Jin Mo glanced at Wen Yan and the others, secretly muttering to himself.
I definitely didn't punch him in that direction on purpose.
It was completely accidental.
It absolutely wasn't because he dared to act arrogantly in front of the Palace Master or because he had designs on the Palace Master's wife.
Absolutely not!
Jin Mo silently justified himself.
Then, another thought suddenly crossed his mind.
But I wonder how the Palace Master will reward me later...
The man who had been sent flying by Jin Mo's punch hadn't suffered particularly serious injuries, mainly because Ling Quan had served as a buffer.
However, the punch had still smashed his mouth crooked.
He hurriedly scrambled back and tried to speak, but all that came out was a series of muffled sounds.
"Wuwuwu..."
He ignored his own injuries and immediately tried to pull Ling Quan out of the stone pillar.
Unfortunately, whether it was because he accidentally touched Ling Quan's wounds or because he was simply too rough, Ling Quan's eyes widened in fury.
He glared viciously at the man in front of him.
You idiot!
What are you doing?!
Can't you see I'm already injured?
"Attack!"
Seeing that the other members of the Black Annihilation Army were about to reveal their identities, Wen Yan immediately shouted.
"Beat them down!"
The people of the Heaven Punishing Divine Palace instantly understood.
Their Palace Master had already instructed them beforehand.
If these intruders forcibly entered the palace, they were to let them come inside first.
Once they were all inside, they would close the doors and catch them like turtles trapped in a jar.
More importantly, Xiao Tian had specifically warned them not to allow these people to reveal their identities.
They were not allowed to show their clan insignia or produce anything that could prove who they were.
Otherwise, things would become awkward.
After all, these people were technically members of the Palace Master's wife's family.
Even if they were the kind of relatives nobody wanted around, their identities still carried considerable weight.
If their identities were exposed, the people of the Heaven Punishing Divine Palace would naturally feel embarrassed about beating them.
But if they remained anonymous...
Then there was nothing to worry about.
The cultivators of the Heaven Punishing Divine Palace exchanged meaningful glances.
"Brothers!"
"Beat these bandits down!"
With loud shouts, they immediately rushed forward.
Most of them fought two or even three against one.
Even more strangely, their attacks seemed to have one common target.
The mouth.
Whenever possible, they specifically aimed for the opponent's face.
Their reasoning was simple.
Solve the problem at its source.
If these people couldn't open their mouths, they couldn't reveal their identities.
The Black Annihilation Army members were quickly suppressed.
Wen Yan, Hai Bodong, and the others possessed overwhelming advantages in numbers and cultivation.
The people who had come with Ling Quan this time were mostly Dou Huangs and Dou Zongs.
Against the cultivators of the Heaven Punishing Divine Palace, they had almost no chance to resist.
The man who had been trying to pull Ling Quan out of the pillar could hear the screams behind him.
However, he had no time to turn around.
His only concern was getting his commander—and captain—out of the stone pillar.
Ling Quan glared at him.
He desperately wanted to kick the man away.
Damn it!
Did you leave your brain at home?
Why are you still pulling me out?
Shouldn't you get some healing medicine first?
And why are you pulling so hard?!
Unfortunately, Ling Quan's mouth was swollen and injured, preventing him from speaking properly.
"Wuwu... wuwuwu!"
The man froze.
He looked at Ling Quan.
Then he noticed that Ling Quan was repeatedly nodding his head.
The man immediately misunderstood.
The commander wants me to hurry!
His expression became determined.
"Commander, don't worry! I'll get you out immediately!"
Ling Quan's eyes widened.
Wait! That's not what I meant!
The man placed one foot against the stone pillar.
He grabbed Ling Quan firmly with both hands.
Then he prepared to pull with all his strength.
Just as he was about to exert himself—
Someone suddenly tapped him on the shoulder.
The man instinctively turned around.
A fist instantly filled his vision.
"Bang!"
A vicious left hook smashed directly into his face.
His body flew backward.
Several teeth and a spray of blood shot from his mouth.
Before he could even regain his senses, two elders from the Heaven Punishing Divine Palace rushed forward.
A one-sided beating immediately began.
Meanwhile, another elder used Dou Qi to forcibly pull Ling Quan from the stone pillar.
Ling Quan's body was dragged free.
Before he could even recover, the elder casually threw him into the crowd.
And so, Ling Quan joined the ranks of those being beaten.
At this moment, Ling Quan finally realized how absurd this mission had become.
He had originally imagined that this trip would be a glorious opportunity to demonstrate the might of the Black Annihilation Army.
He had never imagined that he would end up being beaten so badly that even his own mother might not recognize him.
And the most humiliating part was that he had barely spoken a few words since arriving.
Meanwhile, Hai Bodong and Jin Mo stood to the side, calmly watching the battle.
Their task was to control the situation.
Whenever one of the Black Annihilation Army members tried to circulate Dou Qi and resist, Hai Bodong or Jin Mo would immediately interrupt them.
Hai Bodong stroked his beard and clicked his tongue.
"Tsk, tsk."
"Old Jin, look at these people."
"They're surprisingly resilient."
"They've been beaten this badly, yet they still refuse to beg for mercy."
Jin Mo nearly choked from holding back his laughter.
As expected of the Palace Master's favorite.
His ability to lie through his teeth is truly extraordinary.
The people lying on the ground were already covered in bruises.
Their faces were swollen.
Their mouths were practically destroyed.
How could they possibly beg for mercy?
The palace was filled with screams and the sounds of fists striking flesh.
And the people of the Heaven Punishing Divine Palace had deliberately targeted their faces, mouths, and fingers.
Their objective was obvious.
Prevent them from speaking.
Prevent them from forming hand seals.
And prevent them from fighting back.
Wen Yan suddenly glanced toward the outside.
"There is another rat hiding outside."
He turned toward the others.
"I'll leave these people to you."
As soon as his words fell, Wen Yan's figure flashed.
He disappeared from the palace.
...
High above the palace, Wen Yan appeared in the sky.
He coldly stared at a seemingly empty patch of space.
"Who dares to spy on my Heaven Punishing Divine Palace?"
His voice spread across the sky.
The surrounding space remained silent for a moment.
Then—
A young man dressed in a cyan robe slowly emerged from the void.
He looked at Wen Yan with a puzzled expression.
"Who are you?"
"I was ordered to come here to find my clan—"
"How dare you!"
Wen Yan interrupted him without hesitation.
"You come to my Heaven Punishing Divine Palace and still dare to question me?"
The young man was stunned.
"Wait..."
"I only asked who you were."
Wen Yan's eyes flashed.
"Spirit Serpent Water Scroll!"
Boom!
Before the cyan-robed young man could finish speaking, the surrounding space suddenly surged.
A massive water serpent emerged from the void.
Its enormous jaws opened wide as it lunged toward him.
The young man was completely bewildered.
What the hell?
Is this man really that short-tempered?
I only asked a question, and he attacked without even letting me finish speaking!
Where's the honor in that?!
He didn't have time to complain.
The enormous water serpent had already arrived before him.
A powerful pressure radiated from its body.
The young man's expression finally became serious.
He could clearly sense the difference in cultivation between them.
Wen Yan was a Six-Star Dou Zun.
And he was only at the peak of the Two-Star Dou Zun realm.
The gap was enormous.
A solemn light flashed through his eyes.
His footwork suddenly changed.
Faint phantoms of dragons and serpents appeared behind him.
His body became as elusive as a ghost.
Whoosh!
The water serpent's jaws snapped shut.
But the young man's figure had already disappeared.
He narrowly avoided the attack.
The cyan-robed young man was just about to speak—
But Wen Yan obviously had no intention of giving him the opportunity.
"Do you think you can escape?"
Wen Yan sneered.
His hand moved.
The enormous water serpent suddenly twisted violently in midair.
Its massive body coiled like a giant python before abruptly changing direction.
It chased after the cyan-robed man.
Boom!
The water serpent accelerated.
Powerful gusts of wind swept through the sky.
The surrounding space became distorted under its terrifying speed.
The cyan-robed man's figure flickered continuously.
He dodged again and again.
Yet the water serpent seemed to be able to anticipate his movements.
No matter which direction he fled, the massive serpent adjusted accordingly.
"Damn it!"
Seeing that he had nowhere left to retreat, the cyan-robed man's expression turned grim.
He suddenly circulated his Dou Qi with all his strength.
"Earth-Tier Mid-Grade Dou Technique: Sky Fiend Shattering Void!"
His fist clenched.
A fierce and malevolent aura instantly gathered around his arm.
He threw a punch.
Boom!
A massive fist imprint shot forward.
Wherever it passed, the surrounding space shattered.
Sharp sounds of tearing space continuously rang through the sky.
Wen Yan's eyes flashed coldly.
He controlled the water serpent and violently whipped its enormous tail.
The massive serpent tail tore through the air.
It collided directly with the incoming fist imprint.
"Boom!"
A deafening explosion erupted above Tianbei City.
The violent energy spread in all directions.
The enormous water serpent instantly shattered the fist imprint.
Its tail continued forward without losing momentum.
It swept toward the cyan-robed young man with terrifying force.
The young man's expression changed drastically.
"Sky Fiend Body Protection!"
A powerful layer of special Dou Qi instantly surged from his body.
It formed a protective barrier around him.
Boom!
The enormous serpent tail slammed directly into his body.
The protective Dou Qi shattered instantly.
The terrifying impact sent the cyan-robed young man flying dozens of feet through the air.
He finally managed to stabilize himself.
His blood and qi churned violently.
A trace of blood slowly trickled from the corner of his mouth.
He wiped it away and stared solemnly at Wen Yan.
At this moment, the playful expression from earlier had completely disappeared.
The cyan-robed young man's eyes became extremely cautious.
He finally understood.
This seemingly ordinary Heaven Punishing Divine Palace was far more dangerous than he had imagined.