Chapter 843

Chapter 843: Spare the Lord’s Life

As Wang Chen descended the final step, he turned to gaze at the towering Qinyun Peak.

The palace atop the peak still stood majestically, but to his eyes, it was nothing more than a heap of decayed wood and crumbling earth.

After a brief verbal confrontation, without resorting to any force, the grand elder of Qinyun Palace ultimately yielded, reluctantly handing over the three extraordinary practitioners who had participated in the ambush against Wang Chen.

These three extraordinary practitioners had been recuperating in their respective caves, never dreaming they would be betrayed by the grand elder.

Thus, their execution proceeded without incident, devoid of any unexpected twists.

With this, Wang Chen’s grievances with Qinyun Palace were settled.

The battle had cost Qinyun Palace more than half of its top combat ability, and with the treasures from the secret vault seized by Wang Chen, the losses were nothing short of shocking beyond description.

Yet, the greatest loss was the trust of the people.

As the saying goes, you cannot hide fire with paper; with Wang Chen’s ascent to Qinyun Palace and the grand elder’s humiliating submission, how could they uphold the prestige of being the foremost palace in the world?

It was only a matter of time before Taiji Palace would replace them.

Upon returning to Taiji Palace, Wang Chen soon announced another period of closed-door cultivation.

Three years passed in the blink of an eye.

“Lord!”

The urgent cry roused Wang Chen from his deepest meditative state.

He opened his eyes, a faint glimmer of light flickering in his dark pupils before vanishing into the abyss.

Counting on his fingers, Wang Chen realized he had been in seclusion for a full three years.

Though his Taoist robe remained pristine, the ground around him was dusted with a thin layer of ash, centered around the dual realms of heaven and earth, forming the inherent Taiji pattern.

His hair, now cascading to the floor, was gathered and tucked beneath his robe. He rose, sweeping his sleeve to open the tightly sealed doors.

A rush of fresh air instantly filled the chamber.

Kneeling at the doorway was a muscular man with a robust build.

It was Gao Zhuang.

Seeing Wang Chen, Gao Zhuang was overjoyed: “Lord!”

Wang Chen spoke in a deep voice, “Rise and speak. What has happened?”

Before his seclusion, he had made it clear that no one was to disturb him unless Taiji Palace faced imminent destruction.

This could only mean something grave had occurred.

Gao Zhuang quickly stood and reported, “Lord, two flying dragons have appeared and are attacking the city. The protective formation is on the verge of collapse!”

“Flying dragons?”

Wang Chen was momentarily stunned—what could that mean?

But now was not the time for questions. He frowned and asked, “Where is Mo Han?”

Before his seclusion, Wang Chen had enhanced the protective formation of Chang’an City using the treasures he had acquired from Qinyun Palace.

And he also helped enhance Mo Han’s strength.

During his closed-door cultivation, Mo Han took charge of the governance of Chang’an City and Taiji Palace, including the protective formation!

Wang Chen was confident that with the improvements he had made to this formation, as long as everyone in Taiji Palace worked together, even if Qinyun Palace sent all their forces, they would not be able to break through.

How could they be brought to the brink of collapse by two flying dragons?

These flying dragons couldn’t possibly be ninth-level fierce beasts!

“Elder Mo is overseeing the formation in Taiji Palace.”

Gao Zhuang hesitated for a moment, then sighed, “But the cultivators in the palace are not united in heart; he is about to give in!”

“Hmm?”

Wang Chen suddenly noticed something off about Gao Zhuang’s aura: “You’re injured?”

“I was ambushed just now.”

Gao Zhuang said with embarrassment, “Fortunately, the treasures bestowed by the Lord helped protect me; otherwise…”

Wang Chen immediately understood that the current crisis faced by Taiji Palace was likely the result of both internal and external troubles.

He guessed that his three-year absence might have led some people to believe they had found an opportunity!

“Let’s go!”

Wang Chen wasted no time and immediately left the quiet room.

This hidden chamber was located underground beneath Lingyan Pavilion, equipped with special formations and mechanisms that only Gao Zhuang and Mo Han could enter.

To avoid outside interference, it was built quite deep, which was why he was unaware of the commotion above.

The tunnel’s exit was right behind the main hall of Taiji Palace.

When Wang Chen returned to the surface and stepped into the main hall, he instantly saw the two parties at odds.

One side was led by Mo Han and comprised dozens of cultivators, while the other side also consisted of cultivators—all of them wearing the distinctive robes of Taiji Palace, but both sides were on the verge of an internal conflict.

“Gong Yang Ji!”

Mo Han shouted furiously at a thin middle-aged cultivator, “The Lord has treated you well! Even if you don’t show gratitude, during these critical moments of life and death, to incite others to betray Taiji Palace is utterly despicable!”

The middle-aged cultivator named Gong Yang Ji was the leader of the opposing side, and in response to Mo Han’s accusation, he sneered: “You know this is a time of life and death; you can’t withstand the outside flying dragons, can you expect us to go down with you?”

“The Lord has been good to me, but he has been in closed-door cultivation for three years, his fate uncertain; how can you blame me for wanting to protect myself?”

As soon as Gong Yang Ji finished speaking, the surrounding cultivators echoed his sentiment.

“Yeah, we just want to survive; what’s wrong with that?”

“Elder Mo, if you can’t hold on, don’t blame us!”

“Right, quickly lift the restrictions of the formation and let us out!”

They surged with aggression, ready to fight at any disagreement.

Any protective formation requires someone to manage and oversee it to operate normally.

Under normal circumstances, the more cultivators stationed at the center and nodes, the stronger the formation’s operation and protection effects.

The main hall of Taiji Palace was the core of Chang’an City’s protective formation.

Originally, these cultivators should have been joining Mo Han in resisting external threats.

Yet, they were turning against him at the critical moment.

Mo Han was so furious he nearly spat blood: “You…”

“Elder Mo!”

Gong Yang Ji stepped forward, triumphant, and said: “Actually, saving Chang’an City is quite simple. Just lift the formation, and let our friends from Qinyun Palace in. The more people there are, the stronger we become; naturally, we can resolve the crisis.”

“I believe that even if the Lord were here, he would agree!”

“I don’t agree.”

As soon as Gong Yang Ji finished speaking, a cold voice rang out in the hall, clearly reaching everyone’s ears.

Gong Yang Ji’s face changed dramatically!

And Mo Han was overjoyed: “Lord!”

Wang Chen walked into the hall, scanning the faces of every cultivator.

Some were immensely excited, some let out deep sighs, others turned ashen, and some trembled in fear.

Gong Yang Ji forced out a very unattractive smile: “Lord, Lesser Steward just…”

Wang Chen said nothing and raised his right hand to press down on Gong Yang Ji from afar.

Boom!

In an instant, Gong Yang Ji was slammed to the ground by an invisible force, turning him into a meat pancake!

He was also an extraordinary practitioner of the entry into the path level, but under Wang Chen, he was as vulnerable as a newborn baby.

Completely unable to endure a single blow.

The other cultivators with Gong Yang Ji were terrified and immediately fell to their knees.

“Lord, spare us!”