Chapter 4552: Kill the Chicken to Warn the Monkey

"It seems your Sky River Sword Sect has grown too bold. Are you harboring evil cultivators, or are you colluding with them to harm our Wang family members? Do you truly believe we wouldn't dare to deal with your Sky River Sword Sect? If this matter is connected to your sect, we will eradicate your entire Sky River Sword Sect."

Wang Mengbin's expression turned cold, and countless silver electrical arcs surged around him.

Sky River Sword Lord frowned deeply. He was merely making threats and dared not genuinely oppose the Wang family. Times had changed; the Wang family now had a Grand Luo Golden Immortal.

"Fellow Daoist Wang, you're quick to falsely accuse the Liu family. It's easy to fabricate charges when you're determined to incriminate someone!" Sky River Sword Lord said with a cold face.

"We absolutely did not harbor any evil cultivators. This is slander." Liu Yiqing stated. He had also sensed that something was amiss internally; the two friends who had visited were problematic. However, at this moment, he couldn't possibly admit it, as doing so would expose further complications. If his friends were indeed problematic, he couldn't dissociate himself from them. Who knew if the Wang family would use this as an excuse to escalate matters?

Ye Haitang and Wang Mengbin not directly attacking already indicated the issue; they also had reservations about the Myriad Beast Palace.

"Fellow Daoists, you heard him. Fellow Daoist Liu did not harbor any evil cultivators," Sky River Sword Lord said, frowning.

"Whether or not they were harbored is not for him to decide, but for us. We will search the island, digging three feet deep if necessary, to find the culprits. Those who killed our family members will absolutely not escape." Ye Haitang's tone was icy.

"What if the culprits you're looking for aren't here? Will you just let this matter drop then?" Sky River Sword Lord said with a gloomy face.

"And what if they are? Can we then assume that your Sky River Sword Sect hired evil cultivators to kill our family members?" Wang Mengbin sneered.

Sky River Sword Lord's expression was grim and uncertain as he looked at Liu Yiqing, asking, "Fellow Daoist Liu, is there or isn't there?" He truly couldn't guarantee it; who knew if Liu Yiqing was secretly harboring evil cultivators?

Liu Yiqing frowned tightly. Judging by the Wang family's stance, they wouldn't leave unless allowed to search the island.

"Two friends visited, but I'm unaware of anything they might have done," Liu Yiqing said.

"I have already set up a grand formation; escape is impossible. Surrender obediently!" Ye Haitang's tone was icy.

The sea churned and surged, raising a massive wave. Wang Lihe flew out from beneath the sea and reported, "Patriarch Haitang, they are on the island, attempting to teleport away, but the formation has blocked their escape."

Sky River Sword Lord's face turned grim; the facts were undeniable.

"Arrest them immediately and hand them over to Fellow Daoist Wang!" Sky River Sword Lord ordered. He felt like killing Liu Yiqing, that idiot. If he had nothing to hide, he should have admitted it earlier. He had almost implicated him.

No sooner had he spoken than two streaks of light shot out from the island, flying in different directions.

"Trying to run? Did you ask us first?" Ye Haitang's expression turned cold. She conjured a spell, and the world changed color. A wailing ghostly cry echoed, and countless dark energies surged from the sea. Howls filled the air, reverberating across hundreds of millions of miles.

In the distance, a massive crimson firelight flared, sending out rolling waves of air. Wang Mengbin raised his right hand, and fierce winds erupted, altering the sky and earth. Three enormous vortices appeared, and three lightning pillars of different colors descended from the sky, striking the red light.

"Daoist art!" Sky River Sword Lord swallowed, his eyes filled with fear. He had initially somewhat underestimated Wang Mengbin and Ye Haitang, believing they were merely exploiting the name of Immortal Lord Taihao to intimidate others. Now, it seemed their earlier words were true; they genuinely had the power to destroy the Sky River Sword Sect.

A shrill ghostly wail sounded, and the lightning around Wang Mengbin intensified greatly as he vanished from his spot. Not long after, Wang Mengbin returned, holding a nascent soul in his hand. Chi also flew over, holding another nascent soul.

"It was them. They were hidden on the island all this time, Fellow Daoist Liu! I can't believe you would harbor evil cultivators who murdered our family members," Wang Mengbin said coldly.

"I had no idea what they did. It has nothing to do with our Liu family," Liu Yiqing quickly denied it.

"Whether Fellow Daoist Liu participated can be determined by soul-searching. If he truly did it, he certainly won't be spared. If he had no involvement, you also cannot wrongfully accuse him," Sky River Sword Lord said.

"Hmph, can you really absolve yourself by simply claiming ignorance? What if, in the future, a Grand Unity Golden Immortal who assaulted your sect happens to be a guest in our family, and we just say we were unaware? If that's the case, then we'll simply leave now." Ye Haitang snorted coldly, her face filled with murderous intent. If they set this precedent, any evil cultivator who killed a Wang family member could be harbored by other forces, and when exposed, simply claim ignorance. There's no such convenient arrangement.

"Then what do you want?" Sky River Sword Lord said with a gloomy face.

Ye Haitang raised her right hand, and a golden jade slip flew out, landing in Sky River Sword Lord's hand. "The Liu family's direct involvement is absent, so they are spared the death penalty. However, harboring evil cultivators makes them guilty of a lesser crime they cannot escape. These items are compensation. You can choose not to provide them, but then we will repay you in kind." Ye Haitang's tone was calm.

The Wang family's intention this time was to assert their authority and make an example; otherwise, anyone would dare to target their family members in the future. The Grand Unity Golden Immortal (late stage) cultivator was instantly annihilated by Wang Mengbin's Daoist art, leaving only a nascent soul. This deeply intimidated Sky River Sword Lord. He also realized that the Wang family intended to make an example. If he dared to refuse, Ye Haitang and Wang Mengbin might immediately attack them.

"No problem. We will gather them and send them to you as soon as possible," Sky River Sword Lord agreed, planning to seek assistance from the Myriad Beast Palace once Ye Haitang and Wang Mengbin departed.

"I want these items immediately. Otherwise, don't blame me for being impolite. Don't play tricks or try to delay us." Ye Haitang's face was filled with murderous intent.

Sky River Sword Lord suppressed his anger and replied, "Many of the materials are quite rare; we cannot produce them instantly."

"Are you genuinely unable to produce them, or are you feigning it? Do you dare to take us to your Sky River Sword Sect's treasury to check? Do you really think we don't know what valuable items you've collected? Thirty thousand years ago, you acquired an eight-colored crystal core, and a hundred thousand years ago, you obtained two forty-million-year-old Golden Jade Grasses." Ye Haitang spoke slowly. Sky River Sword Lord's presence here was due to their deliberate spreading of information, with the aim of extorting a sum from the Sky River Sword Sect. The Wang family had no intention of destroying the Sky River Sword Sect or the Liu family, but extorting them was perfectly acceptable, given that they had harbored a Grand Unity Golden Immortal who killed Wang family members. This would also let other forces know the Wang family's power. The Sky River Sword Sect could only blame themselves for walking into this trap; the Wang family was just looking for an opportunity to assert its authority.

Sky River Sword Lord was filled with regret. He had thought his subordinates were capable for getting information so quickly, but it was all a trap, and dealing with the Liu family was merely an incidental part of it.

"Fellow Daoist Liu, you will provide these materials. Don't try any tricks with me. If you hadn't secretly harbored two evil cultivators at the Grand Unity Golden Immortal stage, none of this would have happened." Sky River Sword Lord threw the jade slip to Liu Yiqing.

Liu Yiqing scanned it with his spiritual sense, his face revealing difficulty. "We only have a small portion of these materials; we truly don't have the rest," Liu Yiqing said with a wry smile.

"That's your concern. I'm giving you only one hour. If you fail to produce them, don't blame us for being impolite. Even if this goes to the Kunlun Dao Ancestor, we will be in the right. We offer courtesy before force. I'm speaking to you respectfully; if you comply, it will be good for everyone. If not, then don't blame me for showing no mercy." Ye Haitang's tone was indifferent.

Sky River Sword Lord returned the way he came, and Liu Yiqing went back to Golden Clam Island.

In less than half an an hour, they had gathered all the items Ye Haitang requested. The amount of Primordial Stones alone was enough for the Wang family to forge several sets of high-grade Chaos Armor, not to mention the immortal medicines, immortal woods, ores, and other materials.

"I do not wish for such an incident to happen again. Otherwise, if you cause trouble, we will respond in kind." After saying this, Ye Haitang and Wang Mengbin departed.

Several days later, the account of Ye Haitang and Wang Mengbin apprehending the Grand Unity Golden Immortal evil cultivators rapidly spread. The Liu family and the Sky River Sword Sect lost face, while the Wang family's prestige soared. At the same time, news of Wang Mengbin mastering a Daoist art also circulated, solidifying the status and identity of the Wang Immortal Clan. From then on, major forces formally referred to the Wang family as the Wang Immortal Clan.