Chapter 500 - 510: Blood for Blood

Yum Tianyang and Tangg Guanzhong’s fearsome reputations weren’t just known in the Celestial Profound Sect; they were renowned throughout the entire Eastern Profound Domain.

Back when the two were still disciples, they had already shown their ruthless edge. They had joined forces to annihilate a small, moderately well-known sect, leaving a sea of blood and no survivors.

So many years had passed. Their temperaments had matured and their cultivation had become unfathomably deep, but their ruthless methods had not diminished in the slightest. Gao Changtian couldn’t help but feel a sense of dread.

Gao Changtian was of the same generation as Yum Tianyang and Tangg Guanzhong. Back then, he had looked up to them, and even now as an Elder, a certain fear lingered in his heart.

Suddenly, a glacial voice rang out.

"What is the meaning of this? Is Elder Yum trying to intimidate us with his reputation?"

The crowd looked in the direction of the voice and saw a middle-aged man wearing a silk headscarf. His expression was stern as he held a teacup and took a light sip.

He was the current Sect Leader of the Three Realms Sect, and he was also Xia Liu’s father.

At this moment, a sharp glint flashed in Xia Qianhe’s eyes. His expression was calm, but everyone could feel the surging killing intent emanating from him.

It was said that when Xia Liu’s body was brought back, Xia Qianhe stayed in the room with his son’s remains for three full days. No one in the entire Three Realms Sect saw him take a single step out of the room.

The pain of an old man losing his son, of the white-haired burying the black-haired, was something few could truly comprehend.

Hua Lie laughed heartily and stood up. "Sect Leader Xia, please don’t misunderstand. We would never use our power to bully others. We have a clear understanding of the entire matter. As for the mistakes our Celestial Profound Sect disciple has made, we will naturally take full responsibility for each one. There will be no evasion, no throwing our weight around. You can rest assured."

"I hope so," Xia Qianhe said with a nod.

Just then, Zhang Zhilin said in a heavy voice, "My disciple—COUGH... COUGH... Wen Qingye said he did not kill your disciples."

Zhang Zhilin coughed violently a few more times, then his tone hardened as he continued, "And I believe him."

Liu Mingliang’s face fell. He said coldly, "By your logic, Peak Master Zhang, are you saying that our old eyes have gone blurry and we saw wrong?"

In any setting, strength was the only thing that truly mattered. Zhang Zhilin’s reputation wasn’t nearly as prominent as Tangg Guanzhong’s or Yum Tianyang’s. In fact, it fell short of even Hua Lie’s, Situ Yun’s, and Qii Yue’s. Everyone believed that the Peak Master of Life Peak was the weakest of them all.

Moreover, the Peak Masters of Life Peak had historically always had the weakest cultivation—this was a commonly acknowledged fact. Naturally, Liu Mingliang wasn’t going to show Zhang Zhilin any courtesy.

When Wu Shuangying heard Zhang Zhilin’s words, her expression also turned cold. She let out a heavy, cold snort, the sound loud enough for all to hear.

"He really loves asking for trouble." Elder Huaa sneered from the side, thinking to herself, ’With your meager abilities, you still insist on acting tough. How laughable.’

Of all the elders from Life Peak, she was the only one who had come. She wanted to see what would ultimately become of this Wen Qingye—whether he would live or die. She was intensely curious about it.

’Honestly, Wen Qingye, you shouldn’t be alive. A painful existence is worse than a clean death,’ Elder Huaa thought.

Seeing this, Ji Hai quickly stepped forward to smooth things over. "I believe we should wait for Wen Qingye to arrive and hear what he has to say before we make a decision. What do you think?"

Wu Shuangying said, "Fine. I’d like to see just how you people from the Celestial Profound Sect protect your own disciples."

Xia Qianhe took a deep breath and stared coldly at Zhang Zhilin. "No matter what, the Three Realms Sect has only one thing to say: a debt of blood must be paid in blood."

"Impossible," Zhang Zhilin said, shaking his head. "Are you aware that Xia Liu was already poisoned with Corpse Condensing Powder before Wen Qingye even struck his Qi Sea Acupoint? That powder was used by someone from the Heaven-Burying Sect... COUGH COUGH COUGH."

Liu Mingliang cut in, "We will deal with the Heaven-Burying Sect ourselves. But the Corpse Condensing Powder poison doesn’t mean my Flowing Cloud Sect couldn’t have cured it! In the end, my sect’s Chen Xi’Er and the other three died at Wen Qingye’s hands. That is beyond question!"

"The poison of the Corpse Condensing Powder... your Flowing Cloud Sect can cure it? Are you certain?" Chuu Qi, who had been silent all this time, spoke up nonchalantly.

Liu Mingliang’s heart skipped a beat. The poison of the Corpse Condensing Powder was incredibly difficult to cure. The Heavenly and Earthly Treasures required couldn’t be gathered in a short time. Saving someone would take a great deal of time to collect the medicinal ingredients. In short, for the Flowing Cloud Sect to cure this poison, it would depend on fate and a great deal of luck.

Liu Mingliang immediately changed the subject, shouting, "Wen Qingye was the one who did the killing! Are you people from the Celestial Profound Sect trying to deny it?"

At the side, Ji Hai watched Liu Mingliang with his calm eyes, a trace of doubt in his heart. ’This matter doesn’t seem to have much to do with Liu Mingliang, so why is he so agitated? He seems to be fanning the flames, which is completely out of character for him.’

Where there’s smoke, there’s fire.

Besides, while Gao Changtian of the Flowing Cloud Sect was also agitated and even grieving, he wasn’t acting as strangely as Liu Mingliang. ’Could it be that this Liu Mingliang...?’

As if he had realized something, a cold glint appeared in Ji Hai’s eyes.

"Of course not! Brother Liu, you must calm down. A life for a life, a debt for a debt. The Celestial Profound Sect will surely give you a proper explanation," Hua Lie chimed in from the side, seemingly trying to mediate but actually fanning the flames.

Zhang Zhilin’s eyes also grew cold. "Disciplining him is a matter for my Celestial Profound Sect. It’s not your place to interfere. Do you really think your two sects can threaten the Celestial Profound Sect?"

Unconsciously, Zhang Zhilin had stopped coughing.

Xia Qianhe also rose slowly to his feet, a chilling killing intent in his eyes. He met Zhang Zhilin’s gaze without a trace of fear. "What’s this, Peak Master Zhang? Are you trying to protect your disciple?"

"And what if I am?" Zhang Zhilin said coldly.

Xia Qianhe stared at Zhang Zhilin without blinking. His voice was hoarse, but it carried an even more intimidating power. "If you fight me in a life-and-death duel, I will drop this matter."

The room erupted.

The atmosphere instantly became charged, thick with the tension of drawn swords and bent bows.

Everyone was stunned. It seemed Xia Qianhe was truly not going to let this go easily.

Worry appeared in the eyes of many from the Celestial Profound Sect. Xia Qianhe was the Sect Leader of the Three Realms Sect, and his strength was famous throughout the Eastern Profound Domain; he was an extremely formidable figure.

Zhang Zhilin, on the other hand, had a hidden ailment and his cultivation hadn’t advanced an inch in years. He was most likely no match for Xia Qianhe. If they fought a duel to the death, he would almost certainly be the one to perish.

Ji Hai’s expression remained unchanged. He said, "Master Xia, you mustn’t be rash."

Gao Changtian of the Flowing Cloud Sect was shaken when he saw this. If Zhang Zhilin was dead set on protecting Wen Qingye, and Xia Qianhe wanted to kill Zhang Zhilin, then having Wen Qingye’s master pay with his life for his beloved disciple’s death was an acceptable outcome.

Seeing the silent Zhang Zhilin, Gao Changtian couldn’t hold back any longer. He stood and said with a frown, "What’s wrong, Peak Master Zhang? Don’t you dare?"

"If someone wants a life-and-death duel, they can fight me!"