"It has been three days, and there is still no news from the sect..." Lin Langtian stood before the floor-to-ceiling window as an aircraft streaked past the track outside.
The window was crafted from a special material that functioned as a one-way mirror and could even block out ntal energy.
A worried look crossed his face. He turned to Qing Cang, a hint of suspicion in his eyes, and chose his words carefully. "Junior Martial Uncle, did you really throw them out?"
"You don't believe ?" Qing Cang shot him a sidelong glance and let out a few dry coughs. Lin Langtian fell silently speechless.
On the day Qing Cang suffered severe injuries, Lin Langtian had been genuinely worried. However, the man refused to let anyone examine him, rely chugging a few gulps of top-tier recovery potion and leaving it at that.
After sending Wu Feng, Hu Qi, and the others away, he hadn't even touched the recovery potions for the past two days. Even though his complexion was as pale as gold paper, and he spent the whole day coughing dryly with a withered aura...
...Lin Langtian couldn't help but feel suspicious.
He was about the sa age as Qing Cang, and they had shared a close bond in their youth, often venturing out together to gain experience.
Believing he understood the man far better than anyone else, he knew Qing Cang was simply not cut out for sches and trickery.
"Yue'er, Wan Chen, and the others all have Nether Stones on them," Lin Langtian said. "Even if they fell into the void, they could still use the stones to contact the sect. But there hasn't been a single peep from them yet..."
"Are you saying... they might be dead?" Qing Cang's face darkened.
Lin Langtian didn't know what to say. Qing Cang snorted coldly. "To put it bluntly, you still don't believe . Are you suspecting of colluding with the Royal Court?"
Lin Langtian felt even more speechless. "Where did that co from?"
Seeing that Qing Cang was on the verge of anger, Lin Langtian hurriedly changed the subject. "What about Su Chen... How is he, exactly?"
"What, has soone been whispering in your ear too?" Qing Cang frowned.
"I've just heard so criticism." Lin Langtian shook his head. "His talent is sowhat lacking, after all. If he is too old by the ti he advances to a Rank Eight professional, the risks of igniting the Fire of the Morning Star will likely be quite high."
"Furthermore, out of the five enhancing talents, he has already acquired four. Only the Strength path remains. Even if the sect helps him achieve a perfect advancent, it will be difficult for him to improve much."
Watching Qing Cang's expression grow increasingly sour, Lin Langtian quickly clarified, "I'm not the one saying this. Everyone else is."
"Just blindly parroting the crowd. To replace him, Su Chen would have to die. Do you want him dead too?" Qing Cang snorted coldly. Because he had a good relationship with Lin Langtian—which was why he had taken his daughter to the Crimson Thunder Planet—he spoke without holding back. "He is a Star Seed, after all. How can his death be discussed so casually?" Lin Langtian replied, shaking his head.
Qing Cang sneered, his eyes filled with indifference. "Then what is the point of all this talk? They are planting the idea of a replacent into everyone's minds without offering a single solution."
"Once soone finally brings it up, it will spread like wildfire, and any resistance will be vastly reduced."
Regardless of the circumstances, Su Chen was currently the Star Seed of the Qingcang Sect. No one dared to openly call for his death.
All the current discussions were rely gathering montum. If Qing Cang hadn't acted on a whim to pull off this stunt, the rumors would have only grown more severe.
Lin Langtian fell silent. He naturally saw through the sche, but he was surprised by the intensity of Qing Cang's reaction. After all, Su Chen was only...
Before his thoughts could settle, he seed to sense sothing. He abruptly spun around to face the window, a look of shock flashing across his face.
In the distant starry expanse, a pillar of cyan light abruptly erupted.
The phantom of the Ancient Bronze King materialized, its verdigris light illuminating half of the Taiyue Hub.
"That's..." Lin Langtian's expression turned incredibly colorful. Realizing what was happening, he looked at Qing Cang, only to see a cold sneer plastered across the man's face. "They actually dared to make a move..." Qing Cang scoffed.
"Is that... the Ancient Bronze King?"
Over at the Royal Court's garrison within the Taiyue Hub, Ni Chuan completely ignored the no-fly order and soared into the sky. He stared at the bronze giant sitting cross-legged in the distant starry expanse.
"How...?" Ni Chuan muttered to himself. "Didn't he waste all his power? Could the Bronze Sect's reinforcents have brought it?"
"But we haven't even made our move yet. Is there soone else?"
Ni Chuan was completely bewildered. He had rushed as fast as he could to reach the Taiyue Hub, only for the Ancient Bronze King to suddenly appear before he could even lift a finger!
"This is a warning."
A deep, magnetic voice sounded beside him. A man with ticulously slicked-back hair, light stubble on his chin, and refined facial features floated up from below, his gaze locked on the giant figure.
"Your Excellency..." Ni Chuan said hurriedly, his eyes brimming with respect.
He was a Prince of the Royal Court—Prince Zhenyu, a Morning Star-tier professional of esteed status. Despite the man's amiable facade, his ruthless and brutal thods struck fear even into Ni Chuan's heart.
Prince Zhenyu spoke softly, "To reveal this power only after a fight breaks out would be publicly tearing away all face."
"Then..." Ni Chuan hesitated.
"This matter is over," Prince Zhenyu said, shaking his head. "There just wasn't enough ti to react. The Bronze Sect ca fully prepared. There is no point in contesting this anymore."
The Royal Court had reacted quickly upon receiving the news, but ultimately, it was still too rushed.
Moreover, the Bronze Sect's response had been just as swift.
"But..." Ni Chuan gritted his teeth in reluctance. Securing the Crimson Fla Thunder-Answering Exalted One would have been a massive achievent for him.
Prince Zhenyu shook his head. "There is an unspoken rule between the Royal Court and the Five Great Sects. The ergence of a chosen candidate marks the end of the struggle. We were already crossing the line by interfering."
"Furthermore, the Emperor has already issued his invitation, and the Five Great Sects have accepted. It would be unwise to openly burn bridges at such a critical juncture."
Ni Chuan's expression twisted in a brief struggle before helplessness washed over him. Falling silent, he resigned himself to reality. "I understand."
"However, the Ancient Bronze King had already wasted a wisp of his divided power for Su Chen, yet he actually manifested another." Prince Zhenyu pondered for a mont. "That truly surprises ."
Even for soone at the Ancient Bronze King's level, creating a wisp of power capable of existing independently for an extended period ca at a considerable cost.
"Did Su Chen truly withstand the corruption of an Eldritch God's power matching his own tier?" Prince Zhenyu suddenly asked.
Ni Chuan, still trying to adjust his mood, looked taken aback. He nodded and replied, "Yes, I saw it with my own eyes. Although the assessnt seed like child's play, there was no forgery."
"How interesting..." Prince Zhenyu murmured. "Could it be that the Ancient Bronze King intends to rely on him..."
"Hmm?" Ni Chuan couldn't help but look over, his eyes filled with speculation. He asked carefully, "Is there so other special significance to withstanding an Eldritch God's corruption?"
Although the feat had surprised him, he hadn't thought much of it. But judging by Prince Zhenyu's tone, there was sothing highly unusual about it.
"It's nothing. Just a whimsical thought that should be impossible..." Prince Zhenyu chuckled. Security patrol ships began to gather around them, seemingly having spotted the two violators of the no-fly order.
However, after conducting an initial scan, the ships promptly scattered, pretending they had seen absolutely nothing.
Prince Zhenyu spoke indifferently, "Let us go. Since the Ancient King is here in person, we ought to pay our respects."
At the sa ti, the entire Taiyue Hub had noticed the commotion. People everywhere looked up in stunned silence. The more astute among them were already grabbing their families and rushing toward the docking ports.
Within the teorite Zone, figures shot up into the air, staring toward the source of the disturbance with expressions of astonishnt, shock, or sheer horror.
"The Ancient Bronze King?!"
Soone had already recognized the figure. They imdiately linked it to the newly erged Star Seed of the Bronze Sect, seemingly realizing the implications.
Not daring to get too close, they pulled out high-precision long-range visual scanners to observe the situation from afar.
After the phantom of the Ancient Bronze King materialized, it was as if the entire world had fallen deathly silent.
Back on the teorite frozen by the Breath Wind.
Xia Jie looked up, his eyes wide with disbelief. 'This is... this is...'
Wan Chen's expression shifted before settling into a bitter smile. To be personally guarded by a wisp of the Ancient King's power... Not even the other Star Seeds had ever received such treatnt, right?
Lan Hao was too shocked to speak. How was the Ancient King still here? Hadn't his power been entirely exhausted on that desolate planet?
"How is this possible—"
Hu Qi stared upward. Astonishnt, panic, and terror surged in his heart, ultimately twisting into an icy chill that welled up from his chest and spread to his limbs. He began to tremble uncontrollably.
Su Chen was right in front of him, seemingly well within his grasp. Yet, Hu Qi knew with absolute certainty that his opportunity to strike was completely gone.
"Shouldn't his power have been completely depleted by now?" Hu Qi muttered to himself. He hadn't just relied on Qing Cang's words; he had verified the intel through multiple channels and extrapolated based on past experiences to arrive at his absolute certainty.
That desolate planet had been subrged in Nether Mist, after all. To purge all the mist on its surface and ensure it remained untainted for a set period of ti...
A re wisp of the Ancient King's power shouldn't have been able to withstand such massive consumption!
Hu Qi's vision swam with darkness. Even though he was considered a high-ranking official within the Bronze Sect, the situation unfolding before him...
"Such a massive commotion?" Su Chen was equally astonished.
He stared up at the towering bronze giant before glancing at his surroundings. On the nearby teorites, everyone who had noticed the disturbance was fleeing frantically outward. Only after reaching a safe distance did they stop to look back.
A veritable wall of onlookers had ford in the distance, and their numbers were still multiplying.
'If the Royal Court is watching from the shadows, doesn't this expose our position completely?' Su Chen couldn't help but wonder.
Simultaneously, several streaks of energy light rushed toward their location and landed on the teorite. The person leading the group was none other than Wu Feng.
He swept his gaze over the crowd, pausing briefly on Su Chen before noticing Hu Qi, who was standing in front of him, trembling like a leaf.
A look of confusion washed over Wu Feng's face.
Since he had been the closest, he had rushed over the mont he sensed the disturbance. Su Chen and the rest of the group were all present.
Hu Qi seed to have found them first, but sothing had clearly gone wrong.
Just as he opened his mouth to speak, his expression shifted. He turned toward the distant crowd just as two more streaks of energy descended one after the other.
"Martial Uncle Qing Cang, Head Seat Lin," Wu Feng called out respectfully.
Lin Langtian surveyed the scene, imdiately grasping the situation. He cast a highly complicated look at Qing Cang standing in front of him.
'I've heard of parents plotting extensively for their children, and teachers doing the sa for their students. But I've never heard of a senior martial brother going to such lengths for a junior martial brother. Why on earth is Qing Cang so invested in him?'
Qing Cang swept his gaze over Hu Qi's back, a cold sneer forming in his heart. 'It really was him...'
"Master..." Qing Cang called out, shattering the heavy silence. He shifted his gaze toward Hu Qi and demanded coldly, "What is the penalty for attempting to assassinate a Star Seed of the sect?"
Assassinate a Star Seed?
Wu Feng jumped in shock. He stared at Hu Qi, his brows furrowing tightly as disbelief washed over him.
anwhile, Hu Qi's face twitched violently as he finally snapped back to his senses. He scrambled away from Su Chen, pleading frantically, "Ancient King, I beg you to see clearly! I absolutely harbored no such intentions!"
Hu Qi frantically backpedaled. Under no circumstances could he confess to the cri right now.
After all, he had a Morning Star-tier professional backing him. Even the Ancient King would have to consider the political fallout, wouldn't he?
"Still trying to deny it." Qing Cang shook his head, his gaze glacial.
"I..." Hu Qi's face was chalk-white. His gaze suddenly snapped to Xia Jie, and he shouted, "Commander Xia, you tell them! Did I show any signs of attacking? I rely wanted to check if you all were in danger!"
Xia Jie's expression froze. He gritted his teeth and cursed viciously in his heart. 'You bastard! This is a monuntal incident—why drag a lowly escort commander like into it?!'
His expression flickered, and he didn't dare lift his head to et anyone's gaze. As thoughts of his parents, wife, and child flashed through his mind, a painful struggle tore at his heart.
Hu Qi wasn't just Hu Qi. He represented an enormously powerful faction. He...
"I can testify," a voice suddenly rang out from behind Xia Jie.
Su Chen looked over in surprise to see Wan Chen. With a calm expression, Wan Chen stated resolutely, "Supervisor Hu's words and actions reeked of killing intent, and he arrived imdiately after the assassin. If the Ancient King hadn't appeared, I'm afraid we would all be corpses by now."
"I saw it clearly. He was just about to strike, only to be deterred by the Ancient King," Ming Lin added, his voice steady and forceful. He didn't know if his words carried any weight, but he still chose to speak up.
"I can testify too," Lin Yue chid in imdiately after, her voice icy. "This fatty Hu clearly ca here to kill Su Chen, and he fully intended to silence the rest of us as well."
Lin Langtian stared at his daughter in astonishnt, only to catch her winking playfully at him. His heart sank. 'Could it be...?'
Hu Qi's face turned incredibly ugly. 'These little bastards!' Xia Jie might have been intimidated by his authority, but these privileged brats certainly weren't.
These two... Lan Hao glanced left and right. His father's warnings flashed through his mind, causing him to hesitate for a split second.
However, in that brief mont of hesitation, Wu Feng roared in a furious, booming voice, "Hu Qi! What the hell were you trying to do?!"
Not only was he enraged that the sect's rules had been trampled, but he was also furious at being played for a fool. Back when Wu Feng had brought up Su Chen, Hu Qi had put on a righteous, high-sounding facade, yet he had actually been plotting a sinister assassination in the shadows!
He didn't harbor any strong feelings toward Su Chen personally, let alone hatred. He had only been slightly dissatisfied with Su Chen's status as a Chosen One, but that was the extent of it—re dissatisfaction.
After all, the boy was still a mber of the Qingcang Sect. For Hu Qi to do sothing like this was a blatant violation of sect rules!
"Wu Feng. What is the penalty for attempting to assassinate a Star Seed?" the Ancient King's voice echoed through the void.
"Imdiate execution!" Wu Feng replied, his gaze chilling and without a shred of hesitation.
"Ancient King!" Hu Qi shrieked in terror. The mont he raised his head, a blinding green light filled his entire vision.
A pillar of verdigris light plumted from the sky, engulfing Hu Qi completely.
There was no fluctuation of energy, nor was there any sound. When the pillar of light dissipated, only a few wisps of ash remained swirling in the air.
Su Chen's brow twitched in sheer astonishnt. Executed just like that?
The man had been a high-ranking official within the sect. Su Chen had assud that dealing with soone of his status would involve at least so level of bureaucratic wrangling or hesitation.
Su Chen would have even understood if they had decided to spare his life in the end.
Lin Langtian's expression shifted slightly. Before today, almost all the information they had received regarding this matter had been relayed exclusively through Qing Cang.
Legacy Disciple of the Crimson Sun—nobody had truly known how much weight that title held, nor the lengths to which the Ancient King would go to protect him.
But now... it was safe to say that everyone understood completely.
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