"This. This." The middle-aged man could only feel a bitter taste rising in his throat, struggling to utter a single coherent word.

He had seen the Ancestor perform the Spirit-Extinguishing Sword Light once before, that time when the Necromancers came to cause trouble. In a fit of rage, the Ancestor broke through his seclusion and, with a single strike, annihilated hundreds of Saint Domain-level Necromancers.

It was on that occasion that the Necromancers were forced to sign an accord with the Tie family, establishing Mount Kula as a demarcation line where neither side would interfere with the other.

Yet, such a formidable technique was currently being held in check by the mere two fingers of the youth before him!

If the Necromancer side possessed such a powerhouse, was it truly the will of Heaven to destroy the Tie family?

"I harbor no hostility; you must be laboring under a misunderstanding!" Chen Feng, still gripping the sword energy, made his explanation again.

This time, the elder did not remain obstinate. Snapping out of his astonishment, he flicked his wrist, recalling his treasured sword. "You weren't sent by the Necromancer faction?"

Chen Feng shook his head. "We were actually heading out to look for the Necromancers; they captured our friend!"

The elder scrutinized Chen Feng once more, taking a long moment before confirming that the youth spoke the truth. Someone capable of effortlessly neutralizing his strongest move, the Spirit-Extinguishing Sword Light, already possessed the power to slaughter the entire Tie family; such a person had no need to lie to him.

"It was my rashness just now; I beg your pardon, esteemed sir!" The elder quickly bowed deeply.

"No matter!" Seeing the misunderstanding cleared, Chen Feng smiled faintly. "What were you saying earlier about the Necromancers? Do you know where they are?"

Judy and Angelica had been injured by the Necromancers. If they could locate their lair, perhaps they could find Long Xiaoqiang and the others.

Instead of answering his question, the elder inquired, "You don't know? Are you perhaps from an outer continent?"

"Yes, we are!" Xiao Hu replied.

"I see," the elder murmured. "Alas, the Frozen Demon Garden is the dominion of magical beasts and Necromancers. We small clans are merely the backdrop! Most of the Necromancers are concentrated on the other side of Mount Kula."

Before the elder could finish speaking, the sound of a horn blast echoed from beyond the city walls, causing his face to change drastically. "They really have arrived!"

Chen Feng extended his spiritual sense outward, surveying the surroundings. Indeed, he saw a mass of people approaching—thousands of them. They were all clad in dusky-gray magic robes, radiating a dense aura of Nether Soul energy that imparted an icy chill deep in the soul.

Following the sound of the horns, the group of Necromancers sped up, reaching the foot of the city wall, and shouted in unison, "People of the Tie family, you have two hours to consider your options! Submit to us, and we shall spare your lives; otherwise, the Undead Legion will raze your settlement!"

"No need to shout! Every hero of the Tie family will never surrender!" The middle-aged man, hearing the threat, immediately roared out.

As the middle-aged man, the Tie family patriarch, gave voice to his defiance, all the clansmen became fired with spirit and roared back in chorus, "The sons and daughters of the Tie family would rather perish than submit and surrender!"

The sound of tens of thousands shouting in unison resonated like muffled thunder, shaking the accumulated snow from the distant trees.

"You refuse a toast only to ask for a forfeit! You brought this upon yourselves!" A figure among the Necromancers sneered fiercely, immediately taking flight and entering the city.

"Hmm? So you found help. No wonder you dare to be so arrogant!" This Necromancer paused upon seeing Chen Feng and the others, speaking coldly.

"We are not his helpers!" Xiao Hu chirped mischievously. "We're just passing through to watch the show!"

"Since you are passing through, please depart. This is a matter between us and the Tie family; please do not interfere!" The Necromancer, recognizing the profound cultivation of Chen Feng and his companions, tried to provoke them verbally.

Chen Feng let out a cold laugh. "I had no intention of interfering originally, but hearing you say that has made me rather interested!"

The Necromancer glanced at Chen Feng but did not respond. He turned back to the elder. "I thought the people of the Tie family knew nothing beyond forging. It seems you are clever enough to borrow others' strength as well. I thought you truly lived up to your legendary reputation, but you are all cowards!"

The elder’s face flushed crimson upon hearing the accusation. Trembling violently, he roared, "Let me first sample the might of the Spirit-Suppressing Armor and the Spirit-Extinguishing Sword!"

With a sweep of his long sword, a torrent of sword energy hundreds of meters wide surged forth again. He unleashed his ultimate killing move right from the start: the Spirit-Extinguishing Sword Light.

The Necromancer had been waiting for this opportunity. He cackled, pointing his bone-like staff into the air, instantly summoning a dense mass of Netherworld Void energy.

This Netherworld Void energy cut through the void like a sharp blade, slamming directly into the Spirit-Extinguishing Sword Light.

The power of the Spirit-Extinguishing Sword Light did indeed have a restraining effect on Netherworld Void energy, but the sheer strength of the void energy projected by the Necromancer was overwhelming. Chen Feng knew the elder would surely be outmatched after just one look.

This was because the Netherworld Void energy contained the divine power of a Necromancer deity. The elder, at the peak of the Saint Domain, facing off against divine power, was guaranteed to be at a disadvantage. "I came here specifically looking for you lot, so don't blame me for making trouble!" Chen Feng decided inwardly. He flicked his finger gently, and the power of the Great Universe shot from his fingertip toward the sky. The movement was subtle; the Great Universe power was veiled and invisible, so no one noticed the strike had been made.

As the Necromancer unleashed his Netherworld Void energy, he sneered, "Hahahaha, I always let you have your way before, but now I'll show you what true power is... wait, what is happening?"

His arrogant words were instantly replaced by surprise. He watched as the dense mass of Netherworld Void energy he had projected into the air began to shrink, as if being absorbed by something. In less than a second, it vanished entirely, completely gone!

Crack-snap!

With the Netherworld Void energy blocking the Spirit-Extinguishing Sword Light neutralized, the elder instantly gained the upper hand, putting more force into his strike. The sword light, like a shimmering bolt of silk, cleaved directly into him!

"Agh..."

The unfortunate Necromancer shrieked. His body convulsed as if electrocuted, emitting a burnt odor. His entire right arm and nearly half his torso were sliced in two by the sword.

However, as long as the Necromancer's vital Nether energy remained intact, true death was impossible. Despite his horrific appearance, he stubbornly remained standing, his face contorted with fury.

"It was you..." He knew Chen Feng must have interfered, pointing his skeletal staff at Chen Feng with sheer terror.

The elder, too, felt that the victory had been surprisingly easy and shifted his gaze toward Chen Feng.

"Me?" Chen Feng smiled, then suddenly extended his right hand. "If I were to truly attack, it would look like this!"

As the words fell, a colossal hand materialized before him, its intricate lines clearly visible. It slapped down toward the Necromancer.

"You... Aaargh..."

The Necromancer screamed as he was slammed into the ground by the giant palm, every bone in his body pulverized.

But he was, after all, a Necromancer. He swiftly circulated his Netherworld Void energy and managed to stand up again, his face now even darker and more hideous.

"Didn't you say you were just passing through and wouldn't get involved?" the Necromancer roared.

"I didn't say that; he did," Chen Feng said innocently, pointing at Xiao Hu.

Hearing such an evasive tactic, the Necromancer felt an urge to vomit blood. He choked it down, then let out a great, eerie roar.

Following his cry, the Necromancers still halted outside the city all roared and flew in, hovering in the sky in a dense formation, each holding a bone-like staff. They stared down at the figures on the ground with grim expressions.

"At my command, kill them all! Leave none alive!" the leading Necromancer bellowed.

Hearing this, the faces of the entire Tie family turned ashen. Thousands of flying Necromancers represented an undeniable threat—they could undoubtedly wipe out the entire settlement! How had the Necromancer faction suddenly amassed so many experts?

"Sons of the Tie family, release your fighting spirit and fight!" The patriarch roared as the situation became critical, his aura surging. Immeasurable, vast fighting spirit erupted from his body.

Although the cultivation levels of the Tie family members were lower than those of the Necromancers, their sheer numbers lent them a certain imposing presence.

Seeing the entire Tie family prepare for battle, the Necromancers hesitated for a moment, refraining from attacking. They quietly watched the wretched Necromancer on the ground, awaiting his orders.

The leading Necromancer noticed that the Tie family was ready to fight to the death but chose not to command an immediate assault from the sky.

The Tie family were innate blacksmiths, creating items not only exquisite but also possessing the uncanny ability to turn the mundane into the marvelous. If the Undead Legion wished to rule the world, having these people forge armor and weapons for the army would be the optimal choice. It was precisely because they valued this unique heritage and skill that they were willing to go to such lengths to subdue them rather than simply slaughter them all. Their objective today was merely to intimidate the Tie family into submission so they could forge weapons and armor for the Undead forces; these unforeseen complications were frustrating.

"It’s all this guy's fault," the Necromancer muttered hatefully, casting a resentful look at Chen Feng before a scheme sparked in his eyes.

"Listen up, people of the Tie family! Our dealings with you are not new. If you kill these three individuals right now, we will forget all grudges, and we can coexist peacefully again. Moreover, we will continuously supply you with rare materials for you to forge whatever you desire. How about it?"

The Necromancer shifted the blame entirely onto Chen Feng and his companions, hoping to instigate a fight between the two parties.

The Tie family members had no prior knowledge of Chen Feng and his group. They had just fought against their ancestor moments ago; the line between friend and foe was blurred. If killing these three outsiders could avert the attack by the Necromancers, it was indeed worth considering.

A moment of profound silence fell over the crowd. Every eye swiveled simultaneously to look at the elder, waiting for him to make a decision.

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