The Earth-Binding Chain was the Spirit Clan’s treasure. It was so powerful that even though it had been in his hands for months, Liu Wuxie still only had a sliver of grasp on it.

Even so, it could still confine an entire space. Hence, even if his target tried to hide within the folds of space, they would still end up bound. A sliver of understanding was certainly more than enough for him to deal with Hou Qiong.

"What is this accursed thing? Get it off me!" Hou Qiong roared as he poured all his strength into attempting to break free.

However, to his dismay, he discovered that the chain only tightened and dug further into his flesh the more he struggled. Considering it could bind even an Abyssal King, an Astral River Realm expert like him was child’s play to it.

He screamed in sheer pain and agony. He could feel bones already on the verge of shattering.

"Liu Wuxie, what have you done to my big brother?!" Hou Qiong’s brother growled, his eyes wide with horror. He watched in disbelief as his elder brother writhed in pain.

He could tell that Huo Qiong was in great pain. The more he struggled, the more he suffered.

"Kill him! Now!" Hou Qiong yelled in desperation. He had turned ghostly pale, and cold beads of sweat had started trickling down his forehead.

He could only hope that killing Liu Wuxie would break him free from the torment. By now, most of his bones had shattered. Unimaginable pain coursed through him as the binding force crushed the rest of his skeletal system piece by piece.

Desperate to save his elder brother from his miserable state, the second brother charged without hesitation. He would kill Liu WUxie even if it cost him his life!

Hovering in the air ten miles away, Madam Li watched the battle with interest. She had been following Liu Wuxie, though she did keep enough distance to avoid being spotted without losing sight of him.

"The brat has quite a few tricks up his sleeve," she muttered. Although Murong Yi had tasked her to protect Liu Wuxie, she didn’t really seem to be needed.

Liu Wuxie stood still, showing indifference to the incoming attack. Taking his non-action as a sign that he had used up all his cards, the second brother let out a sinister laugh. He had just gotten the perfect chance to kill him!

The Earth-Binding Chain had a weakness: it could only attack one person at a time. However, the black chains of the Sky-Devouring Divine Cauldron had no such limitation. After all, they were meant to suppress the most wicked existences in heaven and earth.

As Liu Wuxie commanded, the Demonic Purgatory Chains shot out from the depths of the cauldron and into the void.

A mere human stood no chance against these black chains. Not only was it inescapable, but it was also a thousand times more brutal than the Earth-Binding Chains.

Although the second brother sensed the incoming danger, he returned to his senses too late. Chains only visible to Liu Wuxie slithered toward the remaining enemy from the surroundings, binding him tightly before he could react.

The shocked man struggled, but it was futile. Confusion filled HUo Qiong’s expression as he wondered what was wrong with his second brother. For some reason, he suddenly stopped and froze!

"Liu Wuxie, you monster! What have you done to me?!" the man screamed in agony. The Purgatory Demonic Chains had dug into him and was extracting his energy and essence. Slowly, he shriveled up until he was no more than a mere pile of dried skin.

Hou Qiong’s heart sank into the abyss. He could only watch as his brother died of reasons he couldn’t even fathom.

"I knew it! He killed the three Azure Crimson Gate disciples!" Madam Li muttered as the corners of her eyes twitched.

This scene reminded her of the three Azure Crimson Gate disciples dying right after Liu Wuxie returned to the inn in Serene Sea City. Even now, the Azure Crimson Gate still blamed the House of Tea Art for their disciples’ deaths. However, Madam Li knew that Liu Wuxie was the real culprit.

With his brothers dead, Hou Qiong turned even paler.

When the Purgatory Demonic Chains returned to the Sky-Devouring Divine Cauldron, Liu Wuxie slowly walked toward Hou Qiong.

"Y-You’re a monster!"

Hou Qiong finally panicked. Although they were experts in the pinnacle of the Astral River Realm, they still proved no match for Liu Wuxie. He had to deliver the news back to the clan.

However, Liu Wuxie refused to give him such a chance. The Earth-Binding Chain tightened before Hou Qiong could crush the Communication Talisman.

The talisman fell from the sky, and Liu Wuxie snatched it over. He crafted a message of his own and crushed it with a smirk, delivering false information back to the Hou Clan.

"Liu Wuxie, you scoundrel! What did you send to my clan?!" Hou Qiong roared in frustration. After all, a false message could bring disaster upon their entire clan.

"Nothing too serious," Liu Wuxie replied nonchalantly. "I just told them you three died in Serene Sea City in the hands of the Azure Crimson Gate."

With one sly move, Liu Wuxie had pitted the Hou Clan against the Azure Crimson Gate. This move would certainly make the lives of the Hou Clan disciples in the Azure Crimson Gate even more difficult.

"Y-You’re despicable!" Hou Qiong yelled, then spat out a mouthful of blood. He didn’t expect Liu Wuxie to stoop to such lowly tactics.

The Hou Clan had no enmity with the Azure Crimson Gate. However, thanks to the false information that Liu Wuxie had sent, the two were pushed to the brink of conflict. The slightest mistake could drown the Hou Clan in disaster.

"You’re right. I’m despicable and shameless, but this is how the cultivation world works. You should’ve expected this outcome when you came to take my life," Liu Wuxie replied. He had never considered himself a good person, but he had principles.

The Hou Clan wasn’t so upstanding themselves anyway. They too had committed their fair share of shady deeds. Liu Wuxie simply bought him some time by distracting them and putting a halt to their pursuit.

With a sudden and powerful tug from the Earth-Binding Chains, Hou Qiong died with heavy resentment.

Liu Wuxie had now precisely gauged his strength thanks to the recent battle. He was confident that he would be fine for as long as he didn’t fight a Nascent Transformation Realm e.

The two ladies came out of hiding, their faces still clouded with worry. They were lucky to have hidden in time. Otherwise, they would’ve been captured to threaten Liu Wuxie.

"We can’t stay here any longer. Let’s go!" Liu Wuxie ordered.

He swiftly headed toward the Heavenly Treasure Pavilion, which was now in sight. In just two hours, they would finally be safe. However, Liu Wuxie suddenly slowed down.

"Big Brother Liu, why are we slowing down?" Chen Ruoyan asked, baffled. They even descended from the sky and traveled on foot, which made no sense.

With a grim expression, Liu Wuxie pointed to the path ahead. "There’s only one way back to the Heavenly Treasure Pavilion. Azure Crimson Gate experts are probably lying in ambush there.”

Although they had hundreds of ways back from Serene Sea City, they all convulged to one path to the Heavenly Treasure Pavilion.

"What should we do now?" Chen Ruoyan asked on the verge of tears. She couldn’t help but worry that they’d be stuck outside.

Jian Xing’er also looked worried but remained silent. Despite his furrowing brows, she saw no concern in Liu Wuxie. That was enough for her to tell that he had a plan.

"We have to push through even if there is danger ahead," Liu Wuxie said, striding forward with determination. The pressure intensified with each step he took due to the several invisible auras surging from his surroundings.

Just as Liu Wuxie had expected, experts from the Azure Crimson Gate were waiting to ambush them. Three old men in green robes were guarding the Heavenly Treasure Pavilion’s entrance, ensuring that no one could pass through without them knowing.

Liu Wuxie didn’t bother reapplying his disguise. Even if they changed their appearance to that of elderly people, their enemies now would still easily recognize them anyway. After all, they were in the seventh level of the Nascent Transformation Realm. Moreover, a man and two women traveling together was just too inconspicuous.

Liu Wuxie stopped in his tracks and grinned at the old men. "I’ve kept you all waiting long enough!"

These three were in the high levels of the Nascent Transformation Realm, and his calm demeanor had already surpassed his peers.

Jian Xing’er and Chen Ruoyan were already prepared to fight even if it cost them their lives.

"We underestimated you, Liu Wuxie. Still, I bet you didn’t expect us to be waiting for you here despite taking such a long detour."

Liu Wuxie recognized the old man in the middle. During the stone-betting event, the Sky Rift Valley’s elder introduced him as Dan Cheng. Li Hongda was nowhere to be seen, though. Perhaps he was too embarrassed to come here.

Liu Wuxie simply smiled in response. He already knew that they would wait for him here the moment he left Serene Sea City. After all, they would inevitably intercept him in this path.

The old man on the left stepped forward. "Liu Wuxie, I will take your life today for killing my son!"

Liu Wuxie couldn’t help but be baffled and curious about the old man’s name. Though the old man seemed familiar, he couldn’t recall where he had seen him before. He had slain so many disciples of the Azure Crimson Gate back in Serene Sea City that he couldn’t remember them anymore.

"I have killed so many of your disciples. Which one is your son?"

"Snow Lotus Roots at the Scarlet Sun Mountain Range. Do you remember killing a youth named Qian Zhou? He was my son.”

Liu Wuxie was pulled back to when he ran into Azure Crimson Gate disciples a year ago. While on a mission to collect Snow Lotus Roots, he killed Qian Zhou, unaware that his father was one of their clan’s powerful elders.

"Wow, you’re pretty old to have such a young son. I have to say, you’re really shameless. Hats off to you!" Liu Wuxie sneered, making Qian Xuewen tremble with rage.

Qian Zhou was his illegitimate son, born to a concubine much younger than himself. Unfortunately, after his son ran out on his own due to an incident, Liu Wuxie killed him.

"You still refuse to repent even at death’s door. I’ll skin you alive today, you shitty brat!" Qian Xuewen growled. His face contorted with fury, forming a sinister smile.

The other two elders also sneered, their murderous intent boiling.

They were still quite a distance away from the Heavenly Treasure Pavilion, which meant that even if a battle broke out here, the sect wouldn’t notice the commotion in time to intervene. By the time they realized what was happening, the three old men would’ve already killed Liu Wuxie and left.

Nevertheless, he still grinned devilishly. "What made you think I wasn’t expecting you to wait here for me?"

The three elders’ faces darkened. After all, they had already experienced how cunning the man before them could be. He had even managed to deal a tremendous blow to their sect.

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