Chapter 688 - 687: Severe Punishment

Chapter 688: Chapter 687: Severe Punishment

Yi Tianyun’s words were even more ruthless. After killing so many people, he was now demanding the lives of two elders! Putting Elder Mei aside, Mei Qingyuan alone was a potential successor to the position of Clan Leader.

Although Mei Yiming had said he could become the Clan Leader, that would be decades, or even a century, from now. However, if his father became Clan Leader, even if he didn’t hold the title himself, his power would be immense.

Now that he had demanded both their lives, everyone’s heart trembled. ’What will Mei Wenshu say?’

"I agree." Mei Wenshu agreed to the demand at once, without much consideration, instantly shocking many of those present.

Mei Qingyuan and Elder Mei’s faces turned deathly pale. ’After all the contributions we’ve made, he’s just going to abandon us? Just like that?’ Without a hint of hesitation, they were utterly cast aside.

"Clan Leader, do you have no regard for our past loyalty? Are we... are we completely worthless now?" Mei Qingyuan’s expression was grim. Though he hadn’t been attacked, he looked even worse than someone who had been severely wounded.

"Do the two of you still not realize who you have provoked?" Mei Wenshu shook his head, a bitter smile on his face.

He had expended so much effort, yet he hadn’t been able to extinguish the Immortal Fire here. This feat alone was enough to make him feel ashamed of his inferiority. Up close, the power was even more terrifying. He had the distinct feeling that a single sword strike would slice him in two.

"I... I..." Elder Mei burst into tears, sick to her stomach with regret, but it was too late. There was no way he would take back his words. Even with the Clan Leader present, it was utterly useless.

The Clan Leader’s willingness to compromise meant that Yi Tianyun was simply impossible to defeat. Either sacrifice two people, or sacrifice the entire Celestial Plum Divine Clan. The choice was as simple as that.

Even a fool knew what to choose. The obvious choice was to sacrifice the two of them, especially since they were the ones who had brought this disaster upon the Celestial Plum Divine Clan!

"I... I want to see the Old Ancestor!" Mei Qingyuan said through gritted teeth.

"There’s no need to see the Old Ancestor. This *is* the Old Ancestor’s answer," Mei Wenshu said calmly.

"Th-this is impossible! My... My father and the Old Ancestor are brothers!" Mei Qingyuan roared. ’This can’t be happening.’ But would Mei Wenshu lie?

Of course not. It was simply that Mei Qingyuan refused to accept reality. So what if they were brothers? Faced with an expert so much stronger than them, how could they refuse? They had to agree, even if it meant carving off their own flesh, unless they were prepared to fight to the bitter end.

"Enough!" Mei Wenshu said, looking at them coldly. "For all these years, I have turned a blind eye to your actions, especially yours!"

Mei Wenshu pointed at Elder Mei and said coldly, "This is all because of your indulgence, Qing Yuan! You let your wife and son become arrogant and unreasonable, thinking they could walk all over everyone! Think carefully! Who is truly responsible for bringing this situation upon the Celestial Plum Palace!"

Elder Mei’s face was ashen, her lips trembling. She was filled with more than just regret, but what good was it now? It was all too late. They had lost so much. Even if this crisis was resolved, the Celestial Plum Divine Clan’s Vitality would be severely damaged. Forget about making a name for themselves in the world; they would be lucky just to survive.

Mei Wenshu didn’t know the whole story, but seeing Shi Xueyun at Yi Tianyun’s side, he could deduce a great deal. A powerful expert wouldn’t come to suppress them for no reason. The moment he saw Shi Xueyun, he understood.

If Shi Xueyun had been treated well here, they could have befriended a powerful expert through her. He had recently heard that Elder Mei was encouraging her son to pursue Shi Xueyun and was even prepared to resort to force.

He hadn’t said anything when he learned of the matter. ’Who could have known that woman had such a terrifying man backing her!’ He had to admit he was partly to blame for this blunder. Who could have possibly imagined that Shi Xueyun had such a terrifying man behind her?

The problem was that instead of trying to remedy the situation, Elder Mei had slandered the man, leading to this terrifying outcome.

"It’s all my fault..." Elder Mei wailed, her sobs hoarse and heart-rending, but it was useless.

An expert’s dignity is inviolable. No amount of apologies could change anything now!

Yi Tianyun walked over step by step with Shi Xueyun, his gaze indifferent as he looked at the two of them. "I said from the start that I wanted to resolve this peacefully, but your attitude has been very disappointing. Enough of this. I don’t want to stay here any longer. The sight of you is just irritating."

With a casual grasp, he seized them and lifted them into the air. Their struggles were useless; they could not break free from his grip. The gap in their power was too vast. How could they possibly resist Yi Tianyun’s strength?

"I... I curse you! May you suffer eternal damnation! When I die, I will become a vengeful spirit and haunt you forever, until the day you die!"

Having been captured, Elder Mei gave up struggling. Instead, she began to laugh maniacally and curse Yi Tianyun.

Mei Qingyuan, on the other hand, was calmer. He simply closed his eyes and said nothing. ’Abandoned by the Old Ancestor, abandoned by the Clan Leader, and married to such a vile woman... what else is there to say?’ He could only accept his fate.

"Curse me to suffer eternal damnation? Become a vengeful spirit and haunt me forever?" Yi Tianyun said calmly. "You’re not the first to say that, and you won’t be the last. Those who commit wrongs are often the most unrepentant."

Then, with a flick of his hand, a spectral image appeared out of the Void. It lunged forward, clawed viciously into Elder Mei’s head, and then yanked back. With a bloodcurdling scream, Elder Mei’s soul was forcibly ripped from her body.

This was one of the Evil Spirit Race’s Martial Arts Ultimate Skills, capable of forcibly extracting an enemy’s soul to facilitate possession. However, it was an incredibly difficult technique that could only be performed when the gap in cultivation levels was immense.

Yi Tianyun was vastly more powerful than her, which was why he was able to rip her soul right out of her body.

"You... what are you doing!?" Elder Mei shrieked. Now that her soul was separated from her body, her senses were far more acute.

In truth, high-level Cultivators could learn to endure almost any kind of attack, but that tolerance was limited to physical damage. One thing, however, was utterly unbearable: harm inflicted upon the soul.

"Didn’t you want to become a vengeful spirit and haunt me? Alright, I’ve separated your soul for you. Let’s see how you become that spirit now," Yi Tianyun sneered. "Instead of acknowledging your mistake, you resort to curses. I was just going to kill you quickly, but it seems you’re determined to seek death. Let me tell you, I have a thousand ways to make you wish you were dead!"

"However, today I’ll give my Aunt face, and I’ll give the Celestial Plum Divine Clan face. Even if it weren’t me here today, if you were allowed to live, something like this would inevitably happen again!"

With a flick of his finger, a wisp of the Immortal Fire ignited at the soles of her soul’s feet. The excruciating pain made her scream incessantly, a hoarse, heart-rending sound that seemed to bore into the very hearts of all who heard it.

Yi Tianyun remained expressionless. It wasn’t that he was cold and merciless—offending him was simply a crime punishable by death!