"Actually, our Master used to be incredibly beautiful. We once saw a portrait of her from her younger days — she was truly stunning back then, even more beautiful than Senior Qiushui is now."
"But that heartless madman Murong Mintian went and destroyed my Master's beautiful face. Not only that, he used our Grandmaster's forbidden medicine to ensure that her appearance could never be restored."
"In truth, my Master's current face is a false one. Her true appearance was destroyed long ago." At these words, Chunwu broke down into uncontrollable sobs.
In that moment, Chu Feng's fists clenched tight as an indescribable fury surged from the depths of his heart. He seemed to finally understand why the Ethereal Fairy, despite possessing such overwhelming power, had chosen to bear an ordinary face.
Perhaps it was precisely because her beautiful visage had been destroyed that something within her had changed — she had come to feel that possessing a stunning appearance was better replaced by something plain.
"Originally, Murong Mintian had also intended to cripple my Master's cultivation. Fortunately, Grandmaster awakened at that very moment."
"When Grandmaster saw so many disciples slaughtered and even my Master's beautiful face violated, she was consumed by a rage beyond all measure. She subjected Murong Mintian to a cruel and brutal torment — among other things, she used a powerful seal to sever his manhood, dealing permanent damage to his physical body."
"But Murong Mintian ultimately managed to escape through special means. Still, since he had sustained devastating injuries, both my Master and Grandmaster assumed he was beyond saving — that his death was inevitable. So they stopped searching for him."
"Who could have imagined that not only did he survive, but he went on to establish the Immortal Slaying Archipelago, and has lived for this long."
"Normally, even after reaching the sixth-rank Martial Emperor, one couldn't survive for nearly a thousand years. His extraordinary longevity must be thanks to whatever benefits he obtained from the Ethereal Immortal Peak."
"That beast — and now he dares to lead this army to attack the very place that raised and nurtured him! I've never seen such irredeemable scum!" Chunwu's entire body trembled with rage, her fury plain for all to see.
Having heard the full story, Chu Feng's blood boiled with murderous anger. He turned his gaze toward Murong Mintian, his eyes filled with a dense, overwhelming killing intent.
Setting aside everything Murong Mintian had done to the Ethereal Fairy — since he was the true mastermind behind the Immortal Slaying Archipelago, Chu Feng could now deduce that the Heaven Restricting Pill which had bound Zi Ling's natural talent must also have come from his hand.
This man was truly guilty of unforgivable crimes.
"Silence!!!"
"Who gave you permission to flatten the Ethereal Immortal Peak? This is the place that raised me — are you truly prepared to destroy the very place that gave me life?" Yet no one expected that at this very moment, Murong Mintian himself would suddenly speak — not to order the attack, but to reprimand the forces of the Immortal Slaying Archipelago.
The moment those words left his lips, the entire army fell silent. Not a single person dared utter another word — a testament to the tremendous authority this never-before-seen patriarch commanded among the ranks of the Immortal Slaying Archipelago.
"What a fitting name — Immortal Slaying, Immortal Slaying. Those words carry no small significance. It seems you already had today's events in mind when you chose that name."
"Your pretense of coming here to capture Chu Feng is just that — a pretense. Your true purpose is to exact revenge upon my Ethereal Immortal Peak, isn't it?" the Ethereal Fairy asked.
"Senior Sister, why must you put it so unpleasantly? You and I may have our history, but I hold no grudge against the Ethereal Immortal Peak. I told you — this is the place that raised me. I came today to express my gratitude." Murong Mintian wore a thoroughly shameless smile.
"Gratitude requires bringing along an army, does it?" The Ethereal Fairy returned with a mocking smile.
"If I hadn't brought so many, I feared you wouldn't let me in, Senior Sister," Murong Mintian replied.
"Hmph. If I let you in, I'll be the one forced out. I think you haven't come to express gratitude at all — your lifespan is nearly at its end, and you wish to use this Peak's power to prolong your life," the Ethereal Fairy said coldly.
"Heh, Senior Sister is indeed a perceptive woman. Since you already understand so clearly, why bother asking? Now lower the Guardian Grand Array and let us in, and I'll pretend nothing happened."
"If you insist on forcing me to break through the array, then don't blame me for showing no mercy." Murong Mintian's words carried a clear threat.
"Break through the Guardian Grand Array? That depends on whether you have the ability." At that moment, the Ethereal Fairy's expression turned frigid. She closed her eyes tight, and her hands began forming seals at blinding speed before she let out a thunderous shout: "Heavenly Immortal Sword Array — Open!!!"
Swish swish swish swish swish swish.
In an instant, countless golden swords radiating brilliant light erupted from within the Guardian Grand Array. Each blade was over a dozen meters long, brimming with formidable power.
By a rough estimate, there were tens of millions of these golden swords. Slowly rotating like an army of celestial guardians, they sealed the Ethereal Immortal Peak from every direction so tightly that nothing could penetrate. Their combined aura was so overwhelming that it seemed nothing in existence could break through this formation.
"The Heavenly Immortal Sword Array — I've heard Master speak of it, though I never had the chance to see it for myself. Today, I can finally witness it." Murong Niekong's brow furrowed as he gazed upon the formation enveloped by tens of thousands of swords. He had heard just how terrifying this array truly was.
"Ancestor, the Heavenly Immortal Sword Array is incredibly powerful. If we attack by brute force, we may not be able to take it." In truth, everyone present could feel the array's overwhelming might, and Murong Niekong couldn't help but voice his concern.
He sensed that the array's power seemed to exceed that of an ordinary sixth-rank Martial Emperor. A forced assault would be exceedingly difficult.
"Your Ancestor has been a sixth-rank Martial Lord for far longer than a day or two. The reason I never came to this Ethereal Immortal Peak wasn't fear of the Ethereal Fairy — it was this Heavenly Immortal Sword Array."
"The array's power scales with the strength of its controller. The Ethereal Fairy's cultivation may be on par with mine, but as long as she commands this array, I am not her match," Murong Mintian admitted.
"Ancestor, then what do we do? We worked so hard to forge an alliance with the Three Great Demon Tribes, all while risking the Residual Night Demon Sect attacking our headquarters — we can't simply return empty-handed!" Murong Niekong said with deep worry.
Their deployment had essentially mobilized all available forces, leaving only a handful of experts to guard their headquarters. If the Residual Night Demon Sect seized the opportunity to strike, their base might well fall.
"Since that Sect Master died, the Residual Night Demon Sect hasn't been worth worrying about. Now, with my alliance with the Three Great Demon Tribes, destroying them would be child's play! The Eastern Sea has no more room for the Residual Night Demon Sect!!!"
"As for our headquarters — if it truly can't be held, then let it go. The Ethereal Immortal Peak is an ancient relic, the most sacred ground in the entire Eastern Sea. Once we seize it, this place will serve as the new headquarters of our Immortal Slaying Archipelago," Murong Mintian declared.
"But if this Heavenly Immortal Sword Array is so powerful, how are we supposed to break through it?" Murong Niekong asked, unable to see a way forward.