Chapter 176: ‘Fake’ Underworld Palace

Youqi smiled. “If I’m lying, why are you so panicked? Either way, whether I lie or not, only you would know… or maybe not?” She paused, looking at Shen Tianqing as if he were a clown, then turned toward Mo Jue.

“The reason I said he’s lying is simple. If he had truly destroyed his own Heavenly Altar, all his cultivation would be gone. He wouldn’t be floating in the air like this and acting arrogant in front of you.”

Youqi spoke directly. It had been a long time since she had taken a day off and come to the mortal world. She wanted to see what this clown would do next.

“You!” Shen Tianqing was speechless. He could only begrudgingly point at Youqi.

Youqi ignored the man, then returned to her seat and waited in anticipation, as if watching the next act of a play unfold before her.

On Shen Tianqing’s side, he was stuck between a rock and a hard place. The secret of Heaven’s Spire Sanctuary had been laid bare by this woman. He had not acted earlier because he was trying to find an excuse to silence her.

But it was too late. She had already spoken. And he knew that among the old foxes attending this engagement ceremony, each one a faction leader or representative, they had enough wit to discern the truth.

Especially after his panicked reaction when she caught him off guard and exposed the fact.

There was no use crying over spilt milk. He needed to secure what he wanted first.

Seeing that Shen Tianqing had no comeback, Mo Jue decided to strike while the iron was hot.

“Since what you said was all a lie, this matter is settled. Today is an auspicious day for my daughter and my son-in-law. As long as you obediently leave, we will not pursue this matter.” Mo Jue said as he gestured toward the exit.

Mo Jue’s words greatly irritated Shen Tianqing. He saw Mo Jue as nothing more than a filthy demon. If this demon’s daughter did not play a crucial role in securing the prosperity and vital destiny of Heaven’s Spire Sanctuary, he would not have bothered speaking with him, let alone arranging a marriage between his son, Shen Tianxuan, and this demon girl.

Shen Tianqing forced himself to calm down, then cupped his fists.

“Since I have already come here, allow me to drink a ceremonial tea before I leave. That way, I will not appear discourteous.” Shen Tianqing said politely. He needed to get closer to the demon girl so he could kidnap her.

But…

A familiar, irritating voice cut in. “There’s no need. You and your goons can get out of the hall. My impression of you is already like sh*t. No amount of courtesy will improve it.”

Wei Chen gestured toward the door. “It’s over there. Or you can fly out through the roof like the rat you are. I don’t mind.”

“But I do,” another voice said. It was Mo Xingyao.

Wei Chen looked at her as if asking whether she was serious.

“Why are you looking at me like that? He broke my roof. He needs to pay before leaving,” Mo Xingyao clarified.

Right… typical Mo Xingyao.

Wei Chen looked back at Shen Tianqing and his lackeys and counted them. There were about eight people, all at least at the Soul Transformation realm. An elite force. Just in case, he decided to buy a bundle of killing licenses.

After paying 8,000 UGC, he secured ten licenses for use. He could beat the crap out of anyone whose cultivation he could sense.

But this old bastard, Shen Tianqing? He could not sense the man’s cultivation at all. In the worst case, he might have to pull out his trusty plunger to fight him.

Shen Tianqing heard Mo Xingyao’s demand and could not help but smirk. If this greedy girl had stayed silent, he might have needed another excuse.

“Of course, Lady Mo, I will pay for the damage we’ve caused,” Shen Tianqing said as he walked toward her.

Wei Chen noticed the old bastard’s eyes shifting left and right, as if measuring distances. He did not know the exact plan, but an old fox suddenly acting civilized?

Come on. Who did he think he was fooling? The man was definitely planning something, either a sneak attack or an attempt to kidnap Mo Xingyao.

With that in mind, Wei Chen lightly pushed Mo Xingyao back, nodded for her to stay put, and stepped forward to meet Shen Tianqing.

“You can leave your spirit stones with me and get out of here,” Wei Chen said, giving Shen Tianqing no face at all.

“Brat!” Shen Tianqing’s temper flared. “Don’t think Mo Jue can protect you. If you provoke me further, I’ll wipe out your entire nine generations!”

“I’m sorry, but in this world, I don’t have any family or ancestors,” Wei Chen quipped.

“Heh! Then I’ll destroy your entire sect. Any sect or faction that shelters or supports you will know the wrath of Heaven’s Spire Sanctuary!” Shen Tianqing declared loudly.

He knew of Wei Chen from Elder Ming. The man was just a vagabond who loved adventure. He had uncovered several valuable artifacts and cultivation methods from ruins. Notably, the first Primordial Era ruin ever discovered had been found by him.

Shen Tianqing guessed that this was why Mo Jue had chosen him as a son-in-law, to secure benefits. So when he made that declaration, he intended to warn other factions not to support Wei Chen.

As for Mo Jue’s Sky Severing Demon Valley and the Thousand Treasure Pavilion, if his words could drive a wedge between them and Wei Chen, all the better. But he was not counting on it.

“Interesting. I would really like to see how your Heaven’s Spire Sanctuary plans to make us, the Underworld Palace, experience your wrath,” Youqi’s voice cut through Shen Tianqing’s facade of fury.

Shen Tianqing quickly turned toward her. “Woman, an ant should not try to provoke a dragon!”

He warned her. Then his eyes lingered. This woman’s style and beauty were exquisite. Her clothing and the way she carried herself were… exotic. Teaching her a lesson might have its own benefits, especially since she claimed to be from the Underworld Palace, which everyone knew was only a myth.

Besides, he himself knew people from the real Underworld Palace, a hidden ancient sect from the Great War Era. The records from the Demonic Dominance Era were nothing but a hoax.

(Author’s Note: For clarity, the timeline from present to oldest is as follows: [Present Day] → [Golden Era] → [Great War Era] → [Demonic Dominance Era] → [Primordial Era] The older the era, the more powerful it was and the richer it was in resources during that time.)

He knew for certain that the real Underworld Palace would not come here to attend some… middle-tier sect’s engagement ceremony. Those people were like a shadow council, working behind the scenes and steering the course of history from the shadows.

Their power was formidable. The only reason he knew of this was because Heaven’s Spire Sanctuary was also a hidden sect, though only from the late Golden Era. So… he could not simply add the prefix “Ancient” in front of his sect’s name.

That word carried more than just meaning. It was also a challenge to many ancient sects that still existed. Even some hidden factions would try to challenge you, because the resources they possessed were far more vast than those of ordinary sects.

Also… he wanted to use this opportunity to curry favor with the Underworld Palace. Destroying a fake sect that dared to use their name? He might receive something valuable from the Underworld Palace, perhaps even from the Underworld Lord himself.

Besides, even if he gained nothing… Shen Tianqing’s gaze turned lascivious as he looked at Youqi’s hourglass figure. Everything about her was like a sculpture crafted by a master artisan.

If he made this woman his cultivation cauldron, he would gain significantly, both in cultivation and… enjoyment.

With this thought, Shen Tianqing’s smile turned cold.

Seeing how the situation was developing, Wei Chen could not help but make a cross sign, silently praying for those men to rest in pieces… no… he meant, rest in peace.

“Then I would really like to see how powerful your Underworld Palace is,” he said, before waving his hand and signaling all of his experts to attack the “fake” Underworld Palace.

Suddenly, four shadows rushed out from the black-armored warriors guarding Youqi, meeting the group from Heaven’s Spire Sanctuary head-on.

“Heh! Insolence! Just four of you?” Elder Ming shouted as he punched toward the nearest black-armored warrior.

Boom!

The punch connected, but…

Instead of the black-armored warrior being sent flying, it was Elder Ming who was blasted into a pillar, crashing into it. Rather than the pillar cracking, the force that sent him flying rebounded and destroyed his body from within.

“Arrrrrrrrggghhhhhh! Arrrrghhhhh orggggggggghgrrrehhh argghhhhhhh!!!”

A scream of agony rang out as the finely controlled power reversed inward, ravaging the victim’s body. To prevent blood from spilling during this auspicious occasion, the four black-armored warriors used precise control over their strength, destroying the inside of their target without letting a single drop of blood escape.

Source: Webnovel.com, updated by NovelKeep