Chapter 474 - No Escape from Punishment

“Chen Fan, will you show me some face and spare his life!”

The Great Chu Empire’s emperor, Chu JIngcai, had appeared. The crowd was momentarily stunned by his appearance before erupting into a commotion.

“It’s Lord Chu; he’s here.”

The royalty did not intervene when the Qin Clan members were being slaughtered, but Chu Jingcai showed up when Chen Fan was about to execute Qin Wudi. He asked Chen Fan to show him some face and spare Qin Wudi.

However, would Chen Fan honor this request?

Chen Fan looked up at Chu Jingcai, narrowing his gaze.

“Lord Chu?”

Unfamiliar with the ties between the Qin Clan and the royal family, he replied coolly, “Are you also going to stop me from killing Qin Wudi? As the emperor of the Great Chu Empire, you must be aware of my standing in the Spring Autumn Sect. Are you prepared to become my enemy for Qin Wudi’s sake?

“Let me make this clear. After I kill Duan Jingtian, I will become the next leader of the Spring Autumn Sect. Are you sure you want to cross me over Qin Wudi?”

Chen Fan showed no fear of Chu Jingcai despite his imperial status. Instead, his tone carried a thick intent of threat.

“I’m sure you know why I want to kill Qin Wudi and wipe out the Qin Clan. He used his status to issue a killing order and nearly killed my parents. I must avenge this; no one can stop me, not even you, Lord Chu,” Chen Fan said decisively, leaving no room for negotiation. “I can forgive the others, but not Qin Wudi. He must die.

“You are at the ninth level, so I will have difficulty killing him if you decide to intervene. But you must consider the consequences of such an action. You could try to kill me; honestly, while I’m no match for you, I can easily escape."

The crowd was speechless at Chen Fan’s bold stance against the Great Chu Empire’s ruler. It was almost as if he was threatening him.

They could understand him, though.

Even though Lord Chu was the ruler and could control their lives, he couldn’t control Chen Fan, a holy disciple of the powerful Spring Autumn Sect.

The Spring Autumn Sect wasn’t a small, second or third-rate sect, but a prominent great sect with two Divine Nascent realm powerhouses.

Not even the royal family could afford to mess with them, so they had to weigh the pros and cons of offending them.

Lord Chu did not show the slightest hint of anger at Chen Fan’s words. He smiled and said, “I’m not standing in your way, but his wife is my sister, so I have to step in and plead for him.

“I know your situation and am aware that you have the backing of a Divine Nascent realm powerhouse. I’m afraid the entire Great Chu Empire’s royal family will be wiped out tomorrow If I make a move against you. I’m not that foolish.

“I can also understand your desire to avenge your father, but I still ask you to spare his life as a favor to me. Of course, whether you extend this courtesy or not is up to you. I’ve done my part by asking.”

Chu Jingcai stepped to the side and opened the way to Qin Wudi.

He had promised Chu Lianyi to plead for Qin Wudi, but whether Chen Fan would grant this favor was up to Chen Fan.

Chu Jingcai knew it was stupid to risk offending the powerful Spring Autumn Sect and bringing calamity upon the royal family, despite their own Divine Nascent realm powerhouse.

The crowd was astonished by Chu Jingcai’s words.

A Divine Nascent realm powerhouse supported Chen Fan. Such experts were at the pinnacle of power in the Great Chu Empire!

Chen Fan looked at Chu Jingcai, frowning slightly.

If Chu Jingcai had shown a tough attitude, Chen Fan would have had no hesitation in executing Qin Wudi.

However, Chu Jingcai had simply asked him a favor and stepped aside without any intent to clash. This left him feeling a little uncertain.

Although the Spring Autumn Sect did not fear the royal family, its internal struggles were fierce. If he didn’t show Chu Jingcai any face, the emperor might not say anything now, but he certainly wouldn’t be pleased.

After all, as the ruler of an empire, he had lowered himself greatly by asking a favor from a seventh-level Core Formation realm junior, especially in front of the public.

After pondering for a little, Chen Fan said, “Fine, since Lord Chu is pleading for him, I have to extend this courtesy. He may be spared from death, but he must still be punished. My father’s primeval vessel was shattered back then, so today, I will shatter Qin Wudi’s golden core as payback.”

Chen Fan couldn’t let Qin Wudi go without consequences; otherwise, he would lose face after speaking so harshly earlier.

Chu Jingcai nodded and said, “Many thanks.”

Behind him, Qin Wudi felt a chill running all over him.

He would rather be killed by Chen Fan than have his golden core shattered.

To have his golden core shattered was to become trash, plummeting from heaven to hell in an instant. It truly was worse than killing him.

“Chen Fan, just kill me if you have the guts!” Qin Wudi roared furiously, his eyes red with rage.

Chen Fan smiled coldly and said, “Hoho, I really don’t want to kill you now. Wasting your cultivation and throwing you off from the clouds down to the deep abyss will be better than just killing you outright!”

“You dream on! I’d rather self-destruct than let you cripple my cultivation!” said Qin Wudi as he prepared to detonate his golden core.

“Thinking of self-destructing in front of me? You’re overestimating yourself, Qin Wudi!”

With a swish, Chen Fan appeared in front of Qin Wudi as if he had teleported and sent out a palm strike.

“You wish!”

Qin Wudi’s face twisted, still trying to struggle.

However, how could he possibly struggle in front of Chen Fan?

With a dull breaking sound, Chen Fan’s palm strike crushed all of Qin Wudi’s defenses and struck his dantian. Chen Fan’s strength rushed in and wreaked havoc, shattering his golden core.

Qin Wudi immediately let out a miserable scream. His aura rapidly declined, and he quickly aged.

Watching this scene unfold, countless people shuddered fiercely.

The once-powerful Qin Wudi had his golden core shattered and his cultivation crippled, falling from greatness to the depths of despair. It was like a nightmare.

No one in the entire imperial city would have thought that the Qin Clan’s patriarch, Qin Wudi, would one day become a cripple.

Many felt a pang of pity for Qin Wudi.

As a martial artist, losing one's cultivation was worse than death. It was a fate more cruel than killing.

A high and mighty expert who had control over the life and death of others became a weakling, subject to bullying and humiliation overnight. This stark contrast could break a person’s mind and drive them mad.

There was no more effective way to destroy someone than to crush their spirit.