The Third Elder inwardly felt that what the Sixth Elder had just said was deeply offensive. If the senior expert before them were to harbor murderous intent, everything would truly be over. Against such an overwhelmingly powerful, peerless master, there would be absolutely no means of seeking revenge!

With two sharp snaps, the black-clad, masked figure reappeared abruptly in the exact spot he had previously occupied, as if he had never moved at all. The only change was the appearance of five distinct finger marks on each cheek of the Sixth Elder!

For a Divine Profound realm master like the Sixth Elder, who possessed both strength and status, spiritual humiliation was absolutely far more terrifying than physical torment!

No one detected how this senior expert moved, nor by what means he delivered those heavy slaps to the Sixth Elder’s face! Everything seemed to manifest out of thin air, occurring right before their eyes, impacting this living, breathing man!

Only four words could describe it: Shen Hu Qi Ji! (A display of divine skill!)

Although the Sixth Elder was severely injured and his movements restricted, he was still a figure of the Divine Profound realm! To expect him to passively accept such a stealthy slight, eyes wide open, was simply inconceivable! Even if an expert from the Eight Great Supremes personally attacked, the Sixth Elder might not be able to evade it, but he would at least have time to react. Yet, to these two slaps, the Sixth Elder succumbed entirely without any reaction!

Was this something humanly achievable?!

But the black-clad, masked figure before them accomplished it with every casual gesture.

“My purpose in coming here was to settle this rift, preventing you from taking your anger out on others, which would inadvertently cause harm to people I intended to protect! Yet, you, a junior, dared to speak to this Venerable One with such insolence, blaspheming against my dignity—a transgression that is hard to forgive!”

The black-clad, masked man stated calmly, “However, considering your severe injuries, I shall not be overly harsh and will only administer a small lesson! The reason I struck you twice also holds a deeper meaning. Know this: though the world is vast, there remain many individuals whom even a Divine Profound expert such as yourself cannot afford to offend! I do this so you do not foolishly lose your life in the future without even knowing why! My actions today are rooted in the long-standing connections with Silver City’s previous generations; otherwise, why would I waste breath on a junior like you!”

Hearing the opponent drone on with the rationale that “I hit you twice for your own good,” the Sixth Elder’s eyes suddenly rounded. With a cry, he spat out a mouthful of blood. Overwhelmed by repeated humiliation and acute anger, his internal organs seared, exacerbating his old wounds. He instantly became faint, hovering on the brink of death!

Those two slaps carried no lethal force; they were purely an insult. Suffering a defeat at the hands of such an expert should have been manageable and not resulted in such a critical state; but the Sixth Elder was infuriated by those very words.

Not only were the words profoundly insulting, but they were also eerily familiar!

Earlier, when he had suddenly moved to discipline Jun Mo Xie at the Jun family residence, he had delivered a very similar speech. Now, that very speech was being quoted back at him almost word-for-word! The degree of sarcasm contained within this reversal was enough to drive even an immortal mad…

Upon hearing that sentence, Mu Xuetong, who was nearby, immediately understood: this expert was one hundred percent here to stand up for Jun Mo Xie, not because he feared accidentally harming an innocent person, as he claimed…

After all, in the eyes of experts above the Celestial Profound realm, accidentally injuring or even killing ordinary people was hardly a concern.

However, if this senior expert truly held goodwill toward the Jun family, it would be a monumental advantage for the Jun family, for Wu Yi, and for the Young Miss. It was, truly, a great blessing!

But today was utterly unlucky for the Sixth Elder. First, his sarcastic remarks toward Jun Wu Yi were thrown back at him verbatim by Ying Boke, while he sustained serious injury; then, the domineering words he used to lecture Jun Mo Xie while flaunting his seniority were returned once more by this black-clad, masked man, capped by two inexplicable slaps. Furthermore, he would never have the chance in his lifetime to avenge these two disgraces. It was already remarkable that he hadn't choked to death from anger by now.

“Sixth Brother!” the Third Elder cried out in alarm and rushed over, desperately channeling the pure profound energy of the Divine Profound realm towards him. Simultaneously, he forcefully activated something on the Sixth Elder’s chest. A soft white light instantly erupted from the Sixth Elder's chest, enveloping his upper body. Only then did the Third Elder breathe a sigh of relief and straighten up. He could see clearly: under the strain of extreme anger, the Sixth Elder’s vital energy had collapsed, putting him in a perilous state!

If immediate aid wasn't provided, he might perish before they could return to Sheng Bao Hall.

This was why the Third Elder dared not hesitate to act immediately.

For a Divine Profound master to be literally angered to death—such a demise would be unprecedented in history!

“He won’t die yet!” The black-clad, masked man’s eyes flashed as he observed the soft white light emanating from the Sixth Elder’s chest, swirling like a white mist. A look of ‘as expected’ crossed his face, and he coldly stated, “There is cause and effect; heaven’s cycle ensures retribution. If one is capable of humiliating others, one must be prepared to be humiliated in return! Since there are no experts of peerless standing in Silver City today, this matter ends here. If you are still unconvinced, feel free to gather your masters and welcome our trouble anytime in Snow Wind Silver City! Being in the Jianghu means one is not entirely free, but ultimately, fortune and disaster come from one’s own making!”

“I am unaware of the subsequent events; however, the Great Elder of our Silver City will surely make a decision!” The Third Elder slowly stood up, his eyes tinged with indignation. “Senior, please bestow your name upon us, so we may offer an explanation to Silver City!”

“An explanation? If this Venerable One’s temper hadn't mellowed in recent years, do you think any of you juniors would be leaving here alive?” The black-clad, masked man laughed heartily. Suddenly, his form slowly dissolved before the Third Elder, only to reappear in front of the Sixth Elder. He reached out, seemingly snatching something, and then dissipated like mist…

Immediately afterward, a voice echoed from the ethereal void: “Go back and ask Han Fengxue if he felt any pleasure in forcibly tearing apart a pair of lovers, disregarding his granddaughter’s lifetime happiness? Hahahaha!”

The laughter gradually faded, and the figure had long since vanished. Just then, the boundless night suddenly descended upon the earth, as if, along with the departure of the black-clad, masked man, the last remnants of light in the sky had been taken away.

“Senior, please leave the Xiao Family Soul Sustaining Jade!” the Third Elder shouted urgently, but there was no reply. The mysterious masked black-clad figure had already dissolved into the very fabric of heaven and earth.

As the black-clad man left, he had snatched the jade pendant the Sixth Elder wore around his neck out of thin air! This jade pendant was a treasure that the other two families of Snow Wind Silver City did not possess; for the members of the Xiao family, it was more precious than life itself!

This was a piece of strange, warm jade discovered by the Xiao family ancestor during the collapse of the Snow Mountain. When worn close to the body, even if one’s heart meridian was shattered, this jade would protect the wound and allow for resurrection! For a Xuan cultivator, this was equivalent to an omnipotent protective talisman!

One piece of jade, cut into three segments, was only qualified to be worn by highly positioned members of the Xiao family; the Sixth Elder wore one this time, partly for the sake of Xiao Fengwu, a descendant of the Xiao family, and partly for the Little Princess, Han Yanmeng.

After all, neither of these two individuals could afford the slightest mishap!

Who would have thought that this jade would be snatched away before it even had a chance to perform its intended function?

Who could have imagined that such a peerless expert, capable of manipulating the forces of creation, would stoop to acting like a petty street thug, coveting someone else's possessions…

It was utterly undignified! They had never seen a hermit scholar, possessing such supreme martial arts and speaking with an air of transcendent detachment, whose character turned out to be so base and vile, and whose methods were so low-class!

Utterly contemptible! The Third Elder spat viciously: If it were me, I wouldn't have taken it either!

Little did he know, this black-clad “expert,” had he not sensed the aura of this Soul Sustaining Jade, would have merely plotted revenge for another day, rather than risking such a major exposure by openly soliciting trouble now…

Because if any one of the others present had chosen to act, this “peerless expert” would have immediately been exposed and fled with his tail between his legs—the faster the better, and the farther the better.

The Third Elder was suddenly overwhelmed by a sense of profound bewilderment. Regardless of everything, he was a member of Silver City, and one of its highest echelons, the Third Elder of the Elder Council. Although he didn’t know many details about the past, no matter what had transpired in bygone days, he would remain steadfastly on Silver City’s side! Alas, in the present situation, Ying Boke, one of the Eight Great Supremes, had clearly sided with the Jun family—that, at least, was manageable. While Ying Boke was difficult, he wasn’t necessarily insurmountable.

But this mysterious expert encountered today, judging by his final words, was clearly also inclined toward the Jun family. The strength of this mysterious expert was terrifying—terrifying to a degree that brought despair to the Third Elder. Setting aside other abilities, just the trace-less movement skill displayed earlier was enough to send shivers down one’s spine; it was simply mythical!

The Jun family might have been weak before, but with these two formidable experts backing them, they absolutely could not be underestimated. The intricate and complex relationship between the Jun family and Snow Wind Silver City was a source of immense headache!

As for the Xiao family, they certainly would not permit the rise of the Jun family! The tolerance shown previously was likely because the Jun family was too weak to be worth noticing; another reason was the result of negotiations between the two factions within Silver City. However, precisely because of this matter, a rift appeared in Silver City, which had enjoyed harmony for centuries, for the first time—a rift that persisted and was showing signs of intensifying!

Now that the Jun family had such a sudden opportunity, the Xiao family faction would surely spare no expense to eradicate them! Even if the City Lord firmly forbade it, it wouldn't stop the Great Elder from making that decision!

If the Great Elder acted rashly, provoking only Ying Boke would be one thing. But provoking this mysterious expert—it might bring an insurmountable enmity upon Silver City. In that case…

And this mysterious expert, judging by his actions, appeared to be a ruthless individual who would stop at nothing to achieve his goals. Such characters have always been the most troublesome; if such a shamelessly tenacious individual also possessed power bordering on unmatched throughout the world—

That would be a supremely agonizing problem.

The Third Elder was wracked with worry, letting out a deep sigh.

l; I was rather frustrated yesterday. Among the people who came to offer congratulations, there were a few young lads, about nineteen or twenty, who, while chatting together, suddenly started discussing novels, even mentioning Evil Monarch and Dou Po Yang Shen among other books. Feeling energized, I joined the discussion. A moment later, the youngsters asked me, “You read books too?” I replied, “Yes, I do.” They then asked, “Do you have an account? What’s your ID?” I said, “Of course I do, I’m even a high-level VIP. My name is Feng Ling Tian Xia!” The group exchanged glances for a moment, and then one of the lads stood up, shaking my hand with a restrained air, saying, “A pleasure to meet you, a pleasure indeed. I am Tang Jia San Shao. This fellow on my left is I Eat Tomatoes, and the one on my right is Meng Ru Shen Ji.” Then the three of them burst out laughing, slapping their thighs and backside, laughing until they were helpless… God only knows how I felt at that moment… Utterly speechless, fleeing into tears…g;