Chapter 5027 The Dagger Behind the Gift  

The martial stage activated, revealing a hundred barriers. Seeing this, everyone knew that something was amiss. Until now, even during Long Tianrui and Jiang Wuwang’s duel, there had only been a single barrier.

The sudden appearance of a hundred barriers made the martial stage resemble less of a competition ground and more like a prison.

Long Tianrui’s expression darkened. Her icy gaze shifted toward the Long clan leader, who avoided her gaze by turning away.

The Heaven Overseer’s expression also grew grave. It was now glaringly obvious what was unfolding. The Long clan had revealed their hand, or perhaps it was the four divine clans’ agenda—they had no intention of letting Long Chen leave alive.

Jiang Wuwang was bewildered by the turn of events. Meanwhile, after a brief moment of shock, Feng Fei simply sighed.

“What’s going on?” transmitted Jiang Wuwang.

Feng Fei replied, “Things are progressing in the worst direction. Wuwang, do you still remember what I asked you before?”

Jiang Wuwang shook as he recalled Feng Fei asking him if he was loyal to the clan leader or the Jiang clan. Now, he understood.

“But...”

Feng Fei shook her head and said, “There are no buts. Countless people in this world want to kill Long Chen, but he is still living well. On the other hand, none of those who attempted his life met a favorable end. I don’t idolize Long Chen blindly. If you had witnessed his growth firsthand, I’m certain you would reach the same conclusion. Was Long Tianrui intimidating?”

“Of course. She’s the most terrifying expert I’ve encountered,” replied Jiang Wuwang, startled by this sudden question. In front of Long Tianrui, he felt like he was facing an unclimbable mountain or an uncrossable sea. His little bit of power was like a grain of sand—the two of them simply weren’t on the same level.

“Then let me put it this way. Although I won’t claim that Long Chen is definitely stronger than Long Tianrui, he is definitely not weaker.”

“Is he really so strong?” asked Jiang Wuwang. He found it hard to believe.

“If Long Chen dies here, it might all end peacefully. But if he escapes, considering his character, think about the consequences. Can the Jiang clan endure his wrath?” asked Feng Fei gravely.

Jiang Wuwang pondered quickly. If Long Chen truly rivaled Long Tianrui—or even if he was just one level below—it would spell disaster for the Jiang clan.

It was crucial to note that everyone had reached the pinnacle of the Divine Venerate realm. With a mere thought, they could break through to the Eternal realm. At that moment, the Jiang clan would have no one capable of opposing Long Chen; they would be decimated.

Despite the Jiang clan’s patriarch guarding them, what if Long Chen launched surprise attacks? By the time the patriarch intervened, the clan might no longer exist.

Even if the patriarch came out in advance to protect the Jiang clan, how could they protect all the Jiang clan’s businesses? The Jiang clan was enormous, and their disciples spread throughout the land. Unless they recalled all their disciples, there was no way they could protect them from Long Chen’s wrath.

Furthermore, Long Chen had the Dragonblood Legion beneath him. Qin Feng was just an ordinary Dragonblood warrior, but his terrifying killing power already sent chills down Jiang Wuwang’s spine. If this group of wolf-like warriors targeted them, they could never sleep in peace again.

“But why are they trying to kill Long Chen? Especially the Long clan! Are they out of their minds?!” demanded Jiang Wuwang.

Feng Fei shook her head. “Who knows?”

“Then what should we do?”

“Long Chen is someone who values gratitude and holds grudges. He won’t blame us for the clan leader’s actions, but his wrath might fall upon the Jiang clan. If we want to protect our clan, we must find a way to gain his favor. We have to help him at a critical moment,” replied Feng Fei.

“How? He’s trapped by so many barriers! Let alone me, I doubt even our patriarch could save him!” said Jiang Wuwang dubiously.

“If Long Chen dies inside, then there’s nothing more to say. But with my understanding of him, this formation isn’t enough to trap him. Have you noticed? Ye Lingxiao and Zhao Qingtian are inside the barrier as well. Most likely, the clan leaders want these two fools to kill him. You’ll have a good show to watch in a bit!” declared Feng Fei.

“Are you saying Long Chen will use the two of them as hostages?” asked Jiang Wuwang.

“I’m not sure, but I guess so. If that happens, the Zhao and Ye clans will have no choice but to let him go. Then he’ll have a chance to escape. If things reach that point, it will be our time to make a move. Are you prepared to betray the clan leader?” remarked Feng Fei as she stared at Jiang Wuwang. Jiang Wuwang hesitated for a moment before gritting his teeth. “If it comes to that, I will follow your lead. Even if it means going against the clan leader’s wishes, the worst that can happen is some punishment. But if Long Chen becomes our enemy, the Jiang clan will truly be in jeopardy. It’s obvious which option is better.”

Feng Fei nodded slightly. Her assessment of Jiang Wuwang’s courage had proven accurate.

Suddenly, Feng Fei severed her mental connection with Jiang Wuwang and turned her attention to the martial stage. She said, “Ye Lingxiao is speaking.”

Standing at the center of the martial stage, Long Chen saw Zhao Qingtian and Ye Lingxiao appear on either side of him. Both looked at him with a sharp light in their eyes, especially Ye Lingxiao, who looked at Long Chen as if he was a dead man.

“Hold it... What do you mean ‘death at hand’? Are you talking about me?” asked Long Chen. With the golden scepter in hand, Long Chen pointed at his nose curiously.

“Hahaha!”

Ye Lingxiao and Zhao Qingtian laughed heartily, as if they had just heard the world’s funniest joke. Long Chen also smiled faintly, waiting for them to reply.

“You really are an idiot. You’ve killed so many people of the Long clan. The Long clan leader may not be a petty little person like you, but the four divine clans must be united. Do you think you can still act so wantonly now that the Ye, Zhao, and Jiang clans have descended upon the Long clan? The alliance of the four clans has unanimously decided to sentence you to death. Do you understand now?” announced Ye Lingxiao loudly.

Long Chen was baffled. This ain’t right. Are they not afraid of me mentioning the Heaven Earth Cauldron?

“They’re prepared. The moment you do so, they’ll cut off sound from the inside. Everything is under their control,” explained the Earth Cauldron.

Long Chen understood. But then, his smile widened as he said, “I have killed quite a few people of the Long clan. I can understand that they want revenge. However, something’s not right. If they want to execute me, don’t they need an executioner? Don’t tell me they sent you two pieces of trash to do it?”

Long Chen pointed at Zhao Qingtian and Ye Lingxiao. At this moment, the spectators—disciples and mercenaries alike—were stunned. Their expressions shifted in disbelief as they looked at the clan leaders. This unexpected turn of events caught everyone off guard.

Glancing at Qin Feng, Long Ziwei said, “Qin Feng...”

“Just watch calmly! Boss can handle it,” assured Qin Feng.

The moment Ye Lingxiao and Zhao Qingtian started to advance toward Long Chen, tension gripped everyone’s heart.