Chapter 227: Grand Elder

Hearing this, the little girl in pink in the darkness froze, her mouth gaping wide enough to fit a whole large egg.

Yet the robed elder’s words were clearly not finished—he continued:

“Moreover, according to that man just now, he personally witnessed how the First Lady of Hundred Refinement Peak and two Elders of the Enforcement Hall were both crushed by a single finger from that young master Li—these people were no match for him even for a single blow!”

At these words, the little girl in pink turned her head stiffly, then suddenly snapped back to awareness, swallowed hard, and said:

“Could it be that the man just now was lying to you?”

At this, the robed elder shook his head and said:

“I’ve confirmed it repeatedly, and threatened his life—I could tell he wasn’t lying, and he had no reason to lie to me at the cost of his own life.”

The little girl in pink opened her mouth but fell silent, clearly still processing what her grandfather had just said.

All of this was simply too unbelievable, leaving her momentarily unable to accept it.

At this moment, the robed elder’s expression shifted unpredictably; then he turned to his granddaughter and suddenly asked:

“Xuner, can you guess what those nine people who left the city were doing?”

Hearing this, Lin Xuner turned her head slowly, her dark eyes flickering slightly as if pondering his question.

But soon, she shook her head.

Clearly, her mind was filled entirely with the news that Li Muxian had crushed the First Lady of Hundred Refinement Peak and others with a single finger.

At this moment, she simply could not connect that hateful fellow with a martial artist of such terrifying power.

Naturally, she was distracted by the robed elder’s question, with little mental energy left to consider it.

At this moment, the robed elder suddenly turned his head and gazed toward Hundred Refinement City in the night.

His aged face now dark and unreadable, he spoke slowly:

“Those nine people were all sent by that young master Li—and his purpose… you may not believe it, but he deliberately sent word to all nine peaks of Falling God Peak, summoning their peak lords and sect experts to Hundred Refinement City to come and seek revenge on him personally…”

At these words, Lin Xuner—who had just been incredulous about Li Muxian’s actions—suddenly felt as if struck by a bolt from a clear sky, her small body freezing in place.

After a long while, she gasped out:

“Is he insane? How dare he? One man challenging the entire Falling God Peak?”

The robed elder said nothing, only shook his head:

“I don’t know what he’s thinking—but the fact is, he did exactly that.”

“I can’t understand it, just as I can’t understand how someone so absurdly young could possess such immense power—it’s simply unnatural.”

The robed elder could no longer express his emotions; he was utterly stunned. In all his decades, he had never encountered anything so unbelievable as tonight.

For a time, both the robed elder and Lin Xuner fell silent; in the dark forest, only the occasional chirp of insects broke the stillness.

After a long while, Lin Xuner looked up at the robed elder, her voice flat:

“What should we do next?”

Hearing this, the robed elder remained silent, his expression shifting unpredictably.

At this moment, Lin Xuner grabbed her head with both hands, exhaled heavily, and said:

“I never thought that guy was this powerful—I’d rather believe the people from Hundred Refinement Peak were lying.”

Saying this, she glanced at the robed elder, then forcibly suppressed her swirling thoughts and added:

“With his martial strength so great and clearly at odds with Falling God Peak, this might be an opportunity for us.”

“But before anything else, we must confirm one thing—that all of this is truly real.”

Hearing this, the robed elder’s expression shifted slightly, and at last he spoke slowly:

“You’re right. Though his actions are recklessly arrogant, nearly tantamount to suicide, I just realized—he may have done this deliberately.”

“This could be a scheme by the Great Li Empire—to lure away Falling God Peak’s attention while secretly pursuing some other plan.”

Lin Xuner nodded slightly and said:

“That’s exactly what I feared. Falling God Peak’s power and depth are too immense—anyone with even a shred of sense would never be so arrogant as to face the entire sect alone in Hundred Refinement City.”

“Moreover, unless I see it with my own eyes, I simply can’t believe that guy possesses such overwhelming martial power—and only by confirming this can we know what to do next.”

The robed elder gave a slight nod, his gaze fixed on the distant city of Hundred Refinement, still lit with lamps in the night, and whispered:

“It seems we must re-enter the city.”

Saying this, he turned to Lin Xuner beside him and said solemnly:

“If he spots us, remember not to treat him as you did before—otherwise, I fear we won’t even get to settle our grudge before he crushes us both with a single finger.”

Hearing this, Lin Xuner rubbed her brow with her hand and murmured softly:

“That guy is truly insufferable—but if his martial power is truly that great, then I suppose I’ll have to forgive him.”

The robed elder gave a slight nod, then prepared to secretly lead Lin Xuner back into Hundred Refinement City.

But just then, his ears twitched—he swiftly snatched up Lin Xuner and leapt into the trees, instantly concealing their presence:

“Someone’s coming!”

Soon, an old man in black robes rode a white horse, galloping swiftly from the direction of Hundred Refinement Peak.

As the black-robed elder passed the small hill, he glanced around deliberately—but made no stop, heading straight for Hundred Refinement City.

Only after the black-robed elder entered the city did the robed elder and Lin Xuner emerge from the woods.

The robed elder stared toward Hundred Refinement City, his brow furrowed, his expression grave:

“That man’s aura is terrifying—he must be the Grand Elder of Hundred Refinement Peak. They say his martial cultivation ranks just below Zheng Yunfeng. I never expected him to come to Hundred Refinement City.”

Lin Xuner’s face had turned pale; when the Grand Elder had passed by, he had not concealed his aura—his martial pressure and killing intent had nearly choked her.

His martial strength far surpassed that of the former First Lady and the Enforcement Hall Elders.

“He must have come for Zheng Zi’s death. He probably learned of Zheng Shangzong’s and the First Lady’s deaths en route and is rushing here to kill that guy.”

Lin Xuner speculated aloud—and soon, as if to confirm her words,

a terrifying wave of martial killing intent erupted from deep within Hundred Refinement City, surging skyward.

(End of Chapter)