Longevity, starting from being a chicken raising servant Chapter 2235: 147: Cutting Edge

“Taoist Friend Yin, why do you still hesitate? If you simply surrender the individual who plotted against our two companions, we shall depart this instant without further conflict.”

The voice of the blue-robed youth resonated throughout the immense chasm.

Faint silhouettes of cultivators flickered in the surrounding gloom, their Qi locked onto their targets, prepared to strike at the slightest provocation!

The youth in blue, the elder with white hair, and the young lady stood suspended in the air. Accompanied by over twenty middle-stage Crossing Tribulation cultivators, they watched the Yin Family members from a distance.

Standing before the precipice, Yin Tianzhi wore a grim expression, appearing trapped in a difficult choice.

At his side, the Second Ancestor of the Yin Family reached his breaking point. He leaned in, his voice a mere whisper as faint as a mosquito's buzz:

“Great Ancestor, perhaps we should just give him up. After all, he hasn’t yet…”

Hearing the Second Ancestor’s plea, a spark of resolve hardened in Yin Tianzhi’s eyes. He looked upon the three middle-stage Crossing Tribulation experts, the twenty-odd other Crossing Tribulation cultivators, and the shadowy figures lurking in the distance. A flash of frigid determination crossed his features as he cut the man off sharply:

“There is no need for further discussion!”

The Second Ancestor was stunned:

“But…”

Yin Tianzhi’s gaze remained stern and icy as he swept his eyes over the crowd.

When he spoke, his voice was loud and clear, carrying a sense of absolute clarity as if he had unraveled the entire scheme:

“The passing of Fan Yuxian and the Joyful Spirit Saintess is nothing more than a convenient excuse… With so many gathered here, including Tian Guiye from the Ten Thousand Demon Palace, do you truly believe they came for some imaginary culprit? They never had any intention of letting our Yin Family walk away today!”

“Their goal is the total annihilation of the Yin Family!”

The Second Ancestor and the rest of the Yin Family were visibly shaken by these words!

The Crossing Tribulation cultivators from Golden Water Pond, Longcong Prefecture, Yutang Prefecture, and other invited allies felt their spirits sink. They exchanged uneasy looks, beginning to realize they had likely been manipulated by the Spirit Origin Prefecture, the Illusion Sky Realm, and the Ten Thousand Demon Palace.

Within Zhang’s Ruins, a delicate balance of power was the norm. If one faction grew too powerful, the others would unite to prune them back. If a group became weak, alliances shifted to suppress the dominant party, ensuring a steady equilibrium. No single clan was permitted to rule supreme, nor was any family meant to be wiped out entirely.

Should any force within the ruins gain too much influence, they would inevitably face the collective might of the eleven major powers.

The result of this system was that the peak experts across all factions remained roughly equal in strength.

This was the silent pact among the eleven powers of Zhang’s Ruins, a rule that allowed them to maintain long-term control over the various acupoint entrances.

Initially, the invited allies believed this was just another such maneuver. They were happy to play along, hoping to profit from the chaos while testing the might of the Yin Family, Spirit Origin Prefecture, and Illusion Sky Realm.

However, since the Master of the Ten Thousand Demon Palace had appeared, the situation had clearly veered toward a dangerous extreme!

These cultivators were already trapped on a sinking ship; even if they chose to side with the Yin Family now, they were likely no match for the prepared forces of the three primary aggressors.

In the sky, the white-haired elder remained silent, while the young woman from the Illusion Sky Realm let out a playful, mocking laugh:

“Hehe, it was your Yin Family that violated the pact first. If you refuse to surrender that criminal, you cannot blame us for what happens next.”

The blue-robed youth offered a thin smile, speaking with the tone of a sincere advisor:

“Taoist Friend Yin, you have misjudged me. As I stated, I am only here to ensure justice is served against such villainy. Taoist Friend, simply hand over the murderer, and this matter can be settled peacefully.”

Yin Tianzhi remained unmoved, his face as rigid as cold iron. He replied sharply:

“Save your breath. I have only one question: the Ten Thousand Demon Palace holds the left Eye Acupoint, and you are separated from my territory by the Spirit Origin Prefecture and the Illusion Sky Realm—what possible gain is there for you if they destroy my Yin Family today?”

He shifted his gaze, noting the subtle tension in the expressions of the white-haired elder and the young lady, before looking at the rest of the cultivators. His voice rose in volume:

“If the Yin Family falls today, what profit will remain for any of you when the Supreme True Buddha invades tomorrow?”

The mood of the crowd darkened instantly.

The cultivators from Golden Water Pond and the other minor factions began to show signs of hesitation, their eyes darting about as they considered retreating.

Sensing the shift in the air, the blue-robed youth let out a soft sigh:

“It appears Taoist Friend Yin has no desire for a peaceful resolution.”

He turned to the white-haired elder and the young lady, laughing softly:

“What do you two think? If you have no objections, then I have nothing left to say and shall take my leave.”

A flicker of doubt crossed the white-haired elder’s eyes.

However, the young lady’s almond-shaped eyes were filled with a cold, decisive light. She giggled mischievously:

“Hehe, since Taoist Friend Yin is unwilling to give up the man, we shall have to pay a personal visit to the Yin Ruins Arena.”

The youth in blue clapped his hands, laughing as he looked toward the white-haired elder:

“And what of Taoist Friend Fan?”

The elder hesitated for only a second before nodding firmly:

“The death of Yuxian must be avenged!”

“Excellent!”

The blue-robed youth laughed boisterously, then turned back to Yin Tianzhi, his face suddenly turning grave:

“Taoist Friend Yin, I shall ask one final time: will you surrender this person or not? If you refuse, the Ten Thousand Demon Palace will not sit idly by today.”

Yin Tianzhi appeared remarkably composed now, stating calmly:

“Why continue with such a transparent charade to hide your true motives?”

“If I hand one person over, you will simply claim it is the wrong one and demand another. Is that not a waste of time? If you want a war, then let us have one. I have roamed Zhang’s Ruins for many years; I have never feared the likes of you!”

Despite his defiant words, the members of the Yin Family behind him were filled with a mixture of burning rage and chilling despair, bracing themselves for a fight to the death.

The youth in the blue robe sighed, whispering softly:

“If Taoist Friend insists on this path, then the consequences are on your head.”