"An extermination vendetta? What's going on — what kind of blood feud exists between Chu Feng and Gong Luyun that involves the annihilation of an entire clan?"
"I think I know. I think I know. I heard that over half a year ago, a horrific massacre took place in Purple Gold City. The entire city was slaughtered overnight."
"And Chu Feng's family happened to be in Purple Gold City at the time. They suffered the worst of it — almost every member of the Chu Family was beheaded and their heads hung up for all to see. It's said that inside Purple Gold City, several words were written in blood, claiming that everyone in Purple Gold City died because of Chu Feng."
"I heard about what happened in Purple Gold City, but I didn't know the Chu Family was among the victims. Are those blood-written words real? If so, then the Purple Gold City massacre really was aimed at the Chu Family."
"How could someone as young as Chu Feng have provoked such a powerful enemy? Could the Purple Gold City massacre really have been Gong Luyun's doing?"
The mention of a clan extermination vendetta sent waves of shock through the crowd. Those with quick access to information immediately connected the Purple Gold City bloodbath with Gong Luyun. But making that connection only made things worse — once they did, everyone was alarmed, and all eyes turned toward Gong Luyun with strange, uneasy expressions.
After all, the Purple Gold City massacre had been unspeakably cruel. The entire city's population — old and young, men and women — had been left without a single survivor. The barbarity of it was beyond horrifying. If Gong Luyun truly was responsible, then his ruthlessness was beyond imagination.
"Young friend Chu Feng, you may eat whatever food you please, but you mustn't speak whatever words come to mind. The Purple Gold City incident was investigated thoroughly long ago and was the work of the Five Tiger Stronghold. The Five Tiger Stronghold has already received its just punishment for that matter. The truth came out long ago, and the case is closed. Don't go around accusing innocent people." Seeing Chu Feng publicly pin the blame on his son, Lin Ran's tone grew cold.
"Everyone here knows exactly what the Five Tiger Stronghold is. Without a hired hand ordering it, would they ever have moved against my Chu Family for no reason? And I can tell you all — the person who hired the Five Tiger Stronghold was none other than this Gong Luyun." Chu Feng ignored Lin Ran entirely and addressed the crowd in a loud, ringing voice.
"Absolute nonsense! Do you have any proof for these claims?" Lin Ran was seething with fury at Chu Feng, and at the same time Gong Tianping and the others roared in outrage.
"Proof? I don't need proof. Gong Luyun's life is already in my hands. I can take it whenever I want — what use do I have for proof?" Chu Feng sneered repeatedly, and as he spoke, he tightened his grip on the great blade in his hand.
"You dare?! If you lay another finger on him, I will raze your Azure Dragon Sect to the ground!"
Lin Ran had been pushed past his limit, and the moment those words left his mouth, the entire Qilin Prince Manor army behind him readied for battle. Their collective roar shook heaven and earth, radiating an unstoppable aura — this was the might of a true army of kings.
"You don't think I dare? Then I'll show you right now whether I dare or not!!!"
But Chu Feng simply laughed, and then the golden blade in his hand transformed into a crescent arc of golden light, slashing toward Gong Luyun's neck.
"No…"
Upon seeing this, both Lin Ran and Gong Tianping were horrified. Even Gong Luyun himself, whose lips had been curling with a smile just moments before, now wore a mask of shock, his eyes bulging wide, filled with absolute terror — because in this instant, he truly felt the taste of death.
*Whoosh*
The golden light flashed past. A wet, tearing sound rang out, and a great spray of blood cascaded through the air as Gong Luyun's head flew from his shoulders, severed by Chu Feng for all to see.
*Smack.* After the cut, Chu Feng reached out and snatched Gong Luyun's head from midair, then hurled it toward Lin Ran, who stood outside the arena, roaring: "Here you go!!!"
"Heavens, this…"
"Chu Feng actually killed Gong Luyun! He killed him right in front of Lin Ran!"
"Isn't that a bit too bold? Is he really not afraid of anyone or anything?!"
Chu Feng's action sent a jolt of shock through virtually everyone present. When that blade fell, not only did Gong Luyun feel the pain — nearly everyone's hearts lurched in their chests, stunned by what Chu Feng had done.
If Chu Feng had killed Gong Luyun before Lin Ran issued his threat, it would have been entirely within reason. This was a life-and-death battle, after all, and the victor had every right to execute the defeated.
But once Lin Ran had declared that if Chu Feng so much as touched Gong Luyun again, he would raze the entire Azure Dragon Sect to the ground — everything changed by one hundred and eighty degrees.
What was Lin Ran's status? What was his position, his strength? Before him, the rules of the Azure Dragon Sect meant nothing at all. And yet Chu Feng had trampled on his face without a moment's hesitation.
This was no longer simply a matter of Chu Feng killing Gong Luyun. He had defied Lin Ran's explicit will, slapped him across the face in front of a million onlookers, and made this matter explode beyond all control!!!
"You… you…"
Lin Ran cradled Gong Luyun's head in both hands, staring into those eyes that had not yet closed — eyes that seemed to be looking at him, at their owner's father. His entire body trembled violently as an indescribable fury surged through him.
"Ahhhh~~~~~~~~~~~~" Suddenly, Lin Ran threw his head back and unleashed a heaven-shaking roar that made the very earth tremble. Then he pointed into the arena — at Chu Feng, at everyone — and bellowed in a frigid tone: "I will slaughter everyone here! Not one of you will be left alive!!!!!"
"As you command!" His words had barely fallen when the Qilin army behind him responded with thunderous voices, and under Lin Ran's lead, they surged toward the arena, trailing a terrifying killing intent.
"No way — what's happening?! He's going to kill everyone here? Does that mean we'll be killed too?!"
At that moment, everyone present panicked — not just the members of the Azure Dragon Sect, but even the visitors from other sects wore expressions of horror.
They could all see the depth of Lin Ran's fury. His bloodshot eyes had clearly lost all reason, and the Qilin army behind him obeyed his every command without question. They truly meant to carry out a massacre.
The Qilin army was far too powerful. Setting aside Lin Ran's own cultivation at the eighth level of the Xuan Wu Realm, which alone was enough to wipe out everyone present, the tens of thousands of soldiers behind him were no ordinary troops. The weakest among them were at the fifth level of the Yuan Martial stage, and many had reached the Xuan Wu Realm. This lineup was more than sufficient to raze the Azure Dragon Sect and annihilate every person on the grounds.
"It's over. We're dead. Chu Feng has completely enraged Lin Ran, and we're all going to pay for it."
Countless faces turned ashen as people slumped to the ground in despair. Facing that army of golden-armored soldiers mounted on golden steeds, all they could do was wait for death. Many were so overwhelmed by the Qilin army's oppressive aura that they fainted on the spot, convinced that their lives were over and death was certain.
"The ruler of Qingzhou, yet so callous with human lives — the Qilin Prince Manor is nothing but trash!"
Just then, an aged voice suddenly rang out. From somewhere in the VIP viewing stands, twenty streaks of light shot forth and landed squarely at the arena's entrance, forming a barrier directly in front of the Qilin Prince Manor's tens of thousands of troops.