High above the Chong Clan’s estate, a flat warship lay concealed, its underside adorned with intricate arrays of mystical patterns. An invisible ripple emanated from it, rendering it completely undetectable—even the Chong Clan below remained oblivious. Naturally, the warship had not ventured into the range of the clan’s detection arrays.
Inside the warship stood seven figures, their gazes fixed upon the ancient Chong Clan below.
At the forefront was a golden-robed, golden-haired man, flanked by six figures clad in blood-red robes.
“The old ghost Chong has had quite the stroke of luck, stumbling upon a legendary True Divine Artifact,” the golden-haired man remarked with a sneer. “But he deserves death for daring to keep such a treasure for himself instead of offering it to the Sacred Land.”
“True Divine Artifacts are said to be incredibly difficult to forge. None in our current era have managed it,” one of the blood-robed figures murmured.
In the Divine Realm and the Abyss, True Divine Artifacts, while precious, were not impossibly rare—after all, most Dominators could craft them. Even the foremost master smith among Paragons, the ‘Ripple Lord of Stars,’ could painstakingly forge one with great effort. But in this world… where no Dominators existed, finding someone capable of crafting a True Divine Artifact was nearly impossible.
Even the Ripple Lord of Stars had only succeeded under the guidance of predecessors like Lady Ganhe.
Thus, in this world, True Divine Artifacts were far more valuable than in the Divine Realm or the Abyss. Even the materials required for their creation were scarce beyond comparison.
“Begin,” the golden-haired man commanded coldly.
—
The flat warship suddenly erupted with a terrifying aura, the glowing patterns on its underside blazing with a dazzling golden radiance. The golden light surged downward like an unstoppable tide, crashing against the Chong Clan’s defensive arrays.
A thunderous roar echoed as layer upon layer of massive formations activated across the estate. Black energy surged like tidal waves, shielding the clan from the descending golden light.
“Who dares?!” A furious bellow shook the heavens as a figure in purple robes shot into the sky—the leader of the Chong Clan.
The Chong Ancestor’s expression darkened as he beheld the warship above.
Not just him—the clan’s three Great Elders, figures of immense status and power, also recognized the vessel.
“The ‘Golden Fiendfire Cloudship’—a treasure of the Sacred Land’s palace,” one of the Great Elders muttered, his heart sinking. The ship’s appearance alone signified that their attackers hailed from the ‘Heavenfire Palace,’ one of the three great Sacred Lands. By all logic, the Chong Clan should have been under Heavenfire Palace’s protection. Why were they being attacked?
“Which envoy has come?” the Chong Ancestor called out, his voice steady. The three Great Elders swiftly joined him, while the clan’s Fourth Heaven Godkings, retainers, disciples, and guards watched uneasily from below.
A mocking laugh rang out as the seven figures descended beneath the warship.
“Old ghost Chong, have you forgotten me already?” the golden-haired man sneered.
The Chong Ancestor and his elders tensed.
Before them stood a Heavenfire Palace Punishment Envoy and six Law Enforcers—seven mighty experts in total. Given Heavenfire Palace’s superior techniques, their average strength far surpassed that of the Chong Clan’s elites.
“So it’s Punishment Envoy Sheng,” the Chong Ancestor said, frowning. “Why have you suppressed our clan’s formations?”
“Enough talk,” the golden-haired man snapped. “You thought you could hide that treasure from us? You have two choices: hand it over, or watch as I uproot your clan today.”
The Chong Ancestor’s heart clenched, though he feigned outrage. “What treasure? Who fed you such lies? And you know well that we all possess avatars. Destroying this estate is one thing, but eradicating four mighty experts of the Chong Clan? Impossible.”
He was warning them.
“Does the Left Palace Master know of this?” the Chong Ancestor demanded.
“I act under the Right Palace Master’s orders,” the golden-haired man scoffed. “Did you think the Left Palace Master’s favor would shield you?”
The Chong Ancestor seethed with frustration.
Even within the mighty Heavenfire Palace, factions existed—primarily the Left and Right Palace Masters’ factions, with a third, more subdued group rumored to linger in the shadows.
“Hand it over, or your clan falls,” the golden-haired man said coldly.
“I have no idea what you’re talking about,” the Chong Ancestor retorted. Surrender the treasure? Never. It was his hope of ascending to Paragon status!
“Then I’ll see for myself,” the golden-haired man sneered. “Kill them all!”
Whoosh! Whoosh! Whoosh!
The six blood-robed Law Enforcers dove downward, flames wreathing their bodies as they streaked through the air like blazing comets.
“Death to those who dare attack the Chong Clan!” the Chong Ancestor roared, his killing intent flaring. The three Great Elders beside him surged into action.
Boom—
The sky trembled with the clash of power.
This world’s unseen rules suppressed speed and the magnitude of attacks, so the battle’s spectacle paled in comparison to the Divine Realm or the Abyss. Yet even as the Chong Clan’s formations clashed with the Golden Fiendfire Cloudship, they still shielded the clan’s cultivators below.
—
Above, the Punishment Envoy wielded the sacred treasure to its fullest, overwhelming the Chong Ancestor despite the latter’s superior individual strength.
“Patriarch, we can’t hold out!” one of the Great Elders cried.
Outnumbered and outmatched, the three Great Elders struggled. Within moments, the weakest—the Third Elder—was cleaved apart by an axe, his body utterly annihilated. The remaining two fought desperately, barely holding on.
“Deal with them. We’ll exterminate the rest,” four of the blood-robed Law Enforcers declared, diving toward the clan below.
“Old ghost Chong, your Third Elder is dead. The other two won’t last much longer,” the golden-haired man taunted mid-battle. “Just surrender the treasure. Must you watch your clan’s Fourth Heaven Godkings and retainers perish one by one?”
The Chong Ancestor burned with helpless rage.
The Right Palace Master’s faction had come prepared, deploying their sacred treasure and nearly all their elite forces—one Punishment Envoy and six Law Enforcers. The Chong Clan stood no chance.
—
“Ah, to think even being a retainer would land me in such a mess,” a red-nosed man known as ‘Drunkard’ muttered, taking a swig from his bottle.
“Surrender, and we’ll spare you,” a blood-robed Law Enforcer barked.
“Since I joined the Chong Clan, I won’t yield so easily,” Drunkard retorted, raising his head. “Let’s see how strong a Heavenfire Palace Law Enforcer really is.”
“You’ll find out soon enough.”
The Law Enforcer smirked.
Moments later, Drunkard’s body was severed by a single slash.
“The gap between us is too great,” he sighed before his form disintegrated completely.
—
Most of the retainers chose to fight rather than flee. After all, they were merely avatars—death here meant little.
—
“Punishment Envoy Sheng!” The Chong Ancestor’s eyes burned with fury as he watched the slaughter below. The four Law Enforcers, armed with the Sacred Land’s supreme techniques, outclassed the Fourth Heaven Godkings effortlessly.
For instance, even if both sides cultivated the same technique like *Taihao*, a Fourth Heaven Godking could at best master the fourth layer, while mighty experts invariably reached the fifth.
Thus, the disparity was insurmountable.
“You can’t stop this. Your clan, your descendants—all will perish,” the golden-haired man gloated.
—
Dongbo Xueying watched as the four blood-robed Law Enforcers descended, wreathed in thunder and flame, cutting down everything in their path. One of them zeroed in on his location.
“Chong Yan, seventh son of the Chong Ancestor?” the Law Enforcer’s icy voice rang out. “Blame your father for your clan’s demise.”
The white-robed youth clenched his fists, his heart aflame with anger and despair.
No longer the eight-year-old child he once was, he understood the gravity of the situation. Even his revered master, a mere Fourth Heaven Godking, would be powerless here.
“A mighty expert bullying a child—isn’t that beneath you?” Dongbo Xueying stepped forward, shielding his disciple.
“Oh?” The Law Enforcer eyed him. “Today, we exterminate the Chong Clan—every last one. You’re the retainer ‘Flying Snow Godking,’ this boy’s master, correct? Trying to play the hero?”
He scoffed, utterly dismissive. The battle was already a foregone conclusion.
“Flying Snow Godking, Fourth Heaven Godking, no notable achievements,” the Law Enforcer recited mockingly from his intelligence reports.
“Master…” Chong Yan whispered, trembling.
“Stay back, Xiao Qi,” Dongbo Xueying said coolly, drawing the sword from his back.
*Shing!*
The blade gleamed as he leveled it at the Law Enforcer.
“I may not have notable achievements,” he said softly. “But starting today, I will.”
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