Despite his imminent demise, the Heavenly Sword Sect's patriarch refused to go quietly. With a toss, he launched his natal sword into the air. The sword expanded significantly, stirring the ambient Spiritual Energy into turmoil.
"Trouble! He's going to self-destruct his natal spirit sword," Li Mochou discerned his intention and hastened to defend herself.
However, the patriarch's scheme was a ruse. Self-destruct his natal spirit sword? He couldn't endure the backlash. Swiftly, he produced a talisman and tore it apart. In the blink of an eye, he disappeared from view.
The talisman was a teleportation charm he had happened upon. Realizing his days were numbered, he was determined to preserve a fragment of the ancestral legacy.
Li Mochou realized she had been deceived, and in her anger, she turned the remaining members of the Heavenly Sword Sect into frozen debris.
Observing this scene, the major powers hurriedly completed their transactions and left. They intended to return to their respective factions and discuss their course of action toward the Kyushu Chamber of Commerce.
Su Family.
Su Zeduan naturally received Shen Wansan's message.
"The audacity of the Heavenly Sword Sect," Su Zeduan grumbled with exasperation.
However, his anger was merely fleeting. Such an inconsequential faction was unworthy of his irritation. Without hesitation, he headed for the Inner Chamber in the Offering Pavilion. Su Xun had relinquished power to him, making it easier to mobilize the Inner Chamber's formidable assets.
He wasn't considering early-stage powerhouses, but rather mid-stage cultivators. Late-stage experts were out of the question; the Su Family had very few at that level.
He located two individuals, both mid-stage True Martial Realm experts who appeared to be in their forties. They were siblings: the man, Shangguan Le Feng, and the woman, Shangguan Lan Ying.
"I'm entrusting this matter to you. Every member of the Heavenly Sword Sect must be silenced. I don't wish to see a single survivor," a trace of killing intent gleamed in Su Zeduan's eyes.
He understood that perhaps some might be innocent. Yet, this world operated on a survival of the fittest principle. Kindness would only serve as a death sentence.
The two received their orders and departed.
On the very same afternoon, witnesses reported two streaks of starlight crossing the sky, headed toward the Heavenly Sword Sect.
Many along the way witnessed the phenomenon, and it even alarmed True Martial Realm elders currently in seclusion.
"Mid-stage of True Martial Realm, and there are two of them. It seems that the Heavenly Sword Sect is in dire straits," the aura of death permeated Ancestor of Qingxue Palace's words, making even speaking seem laborious. This explained why Qingxue Palace had gone to great lengths to secure the True Martial Pill.
"The Heavenly Sword Sect is truly seeking death. If it were possible for other major forces, they would have acted long ago. The older they get, the more muddled they become," the Supreme Elder of the Night Owl Sect sighed, shaking his head. Unlike the exhausted Qingxue Palace Ancestor, he still had more vitality.
"This Kyushu Chamber of Commerce's background… ah." The Lord of the Azure Cloud Kingdom let out a sigh of helplessness.
Over the past years, the royal family had been declining steadily. The three major powers, three major families, regional princes, and influential families had all turned their backs on the Azure Cloud Kingdom. Only because they had some ancestral heritage to suppress these issues did the Azure Cloud Kingdom manage to avoid disintegration.
"However, this Kyushu Chamber of Commerce has actually done a favor for my Azure Cloud Kingdom."
Everyone's attention was now focused on the Kyushu Chamber of Commerce, giving the royal family ample time to develop their power in secret. However, after today, the Azure Cloud Kingdom would be left with only two major forces.
Upon reaching the Heavenly Sword Sect, Shangguan Lefeng and Shangguan Lanying swiftly moved, though they had traveled quite a distance, many people chose not to leave.
Shangguan Lefeng and Shangguan Lanying paid no heed to formalities; they easily dispatched the martial techniques of at least the Earth Stage, leaving almost no survivors in their wake. Even those so-called elders found it difficult to withstand a single blow.
After eliminating the entire sect, the two collected the sect's resources. As for the Heavenly Sword Sect's Sect Master? He had already passed away after meticulously setting everything in motion. However, he didn't know that the disciples he had arranged meticulously couldn't stray far at all. How could the Su Family possibly not have their own plans within the Heavenly Sword Sect?
They took the Heavenly Sword Sect Master's body with them, hanging it on the walls of Nanfeng City. This was a clear message to everyone: this was the fate of those who coveted the Kyushu Chamber of Commerce.
[Ding, congratulations, Host, on annihilating the Heavenly Sword Sect. Your reputation has soared, and you are awarded 10,000 luck points and one destiny descendant. Family building – Scripture Pavilion.]
[Note: Destiny descendants might be born naturally or awaken later. Currently, it cannot be determined. They will appear when the time comes.]
Su Xun didn't pay much attention to this; what was meant to happen would happen. He set his gaze upon the Scripture Pavilion building.
[Name: Scripture Pavilion
Grade: Unknown
Function: A collection of the family's scriptures. Currently, the first four floors are open. The first floor stores Yellow Stage techniques, the second stores Profound Stage techniques, the third stores Earth Stage techniques, and the fourth stores Heaven Stage techniques.
Additionally, the Scripture Pavilion can generate one Yellow Stage technique per week, one Profound Stage technique per month, one Earth Stage technique every six months, and one Heaven Stage technique per year.
Note: The Scripture Pavilion condenses the essence of the Dao, and cultivating within it can enhance comprehension and increase learning abilities.]
Su Xun was pleased with this. If it had come sooner, the Su Family would already possess twenty or thirty Heaven Stage techniques. He replaced the original Scripture Pavilion with this new one. The techniques from the previous pavilion were transferred and engraved on jade slips, each placed in its appropriate location.
The incident at the Heavenly Sword Sect spread among the major forces. They chose to remain on the sidelines since three True Martial Realm mid-stage experts were already present, and it was evident that even stronger individuals were backing the Kyushu Chamber of Commerce.
Even the royal family refrained from stirring up too much trouble. Over these days, the Kyushu Chamber of Commerce expanded rapidly, establishing branches in almost every major city of the Azure Cloud Kingdom. This included the capital and the territories of various regional princes.
Previously, the major regional princes had regarded the company as nothing but a flashy act, hardly worth their attention. However, they were now learning the lesson the hard way, and they were keen to have the Kyushu Chamber of Commerce in their territories. It could greatly bolster their strength, possibly even allowing them to surpass the royal family.
In a location drenched in blood, a young man was locked in combat with an enormous Earth-tier brute bear. This type of brute bear was equivalent to the Profound Martial Realm of human cultivators. However, due to its monstrous abilities and its heavily defensive nature, even someone at the Profound Martial Realm peak would find it difficult to defeat.
Yet the young man at the early stage of the Profound Martial Realm was engaged in an intense struggle with it. The two had been battling for a long time, and while both were wounded, upon closer inspection, it was clear that the brute bear had sustained more injuries.
The young man's clothes were tattered, revealing a defensive garment underneath, likely of high grade. His longsword was clearly no ordinary weapon.
After an extended confrontation, the young man managed to slay the brute bear.