Descending the final step, Wang Chen turned back to look at the Azure Cloud Peak towering into the clouds.
The palace halls atop the peak were still majestic, yet in his eyes, they were no more than a pile of rotten wood and crumbling earth.
After a brief verbal clash, without any use of force, the Great Elder of Azure Cloud Palace ultimately yielded and obediently handed over the three great cultivators who had taken part in besieging Wang Chen.
The three great cultivators had all been recovering from their injuries in their respective Cave Mansions. They had never dreamed that the Great Elder would sell them out.
Thus, the killings passed without a ripple, with no accidents whatsoever.
At this point, the grudge between Wang Chen and Azure Cloud Palace had been wiped clean.
After this battle, Azure Cloud Palace had lost more than half of its top combat power. Coupled with the treasures from its secret vault that Wang Chen had taken away, its losses could only be described as shocking to behold.
But what it had lost most was the hearts of its people.
As the saying went, paper could not wrap up fire. Wang Chen had ascended Azure Cloud Palace, and its Great Elder had bowed and scraped before him. How could it ever again bear the prestige and reputation of the greatest palace under heaven?
Sooner or later, Taiji Palace would replace it.
Not long after returning to Taiji Palace, Wang Chen announced another period of secluded cultivation.
In the blink of an eye, another three years passed.
"Academy Head!"
An urgent cry roused Wang Chen from his deepest meditative state.
He opened his eyes. A glimmer of divine light flickered in his pitch-black pupils, then sank into a bottomless abyss.
Counting on his fingers,