Zhulin and the others were forced to kneel and slap their own faces beneath the Dragon God Palace; every second more was an insult to the Demon Clan.
If word got out, wouldnât it provoke the ridicule of countless forces and cultivators across the Seven Divine Realms?
Moreover, Zhusa and the others did not know how long they had to kneel and slap themselves for. If they didnât go to rescue them, how could Zhusa face their ancestors?
"Swish, swish, swish!"
Above the Dragon God Palace, Zhu Sha led the Demon Clan experts as they appeared in a flash.
The first to arrive were over a dozen Transcendent Saint experts, along with over a dozen Great Main God experts, forming an extremely terrifying lineup.
When they saw Zhulin and the others kneeling and slapping themselves in front of the Dragon God Palaceâs gate, their faces instantly twisted with fury, anger boiling over, and killing intent surged to the sky.
"Damn it! They simply donât take our Demon Clan seriously!" A Transcendent Saint expert burst out in rage.
"That bastard Dantong!" Zhukong gnashed their teeth and roared, eyes bloodshot, veins bulging across their face.
Seeing Zhusa and the others appear, Zhulin and the rest felt as if they had been granted amnesty and were about to stop slapping themselves and stand up.
But just as they wanted to rise, an icy and piercing voice resounded: "Did I allow you to get up? Did I allow you to stop?"
Dantongâs voice echoed, scaring Zhulin and the others into kneeling back down.
"Dantong, release them." Zhusa said grimly.
"Is that Dantong?" Zhukong glared at Dantong with a vicious gaze.
"You ask me to release them and I should? Wouldnât that make me lose face? They brought this upon themselves." Dantong appeared in a flash, looking at Zhusa with an expressionless face.
"Then what do you want?" Zhusa asked, barely suppressing their anger.
"Nothing much, as I said, whenever Brother Feng comes out, thatâs when they can go." Dantong shrugged.
Zhusa wanted to say something more, but Dantong continued: "Whoever dares to say one more word of nonsense, Iâll kill them."
A chilling statement that made Zhulin and the othersâ souls scatter in fear.
Zhukong was about to say something but was stopped by Zhusa, who knew Dantong wasnât joking.
If this scene were witnessed by others, theyâd surely be left speechless.
"What are you waiting for? Continue slapping yourselves!" Dantong coldly glanced at Zhulin and the others, scaring them into continuing.
"Pa! Pa! Pa!"
Zhulin and the four Transcendent Saints, along with over a dozen experts, dared not disobey, and the sound of slaps rang out again.
Their faces were filled with humiliation, indignation, and resentment.
Zhusa and the othersâ expressions had turned as dark as could be.
Dantong had been worried about causing trouble for Feng Wuchen and the Dragon God Palace, fearing that once the Holy Realm experts arrived, he wouldnât be able to protect them.
However, Long Shi Hunâs words relieved Dantong of all his worries and emboldened him to act without restraint.
"Dantong, are you truly not going to release them? Even if the Holy Realm experts havenât arrived yet, once war breaks out, can you guarantee their safety?" Zhusa said coldly, the threat in his words couldnât be clearer.
Zhusa certainly had a point; if war broke out, no matter how strong Dantong was, he couldnât protect everyone in the Dragon God Palace.
"Are you threatening me?" Dantong coldly scanned over Zhusa.
A terrifying glance made Zhusa feel as if plunged into an ice cellar, chills spreading from his feet to his forehead.
"You could interpret it that way." Zhusa replied firmly, not permitting their ancestors of the Demon Clan to kneel and slap themselves before the Dragon God Palace.
The moment Zhusa finished his sentence, Dantong appeared in a blink, clamping his hand around Zhusaâs throat, moving so quickly that Zhukong and the others completely failed to notice.
"So fast!" Zhujie was astonished.
"I didnât notice a thing!" Zhukongâs heart raced; such terrifying speed.
With Zhusaâs throat gripped, it took him a moment to react, and he was unable to break free, his heart in a frenzy of panic.
"Arenât you afraid Iâll kill you?" Dantong said, his cold eyes devoid of any human emotion.
"Dantong, stop!" Zhujie shouted.
"If you dare kill Zhusa, youâll face dire consequences!" Zhukong also realized what was happening and immediately rebuked him.
"Hmph!"
"Puff, puff!"
Dantongâs fierce gaze swept over them, his heavy cold snort accompanied by an incomparably terrifying presence, instantly making Zhujie and Zhukong cough up blood.
The sheer force of his presence injured two Transcendent Saints, leaving the Demon Clan ancestors horrified.
No wonder Zhulin and the others dared not defy him and resorted to the humiliating act of kneeling and slapping themselves.
Zhukong and the others were scared silent, fearing Dantong might kill them.
Zhusaâs face turned red from lack of air, he struggled to say: "Dantong, I know I am no match for you, but donât forget, when the Holy Realm experts arrive, I fear nothing about starting a fight; with my command, not only the Demon Clan but the Nether Clan and Divine Spirit Clan will also join. How many can you kill?"
Dantongâs expression was icy as he coldly replied: "Are you certain I care about their lives? Are you certain I donât dare kill you?"
Zhusa was suddenly stunned, for he felt the real terrifying intent to kill in Dantongâs eyes.
Zhusa panicked; if Dantong really intended to kill him, no one across the Seven Divine Realms could stop him now.
"Today the Dragon God Palace is indeed bustling." At that moment, Feng Wuchenâs indifferent voice suddenly rang out.
"Feng Wuchen!" Xumie furrowed his brow deeply.
"Feng Wuchen?" Zhukong and the others all turned their gaze toward the source of the voice.
Dantong had said, when Feng Wuchen emerged, Zhulin and the others could leave.
With Feng Wuchenâs appearance, they could finally be free.
Feng Wuchen slowly descended from the Qiankun Towerâs entrance, first glancing at the kneeling and self-slapping Zhulin and the others, then looking toward Zhusa and the rest.
Such a number of Transcendent Saint experts with a distinctive aura, Feng Wuchen had already deduced their identities.
"Brother Feng, youâre out?" Dantong turned back in surprise.
"Yes, just broke through to the Main Divine Realm." Feng Wuchen nodded, asking: "Dantong, what happened?"
"The dead Demon Clan experts resurrected, came to the Dragon God Palace to cause trouble, so I made them kneel and slap themselves until you returned, now Zhusa wants them back." Dantong laughed casually, then released his grip on Zhusaâs throat.
"I see." Feng Wuchen nodded.
"Feng Wuchen, can we release them?" Zhusa asked with a dark expression.
"Releasing them is natural." Feng Wuchen nodded, then said: "But causing trouble at the Dragon God Palace requires a price to be paid."
"Feng Wuchen, I donât mind starting a war now if you think the Dragon God Palace and Divine Tower can withstand it!" Zhusa said grimly.
Feng Wuchen shook his head, coldly saying: "I detest being threatened. I was going to say the price paid was enough and they could leave, but thanks to your words, Iâve changed my mind."
"You!" Zhusaâs old face changed in shock, bursting with rage.
"Eighteen people, one life exchanged for a divine artifact; or you can choose to exchange only for the lives of the four Transcendent Saint experts. If you want to exchange, bring the divine artifact; if not, Iâll kill them all!" Feng Wuchen said coldly.