A Heart Full of Malice Gave Him Nerve

The vast skies over Central Province fell briefly, deathly silent.

It was as though no one had heard Shouchen's challenge, or sensed the surging Daoist aura he was sweeping across all of Central Province.

But in the space of a breath,

without waiting any longer,

Shouchen began calling them out by name.

"Hechu, this affair at the Hanging World Great Wall will decide whether the Myriad Phenomena Sword Sect can return south. What do you have to say?"

He looked toward the Myriad Phenomena Sword Sect.

Yet high in those skies, Hechu Dao Lord gave no response.

And so,

after another brief breath,

Shouchen turned toward the Great Completion Immortal Sect.

"Dunpu, a disciple of your Great Completion Immortal Sect initiated this battle to the death. Have you anything to say?"

Still, deathly silence.

Shouchen then gazed toward the Pure Yang Sword Sect.

"Mingke, you five elders presided over the Golden Crow Heavenly Demon's invasion of the south in Gu Xinian's day. Out of kindness, this old man spared your lives. Today, heavenly portents stir and the Fortune Cloud trembles. Is this how a beast as worthless as dregs repays this old man for saving his life?"

His ringing words fell.

But at that moment,

it seemed that throughout the Five Regions Mountains, above the heavens and below the earth, only Shouchen remained to perform this one-man show.

And so,

within the increasingly indifferent light in Shouchen's eyes, a rare, unmistakable killing intent began to surge wildly.

"Good! Good! Good!"

"None of you will speak! Even when this old man appears, even when I ask you myself, you can show me such disrespect, yet begrudge me so much as half a word of explanation—"

"I never expected it. Truly, I never did."

"This old man secluded himself at the Mountain