Chapter 207 - 142: The Exasperated Celestial Sword Sect, the Extremely Unlucky Tribulation Cultivator

Chapter 207: Chapter 142: The Exasperated Celestial Sword Sect, the Extremely Unlucky Tribulation Cultivator

"Look, what’s going on over there?"

"Heavens, what is happening?"

Countless Nanling Cultivators looked up all at once, their eyes filled with indescribable shock. Even the myriad imposing figures lying in wait to blockade the perimeter of Nanling were utterly dumbfounded by this unexpected maneuver.

"What in the world are those old fossils doing?"

In the endless void, aged figures slowly materialized, all peering into Nanling. What was unfolding inside completely shattered everyone’s worldview.

Following a single command from Yan Nantian, the overwhelming multitude of young prodigies gathered atop the boundless South Mountain Peak exchanged a unified glance. The next second—

BOOM! BOOM! BOOM!

Every young man and woman clad in white suppressed their auras to the absolute limit as they abruptly shot forth. They soared into the air, spreading out in all directions in a mighty, surging wave.

Countless young cultivators of Nanling scattered to the four winds like a starburst of flying petals, creating an awe-inspiring spectacle. Before long, the entirety of Nanling seemed flooded with white-clad figures. They dispersed like a swarm of locusts, blotting out the sky and dazzling the eyes of all who watched.

It was only when they saw this tidal wave of figures flying out of the Nanling Realm and scattering to the ends of the earth that the countless elder Cultivators lying in wait outside finally reacted.

"Damn it! That boy is trying to leave the Nanling Realm!"

"He’s making a run for it!"

In an instant, realization dawned on everyone, their expressions changing drastically. Nanling’s intention in orchestrating this earth-shattering scene was glaringly obvious.

"They’re trying to smuggle him out!"

"We absolutely cannot let them succeed! Once Jiang Hao disappears from Nanling right under our noses, it will be like a dragon entering the vast ocean. Who knows how many years it would take to find him again?"

"All members of the Celestial Sword Sect, heed my command! Keep a close eye on every prodigy coming out. You must find that vile spawn!"

"Elder, there are too many! There are far too many people; we can’t possibly keep track of them all!"

Countless senior Cultivators of the Celestial Sword Sect smiled bitterly. There were just too many of them—an impossible number. The young prodigies burst forth like floodwaters breaking through a dam, flying in every direction in numbers too vast for the eye to follow.

Furthermore, at the exact moment these youths fled Nanling, aged figures swept across the Peak of the Firmament, using every technique at their disposal to conceal the youths’ auras. Thus, the vast, white-clad army of prodigies appeared completely identical, making it impossible to distinguish one from another.

"Trying to leave? It won’t be that easy!"

Caught off guard, the myriad experts waiting in ambush scrambled into action. They gave chase to any prodigy whose silhouette even vaguely resembled their target.

It was then that the members of the Ye Family finally realized the truth. The endless horde of young prodigies today had all been dressed in matching uniforms—with every young woman disguised as a man—solely to serve as a massive decoy.

"Put this on and take this brocade pouch. Leave with the crowd. With your concealment techniques, coupled with their cover and the experts’ intervention, no one will be able to lock onto you." Watching the countless young generation of Nanling move out like a tidal wave, Yan Nantian handed Jiang Hao an identical outfit and a brocade pouch. He strictly instructed him not to open the pouch until he was completely clear of Nanling, then hurriedly urged him to escape with the flowing tide of people.

After donning the clothes and tucking the pouch safely into his robes, Jiang Hao looked back at the Ye Family. His eyes were filled with endless helplessness and unspeakable emotions. Finally, the young man took a step forward and soared into the sky.

Just then, a voice called out.

"Jiang Hao!" Ye Xiaotian shouted abruptly, his voice urgent. "Brother-in-law, I’m sorry. Xiaotian owes you an apology."

Ye Xiaotian’s outburst instantly moved the entire Ye Clan. Countless youths who had grown up alongside Jiang Hao stepped forward.

"Brother Jiang, you must survive! We will wait for the day you return!"

"Child, call him Uncle Jiang. That is your Uncle Jiang, the great benefactor of our Ye Family."

"Uncle Jiang, take care!"

"Uncle Jiang! Uncle Jiang..."

Many of his childhood friends had already married and started families of their own. They brought their children forward to bid farewell to the young man, as if hoping to express their profound gratitude for everything he had done for the Ye Family.

Though he did not bear the surname Ye, he had given the Ye Family a second chance at rebirth. Though he did not share their bloodline and was merely their son-in-law in name, he had left them with endless peace and cultivation resources. Perhaps in a hundred years, or a thousand, the Ye Family would grow into a world-shaking great clan. And all of it would trace back to a white-clad youth named Jiang Hao.

Hearing the voices echoing behind him, Jiang Hao lingered among the endless stream of soaring prodigies. He looked back at those familiar figures—especially that beautiful silhouette whose eyes held immeasurable reluctance. With this parting, Jiang Hao had no idea when he would return.

He thought, "Perhaps the next time I return, many of them will no longer be around."

Jiang Hao swept his gaze over everyone, particularly noting the aged faces. Having grown up in the Ye Family since childhood, it was impossible to say he felt no affection for these elders. Their last farewell had been marked by Ye Canghai passing away in meditation. With this departure, he wondered how many of the older generation he would never see again.

A faint smile graced his lips. Hesitating no longer, Jiang Hao shot into the sky and merged into the sea of people.

"Wait for the day of my return! On that day, this heaven will no longer bind me, and this earth will let me roam free. These enemies that fill the skies will no longer dictate whether I stay or leave!

"Wait for me—I will be back! And that day will not be too far away!"

His emotional and bold voice echoed at the foot of South Mountain, rippling through the night sky and lingering for a long, long time.