What sent Zhuiyang Old Monster into an even greater fury was the sight of the three elders' corpses — especially Grandmaster Shuiyue, whose face had been smashed by Jiang Chen's club, turning her once beautiful features into a bloody mess of flesh and bone.
Zhuiyang Old Monster's heart was dripping blood. If not for the sect's higher-ups being present, he would have seized the bodies and wailed in anguish.
Elder Yinpeng had died even more miserably — practically beaten flat by Jiang Chen's wild club strikes, pounded into a meat paste.
Elder Longlo, by contrast, had been left whole, his body as rigid as an iron statue, weighing well over a thousand jin.
"Old Ancestor, Elder Longlo's death… there's something peculiar about it." Sect Master Zixu spoke cautiously, terrified of further inflaming Zhuiyang Old Monster's towering rage.
Zhuiyang Old Monster did not direct his wrath at others. With a dark expression, he crouched beside Elder Longlo's corpse and examined it for a long while, his gaze cold and piercing. After a full minute, he murmured, "This was done by a Metal-attribute Divine Ability — his physical body was petrified into gold. That little beast not only commands the Dao of Ice and Fire, but his mastery of the Dao of Metal is equally formidable. If this boy is not eliminated, my Purple Sun Sect will never know a day of peace!"
After his fury subsided, Zhuiyang Old Monster eventually calmed himself. He began to deliberate the Purple Sun Sect's counterstrategy.
He was, after all, an old monster of the Origin Realm — he could not allow himself to drown in grief indefinitely.
"Zixu, make arrangements. The Shangyang Kingdom's royal family has been exterminated. A new clan must be installed to govern Shangyang Kingdom. Things must not descend into chaos."
Sect Master Zixu nodded hastily. "I will handle it properly. Please rest assured, Old Ancestor."
Zhuiyang Old Monster's gaze swept coldly across every member of the Purple Sun Sect. "All of you witnessed today's humiliation. Our Purple Sun Sect has dominated the Sixteen Kingdoms Alliance for over a thousand years. This is the greatest crisis we have ever faced, and the greatest disgrace. I want every one of you to sound the alarm in your hearts. You must realize with full gravity that our unchallenged supremacy within the Alliance has been severely shaken — placed in dire jeopardy. If you still wish to stand above the rest of the Sixteen Kingdoms Alliance, if you wish to preserve that superiority, then you had all better pull yourselves together. Remember this humiliation — and let shame forge your courage!"
"Remember: the Purple Sun Sect has not fallen! We are nowhere near the point of surrender! I entered seclusion today and gained new insight. The moment I break through the shackle and ascend to the fourth level of the Origin Realm, that will be the day our Purple Sun Sect marches on the Treasure Tree Sect! And when that day comes, I will make them pay back today's humiliation tenfold!"
The reason Zhuiyang Old Monster had not chosen to fight to the death today was simple — at the third level of the Origin Realm, he had no confidence in taking on three opponents at once.
Without the ability to destroy the other three Origin Realm cultivators, the Purple Sun Sect held no advantage whatsoever.
But once his cultivation broke through to the fourth level of the Origin Realm — entering the Earth Origin Realm — his strength would undergo a dramatic transformation. At that point, even facing three Origin Realm opponents, he would be fully confident of victory.
The Treasure Tree Sect's Old Ancestor Qianye was, after all, only at the third level of the Origin Realm, far from the point of breaking through to the fourth.
As for Ye Chonglou and his mount, they had only just stepped into the Origin Realm.
The moment he, Zhuiyang, broke through to the Earth Origin Realm, he could absolutely crush those two humans and that one beast.
Once he destroyed the opponent's Origin Realm cultivators, the Treasure Tree Sect would be like a tree that had fallen — its monkeys would scatter, and it would surely collapse without a fight.
…
"Old Ancestor, before we head to the Treasure Tree Sect, I need to make a trip back to the Eastern Kingdom to arrange matters and handle the aftermath." Jiang Chen had rescued a group of the Jiang family this time, but he obviously could not bring them along to the Treasure Tree Sect.
Old Ancestor Qianye smiled faintly. "In that case, I shall accompany you."
Ye Chonglou also chuckled. "I'm quite curious — what makes the feng shui of this Eastern Kingdom so extraordinary that it could produce a freak of nature like you?"
The two elders shared a hearty laugh and decided to personally accompany him.
Jiang Chen felt a faint stirring of gratitude in his heart, knowing these two elders were worried about him. They feared that Old Freak Zhuiyang might double back for another attack.
He saw no reason to be coy about it, and smiled. "Having two Origin realm ancestors grace the Eastern Kingdom with their presence — that is the moment when this land's feng shui truly flourishes."
Grand Ancestor Qianye was in excellent spirits. He instructed, "Tianshu, lead the Treasure Tree Sect members back to the sect first. I shall accompany Jiang Chen to the Eastern Kingdom."
Treasur Tree Sect Master Xie Tianshu understood perfectly well by now — Jiang Chen was the sect's greatest treasure, valued even more highly than himself as Sect Master.
After all, Jiang Chen had slain three Purple Sun Sect elders in succession. Even if Xie Tianshu had gone himself, he might not have been able to accomplish the same feat. And even if he could, it certainly wouldn't have been done so effortlessly.
So, wisely enough, he harbored no jealousy toward Jiang Chen and cooperated readily, smiling. "What a pity — such a remarkable place, yet I cannot visit and pay my respects alongside you. Jiang Chen, you won't hold it against me for my neglect, will you?"
Jiang Chen understood that Sect Master Xie was deliberately trying to close the distance between them, and offered a slight smile. "The Sect Master has countless matters to attend to each day, prioritizing the sect's affairs. You have worked hard enough as it is."
After that, Jiang Chen exchanged a few more courteous words with the other higher-ups of the Treasure Tree Sect. Noticing that no one from the Tie family had come, he realized this had been Grand Ancestor Qianye's deliberate arrangement — sparing him the discomfort of an unpleasant encounter.
The group returned to the Eastern Kingdom.
Grand Ancestor Qianye and Ye Chonglou had no particular interest in the Eastern Kingdom itself. They were going for two reasons: first, to protect Jiang Chen, and second, to make a statement.
Both of them could see that Jiang Chen's potential was limitless, and that his future achievements would certainly surpass their own. Moreover, that day would not be far off.
Jiang Chen had no intention of making a grand spectacle of things. He sent the members of the Jiang family back to the Marquis Jianghan residence and instructed Xue Tong to provide them with substantial wealth and resources. He also handed over three medicinal formulas to the Jiang family, tasking them with rebuilding the Apothecary Hall and using its power to restore the Jiang family to prominence.
As for the Eastern Kingdom's royal clan, Jiang Chen had long since drawn a clear line with them. However, he had no objections to Gouyu doing some work on their behalf.
After all, the royal clan's ancestral patriarch had been slain, and the Eastern Kingdom, now lacking a powerful expert to stand guard, would be in a very dangerous position.
At the entrance to an inn in the Royal Capital, Xuan Pangzi — heir to Marquis Jinshan — and Hu Qiuyue — heir to Marquis Huqiu — ran into each other unexpectedly at the door.