Chapter 142: Nanke's Identity

Amidst the void, Xuanyuan Jian stood holding his divine sword, confronting the members of the Law Enforcement Hall, an air of arrogant disdain constantly swirling around him.

"Hahaha, good! A fine Xuanyuan family indeed! Do you really think the Xuanyuan family can fight against my Law Enforcement Hall just by relying on yourselves? Do not let a moment of impulse drive your Xuanyuan family toward ruin!"

Nanke laughed heartily, speaking in a sharp tone.

"Then try it. Others might fear your Law Enforcement Hall, but my Xuanyuan family knows no fear!" Xuanyuan Jian retorted sternly, a powerful and fierce aura erupting from his body and soaring into the skies.

"Audacious! How dare you show disrespect to the Protector!" The two elders standing directly behind immediately shouted harshly, two overwhelming surges of spiritual energy erupting from them simultaneously.

Neither Nanke nor Jiang Chao made any move to stop them, tacitly approving the actions of the two elders. In a flash, the two elders moved simultaneously, each striking out with a palm toward Xuanyuan Jian, sending a powerful wave of spiritual energy sweeping fiercely toward him.

"Fusion Stage?" Xuanyuan Jian smiled coldly, his divine sword instantly slashing forward. A golden sword Qi abruptly materialized, and the two powerful surges of spiritual energy instantly dissipated into thin air.

With a swift pivot, Xuanyuan Jian brought his divine sword down once more, and it took the combined efforts of both elders to finally shatter his offensive. Afterward, the two elders looked at Xuanyuan Jian with grave expressions and did not dare to attack again.

Xuanyuan Jian's cultivation was at most at the peak of the Martial King realm, but the power he displayed right now was even stronger than that of an average Martial Emperor. This was entirely thanks to the divine sword in his hand.

"To think that he has gained the recognition of the divine sword and can already wield twenty to thirty percent of its power. Once he gains complete mastery over it, he will likely become a major threat. It seems we cannot afford to let you live!"

Nanke's eyes narrowed, and he promptly exchanged a glance with Jiang Chao beside him. Understanding the signal, Jiang Chao unleashed an aura of a true immortal, and an intense, oppressive might instantly enveloped Xuanyuan Jian.

Feeling this crushing pressure, Xuanyuan Jian was greatly alarmed. He was a martial arts fanatic, but that did not mean he was a fool. The Lord of the Law Enforcement Hall was known as an immortal existence; if the other party truly wanted to kill him, a single breath from them would likely turn him into ashes.

In deep panic, Xuanyuan Jian hurriedly circulated his inner cultivation technique, attempting to harness the ambient energy of heaven and earth. However, he was suppressed so heavily by this overwhelming aura that his internal cultivation technique refused to circulate at all.

Evenly matched in experiencing the baptism of the heaven and earth's energy, Xiao Yu naturally sensed the situation as well. Panic surged within his heart. Just as Xiao Yu prepared to step forward and help Xuanyuan Jian out of his predicament, the figure of Xuanyuan Huangdao suddenly leaped into mid-air. Not only Xuanyuan Huangdao, but more than a dozen Martial Emperor elders of the Xuanyuan family also rushed into the void together, surrounding the people of the Law Enforcement Hall entirely.

Xuanyuan Jian was the future of their Xuanyuan family; how could they possibly watch the people of the Law Enforcement Hall act so lawlessly? Moreover, this was taking place right within the domain of the Xuanyuan family. If the young lord of the Xuanyuan family were to be harmed inside his own home, word of it would spread, and the Xuanyuan family would likely lose all standing in the world.

"Jiang Chao! Let go of my son! Otherwise, my Xuanyuan family will fight you to the bitter end today!" Xuanyuan Huangdao glared at Jiang Chao with fury, speaking in a stern, piercing voice.

"Old man Xuanyuan, you want to fight me to the bitter end? Do you even have the ability to do so?" Jiang Chao sneered coldly, his aura surging by another two notches, causing the expression of Xuanyuan Jian, who was trapped under the pressure, to turn even more grim.

"Hmph, even if we are no match for you, are you certain that you and your people can withstand the self-detonation of over a dozen Martial Emperors?" Xuanyuan Huangdao said with a gloomy and ominous gaze.

Hearing Xuanyuan Huangdao's words, Jiang Chao's face darkened as well. Nanke, standing to the side, also frowned before slowly speaking, "Patriarch Xuanyuan is a sensible man. Our sole objective today is merely Xiao Yu. As long as Patriarch Xuanyuan is willing to hand Xiao Yu over to us, we will take our leave immediately."

With that, Nanke signaled Jiang Chao to withdraw his oppressive might. This subtle exchange naturally did not escape the eyes of Xuanyuan Huangdao. Seeing that a mere protector of the Law Enforcement Hall was able to order Jiang Chao around, a look of profound astonishment crept into Xuanyuan Huangdao's eyes.

Jiang Chao let out a cold snort at Xuanyuan Huangdao and subsequently retracted his own terrifying aura. Freed from the oppressive weight, Xuanyuan Jian's body instantly relaxed. He raised his head, his cold gaze fixed upon the group from the Law Enforcement Hall.

"Meng Chao, Wang Bol take Xiao Yu away. Patriarch Xuanyuan is a sensible man; surely he will not stand in your way," Nanke said indifferently.

Hearing this, Meng Chao and Wang Bol nodded, their figures instantly vanishing into thin air as they streaked rapidly toward the location where Xiao Yu was.

Just as the two were about to reach Xiao Yu, an invisible force suddenly materialized right before them, abruptly and forcibly blocking their path.

This sudden turn of events caused subtle changes to appear on the faces of Jiang Chao and the others. Meanwhile, Nanke gazed into the empty void ahead and said calmly, "Since you have arrived, is there any reason to continue hiding?"

As Nanke's voice faded, an aged figure slowly materialized within the void. Upon seeing the newcomer, Xuanyuan Huangdao and the others finally breathed a sigh of relief. The newcomer was none other than the reclusive guardian of the Xuanyuan family, Xuanyuan Qingshan.

"Xuanyuan Qingshan!"

The moment Xuanyuan Qingshan appeared, Jiang Chao let out an involuntary exclamation of shock. Seemingly realizing he had lost his composure, he immediately fell silent.

As for Nanke, his gaze remained fixed squarely on Xuanyuan Qingshan ever since the latter appeared. At this moment, Nanke's brow was deeply furrowed. He had heard a thing or two about this guardian of the Xuanyuan family, and he felt deeply perplexed in his heart regarding someone who had lived for several hundreds of years.

Logically speaking, the lifespan of a human martial artist was at most a little over a century. Those with slightly more formidable cultivation might live for two hundred years, which was not entirely unheard of. But what about this Xuanyuan Qingshan? From Nanke's perspective, the old man was merely at the peak of the Martial Emperor realm; it was fundamentally impossible for him to have lived for such an extended period.

"You are not from this star domain!"

After appearing, Xuanyuan Qingshan kept his piercing gaze locked onto Nanke. He had harbored suspicions prior to this, but back then, he had only arrived after Nanke and the others had already departed. Now, standing face to face, Xuanyuan Qingshan instantly perceived Nanke's extraordinary and unusual identity.

Hearing Xuanyuan Qingshan's words, Nanke's brow furrowed even deeper. Ever since he was dispatched to this star domain, Nanke had gone to great lengths to disguise his identity as an immortal. He could assert with certainty that within this entire star domain, apart from the four Hall Masters of the Law Enforcement Hall, not a single soul would know his true identity. Yet, Xuanyuan Qingshan had stated outright that he was not from this star domain, which genuinely caught Nanke by surprise.

"I wonder what Your Excellency means by that?" Nanke feigned composure, assuming that Xuanyuan Qingshan was merely trying to fish for information, and thus flatly refused to admit it.

"You know very well what I mean. I am simply curious. This star domain was sealed by someone long ago, particularly targeting cultivators like you. Anyone who reaches the True Immortal realm is fundamentally incapable of appearing here. The four Hall Masters are exceptions; after all, relying on external forces to achieve a pseudo-immortal state means they do not truly belong to the immortals in the strictest sense."

Xuanyuan Qingshan stared at Nanke and continued, "But you are different. I sensed the purest immortal energy emanating from you. That is why I dared to assert that you are not from this star domain! You hail from the Immortal Realm, and your status within the Immortal Realm is likely not low. The only reason you were able to enter this star domain without being detected by the beings of the Heavenly Realm is perhaps because someone placed a seal within your body, locking away your true power. Am I correct, Immortal from the Immortal Realm?"