Forty Millenniums of Cultivation
chapter-621

As if hit by a bolt of lightning, Yan Chihuo was barely able to hold his broken saber. He was so shocked that he stepped back and mumbled, his face pale, "Uncle, is this true? Did you murder my father, your own brother?"

Deep in thought, Yan Xibei glanced at Li Yao casually and sighed. "Ah Huo, believe me, I gave Zhengdong opportunities. If he were less stubborn, the two of us would've worked together for the future of Iron Plateau!

"If possible, I definitely wouldn't let a single drop of Iron Plateau blood be shed for nothing, nor would I show up in front of you in such an appearance!

"I've been restraining myself just now and controlling the apocalyptic beasts to launch as few fatal attacks as possible. They were merely consuming your strength and your spiritual gas.

"If I didn't, do you think that only two hundred people would've been killed?"

Yan Chihuo had always greatly admired his uncle. He had respected his uncle even more than his own father. Right now, when he heard Yan Xibei admitting that Yan Zhengdong had been murdered by him, he was grasped by desperation and shouted, "Why—why are you doing this? What do you want exactly?"

Yan Xibei seemed to suddenly fall into a trance. He replied, "There are many things that I need to do. It is a long road that I'm walking on. Not everyone has the chance to finish the journey with me.

"If everything had gone smoothly, the smallest sacrifice could've earned the best results. Many people, including Ah Feng, wouldn't have died.

"It's a pity that Sand Scorpion was clever enough to see through my plan. But his cleverness is merely a petty trick. In the end, he can't stop me after all. All those lives have been lost for nothing!"

Li Yao sniffed and thought quickly. White steam was popping up from his forehead.

"Sand Scorpion, I didn't know that you noticed Yan Xibei's anomalies long ago!"

Shi Meng patted his shoulder hard and asked hopefully, "You must be waiting patiently for him to reveal his true face before you blow him up with your trump cards, mustn't you?"

Li Yao glanced at him and replied, "You are thinking too much, brother. I only thought through everything a moment ago, and I certainly don't have any trump cards with me!"

"Hehehehe!"

Yan Xibei chuckled, the shell on his insect body shivering slightly. "The three hours of fierce battle have drained most people's spiritual gas. The more capable you are, the more exhausted you will be. Right now, there are less than twenty of you who can still fight, and even those twenty are on the verge of passing out, too. Where are your trump cards?

"Besides, this 'apocalyptic body' that I carefully refined, although still immature, can still wield the combat ability of a calamity-level apocalyptic beast!

"Let's say you still have your trump cards. So what? They will only be torn apart by me easily!"

Yan Xibei paused and smiled weirdly. He then shouted, "Xie Hong, Ye Jun, Wei Honghui, Mu Jianyuan, Zhang Chengfei, you can come out now!"

While talking, five glittering threads suddenly spurted out of Yan Xibei's insect body and darted toward the qi-trainers like sharp arrows. They tied up the thighs of five qi-trainers, before Yan Xibei exerted some strength and pulled them over to him!

Of the five qi-trainers, three were wearing the armor of the Burning Sun Tribe, while battle emblems of the Feathered Snakes Tribe and the Giant Axe Tribe could be found on the other two qi-trainers.

They were all lightheaded because of the sudden movement, and their eyes were all shaking fast, indicating that they had something they would rather other people not know. Looking at each other in bewilderment, they seemed to realize something.

Yan Xibei smiled. "With everything reaching this point, the five of you can stop hiding and declare openly that you belong to the Temple of Immortals now."

The five of them blinked and looked at Yan Xibei unconfidently.

Yan Xibei's throat suddenly trembled, and a completely different voice that was as dull as colliding rocks came out. "I am the Mountain King!"

The five of them gasped and finally shouted ecstatically, "Master Yan, you are the Mountain King? What—what a sur—"

"When we saw you diving into the grey mist, we thought you were dead and the Temple of Immortals' plan had come to an end. We didn't know that everything was within your control. How marvelous!"

"Your—your new body is truly—truly—truly startling!"

The warriors of the six tribes finally realized what was going on. The chief of the Giant Axe Tribe and the chief of the Feathered Snakes Tribe looked awful, as they did not expect that somebody in their own tribe had been transformed into the Temple of Immortals' spy.

Yan Xibei smiled and replied casually, "Sorry that I kept it a secret for so long. However, the 'apocalyptic body' is my biggest secret. If I told you about it and you told the Lotus King, your real master, the entire Temple of Immortals would have known that my capability was much higher than their evaluation!

"If so, how could people like the Lotus King take advantage of me without any doubts?"

The five of them were shuddering with pale faces when they heard 'Lotus King', their exultation from a moment ago all gone.

One of them managed a smile and said, "Master Yan. You—you must be joking. We—we have always been the Mountain King's subordinates! You are our leader. What does the Lotus King have to do with anything?"

The legs of another qi-trainer were shaking hard, and he lost control over his tongue. "Mountain King, it's true that we talked to the Lotus King several times, but it is you who we've pledged our loyalty to. We—"

Another two qi-trainers had sensed the subtle killing intent and looked around for a way of escape.

There was pity in Yan Xibei's eyes, as he remarked, "There's no personal grudge between the Lotus King and me. You are all my compatriots, and I find it hard to kill you. However, what I'm about to say is best not heard by you. Do excuse me, everyone!"

Hardly had he concluded his speech when the threads suddenly tightened as if they had become thin blades. Three spies who had joined the Temple of Immortals were minced into multiple parts before they had the chance to scream!

The remaining two spies, on the other hand, had chopped off the threads in advance. They roared and fled in two different directions, one going east and the other going west. In the blink of an eye, they had dashed almost thirty meters away.

Yan Xibei grinned hideously. He extended his arms and opened his palms. Two weird waves immediately appeared in the air and condensed into two translucent hands, which moved forward and snatched the two running qi-trainers.

Yan Xibei clenched his fists, and the two giant translucent hands collapsed toward the center like iron walls. Two clusters of blood exploded in midair, and the muscular men were crushed into two indistinguishable meatballs!

The cruel picture rendered everyone on the spot dumbfounded.

Those familiar with the five qi-trainers all knew that the two who ran away in the end were both experts above the 50th level of the Refinement Stage.

Yet, they did not have the slight chance to counterattack when faced with Yan Xibei!

The apocalyptic body was truly terrifying!

Yan Xibei rubbed his hands and said, "Alright. All the irrelevant people have been cleared, and you've seen my real capability. Now, let's get down to business.

"Sand Scorpion said that the Temple of Immortals has a scheme on Iron Plateau. I don't deny that.

"However, as you have seen just now, I, Yan Xibei, am different from the other people of the Temple of Immortals.

"I am, and always will be, an Iron Plateau native no matter what. How could I jeopardize my own homeland and my compatriots? There are two paths in front of you. You can choose the one that you prefer.

"Firstly, stand on my side and help me become the master of the Temple of Immortals. We will transform the Temple of Immortals with our strength and turn the organization into a tool of Iron Plateau natives that carries out our will!

"Secondly, if you are unwilling to stand on my side, then you can go to hell!

"Don't be hasty. I know warriors of Iron Plateau better than anyone else. I'm aware that you are fearless of death. However, you must think about your family and compatriots in your hometown. Think about your parents, your brothers, your wives, and your children!

"You are all the best warriors on Iron Plateau. What can the rest of Iron Plateau natives do if you are all dead? By then, it is very possible that they will really become the cannon fodder of the Temple of Immortals!"

Yan Xibei's short speech cast the spot into silence. Everyone's face was pale.

"Ah Huo, why don't you make a choice first?"

Yan Xibei looked at his nephew with a smile.

Every muscle on Yan Chihuo's face was twitching violently. He suddenly took a deep breath and spat hard, "Damn you! Old fart, I will choose a third path!

"I will blow you—half-human-half-devil monster—up into pieces!"

Emotionlessly, Yan Xibei formed a spiritual shield in front of him that blocked Yan Chihuo's saliva, while five spider threads pierced through Yan Chihuo's thighs and picked him up shakily.

"Ahhh!"

Yan Chihuo's entire weight was lifted by a few extremely thin threads that were hooked into his flesh. He was screaming in the excruciating pain, "F*ck you, you old fart. You are not my uncle. My uncle died a hero's death! You are a monster! You are a f*cking monster! I will not stand on your side even if I'm to be killed!"

"Ah Huo, you are too rash and useless compared to your brother."

Yan Xibei manipulated another coldly shining thread, which slithered toward Yan Chihuo's neck.

There was still blood on this particular thread. It was the one used to kill one of the spy of the Temple of Immortals just now.

"My own brother has been killed by me. One of my nephews, too. What's wrong with killing the other one? Since you are not willing to stand on my side, Ah Huo, your uncle will grant you a quick death!"

Right then, abrupt changes took place. Yan Xibei's pupils constricted violently, while the mantis forelegs blurred into dozens of shadows and blocked more than ten invisible bullets!

"Who's there?" Yan Xibei narrowed his eyes and glared at the qi-trainers with his sharp eyes.

A tall man in a ragged crystal suit slowly made his way to the front of the crowd. Half of his facial cover had been knocked off, revealing a bristly, unshaven chin. He grinned and said, "My name is Lei Dalu. I am just an ordinary Core Formation Stage Cultivator."