"Hmph. It seems this old man will not be hearing the truth today." Chen Jiu's expression shifted, and his entire aura turned savagely sharp. For the first time, he unleashed the full, unreserved presence of a Nascent Soul old monster.

Xin Yi'an nearly jumped out of his skin. Under such pressure, a mere early Golden Core cultivator like him could barely even stand there; had Wei Zhao not been beside him, and had he been alone, he might well have dropped to his knees on the spot. After all, the might and terror of a Nascent Soul old monster was far too deeply ingrained in this little world of the Great Antiquity.

"What's this? Does the Supreme Elder mean to go back on his word?" Wei Zhao wore the same expression as before, not the least bit moved by the other's aura. The so-called presence of a Nascent Soul old monster was, in his eyes, just so much hot air—nothing to be surprised about at all.

"I would not call it going back on my word. It is simply that, as an old thing of the Cangwu Sect of North Island, I cannot help but keep a careful watch over such matters. Were I to let in a few persons of dubious origin, I would be raked over the coals for it." Chen Jiu's tone was flat, yet his aura only grew fiercer by the moment. Clearly, he had no intention of letting this matter end peacefully today.

To be precise, he had never intended that from the very start. Whether this Great Antiquity Martial-Uncle Grandmaster of Wei Zhao's was genuine or false, he was determined that Wei Zhao would never be allowed to take up residence in the Cangwu Sect of North Island as he wished. After all, one mountain cannot hold two tigers.

The reason he had dragged things out so long without an outright falling-out was, apart from his worry over Chen Dongcheng, another key factor: the uncanny methods Wei Zhao had displayed earlier. Until he understood them clearly, he was unwilling to take a reckless risk.

So Chen Jiu had not been idle all this time. He had been searching everywhere for any material on the extraction of primordial spirits. Unfortunately, it had all come to nothing.

That was hardly strange. Even though the little world of the Great Antiquity had always placed great emphasis on cultivating the primordial spirit, and techniques involving it emerged in endless succession, something as vicious as a soul-hooking hand or primordial spirit devouring was unheard of. After all, the strongest among them were no more than Nascent Soul old monsters. That was the ceiling, and no amount of study would change it.

No material meant no confidence, and so Chen Jiu had kept his patience. Until today, when that patience was utterly spent.

True, the unknown meant risk, but Chen Jiu did not believe he would really be brought down by the likes of a mere Wei Zhao. At worst, it would be a bit of trouble.

As a Nascent Soul old monster, he naturally possessed the pride of one.

"Heh. Round and round, and it all comes to the same thing: burning the bridge after crossing it. For a Supreme Elder, you turn your face quickly enough." There was no anger on Wei Zhao's face. He had never expected the man to keep faith with him in the first place; if he had been foolish enough to trust in the other's character, there was only one explanation—his head was full of water.

"Say what you like. Since you chose to contend with this old man, you should have been prepared for this long ago. Is that not so?" Chen Jiu showed not the slightest embarrassment. For a person of his stature, his hide had been tempered to perfection long ago—what was this?

"Mm. As expected of a Nascent Soul old monster—that look on your face that says you have me all figured out. Very frightening." Wei Zhao smiled a smile that was not quite a smile.

"Hmph. At death's door, and your mouth is still stubborn." Chen Jiu answered with a cold snort.

Listening to the two of them, Xin Yi'an off to the side had gone completely rigid. The two great personages had torn off all pretense and were about to take matters into their own hands. What was a small fry like him supposed to do—stay and help, or make a quick escape as the best course?

As for helping, Xin Yi'an knew full well that with his meager strength he would be of no use whatsoever. If he stayed and managed not to make things worse, that would already be a fine showing—but to simply flee like this, aside from the awkwardness of answering to Wei Zhao, he was, after all, a Golden Core elder, and a person of some face.

Glancing at the hesitating Xin Yi'an, Chen Jiu suddenly spoke. "I hear you have brought along several secular-world disciples of decent aptitude. If you do not wish them to be caught in the crossfire, have them hide themselves first. Rest assured, so long as they do not stir up trouble of their own accord hereafter, this old man will not settle accounts after the fact. I do possess at least that much tolerance."

That much was true. Chen Jiu was going back on his word to Wei Zhao because Wei Zhao had him by the weak spot, and because in both status and strength, Wei Zhao had the potential to threaten him—in a sense, someone qualified to be his rival. At such a time, he could of course stop at nothing.

But Qiu Lingshan and the others were different. Granted, they were all Wei Zhao's people, but for a Nascent Soul old monster like Chen Jiu, to take even these people to heart would be far too petty.

These days, not only the Chen family of North Island but the entire Cangwu Sect of North Island found itself short of successors. Once Wei Zhao was dealt with, the rest of Qiu Lingshan's group would be leaderless and utterly without threat; rather, they were promising prospects, and the only cost would be some extra time spent training them.

"No need." Wei Zhao's answer was blunt. In fact, up to this very moment, not one of Qiu Lingshan's group had shown themselves; every one of them was still shut in their own rooms in secluded cultivation, deaf to all that went on beyond their windows.

"Oh?" Chen Jiu was rather taken aback, and the corner of his mouth soon curved into a mocking arc. "So ruthless even to your own subordinates? This old man did rather underestimate you. You are a character, I will grant you that."

The Heaven-Ascending Cliff was not large, and the area truly covered by the Step-to-Heaven Formation was smaller still. Even two ordinary Golden Core cultivators brawling could easily sweep it all away, and now, with a Nascent Soul old monster like Chen Jiu in the mix, a mere gesture could reduce the place to ruin. In other words, if those people, Xin Yi'an included, remained here, being caught in the crossfire was a certainty; with their strength, not one of them would leave alive.

In Chen Jiu's view, Wei Zhao's doing so was as good as pronouncing a death sentence on them all, and the label of ruthlessness was entirely apt.

"Ruthless?" Wei Zhao laughed at the words, then eyed the Nascent Soul old monster sidelong. "I say, have you misunderstood something, Supreme Elder?"

"Oh?" Chen Jiu was taken aback.

"I never intended to have a great showdown with you. Even if we fall out face to face, at most I would have you follow in Chen Dongcheng's footsteps—why would I go to such trouble?" Wei Zhao said with perfect seriousness.

"What?" Even Chen Jiu was struck dumb by his tone. True, he still could not comprehend the uncanny method the man had used on Chen Dongcheng, but he himself was a Nascent Soul old monster—did this brat think the same trick would work on a Nascent Soul old monster? How naive could he be!

If a Nascent Soul old monster could be disposed of so casually, one would become an invincible existence across the entire little world of the Great Antiquity. Who did this brat think he was? (To be continued.)