Inside the hall, in front of the light screen.
Han Xuanji looked at Hun Cangfeng's pale face in the projection, the corners of his mouth curling up slightly as he thought to himself:
"Is that it?"
Ten True Gods against six; the trapping formation had instead become the opponent's cage. The plan Hun Cangfeng thought was foolproof seemed as fragile as a sheet of paper.
Watching the play reach this point, there was no longer any suspense.
Han Xuanji withdrew his gaze, no longer paying attention to the images on the light screen, and instead began to observe the reactions of the various clan Elders in the hall.
Those clan Elders who had been absent-minded and showing signs of impatience just moments ago were now sitting up straight, staring intently at the light screen, the expressions in their eyes shifting from shock and anger to relief.
"Good! Excellent!"
A white-haired clan Elder stroked his beard and nodded repeatedly. "Hun Qianxue, that child, really didn't let us down. He had already set the trap, just waiting for Hun Cangfeng to walk right into it."
"No wonder he dared to travel with so few people; it turns out he was prepared all along."
Another clan Elder spoke with some emotion, while also harboring a bit of a complaint:
"No wonder Hun Pojun didn't come; it turns out he was invited to oversee things. It would have been great to invite me; I'm not any worse than that fellow Hun Pojun."
"Ahem, this old man isn't too old to swing a blade either!"
This was a great opportunity to show off, and many in the hall felt particularly disgruntled looking at Hun Pojun on the light screen.
Even Ancestor Fenxue frowned as he looked at Hun Qianling, saying softly:
"Why didn't you let me take action for something like this? Do you siblings think that kid Hun Pojun is stronger than me?"
"This... for such a small matter, there was naturally no need to trouble you to act, Ancestor Fenxue."
Hun Qianling hurriedly found an excuse to gloss it over.
"Fine."
Ancestor Fenxue didn't care too much; he was just teasing.
Meanwhile, others in the hall began to discuss Hun Cangfeng and the others.
"Sigh, that boy Hun Cangfeng is also muddled. I thought he had moved past it long ago, but I didn't expect him to still be obsessed with that matter."
"Indeed. A loss is a loss; I didn't expect that after all these years, he still hasn't let it go."
Amidst the discussion, the expressions of the clan Elders gradually shifted from shock to anger, and then from anger to relief.
They were angry at Hun Cangfeng's betrayal, but relieved that Hun Qianxue had been prepared and hadn't let the traitor succeed.
"How should this matter be handled?"
One clan Elder asked in a heavy voice, "Hun Cangfeng, Third Young Master Hun Qianchen, and those people from the Tianwu Sect..."
"Family scandals should not be aired in public."
Ancestor Fenxue spoke indifferently. His voice wasn't loud, yet it instantly silenced the discussions in the hall,
"This matter will be settled within the clan and must not spread to the outside world. The Hun Family cannot afford to lose face."
The clan Elders nodded one after another, deeply agreeing. Hun Cangfeng was a Hun Family Elder, and Third Young Master Hun Qianchen was the son of the previous family head. These two joining forces to rebel would only make outsiders laugh at the Hun Family's internal strife if word got out.
However, this matter also involved the Tianwu Sect. An outside power interfering in the Hun Family's internal affairs was no small matter; it was fortunate they hadn't succeeded, for if they had, it would have been a grave issue.
"Wait for Hun Qianxue to return before discussing the punishment."
Ancestor Fenxue made the final decision,
"For now, let's just watch."
The hall fell silent as everyone's gaze returned to the light screen.
Over at Broken Soul Ridge, the situation had completely tilted in favor of Hun Qianxue's side.
Hun Pojun's words were like a sharp blade, cutting into the already unstable Foundation of Hun Cangfeng's camp.
Especially Third Young Master Hun Qianchen; his face was full of hesitation, and his eyes flickered uncertainly, clearly calculating something in his heart.
"Surrender without a fight, and perhaps your life can still be spared."
Hun Pojun's words echoed repeatedly in his mind.
He was the son of the previous family head and also Hun Qianxue's younger brother.
Having committed a great mistake, as long as he admitted it and begged for mercy, for the sake of their blood relation, they... they probably wouldn't kill him, right?
Third Young Master Hun Qianchen's lips trembled slightly, and his feet involuntarily moved back half an inch.
Hun Cangfeng caught Third Young Master Hun Qianchen's movement out of the corner of his eye, and his heart skipped a beat.
"This useless trash!"
He cursed inwardly, wishing he could slap him.
"Even now, was he still fantasizing that the other side would show mercy?"
"Since Hun Qianxue had set this trap, he had no intention of leaving them a way out."
"With Third Young Master Hun Qianchen's cowardly appearance, let alone counting on him to help, it would be a blessing if he didn't drag them down."
"With this kind of Heart-Nature, he still wanted to be the family head?"
"Like hell he could!"
However, Hun Cangfeng quickly adjusted his mindset. If Third Young Master Hun Qianchen actually had brains, he wouldn't have chosen to cooperate with him in the first place.
"Do you really think he will let you go?"
Hun Cangfeng shouted sharply, his gaze sweeping over Wu Tianqiong and the people from the Tianwu Sect behind him,
"Things have come to this; surrendering means death, but fighting gives us a chance to live! Don't be fooled by his lies!"
Wu Tianqiong gritted his teeth, his face ashen, his gaze shifting back and forth between Hun Cangfeng and the ten True Gods opposite them.
His subordinates were already starting to get restless; some gripped their weapons tightly, while others quietly backed away.
"Hun Cangfeng, you guaranteed me that this trip was foolproof!"
Wu Tianqiong's voice was kept extremely low but was full of fury,
"And now? The opponent has ten True Gods! Ten! You're going to get us all killed!"
Hun Cangfeng took a deep breath, suppressing the irritation in his heart, and said in a low voice:
"Now is not the time to assign blame. I don't know what happened either, but among us... there must be a mole."
Wu Tianqiong's pupils shrank, and his gaze instinctively swept toward Third Young Master Hun Qianchen. Third Young Master Hun Qianchen's face turned even paler.
"No... it wasn't me! I didn't do it!"
"It certainly wasn't you, but that's not important now."
Hun Cangfeng interrupted him, his tone urgent:
"What's important is that we must fight our way out. Staying here only leads to death."
Wu Tianqiong was silent for a moment before gritting his teeth hard:
"Fine! Let's fight our way out!"
At this point, discussing whose fault it was or who the mole was had indeed become meaningless. The beautiful future they had previously envisioned had completely shattered; the priority now was to survive.
As long as they were still alive, there would be a chance for a comeback in the future.
"Don't worry, I don't want to die either."
Hun Cangfeng glanced at the people behind him, took a deep breath, and his voice suddenly rose:
"Everyone, now is not the time to worry about these things. The opponent will not let us go. Only by fighting our way out is there a glimmer of hope! Charge with me!"
As his words fell, his aura suddenly surged, and he took the lead in charging toward the east. Third Young Master Hun Qianchen and a Hun Family Elder gritted their teeth and followed closely behind.
Meanwhile, the several True Gods of the Tianwu Sect exchanged glances and headed directly toward the west. Hun Qianxue watched the figures on the opposite side fighting for themselves, a hint of disdain curling at the corner of his mouth.
"Each harboring their own ulterior motives, their minds aren't on the battle but on how to save themselves."
He shook his head and whispered to himself, "The outcome is already decided."
The battle quickly broke out.
Hun Pojun soon blocked their path, his speed incredibly fast. Clearly, the opponent was a top-tier expert who cultivated the Path of the Physical Body. Hun Cangfeng looked at the white-haired old man before him, knowing full well that this aged appearance was just a facade; if the opponent wished, he could easily transform into a youthful state.
One must know that a top expert of the Path of the Physical Body who has reached the level of Eternal True God can still achieve myriad transformations under the constraints of the Eternal Continent's laws, and their bodily functions will not decline with age.
Within that seemingly old body was a terrifying power capable of crushing mountains and overturning seas.
Hun Cangfeng knew that only by defeating this strongest opponent would there be a glimmer of hope for a breakout.
But he had clearly underestimated Hun Pojun's strength. Hun Pojun didn't even draw a weapon; he simply raised his right hand and struck out with a palm.
The palm wind was like a mountain, pressing down until the Void Realm was twisted and deformed.
Before this palm, Hun Cangfeng was like paper; he was forced back dozens of feet, coughing up blood wildly.
As for Third Young Master Hun Qianchen's performance, it was even more pathetic.
He was entangled by two Eternal True Gods under Hun Qianxue's command. His heart was full of fear and hesitation, and he couldn't even exert seventy percent of his usual strength.
The opponents forced him back repeatedly within two or three moves, leaving him in a wretched state.
"I... I surrender! I surrender!"
Third Young Master Hun Qianchen finally couldn't hold on any longer, threw down the weapon in his hand, and raised his hands.
However, what answered him was a sharp sword light.