"Venerable Hua, please don't be angry. What has angered you so?"
The newcomer was still cheerful, seemingly unfazed by Hua Xu's cold reception.
"Old fox," Zhang Ergou couldn't help but think.
"Hmph, Jiang Tai, your Jiang family knows exactly what it has done. Must I spell it out for you?"
Hua Xu's tone grew frigid.
"What do you mean, Venerable Hua? Jiang is somewhat confused by your words." Seeing Hua Xu's continued coldness, Jiang Tai's expression also shifted.
"Ha, truly, you won't shed a tear until you see the coffin. Look at this!"
Hua Xu flicked his sleeve, and an object rolled out.
"Yu'er!"
Before Jiang Tai could speak, the middle-aged man in purple robes rushed forward and caught Jiang Yu, who was falling rapidly.
Seeing the disfigured Jiang Yu, the middle-aged man in purple turned and glared at Hua Xu and the others.
"Well, well. So Venerable Hua, relying on his superior cultivation, bullies the juniors. Truly eye-opening."
Jiang Tai also clearly saw the thing Hua Xu had casually thrown out, which turned out to be Jiang Yu, the most dazzling among their younger generation.
Although Jiang Tai usually turned a blind eye to family matters.
But the person now in such a wretched state was their most outstanding young talent, the hope of the Jiang family's future standing on the entire continent.
Even with Jiang Tai's profound composure, he was enraged by Hua Xu's move.
"Oh? So you're dropping the pretense now. It seems the smiling Jiang is nothing special either!"
But as Jiang Tai's expression darkened, Hua Xu's demeanor changed instantly, like a chameleon.
He was no longer the sullen figure from before.
This made Zhang Ergou sigh at the speed at which these old fellows could change their faces.
"Venerable Hua, may I ask where our junior has offended you to warrant such a forceful action?"
Despite his inner fury, seeing that the other party had a Nascent Soul cultivator, a Soul Transformation cultivator, and a formation grandmaster, Jiang Tai had to lower his stance.
As he spoke, he specifically glanced at Zhang Ergou standing beside Hua Xu.
Though it was a casual glance, it made Zhang Ergou's whole body tremble, and an uncomfortable feeling arose within him.
"Hmm?" Hua Xu shot him a glare, and the uncomfortable sensation on Zhang Ergou immediately vanished.
"Jiang Tai, am I giving you too much leeway?"
Not just Hua Xu, but Mu Chen and Bai Youran, who had been silent beside him, also stared coldly at Jiang Tai.
The atmosphere in the hall plummeted to freezing point once more.
Zhang Ergou felt it was becoming difficult to breathe; the invisible pressure emanating from these powerful figures was taking its toll on him and Liu Yaxuan.
"Venerable Hua, you may attack my Jiang family disciples, but I merely glanced at this young boy, and why are you so tense?"
"Could it be that this young boy has an unusual relationship with the Venerable?"
Jiang Tai wore a sinister smile, as if he had uncovered something extraordinary.
"Jiang Tai, I advise you to put away your petty schemes. First, let's talk about your Jiang family's affairs."
Hua Xu was completely unfazed by Jiang Tai's provocation. Instead, he stared coldly at him, as if trying to see through him.
"My Jiang family's affairs? What affairs does my Jiang family have?"
Jiang Tai frowned. He failed to notice that the expression of the middle-aged man in purple robes, holding Jiang Yu, had changed dramatically, and his hands holding Jiang Yu began to tremble.
Hua Xu first noticed the man's abnormality.
As Hua Xu's gaze shifted, Jiang Tai also looked towards his descendant.
"Jiang Feng, what is happening?"
"Ancestor, it's... it's... nothing..."
The middle-aged man in purple trembled even more violently. His reaction did not suggest he was fine.
"Speak truthfully."
Jiang Tai could no longer afford to confront Hua Xu. Judging by his descendant's behavior, it was clear something was wrong.
"Ancestor, quickly look at Yu'er, he seems to be dying..."
The middle-aged man in purple trembled even more intensely, but he seemed more concerned about the state of Jiang Yu in his arms.
Everyone looked closely. Jiang Yu's face was now dark, and he exuded a strange aura.
The aura fluctuated intermittently, his eyes tightly shut, as if he were on the verge of death.
"Venerable Hua, what have you done to our junior?"
After a glance at Jiang Yu's condition, Jiang Tai turned and stared intently at Hua Xu, looking as if he was certain Hua Xu had reduced Jiang Yu to this state.
"Ha, Jiang Tai, are you joking? Ask your own junior what happened."
Hua Xu's tone was unhurried, but Zhang Ergou could feel a chilling intent from it.
It seemed even powerful figures didn't like being wrongly accused...
"What do you mean by that?"
Jiang Tai still seemed to not understand Hua Xu's words.
"Have you cultivated yourself into foolishness? Your junior is in this state, and instead of questioning your own kin, you question me? Am I too approachable?"
Without a word, Hua Xu's demeanor changed drastically, and intense pressure surged towards the other party.
Boom...
Jiang Tai naturally wouldn't allow Hua Xu to act so arrogantly on his doorstep. Immediately, a pressure of comparable intensity collided.
Although neither of them had directly attacked, the pressure they emanated was enough to shock Zhang Ergou and the others.
This was even with the pressure being directed solely at each other.
"Is that all?"
Hua Xu smiled casually, and even more formidable pressure quickly enveloped Jiang Tai.
Jiang Tai was already struggling against Hua Xu's pressure, but he couldn't possibly concede at this moment.
He could only force himself to continue, and soon his complexion changed, his fair face turning purplish-brown.
Large beads of sweat trickled down his cheeks. Jiang Tai glared at Hua Xu, attempting to push back the opposing pressure.
However, the gap in their cultivation was too vast, and Jiang Tai soon succumbed.
"Jiang Tai, don't think that breaking through to the Soul Transformation stage gives you the right to contend with me."
His casual words struck everyone's minds like thunder. The Jiang family actually had a Soul Transformation cultivator.
This was news they had never heard before. It seemed the Jiang family had been keeping a very deep secret.
However, Jiang Tai's expression grew even uglier upon hearing Hua Xu's words.
He had initially believed that after breaking through, he had become one of the rulers of this world.
But the brief probe with Hua Xu had utterly crushed his confidence.
Not only had Hua Xu not shown him the respect befitting a Soul Transformation cultivator, but he had also repeatedly trampled his dignity into the dirt.
Previously, he thought he had gained the right to converse with Hua Xu after his breakthrough.
Now, it seemed that Hua Xu's disrespect stemmed from the vast disparity in their strength.
He glared fiercely at his descendant, and Jiang Tai naturally wouldn't dare to provoke Hua Xu further.
"Jiang Feng, what exactly is going on? Explain it clearly."
With Jiang Tai's eyesight, how could he not tell that Jiang Yu had become this way due to demonic energy entering his body?
If others wouldn't give him a way out, he could at least find one for himself...