed in a dark green robe. The fabric was luxurious and the patterns were exquisite. The chest was embroidered with the snow-white crane emblem exclusive to the Mount Tai Immortal Assembly.

He had a dark complexion, a short mustache, and narrow, shrewd eyes that revealed a deep-seated arrogance, domineering nature, and tyranny.

This man was none other than Manager Steward Liu of the Mount Tai Immortal Assembly, who was stationed on this flying merchant ship. He possessed a genuine Peak Stage Tenth Tier cultivation and wielded immense power on the ship, controlling all patrol and law enforcement affairs.

Behind him followed seven or eight powerful Mount Tai Immortal Assembly disciples, each with an arrogant and haughty look in their eyes, their gazes towards Chen Du filled with scrutiny and contempt.

At the back of the line stood two inner sect elders from the Ancient Path Holy Land, their faces troubled and their expressions embarrassed.

The man and woman, both at the Tenth Tier of cultivation, were leading the group to protect the disciples, but now they were helplessly caught between the two major forces.

Steward Liu's gaze swept over the scattered black clothing remnants and poisoned blades on the ground, then coldly locked onto Chen Du, who stood calmly on the spot.

His eyes instantly turned sharp and domineering. "How dare you! The Mount Tai Immortal Assembly's merchant ships have ironclad rules: private fights, murder, and creating karma of killing are strictly prohibited on board!"

"You're just a lowly Eighth Stage junior from the Ancient Path Holy Land who's only just entered the inner sect. Who gave you the audacity to kill people indiscriminately on the Immortal Gathering merchant ship?"

He raised his chin slightly, his posture extremely arrogant, giving Chen Du no chance to explain, and coldly gave orders to the disciples behind him.

"Guards! Seize this lawless and violent scoundrel immediately! Shackle him and take him back to the Immortal Society's branch Law Enforcement Hall for severe interrogation and punishment!"

The disciples of the Immortal Society behind him instantly stepped forward, their eyes arrogant and eager to make a move, displaying an overbearing attitude of bullying others and taking advantage of their power.

Chen Du stood tall and straight, facing the strong pressure from the group of immortals, his expression calm and his tone neither humble nor arrogant as he calmly retorted.

"These people broke into my cabin, intending to assassinate me with poisoned blades. I was merely defending myself and retaliated by killing the assassins. No matter how strict the rules of the Immortal Society are, there is no reason for me to sit idly by and await my death."

Upon hearing this, Steward Liu immediately scoffed, his face full of mockery and arrogance. He didn't believe Chen Du's words at all, and didn't even bother to verify them.

"You think you can just use 'self-defense' to cover up a serious crime like murder? What about the people who tried to assassinate you? You killed them all, leaving no evidence! Without proof, who can verify the truth of your words?"

His gaze grew increasingly sharp as he stared intently at Chen Du, his words filled with strong doubt and even a hint of surprise and apprehension, yet he still exuded an overbearing and domineering aura.

"Furthermore, the opponents were all mature demonic cultivators at the Ninth Tier of cultivation, while you were a new disciple who had just entered the inner sect and only had Eighth Stage cultivation. How could you kill Ninth Tier demonic cultivator in an instant, leaving no trace of his body?"

"Your skills are far beyond what an ordinary inner disciple should possess! I think you're up to no good and are deliberately trying to cause trouble on my Immortal Gathering ship!"

Upon seeing this, a male elder from the Ancient Path Holy Land quickly stepped forward, cupped his hands in a gesture of pleading, and attempted to ease the stalemate with a humble demeanor.

"Steward Liu, please calm down. There must be some misunderstanding. Our sect's disciples are not the type to cause trouble at will."

"If he hadn't been fatally assassinated, he would never have dared to make a move on the Immortal Gathering merchant ship. Could we please investigate the matter thoroughly and find out the truth before making a decision?"

However, this humble plea only earned him an even more hardline attitude from Steward Liu. His expression suddenly darkened, and he unleashed his full power, directly exerting pressure and relying on the strength of the Immortal Society to overwhelm the Ancient Path Holy Land.

"Misunderstanding? The evidence of murder on the ship is irrefutable, how can there be a misunderstanding?"

"What? Does your Ancient Path Holy Land mean that my Mount Tai Immortal Assembly failed in its inspection and wronged your sect's disciples? The person was killed by your sect's disciples, and the incident occurred on my Immortal Society's territory!"

"I'm making this clear today: either you hand this person over voluntarily, and I, the Immortal Society's Law Enforcement Hall, will have full authority to deal with him."

"Either we remember this grudge, and later our Mount Tai Immortal Assembly personally visit the Ancient Path Holy Land and have a proper discussion with your higher-ups!"

He emphasized the last sentence, "Let's have a proper talk," carrying a blatant threat of power, as if he was certain that the Ancient Path Holy Land was unwilling to offend the powerful Mount Tai Immortal Assembly, a force of equal strength, for the sake of an ordinary disciple.

The two elders from the Holy Land looked increasingly grim, caught in a dilemma, completely manipulated by the other side, and unable to advance or retreat.

The atmosphere was extremely tense. All the disciples of the Immortal Society wore expressions of mockery and contempt as they silently watched Chen Du being forcibly convicted with no way out.

Everyone was convinced that this weak Eighth Stage new disciple would inevitably take the blame today and become a victim of the power struggle between the two major forces.

Just as everyone was locked in a stalemate, the atmosphere heavy and tense, Chen Du, who had been quietly observing, suddenly chuckled softly.

The laughter was soft, yet it reached everyone's ears clearly.

Steward Liu frowned, his face full of impatience and arrogance, and said coldly.

"What are you laughing at? You're about to die and you still don't know how to repent?"

Chen Du raised his eyes, his gaze calmly sweeping over the arrogant and haughty Steward Liu, and over the group of conceited Immortal Society disciples, before slowly speaking.

"I laugh at your Mount Tai Immortal Assembly for acting so rashly and domineeringly in charge of patrolling merchant ships, failing to distinguish right from wrong, failing to investigate the truth, and arbitrarily convicting people based solely on your own likes and dislikes. Since the assassin was hired to kill me, he must have left clues, tokens, and traces of his residence."

"They couldn't have boarded the ship out of thin air, nor could they have left no trace. Instead of investigating the remains left at the assassin's residence, you're rushing to convict and arrest me. That's utterly ridiculous."

These words were clear and logical, and every word made sense, instantly freezing the arrogant and domineering expression on Steward Liu's face.

He vaguely sensed something was amiss, but he couldn't let go of his superior attitude, and waved to the disciples behind him with a cold face.

"Go! Quickly search the surrounding cabins thoroughly! See if these assassins left any traces or belongings!"

Several disciples of the Immortal Society received the order and, with arrogant expressions, rushed out of their cabins to search and collect evidence in nearby cabins.

Inside the cabin, the members of the Immortal Society still looked on with disdain, convinced that they couldn't find any evidence and that it was just Chen Du's excuse in his death throes.

They were arrogant, domineering, and condescending; from beginning to end, no one truly took this young man seriously.

Chen Du stood quietly in the cabin, his gaze sweeping over the arrogant Steward Liu.

The arrogance in this person's eyes was almost undisguised; from beginning to end, he maintained a condescending and arbitrary attitude of condemnation.

Looking at the two inner elders of the Ancient Path Holy Land behind him, both of them were at the Tenth Tier of cultivation and were considered prominent figures in the outside world. However, they were now caught in the middle, their brows furrowed and their faces solemn, filled with bitterness and helplessness as they were caught in a dilemma.

On one side are the strict rules of the Mount Tai Immortal Assembly, a top-tier power of the same level, and on the other side are the junior disciples of the sect.

They dared not confront the Immortal Association's leaders directly, nor were they willing to stand by and watch their disciples suffer injustice. They could only stand there helplessly in a stalemate.

Seeing this, Chen Du suddenly chuckled softly, his smile gentle.

Seeing this, Steward Liu's eyebrows furrowed, his eyes filled with arrogance and impatience. He coldly questioned, "What are you laughing at? Even now, you still don't know you're wrong?"

Chen Du spoke calmly and unhurriedly, saying, "I laugh at your Mount Tai Immortal Assembly acting so rashly and arbitrarily as a powerful force, rushing to convict and frame people before even investigating the truth or verifying the evidence."

Steward Liu's expression faltered slightly, and the confident and arrogant look on his face faded a little.

He already knew in his heart that his disciples had secretly reported that they had indeed found a complete hiring token, a communication jade talisman, and a large number of demonic artifacts in the adjacent cabin where the assassins were staying, which was enough to prove that this group of people were indeed assassins who came specifically to kill Chen Du.

With irrefutable evidence in hand, it is clear that Chen Du was attacked in self-defense.

But as the manager of the Mount Tai Immortal Assembly, he was used to his high position, and was known for his domineering and protective nature, as well as his great concern for his reputation. How could he possibly admit his mistake and overturn his judgment in public?

In his eyes, the grievances of an ordinary new disciple of the Ancient Path Holy Land were nothing compared to the majesty of the three-thousand-year-old rules of the Mount Tai Immortal Assembly, and even less compared to the dignity of himself as the dignified manager.

He immediately hardened his heart, forcibly suppressing his hesitation, and still maintained an unyielding and domineering posture, speaking coldly and firmly.

"Even if they really came for you with the intention of assassinating you, so what? Private fights and killings are strictly prohibited on merchant ships. This is an ironclad rule of the Mount Tai Immortal Assembly, and it will never change."

"When others commit evil, it's their crime; but when you kill in public and break the rules, that's your fault. Rules don't consider reasons, only consequences."

He raised his eyes and stared intently at Chen Du, his tone firm and domineering, leaving no room for compromise.

"I'll only ask you two questions: Did you kill the person? Did you break the rules?"

"There's no room for negotiation today. Surrender and come with me back to the Law Enforcement Hall to receive your punishment."

The words landed with a resounding clang, filling the room with the oppressive aura of the Immortal Assembly members.

Just then, the talent panel deep within Chen Du's sea of consciousness suddenly lit up, and lines of golden characters appeared.

[Triggered by Deliberate Revenge. The other party holds a high position and abuses their power, knowingly convicting you despite knowing you are innocent, demonstrating extreme arrogance.]

[Slap in the face successful, Hatred Qi Value increased by 20,000, Super Upgrade triggered, Deliberate Revenge tenfold sublimation effective, sublimated Enmity Qi increased by 200,000.]

Chen Du's eyes flickered slightly, and he instantly understood.

Two hundred thousand units of sublimated Enmity Qi may seem like a lot, but in his eyes, it was still far from enough.

Steward Liu's arrogance at this moment was still limited; he was merely using his power to intimidate others and arbitrarily convict them, but had not yet gone too far in being arrogant and humiliating.

If we were to strike back now and settle scores, we might not be able to fully avenge our opponent's malice and arrogance, and it would be a great pity to lose the Enmity Qi we had already earned.

It would be better to temporarily show weakness and submit to the other party's words, letting them be arrogant and humiliating as they please.

When the other party becomes completely arrogant and conceited, and humiliates him wantonly in front of more disciples of the Immortal Society and even cultivators from other sects.

If they suddenly turn the tables and slap you in the face, the malice and humiliation will be at their peak, and the Enmity Qi they generate will inevitably multiply.

In an instant, Chen Du made up his mind, immediately concealing all the indifference in his eyes, softening his posture, revealing a hint of compromise on his face, and calmly spreading his hands.

"Very well, Steward Liu is right. The rules of the Immortal Gathering are strict and cannot be broken. I shouldn't have committed murder on the ship. I accept the punishment. You may tie me up."

This swift and decisive surrender completely surprised everyone.

Steward Liu had expected this disciple from the Holy Land to argue his case, defend himself, and even use his sect status to maintain a stalemate. He had already prepared more aggressive arguments in his mind.

Unexpectedly, the other party readily admitted defeat without any intention of resisting.

He paused slightly, then sneered, "You're quite sensible, knowing how to assess the situation. If you had insisted on resisting just now, your fate would have been even worse."

Having said that, he raised his hand and waved it, his tone extremely arrogant. "Do it! Lock them up and imprison them in the iron cell in the lower deck!"

Several Mount Tai Immortal Assembly disciples who had been waiting nearby immediately swarmed forward, their expressions contemptuous and their movements rude.

The heavy, spirit-sealing ropes wrapped tightly around Chen Du's limbs and body, binding him completely and rendering him unable to move.

Seeing Chen Du obediently submit, these disciples became even more unscrupulous, pushing, shoving, dragging, and pulling him, their attitude extremely arrogant.

Throughout the entire ordeal, Chen Du remained calm, neither struggling nor offering explanations, allowing them to push and drag him along the corridor to the dark, bottom deck of the merchant ship.

The two elders from the Ancient Path Holy Land watched this scene with expressions of heartache and helplessness, but due to the conflict between the two major forces, they could only grit their teeth and remain silent, powerless to stop it.

The lower deck was dark and damp, with cold and stuffy air. Rows of black iron cells were arranged side by side, specifically used to imprison cultivators who violated regulations, caused trouble, or broke the rules on the shipping route.

Each iron cell is deeply engraved with dense and complex Spirit-Sealing Formation Patterns on its four walls, which can suppress a cultivator's cultivation level and lock the flow of True Essence. Once imprisoned, even ordinary high-level cultivators will have most of their strength suppressed.

The group roughly shoved Chen Du into one of the small iron cells. With a clang, the heavy iron cell door slammed shut and locked, the cold sound of the lock echoing through the dark lower deck.

Steward Liu walked slowly into the cell and looked down at Chen Du, who was trapped inside, through the cold, heavy iron bars. His mockery and contempt were almost overflowing.

With his hands behind his back, he spoke with extreme arrogance and swagger, wantonly belittling and humiliating others.

"I never would have guessed that even an inner disciple of the Ancient Path Holy Land would bow down and submit."

"You disciples of the Holy Land usually look down on everyone when you're out in the world, considering yourselves to be from a prestigious and orthodox lineage, and superior to everyone else. What's wrong? You've lost your confidence when you come to the territory of my Mount Tai Immortal Assembly?"

He leaned slightly forward, his eyes cold and menacing, each word laced with oppression and mockery.

"Today I'll teach you a lesson. Even a powerful dragon can't suppress a local snake. On this Immortal Gathering merchant ship, the rules of my Mount Tai Immortal Assembly are the ultimate principle!"

"If you're a dragon, you must coil up! If you're a tiger, you must lie low!"

"Don't even mention a mere Eighth Stage newly promoted inner disciple like you. Even if Elder Sun, who leads your team, were to personally set foot on my Immortal Gathering route, he would still have to obey my rules!"

The group of Immortal Society disciples following closely behind Steward Liu were now even more unrestrained, laughing out loud.

"So the disciples of the Holy Land are nothing more than bullies who prey on the weak. They were so arrogant when they killed people, but now they're obediently sitting in jail?"

In my opinion, so-called geniuses from prestigious families are nothing but empty names.

One of the younger disciples even spat contemptuously at the cell with a look of utter disdain, his arrogant and vile demeanor reaching its extreme.

The extreme bullying and backstabbing, the utter malice that has fully materialized.

Within his sea of consciousness, the talent panel was refreshed once again.

[Triggered by Deliberate Revenge. The other party is extremely arrogant and humiliating, condescendingly insulting and belittling, their malice reaching its absolute limit.]

[Slap in the face successful, Hatred Qi Value increased by 40,000, Super Upgrade triggered. Deliberate Revenge Tenfold Enhancement activated, gained Enhanced Enmity Qi: 400,000.]

Four hundred thousand units of Enmity Qi were deposited into the account.

Chen Du leaned against the cold, damp prison wall, his eyelids slightly lowered, his face still calm, but in his heart he had already made up his mind.

That's not enough.

That's far from enough.

There are only a handful of people present right now, so the scope of the humiliation is too small, and the other party's arrogance has not yet reached its peak.

He had to endure it.

They endured until the next large dock, until the cultivators of the Immortal Law Enforcement Hall boarded the ship to hand over the prisoners, until the moment when they were publicly escorted, convicted, and tried.

By then, with countless onlookers, the members of the Immortal Assembly, believing they had the situation firmly in their grasp and victory assured, were displaying extreme arrogance and humiliation in their judgment. At that moment, he suddenly turned the tables, crushing everyone's arrogance with a single slap.

At that time, the malice will be overwhelming, the effect of slapping someone in the face will be extremely perfect, and the accumulated Enmity Qi will surely increase several times over.

In the dark and cold iron prison, Chen Du slowly closed his eyes, his aura extremely restrained, looking like an ordinary young disciple who had completely resigned himself to his fate and was filled with fear.

He ignored all the ridicule from the outside world.