Chapter 334: Put the Fingers Down

In the middle of the battlefield.

Four great thrones, one Houtian.

Leading the imperial guards at the front was an old man with a large saber on his back.

The moment this old man appeared, even the great commander, Chong Dong, stepped aside to let him take the lead.

"Yuan San Dao?"

The burly man chuckled. He didn't recognize the other young men, but this old man left a slight impression on him.

He had a good memory.

During the competition for the ten revered seats in the Zhong Domain, Yuan San Dao hadn't seemed this old, even though a cycle had passed.

Yet, that overbearing saber intent had still left an impression on him.

Yuan San Dao narrowed his eyes and slowly stepped forward.

Anyone could assume that the scruffy man before them was just Houtian, but Yuan San Dao, who had spent half a day locating a spatial rift and then cleaved open the twisted space with a single strike, dared not underestimate him.

That sword intent, that ability to fold space...

Who would dare say this guy was merely Houtian?

Just the fact that he was the only one standing in the center of this battlefield was reason enough not to take him lightly.

Yuan San Dao knew that in this world, besides spirit refiners, there were many terrifying paths.

For example, those who purely cultivated the sword path, specializing in "Gu Jian Shu" without mixing in any spiritual energy—these sword cultivators.

Clearly, the man before him was likely a special case like that.

"You are..."

He lowered his head and asked in a deep voice.

In the entire Dong Tian Jie, Yuan San Dao was familiar with most of the strong experts on the thrones.

This person gave him a vague sense of familiarity, but when he tried to recall the details, he couldn't piece together any fragments.

Even now, as the man stood there, the more Yuan San Dao tried to make out his face, the more blurred it became.

"How is that possible?"

Yuan San Dao was surprised.

He didn't think the opening of Bai Ku would attract those supreme experts who had transcended the Dao.

So, only one possibility remained.

This guy had some special method of concealment, but without a doubt, his strength...

Was extremely formidable!

The burly man looked at the four people in front of him, gently shaking his head. There wasn't even a ripple in his eyes, and then his hoarse voice rang out.

"Who I am, you'd forget even if I told you. Skip that question."

He glanced up at the sky.

"Any other questions? Ask them quickly... I'll give you three chances to ask questions. Once the time's up, I have to leave."

As he spoke, he hoisted the burlap sack from the ground, the clanging sounds echoing as he slung it over his shoulder.

Chong Dong was furious.

He wasn't one with a good temper to begin with.

It was obvious that this guy was the one responsible for all this.

He had created a ten-li vacuum in the city, turning heaven and earth upside down, and now he was saying he'd leave them with three questions before departing?

What kind of nonsense was that?

"Kid, you don't have much cultivation, but you've got quite the attitude!"

"Three questions?"

"How about I chop you into three pieces and graciously give you ten chances to ask why?"

The moment Chong Dong finished speaking, Qiu Xuan and Liu Jing on the side tensed up, alert and ready.

For people at their level, trash talk rarely worked anymore.

If Chong Dong could truly provoke this strange man into acting, it might break the stalemate.

An opportunity!

Yuan San Dao was also waiting for that opportunity.

But the burly man just laughed.

He showed none of the tension the four felt, nor any sign of facing a great enemy.

He really was like a ragpicker, wandering aimlessly, at home anywhere in the world.

Even in this battlefield full of deep craters and billowing smoke, he still had that carefree air, as if he were off to collect scrap metal.

"Kid?"

After repeating the word, the burly man's smile suddenly froze, and his turbid eyes focused on Chong Dong.

"I haven't heard anyone dare call me that in a long time."

"This world is too chaotic. Everyone's rushing about, like they're hurrying to be reborn."

"There are many ways to court death, so why choose the fastest one?"

His tone was very composed, but the faint anger was audible.

It seemed like this scruffy burly man's existence was such that he could be casual on his own, but if you tried to dictate his casualness, you might have to follow his lead!

Chong Dong didn't see any trace of malice in the man's eyes.

But after he finished speaking, Chong Dong felt an inexplicable sense of panic!

"This..."

Chong Dong was startled in his heart. He was a throne holder—what kind of person could make him feel this pre-battle dread with just a few words?

"Just saying?"

He brushed off the panic, sneered, and continued, "I'm just saying. You turned Tiansang Cheng into this mess, and you still dare to make a move?"

"Tiansang Cheng..."

The burly man shook his head. "This wasn't my doing."

Chong Dong laughed and pointed at the burlap sack. "If it wasn't you, was it that kid inside?"

"That corpse!"

He pointed at Hong Gou's body and laughed mockingly. "Was that chopped by that kid too?"

The burly man sighed.

"If you really want to put it that way, it's not entirely wrong. After all, I only delivered the final strike."

"Of course, I killed the person, and I won't deny that."

"I always do things fairly..."

He suddenly paused. "Put your finger down!"

Chong Dong's hand was pointing at Hong Gou's corpse.

But the body was right nearby, so it looked like he was being pointed at while speaking.

The atmosphere solidified with the burly man's shout.

Even the people on the outskirts sensed the delicate situation, with a hint of imminent explosion.

Chong Dong's eyes narrowed, and instead of withdrawing, he turned his finger toward the burly man.

"You seem pretty arrogant? I can't even move my hand? Have to obey you?"

He sneered.

The burly man's wide sleeve moved, as if the hand hidden inside was about to bend, but it suddenly stopped.

He glanced at Yuan San Dao ahead, suppressed his impulse to strike, and turned back to Chong Dong.

"Young man, I admire you. I was impulsive when I was young too, but in this world..."

"You have to understand, the overly rigid are easily broken."

"Talking to people like that makes it easy to die."

Chong Dong burst out laughing. "Young man?"

He stroked his stubbled chin.

Taking a closer look at the man before him, this guy had even more beard than he did.

But that was just because he didn't groom himself!

Judging by bone age, this man was at most a hundred years old, yet he dared call him "young man"?

He joked, "You really say whatever comes to mind. How old are you? Weaned yet?"

"Do you know how old your grandfather here is?"

"Spouting nonsense like that without even checking your own cultivation?"

"Houtian?"

"When I was dominating the Dong Domain, you were probably still somewhere spitting up milk... Ah! Damn it!"

He hadn't even finished when a cry of pain escaped his lips.

A severed finger flew past his face, blood spraying out.

That sword energy, from who knows where, had grazed his scalp. If he hadn't reacted quickly, his head would have been sent flying.

Cold sweat drenched Chong Dong's back in an instant.

But...

Backing down? Not a chance!

He caught the floating severed finger and, from that strike, gauged the man's approximate cultivation.

"A throne holder!"

"Make your move!"