By the time Lu Xingzhou killed Huo Xingyuan and headed straight for the Pei Manor, Xuan Nü had already gained the upper hand in the battle.

Just as Lu Xingzhou expected, she was not merely a First Rank cultivator, as others had long believed, nor was she just a Super Rank cultivator, as everyone currently perceived.

Through generations of possessing new bodies, she sought to evade heavenly tribulation and achieve immortality this way.

Why would one need to evade heavenly tribulation?

Naturally, it would be when one was on the verge of breaking through to the Qianyuan realm, using this method to continuously postpone the breakthrough.

She was a Half-step Qianyuan, even more profound than Ye Tinglan’s previous level, because her understanding of Qianyuan was deeper and longer.

She was simply timid, never daring to reveal her true strength, fearing the heavenly tribulation, and thus sealing her own abilities.

However, displaying only the strength of a high-tier Super Rank to restrict Feng Ziliu and Pei Qingyan from joining Gu Zhanting’s situation was certainly something she could achieve.

If the attacking crowd had been weaker, she might have killed them all.

But fortunately, Feng Ziliu, who had been able to hide away as a librarian all this time, was naturally also an old fox, like a sweeping monk.

He was no ordinary Super Rank, and as the fight progressed, Xuan Nü realized he too had become a high-tier cultivator.

Unbeknownst to them, the battle had turned into a one-on-one between Feng Ziliu and Xuan Nü, with others forming arrays nearby to provide harassment and support.

“Oh, Feng Ziliu, not bad…” Xuan Nü smiled seductively, “You truly are the man I once had my eye on. Do you think if it weren’t for me back then, you would have become the Heavenly Yao Saint Lord?”

Feng Ziliu: “…Sorry, I never wanted to be an official. Back then, you were quite accommodating, and that bit of skill was worth the ‘payment.'”

Xuan Nü, like Lu Xingzhou, wanted to provoke the other party’s anger, but Feng Ziliu was more seasoned than anyone, and it didn’t bother him in the least.

This, however, made Pei Qingyan feel rather strange, and in the midst of the fierce battle, he couldn’t help but blurt out, “It seems you two truly are a match.”

Feng Ziliu: “Thanks. But there’s no need for a match; just a bit of fun. We’ve ‘interacted’ with Xuan Nü and lived to tell the tale; we have some standing. Let’s have a drink another day.”

Pei Chuyun found men’s thought processes sometimes incredibly strange. In such a critical moment, how could these two be discussing such things? Especially old Pei, our family is gone, and he can still joke around.

Under the clash of Super Ranks, the Pei Manor was effortlessly reduced to ashes. The greatest function of Pei Qingyan’s people, now arrayed, seemed to be to control the spiritual energy from spreading outwards, preventing accidental harm to others. Of course, at this moment, an even more important function was to listen to Feng Ziliu boast and admire Xuan Nü’s physique, to see how ‘accommodating’ she was.

This admiration was hard to express, after all, this body seemed to be that of Prime Minister Pei’s concubine and Miss Pei’s birth mother; theoretically, she was even considered his second wife.

So, this was actually Prime Minister Pei and his wife fighting? What did that old man who called her ‘accommodating’ count as? And to have a drink? This was incredibly strange; if one looked too much, after the battle, would one be demoted to the lowest rank by Prime Minister Pei just for stepping in with the left foot first?

Amidst these varied thoughts, no one noticed the hidden loneliness in Feng Ziliu’s eyes.

He knew what Xuan Nü was like, but he had truly fallen in love back then, which led to his Dao heart being shattered, his life losing its color, and him hiding in the scripture library as a recluse. He knew he couldn’t see Xuan Nü; if he didn’t, he could still recall some beautiful memories in his heart, but meeting her would destroy all those beautiful memories.

Especially this encounter, with her wearing his daughter’s body.

When Feng Ziliu spoke harsh words, his heart was bleeding, unspeakable to others.

If Lu Xingzhou knew these thoughts, he would probably curse him as a cuckold. A man’s pride was upheld with great effort; he had to maintain his composure outwardly.

Xuan Nü failed to provoke the man’s anger, instead feeling like a common prostitute herself, with a group of Pei Manor experts listening. No matter how shameless she was, she couldn’t help but crack: “Feng Ziliu, well done. Since none of you care, then let’s care even less.”

“Bang!” As she spoke, Xuan Nü’s outer garment burst open, scattering like celestial maidens showering flowers.

Only a small belly band barely covered her body, her snow-white, lotus-like arms and jade legs brazenly exposed to everyone.

Everyone’s minds buzzed, an uncontrollable surge of desire and love flooding their hearts, their gazes filled with infatuation.

This was the pinnacle application of the Chanü Hehuan媚术, using sound, form, fragrance, and other triggers to activate the cultivation method, turning even the most steadfast man into a subservient one. No matter how shameless Xuan Nü was, she still had the dignity of a top-tier expert and wouldn’t casually let herself be seen completely naked, but when necessary, it was no longer an issue.

“Your lover, your daughter…” Xuan Nü giggled, then looked at Pei Qingyan, “And your lover… Since you all find her ‘accommodating,’ then let everyone see how ‘accommodating’ she is?”

“Whoosh!” The eyes of the Pei Manor experts turned red, their sword blades reversed, pointing at Pei Qingyan.

Seeing the Pei Manor experts’ swords about to pierce Pei Qingyan, Xuan Nü giggled, attacking Feng Ziliu with all her might.

However, at the moment of their betrayal, all their swords and blades suddenly turned, heading towards Xuan Nü again.

Xuan Nü made a misjudgment, caught off guard, and rapidly waved her hand to parry this concentrated attack. Feng Ziliu’s sword had also reached her.

Xuan Nü waved her slender hand, her spell deflecting Feng Ziliu’s sword light. Ultimately, due to the sudden switch, she suffered a hidden blow and retreated several steps.

At the same time, the sword light of Pei Qingyan and Pei Chuyun had reached her side neck, and two other figures, one large and one small, struck her back with incredible speed.

Lu Xingzhou and A’nuo, who had been observing for a long time, seized this perfect moment.

Xuan Nü truly hadn’t expected her method to completely fail, leading her to misjudge and fall into this situation. Her blood and Qi surged as she stumbled backward, making it difficult to mount an effective counterattack.

But Lu Xingzhou and the others suddenly felt as if they were caught in some spatial collapse, uncontrollably falling forward. Lu Xingzhou and Pei Qingyan almost collided, and Pei Chuyun and A’nuo crashed into each other.

“Bang!” The only one unaffected was Feng Ziliu. His sword light broke through the spiritual field, striking Xuan Nü’s shoulder, splattering a shower of blood.

Xuan Nü waved her hand to push Feng Ziliu away, and her figure rapidly disappeared: “The palace and the imperial court are indeed dirtier than even our demonic path.”

In the midst of the ruins, everyone looked at each other, surprised that even with such a meticulously planned scheme, they couldn’t keep Xuan Nü, and everyone sustained some injuries. Even now, Feng Ziliu, Lu Xingzhou, and Pei Qingyan had blood at the corners of their mouths, and Pei Chuyun and A’nuo each clutched their stomachs, their faces contorted.

—Pei Qingyan knew that he shouldn’t bring a group of insufficiently cultivated men to deal with Xuan Nü, but he did, because they weren’t men at all; they were eunuchs who had deliberately grown beards.

Eunuchs who retired from the palace throughout history were usually taken in by these aristocratic families, originally to facilitate interaction with the palace, but in this battle, they played a role Xuan Nü hadn’t anticipated.

And everyone in this battle was an actor. At first, Pei Chuyun deliberately neutralized the spiritual field, making Xuan Nü think they were afraid of it. When she fully unleashed her charm techniques, the eunuchs demonstrated excellent acting skills inherited from the court, and Pei Qingyan’s astonishment was flawless. When Xuan Nü thought she had controlled everyone and they were no longer on guard, fully concentrating on Feng Ziliu, the sudden turn of a group of Upper Third Rank cultivators was enough to cause a fatal reversal in the battle.

So it was said that the palace and the imperial court were dirtier than anyone, even teaching a lesson to Xuan Nü, who had deceived people for thousands of years.

At this point, Lu Xingzhou and A’nuo’s sudden attack was an unexpected fresh force.

However, even this could not keep Xuan Nü, only giving her a not-too-serious injury, with endless future troubles.

“No need to regret,” Feng Ziliu regulated his breathing for a while, shaking his head: “She’s just timid, afraid of triggering heavenly tribulation. If she really unleashed the strength capable of triggering it, we would all have been wiped out here. Achieving this result is good enough; we’ll deal with what comes next later.”

Lu Xingzhou said, “How are your injuries, Old Feng?”

Feng Ziliu said, “I’m fine. We’ve delayed long enough here; I’ll go assist the Sect Master.”

Pei Qingyan said, “You all go; I’ll come later.”

Feng Ziliu slanted a glance at him: “If you want to go together, just go directly. What’s there to delay?”

Pei Qingyan said calmly, “This is the residential area for princes and high-ranking officials. Xuan Nü’s demonic aura has already alarmed everyone. I can use this as an excuse to declare that the demonic path has invaded the capital and summon aristocratic families, high-ranking officials, and sect leaders to ‘rescue the emperor.'”

Feng Ziliu’s expression became very colorful.

We only want Gu Zhanting dead; you want him to suffer social death.

Even if Gu Zhanting isn’t killed in this battle, he’ll likely find it hard to remain emperor… So, it’s said, never offend someone who plays politics.

Lu Xingzhou threw out the head, and his self-introduction echoed throughout the altar. Feng Ziliu had also already rushed into the center of the altar, assisting Ye Tinglan.

The original formation of five Super Ranks against three Super Ranks suddenly became five against four, with no significant imbalance in strength.

Especially Huo Liancheng, at this moment, had no intention of fighting Feng Ziliu and the others; all his immense anger was directed at Lu Xingzhou: “Huo Qing… the hunter… you are Huo Xingtian’s son!”

“Yes, my pseudonym coincidentally shares a generational character with my father, but I don’t think my father would dwell on such a small matter,” Lu Xingzhou said calmly: “In the heavens, he will only watch me kill your grandchildren one by one, then Huo Xingyuan, and finally you, who decided on that tragic case back then.”

Huo Liancheng trembled with rage, his mind a complete blank.

Let alone Huo Liancheng, even Gu Zhanting at this moment only had one expletive in his heart.

So, if it weren’t for the incident of the Huo family’s extermination and the抢丹炉 (robbing of the alchemical furnace) back then, there wouldn’t be the current Lu Xingzhou, who stirs up trouble.

Gu Zhanting knew very well that Ye Tinglan alone might not have been able to disrupt his meticulously planned Ten-Year River and Mountain Sacrifice to this extent. Even if Yanluo Hall was a branch intentionally established by the Heavenly Yao Holy Land early on, at least Jiang Duxu and Sheng Qingfeng were brought together by Lu Xingzhou.

Even Yanluo Hall reached its current powerful and unruly state with Lu Xingzhou’s assistance.

It was ridiculous that both the Huo family and he, Gu Zhanting, regarded him as Huo Shang, treating his actions of avenging his “brother” as a family matter, sitting by and watching such a massacre and revenge unfold right under their noses.

“Isn’t it laughable?” Lu Xingzhou was saying: “When I was Huo Shang, everyone, including you old immortal, thought revenge was understandable. But once I wasn’t Huo Shang, this revenge suddenly became something that should have been stopped long ago. But why?”

He leisurely patted the non-existent dust from his hands, and said indifferently: “Huo Qi’s cultivation was completely废 (crippled). I was afraid he would have a day to rise again, so I sent people to kill him on his way to exile. Now, only you old stubborn man are left in the entire family. If you have the guts, come and seek revenge from me. I’m standing right here waiting for you.”

“Ah ah ah ah!” Huo Liancheng let out a furious roar, no longer able to maintain the formation required by the altar, and charged at Lu Xingzhou like a madman.

Gu Zhanting was momentarily blocked by Ye Tinglan, unable to stop him, and the entire altar formation fell into complete disarray.