The Grand Elder showed confusion in his eyes upon hearing Yuan Jun's words.
"Is this person mentally unwell to say such things?"
He himself was the most powerful person in the Yuan family, and with a mere flick of his wrist, he could make the entire family collapse. Yet, now, Yuan Jun dared to threaten him, and with so many people present. It was clearly a delusion.
Just as the Grand Elder was about to speak and remind Yuan Jun not to talk in his sleep during broad daylight, he noticed Yuan Jun lowering his head and smiling. His smile exuded an extremely eerie feeling.
After chuckling for a while, Yuan Jun looked at Su Xi. "Since you've discovered this secret, I no longer need to hide it. Everyone here today will die."
He hadn't wanted to be so troublesome and had given Su Xi a slight chance to survive. But since Su Xi didn't cherish it, he couldn't be blamed.
Now that he intended to act, no one would be able to live.
Everyone only knew that the Yuan family was one of the four great families in Tianxin City, but they had never wondered why a family without even a Nascent Soul stage cultivator could be one of the four great families, and why others dared not offend them.
All of this was naturally because the Yuan family was not as simple as it appeared on the surface.
The other guests, upon hearing Yuan Jun's words, were about to retort when they were suddenly reprimanded by Yuan Jun. Before they could react, they felt a sharp pain in their chests.
One after another, they collapsed on the ground, their lives extinguished.
The Grand Elder did not expect Yuan Jun to be so ruthless, but he instinctively still believed Yuan Jun was bluffing.
A cultivator at the Golden Core stage repeatedly clamoring that he would not let them go seemed utterly unrealistic and, in fact, extremely laughable.
Seeing this scene, the Grand Elder intended to make a move to subdue Yuan Jun and ascertain the situation.
However, before he could do anything else, he noticed Yuan Jun's cultivation base rapidly ascending before his eyes.
In the blink of an eye, his cultivation had broken through to the Nascent Soul stage and was still climbing, even surpassing the Grand Elder's own in a short period.
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This scene caused countless black lines to appear on the Grand Elder's forehead, and a strong sense of panic surged in his heart.
"Am I dreaming?"
"This is why I'm encountering such preposterous events."
"When did improving one's cultivation become so easy?"
Within a few breaths, Yuan Jun's cultivation reached the Soul Transformation stage. If it weren't for his consideration of those around him, he would have almost cried out.
He had tolerated this for a lifetime, only to encounter trouble in the end.
As Yuan Jun's cultivation reached its peak, he stretched his joints. He looked at Su Xi and the others with ill intent, smiling. "It's been a while since I've moved. I'm not quite used to it."
The Great Xuan Empire had a regulation that anyone who reached the Soul Transformation stage had to go to the capital for management. Yuan Jun, however, was unwilling to give up his current life, and his mission was not yet complete, so he had no desire to go to the capital.
Hiding his cultivation for so many years had been truly stifling.
Seeing Yuan Jun, whom he had always looked down upon, as a Soul Transformation stage expert, the Grand Elder found the sudden turn of events utterly unbearable.
"Unbelievable, what should I do?"
When Su Xi witnessed this scene, she was also somewhat surprised. Yuan Jun was actually a Soul Transformation stage expert.
However, even after discovering Yuan Jun's true cultivation, Su Xi showed no astonishment. Instead, a hint of a smile appeared on her lips.
"As expected, things are as I thought."
"No wonder I felt something was off about Yuan Jun from the moment I saw him. Now, under his relentless pressure, he's finally revealed his true colors."
But even though Yuan Jun's cultivation had reached the Soul Transformation stage, she felt no apprehension.
"Reaching the Soul Transformation stage is not an easy feat. Otherwise, Yuan Jun wouldn't have gone through so much trouble to set up his plan; he would have acted directly."
Although Yuan Jun's cultivation was currently immense, Su Xi, through her supercomputer, detected unstable fluctuations in his aura.
Clearly, Yuan Jun's cultivation had not truly reached the Soul Transformation stage. Instead, he had forcibly increased his cultivation through some unknown method, meaning it was not genuine Soul Transformation stage power.
Knowing Yuan Jun's true situation, Su Xi felt no tension.
"As long as Yuan Jun isn't truly that powerful, I'll find a way to defeat him."
Yuan Jun, seeing the unfathomable smile on Su Xi's face, knew that she had discovered his secret, yet she remained unperturbed.
"No matter what has happened, my cultivation has now reached the Soul Transformation stage. Therefore, dealing with these few people is not a problem. Anyone who dares to make a move against me will pay the price."
"Everyone, attack." The Grand Elder had the most interaction with Yuan Jun and naturally knew he was not a soft-hearted person.
Since Yuan Jun had revealed all his trump cards, he would definitely silence them all. The only way was to strike first.
With that, the Grand Elder made the first move.
He took out a massive iron hammer from his person and uttered a few incantations. As the incantations were spoken, the iron hammer instantly grew larger.
The iron hammer, now as large as a small mountain, descended towards Yuan Jun's head.
Even before the iron hammer fully descended, it carried a powerful gust of wind. The intense friction created a piercing hum in the air, making it feel as if the sky was collapsing.
Yuan Jun, looking at the oppressive force of the descending iron hammer, instantly understood its power. He knew clearly that if he were struck, even with his Soul Transformation stage cultivation, he would suffer greatly.
Therefore, without any hesitation, he took out a rope from his person.
The rope appeared ordinary, a simple hemp rope that looked fragile, completely contrasting with the colossal iron hammer. They seemed to be on entirely different levels.
However, upon contact, the rope instantly halted the downward momentum of the iron hammer. Although it trembled in the air, it could not budge an inch.
Seeing this, the Grand Elder's expression froze.
Others might not know, but this iron hammer was no ordinary weapon. He had infused it with the vital essence of a Qilin, imbuing each strike with thunderous power.
This iron hammer, capable of splitting mountains and filling seas with every swing, was now rendered useless against a mere rope.
Yet, Yuan Jun managing to block the iron hammer with just a rope was an utterly fantastical event.
"Even in a novel, things shouldn't be this outrageous."
"Fellow Daoist, quickly assist me." The Grand Elder now knew he was no match for Yuan Jun and could only seek Su Xi's help.
Facing a Soul Transformation stage expert, they could only unite their efforts, perhaps giving them a chance to turn the tide.
Su Xi nodded at the Grand Elder's plea and immediately retrieved the God-Slaying Sword from her person.
"Go!"
She rapidly swung the God-Slaying Sword in her hand, and from it, a fiery dragon manifested. The dragon was engulfed in flames, and with its gaping maw, it instantly charged towards Yuan Jun.
"Roar."
As the fiery dragon flew, it continuously spat flames, charging towards Yuan Jun.
The flames were scorching hot, possessing the might to melt all things, and were completely capable of dealing with the rope.
Upon seeing this, Yuan Jun showed no signs of nervousness.
He pointed forward with his hand, and instantly, the rope from above coiled around the approaching fiery dragon. It showed no fear of the flames.
In a short while, it had completely wrapped the fiery dragon like a zongzi, and it fell to the ground, unable to move.
The rope continued to contract, and the immense pressure caused the fiery dragon to emit a painful roar.
Witnessing this, Su Xi's eyes flickered with a hint of curiosity.
"Why does this seemingly ordinary rope possess such power, capable of immobilizing a fiery dragon formed from true solar flames?"
Yuan Jun's face showed a smug expression. His rope might look ordinary, but it held secrets within.
This rope was a reward from the Grand Tutor for his meritorious service.
It was made from genuine dragon sinew and possessed ancient divine power, far beyond what other weapons could compare to. Su Xi, seeing this, displayed a look of doubt.
"Why would Yuan Jun possess such a treasure? This level of treasure clearly exceeds his status."
She could tell that the rope in Yuan Jun's hand was no ordinary item.
Even with Yuan Jun's Soul Transformation stage cultivation, he shouldn't possess such a thing.
Yuan Jun, seeing that he had gained the upper hand, looked at Su Xi and the others and sneered. "Now, what other skills do you have? Bring them all out. You won't have another chance later."
Su Xi, hearing Yuan Jun's taunt, could no longer contain herself and stepped forward, retorting, "Do you know what you're saying? I'm going to kill you."
As Su Xi spoke, the fire-raising stick in her hand instantly emitted a blue and red intermingled light.
Since the rope was so powerful, she decided against direct confrontation and only intended to restrain Yuan Jun.
Yuan Jun, seeing Su Xi's attack, showed a hint of disdain.
"These mere parlor tricks, and you think you can deal with me?"
"Wishful thinking?"
With a wave of his hand, he unleashed a burst of red light.
As the red light emanated, it directly enveloped the light emitted by Su Xi.
Then, the sound of shattering ice echoed through the air.
"Hahaha, useless."
Yuan Jun once again destroyed Su Xi's attack, a smile appearing on his face.
"As expected, with my cultivation reaching this level, my understanding of spiritual energy has also deepened."
"Su Xi, who usually appears so lofty, her methods are nothing more than this."
The Grand Elder, seeing Su Xi's abilities once again thwarted, displayed a look of despair. It seemed today was truly a grim one.
"Now, what should I do to escape this predicament?"
All his abilities were tied to the iron hammer, but now that the iron hammer was entangled by the rope, he couldn't use it. Facing Yuan Jun's attacks, he had no other means.
Yuan Jun, seeing the dejected expressions on Su Xi and the Grand Elder's faces, chuckled.
"Since you two have exhausted your techniques, it's my turn now." Just as Yuan Jun finished speaking and was about to act, his expression suddenly froze.
"Wait a moment?"
"Why are there only two people? Weren't there three? Where did the third person go?"
Just as Yuan Jun was about to search for Ouyang Chu Ge's figure, his vision suddenly went black.
Then, he saw Ouyang Chu Ge appearing directly in front of him.
At such close range, Yuan Jun felt a surge of panic.
His cultivation had increased, but his body's defenses had not. If Ouyang Chu Ge managed to get close, it would be a critical weakness.