Chapter 1763: Unexpected Twist

Wang Youjun breathed a sigh of relief, thinking the dust had finally settled.

He somewhat regretted bringing Yun Jianyue and Xie Daoyun, as it had needlessly added variables. However, without them, they wouldn't have been able to pass through the sea of mist earlier. Fortunately, the outcome was good in the end.

It wasn't that he believed the father-son bond would truly be so strong. Rather, Wang Neishi, that playboy, was primarily skilled with women. Even with those three divine talismans, he would be no match for Wang Youjun, who could easily control him.

Yun Jianyue and Xie Daoyun's hearts sank. At this point, they had no time to intervene and could only watch as Wang Neishi seized the three divine talismans.

"Hahaha, I can't believe they ended up in my hands! It seems I truly am the chosen one," Wang Neishi exclaimed, his breathing becoming quick and fervent. With these three divine talismans, not only could he surpass his competitive brothers, but perhaps even challenge his father for the family patriarch's position.

Suddenly, his face contorted, and he desperately tried to shake off the three talismans, but no matter how hard he struggled, he couldn't break free. The three who had been fighting involuntarily ceased their attacks and turned their gaze towards the high platform.

Wang Neishi stretched out a hand towards Wang Youjun, his eyes full of pleading. "Help..."

Wang Youjun was startled and quickly looked at the three talismans. He saw that the cinnabar images on the yellow paper were eerily vibrant and crimson, as if they had been freshly painted with blood. At the same time, Wang Neishi's body withered at a visible rate. In almost the blink of an eye, the once plump man was completely reduced to a mummified corpse.

Wang Youjun gasped in shock.Yun Jianyue was speechless.Xie Daoyun looked on in utter confusion.

She couldn't help but feel fortunate; if she hadn't been replaced by the other party just now, she would have been the one drained into a mummified corpse.

Wang Youjun had no time for regret and instead looked towards the high platform. The three divine talismans glowed with a crimson, bloody light, furiously spinning around the charred corpse in the center. Crimson threads emanated from the talismans, connecting to the charred corpse, as if the talismans were infusing it with vital essence and blood. Gradually, the shriveled charred corpse began to swell, its blackened carbonized skin slowly flaking away, revealing faint signs of new flesh growing beneath.

Witnessing this astonishing sight, Yun Jianyue lost all desire to continue fighting. She retracted her Blood Sea Domain and swallowed hard. "I remember you said your Sect Master Sun was struck dead by lightning after failing his heavenly tribulation, didn't you?"

"In theory, yes," Wang Youjun replied, his voice equally hoarse.

Feeling an inexplicable aura begin to rise, both their faces changed dramatically, and they turned to flee. As Yun Jianyue ran, she also dragged along the bewildered Xie Daoyun. However, the three soon had to stop because a terrifying thunderstorm in the stone forest behind them blocked their escape, preventing them from leaving.

Just then, a cracking sound echoed. The three looked back to see the charred corpse's black skin flaking off in pieces, as a tall figure finally stood up from the stool. With broad eyes and a wide nose, the figure exuded an inexplicable aura of power. It was unclear where he found a Daoist robe to drape over himself, but the three divine talismans that had been rapidly circling him now merged into the robe and vanished.

He lowered his head and scanned the surroundings. His gaze was so sharp it felt substantial, causing a faint stinging sensation on their skin. Xie Daoyun was somewhat unaffected, but Yun Jianyue, with her higher cultivation, felt it more acutely: this man's aura was even comparable to Zhao Hao's!

With a thud, Wang Youjun, who had just been so imposing, immediately knelt down. "Your subordinate greets the Sect Master! May your wisdom and martial virtue bless all beings, may you live for a thousand autumns and ten thousand years, and may you unify the martial world!"

Yun Jianyue and Xie Daoyun exchanged glances, both seeing the shock in the other's eyes. Was this man truly Sun En, the Sect Master of the Divine Heaven Sect? As for them kneeling and kowtowing, that was absolutely out of the question. Apart from Yun Jianyue's arrogance, Xie Daoyun didn't even kneel to her own teachers, so how could she kneel to a stranger?

"Oh, it's Elder Wang," Sun En said, glancing at him. "What are you doing here?"

Under his gaze, Wang Youjun felt his clothes stick to his back with sweat. "After your disappearance, this subordinate has been searching for your whereabouts all these years. Recently, I finally uncovered some clues. I originally intended to retrieve your dharma body for a grand burial, but I never imagined you were still alive. This is truly a joyous occasion! With you back, our Divine Heaven Sect will no longer be fragmented."

"Fragmented?" Sun En's gaze sharpened.

Wang Youjun didn't dare wipe the sweat from his forehead as he quickly explained, "It's mainly because you, Sect Master, have been missing for many years. Elder Sun, Elder Qian, Elder Li, and others all desired to become the Sect Master, leading to internal disputes..."

Sun En gave him a deep look. "And you were likely among them, weren't you?"

More cold sweat broke out on Wang Youjun's brow. He quickly said, "I merely wished to prevent the Divine Heaven Sect from fragmenting. Had I known you were still alive, Sect Master, such thoughts would naturally never have arisen."

Sun En sneered. "Very well. Considering your arrival led to my revival, I won't hold it against you."

"Thank you, Sect Master!" Wang Youjun kowtowed, his heart filled with bitter regret. He had lost troops and generals this time, more than half of the elites guarding Wangjiawu were gone, and even his own son was dead. All his painstaking efforts had led to this outcome! Of course, he dared not show any of this.

At this point, Sun En looked at Yun Jianyue and Xie Daoyun. "Who are they, and why do they not kneel before me?"

Yun Jianyue proudly retorted, "I've traveled the world and never knelt, not even to emperors. Why should I kneel to you?"

Wang Youjun quickly interjected, "These two women are not members of the Divine Heaven Sect. We invited them to dismantle the sea of mist formation outside, but to our surprise, they harbored wicked ambitions and coveted the Sect Master's three divine talismans." Fearing that the two women might speak out and jeopardize him, he decided to strike first. Moreover, he deeply resented them for ruining his plans. If they hadn't intervened, he might have succeeded, and Sun En wouldn't have had the chance to revive.

Hearing his words, Sun En's face darkened. "You dare refer to yourself as 'this master' in front of me?" As soon as he finished speaking, he suddenly produced a talisman and chanted incantations. Soon, the surroundings churned with wind and clouds, and more than a dozen ethereal figures, clad in gleaming golden armor, materialized in the clouds. They emanated a sacred and powerful aura, like the legendary heavenly soldiers and generals.

Wang Youjun gazed at the heavenly soldiers and generals in the clouds, each one so powerful, filling him with envy. The Northern Emperor's Demon-Subduing Talisman truly was incredibly potent.

At that moment, the heavenly soldiers and generals, wielding various weapons, charged directly towards Yun Jianyue. Yun Jianyue's heart tensed. Each of these heavenly soldiers and generals possessed strength comparable to a Grandmaster, and their sacred aura subtly suppressed her. However, she was someone who grew stronger when challenged, and there was no fear on her face. Her Crescent Blade spun out, and she plunged into the group like a tiger among sheep. The Crescent Blade moved with elusive grace, tracing incredibly profound arcs. This prevented the heavenly soldiers and generals from ever forming an encirclement, as she defeated them one by one. Within a few breaths, all the heavenly soldiers and generals were completely annihilated. Although these heavenly soldiers and generals possessed Grandmaster-level strength, they were ultimately inanimate constructs and couldn't unleash the true power of a Grandmaster; otherwise, she wouldn't have defeated them so easily.

Seeing the palpable killing intent in Yun Jianyue's eyes, Wang Youjun's heart trembled. He thought about how incredibly skillful she was with that strange weapon. If they had truly fought just now, he might have been injured before he even had many chances to use his talismans. After being slain, the heavenly soldiers and generals dissipated into wisps of mist.

Sun En let out a surprised sound. "It seems I underestimated your cultivation. To condense such terrifying killing intent at such a young age, you truly are a prodigy." He quickly changed his tone. "However, you are ultimately a mortal and cannot withstand true heavenly might."

Yun Jianyue scoffed. "I just heard the man named Wang say you were also struck by lightning and died after failing your ascension. What right do you have to represent true heavenly might?"

Sun En's face darkened. "Audacious!" He waved his hand again, and astonishingly, another host of heavenly soldiers and generals materialized. Unlike before, there were hundreds, even thousands, this time, as if an entire army had surrounded her. Yun Jianyue's heart skipped a beat. Although these heavenly soldiers and generals lacked the agility of real people and couldn't fully unleash their power, a quantitative change could lead to a qualitative one. So many attacking at once, their sheer numbers alone would be enough to overwhelm her.

Just then, a soft hum resounded. It was Xie Daoyun, her hands rapidly moving to form seals, sending streams of blue magical arrays towards the heavenly soldiers and generals. Surprisingly, however, the heavenly soldiers and generals did not appear to be under attack. As Yun Jianyue felt confused, Xie Daoyun's anxious voice rang in her ear: "Hurry! I've split those guys into several sections so they can't coordinate their attacks against you for a short time, but I can't hold on for long."

"Thanks!" Yun Jianyue immediately understood. Her figure shot out like a streak of light, her Crescent Blade in hand like a reaper's scythe, cutting down wave after wave of foes. Sun En, however, showed no concern at the extensive slaughter of his heavenly soldiers and generals. Instead, he intently observed Xie Daoyun.