"What's the matter? Could it be that you don't wish to join forces with me?"
"Fine, then don't. Even without your Yuwen City, I, Han Ruoxiu, can still destroy that Chu Feng."
When the City Master of Yuwen City hesitated, the Sword King City Master—who was already in a fury—redirected his anger straight at the City Master of Yuwen City.
"Then don't join forces. Does Yuwen City need your Sword King City butting in just to deal with a mere Chu Feng?"
"What do you even think your Sword King City amounts to?"
But just at that moment, an aged voice suddenly rang out within the grand hall.
Boom—
The instant those words left the air, a boundless pressure erupted from within the Sword King City Master's body.
That powerful aura immediately forced pained expressions onto the faces of the Yuwen City crowd—even the City Master of Yuwen City himself could not withstand the Sword King City Master's pressure.
"Your Yuwen City truly has some nerve, speaking to me like that?"
The Sword King City Master swept a vicious gaze across the Yuwen City crowd, killing intent surging in his eyes.
The Yuwen City crowd was terrified at this moment. After all, the Sword King City Master was already in a rage—provoking him now was practically seeking death. It was entirely possible that the Sword King City Master would strike them all down on the spot.
"Who is so insolent as to dare spout such shameless drivel? Apologize to City Master Han at once!"
An elder from within Yuwen City—one who valued his own life above all else—spoke up in a loud voice.
"You want me to apologize to this mere Han Ruoxiu? In the entire Great Thousand Upper Realm, no one dares speak to me like that."
But just at that moment, the aged voice rang out once more. This time, there was a unmistakable hint of anger mixed in.
And almost as soon as that voice sounded, with a sickening pop, that death-fearing elder from Yuwen City had his physical body shattered—he exploded and died on the spot.
"This—?!"
The sudden turn of events caused every person present to freeze, and moments later, the hairs on their arms stood on end.
Even the Sword King City Master felt a vague, creeping sense of unease.
It was only at this moment that they realized the voice had not come from anyone present in the hall.
Moreover, when that person had struck and killed, not even the Sword King City Master had sensed the slightest premonition.
This meant that the person who had acted was very likely even more powerful than the Sword King City Master himself.
It was the City Master of Yuwen City who reacted first.
He dropped to his knees with a thud, performing the three kowtows and nine prostrations, then spoke through a flood of tears and snot:
"Master—it's you, isn't it? You've finally returned! Your disciple has waited for you with such suffering!"
"What?! That's the City Lord's Master?!"
At that moment, the shock was not limited to the Yuwen City crowd.
The Sword King City Master was so frightened that he hurriedly retracted his pressure.
In that moment, he seemed to have forgotten all about his rage over his son's cultivation being crippled and his family's heritage being taken. He stood there pale-faced and perfectly rigid, not daring to even breathe too loudly.
His earlier arrogance had long since dissipated like smoke.
It wasn't that he was cowardly. It was simply that the City Master of Yuwen City had gotten incredibly lucky—he had once taken an extraordinarily great figure as his Master.