Chapter 6657 Caught

That voice came from a man seated halfway up the mountain. He was on one of the stone platforms, looking down at Long Chen and the others with open disdain.

“You’re native to the Starry River Palace?” asked Long Chen.

“That’s right. Our branch has lived here for generations. We’re completely different from vagrants like you guys!” sneered that man.

Long Chen raised a hand.

The man cried out in shock and vanished from his platform, reappearing directly before Long Chen.

He tried to resist, but an absolutely irresistible pressure crashed down on him. It was as if a mountain had slammed onto his back. His knees struck the ground with a sharp crack that echoed throughout the mountain, startling countless cultivators awake.

“Now... are we the same?” asked Long Chen coldly.

“You...”

That person was horrified. Before this pressure, he was completely powerless. Even forcing out a single word almost crushed his insides.

“Since when did the nine star line begin diverging into that many branches? What a foul place. Who else dares to talk trash in front of me, Long Chen? Die!” Long Chen shouted.

All of a sudden, a sharp killing intent radiated out of him, one that suffocated everyone. The man in front of Long Chen spat out blood.

However, before he could spit it out, Xue Ying kicked him away so that the blood wouldn’t stain Long Chen’s robes.

“Long Chen? You are Long Chen?”

When Long Chen reported his name, countless disciples rushed over in disbelief.

“Lord Long Chen, it really is you! You’ve also come to the Starry River Palace?”

Standing before Long Chen, many of those disciples were so excited that they didn’t even know what to say.

They had known Long Chen from photographic jades. They had seen his bearing, his resolve. They knew that, time and again, he had shouldered the pressure meant to crush them.

Seeing him here felt like encountering a long-lost family member. One young maiden even broke into tears.

She was only sixteen, yet already a newly advanced Human Emperor. No one knew how she had broken through the spatial cracks between worlds with such a weak cultivation base. From her reaction alone, it was clear she had paid a far heavier price than most.

Seeing her, Long Chen was reminded of his own little sister, Long Xiaoyu. When he left the Martial Heaven Continent, Xiaoyu was around this maiden’s age.

However, this maiden had endured far more suffering—far more pain. Every nine star heir in the nine heavens had lived in isolation.

When Long Chen appeared, he became the mental pillar that supported their spirits. In a world that hunted them relentlessly, their resolve had been worn thin. However, Long Chen’s presence had lifted that pressure.

“Lord Long Chen, can you stay with us? We can be a family!” pleaded that maiden.

She grabbed Long Chen’s hand and cried out loud.

When Long Chen looked around, he saw many eyes pleading for the same thing, and it crushed his heart.

With a single glance, they had entrusted their lives to him. Just how ridiculous was that? And yet, trust was just that direct and true.

Long Chen believed that as long as he gave the word, these nine star heirs would not hesitate to stand with him.

Feeling all their trust, Long Chen was happy but also stressed. He knew what he had to do for them.

At this moment, an impassioned man shouted, “Lord Long Chen, we will accompany you wherever you go! We swear to be your loyal followers to death! Let the sun and moon bear witness to our vow!”

Under his lead, all the disciples from the nine heavens shouted, “We swear to be your loyal followers to death!”

At this time, Long Chen’s expression changed.

Such words were not to be spoken lightly.

“Well, well, well! How arrogant of you, Long Chen!”

Just then, a group of youngsters clad in different robes appeared in the sky.

“Inner palace disciples!”

Startled cries rang out.

Although there were only a few dozen of them, their pressure was formidable. Even though they were all in the Sovereign Lord realm, their auras were on a different level.

“You’re Long Chen?” one of them sneered. “We heard you were arrogant, but I didn’t expect you to be even worse than the rumors. Are you planning a rebellion?”

The earlier declarations of loyalty were a grave taboo.

They had been caught.

“Is the Starry River Palace an imperial faction?” Long Chen replied coldly. “If so, who is the emperor? And if not, then we are all cultivators of the nine star line, seeking vengeance for our ancestors. On what grounds do you speak of rebellion?”

“Hahaha, don’t try to quibble! We all heard it just now. No matter how you say it, it’s useless!”

“Your laughter is really irritating. I think I’d rather see you crying,” declared Long Chen.

BOOM!

Stars exploded in the sky, and the next moment, those inner palace disciples plummeted to the ground.

As they landed, astral runes appeared on the ground, causing it to turn as hard as steel. These disciples crashed into it and hacked up blood.

Moments earlier, these inner disciples had been lofty and untouchable. Now, they lay flattened like frogs thrown onto stone, tongues nearly lolling out.

They had never imagined Long Chen would attack without hesitation, nor that he would be this merciless. Now, they were terrified.

“Tell me,” Long Chen said, scratching his head lightly, “if I kill you all, wouldn’t that stop any information from leaking? What was that called again?”

“Silencing witnesses.”

“Right, right. That’s it.” Long Chen slapped his leg and chuckled.

The inner palace disciples were terrified out of their wits now. They almost cried.

The other experts on the mountain were also shocked. If Long Chen really wanted to silence all the witnesses, wouldn’t they die as well?

“So, tell me, how do you want to die?” Long Chen asked. “Since we’re all from the same faction, I’ll let you choose a death you’re more comfortable with.”

He walked up to those inner palace disciples with an indifferent smile.

The moment these disciples appeared, Long Chen knew that they were sent here by others to test him.

They had simply arrived at the worst possible moment.

Although Long Chen was not worried about them leaking it, he definitely couldn’t let them off lightly. He had to at least scare them to death first.

“Big Brother Long Chen—no, Senior Long Chen! Senior Long Chen, we were wrong! We were only following orders! Please don’t kill us...”

They finally crumbled and wailed for mercy.

The nine star heirs from the nine heavens watched in stunned silence. It was unbelievable.

In their minds, inner palace disciples were the strongest of the strong. And yet, these people crumbled so easily under Long Chen’s pressure.

They couldn’t find it in themselves to believe it.

All of this was well within Long Chen’s expectations. These particular disciples were all trash, and they only reached this realm thanks to medicinal pills. Most had likely entered the inner palace through connections alone.

“Long Chen!”

Just then, Qing Yi rushed over. But she halted for a bit, shocked by this sight.

However, she didn’t have time to address the chaos. Grabbing him, she said urgently, “Quick, come with me to the Starry River Managing Department!”

Before Long Chen left, he declared, “Once you can get up, kneel and wait for me! If I don’t see you when I’m back, I will kill you no matter what!”

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