"You’re quite the opportunist, you old coot," Long Chen sneered, not sparing him any face.
The remark made Shangguan Yuan’s face flush red, so embarrassed he wished he could dig a hole and bury his head in it.
"Are you the one who wanted to kill my Master?" Xia Duoduo’s sinister gaze locked onto Shangguan Yuan.
Shangguan Yuan’s nerves tensed. He quickly shook his head. "N-No, it wasn’t me!"
As he spoke, he looked toward Chu Zhentian and Tuoba Jin, hoping they would speak up for him and plead with Long Chen on his behalf.
Chu Zhentian sighed softly. If only he had known it would come to this, he never should have acted in the first place.
But, out of consideration for their bond as fellow sect members, Chu Zhentian still said to Long Chen, "Long Chen, no matter what, we are all members of the Martial Ancestor. Please, for my sake, have her give him another chance."
"A chance?" Xia Duoduo scoffed, her killing intent flaring as she prepared to strike Shangguan Yuan. "It’s too late for regrets now!"
"Forget it," Long Chen finally said.
"Master..." Xia Duoduo looked back at Long Chen.
Long Chen waved his hand, signaling for her to stand down.
Hearing this, Xia Duoduo clenched her fists. She stared coldly at Shangguan Yuan. "Consider yourself lucky!"
Only after hearing those words did Shangguan Yuan finally breathe a sigh of relief. He quickly said to Long Chen, "This old man thanks you."
"You should be thankful Chu Zhentian spoke up for you. Otherwise, you’d be a corpse right now," Long Chen said icily.
"Yes!" Shangguan Yuan bowed his head, not daring to say anything more.
"Xin’er, how are you?" Long Chen walked over to Long Xin.
"I’m fine, it’s nothing serious." Long Xin smiled. "The most important thing is that you’re all right."
"I’m perfectly fine." Long Chen patted Long Xin’s head. This silly girl, caring more about me than she does about herself.
Long Chen then turned to Chu Lingjun. "Thank you. I’m grateful for your help this time."
Chu Lingjun’s expression faltered as she said disingenuously, "I wasn’t helping you. I only did it for Xin’er."
Long Chen didn’t overthink it. "Regardless, I still thank you."
BOOM!
Just then, a deafening roar echoed from the sky above. A crushing pressure descended from the heavens, weighing down on everyone from the Martial Ancestor.
"What’s happening?"
"What immense pressure!"
"Don’t tell me the World King Palace sent more people?"
The faces of the Disciples of the Martial Sect changed drastically, filled with a profound sense of dread.
"This is not good." Xia Duoduo’s brows furrowed.
Long Chen’s expression also turned grave.
Chu Zhentian immediately urged him, "You two need to leave, now! You two alone are no match for them."
Xia Duoduo turned to Long Chen. "Master, he’s right. It would be wise for us to leave first."
Long Chen hesitated for a moment before nodding. There were no other good options. Staying would not only endanger himself but also drag the entire Martial Ancestor down with him.
Long Xin clutched Long Chen’s arm tightly, afraid he would leave her behind. "Brother Chen, I’m going with you!"
"Xin’er, this is far too dangerous. I can’t let you take such a risk!" Long Chen said as he freed himself from her grasp. He turned to Chu Lingjun. "I must trouble you to look after her. I will be sure to repay this debt in the future!"
With that said, Long Chen left with Xia Duoduo.
Just as they rose into the sky, several figures suddenly appeared. They emanated an overwhelmingly powerful aura that sent a chill down the spine.
The leader was a middle-aged man, Liu Teng, a disciple of Ma Rulong. He exuded a daunting presence.
Liu Teng glanced indifferently at the members of the Martial Ancestor and said in a deep voice, "Quite the Martial Ancestor you have here. Our Elder’s great-grandson dies suddenly within your sect, and you still haven’t offered an explanation?"
"Your Excellency..." Chu Zhentian’s heart trembled. Just as he was about to speak, he was cut off by a voice transmission from Long Chen, who was now some distance away. "You dogs of the World King Palace! I killed Ma Cheng. If you want revenge, come and find me!"