Chapter 1772: Mobilizing Troops to Demand an Explanation

At this moment, the situation in the main hall of the Pavilion of Heavenly Combat seemed even more complex than Xu Yang and his companions had imagined, due to the sheer number of outsiders who had arrived.

From Xu Yang's quick assessment, every individual qualified to stand in the center of the hall possessed cultivation at the God Transformation stage, making them all first-tier martial artists with considerable influence throughout Congyun State.

Using a higher realm, Xu Yang concealed the silhouettes of his three companions and himself with the power of the Heavenly Dao, perfectly masking their auras. They boldly walked into the main hall of the Pavilion of Heavenly Combat, positioned themselves behind a massive pillar, and quietly observed the unfolding events. The three communicated via soul-link.

This was all Xu Yang's idea. As the mastermind controlling the overall situation, he clearly understood that if Miss Qingya were to appear at this critical juncture, she would undoubtedly become the target of everyone's scrutiny. At that point, the elders within the Pavilion of Heavenly Combat would also step forward to criticize Qingya, using her to pressure the Pavilion Master.

To maintain his authority, the Pavilion Master of Heavenly Combat would then be forced to punish Qingya in front of everyone. Therefore, Xu Yang decisively made the most accurate judgment: the best strategy for now was to observe quietly and benefit from the ensuing chaos. First, they needed to ascertain the true intentions of these prominent sect leaders who had come knocking.

Xu Yang observed carefully. The three most powerful individuals in the hall were from the three major sects that, instigated by Qingya, had previously sent hundreds of elite disciples to besiege the Xuanhuang Sect. These sects were ranked twenty-third and twenty-fourth in Congyun State, and they were all top-tier organizations that had long coveted the position of the number one sect.

This time, the second-in-command from all three major sects had arrived simultaneously, all bearing fierce, accusatory expressions. Standing in the main seat was the Pavilion Master of Heavenly Combat, Qingya's father, a genius martial artist who had entered the Spirit Void Realm centuries ago. Though his "Revered Heaven Blade" aura was imposing, it seemed difficult for him to stand firm against these three old men.

"Pavilion Master," one began, "while we may not have deep personal ties, we are all cultivation sects within Congyun State. Surely, we wouldn't disregard even the most basic trust among us. Your beloved daughter explicitly told us that this time, the four major sects would jointly attack the Xuanhuang Sect, this fifth-ranked force. And then, all the resources of the Xuanhuang lineage would be equally divided among our four sects as spoils of war.

"Yet, what happened in the end? Thousands of disciples sent by our three sects are still missing without a trace. But your Miss Qingya refuses to give our three sects any explanation. This is simply too much of an insult to us. If we old men don't receive a reasonable explanation today, I fear the martial arts world of Congyun State will know no peace again."

The leading martial artist from the second-largest sect, the old man, snorted coldly. This ambitious old man, despite his age, still harbored the ambition of replacing the Pavilion of Heavenly Combat and becoming the number one of the five major sects in Congyun State. Although the current sect master of his lineage was his older brother, this second-in-command was actually the one orchestrating all joint external actions for the sect. The sudden loss of hundreds of elite young disciples had finally drawn blame from his sect master brother, causing this old man, despite his age, to lose face. So, he arrived at the Pavilion of Heavenly Combat, filled with indignation, to demand answers.

As the old man stated his position, the leaders of the other sects who had accompanied him also vented their pent-up anger. It was clear that if these old men were not appeased today, they would be difficult to dismiss. The Pavilion Master, standing in his high position, listened to the complaints of these vice-sect master level experts with his hands clasped behind his back. He slowly paced back and forth on the dais, a slight furrow in his brow, before finally speaking to those below.

"Fellow Daoists, there's no need to be impatient," he said. "My daughter Qingya has not yet returned to the Pavilion, so I cannot bring her out to confront you directly. In my opinion, you might as well stay at my Pavilion of Heavenly Combat for a few days. Once my daughter returns, she will naturally provide you with a fair explanation."

To be fair, the Pavilion Master's suggestion held no personal agenda. In reality, he was still completely in the dark about the entire plan to besiege the Xuanhuang Sect and had no idea what had actually transpired. To simply accept the words of these old men and unfairly blame his own daughter would offer no benefit whatsoever to him as the Pavilion Master of Heavenly Combat. A delaying tactic was undoubtedly the best strategy at that moment, but none of the old men below were easy to deal with, and they showed no respect for the Pavilion Master's authority.

"Hmph! You say that so easily. Who do you think we are? Today, justice is already on our side, and we've come specifically to demand fairness from you. Now you resort to this delaying tactic, attempting to quell our anger. Yet, you don't realize that by doing so, you only put us old men in an unjust position, making it seem as if we are shamelessly begging you for justice. Pavilion Master, we old men won't fall for that. Since Qingya cannot appear, it's simple: we only attacked the Xuanhuang Sect out of respect for her. Not only did we fail to conquer that lineage, but we also suffered heavy losses at the hands of the Xuanhuang Sect. As the saying goes, 'a father repays his child's debts.' Since your daughter cannot show herself, then you, as her father, should provide us with an explanation. You must satisfy us old men in a reasonable manner, or else, heh heh."

One of the elders, a peak God Transformation realm practitioner, revealed a knowing smile. Unbeknownst to him, at that very moment, the Pavilion Master of Heavenly Combat, standing on the high platform, fixed his gaze on the old man, his eyes instantly turning cold and his body emanating a chilling killing intent.

This was the first time Xu Yang and Long Kun had witnessed a top-tier martial artist unleashing their killing aura. Although the Ancient Martial God Dao and the previous Kunlun God Dao were two distinct civilizations, dividing the main continent's corresponding two major domains into two independently existing cultivation worlds, true powerhouses like Xu Yang remained at the pinnacle regardless of the civilization they entered.

Xu Yang could tell at a glance that the killing intent emanating from the Pavilion Master of Heavenly Combat was entirely forged through countless martial arts battles and conflicts.

"It's clear that the Pavilion Master's inherent strength surpasses that of these old men," Xu Yang thought, "but these visitors are all vice-sect master level figures. If they were to unite in their animosity and collectively pressure the Pavilion Master of Heavenly Combat, he might not have an easy time of it."