Chapter 1277: Caught Between A Rock And A Hard Plac

As several figures fell into the sea of sand, the soul flame of Liu Changfeng, hidden in his sleeve, spoke with a hint of confusion.

"Father..."

"That man is still completely unaware that his death is imminent, leisurely drinking tea. Once the formation is complete, you can personally activate it and surely defeat him in one strike."

"But isn't sending these elders to buy time a bit redundant?"

Hearing this, Liu Runan smiled faintly and replied.

"Hmph."

"You're still too young, just like these outer sect elders, too trusting of others' words."

"If we wanted to kill this man, setting up a formation for a sneak attack would be easy, and we wouldn't need these mediocre talents to act as cannon fodder to buy time. But I want to capture him alive. Only by setting up the Heaven-Sealing Formation can we achieve that!"

As soon as he finished speaking, Liu Changfeng's soul flame flew out of his sleeve in shock.

The youthful face outlined by the blue flame was filled with astonishment and disbelief!

"The Heaven-Sealing Formation?!"

"Father, this is an ancient formation capable of sealing all living beings! If we set it up here, once the formation is complete, we can definitely capture that man. But won't these elders be sealed inside as well?"

"They are not at the Desolate Realm and won't last long in the Heaven-Sealing Formation. They might perish!"

"How will we explain this when we return to the Fallen God Palace?!"

Seeing the trembling and shocked expression of the soul flame, Liu Runan lowered his gaze, his eyes cold.

"What does it matter if these mediocrities perish?"

"They are already guilty of negligence. A whole day has passed, and they still have no leads on the culprit. Are they even worthy of being called Fallen God Palace elders? If it weren't for their incompetence, why would I have to intervene personally?"

"The reputation of our Fallen God Palace has been repeatedly tarnished. They can never escape the weight of this great crime. Now, their deaths are justified!"

Liu Changfeng was stunned, his voice trembling as he muttered.

"But... but these elders are at the Half-Step Desolate Realm. Losing several of them at once would be a significant loss for our Fallen God Palace..."

Even though he had always known his father to be decisive, hearing such cold words left him momentarily unable to comprehend. It felt as though he was facing not his familiar father, but a cold and indifferent figure.

Liu Changfeng was utterly shaken, unable to continue speaking.

Seeing his son's soul flame in such a state of disarray, Liu Runan glanced at the sea of sand below.

A look of frustration flashed in his eyes, but it was quickly replaced by an expression of indifference.

"Their deaths, a loss? Worthy of being called a fall?!"

"Changfeng, since childhood, you've enjoyed countless resources and been bolstered by a sea of treasures, which is why you've reached your current level. But your vision has never matched your status. You've remained stagnant for over ten thousand years. This should not be."

"Perhaps only when you've seen the vast expanse of the starry sea will you understand that Half-Step Desolate Realm cultivators are as insignificant as dust in the boundless universe, utterly unremarkable."

"The path of the Great Dao is endless. Unlike these mediocrities, your journey is long. You must not limit your vision to the present."

As he spoke, Liu Runan lowered his gaze to the soul flame, his eyes now icy cold.

"Soon, as long as you successfully seize a body and step into the Desolate Realm, even if this matter reaches the Star Lord's ears, he will not question it. No one in the Fallen God Palace will dare to raise objections."

"These people are nothing more than mediocrities who will never advance further. If their deaths pave the way for you to reach the Desolate Realm, what is there to regret?"

"The strong rule supreme. This is the truth!"

Liu Changfeng was completely dumbfounded, his pupils trembling.

He had heard the phrase "the strong rule supreme" many times before, but never had it felt as profound as it did today. The absolute power of the strong truly could disregard everything. Even the Star Lord would turn a blind eye.

The cruelty and reality of this world were now laid bare before him in all their bloody detail.

His mindset, cultivated over tens of thousands of years, suddenly elevated several times over. Liu Changfeng was deeply moved.

"Thank you for your guidance, Father. Your son will remember it well!"

At this moment.

He no longer had any interest in looking back at the sea of sand below. Even though the impending deaths of these elders he had once worked with filled him with a sense of regret, such mundane emotions seemed to be fading away.

This was not his fault.

If anyone was to blame, it was these elders for their shallow cultivation and lack of depth!

Whether they were cannon fodder or that detestable stranger, they would all become stepping stones, paving the way for his path of cultivation!

After only a few moments of waiting in the air, Liu Changfeng's eyes also took on a hint of indifference.

Watching his father unleash his terrifying cultivation, various ancient and profound runes began to materialize, filling Liu Changfeng with excitement. Just the initial hand seals and the aura they exuded were already beyond his reach!

This was his father's trump card, the supreme path he aspired to!

In just a few breaths.

Liu Runan's withered hands formed several hand seals, and runes continuously appeared in the sky, arranging themselves in an intricate and profound manner, even stirring the forces of heaven and earth!

The formation was not yet complete, but its power was already overwhelmingly terrifying.

Even as a mere spectator, Liu Changfeng felt as though he had gained a new perspective, as if he had returned to his childhood, gazing at his father's figure with admiration. Though the figure had aged, it radiated an aura that only deepened his reverence.

At the same time, anticipation surged within him, reflected on the face of his soul flame.

The Desolate Realm was within reach!

Just as father and son were united in their excitement.

Suddenly!

A wail rose from the ground!

"Ah..."

"How can there be such a terrifying Desolate Realm expert at the outskirts of the Divine Land? Who are you?!"

"This is impossible!"

"Elder Liu, save us!"

Though the voice was faint, it did not escape the notice of Liu Runan and his son.

It seemed the outer sect elders had been completely wiped out...?

Father and son exchanged a silent glance, Liu Runan's spellcasting hand frozen mid-air. The atmosphere suddenly turned awkward, as they stared at each other in stunned silence.

How long had it been? Ten breaths?

That was too fast!

The formation wasn't even complete, and the cannon fodder had already been sacrificed. No matter how strong the opponent was, it shouldn't have been possible for so many Half-Step Desolate Realm experts to fall in the blink of an eye!

Damn it...

Even if they were a bunch of pigs, the opponent couldn't have slaughtered them that quickly.

Before the father and son could finish their internal cursing, a terrifying sword aura shot into the sky!

Whoosh!

Instantly, both felt a chill in their hearts!

At this point, they were truly caught between a rock and a hard place. The cannon fodder had died too quickly. How were they supposed to set up the Heaven-Sealing Formation now? But if they didn't set up the formation, would they have to face the enemy head-on?

Facing the enemy head-on might not be a problem, but capturing him alive would be difficult.

Life's dilemmas had struck without warning. Things seemed to have taken a wrong turn. Father and son were frozen in mid-air, their expressions awkward, as if constipated.

They quickly turned their gazes to the sea of sand below, their eyes now filled with caution...