Chapter 1604 - Heaven Gaze Realm's Fight

The other elders tried to step in and stop Zhong Yang, but they moved a beat too late. The agony of losing his son had already driven him into a frenzy.

Liu Wuxie had achieved unity with heaven and earth. That meant he didn't need to fear his body collapsing. Even if his body turned to dust, he could restore it as long as his heavenly dao wasn't completely severed.

Meng Hong lunged forward to shield Liu Wuxie.

With a loud rumble, the blast sent Liu Wuxie and Meng Hong flying, both drenched in blood. Meng Hong stood in front and took the brunt of the impact, his internal organs rupturing as his blood painted the sky red.

Fortunately, the other elders reacted in time and dulled part of the force. Otherwise, someone at the pinnacle of the Void Realm could have killed both Meng Hong and Meng An effortlessly.

Another thunderous rumble followed as Meng Hong and Liu Wuxie slammed into the ground, their fates uncertain. Liu Wuxie circulated the Desolate Devouring Art and coughed up a mouthful of blood. Even if he felt fine, he still had to pretend to be injured.

"Zhong Yang, you're in trouble now. Niu Yichang just took in Meng An as his disciple, and he'll surely treat Meng An as a treasure. If you kill him, Niu Yichang won't let it go," the elders who rushed over said, already certain Zhong Yang had stepped into disaster.

After all, Niu Yichang's damaged dantian had made his temper grow violent recently. He flared at the slightest displeasure. He had just taken in a precious disciple and treated the boy like his own son, so how could he possibly stay calm if Zhong Yang injured Meng An?

"It's that brat who killed my son first, and I'm only avenging the death of my child!" Zhong Yang shouted. Even if fear flickered in him, he refused to back down after his son's death.

"They signed the life-and-death waiver, and even the palace lord has no right to interfere. As an elder, it's outrageous for you to kill a disciple in the sect!" more elders argued as they arrived, pressuring Zhong Yang.

"What's there to fear about? Do you think Niu Yichang will lay a hand on me? My master isn't someone to be trifled with either," Zhong Yang sneered. He didn't even bother to look at Meng Hong and Meng An, leaving them to die like that.

The commotion had long reached Niu Yichang, and he nearly snapped when he heard his disciple had been "killed" by Zhong Yang. If the palace lord hadn't warned him not to erupt, lest the cracks in his dantian split open again, his rage would have exploded on the spot.

As a cultivator at the pinnacle of the Heaven Gaze Realm, he flashed onto the stage. The instant he saw Meng An unconscious, ferocious flames burst from his body.

"Zhong Yang, you're courting death!" Niu Yichang roared.

Everyone knew his nature, and even though Zhong Yang tried to stand firm, he still couldn't stop himself from shuddering.

Niu Yichang struck without hesitation, releasing his Heaven Gaze Realm pressure so hard that it forced everyone to lower their heads. The inner sect elders tried to intervene, but their cultivation fell short. The pressure alone swept them away as chaos erupted, and the surrounding crowd tumbled back in the blink of an eye.

His indiscriminate strike flung the nearby elders aside. Zhong Yang stood too close and couldn't dodge in time.

With a loud explosion, Zhong Yang's chest felt like it would burst as he spat blood. The sensation felt worse than death. His body traced a beautiful arc through the air before he smashed to the ground.

Niu Yichang held back at the last moment, or killing Zhong Yang would have been as easy as crushing an ant. After all, Zhong Yang was still an inner sect elder.

"Elder Niu, saving them comes first!" the other elders urged as they rose, afraid Niu Yichang might continue.

"If anything happens to my disciple, I'll personally take your life!" Niu Yichang warned, striding toward Liu Wuxie to check his condition. He sensed a faint breath. Meng An still hadn't died.

Still, the injuries looked severe, with ruptured internal organs that demanded tremendous resources to heal.

Nevertheless, "Meng An" would be fine. No one knew that Liu Wuxie's body had manifested from the laws of heaven and earth. Even if it shattered, he could restore it with a thought.

Niu Yichang immediately channeled power into Liu Wuxie to comb through the damage. He produced multiple pills and fed them to Liu Wuxie. The pills stabilized his internal organs somewhat, but true recovery would require higher-grade treasures.

Liu Wuxie slowly opened his eyes, deliberately acting as though he had just regained consciousness. When he saw worry on Niu Yichang's face, he knew he had achieved what he wanted.

"Master, I'm useless, and I have brought disgrace to you," Liu Wuxie said remorsefully, blaming himself the moment he woke.

"Don't worry about it. I'll avenge you. Don't move and rest for now," Niu Yichang assured.

His straightforward nature was exactly why Liu Wuxie had chosen him; Sima An and the other elders were too crafty. If Liu Wuxie had chosen them, even the smallest misstep could've exposed him. Niu Yichang, on the other hand, trusted Liu Wuxie without reservation.

"Master, let's forget about it. I'm fine, and I won't die anytime soon," Liu Wuxie said, wearing an innocent yet indignant expression. That display made many nearby disciples clench their fists in anger, but none of them dared to do anything.

After all, Liu Wuxie lay injured, and no one doubted Elder Niu would crush anyone who spoke out. Even the elders kept their mouths shut, let alone ordinary disciples.

"I know everything. You've done nothing wrong, and since you both signed the life-and-death waiver, it must be honored. I will avenge you," Niu Yichang said.

If Liu Wuxie hadn't spoken so remorsefully, Elder Niu might have cooled down. Instead, Liu Wuxie's self-blame poured oil in the flames, reigniting Niu Yichang's fury.

Seeing his disciple tell him to let it go, even while still in pain, only made Elder Niu cherish him more. Niu Yichang rose at once and walked toward Zhong Yang.

Zhong Yang had suffered heavy injuries and swallowed a fistful of pills to stabilize himself. Yet, the moment he saw Niu Yichang approaching, his face turned deathly pale.

Other elders stepped in. "Elder Niu, why don't we leave it here? Let's sit down and talk. We've already suppressed Meng An's injuries for now, and he can recover in a few days!" they said, trying to mediate and hoping Niu Yichang would stop.

Niu Yichang snorted. "Let it go? The one injured isn't your disciple, so you all can naturally speak so lightly."

He swept a hand and blasted the surrounding elders aside. Humans always loved to persuade others when the pain wasn't theirs, proving the saying that no one should preach virtue without tasting suffering.

Niu Yichang had just accepted Meng An as his disciple, so he treasured him. If he could raise his disciple before the true essence in his dantian seeped away, he would at least have someone to care for him later. Once he lost all his true essence, his cultivation would vanish, and he would become a mere mortal.

Everyone understood why Elder Niu burned with fury, and his words silenced the crowd. It wasn't their business, and they had only tried to persuade him out of goodwill. None of them dared to clash with Elder Niu head-on.

Someone had already gone to inform the palace lord, hoping he would come and settle the matter. As for the palace lord, he was currently receiving a mysterious visitor and didn't have time for such a trivial incident.

Niu Yichang kept advancing, and Zhong Yang stumbled backward.

"Elder Niu, why don't you try and lay a hand on me? My master will soon arrive!" Zhong Yang said in panic, retreating while dragging out his master's name in hopes of intimidation.

"I might've spared you if you hadn't mentioned Gong Yangbo. But now that you mentioned him, there's no chance I'll let you off," Elder Niu replied, his anger flaring the instant Zhong Yang invoked his master.

It turned out Zhong Yang's master was Gong Yangbo. Gong Yangbo and Niu Yichang were mortal enemies, their feud stretching back to their youth.

Liu Wuxie had already thoroughly investigated the internal conflicts of Immortal Slaughter Palace. He had chosen his master even before he had entered the assessment. After all, his plan required him to sow discord among the upper echelons and widen rifts that could never heal. He intended to use the elders' feuds to pry their ranks apart. He planned to turn that internal hostility into a true internal conflict for the Immortal Slaughter Palace.

After Niu Yichang spoke, he raised his hand and prepared to strike Zhong Yang, intent on teaching him a lesson.

Gong Yangbo appeared and struck out with his palm, forcing Niu Yichang into a fight. "Niu Yichang, you dare punish my disciple?!" Niu Yichang's dantian carried cracks, so he couldn't unleash full strength. Gong Yangbo's dantian remained intact, and he attacked without restraint.

Their palms collided with a loud explosion, and the shockwave roared outward.

A clash between Heaven Gaze Realm cultivators carried devastating force, damaging nearby buildings. The impact even rippled toward the Immortal Slaughter Palace's main hall.

Inside the main hall, the palace lord sat with an old man. The old man rose and looked toward the disturbance, while the palace lord frowned and extended his divine sense.

"Elder Quan, please wait here for a moment while I handle my sect's internal affairs," the palace lord said as he rose to his feet.

The old man gestured as he rose and saw him out. "Palace lord, please."

After the palace lord vanished from the main hall, the old man also stepped outside out of curiosity. After all, that clash had spread through the Immortal Slaughter Palace, and experts were converging, assuming another attack had struck.

Just as Niu Yichang and Gong Yangbo prepared to clash again, a thunderous roar shook the air. "Both of you, stop!"

The palace lord arrived with a grim face. Two Heaven Gaze Realm cultivators fighting openly within the sect was outrageous.

When Niu Yichang and Gong Yangbo saw the palace lord, they could only halt and step back.

"Palace Lord, you arrived just in time. Niu Yichang disregarded his status as an elder and struck an elder of an inner sect. Isn't it too domineering? I hope that the Palace Lord can judge fairly," Gong Yangbo pleaded, speaking first and painting himself as the wronged party.

"What happened here?" the palace lord asked, refusing to take sides as he demanded the facts.

An inner sect elder hurried forward and recounted the incident from start to finish, and the palace lord's frown deepened. Such a petty matter had led two Heaven Gaze Realm experts to clash, and he couldn't help turning to look at Liu Wuxie, who was the root of it all.

"As elders at the Heaven Gaze Realm, you two have some guts to fight in front of such a large crowd," the palace lord snapped, and both elders lowered their heads in shame.