Within the light screen, men in black dropped from the mountain cliffs, surrounding the flying ship. The leader took a step forward, his voice raspy, clearly disguised on purpose.
"Hun Qianxue, today is the day you die. Surrender now, and perhaps I can grant you a dignified death."
Hun Qianxue's trusted guard shouted sharply, "Cowards who hide their faces dare to speak such arrogance! If you have the guts, state your names!"
The man in black did not answer.
He raised his right hand and gave a light wave. The auras of six Eternal True Gods erupted simultaneously, like six erupting volcanoes. The violent pressure caused the defensive formations on the flying ship to creak and groan.
Immediately after, several fierce attacks were unleashed at once—sword light, palm prints, and pillars of light condensed from Law power all slammed toward the flying ship.
Boom!
The flying ship shook violently, and most of its defensive formations shattered.
"Family Head, the enemy came prepared. A trapping formation has sealed the Void Realm. We cannot call for help, nor can we break through!"
A guard said urgently,
"We will cover your retreat!"
Hun Qianxue, however, remained unmoved.
He slowly left the flying ship and stood with his hands behind his back in the Void Realm. His gaze swept over the men in black, and a faint curve touched the corner of his mouth.
"Elder Hun Cangfeng."
He suddenly spoke. His voice wasn't loud, but it clearly reached everyone's ears.
"Did you think I wouldn't recognize you just because you're wearing a mask?"
Inside the hall, in front of the light screen, there was an uproar.
Hun Cangfeng?
That highly respected Elder of the Hun Family?
"Impossible!"
A clan Elder close to Hun Cangfeng immediately shook his head.
"How could Cangfeng do such a treacherous thing? Qianxue must be mistaken!"
However, the images in the light screen caused his voice to grow smaller and smaller.
The leader of the men in black clearly stiffened when he heard the name "Hun Cangfeng."
Hun Qianxue continued, his tone unhurried, yet every word was like a blade:
"And you, Qianchen, my dear brother. Did you think that by hiding behind a mask, I wouldn't recognize your aura?"
The hall completely exploded into chaos.
Third Young Master Hun Qianchen?
"This... how is this possible?"
"Hun Cangfeng and Third Young Master Hun Qianchen are in league? What are they trying to do?"
Ancestor Fenxue's face darkened. His eyes narrowed slightly as he stared intently at the reactions of the men in black on the light screen.
In the light screen, the leading man in black was silent for several breaths before suddenly reaching up and removing his mask. He revealed a face everyone was incredibly familiar with: Hun Cangfeng.
There was no smile on his face, only a somber, ashen look. He stared fixedly at Hun Qianxue, his voice raspy:
"How did you find out?"
Hun Qianxue smiled:
"It's a secret."
Behind him, another man in black removed his disguise, revealing a resolute yet weary face.
Wu Tianqiong, Sect Leader of the Tianwu Sect. At this moment, he said with some impatience:
"I told you this disguise was useless. Let's just get on with it."
In the hall, a clan Elder slammed the table and stood up:
"Tianwu Sect? Hun Cangfeng actually colluded with outsiders to murder the Family Head!"
"Betrayal! This is blatant betrayal of the clan!"
Angry roars echoed in the hall. Those clan Elders who had just spoken up for Hun Cangfeng now shut their mouths one after another, their faces looking as foul as if they had swallowed flies. Hun Cangfeng did not deny it. He took a deep breath, a flash of determination in his eyes.
"Since you already know, then there's nothing more to say.
Hun Qianxue, you won't escape today. You only have one Eternal True God guard by your side. How will you resist?"
His voice returned to calmness, even carrying a hint of confident composure.
"Is that so?"
Hun Qianxue smiled softly, raised his right hand, and gave a light wave.
In an instant, figures stepped out from the flying ship behind him, every one of them possessing an unfathomable aura.
Eternal True Gods.
Including Hun Qianxue, there were a total of ten Eternal True Gods.
One white-haired, white-bearded old man walked at the very front, his steps composed and his gaze like lightning.
He swept his gaze over the men in black on the mountain cliff, his eyes full of killing intent.
"Hun... Hun Pojun!"
Hun Cangfeng's face turned deathly pale in that instant. Hun Pojun was one of the most senior clan Elders of the Hun Family. His cultivation had long since entered the Eternal True God Peak. This man usually never concerned himself with clan affairs and remained in seclusion year-round; even the Family Head couldn't easily move him.
How could he appear here?
"Cangfeng, you have disappointed me greatly."
Hun Pojun stopped his pace and looked at Hun Cangfeng with his hands behind his back. His tone was flat, yet it was like a bucket of cold water poured over the other's head.
"I originally thought your past targeting of Hun Qianxue was just a temporary lapse in judgment. I didn't expect you would actually dare to commit such a treacherous act."
Hun Cangfeng's lips were trembling, his heart filled with shock and suspicion.
What was happening?
He had carefully planned for years, setting an inescapable net and preparing six Eternal True God level combatants.
He had calculated that Hun Qianxue would only bring a few guards on this trip, with at most two True Gods protecting him in secret.
With six against three, he had an absolute chance of victory.
But now, the opponent had ten True Gods, and none of them were easy targets. Each one had a powerful aura, and the weakest was an expert at the Eternal True God Late Stage. How could they fight this?
"Elder Cangfeng, what is going on?"
Wu Tianqiong's voice came from behind, carrying suppressed fury.
"Didn't you say the opponent had at most two True Gods?"
Hun Cangfeng did not answer.
His mind was a complete blank.
Third Young Master Hun Qianchen stood behind him, his face even more unsightly than Hun Cangfeng's. His hands were shaking, his legs were shaking, and a deep fear surged from the bottom of his heart, nearly swallowing him whole.
"It's over... it's all over... Why, why did it fail?"
He muttered to himself, his voice as light as a sleep-talker's, his gaze directed toward Hun Cangfeng as if questioning him.
How did this plan fail so quickly?
"Damn it!"
Wu Tianqiong's voice rose several notches, filled with obvious anger and panic as he looked at Third Young Master Hun Qianchen's state.
"What on earth are you doing? You're going to get us all killed! It wasn't you who leaked the news, was it?"
The several Tianwu Sect experts behind him also became restless, tightening their grips on their weapons. Their gazes wavered between Hun Cangfeng and the nine True Gods opposite them.
They had come to pick up an easy advantage, but they hadn't expected to run into a steel wall.
"Shut up!"
Hun Cangfeng shouted sharply, his face ashen. His mind was racing, trying to find a way to break the deadlock.
On his side, including himself and Wu Tianqiong, there were only six True Gods, and two of them were newly advanced. The gap in combat power was vast.
A direct confrontation meant certain death.
Surrendering might still offer a sliver of hope.
Hun Cangfeng took a deep breath and was just about to speak when Hun Pojun's voice rang out first.
"Cangfeng, for the sake of your many years of service to the clan, I will give you a chance."
Hun Pojun's tone was indifferent, his eyes flashing with a sharp light.
"Surrender, and perhaps I can spare your life."
Of course, this was a lie.
Colluding with outsiders to attack the Family Head was a capital offense from which there was no escape.