The audience that had built up looked on silently. The fact that the ten heavenly dukes wouldn’t even let Bai Xiaochun in was something that led to all sorts of varied thoughts on their part.
News had been spreading, and more and more people in Arch-Emperor City were paying attention to what was happening.
Within the shield, the numerous members of the Chen Clan had placid expressions on their faces as they looked through the shield at Bai Xiaochun.
Chen Xiong was there. He was a member of the direct bloodline, but had no hope of becoming the successor. In the past, he had hated Bai Xiaochun, but now his feelings had changed. He knew the type of reserve savings his clan had built up, and also knew that if they were fairly distributed to someone like him… that a single portion would be enough to cause countless people to drool in envy, and would essentially support him for the rest of his life.
As various similar thoughts ran through the heads of many other clan members, Bai Xiaochun smiled coldly on the other side of the shield, and his eyes burned with madness. He had known from the very beginning that the heavenly duke clans would be much more difficult to handle than the heavenly marquis clans.
Therefore, he had already made up his mind to throw caution to the wind, and leave the Chen Clan for the very last. After all, he had butted heads with this clan before.
His plan all along had been to see what happened with the other clans, and if things didn't go well, to go crazy on the Chen Clan!
And now, he didn’t even need to find an excuse. The Chen Clan’s attitude was enough to set him off. Pointing dramatically at the clan, he said, “Corpse trooper army, break down that spell formation shield!”
Countless jaws dropped when people heard his words. Whether it was the people in the Chen Clan or the audience who had gathered, no one even had a chance to react before Bai Xiaochun’s 5,000 corpse troopers howled at the tops of their lungs and charged forward in attack!
The silver-armored corpse trooper moved especially quickly, and was the first to slam into the shield.
Even as the shield shook, the nine half-deva corpse troopers arrived, unleashing heaven-shaking, earth-shattering power!
Things weren’t over yet, though. Next came the rest of the 5,000 troops, who unleashed a torrent of magical techniques and divine abilities. This was like warfare, as 5,000 attacks became like a huge wave that slammed into the Chen Clan’s spell formation shield!!
“What are you doing, Bai Hao?!?!” shouted the same voice as before, except this time there was no scorn in it, only fury. As for all of the Chen Clan cultivators inside, their faces fell.
The audience looked on with incredulity.
“This Bai Hao… he….”
“Heavens! He’s actually ordering an attack on a heavenly duke clan!!”
“I can’t believe he dares to do such a thing!!”
The onlookers were starting to get very enthused, and quickly began to spread word through the city. Everyone else who had been watching events play out from other locations in Arch-Emperor City had strange expressions on their faces.
Many of the heavenly marquises flew out from their pagodas and looked over at the Chen Clan with expressions of complete disbelief.
The other nine heavenly dukes were all shocked, and sent streams of divine sense over to observe what was happening directly. When they realized that no reaction at all could be seen from the imperial palace, they grew more taciturn than ever.
The bastard children in the clan were all as shocked as wooden chickens, and a single thought ran through all of their heads.
“He’s insane!!”
Even if the Chen Clan’s spell formation shield was stronger than it was, it couldn’t withstand a sea of divine abilities like this. Under the battery, it quickly began to fragment, and then eventually just exploded!
Chaos immediately swept through the Chen Clan, and a roar of rage echoed out from the heavenly duke pagoda.
“Do you have a death wish, Bai Hao?!” Powerful fluctuations surged out from the heavenly duke pagoda, rushing forward to meet the sea of magical techniques and divine abilities that were entering the clan.
A huge boom resulted that was distinctly audible even in the imperial palace. The sea of invading attacks shattered, and the 5,000 corpse troopers were shoved backward, with the exception of the silver-armored corpse trooper and the nine half-devas. All of them shot toward the heavenly duke pagoda!
Before they could arrive, the air around the pagoda swirled dramatically as a projected version of Chen Haosong’s face appeared. Looking at the silver-armored corpse trooper and the other corpse troopers it led, he uttered a curse in a shouting voice.
“Cleaving!”
Suddenly, numerous mountains formed out of thin air, descending from above to slam into the corpse troopers. Moments later, Chen Haosong’s face twisted and distorted, and then a violet beam of light shot out, slashing through everything in its path as it headed directly toward Bai Xiaochun!
Cheng Haosong was actually trying to kill Bai Xiaochun! However, at this point, deva fluctuations rolled out from the black-armored corpse trooper who had stayed behind to defend Bai Xiaochun.
Without the slightest hesitation, that corpse trooper took a step forward and launched a fist strike at the beam of violet light. The light shattered, and the corpse trooper shuddered as he staggered backward several paces. At the same time, his entire right arm was shredded out of existence!
If he had possessed a flesh and blood body, then it would have been a very serious injury. However, corpse troopers were essentially impossible to permanently injure. A moment later, the area where the arm had been severed began to wriggle and grow, as a new arm appeared!
Having failed to destroy Bai Xiaochun, Chen Haosong stepped out of the heavenly duke pagoda, where he waved his sleeve, sending a blast of wind at the silver-armored corpse trooper, and the other nine who followed him.
The nine half-deva corpse troopers trembled and tumbled backward, but the one in the silver armor only took a single step back. That caused Chen Haosong’s face to fall, and he even began to pant slightly.
The deva fluctuations rolling off of Chen Haosong grew even stronger. Never before could he have guessed that this Bai Hao would actually dare to attack him and his clan! Although there had been friction between them in the past, he had always been of the opinion that Bai Xiaochun only looked like a force to be reckoned with, but was actually cowardly at heart, and mostly put on a show of false bravado. He had also come to the conclusion that although he could act in ruthless fashion, he valued his own life too much to do anything risky.
Therefore, Bai Xiaochun’s sudden decisive action left him feeling very shocked.
“Do you know what you’re doing, Bai Hao?!” he said coldly.
Bai Xiaochun looked back at him, waving his hand to cause all of the corpse troopers to stop moving. And yet, his killing intent only grew more and more intense.
Chen Haosong’s eyes slowly narrowed. Although his cultivation base surpassed the silver-armored corpse troopers by quite a bit, he knew that he was surrounded by a huge group of them, and that they all had undying bodies, as well as further unknown abilities. And that was not to mention Bai Xiaochun’s quasi-Deva Realm corpse trooper. All in all, it was a shocking force arrayed against him!
Bai Xiaochun’s expression was as cold as ice as he looked at Chen Haosong. Then he took a step forward, and another, until he passed the point which had once been defended by the shield, and was now inside of the Chen Clan!
“According to the Proclamation of Universal Grace, everyone must be treated equally!
“The bastard children of the Chen Clan, as well as the direct bloodline members with no right of succession, are all welcome to send me what information they know. I will guarantee that they get their fair share of the clan assets. It is only fair and just!
“If you are cowardly, and don’t take advantage of this opportunity, if you allow the distribution to be unfair, and allow the so-called successor to get the majority of the assets, then the results will be obvious. What little you gain, will also be taken away from you!
“At the moment, none of you have to actually do anything. Just… tell me everything you know about your clan. What secrets are there? What resources exist? Has anyone new shown up recently? All you have to do is secretly pass word to me about these matters.
“I’ll do all the dirty work!” Although Bai Xiaochun spoke calmly, it was also with great power, allowing everyone in the Chen Clan to hear him. Immediately, the hearts of many clan members began to race.
An unsightly expression could be seen on Chen Haosong’s face as he hovered there in the air. However, when he looked up at the imperial palace and saw absolutely no reaction, he realized that no one would be interfering with the day’s events.
After Bai Xiaochun finished speaking, he gave a piercing look to the assembled crowds, then turned to leave. However, after only taking a few steps, he looked back at the Chen Clan, his eyes shining with cold light.
“Oh right. Just now, who was it that so brazenly defied the Proclamation of Universal Grace of the Grand Heavenmaster, and even told me to ‘get the hell out of here’?” Almost immediately numerous bastard children within the clan all looked over at one particular old man. Even Chen Xiong joined in that group.
The old man’s face fell, and before he could even say anything in response, Bai Xiaochun waved his hand.
“Execute him!”
As soon as the words left his mouth, all 5,000 corpse troopers attacked simultaneously. A scream echoed out as the old man was killed in body and soul. Chen Haosong’s face grew so grim it was almost as black as iron. Clearly, Bai Xiaochun was ready to fly off the handle at the slightest provocation. Considering how delicate the situation was, Chen Haosong had no choice but to simply bite his tongue and stare with narrowed eyes at Bai Xiaochun as he walked off.
1. Chen Xiong was one of the first chosen to clash with Bai Xiaochun in Arch-Emperor City, back in the arc that started in