Longevity, starting from being a chicken raising servant Chapter 2238: 147: Cutting Edge_4

“Does this serve as sufficient proof that the lives of Fan Yuxian and the Joyful Spirit Saintess were taken by my hand?”

The White-haired Elder, the young lady, and the youth clad in green robes all took on grave countenances upon hearing those words, their previous arrogance vanishing instantly.

In a heavy silence, they traded meaningful looks.

“Despite appearing to be only at the initial stage of Crossing Tribulation, this individual wields such terrifying techniques… Even I am unable to produce a strike of that caliber.”

The White-haired Elder’s heart sank as he sent a hurried voice transmission.

“Hee hee, I cannot replicate it either. In terms of raw destructive force, it seems to have surpassed our current level…”

The young woman’s response was equally weighted with concern.

The youth in the green robe, seemingly having reached a conclusion, quickly transmitted his thoughts:

“He has not reached the late-stage of the Crossing Tribulation Realm yet. This power must stem from the use of a Dao Treasure. To possess such lethality, this person likely holds a top-grade innate Dao treasure!”

“A top-grade innate Dao treasure?”

Apprehension and a flicker of avarice simultaneously ignited in the eyes of the White-haired Elder and the young woman.

Zhang’s Ruins served as a gathering point for Rogue Cultivators; consequently, upper-grade Dao treasures were exceptionally scarce, while top-grade ones were practically legendary.

Such a revelation naturally stirred dark ambitions within their minds.

However, the White-haired Elder soon cleared his head, frowning as he spoke rapidly:

“What is our next move? This man effectively possesses the combat power of the middle-stage of Crossing Tribulation, and his lethality might even exceed ours. Even at three against two, given that the enemy holds the geographical advantage, any victory we achieve would be pyrrhic. That was never our intent…”

Their plan had been to unite three major factions and pressure others into forcing the Yin Family into a corner, minimizing their own casualties while staying prepared for any shifts in the political landscape.

If their losses were too severe, other opportunistic forces would simply swoop in to harvest the rewards after the Yin Family fell.

It was a precarious equilibrium that could collapse with a single mistake.

Had the Ten Thousand Demon Palace not intervened, they wouldn't have even entertained the idea, let alone possessed the strength to execute it.

Now, the sudden emergence of this True Man Taiyi had thrown their entire strategy into disarray.

“We must settle for a compromise then!”

The young woman suggested with sudden decisiveness:

“We negotiate! We will demand reparations; after all, we haven't engaged in a full-scale battle with the Yin Family yet!”

This was exactly why they had spent so much effort crafting excuses and disguises earlier.

By maintaining a facade, they ensured an exit strategy for both sides to save face if the assault met unexpected resistance.

Whether the Yin Family saw through their true motives was secondary to avoiding total war.

The youth in the green robe knit his brows:

“We mobilized such a massive force and suffered casualties just to walk away with this?”

“The Yin Family is already showing signs of a resurgence. If they secure the loyalty of this True Man Taiyi, you might escape today, but what about the future?”

The White-haired Elder asked, confused:

“Daoist Friend Tian, what are you suggesting?”

“At the very least, this individual must be expelled from Zhang’s Ruins!”

The youth in the green robe stated coldly.

Though their deliberation seemed long, it occurred in a mere heartbeat, and a consensus was reached.

The youth in the green robe cast a wary glance at Wang Ba before looking toward Yin Tianzhi, calling out from a distance:

“Daoist Friend Yin, hear me out. There may be some misunderstandings between the Yin Family, the Spirit Origin Prefecture, and the Illusion Sky Realm. I am prepared to act as a mediator and guarantee that both factions swear a thousand-year non-aggression oath toward the Yin Family to settle this in good faith. However, this Daoist Friend Taiyi did, after all, slay Fan Yuxian and the Joyful Spirit Saintess…”

Wang Ba’s brow furrowed slightly.

Yin Tianzhi’s expression grew even more somber:

“What is your point?”

The youth in the green robe tightened his expression and said solemnly:

“We demand that Daoist Friend Taiyi leave the Yin Family and depart from Zhang’s Ruins. Otherwise, Spirit Origin Prefecture, the Illusion Sky Realm, and our Ten Thousand Demon Palace will fight the Yin Family to the bitter end, regardless of the cost!”

“Furthermore, we will broadcast this to all other powers… Daoist Friend Yin, you understand the implications; this is actually for the benefit of your Yin Family.”

Yin Tianzhi’s face fell.

He understood the threat perfectly.

Had True Man Taiyi remained hidden, it would be one thing; but now that he had revealed strength comparable to a middle-stage Crossing Tribulation cultivator, other factions would grow restless.

Even if the Yin Family survived today’s conflict by some miracle, they would soon face the combined pressure of every other jealous power.

Exiling True Man Taiyi was the most pragmatic, albeit painful, solution.

But since True Man Taiyi had risked everything to save the Yin Family, Yin Tianzhi couldn't bring himself to betray him, saying in a low voice:

“If a fight to the death is what you want, then so be it. I could never…”

Suddenly, a calm voice cut him off:

“I accept those terms.”

Yin Tianzhi turned in shock, staring at the nearby Wang Ba:

“Daoist Friend Taiyi…”

Wang Ba offered a gentle smile:

“I arrived here by a stroke of luck, and now that our karmic bond is fulfilled, it is time for my temporary departure.”

“However…”

He turned his gaze toward the youth in green, the White-haired Elder, and the young woman, a mysterious smile playing on his lips:

“I am certain our paths will cross again in the future.”

In the next instant, he lunged forward, snatching an unsuspecting figure from the distance. He then converted into a streak of brilliant light, tearing through the Chaos Origin Substance and skyrocketing upward!

He left behind a bewildered crowd and a pale-faced youth in green robes who cried out:

“Jiu Futu!”

“What does he intend to do with Jiu Futu?!”