Chapter 144: I, Chen Zheng, Have Acted All My Life—Why Need Evidence?

The true strongmen inside the Nine Tripod Pavilion were finally roused.

A full hundred‑plus people streamed out from the main gate in single file, all exuding fierce aura; most were cultivators of Divine Art Fifth and Sixth Tenfold, there were ten Ancient Giants, and even four great ones of the Ninth and Tenth Tenfold.

Even the various Nine Tripod Pavilion branches scattered across the thirty‑six thousand prefectures of the Great Xuan Empire received news of a murder at headquarters, mobilizing hundreds to thousands of strongmen to aid via the teleportation gate.

The strength of the Nine Tripod Pavilion is evident, not inferior to the Feather Ascension Gate.

Of course, the Feather Ascension Gate merely has few true‑disciple members; there are plenty of Elders—four or five thousand—but they are not as active as the true disciples, most of them secluding themselves in the Feather Ascension Heavenly Palace for cultivation.

In fact, Chen Zheng could become an Elder, but only by renouncing his true‑disciple status, which would mean forfeiting his claim to the next generation's head‑master seat.

Back to the main point.

The Nine Tripod Pavilion members were led by a handsome young man in his twenty‑five or twenty‑six, wearing a dark‑jade Dao robe.

His name is Yùjīzǐ, a direct disciple of the Nine Tripod Immortal Sovereign, and the chief manager of all the Pavilion's affairs across the Xuanhuang Great World; his strength is formidable, ranking ninth on the Longevity Candidate List.

When Chen Zheng previously came to the Nine Tripod Pavilion to sell Iron‑Blood Battle Flags and other treasures, it was Yùjīzǐ who led a group of stewards to receive him.

At this moment, Yùjīzǐ's face was icy, his eyes exuding a threatening sharpness, his aura overwhelming—like the sun and moon at high noon illuminating the ages, chilling countless onlookers.

"Kill me? Your Nine Tripod Pavilion can try it, see who truly kills whom."

Chen Zheng casually set down the guard he had just raised, whose body had been terrified into a limp, mud‑like state, and looked at Yùjīzǐ calmly, saying: "As for why I would kill someone from your Nine Tripod Pavilion, it isn't without cause. Today I sold a batch of magical artifacts at your Pavilion, and your association's patron Móyúnzǐ immediately sold me out, claiming I possessed great wealth, and sent the Ghost Emperor to ambush me outside Xuanhuang City. I came here only to demand an explanation."

"So that's how it is."

"If what Chen Zheng says is true, then the Nine Tripod Pavilion carelessly selling client information has already broken the rules; who will dare do business with them thereafter?"

From afar, many onlookers—cultivators watching the spectacle—were startled, their gazes toward Yùjīzǐ and the others tinged with accusation.

Yùjīzǔ's aura faltered, as if he hadn't expected such inside information, and he hurriedly turned his doubtful eyes toward a middle‑aged man beside him, clad in a loose red robe, gaunt and with hardly any flesh on his cheeks.

That middle‑aged man was Móyúnzǐ, a former Elder of the Yellow Spring Demon Sect and now one of the Nine Tripod Pavilion's patrons.

A flash of panic flickered in Móyúnzǐ's eyes, then his face showed stunned indignation from being slandered; he glared at Chen Zheng and shouted, "You're spitting blood! Since I joined the Nine Tripod Pavilion I have reformed, completely severed ties with the Yellow Spring Demon Sect—how could I possibly be linked to the Ghost Emperor?"

Hearing this, many Nine Tripod Pavilion stewards who had doubted Móyúnzǐ because of Chen Zheng's words dispelled their suspicion and chose to trust their own.

One steward in black clothing looked at Chen Zheng and asked, "You say Móyúnzǐ sold your information, letting the Ghost Emperor ambush you—do you have evidence to prove your claim?"

Móyúnzǐ's eyes lit up at the words, and he shouted, "Exactly, evidence! Chen Zheng, since you claim I sold your information, produce the proof—preferably bring the Ghost Emperor out for a face‑to‑face showdown. If you cannot produce evidence, you are slandering me! Moreover, killing so many of my Nine Tripod Pavilion members without evidence makes you a demonic villain!"

"Evidence?"

Chen Zheng smiled, a brilliant grin, yet his gaze was ice‑cold, and he said gravely, "I, Chen Zheng, have acted all my life—why need evidence? I will kill you, Móyúnzǐ; heaven and earth cannot stop me!"

Sss!

Many people inhaled a sharp gasp of cold air.

What sheer tyranny and arrogance is this?

It completely disregards the Nine Tripod Pavilion.

As if the people of the Nine Tripod Pavilion were merely a flock of chickens and dogs that could be slain at will.

"Chen Zheng truly is the reincarnation of a Demon Lord, extraordinary," many praised.

At that moment, Chen Zheng moved, stepping forward; his form fell like an ancient celestial mountain into the mortal world, yet also like a meteoric star cutting across the heavens, piercing time and space, landing directly before Móyúnzǐ, and he slammed a palm down from above.

"You..."

Móyúnzǐ was stunned by Chen Zheng's unrivaled, overwhelming aura, his heart seized with terror; he tried to retreat and even to counter with Divine Art, but felt his entire body immobilized, his mana locked within.

Irresistible!

Boundless remorse surged in his heart, yearning to beg for mercy and admit fault, yet he could do nothing.

He could only watch helplessly as Chen Zheng's palm slammed onto his head.

Bang!

One palm!

Just one palm!

Móyúnzǐ, wielding Divine Art Ninth Tenfold, turned into a slab of flesh, and the heavens' laws shattered.

He died without a doubt.

Bang!

Chen Zheng delivered another palm; the black‑clad steward who first uttered "evidence" also became a flat meat slab, a blood‑stained carpet spread on the ground.

"Móyúnzǐ, be careful!"

"Still daring to strike!"

At this moment, the shocked and angry voices of the Nine Tripod Pavilion stewards arrived belatedly.

But the person was already dead.

"You think you can stop me?"

Chen Zheng's robe fluttered, his black hair swayed, his icy eyes fixed on the stewards who had just roared, making them feel as if they had fallen into an ice cavern, bone‑deep cold.

"We..."

A few opened their mouths to speak, but Chen Zheng moved again, his towering figure god‑like and demon‑like, blasting through everything, sweeping across the mortal realm to stand before them, raising his hand to strike repeatedly.

Bang bang bang rang throughout the venue; those stewards turned into large meat pies, sending a chill up the spines of every cultivator who witnessed the scene.

The remaining many Nine Tripod Pavilion stewards felt their knees go weak, nearly collapsing to the ground.

Chen Zheng was utterly savage.

"Enough! Chen Zheng, setting aside the fact that Móyúnzǐ sold your information to the Ghost Emperor, you still cannot go on killing people in my Nine Tripod Pavilion; you've gone too far!"

A thunderous shout rang like a sudden lightning strike on a clear day, shaking countless buildings for miles around, causing the crowd to tumble in all directions.

It was Yùjīzǐ.

His hair bristled in fury, his feet stepped on heaven and earth, his hand grasped the state, his mouth held the celestial decree, and a palm struck from behind Chen Zheng; the palm's reach encompassed the four seas and devoured the eight wildernesses, like a supreme emperor wielding a world‑ending technique to destroy the realm he himself had built.

"It's the Great Statecraft Technique! Rumor had it that the Nine Tripod Immortal Sovereign mastered this supreme Dao, and it turns out to be true—he even taught it to Yùjīzǔ!"

"It is said that when this technique is unleashed, the practitioner becomes the realm's master; within the realm, everywhere is a kingdom and state, and the master can grant life or death at will!"

Moreover, when Yu Jizi, a ninth-ranked talent on the Longevity Candidate Ranking, unleashes it, even an Ancient Giant could resist a little; Chen Zheng fears more misfortune than fortune.

In the distance, countless onlooking cultivators clamored, shocked beyond measure, some even broke a sweat for Chen Zheng.

Even the Chief Overseer of the Heavenly Dao Pavilion, Xiao Gangzi, the various princes and princesses of the Great Xuan Empire, the countless Ancient Giants residing in Xuan Huang City, and the mighty beings of Ninth-level Divine Ability and Tenfold were all stirred by the commotion of Chen Zheng's killing at the gate of the Nine Cauldron Pavilion.

At that moment, everyone hovered above the Azure Firmament, gazing this way, seeing Yu Jizi unleash the Grand State Technique; all faces grew solemn, believing that even if Chen Zheng defied heaven, he could hardly resist such a terrifying great technique.

After all, Chen Zheng's cultivation level is indeed low.

But in the next instant, something happened that no one could have anticipated.

All that could be seen was Chen Zheng facing Yu Jizi's terrifying assault, his expression unchanging, not even glancing back, merely reaching back with a casual grab.

This grab appeared light and floating, without a trace of magical power or aura fluctuation.

Yet such a casual grab, acting later yet arriving first, broke open Yu Jizi's Heaven‑toppling Palm.

He even seized the person's neck and lifted him up like a chick.

""

Everyone was dumbfounded, their minds going blank.

(End of chapter)