As soon as one wave subsided, another arose.
A sinister voice, seemingly without source, echoed throughout the space. The mere sound of it made many in the square pale.
Swish! Swish! Swish! Swish!
In an instant, Little Medical Immortal, along with Skyfire Venerable, Ghost Poison Old Monster, and Xiong Zhan, who had been forced onto the platform by Zi Yan, appeared on the stone platform. They firmly protected Chen Guan, their gazes fixed warily on the boundless space.
A whistling, chilling wind swept past, and under everyone's bewildered gaze, a group of more than ten finally emerged.
Without exception, they were all clad in black robes, the hallmark attire of the Soul Palace, standing out against the sky...
As soon as they appeared, everyone in the square felt an inescapable heaviness settle over their hearts, making even raising their heads an immense struggle.
"Be careful, five Dou Zun!"
Skyfire Venerable warned Chen Guan and the others with a grave expression.
He had never encountered such a force, not even now, nor even before his 'fall'.
Even more devastating, even with his six-star Dou Zun strength, he felt a deadly threat from four of the five leading men.
The shorter, black-robed figure at the front, in particular, exuded an abyssal, unfathomable aura that filled him with deep fear.
Chen Guan nodded silently, then turned to look ahead at the three giants of the Dan Tower.
He and the three giants had anticipated Soul Hall's actions today, but they hadn't anticipated their deployment of such a force.
"Haha, to cause trouble for the Dan Tower, they've actually sent four Heavenly Venerables simultaneously. Soul Hall is really going the extra mile."
Seeing the Soul Hall's aura surge, and the three giants simultaneously unleashing their auras to quietly block the invisible pressure, Xuankongzi sneered.
Skyfire Venerable mentioned five Dou Zun, but in the eyes of Xuankongzi and the other two, only four of them were worthy of attention.
As for the other ordinary Dou Zun, who even Skyfire Venerable felt no pressure, they simply ignored him.
Xuankongzi's sarcasm intensified the atmosphere, and several of the Heavenly Venerables were filled with murderous intent. One in particular, a rich blood-red glow emanated from his body, obscuring half the sky.
The Soul Palace Heavenly Venerable, however, remained unfazed. He raised his hand slightly to stop the others behind him, stepped forward, and chuckled, "How can a mere Alchemy Conference be of such importance to our Soul Palace? Xuankongzi, this Heavenly Venerable does not wish to waste time on you. I have only two objectives for entering Holy Alchemy City today."
"Oh?"
"One, to bring back Mu Gu."
"What about the other?"
"I have an interest in your disciple. Bring him back to Soul Palace, and this Heavenly Venerable will train him for you." He
used the gentlest tone, yet delivered the most forceful words.
To him, the three giants of the Dan Tower and the four Dou Zun beside Chen Guan were nothing.
Xuankongzi's pupils shrank, and his smile faded.
"I'd like to know, among the nine Celestial Sovereigns of the Soul Palace, which one is your rank? That you're so confident?"
"Why waste time talking to them? Now that you've entered Shengdan City, don't even think about leaving!"
The hot-tempered Tianleizi couldn't contain himself. He took a step forward, unleashing his aura
, ready to attack. Fortunately, Xuanyi's quick eyes and hands restrained him, preventing a fierce battle.
The leading Celestial Sovereign chuckled and began to introduce himself leisurely, completely unfazed by the tension of being trapped in the enemy camp.
"You may address me as the Three Heavenly Sovereigns. Blood River follows me as the Fourth Heavenly Sovereign. As for the Demon Rain and the Prison Ground, you should be familiar with them. Many of you here have dealt with them, right, Medicine Venerable?"
With this, the Three Heavenly Sovereigns gazed towards a hidden spot at the edge of the square.
Following his gaze, Chen Guan, Little Medical Immortal, and the others realized that Master and Disciple Yaochen, as well as Venerable Feng, had also arrived.
Xuan Kongzi and his companions, however, weren't surprised, as if they'd already anticipated this.
Having been called by the Three Heavenly Venerables, Yao Chen and Feng Zunzhe no longer hid. With a flash of their figures, they reappeared beside the three giants.
"Four Heavenly Venerables together—a formidable lineup, but expecting us to compromise based on this isn't quite a bit arrogant?"
Yao Chen took over, voicing everyone's thoughts.
On the surface, at least, Danta's side—the three giants, the Great Elder, Yao Chen, Feng Xian, and the four beside Chen Guan—totaled a full ten Dou Zun powerhouses!
Meanwhile, Soul Hall had only half as many.
With such a numerical disparity, the power of the discussion should surely be reversed.
Upon hearing this, the Three Heavenly Venerables merely scoffed.
Immediately, an unparalleled, terrifying aura emanated from their bodies.
In an instant, even the three Danta giants' faces changed drastically, their expressions shattered.
A Semi-Saint powerhouse!!!
"Xuan Kongzi, you three are only one step away from becoming a Semi-Saint. You should be aware of the gap. This Celestial Venerable does not wish to engage in a violent conflict today, lest lives be lost. I urge you to understand the situation and not even think of calling in those old men behind the scenes. You have the Small Dan Tower, while I, Soul Palace, have the Second Celestial Venerable, the Great Celestial Venerable, and the Palace Master watching over this place."
A threat!
A naked threat!
If a Semi-Saint-level battle truly broke out, given the Soul Palace's nature, they would certainly not shy away from
the crowd. Regardless of the outcome, Shengdan City and the hundreds of thousands of people below, including tens of thousands of alchemists, would inevitably suffer and be destroyed.
Danta would absolutely not accept such a consequence.
As for the threat of mobilization, as the Three Heavenly Venerables said, Soul Palace was not afraid at all.
Therefore, in this situation, Danta was undoubtedly in a completely passive position.
Xuan Kongzi and the others' faces were grimacing. From the moment the Soul Palace group quietly entered Shengdan City, they had already lost.
Under the watchful eyes of the crowd, Xuan Kongzi gritted his teeth and finally made the "humiliating" decision.
"I can give you Mu Gu, but don't even think about taking Chen Guan away! The worst that can happen is destruction!!"
His eyes flushed, Xuan Kongzi's aura exploded, revealing the aura of a peak Ninth Transformation Dou Zun.
Like him, Tian Lei Zi and Xuan Yi also unleashed their auras, ready to strike at any moment.
Little Medical Immortal, Skyfire Venerable, and the others remained silent, each taking a step forward as their best response.
While the Semi-Saints were formidable, the combined might of the three Danta giants might be able to hold them off.
Without him, the remaining three Heavenly Venerables, along with the unknown Dou Zun, would each face a foe many times their own, and even if they ultimately triumphed, it would be at a heavy price!
Sensing the resolve of the crowd, the Three Heavenly Venerables fell silent beneath their black robes.
While the main reason for mobilizing so many forces today was, of course, to recover Mu Gu. Mu Gu was not only an eighth-grade alchemist favored by the lord, but also held within him a vital treasure.
But beyond Mu Gu, he also wanted to seize the opportunity to gain additional benefits.
Danta's strength is undeniable. Despite the Soul Palace's overwhelming strength today, the Three Heavenly Venerables are usually wary of them.
This was largely due to the hundreds of thousands of spectators in the square.
This particular scene is home to nearly 80% to 90% of the Dou Qi Continent's high-ranking alchemists. A loss would be devastating not only to Danta, but to the entire alchemy community.
Too much apprehension!
For the Three Heavenly Venerables, this golden opportunity only comes once every thirty years!
If they miss this opportunity, it will be difficult to deter Danta from taking such action again.
But if they truly launched a war without regard for the consequences...
Losses and injuries would be minor, but what if it affected the Palace Master's grand plan?
As the Three Heavenly Venerables fell silent, tension grew in the arena, the heavy pressure suffocating.
Unable to make up their minds, yet unwilling to withdraw before it was too late and lose face, the Three Heavenly Venerables felt a dilemma.
Was this really going to end badly?
"Alright! This Celestial Venerable will grant you a favor today, but Chen Guan may not take it. The elixir he refined must be handed over to my Soul Palace!"
When one plan failed, the Three Heavenly Venerables came up with another.
Even he couldn't help but be tempted by a top-grade elixir with eight-colored elixir .
If he could even get it, it would be worth coming today.
Unfortunately, everyone present was a thousand-year-old fox, and his little trick was clearly visible to everyone.
Eyes turned to Chen Guan, the real target, but his expression was not pleasant.
With the Three Heavenly Venerables targeting the elixir, Chen Guan seemed unable to suppress his frustration and sneered in refusal.
"My elixir is for human consumption, not for a rat from the Soul Palace!"
Although he couldn't see the Three Heavenly Venerable's expression, he could sense the murderous intent surging in his eyes.
"How dare you!"
With that, the Three Heavenly Venerables extended their hand, and an endless blood-red gale gathered in his palm, suddenly aiming at Chen Guan.
The gale ripped through everything, crumbling layer upon layer. Any spiritual force detected within was strangled to nothingness. Wherever it passed, a trail of space remained unhealed, carrying an aura of annihilation as it assaulted Chen Guan.
It was clear that the Three Heavens Venerables intended to surprise and eliminate Chen Guan before the others could react!
Unfortunately, Xuan Kongzi and the others hadn't let up, reacting the moment the Three Heavens Venerables struck.
"Third son, how dare you!"
Tian Leizi roared, stepping in front of Chen Guan and the others. His massive iron fist, surging with fighting spirit, met the blood-red gale with a powerful blow. BANG
!
A thunderous explosion echoed throughout the air, and the radiant energy ripped space into a sea of cracks, demonstrating the sheer danger of this seemingly unassuming blow.
Tian Leizi stared at his fist in astonishment, an absurd thought rising uncontrollably within him. "
I've actually taken a blow from a legendary semi-saint!"
Xuan Kongzi and Xuan Yi, who had rushed to his side, were equally baffled, but now was clearly not the time to pursue the matter.
"Soul Palace, do you wish to wage an all-out war with Danta?"
"Haha, don't be nervous. This Celestial Venerable was only joking,"
the Three Heavenly Venerables chuckled in response, their gaze scanning the void with a hint of fear.
Xuan Kongzi snorted, unwilling to speak further. He formed hand seals, and his Dou Qi transformed into a thread that reached into Danta.
A moment later, it retracted, binding a figure.
"Take your men and get out of Shengdan City!"
With a flick of the thread, Elder Mu Gu flew towards the Three Heavenly Venerables, visibly shaken and terrified.
The Three Heavenly Venerables, with a slight sternness, raised their hands to catch Mu Gu. His spiritual power probed him, sensing the scorching heat within him that even he feared, and finally felt relieved.
"Haha, it's a pleasure working together. Farewell!"
Mission accomplished, the Three Heavenly Venerables did not linger. With a hearty laugh, they led their group into a silent trance.
Watching them depart, the scene was eerily quiet. The hundreds of thousands of spectators in the square dared not utter a single sound.
Gazes fixed upon the three giants. After a long pause, Xuan Kongzi finally uttered a deep sigh.
"The alchemy conference is over. Everyone, disperse."
With that, he led the group and turned to walk away.
His back was indescribably desolate, as if he had endured a profound humiliation.
However, from the front, one could see that everyone's faces were wearing subtle...
smiles?!
(End of Chapter)