Chapter 1276: Wealth And Honor Sought In Danger

The outer hall of the Falling God Palace.

Numerous elders were discussing plans for revenge, their voices gradually settling as they all wore expressions of shared indignation. Whether genuine or not, they had put on a flawless performance.

Just as they were about to disperse.

Suddenly!

An elderly figure slowly appeared at the entrance of the hall.

It was none other than Liu Runan, an elder from the inner sect.

Within the Falling God Palace, and even throughout the Falling God Lands, Liu Runan was a figure of great renown. In his presence, these elders were mere juniors, not daring to show the slightest disrespect.

Upon seeing his weathered face, all the elders stood up in shock, a brief tremor flashing in their eyes as they clasped their fists in salute.

"Greetings, Elder Liu!"

Their varied expressions were hidden deep within, as concealed as their true thoughts. All the elders bowed respectfully, their attitudes humble and reverent.

Even so.

Liu Runan's hunched figure showed no reaction, his cloudy eyes not bothering to glance at anyone. With a single indifferent sweep of the hall, he saw through the intentions of these juniors.

They were merely putting on a show to curry favor with him.

In his eyes, these outer sect elders, revered as deities by the outside world, were nothing more than inexperienced youngsters. Their schemes and cunning were far too naive to deceive him.

Though old, his mind was as sharp as a mirror.

After a few moments of silence, the elders began to feel immense pressure, as if they were facing their former masters, their hearts filled with unease.

After much deliberation, the Grand Elder of the outer sect finally stepped forward and spoke.

"Elder Liu, your presence here is a great honor. Your son worked with us for many years, and it is a tragedy that he fell victim to a vile traitor. We will surely uncover the truth and bring the murderer to justice!"

As soon as he spoke, the other elders quickly echoed his sentiments.

Seeing their united front, Liu Runan lowered his gaze and spoke coldly.

"Oh?"

"My son has been dead for a day, and yet there is still no news? Is this what you call loyalty to your duties?"

"If this were to spread, what would become of the Falling God Palace's reputation?"

His stern questions instantly made the elders' knees go weak!

Before they could offer any excuses.

Liu Runan spoke again, his voice clearly tinged with anger.

"For tens of thousands of years, the Falling God Palace has dominated Lanxing, and never has such a disgrace occurred. My son's death is a small matter, but the fact that you have done nothing about it until now—do you deserve your positions as elders of the Falling God Palace?"

"It seems the outer sect has grown complacent in its glory and is no longer what it once was. I shall report this to the Star Lord and have the inner sect investigate!"

As soon as he finished speaking.

All the elders turned pale with fear and knelt on the ground!

"Elder Liu, please forgive us!"

"We will immediately investigate this matter and spare no effort to capture the murderer!"

"Please, Elder, do not report this to the Star Lord!"

"Elder, we beg for your mercy. Please consider our years of working with your son and give us another chance!"

Watching the elders plead for mercy, Liu Runan remained composed.

Back in the day, when he had risen to power through his own means, these people were nowhere to be seen. Some of them hadn't even been born yet. How dare they try to play games with him?

Ridiculous!

With just a few words, Liu Runan had the elders completely under his control. Only then did he allow a hint of emotion to show on his face.

He sighed with feigned magnanimity.

"Ah, forget it, forget it…"

"Considering your loyalty to the sect and your sense of honor, I will temporarily refrain from reporting this to the Star Lord. But this matter must be resolved quickly, or I will hold you accountable for your negligence!"

Hearing this, the elders felt as if they had been granted a pardon and quickly nodded in agreement.

"Elder Liu, your generosity is greatly appreciated!"

"Of course, of course…"

Only the Grand Elder of the outer sect, after expressing his gratitude, showed a troubled expression.

After a moment of hesitation, he cautiously clasped his fists and stood up.

"Elder, your magnanimity is deeply appreciated."

"However, your son died in the outer regions, and the Falling God Lands are vast and endless. We are at a loss as to how to proceed with the investigation. Could you grant us a few more days…"

"Three days. Within three days, we will use all our resources and connections to get to the bottom of this and capture the murderer!"

Hearing this, Liu Runan nodded slightly in approval.

"Hmm…"

Suppressing the satisfaction of having hooked his prey, he generously offered more information.

"That makes sense."

"However, this matter isn't too difficult. Through my son's soul flame, I have already learned the whereabouts and origins of the murderer. Are you willing to join me in capturing the culprit and redeeming yourselves?"

The elders were overjoyed and immediately responded with respect.

"We would gladly die for this cause!"

"With Elder leading the way, we will surely pave the path and capture the murderer together!"

"Thank you, Elder, for your guidance and generosity. We are deeply grateful!"

With just a few words, the group of outer sect elders had been perfectly manipulated.

What should have been an opportunity for them to gain favor had now turned into them owing Liu Runan a debt of gratitude. They would even have to work diligently to help capture Yi Feng.

This was the terrifying power of an inner sect elder.

Watching the group of pawns groveling before him, Liu Runan finally allowed a faint smile of satisfaction to appear. The situation was unfolding exactly as he had planned, everything proceeding as expected.

…

The Northern Desert Wasteland.

Yi Feng had sneaked back and set up a tent, leisurely sipping tea.

The previous drinking session had indeed been enjoyable, but he would never abandon his quest for death. Having stirred up a hornet's nest of invincible enemies, he couldn't let anyone else get involved. Facing this alone was his only option.

After a few cups of tea, Yi Feng's mind had calmed considerably.

No matter when the so-called experts from the Falling God Palace arrived, he would simply wait here. Apart from being a bit bored, he had grown accustomed to everything else.

After waiting for half a day with no sign of anyone, he turned to Manman.

"Hey, do you think they'll come for revenge? That Falling God Palace sounds pretty impressive. Surely they won't just let a murderer like me roam free, right?"

He asked several questions in a row.

But Manman remained as lifeless as ever, slowly wriggling in the sand nearby, its dead fish eyes staring back at him, bubbles of indifference popping from its mouth.

"Blub blub…"

Judging by its demeanor, it probably didn't have much intelligence. Asking it was as good as talking to a wall.

Then again, not everyone could understand the intricacies and dangers of his quest for death.

Yi Feng sighed helplessly and looked up at the sky, praying aloud.

"Old Liu, Old Liu, you must come…"

At the same time.

In the void, Liu Runan led a group of Falling God Palace elders forward, quickly arriving at the Northern Desert Wasteland. As they looked down at the lone figure below, confusion gradually appeared in their eyes.

Hearing the fragments of information Liu Runan had shared, many of the elders turned pale with shock!

"The Desolate Realm?!"

"Elder Liu, how can we possibly contend with a Desolate Realm expert?!"

"This…"

Suddenly, the elders felt as if they had been tricked, but they dared not voice their anger.

The difference between the Half-Step Desolate Realm and the true Desolate Realm might seem minor in name, but in reality, it was a world apart. Once one entered the Desolate Realm, they could wield true Primordial Desolate Power, capable of shaking heaven and earth.

In a battle of this level, if it were just a spar, they might stand a chance. But in a life-and-death struggle, where true trump cards were revealed, the gap was simply too vast to be bridged by numbers alone!

Liu Runan, however, stood with his hands behind his back, a calm and confident smile on his face.

"There's no need to panic."

"All you need to do is use your movement techniques to keep him occupied. Buy me some time, and I will set up a grand formation around him. Once it's complete, we will surely defeat him in one fell swoop!"

"After this is done, I will no longer hold you accountable for your negligence. Moreover, I will remember your assistance today."

Hearing this, many of the elders began to show signs of hesitation.

Although the task seemed daunting, if they could just delay the enemy for a while, not only would they redeem themselves, but they would also gain the favor of an inner sect elder. It was worth a shot!

As the saying goes, wealth and honor are sought in danger. With enough benefits at stake, anyone would be willing to take a risk. Besides, with Elder Liu overseeing the operation, the risk shouldn't be too great. If they didn't try, they might regret it later.

These elders were no pushovers. Seeing Liu Runan's confident demeanor, they immediately clasped their fists and agreed!

"Very well, it's a deal!"

With solemn expressions, the dozen or so elders exchanged glances, gritted their teeth, and charged toward the sandy ground below!