Though they had always doubted that Zhan Mubai, given his status as a Saint Sovereign, would stoop to such a despicable act, they had to remain cautious; yet now, seeing it actually happen, a wave of extreme fury surged simultaneously through the seven of them!
Zhan Mubai, you truly have gone too far!
The seven sprang up instantly, moving in unison, and as they rushed out of their rooms, they caught sight of a figure, clad in black, moving with unbelievable speed and grace. This figure appeared to be carrying something, but had already slipped out of the rear window of Jun Moxie’s quarters, gliding in a flash onto the ten-foot-high wall several yards away!
Still utterly silent, every movement, however, was fully captured by the eyes of the seven!
This person was tall and slender, and every gesture exuded an air of effortless elegance; this, unmistakably, was Zhan Mubai’s signature style!
With a muffled thud, a Saint Sovereign burst out of Jun Moxie’s room, shouting before even fully appearing, “Old Cao, it’s bad! The person is gone!”
“Brother Zhan, must it be so urgent?” Cao Guofeng’s heart was already bursting with rage. Zhan Mubai’s methods were just too despicable! They had agreed on fair competition, yet he had come in the dead of night to snatch someone! Though his words were delivered with a faint smile, his tone dripped with chilling coldness, clearly indicating his fury had reached its absolute peak!
The shadowy figure seemed to pause momentarily, not turning back in the slightest, nor paying any heed to Cao Guofeng’s words. Realizing his presence had been exposed, the figure suddenly exerted immense force with both feet, shooting off the wall like an arrow!
This leap was executed with full power, with no further attempt at cautious concealment. Due to the sheer velocity, the body friction against the air actually produced a sharp whoosh! Simultaneously, a faint white vapor emanated from the side of the black-clad silhouette, carrying a barely perceptible scent of scorching.
The speed of movement was terrifyingly close to the point of causing combustion through air friction!
Like a black meteor, like an ink-dark lightning bolt, the figure flashed past the wall and vanished without a trace!
“Zhan Mubai! You are utterly shameless!” Cao Guofeng trembled uncontrollably with anger.
He could never have imagined that even after discovering his scheme, Zhan Mubai could still pull off the shameless act of abducting someone and escaping! It was shamelessness taken to the ultimate extreme…
They had truly been careless. They recalled earlier reports that this man disregarded all pretense of honor, resorting to vicious sneak attacks against a junior during questioning—that Jun Mowu, the public enemy of the Three Great Sacred Lands—his conduct was utterly base and shameless. Yet, they had still treated him with a sense of fairness. Truly, they brought this upon themselves!
With a sharp whistle, the seven enraged Saint Sovereigns pushed their powers to the limit and gave chase! Every one of them clenched their teeth and flexed their fists! Had they been out of the martial world for so many years that the Three Great Sacred Lands had become this audacious?!
They dared to snatch someone specifically claimed by our Misty Illusion Palace! And they did it so blatantly and unscrupulously! This was intolerable, a point where even the uncle’s patience would fail when the aunt couldn’t bear it! A situation utterly beyond endurance! If we don’t give you a thousand blossoming peach blossoms, you’ll never know why the flowers are so red!
Watching the figure ahead sprinting desperately, moving with ghostly speed, twisting and turning in hopes of shaking off the pursuers, Cao Guofeng and the others clung close behind. The person ahead was indeed carrying a struggling weight of over a hundred pounds. Despite having the advantage of the initial start, he could not break free. Just as the seven Saint Sovereigns were about to catch up, the figure suddenly let out a hoarse laugh and declared, “Since you are so reluctant to let go, I shall return him to you!”
The figure abruptly stopped, lifted the person he was carrying with his left hand, and with his right palm raised, let out a piercing whistle, bringing it down viciously toward the captive’s skull!
“No!~~~” Cao Guofeng’s heart and soul were shattered. His eyes nearly burst open, and he felt a chilling coldness spread through his body, as if plunged into an ice cellar.
Everything before him seemed to slow down in Cao Guofeng’s vision—watching the hand descend slowly, with a crisp smack, the head of the person he held shattered like a rotten melon under the blow, and blood mist instantly sprayed into the inky night sky…
Then the black-clad figure simply let go. The captive dropped like a wooden log, followed by a kick from the attacker. The lifeless body flailed its limbs as it hurtled toward Cao Guofeng, landing with a wet thud on the ground.
There was no need for investigation; the entire skull was utterly pulverized by that single strike—they were certain that even if the victim had been the Fourteenth Young Master of Nine Nether, survival from such an injury would be impossible.
Let alone a mere youth at the Silver Profound realm?
The seven flying figures instantly froze, struck dumb, nearly plummeting from the air! Staring at the bloody corpse on the ground, they all felt an overwhelming sense of unreality! They had never expected Zhan Mubai to strike so lethally!
“Ah~~~” Cao Guofeng roared to the heavens, his voice like thunder. His eyes instantly turned blood-red, and right there in the air, he violently spewed out a mouthful of heart blood…
The black-clad figure seemed startled, shouting hoarsely, “I said I was giving him back, why didn’t you catch him? Look, you let him fall and die? You can’t blame me for this! Truly, fate plays cruel tricks. Even though you couldn’t have him, now you possess nothing either. Let’s call it even, and there’s no more contention!”
Cao Guofeng landed heavily, bending over and gasping for breath, his eyes fiercely fixed on the black-clad man, his face contorted with explosive rage: “Zhan! Mu! Bai!!”
The black figure maintained his hoarse voice, feigning astonishment, “Sir, I fear you have mistaken me for someone else? I am Jun Mowu; how could I be Zhan Mubai!”
“Jun Mowu is dead, and you killed him yourself!” Cao Guofeng instantly felt dizzy with anger, his body swaying precariously, nearly vomiting more blood. He roared with almost all his remaining strength, “Zhan Mubai, I curse your ancestors~~~”
The black figure became enraged and shouted, “Cao Guofeng, do not push people too far…” In his fury, he seemed to forget to disguise his voice, but the moment the words left his mouth, he instantly realized his mistake, abruptly sealing his lips and falling silent. However, his body shot up, spitting a mouthful of blood toward the sky, as if activating some sort of acceleration secret art, disappearing in the vast night in the blink of an eye with a speed that stunned onlookers…
All seven Saint Sovereigns stood pale-faced!
Cao Guofeng slowly walked toward the corpse that had fallen beneath the wall, nursing a sliver of hope, and nudged it slightly to check. His body shook violently, and he spat out another mouthful of heart blood before collapsing backward toward the sky!
There was no longer any hope: the body was clad only in sleeping undergarments, and the head was completely gone. But judging by the frame, it was indeed a young man.
“Three Great Sacred Lands! Zhan Mubai! I shall be your sworn enemy!” Cao Guofeng gasped, blood hanging from the corner of his mouth, his gaze ferocious, like a madman!
The other six were equally ashen-faced, almost dying from sheer indignation!
Just moments ago, the seven had been enthusiastically discussing how to groom this incredibly likable disciple, anticipating his glorious future—the emergence of the second greatest expert under the Nine Nether Heavens… Who knew that in the blink of an eye, the disciple they were about to invest heavily in had turned into a pile of headless, mangled flesh! Dead beyond any doubt!
This… this was an Ethereal Body! The legendary Ethereal Body! The physique of the Nine Nether’s First Prodigy!!…
The seven turned around without a word, resembling seven dormant volcanoes on the verge of eruption, heading resolutely toward the courtyard where the Reclusive Immortal Palace resided. A perilous aura radiated from each of them!
At this moment, the seven had resolved: even if it cost them all their lives, this insult had to be avenged! Zhan Mubai, you must pay the price!
Zhan Mubai’s feigned, mysterious actions were clear to everyone, and his underlying meaning was even plainer: What I cannot have, neither shall you possess! Better to shatter everything at once and avoid the future crisis for our Three Great Sacred Lands!
Zhan Mubai had done something like this before! Hadn’t he attacked Jun Moxie in the Heavenly Punishment Forest? A man who would shamelessly attack a junior—what kind of filthy deed could he not commit? This incident was virtually identical to that one, sharing the same vile spirit!
But Jun Mowu had clearly declared himself opposed to the Three Great Sacred Lands. Attacking him, while low, could perhaps be rationalized by the outcome. But my disciple is only at the Silver Profound cultivation level now; by the time he grows up, Zhan Mubai’s bones would have long turned to dust. What exactly is he afraid of? Is he intent on eliminating geniuses simply because they don’t belong to the Three Great Sacred Lands?
What kind of absurd logic is that! Moreover, the one he has now murdered is the future hope of our Misty Illusion Palace!
A hope that could rival the legend of the Nine Nether’s First Prodigy for three hundred, five hundred, or even a thousand years!…
If this matter were to reach the Misty Illusion Palace, the outcome would be an unending feud! Zhan Mubai, do you think changing your voice makes us fools?
You treat everyone as simpletons!
With that Saint Sovereign cultivation level and such foul conduct! Looking at the world today, besides you, the Trash Saint Sovereign, who else could commit such despicable, shameless acts? For such base tactics, who else could it be but you?!
Meanwhile, at this very moment, Zhan Mubai, who was hated to the core by the seven Great Saint Sovereigns, finally reached an agreement with the Saint Sovereign experts from the Reclusive Immortal Palace, the Dreamlike Blood Sea, and the Supreme Golden City—the Three Great Sacred Lands. He was the publicly recognized leader of the Reclusive Immortal Palace’s expedition. After offering substantial concessions and promising numerous benefits, the others finally decided: they would fully assist Zhan Mubai in acquiring this disciple!
Zhan Mubai was relieved. Despite the heavy price, he sincerely expressed his gratitude to everyone. With the resolution set, they all returned to their respective rooms, and Zhan Mubai returned to his own, contemplating and pondering deeply. Although he had secured the commitment of all the experts from the three factions, the Misty Illusion Palace side would certainly not let this go easily. He needed to devise a flawless plan to ensure everything went perfectly.
In any case, this disciple possessing the Ethereal Body, I am determined to have him and yield him to no one else!
He mused silently like this until dawn broke. Suddenly, a resentful shout echoed from afar outside: “…Zhan Mubai! I curse your ancestors!” That single cry was so earth-shattering that everyone in the entire Capital City must have heard it.