The young men who had pushed Fang Xi back wore long black robes decorated with images of a moon. There seemed to be an especially stern and forbidding air about them, an icy coldness that caused anyone they looked at to feel as if they were being stared at by a viper.

Furthermore, they had stage 3 Immortal cultivation bases, and emanated amorphous ripples that gave them the appearance of mighty Immortals.

As soon as the surrounding clan members saw who the two young men were, their faces flickered and their hearts filled with awe. They slowly backed up.

“They’re Blackmoon Guards!”

“Lots of Chosen from other sects are here for the East Ascension Sun, and the Blackmoon Guards have been tasked with keeping things orderly!”

“There are nine guard corps in the Fang Clan, four of which are stationed off-planet, and five of which have jurisdiction here on Planet East Victory. Of those five, the Blackmoon Guards and the Violetsun Guards are responsible for the ancestral mansion!”

The nine guard corps of the Fang Clan had each earned glorious achievements in battle, and had shaken the Ninth Mountain and Sea. As for the Blackmoon Guards, they were known for being sinister and vicious, just like vipers.

That was their reputation among outsiders and within the Fang Clan itself. Everyone feared the Blackmoon Guards.

Fang Xi looked at the two young men, and his face flickered. Whatever words he had been about to say stuck in his throat. He might be from the direct bloodline, but everyone in the clan knew that the direct bloodline was on the decline. He… could not afford to offend the Blackmoon Guards.

“Fang Xi,” said one of the young men, his voice cold, “for loud and disorderly conduct on the sh.o.r.e of Brightmoon Lake, for disturbing public order, and for losing face for the clan in front of guests from other sects, you will move your a.s.s 300 meters back from this location!” The young man spoke without the slightest bit of courtesy.

“If you dare to step within 300 meters of any Blackmoon Guard,” said the other young man, his eyes br.i.m.m.i.n.g with scorn, “then it will be taken as an act of insurrection! Fang Xi, get the h.e.l.l out of here!” With that, he waved his hand, causing another shocking wind to appear, which swept Fang Xi up and forced him back.

Fang Xi was powerless to resist, and in the blink of an eye had fallen back nearly three hundred meters. There was complete silence as all of the surrounding clan members looked over at Fang Xi.

He finally came to a stop at 299 meters. His face was pale, and he was trembling. Rage flickered on his face as he glared murderously at the two young men.

He was no fool, and knew that these two had intentionally come to humiliate him in front of the other clan members. Word would quickly spread that he had been unceremoniously dismissed by them.

What was especially obvious… was the sinister way in which they went about humiliating him. With their cultivation bases, they could have easily pushed him 300 meters away. Instead, they only pushed him 299 meters, making sure that Fang Xi would have to voluntarily step back the final meter.

Fang Xi’s eyes were bright red, and he panted as he glared at the two young men nearly 300 meters away. He did not wish to step back, but he also knew that clan rules took precedence over anything and everything. The Blackmoon Guards were responsible for keeping order in the area, and if he defied them openly, they would have a vast array of options regarding how to deal with him. Most important of all was that the Blackmoon Guards… were under the direct control of Fang Wei’s branch of the family.

Fang Xi clenched his fists tightly and, as everyone watched, bowed his head and stepped back one last meter until he was at the 300-meter mark.

That final step was a movement that crushed Fang Xi’s dignity, and humiliated his bloodline. However, Fang Xi had to accept it; there was no way he could fight back.

He stood there trembling as everyone looked at him. Not a word was spoken by anyone, although many of the onlookers sighed inwardly.

As for the two young Blackmoon Guards, they laughed coldly and then, ignoring Fang Xi, turned and left.

Everyone who was watching a.s.sumed that the chiding of Fang Xi was now over. Even Fang Xi a.s.sumed that by bowing his head, he would face no further difficulties….

However, it was at this point that two Blackmoon Guards suddenly appeared next to Fang Xi. Instantly, they waved their hands, causing their cultivation bases to surge with power. A fierce wind kicked up, wrapping around Fang Xi and driving him backward yet again.

This time, he was yet again sent back 299 meters.

“The Blackmoon Guard has already warned you once,” said one of the two, his voice cool. “You must remain 300 meters away from any location we occupy! We’re standing here now, so scram!”

“YOU!!” Fang Xi was trembling, and his eyes were bright red.

The two Blackmoon Guards laughed at Fang Xi’s reaction, and their eyes radiated cold glows. It was as if they were just waiting for Fang Xi to fight back. Although they might fear his father, they had received orders under the auspices of Prince Wei. Besides, they were responsible for maintaining order here, so if Fang Xi did anything rash, their backers would s.h.i.+eld them from any consequences.

Fang Xi was in a rage, and he wanted to cast everything aside and fight back. But then he thought about how often his father sighed about the decline of the direct bloodline. Fang Xi didn’t have a strong personality, and in fact, was often gentle. Not wanting to cause any further troubles for his father, he bitterly took another step back.

As he stepped back, a hint of dejection could be seen in his eyes.

It was at this point that more than ten Blackmoon Guards suddenly appeared. The crowds stepped back, making a wide path for them. The Blackmoon Guards stared at Fang Xi with cold eyes.

Fang Xi lowered his head and continued to retreat. 300 meters. 1,500 meters. Soon he was almost out of the crowd entirely, a full 3,000 meters away from Brightmoon Lake. The Blackmoon guards stared contemptuously at Fang Xi, who was by now figuratively scarred and battered.

“One more step!” said the Blackmoon Guard closest to Fang Xi, his voice cold. Currently, they were separated by 299 meters.

Nothing could be heard but silence. Many of the Fang Clan members sighed inwardly, but said nothing. The Fang Clan’s direct bloodline was on the decline, and Fang Wei’s was on the rise. That was current state of affairs.

Fang Xi laughed bitterly as he realized that he couldn’t stay here any longer. He was just about to turn and leave when suddenly, a hand appeared behind him and patted him lightly on the back, preventing him from taking that final step.

At the same time, a calm voice could be heard from behind him.

“What’s wrong, Fang Xi?”

When Fang Xi heard that voice, a tremor ran through him. He turned back to see that Meng Hao was behind him, having appeared there at some undetermined point in time. Perched on Meng Hao’s shoulder was the parrot, who winked at Fang Xi.

Meng Hao had appeared without the slightest sound, and not a single one of the nearby clan members had even noticed. All they saw was Meng Hao suddenly standing there, right behind Fang Xi.

The more than ten Blackmoon Guards looked over with fiercely glinting eyes. They were shocked, because even they had no idea how Meng Hao had appeared there. He had literally shown up in the blink of an eye.

His appearance on the scene immediately caused a stir among the Fang Clan members.

“It’s Fang Hao!”

“What a strange way to make an entrance! He didn’t make any ripples of displacement at all!” Many people felt their hearts beginning to pound. Meng Hao had just concocted the Skypalace Sunspirit Pill, and had caused the Fang Clan’s Dao Bell to ring. By now, Meng Hao was a person many of the clan members were pondering deeply.

“Coz….” said Fang Xi, looking over at Meng Hao. His expression was one of grievance, the kind of look that appears when a dear relative shows up right when you are being picked on.

Meng Hao smiled lightly, then patted Fang Xi’s shoulder. However, within Meng Hao’s heart, icy coldness surged up to monstrous heights. A moment ago, he had been off in the distance, watching Fang Xi being pushed back by the sinister Blackmoon Guards.

“Fang Xi, you stick with me. Let’s see who tries to stand in my way.” With that, Meng Hao stepped in front of Fang Xi and then began to walk forward. Fang Xi took a deep breath. Eyes filling with determination, he began to follow Meng Hao.

The dozen or so Blackmoon Guards watched with various expressions as Meng Hao walked forward. When he had walked about thirty meters toward them, two of the Blackmoon Guards snorted and then closed in on him.

“You may approach,” said one of them, “but Fang Xi disturbed the public peace here, and if he dares to step within 300 meters of us, he’ll be punished!” In the blink of an eye, the two Blackmoon Guards were right in front of Meng Hao.

Their words still hung in the air as Meng Hao suddenly lifted his right hand and pushed it out in front of him. Rumbling could be heard as a gale force wind sprang up. An incorporeal Flying Rain-Dragon suddenly appeared, roaring soundlessly as it shot toward the two Blackmoon Guards. In the blink of an eye, it was upon them. Their faces flickered, and they fought back with all the power they could muster. However, blood sprayed from their mouths as they were tossed to the side.

This development immediately sent the crowds into an uproar. It must be noted that even though the Blackmoon Guards had targeted Fang Xi, the only thing they did was drive him away. They did not attack or injure him. In sharp contrast, Meng Hao attacked with domineering force, immediately injuring the two Blackmoon Guards.

Fang Xi instantly started to get nervous, but Meng Hao’s expression was as cold as ever. As he proceeded forward, the rest of the dozen or so Blackmoon Guards up ahead began to head toward him.

“You’ve disturbed the peace and even dared to hurt people! Fang Hao, it doesn’t matter if you’re backed by the Dao of Alchemy Division, you will still face the clan’s punishment this day!”

The dozen or so Blackmoon Guards bore down on Meng Hao. When they were only a few dozen meters away, brilliant beams of light suddenly exploded from Meng Hao’s eyes, and he said one thing.

“SCREW OFF!”

The words rang out like claps of thunder. Rumbling filled the area, and even the Chosen in the East Ascension Pavilion heard it and looked over.

The Blackmoon Guards in front of Meng Hao felt as if some enormous, invisible mountain was crus.h.i.+ng down onto them. Blood sprayed from their mouths, and deafening roars filled their ears. They suddenly felt as if their cultivation bases had become unstable. It didn’t matter that they were in the Immortal Realm; they began to tremble as a terrifying wind swept over them, sending them tumbling backwards. Meng Hao’s one sentence caused their minds to reel, and sent them flying away.

The surrounding Fang Clan members were completely shocked.

Fang Xi looked on, stupefied, as Meng Hao calmly proceeded to walk forward. The crowds immediately parted, making a path for him that led all the way to Brightmoon Lake!

On the island in the middle of the lake, within the East Ascension PaG.o.da, Fang Wei and the others around him all saw the crowd part as if some sort of Immortal Divinity had appeared.

Meng Hao strode out, back straight, long hair draped over his shoulders like a cloak. His expression was grave and stern, as if his rise to prominence gave him a blinding aura that no one could ignore.

When the Chosen in the pavilion saw that it was Meng Hao who was walking toward them, a variety of different expressions could be seen.

Li Ling’er’s face flickered with hatred as she stared at him.

Sun Hai’s eyes went wide, he took a deep breath, and subconsciously edged backward.

Song Luodan and Taiyang Zi saw Meng Hao at the same time, and their eyes shone with piercing light.

Then there was Fan Dong’er, whose gaze turned as sharp as a dagger. In that moment, she had no stronger desire than the wish to chop Meng Hao into tiny pieces. She began to pant, and it suddenly became impossible for her to maintain her previously stoic expression.

“Meng Hao….”