Qian Xunji held a sword in one hand and gripped Yu Rongrong's head with the other, his face cold as he walked step by step toward the two kneeling on the ground.
Qian Xunji stopped before Yu Fengzhi.
"Sect Master Yu, it has been a while," Qian Xunji said flatly, his voice devoid of emotion.
Yu Fengzhi raised his head, his face filled with disbelief, his voice hoarse:
"Angel Douluo... Qian Xunji!"
"Oh? So you do recognize me?" Qian Xunji sneered.
Yu Fengzhi's mind was a complete mess. Wasn't Qian Xunji wanted across the continent by Haotian Hall? Hadn't rumors outside claimed that he had long since died from severe injuries? How had he suddenly appeared here, and with strength at such a level?!
Wait!
Yu Fengzhi suddenly realized it. That child called Qian San possessed the Blue Silver Spider martial soul, and Qian Xunji had said he was his son... That meant he carried the bloodline of that hundred-thousand-year Blue Silver Spider Emperor!
Yu Fengzhi did not dare think further. The more one knew, the faster one died. What mattered most now was how to survive. He did not even dare look at Yu Rongrong in Qian Xunji's grasp and lowered his head directly.
"Your Excellency..." Yu Fengzhi said humbly.
"Fengzhi was muddleheaded for a moment and so eager to recruit talent that I offended you. But I truly did not know... that young master was your son. If I had known, how would I have dared come here? Please show mercy, Your Excellency, and spare us this once."
"Oh? Fine."
Qian Xunji agreed readily. Then, he actually closed his eyes and casually swung the super divine artifact, Oath of the Angel, to the side.
Whoosh—
A blinding golden flash streaked past.
"Ah!" Chen Rong, who had been kneeling nearby, let out a heavily suppressed groan. His left arm was severed at the shoulder! Blood instantly gushed out, dyeing the ground red.
At the same time, a distinct fluctuation of Soul Power emanated from the wound on the severed arm. There was clearly a Spirit Bone hidden within it.
Qian Xunji slowly opened his eyes and looked at the severed arm on the ground, pretending to be surprised. "Oh dear, my apologies. My eyes were closed just now, so I had no idea who that hit. I didn't strike any flowers or grass nearby, did I?"
Chen Rong trembled from the pain, yet he did not dare utter a single word of objection. He clenched his teeth and forcibly circulated the Soul Power within him to seal the wound and stop the bleeding. Then he lowered his head, cooperating with Qian Xunji's words in utter humiliation.
"No... Your Excellency is so magnanimous. How could you possibly harm any flowers or grass?"
Seeing this, Yu Fengzhi was miserable beyond words, yet did not dare even breathe too loudly. He hurriedly followed up, saying, "Your Excellency, Fengzhi knows his mistake. Once I return, I will certainly offer the most generous compensation and guarantee Your Excellency's satisfaction!"
Qian Xunji ignored Yu Fengzhi's promise and instead turned toward Dugu Bo, who was hiding in the back.
"Old Poison, the Spirit Bone in that severed arm is yours."
Dugu Bo had been hiding in the back and watching the show. Hearing that, he froze for a moment. This involves me too?
He hurried forward and loudly said, "Thank you for your gift, Senior!"
With that, Dugu Bo waved his hand, and a sweep of Soul Power pulled Chen Rong's severed arm directly into his grasp. After probing it slightly with his Soul Power, his heart immediately burst with joy. The Soul Power fluctuation of this arm bone was incredibly strong. It was a top-grade piece at least fifty thousand years old.
Dugu Bo was delighted. Today, he had not even used a single soul skill. He had merely stood at the side and gotten a high-year Spirit Bone for free. Following this lord really did mean there was meat to eat.
Yu Fengzhi and Chen Rong watched their sect's treasured foundation get taken away just like that. Though furious, they dared not speak and could only lower their heads deeply.
Qian Xunji quietly watched the two men kneeling before him as he began to calculate inwardly.
Should he kill them now?
Killing them outright would certainly be satisfying, but it would bring plenty of trouble afterward. The Seven Treasure Overlord Pagoda Sect was one of the Three Upper Sects, with countless disciples and deep foundations. Even if he killed the sect master and guardian elder, there would always be survivors who escaped to spread the news.
His main task now was to bring people to explore the Surface World. He did not have much time to remain in this world and deal with the aftermath of a major sect. Being watched by people in the shadows, waiting to take revenge, was an irritating feeling.
But letting them go so easily was clearly impossible.
After considering it for a while, Qian Xunji suddenly smiled.
"Sect Master Yu," Qian Xunji said unhurriedly.
"If I remember correctly, our Three Upper Sects have always stood united and supported one another, haven't we?"
Hearing this, Yu Fengzhi thought Qian Xunji intended to invoke old ties. He nodded frantically. "Yes, yes! Your Excellency is absolutely right! The Three Upper Sects stand united. That has always been the rule."
Qian Xunji looked at him, and his tone suddenly sank. "Then where were you when Haotian Hall hunted me down and the Angel Sect was forced to seal its mountain?"
Yu Fengzhi cursed inwardly. United my ass. Who would have dared provoke Haotian Hall back then?
But all he could do was force an awkward smile. "Fengzhi was foolish back then, and my strength was too weak. I was cowardly at the time... It was Fengzhi's fault."
"You truly do become muddleheaded whenever something major happens!" Qian Xunji sneered.
"Forget it. You may escape death, but you will not escape punishment."
"Send word to your sect immediately and have Gu Xin make a trip to Haotian Hall. Tell him to hunt down all the promising talents of Haotian Academy's current generation. Leave those so-called Platinum Generation members alive, but kill everyone else for me. Then bring me their heads."
Upon hearing this condition, Yu Fengzhi's entire body stiffened.
"Th-this..." Cold sweat poured down Yu Fengzhi's face.
"Your Excellency, it is an unspoken rule across the continent that no faction privately assassinates another's young geniuses. If I send someone to kill Haotian Hall's people, that would completely break the rules. Haotian Hall might very well launch an all-out war against us!"
"Rules?" Qian Xunji's gaze instantly turned dangerous.
"You came in the middle of the night today to kidnap my son. Why weren't you following the rules then?"
Qian Xunji's patience had run out. He seized Yu Rongrong and lifted her before Yu Fengzhi.
A ball of golden light lit up in his hand as holy Soul Power pressed directly against the back of Yu Rongrong's head. With the slightest release of Soul Power, Yu Rongrong's head would explode like a watermelon.
"I have no time to listen to your nonsense. Either send the message now, or the three of you will die here together today. I would like to see whether a dead sect master can still concern himself with rules."
Feeling death so close at hand and hearing his daughter's terrified whimpers, Yu Fengzhi's psychological defenses completely collapsed.
"I'll do it, I'll do it! Please show mercy, Your Excellency!"
With trembling hands, Yu Fengzhi pulled a communication gemstone that emitted a strange glow from his storage ring.
He had found this gemstone in an ancient ruin years ago, relying on his martial soul's treasure-seeking ability. It was a pair of Parent-Child Stones, capable of instantly transmitting information no matter how far apart they were. However, the mother stone could only be used five times in total. Two uses had already been spent on testing it, leaving only three chances.
But at this moment, Yu Fengzhi could no longer afford to feel heartache over such a priceless treasure.
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