How arrogant!
Every last person in the Shangyang Kingdom, upon hearing that tone, changed color instantly.
To declare in every breath that the entire royal family would be wiped out—that kind of language left everyone present shaking with fury.
The honor of the Wu clan was the honor of the entire Shangyang Kingdom, and by extension, the honor of the Purple Sun Sect itself.
Yet now this unidentified invader had the audacity to demand that the royal family hand over Wu Hong, threatening that failure to do so would mean the extermination of their entire bloodline!
As the saying went: when the lord is humiliated, the subjects must die for him.
With their royal house under insult, the ministers one and all narrowed their eyes in rage and dropped to their knees.
"Your Majesty, we request permission to fight!"
"Your Majesty, let me take a detachment of the palace guard and deal with this madman!"
It had to be said—the Wu royal clan's grip on the Shangyang Kingdom was extraordinarily tight, and their indoctrination of their subordinates had been remarkably thorough. Even the Four Royal Champions burned with indignation, their will to fight razor-sharp.
King Wu Tan saw this and felt a secret thrill. Such unified passion was exactly what he wanted to see. It proved that the royal family's prestige was intact and that the loyalty of their subjects was unquestionable.
The hearts of the people could be put to use!
Wu Tan mused aloud, "Those who come bearing goodwill do not arrive in such a manner, and those who arrive in such a manner do not bear goodwill. Whoever this person is, daring to surround our royal palace, must be someone of considerable origin. Could it be…"
"Your Majesty, could it be what?" the Four Royal Champions asked in unison.
A strange gleam flickered through Wu Tan's eyes as he turned to Wu Hong. "Hong'er—those Jiang family dogs, have they confessed anything yet?"
Wu Hong shook his head, looking somewhat dejected. "They're all stubborn loyalists. No amount of beating could wring a word out of them. I suspect these people genuinely don't know where Jiang Chen's inheritance came from."
"Jiang Chen?" The Four Royal Champions all started in surprise upon hearing the name.
A flash of astonishment crossed Wu Hong's eyes. "Father—could it be that the one who has come knocking at our door is actually Jiang Chen?"
Wu Tan immediately shook his head. "Impossible! The Unending Spirit Mountain has him sealed. Unless someone from the outside breaks the seal, Jiang Chen—no matter how talented he is—could never have left!"
"Then could it be Jiang Chen's associates? Or perhaps people from the Treasure Tree Sect?" Wu Hong speculated.
"No need to be paranoid. Whoever it is, coming to the Shangyang Kingdom to cause trouble is an insult to the Purple Sun Sect! They will die without fail!" Wu Tan's tone was cold as a blade.
His gaze swept across the Four Royal Champions. "You four—the one out there has offended the majesty of our Shangyang Kingdom. You are the kingdom's champions, and now is the time for you to relieve the royal family's burden and serve the Purple Sun Sect. Are you willing to go out and ascertain the situation?"
The Four Royal Champions exchanged a glance and nodded one after another.
"We are willing to go!"
The fact that all four champions were setting out together instantly bolstered everyone's confidence. All four were Heavenly Spirit Realm warriors of unyielding resolve. Though each was at the seventh level of the Spirit Realm, four seventh-level fighters working in unison would possess fighting strength formidable enough to hold their own against even an eighth-level opponent.
Unless the intruder was truly one of the most powerful figures from the Treasure Tree Sect, coming here to cause trouble was simply laughable!
But the Treasure Tree Sect had always been conservative in nature—where would they find the audacity to run wild on the Purple Sun Sect's territory?
More likely, it was some remnants of Jiang Chen's faction. With the Four Royal Champions personally taking the field, what was there to fear?
Wu Tan laughed heartily. "With the Four Royal Champions personally taking the field, what worry remains? Bring forth the imperial wine—let us toast the champions in advance for their victory."
The Tianchu Champion raised a hand. "Your Majesty, we'll hold the wine for now. Once we've cut down the enemy at the battle line, there will be plenty of time to drink upon our return."
The Four Champions nodded in agreement, then selected a detachment of roughly a hundred warriors—every single one a Spirit Realm fighter—and rode out toward the outer perimeter.
Wu Tan swept his sleeve. "With the Four Royal Champions in the field, I shall personally oversee the battle from behind!"
With the king himself preparing to go out, no one else dared to be remiss. The elite commanders of the palace guard immediately flanked the father and son, their loyalty unwavering.
Beyond the palace walls, a deep trench stretched in a ring—twenty to thirty meters wide and just as deep—encircling the entire palace like a river.
The Four Champions stared at the immense trench, their expressions grave.
Such depth, such width—how had it been carved out without anyone noticing?
Even a peak Spirit King would find it utterly impossible to create such a neat, uniform trench at their leisure.
Could it be that the invader was actually a Yuan Realm ancestor?
In that moment, the Four Champions felt a small twinge of regret for their rashness. If their opponent was truly a Yuan Realm powerhouse, the four of them wouldn't even qualify as appetizers!
But at this point, with so many people watching them, there was no turning back. They had ridden the tiger and could not dismount.
The Tianchu Champion raised an eyebrow and called out into the void. "Divine one—might we ask from where you hail? Do you realize this is the royal palace, a forbidden ground?"
"If you're not involved and don't wish to die—get lost!"
A sharp shout descended from the void. A streak of golden light flashed and shot downward, landing one foot from the Tianchu Champion's toes.
The sheer pressure and speed of it left the Tianchu Champion barely able to perceive how the light had arrived. One moment it was nowhere, and the next it was at his feet. Had the attacker intended to kill, he would already be a corpse.