As far as Lin Xuan was concerned, Heaven Sword Mountain and the other righteous sects had stooped to any means for profit, committing such inhuman acts.
He had no reason to reason with people like them.
He would simply crush them!
Meanwhile.
Inside Heaven Sword Mountain's great hall, Jiang Feihe, Ou Xingchen, and Qu Hanyun were preparing to divide the spoils when the explosions outside startled them.
"What's going on?" Jiang Feihe demanded angrily.
A disciple hurried in from outside. "This is bad, Sect Master! Someone broke through our mountain-protecting sword formation!"
Hiss~
At those words, Jiang Feihe and the other two drew in a sharp breath.
"The 'Primordial Sword Formation' is an ancient sword formation, and someone actually broke it!"
"Our opponent is so powerful, they could be a Venerable Realm expert!"
"A Venerable? Even an Emperor Realm expert wouldn't be impossible!"
The more they thought about it, the more alarmed they grew. Cold sweat streamed down their foreheads.
"Come on! Let's get out there and see!"
Jiang Feihe led the way, with Ou Xingchen and Qu Hanyun right behind him.
The three reached the sect's plaza and looked up.
A handsome man in white stood at the forefront, suspended in the air.
His face was like that of an immortal descended from the heavens, and his bearing was peerlessly rare. Just one look at him made people want to bow in worship.
"This man must be an unparalleled expert!"
Jiang Feihe and the others felt their hearts sink lower and lower.
But when they followed Lin Xuan's silhouette and looked behind him, they shuddered in shock.
"The Northern Profound Heaven royal family's Jade Carriage!"
This time, Jiang Feihe and the others' legs were truly trembling.
The person who had broken through the mountain-protecting sword formation had come from the Northern Profound Heaven royal family.
What did that mean?
It meant Heaven Sword Mountain was probably facing annihilation!
Wen Yuansong, standing nearby, came to Lin Xuan with fury and hatred written all over his face and shouted,
"Jiang Feihe, Ou Xingchen, Qu Hanyun! You're in the presence of the Emperor Consort of the Northern Profound Heaven. Why aren't you kneeling?!"
His words struck Jiang Feihe and the others like a bolt from the blue.
The five words "Emperor Consort of the Northern Profound Heaven" fell upon everyone's hearts like ten thousand mountains crashing down.
Swish, swish, swish~
In the blink of an eye, not only Jiang Feihe and the other two, but all ten thousand disciples of Heaven Sword Mountain dropped to their knees.
"We pay our respects to the Emperor Consort of the Northern Profound Heaven!"
No one from the lower realm could even imagine how powerful the man of Empress Profound Ice was.
The only thing they knew was that in front of Lin Xuan, all they could do was kneel!
Lin Xuan then brought the five little girls down in front of the great hall.
With Jiang Feihe and the others anxiously leading the way, he took the seat of honor in Heaven Sword Mountain's hall.
As soon as he settled in, Jiang Feihe, Ou Xingchen, and Qu Hanyun fell to their knees with a thud.
"Emperor Consort, we were simply desperate to compete for the Primal Magnetic Sword Embryo. We lost our heads for a moment and committed this outrageous deed!"
Jiang Feihe and the other two hurried to explain.
Lin Xuan had come to Heaven Sword Mountain with Wen Yuansong. Even a fool could see he was here to demand justice on Wen Yuansong's behalf.
If they didn't confess and beg forgiveness, the Emperor Consort might fly into a rage and wipe out Heaven Sword Mountain, Divine Sword Hall, and Azure Lotus Sword Sect in an instant.
Lin Xuan gave a cold laugh. "So you think you can resort to any means and slaughter innocents just to improve and grow stronger?"
He had come for two reasons.
First, to retrieve the Golden Crow Cauldron and refine the Profound Fate Mother-Child Pills, fulfilling his promise to his daughters.
The second reason was just as important.
Jiang Feihe and the others had committed such shameless acts for profit. If people like them were allowed to live, they would surely become a scourge.
Just imagine: even the sect master of a righteous sect like Heaven Sword Mountain could slaughter innocents for profit.
Would there be any way for the people of the world to survive?
Once these sects crossed the line, they would become a great menace to all under heaven.
Lin Xuan wasn't just going to punish them. He also wanted to use this opportunity to teach Xuanzhu and her three sisters a lesson.
No matter when or where, people must never sacrifice their principles for personal gain.
That was the ultimate reason Lin Xuan had brought the little girls with him to Heaven Sword Mountain.
Sure enough, after Lin Xuan said this, Xuanzhu, Xuanxi, Xuanhan, and Xuanyou all nodded.
"Daddy and Mommy said the same thing. If we want to become stronger, we have to learn. We can't steal!"
"Mm-hmm, so we have to be good people."
"Good people, just like Daddy and Mommy."
"Right, right!"
Lin Xuan smiled to himself.
It was true: parents were their children's best teachers.
It seemed this trip tonight had been well worth it!
The little girls' words filled Jiang Feihe and the others with shame, and they bowed their heads low.
"Please, Emperor Consort, forgive us!"
Jiang Feihe and the others had nothing left to say. They could only beg for mercy.
Lin Xuan rose with the little girls and slowly walked toward the doorway. "Don't say that to me. Go say it to Wen Yuansong."
With that, he led the children out.
Jiang Feihe and the others felt their hearts go cold.
The Emperor Consort's words meant he would not forgive them.
Now, only the three of them and Wen Yuansong remained in the great hall.
Did the Emperor Consort intend to let Wen Yuansong take revenge for Medicine God Valley?
At the thought, Jiang Feihe and the others exchanged a glance.
Were they just going to sit here and wait for Wen Yuansong to kill them?
Whoosh~
Just then, a terrifying divine sense, carrying pressure like that of an Ancient Titan, enveloped the entire hall.
Under its oppressive weight, the hair on Jiang Feihe and the others stood on end, and even breathing became difficult.
"The Emperor Consort has released his divine sense to keep watch over us. That means if we so much as move, he'll personally step in!"
"Alas, we're doomed today!"
The three of them sighed in despair.
Meanwhile, Wen Yuansong, who had been waiting impatiently, was like a maddened beast as he circulated his true essence.
"Jiang Feihe, Ou Xingchen, Qu Hanyun, you deserve to die!"
"I'll send you to hell right now!"
Outside the great hall, a gentle breeze stirred.
Lin Xuan stood with the children on the highest stone platform, looking at the huge stele standing in the center of Heaven Sword Mountain's sect plaza.
Four large characters were carved on it.
Sword Qi Endures Forever.
Wen Yuansong's respectful voice came from behind him. "Emperor Consort, the Golden Crow Cauldron has been retrieved."
"Mm." Lin Xuan looked fondly at his four daughters. "My darlings, Daddy will go back and finish refining the pills right away!"
"Yay! Daddy's the best!"
The four little girls beamed with joy.
Before descending from the platform, Lin Xuan sent out a terrifying wave of true essence. He turned his finger into a sword and pointed at the stele.
Bang!
The first character, "sword," exploded into fragments.
Lin Xuan wrote five strokes in the air with his finger, turning them into five sharp beams of Sword Qi that landed on the stele.
Wen Yuansong and the ten thousand disciples of Heaven Sword Mountain looked up together, their gazes trembling.
On the enormous sect stele, a grand and imposing character—"righteousness"—had replaced "sword."
Righteousness Endures Forever!
At those four words, every disciple's breath caught, and they felt a rush of fervent blood surge through their bodies.
"The Emperor Consort is establishing his authority and warning us to uphold justice forever!"
The disciples of Heaven Sword Mountain dropped to their knees again and shouted in unison as they saluted:
"We will follow the Emperor Consort's teaching, even unto death!"
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