Covering the Sky: Fairy, I really need to control you properly.

Tens of thousands of miles away, the mountains stretch out like a vast, undulating sea.

Two figures collided amidst the sea of ​​clouds, causing the void to collapse, mountain ranges to crumble, and all the birds and beasts within a radius of ten thousand miles to flee.

Master Xuanzhu struck out with his palm, forcefully knocking Su Yunqi back a hundred feet.

He was about to rush forward and completely suppress the peak master of Tian Shu Peak when his steps suddenly faltered.

An aura emanated from an extremely distant direction, locking onto it.

Su Yunqi also stopped what he was doing, and the two of them turned their heads almost simultaneously to look in the direction of the Purple Mansion Holy Land.

Black sword energy tore through the sky, cleaved through the sea of ​​clouds, and split the vast sky in two.

Wherever it passed, the void collapsed, revealing pitch-black cracks, as if the sky had been ripped open with a wound that would never heal.

The sword energy had not yet arrived, but the sword intent had already been there.

Master Xuanzhu's pupils shrank to the size of pinpoints, but it was to no avail.

From the moment Xu Jinhuan uttered the word "slay" on the Dao Discussion Platform of the Purple Mansion Holy Land, his fate was already sealed.

"No!"

Xuanzhu Zhenren's body, along with the mountain range stretching for hundreds of miles beneath his feet, was simply erased without a second thought.

Where the sword energy fell, a bottomless crack stretched into the distance, its length immeasurable and its width exceeding ten thousand feet, gleaming with a cold, dark light.

Su Yunqi stood there, stunned, in mid-air.

The once seasoned peak master of Tian Shu Peak was now drenched in cold sweat.

"Peak Master Su."

"Don't be afraid, it's me."

Su Yunqi was startled.

It was Xu Jinhuan.

"You, how did you come back to life..." Su Yunqi let out a long breath, his lips twitching several times, and finally managed to squeeze out only this sentence, "You really hid it well."

……

Above the Purple Mansion Sacred Land, on the Dao Discussion Platform.

The vast ocean of sword energy surrounding Xu Jinhuan receded like the tide, shrinking inwards in circles until it returned to calm.

The black dragon formed from the Taiyin Divine Water swung its body, turning into a sky full of black rain that dissipated into the void.

The Immortal-Slaying Gourd returned to the Sea of ​​Bitterness, and the Emperor's might dissipated.

The sky cleared, and the sunlight shone down again, its golden rays illuminating the debating platform.

Xu Jinhuan stood in the void, his clothes fluttering in the wind, his black hair flowing, looking down at everything.

"Lord Lin".

"Yang Yang broke his promise today, violating the oath he made on the Daoist platform in front of everyone."

"Given his previous actions, I have a legitimate reason to kill him."

"I have eradicated the scum of the Yang family lineage of Zizhu Peak for the sake of the Holy Land. The remaining cleanup matters will be handled by the Holy Lord."

"Now that Yang Yang is dead, the position of peak master of Zizhu Peak is vacant," Xu Jinhuan continued. "According to the agreement, all the resources of Zizhu Peak within the next hundred years should be transferred to my Tian Shu Peak."

"We hope that the Holy Lord and all of you will bear witness to this matter."

"Even if the master of Purple Bamboo Peak changes in the future, please keep your promise!"

He tilted his head slightly, his gaze sweeping over everyone present.

"Is there anyone who disagrees?"

Dead silence.

No one dared to answer.

The ashes of those supreme elders haven't even settled yet, so who would dare to disobey, and who could utter a single word against the imperial weapon?

Zixia stood still, looking up at Xu Jinhuan's back.

This dead tree was putting on an act from beginning to end.

He was waiting for the moment when Yang Yang broke his promise, waiting for a legitimate reason to take action.

When Yang Yang's ugly behavior is exposed to the light of day, and everyone sees his true colors clearly, and when everyone feels that Xu Jinhuan died unjustly, then he will return with the imperial weapon.

In this way, his killing of Yang Yang would not be considered an act of bullying others by abusing his power.

Even if it were to spread, the various sects of the Eastern Wilderness wouldn't be able to find much fault with it.

Who dares to say that the master of the imperial weapon indiscriminately kills innocent people?

The peak master of Zizhu Peak made his own oath, and he broke it first, so he deserved to die.

At this moment, on the central peak, Lin Suwen looked around blankly, feeling somewhat lost.

While Zizhu Peak is indeed hateful, she is not unaware of Yang Yang's actions over the years, but due to various reasons, she cannot openly confront him.

The situation is beyond human control. The Yang family lineage is deeply rooted in the Purple Mansion, and any change in their position can have far-reaching consequences. Even as the Holy Lord, she has her own difficulties.

But today, Xu Jinhuan did this for her.

The cost was that the high-level combat power of the Purple Mansion suffered heavy losses.

The two peak masters, Yang Yang of Zizhu Peak and Liu Ruyan of Ziyun Peak, have both perished, and the four Supreme Elders have also died.

This is an unprecedented and devastating loss since the founding of the Purple Palace Sect.

Some of them were also people from her time, including her senior brothers and fellow disciples who had listened to the teachings under the patriarch.

Today's farce has dealt an unprecedented blow to the Purple Mansion, both in terms of its combat strength and reputation.

Lin Suwen raised her head and looked at Xu Jinhuan.

This young man...

He wields an imperial weapon and possesses limitless potential.

Lin Suwen doesn't have much time left to live; she knows this best herself.

Her injuries are difficult to heal, her lifespan is nearing its end, and her time is almost up. In a few decades or a hundred years, she will turn into a handful of dust.

What will happen to Zifu then? What will happen to Zixia?

Zixia is the most outstanding disciple of the Zifu generation. She and Zixia were born from the same Tian Shu, both possessing innate Dao embryos and unparalleled talent.

But precisely because of this, she was destined to be targeted by others in the future.

Without a powerful protector, Zixia's path to growth will be fraught with danger.

Lin Suwen suddenly remembered a record she had seen in an ancient book, which was about the deeds of another innate Dao embryo.

The creator of Yaochi, the Western Queen Mother, a rare female emperor in human history.

Before that exceptionally talented woman had fully matured, she also had a protector, a Great Accomplished Saint Body.

That sacred body sheltered her from the wind and rain, protecting her from countless open and hidden attacks, until she attained enlightenment and became emperor, ruling the world.

It seems that Fairy Zixia and the young man Xu Jinhuan had already shown an unusual relationship on the Dao Discussion Platform.

The other shore has no lotus petals, she said she'd lend them, and so she did.

There was a hint of intimacy in their words.

Is it...

Thinking of this, Lin Suwen suddenly had an idea.

The wind on the platform of discourse stirred the white hair at her temples.

"You have all witnessed what happened today."

"As the peak master of Purple Bamboo Peak, Yang Yang is revered by the Holy Land and wields power over the peak. He should set an example, protect his fellow disciples, and uphold righteousness. However, over the years, he has formed cliques for personal gain, eliminated dissidents, and the Yang family of Purple Bamboo Peak has run rampant within the Holy Land, oppressing fellow disciples and seizing resources. Has anyone dared to speak out against these acts?"

She paused, her gaze sweeping over the kneeling elders and the remaining disciples of Purple Bamboo Peak.

No one dared to meet their gaze.

"Today on the Dao Debate Platform, in front of all the sects of the Eastern Wilderness, a Dao oath was made, only to be torn up by one's own hands. This is a betrayal of my Purple Mansion Holy Land, a trampling of the rules of the Dao Debate Conference, and the most basic integrity of cultivators."

"Such behavior disqualifies one from being a disciple of my Purple Mansion Sect."

"Fellow Daoist Xu Jinhuan's actions today are to purge the scum and eradicate the cancer for my Purple Mansion, upholding the rules and righteousness of my Purple Mansion!"

Upon hearing this, the entire room fell silent.

She turned around to face Xu Jinhuan, her gaze deep and solemn.

"Today, in the name of the Holy Lord of the Purple Mansion, I declare that Xu Jinhuan is a protector of my Purple Mansion!"

As soon as he finished speaking, it seemed as if the sound of bells echoed throughout the world.

"From this day forward, the Protector shall be of equal rank to the Supreme Elder and shall have the authority to carry out the punishments of the Holy Land. Any disciple of my Purple Mansion who disrespects me shall be punished as a traitor."

The elders kneeling on the ground suddenly raised their heads, their expressions changing from fear to astonishment, and then from astonishment to confusion.

Protector of the Way?

This boy?

The observers from various sects in the Eastern Wilderness were also stunned, looking at each other in bewilderment, unsure of how to react.

Lin Su asked, "What's this old fox up to?"

Xu Jinhuan: ?