Chapter 1279: Redirected Wrath

“How should we deal with him?” Dongbo Xueying glanced at the Bat Mountain Master.

“Brother Feixue, whatever you wish shall be done,” the Bat Mountain Master immediately transmitted his voice.

Dongbo Xueying increasingly felt that this Bat Mountain Master lacked the so-called ‘pride’ of a true master. Yet, despite this absence of pride, it did not change the fact that the Bat Mountain Master was one of the few top-tier experts in Junshan City. Without employing the ‘Illusory Realm of the Void Path,’ even Dongbo Xueying would find it difficult to subdue him! Moreover, based on his memory searches, soul techniques as overwhelmingly powerful as his were unheard of in Junshan City—at least, no one had ever mentioned such a thing.

Thus, Dongbo Xueying would not casually use soul techniques against formidable foes. Once such abilities were revealed, news would spread, and his peaceful days would likely come to an end.

“I’d like to see this Tie Chengliu first,” Dongbo Xueying transmitted.

“Of course, of course! Tie Chengliu is currently at my Bat Mountain,” the Bat Mountain Master replied with great enthusiasm.

The two then left Floating Mountain Palace and headed for Bat Mountain.

—

Within Junshan City, Bat Mountain occupied a vast area, with sprawling buildings and a large number of subordinates.

Inside a grand hall.

Dongbo Xueying and the Bat Mountain Master entered together, where several Divine Monarchs had already been waiting.

“Pay your respects to Divine Monarch Feixue!” the Bat Mountain Master commanded as soon as they stepped in.

“Greetings, Divine Monarch Feixue!” The Divine Monarchs all bowed in unison.

These high-ranking members of Bat Mountain had already heard the news—their leader, the Bat Mountain Master, had lost a sparring match against Divine Monarch Feixue! Even after transforming into his ‘Bat-Dragon’ form, the Bat Mountain Master had been injured, while Divine Monarch Feixue remained unscathed. This revelation made them revere Divine Monarch Feixue just as much as they did their own leader.

“Brother Feixue, please, take a seat,” the Bat Mountain Master said warmly, gesturing for Dongbo Xueying to sit beside him at the highest position in the hall.

Once seated, the Bat Mountain Master barked, “Bring Tie Chengliu forth!”

“Yes!”

Soon.

Tie Chengliu was dragged in, chains piercing through his body, his steps unsteady, his face pale. As he was forced to kneel in the center of the hall, he looked up and saw the Bat Mountain Master and Dongbo Xueying seated above him.

“How…?” Tie Chengliu was stunned.

Hadn’t Bat Mountain sent experts to ambush Divine Monarch Feixue? Hadn’t three Divine Monarchs already died in the attempt? With such heavy losses and enmity between them, how could the Bat Mountain Master still invite Divine Monarch Feixue here and seat him as an equal?

He knew all too well—losing three Divine Monarchs was a devastating blow to an organization like Bat Mountain. These past few days, he had suffered greatly under their torture, fully aware of their fury.

“I originally intended to execute you directly,” the Bat Mountain Master said coldly, his voice hoarse as he looked down. “But Brother Feixue wished to see you first. That’s the only reason you’re still alive.”

“Brother Feixue?” Tie Chengliu felt a surge of bitter resentment.

Bat Mountain Master! You, one of Junshan City’s top ten experts, with three of your Divine Monarchs dead at the hands of this man, and yet you call him ‘brother’? Have you no shame?

“Tie Chengliu, before that ship, had we ever met?” Dongbo Xueying asked.

“Never,” Tie Chengliu replied darkly.

“Had I ever wronged you before?” Dongbo Xueying pressed.

“No,” Tie Chengliu admitted.

“In fact, before today, we had never even exchanged a single word,” Dongbo Xueying continued.

“True,” Tie Chengliu said.

On the ship, Dongbo Xueying had used his Illusory Realm of the Void Path to enhance his charm. Only a rare few had disliked him—and among them, Tie Chengliu was the only one who harbored true hatred. Since Tie Chengliu had despised him, Dongbo Xueying had seen no reason to engage with him further.

“You never even spoke to Brother Feixue before, yet you wanted him dead?” The Bat Mountain Master couldn’t help but interject.

“Yes, I’m quite curious myself,” Dongbo Xueying said, watching Tie Chengliu. “Was it because of your junior sister?”

At the mention of ‘junior sister,’ Tie Chengliu’s expression twisted, his eyes turning wild. He sneered at Dongbo Xueying. “Divine Monarch Feixue is indeed well-informed.”

Dongbo Xueying nodded.

From the memories he had searched, he knew that Junshan City had once hosted other Ascendants—three of them, in fact. A man and his two wives, all Ascendants. The man was known as ‘Divine Monarch Dongfang,’ and his two wives were equally stunning. They had stayed in Junshan City for quite some time.

Back then, Tie Chengliu’s junior sister, ‘Divine Monarch Xiaoshuang,’ had been saved by Divine Monarch Dongfang. Their relationship had grown increasingly close, and eventually, Divine Monarch Dongfang had publicly married her.

Divine Monarch Xiaoshuang was only at the early Divine Monarch stage, while her senior brother, Tie Chengliu, was merely a peak Divine General—a step below. Tie Chengliu had been infatuated with his junior sister, but she had never reciprocated his feelings.

After Divine Monarch Dongfang married Xiaoshuang, Tie Chengliu, consumed by resentment, had spent all his wealth to purchase poison in an attempt to assassinate Divine Monarch Dongfang. Though the attempt had injured Dongfang, out of respect for his wife, he had spared Tie Chengliu’s life. Instead, he had sealed Tie Chengliu’s cultivation and hung him from a tavern flagpole in Junshan City for three full days. No one had dared to take him down during that time.

“She was my junior sister!” Tie Chengliu gritted his teeth. “My father took her in, taught her cultivation—she owes everything to him! She was supposed to be mine! That bastard Dongfang stole her from me!”

“She was never your wife. Divine Monarch Xiaoshuang never had eyes for you,” the Bat Mountain Master scoffed from above.

“If not for my father, where would she be now?” Tie Chengliu’s eyes reddened. “After my father perished in the wilderness, she forgot all gratitude!”

“Divine Monarch Xiaoshuang never forgot her debts. She helped you time and again. Even Divine Monarch Dongfang treated you well—so well that you managed to poison him,” the Bat Mountain Master said with a smirk. “And in the end, he still showed mercy and let you live.”

“Mercy? That hypocrite—” Tie Chengliu’s madness deepened.

“What does any of this have to do with me?” Dongbo Xueying suddenly cut in.

Tie Chengliu glared at him. “You’re just like him—an Ascendant!”

Dongbo Xueying was speechless.

He had considered this possibility before, but the reasoning was utterly absurd.

Tie Chengliu resented the Ascendant ‘Divine Monarch Dongfang,’ so he took it out on Dongbo Xueying?

“You Ascendants are all the same—seducing women with your tricks. Even on that ship, the maids and even the Third Young Miss were all fawning over you!” Tie Chengliu spat through clenched teeth.

“You’re truly insane,” Dongbo Xueying shook his head. Having confirmed the reason for Tie Chengliu’s hatred, he had no further interest in listening. “Bat Mountain Master, execute him.”

“Understood,” the Bat Mountain Master replied promptly.

He had half-expected Divine Monarch Feixue to show the same mercy as the previous Ascendant, Divine Monarch Dongfang, and spare Tie Chengliu’s life.

“Execute me?” Tie Chengliu’s madness flared, and he tried to speak again.

*Boom!*

With a mere glance from the Bat Mountain Master, an endless wave of freezing energy condensed out of thin air, encasing Tie Chengliu in a massive block of ice. The ice then shattered, and with it, Tie Chengliu’s body was utterly annihilated.

In terms of status, the Bat Mountain Master was a high-ranking figure in Junshan City—even Young Master Yufeng Lei had to treat him with courtesy. Tie Chengliu, on the other hand, was nothing more than a lowly commoner, not even a member of the Yufeng Clan. When his father was alive, he had some standing, but now? His father was dead, and his junior sister had long since left with Divine Monarch Dongfang. The Bat Mountain Master had no reason to hold back.

The whole affair left Dongbo Xueying exasperated.

“Divine Monarch Dongfang spared him, yet he still sought death,” Dongbo Xueying muttered. As for Bat Mountain—though he held no fondness for them, he had already killed three of their Divine Monarchs without suffering any losses himself. Moreover, he had no desire to expose his terrifying soul techniques over such a trivial matter. And given the Bat Mountain Master’s shamelessly enthusiastic apologies, Dongbo Xueying decided to let the matter rest.

—

In Junshan City, Dongbo Xueying’s new residence.

Having demonstrated his strength, Young Master Yufeng Lei had gifted him an extravagant estate spanning a hundred miles, complete with a host of maids and servants. For Yufeng Lei, who was facing an impending catastrophe, securing the allegiance of such a powerful newcomer was paramount. The more favors he bestowed, the more likely Dongbo Xueying would fight wholeheartedly when the time came.

The days that followed were peaceful.

Aside from occasional visits from other Divine Monarchs and his disciple, Yufeng Qingyin, who sought his guidance, Dongbo Xueying spent most of his time in secluded cultivation, delving deeper into the laws of the Void Path in this world.