Chapter 347: Appearance

Chapter 347: Showdown

"Protect the young miss!"

Wei Qixiong's intentions were blatantly clear, and none present were fools—they understood instantly.

Someone roared in fury as nearby disciples of the Fallen Phoenix Alliance immediately stepped forward, attempting to bar Wei Qixiong's path.

Wei Ruhan frowned slightly and took a step forward, only to let out a pained grunt.

His aged body had failed him. Having already clashed with Wei Qixiong, his energy was now drained dry. Attempting to circulate the *Heaven-Stealing Art* again proved futile—there was simply no power left to wield.

Seemingly slow, it was over in a blink—Wei Qixiong was upon Wei Ziyi.

Despite being impaled through the chest by Wu Daoyou's sword, half the broken blade still lodged within, his movements showed not the slightest hindrance. Instead, his savagery only grew.

Ordinary disciples stood no chance against a martial arts master who had cultivated the Cosmic Yin-Yang Mill Disc to such an advanced level.

Before Wei Qixiong even reached them, his raging inner energy twisted the limbs of the disciples blocking his path, sending them flying to either side, mouths spraying blood.

"Stop!"

"Insolence!"

Wu Daoyou and Hua Qianyu rushed forward, while Huang Yuan acted without hesitation—from behind Wei Qixiong, he struck with the Triple Ultimate Finger Strike.

The unleashed finger force was indeed formidable.

Yet Wei Qixiong didn’t even turn his head. With an offhand flick of his hand, a surge of internal energy clashed with the Triple Ultimate Finger Strike, producing a deafening collision.

The backlash sent Huang Yuan staggering back three steps, blood welling at his lip.

But Wei Ziyi did not retreat.

Wei warriors died standing—none ever fled.

She joined Wu Daoyou and Hua Qianyu, engaging Wei Qixiong in a frenzied clash.

Among the three, Hua Qianyu’s skills were unmatched in their elegance. For years, the "June Blossoms Scattering Across the World" she employed had never been her true sect’s martial arts.

Now, after Wei Qixiong exposed her real identity, the techniques she displayed were truly extraordinary.

Wu Daoyou’s swordsmanship was precise and measured. Though he now wielded only half a broken sword, his strikes still unleashed layers of sword energy.

As for Wei Ziyi, there was no need to elaborate.

Her earlier battle with Ren Xiongfei had ended abruptly due to the clash between Wei Qixiong and Wei Ruhan.

Now, she channeled anew the Mystic Moon Jade Kun Art, her Feixing Swordplay striking out in rapid succession—razor-sharp, relentless, masterful.

Wei Qixiong had initially believed crushing these three would be child's play.

Yet once the fight began, though none could match him one-on-one, defeating all three in a short time was no quick victory.

With an offhand parry, he fended off Hua Qianyu, only for Wu Daoyou to close in. Behind him, the Feixing Swordplay suddenly streaked like meteors across the sky.

The relentless assault was nothing short of exasperating.

Ren Xiongfei witnessed the scene with a slight frown, then turned his gaze to Wei Ruhan. He saw the old man standing firm, coldly scanning the crowd without a hint of weakness, radiating confidence.

Resolved, he hesitated no longer and waved his hand:

"Go!!"

Exploiting the chaos Wei Qixiong created, he intended to escape amid the turmoil.

Zeng Youwang and Xu Junsang exchanged no words. Shadows coiled beneath their feet, and in an instant, they cut a path through the throng.

"Shadowcraft of the Eternal Night Valley!"

"So Zeng Youwang and Xu Junsang are actually demonic followers of the Eternal Night Valley!"

"Don’t let these cultists escape!!"

Cries of shock rang out, and the sounds of battle grew fiercer.

Witnessing the situation unfold, Chi Lu was completely stunned.

He was supposed to be on Wei Ziyi’s side today.

At first, things had gone well—Hua Qianyu's sudden defection had swelled their ranks, quickly overwhelming Zeng Youwang and Wu Daoyou.

He had thought the outcome was settled, but then Zeng Youwang and Wu Daoyou suddenly clashed.

After being struck by an unknown attack and fading in and out, he awoke to find the situation drastically changed.

The second young master, Wei Qixiong, had returned to contest the position of Grand Alliance Leader.

With Zeng Youwang and Xu Junsang backing him, they declared the Grand Alliance Leader unfit for his title.

Then, they challenged Wei Ziyi’s legitimacy, directly stripping her of her status.

Chi Lu, a born opportunist, wasn’t about to take the fall and immediately threw his lot in with Wei Qixiong.

Soon after, Hua Qianyu and Wu Daoyou also defected, convincing him the outcome was sealed.

But now… what was happening?

How had the Grand Alliance Leader’s position crumbled so fast?

And how had Zeng Youwang and Xu Junsang, these former leaders, been exposed as cultists of the East City’s Eternal Night Valley?

In this situation, if they left… what was he to do?

If he stayed, given his earlier betrayal, would Wei Ruhan and Wei Ziyi let him live?

Though Hua Qianyu and Wu Daoyou had also defected, it now seemed their defection was just an act.

Only he had truly switched sides!

Who’d buy that he’d get off scot-free?

But if he followed these three…

Whether these cultists would even let him tag along was another question entirely.

What about the foundation in Zhongfu City?

Must he now go down this dark path, turn his back on righteousness for evil, and join the demons of Eternal Night Valley?

He was torn, unable to decide.

Then, amidst the chaos, he saw Ren Xiongfei glance back at him and suddenly burst into laughter:

"Chief Chi, what are you waiting for? Wei Ruhan has set a trap, just waiting to catch you like a trapped rat. If you don’t leave now, are you waiting to die?"

Chi Lu, already wavering in his heart, had his mind made up upon hearing this:

"Let’s go!!"

In the jianghu, a man’s fate isn’t his own.

These folks were impossible to read—truth and lies all tangled up. Amidst it all, his head was about to explode.

It pissed him off to no end.

Falling into such a predicament today, he blamed no one but that scheming bastard Wei Ruhan, who had never treated him as one of their own.

Otherwise, they could have all acted together.

But instead, they made a fool out of him, and when it was over, walked away calling themselves heroes, leaving Chi Lu as the only one who came out looking like the villain.

Turning to the dark side wasn’t his call—it was forced upon him by the circumstances, by Wei Ruhan’s schemes.

If he didn’t blame Wei Ruhan, who else could he blame?

With this thought, he struck with even more fury.

Any Fallen Phoenix Alliance disciple who stood in his way was knocked flat.

The four of them moved as one, mowing down anyone in their path.

In no time, they fought their way out of the hall.

Wei Ziyi watched this unfold, her stomach in knots.

Today, no matter who escaped, Ren Xiongfei absolutely could not be allowed to leave.

But at this moment, if she stayed, the three of them could still stand a chance against Wei Qixiong.

If she left, her mother and Alliance Leader Wu would likely be in danger.

For now, she could only suppress her urge to chase after them, pushing her qi to the brink as she went blow-for-blow with Wei Qixiong.

Meanwhile, Wei Qixiong, seeing Ren Xiongfei and the others leave him high and dry, was furious.

Yet he, too, was stuck between a rock and a hard place.

If he broke away to chase, he risked leaving himself wide open.

But if he didn’t chase… he was boiling with rage.

In an instant, he saw red.

"They're all the same filthy lot! The same filthy lot!!!

"Slaughter them all!!

"You all deserve to die!!"

His hands moved with phantom-like speed, Yin-Yang forces churning like a millstone. With a clap of his palms, the Star-Plucking Sword in Wei Ziyi's hand disintegrated with a sickening crack under the force of his internal energy.

The energy surge raced toward Wei Ziyi's chest and abdomen when—

A broken sword fragment lanced toward Wei Qixiong's back.

Yet, unexpectedly, the blade was frozen three inches from Wei Qixiong, unable to advance further.

Wu Daoyou stepped forward, pouring his remaining qi into the attack.

Ting! Tang! Tung!

A series of metallic clashes rang out as the broken sword in his hand disintegrated chunk by chunk.

With each fragment that flew off, the blade inched forward—but by the time it reached Wei Qixiong, nothing but a useless hilt remained.

Wei Qixiong turned his head:

"Traitor. You deserve death!!"

With a casual lift of his hand, Yin-Yang energies swirled in his palm. Wu Daoyou's expression changed as he felt his body writhed helplessly under the force of the dual energies.

His arms were twisted backward against his will.

One leg was forcibly raised behind him.

His limbs locked in place, his entire body was wrenched upward. Just as Wei Qixiong's palm was about to strike his forehead—

A fist suddenly shot toward Wei Qixiong's face.

CRACK! It landed squarely on his cheek.

Wei Qixiong reeled from the blow, yet his footing remained planted like an oak, preventing him from delivering the strike. His eyes darted—the one who struck him was Hua Qianyu.

"Seeking death!!"

A thunderous detonation erupted as a cyclone of razor-sharp qi swept through the area.

The power of the Cosmic YinYang Mill Disc sent the three masters spiraling backward.

Before they could recover, Wei Qixiong was already before Wei Ziyi.

He raised his palm and brought it down with mountain-crushing force.

Earlier, Wei Qixiong might have considered taking live prizes to cow Wei Ruhan—but now, that thought had vanished entirely.

Only blood would answer now!

At this moment, Wei Ziyi, still convulsing from the grinding Yin-Yang energy, found her body moving against her will.

Though she tried to retreat, she was instead pulled forward—craning her head toward Wei Qixiong's descending palm.

Wei Ruhan's eyes bulged with veins of rage: "You damned kinslayer, stop!!!"

But even then, attempting a rescue was out of his hands.

He was too old. Even maintaining his current state left him with no strength left to act, utterly incapable of doing anything.

When Ren Xiongfei had looked at him, he dared not show the slightest hint of weakness—otherwise, Ren Xiongfei would never have left.

But now, watching his own granddaughter about to be struck dead by his son, he could no longer restrain himself from shouting in anger.

Yet Wei Qixiong ignored him completely.

As for Wu Daoyou and Hua Qianyu, they were too far to help.

For a moment, all he could feel was his heart wrenching in despair, with no solution in sight.

Blood seeped from Wei Ziyi’s lips as she stared at Wei Qixiong’s twisted, savage face. Despite exerting all her strength, she could not break free, and she sighed deeply.

Suddenly, she thought of Su Mo.

The situation today had already formed an inescapable trap. No matter how formidable Wei Qixiong’s martial arts were, once caught in this trap, he was doomed.

The only regret was letting Ren Xiongfei escape.

Once this man re-entered the martial world, only her mother could hunt him down.

At this thought, she let out a soft sigh, her heart still filled with regret—how she wished to see him one last time.

Given his temperament, if he ever learned her thoughts…

He’d likely be shocked, wouldn’t he?

What a pity… she wouldn’t get to see his panicked face.

Amidst these random musings, she suddenly heard the sudden whistle of wind.

A dark figure streaked by with a whoosh, and Wei Ziyi saw clearly—

The one who arrived was none other than Ren Xiongfei!

Yet his posture was utterly bizarre, his qigong movement executed in an utterly strange manner.

Not only strange, but also impossibly fast. With reckless charge, his entire body slammed violently into Wei Qixiong.

Wei Qixiong, taken by surprise, barely managed to block with his hands, but his steps staggered backward with each retreat, coughing up blood with every step. Only by unleashing the Cosmic YinYang Mill Disc to deflect Ren Xiongfei did he barely manage to catch his breath.

Thus, Wei Ziyi was freed at once. Her toes touched the ground, and she spun around—only to see one figure after another suddenly bursting through the gates.

The first had been Ren Xiongfei, the next was Zeng Youwang.

After Zeng Youwang came Xu Junsang.

And after Xu Junsang—Chi Lu!

These three came one after another, their qigong movements unbelizarre, their speed inconceivable.

Even more astonishing, they all crashed headfirst into Wei Qixiong.

Wei Qixiong, having just taken Ren Xiongfei’s hit, was already injured internally.

Before he could even process what was happening, the three arrived in quick succession.

Not daring to face them head-on, he immediately leaped into the air, watching as the three streaked past beneath his feet.

All of them crashed headfirst into the wall beside Wei Ruhan.

Some died instantly, brains splattered, while others smashed straight into the wall, lifeless.

Only then did Wei Ziyi snap back to reality.

What kind of qinggong was this?

These men had clearly been flung in with terrifying force.

But... who was behind this?

Whether it was Ren Xiongfei, Zeng Youwang, or Xu Junsang—

they were all demonic cultivators from the Valley of Eternal Night.

Their martial arts were far beyond any ordinary Fallen Phoenix Alliance disciple’s ability, let alone be tossed around like playthings.

The thought had barely formed when a figure appeared before her.

Dressed like an ordinary Jianghu rogue, no sword strapped to his back—

yet just from his silhouette, Wei Ziyi recognized him instantly.

Then, the man glanced at her and said, "Did you forget every damn word I said?"

Just as Wei Ziyi’s heart leapt, his words cut her short.

In her momentary confusion, she recalled what he had said the last time he saved her:

"Next time you’re in a pinch, just shout, 'Grandpa Su, save me!'"

Her face twisted in fury, and she snapped:

"Piss off!!"

The newcomer was, of course, none other than Su Mo.

Whether it was the surrounding disciples of the Fallen Phoenix Alliance or Wei Ruhan and the others, they knew him at a glance.

But before the alliance disciples could exhale in relief, they heard Wei Ziyi’s words.

Their faces instantly paled.

Their miracle had finally arrived—was their young miss actually dismissing him?

Of course, even as they reeled, they couldn’t help but marvel at her guts.

That’s our young miss for you.

Even when facing the Eastern Wasteland’s reigning champion, she’d still talk back like this.

Putting aside everything else, just this sheer audacity alone probably makes her the Number One in Donghuang, doesn't it?

Su Mo was utterly speechless:

"I rushed here to save your life, and you tell me to get lost?

"What an ungrateful wench you are."

Wei Ziyi, meanwhile, scrutinized Su Mo from head to toe, growing even more furious:

"When did you get here? You’ve been here for a while, haven’t you?"

"Mm."

Su Mo nodded. "Originally, I was observing the spectacle from outside. But then I saw a whole crowd coming in to spectate, so I followed along."

"You were here all along, and you didn’t intervene?"

Wei Ziyi’s anger flared even hotter.

"After all, this is the Fallen Phoenix Alliance’s internal affair. For an outsider like me to intervene would be improper."

Su Mo sighed. "Besides, the Grand Alliance Chief has been planning for years just for this moment. As a junior, it’s only natural for me to observe my elders' methods.

"Though, I didn’t expect Ren Xiongfei and the others to try and make their escape.

"All I can say is, that man is truly decisive. But since they revealed the martial arts of the Eternal Night Valley, that naturally gave me grounds to act.

"Only, I happened to be a bit far from them at the time, so I had to take a slight detour to intercept them.

"After subduing them, I hurried right in.

"And what do I see? You, a lady of the Cold Moon Palace, nearly meeting your end again."

He shook his head repeatedly, his face full of helplessness.

Wei Ziyi was momentarily speechless.

Su Mo’s reasoning was indeed sound.

As the Chief Escort Su of the Purple Sun Escort Agency, interfering in the Fallen Phoenix Alliance’s affairs would indeed be highly inappropriate.

He needed a proper justification—otherwise, how would it sound if word got out?

That during the struggle for the Grand Alliance Chief’s position, the Fallen Phoenix Alliance had to rely on outsiders to impose control?

Would the Alliance’s members still have any face left when traveling the martial world in the future?

But if the matter involved the Eternal Night Valley, that would be altogether different.

The narrative would then become: During the Fallen Phoenix Alliance’s assembly, followers of the Eternal Night Valley plotted to sow chaos.

The Grand Alliance Chief masterfully countered, preventing the cultists from succeeding, but found it difficult to completely restrain them.

Chief Escort Su, witnessing this, intervened to stop the cultists from unleashing their evil.

This version would provide an acceptable account for both the Fallen Phoenix Alliance and Su Mo.

At this moment, Su Mo also cupped his hands in the traditional salute and offered a deep, respectful bow to Wei Ruhan:

"Su Mo presents his respects to the Grand Alliance Leader."

"As an outsider, Su Mo should not have overstepped my bounds in today's events."

"However, I simply couldn't stand by and let this demon escape. Thus, I acted rashly. I ask the Grand Alliance Leader's forgiveness for this transgression."

"Chief Escort Su, you're too kind," Wei Ruhan sighed. "These old bones don't have many years left. I had hoped to settle all unfinished business before my time comes."

"But in the end, age has caught up with me. My strength fails—nothing like my former self."

"I've shown my weakness before Chief Escort Su."

"The Grand Alliance Leader's methods are extraordinary. Su Mo has witnessed true mastery today and sincerely admires them."

At this point, he turned his gaze to Wei Qixiong, pausing slightly:

"You are Ziyi’s second uncle. Regarding your actions, Su Mo should hold my tongue."

"However... today you openly admitted that Ziyi’s father, Wei Qifeng, was killed by you years ago."

"Now, regardless of whether you sought the position of Grand Alliance Leader or not, you killed her father and now seek to take her life."

"I've always counted her among my dearest friends."

"Such actions are something I cannot condone."

"Yet, out of respect for your seniority, I am willing to give you a chance."

"If you surrender now, your fate will be left to the Grand Alliance Leader. I will not interfere."

"If not, even if it means overstepping all bounds, I will not let you leave here alive!"