Chapter 518 - 487: Making a Big Matter Small, and a Small Matter Nothing

Chapter 518: Chapter 487: Making a Big Matter Small, and a Small Matter Nothing

A two-thousand-foot Spiritual Boat tore through the sky and slammed down onto the ground. Its tremendous momentum sent it skidding forward for several miles, carving a deep trench into the earth like a charging mountain and forcibly separating the two groups locked in battle.

SWOOSH! SWOOSH! SWOOSH!

Before the Spiritual Boat had even ground to a halt, hundreds of Cultivators were already leaping from its deck. They poured out like hornets from a disturbed nest, swarming the sky and ground in an instant, and immediately moved to shield Teng Miao.

KA-CHUNK, KA-CHUNK, KA-CHUNK—

At almost the exact same time.

With the grinding of gears, countless Bed Crossbows along the ship’s hull rapidly swiveled, aiming directly at Chen Che and every Golden Core cultivator on the field.

The continuous cranking sound came from the Cultivators straining to draw the bowstrings. On the massive crossbows, which gleamed with a cold light, countless wondrous Magic Patterns swirled in layered, butterfly-like formations.

"Stop! Stop! Everyone, calm down! We are all Cultivators of the Primordial Sect! This is just a misunderstanding. There’s no need to take this to a point of no return..."

Zhu Yiwen hurriedly spread his arms, blocking the Cultivators from the Spiritual Boat.

He had been there when Duobao gave the implicit order.

But—

That order was given when they had the advantage. Now, their six Golden Core experts were no match for their opponent. Even if they threw everything they had into killing Chen Che, few of them would likely survive. How were they supposed to defend the city then? How could they possibly hold off the Star-Picking Sect?

Zhu Yiwen hadn’t joined the fight, not because he was trying to be a peacemaker, but so that he could be in a position to clean up the mess if things went south.

And now, Meng Qianxun, who had also stayed out of the fighting, stepped forward at this opportune moment.

However, these two Golden Core Cultivators clearly couldn’t restrain the furious crowd, especially not Teng Miao.

SWOOSH—

Teng Miao, who had been pinned to the ground, unleashed a blast of True Essence, forcibly ejecting the Flying Swords that had impaled him. He kipped up, springing back to his feet.

But while his recovery looked impressive, his condition was dire. His body was riddled with holes from the Flying Swords, with several vital points punctured and blood gushing freely. The Spirit Armor beneath his robes was in tatters...

A Foundation Establishment Cultivator would have died nine times over from such injuries. It was only thanks to the powerful life force of a Golden Core that he was still standing, albeit severely wounded. After all—

Chen Che had been aiming to kill.

"Stop?"

Teng Miao shot a vicious glare at Zhu Yiwen before turning to Chen Che.

"Today, not even the Sect Leader himself could stop me from killing him! Cultivators of the Primordial Sect, hear my order! Chen Che has attacked a Vice Chief of the sect, which is tantamount to rebellion! Execute him! The other Golden Core Cultivators are his co-conspirators—leave none of them alive!"

BOOM! BOOM! BOOM—

The instant he finished speaking, the Cultivators who had poured out of the Spiritual Boat erupted with True Essence in unison.

Talismans and Magical Artifacts soared into the air.

CLANG!

Almost simultaneously, Lei Boyu drew her Weapon and flew to stand behind Chen Che.

"A mere Foundation Establishment cultivator dares to involve herself in this? Are you trying to rebel too...?"

Teng Miao was so furious he nearly ground his teeth to dust.

’After being grievously wounded by Chen Che, even a mere Foundation Establishment cultivator dares to be insolent to my face?’

"Of course not."

Lei Boyu’s expression remained unchanged, but her voice rang out, loud and clear. "The Primordial Sect may be the Upper Sect, but Valley Master Chen saved my life. If I am forced to choose between the two, I choose Valley Master Chen."

As she made her move, the Cultivators of Celestial Ghost City, who had long been simmering with suppressed rage, silently stepped forward to stand behind Chen Che.

Most were not acting on sheer emotion; their actions also stemmed from a profound disillusionment with the Primordial Sect. They had defended Celestial Ghost City with their lives for so long, believing they were waiting for reinforcements, only to be met by a pack of ravenous, domineering wolves. Wolves that sought to plunder their wealth and showed no regard for their lives...

"Good. Good. Fine. Chen Che saved your lives, did he? You’re forced to choose, are you? In that case, there’s no longer any need for Celestial Ghost City to exist!" Teng Miao’s gaze turned icy. With a flick of his great sleeve, he bellowed decisively:

"The Cultivators of Celestial Ghost City have laid siege to the Upper Sect with rebellious intent! Slay them all, without mercy!"

"Stop..."

Zhu Yiwen was so frantic he was practically jumping up and down.

’Annihilating Celestial Ghost City? How dare he say something like that in public? Is he here to defend the city or to slaughter its people?’

’This matter is too serious. Not even Duobao could contain the fallout from this.’

But no one was listening to them anymore.

SWOOSH!

Amid the roars, the host of Cultivators from the Spiritual Boat charged forward as one, intent on slaughter.

Just as the battle was about to erupt, a sound of tearing air—even louder than before—split the sky. To the astonished gazes of everyone present, an even more massive Spiritual Boat materialized in midair.

This Spiritual Boat was conspicuously flying the banner of Jinyun Valley.

Just as with the arrival of the Primordial Sect’s Spiritual Boat, the moment it appeared, countless Bed Crossbows along its hull had already swiveled to aim at Teng Miao, Zhu Yiwen, and the other Golden Core Cultivators from the Primordial Sect.

Aboard the ship, Yu Daogui’s expression was resolute.

"Are you all trying to rebel? Do you dare kill me?" Teng Miao shrieked, his bloodshot eyes sweeping over everyone.

His only answer was the same sound of Bed Crossbows swiveling and gears locking into place.

The Crossbow Arrow on every single Bed Crossbow was drawn taut to its breaking point.

Chen Che didn’t answer. He simply waved a hand, and his countless Flying Swords rapidly converged behind him in a display reminiscent of the legendary Myriad Swords Return. As he infused them with True Essence, they began to hum with terrifying speed.

Xiao Chan reached back, gripping his Soul-Calling Banner; he was resolved that if they fought, not a single one of their enemies would escape. Chen Xi formed a Seal Technique, and the Thousand-Eyed Divine Statue rose to its feet, taking up a position on the left. With a flicker of his Divine Sense, Meng Changtu commanded the Mudskipper Shrimp to lumber over to the right.

Yu Qian, Lu Yuntian, Zhao Shifeng, and Zhao Yunchen all silently unleashed their True Essence. As they moved, they shifted their positions, forming an encirclement around their opponents.

Even Meng Qianxun gave up her attempts to mediate and pulled out a Horn. If there was no clean way to end this, then there was no need to seek one.

Teng Miao closed his eyes, his chest heaving violently. He was so enraged that the potent regenerative abilities of his Golden Core were failing to work properly; his wounds tore open again, and blood began to drip ceaselessly to the ground.

The appearance of the Jinyun Valley Spiritual Boat was like a bucket of ice water dumped over his head, instantly shocking him back to his senses and forcing him to recognize the reality of his situation.

’To fight now means certain death!’

But then, he immediately opened his eyes again.

If his opponent had offered even the slightest concession, he could have used it as a convenient way to de-escalate.

But Chen Che’s refusal to give him any face put him in an impossible bind. In this public a setting, he couldn’t be the one to back down. The honor of his sect and his own reputation were on the line. If he yielded now, his authority as Vice Chief would be nonexistent from this day forward.

One must understand that in this world, conflicts are not just fought over interests, but also over honor. To fight to the death over a momentary flash of anger might seem absurd, but the number of people who have died for the sake of saving face was by no means small.

Fortunately, Zhu Yiwen understood this point perfectly. He immediately leaped forward and began shouting, "Valley Master Chen is a Tributor of the Primordial Sect! You all openly attacked him—is that not rebellion?"

"I am the Vice Chief of Xingtang Hall, and I am ordering you to put away your Magical Treasures and Weapons immediately! Anyone who has not complied within three breaths will be treated as a rebel! And I..."

Zhu Yiwen flicked his great sleeve and said icily:

"...have the authority to execute you on the spot!"

The forces from the Primordial Sect exchanged uncertain glances. Seeing the thunderously furious Zhu Yiwen, they obediently stowed their Weapons, reined in their True Essence, and retracted the Bed Crossbows on the ship’s hull. The few Golden Core Cultivators who had joined the initial attack also complied meekly under Zhu Yiwen’s cold stare.

"Vice Chief Teng!?"

Zhu Yiwen’s gaze snapped to him as he barked out the name.

With a snort of indignation, Teng Miao plunged his greatsword into the ground. He looked utterly resentful, but inwardly, he secretly breathed a sigh of relief. He had been given a way out. In the future, he could always claim that he had simply been bound by the Sect’s regulations.

"And you..."

Having dealt with his own side, Zhu Yiwen’s gaze swept over to Lei Boyu and the other Foundation Establishment Cultivators.

He expected them to obediently sheathe their weapons, but they ignored him completely. Left with no choice, he forced a fawning smile and approached Chen Che. "Tributor Chen, this has all been a misunderstanding..."

"A misunderstanding?"

The Flying Swords behind Chen Che spun furiously, and the surging True Essence made his robes billow and his long hair whip about like crazed serpents. He shot the man a cold glance. "Didn’t you just say I was guilty of rebellion?"

"That was all Vice Chief Teng’s doing! He was so desperate to claim credit that he lost his mind! Everyone saw it—Vice Chief Teng attacked first. This talk of rebellion has nothing to do with Valley Master Chen."

"I’m from Xingtang Hall, so you can trust my judgment on this."

Zhu Yiwen said with a smile and a cupped-fist salute:

"Valley Master, even if not for his sake, then for the sake of the bigger picture, please let this go for now. The Sect Leader is still in seclusion, and the Star-Picking Sect is our true enemy. There’s no need for us to tear each other apart and become a laughingstock for them."

’The Sect Leader!?’

A glint flashed in Chen Che’s eyes.

"Alright, Che’er."

At this, Meng Qianxun, sensing the moment was right, also stepped forward to act as a mediator. "Let’s just turn this major issue into a minor one, and this minor one into nothing at all."