Chapter 690 - 404: Who Gave You the Nerve?

Even though it was still a considerable distance away, Zou Feng’s sharp vision allowed him to quickly recognize that it was, indeed, a Flying Celestial Ship.

And there was no doubt it was from the Pinnacle Celestial Immortal Sect.

Clearly, one of the Pinnacle Celestial Immortal Sect’s reinforcement detachments was finally in sight.

The fact that they had been on the run for so many days and were only now encountering people from the Pinnacle Celestial Immortal Sect proved that Zou Feng’s chosen escape route could only be described as horrifically unlucky.

But thankfully, there was a light at the end of the tunnel. They had held on until their bad luck finally ran out.

After the first Flying Celestial Ship emerged from the horizon, two more Divine Ships quickly appeared in succession.

A full three of these massive Divine Ships, the kind used to conquer the Outer Realm, advanced rapidly with an aura that seemed capable of crushing anything in their path.

But the Tribulation Cultivators in the dark clouds, despite knowing the Pinnacle Celestial Immortal Sect’s reinforcements had arrived, didn’t immediately flee. Instead, they summoned all sorts of Magical Treasures and launched a long-range assault on the Flying Celestial Ships.

Unfortunately, this was a gross overestimation of their own strength.

The defensive barriers enveloping the Flying Celestial Ships made their long-range attacks look like they couldn’t even leave a scratch.

The Flying Celestial Ships immediately returned fire, engaging in a long-range bombardment with the numerous Tribulation Cultivators in the clouds.

The nearby sky was instantly filled with blinding lights and frenzied Qi Force.

The aftershocks from the exchange of blows dealt devastating damage to the surrounding area.

Zou Feng had already pulled Jiang Wanzhao and Su Qingyu into a small depression, activating his "Iron Block" to shield the two women.

The exchange lasted for about fifteen minutes before gradually subsiding.

The outcome was no surprise. The Tribulation Cultivators in the dark clouds left behind dozens of corpses and fled in a panic, moving much faster than they had when they advanced.

Seeing this, Zou Feng was rather puzzled.

From his experience, the Tribulation Cultivators he’d encountered, while more or less unhinged, were by no means stupid.

’So why on earth did they dare to pick a fight after seeing three massive Flying Celestial Ships? Weren’t they just asking to die?’

’Of course, it was also possible that after taking advantage of the Celestial Hearing Tower for so many years—and having just now completely conquered it—they had grown arrogant. They might have subconsciously believed they could test their strength against the Pinnacle Celestial Immortal Sect.’

Two of the Flying Celestial Ships gave chase to the dark cloud, while the remaining one slowly came to a halt, hovering above Zou Feng’s group.

Evidently, someone had sensed their presence.

With the danger gone, the three of them naturally stopped hiding and quickly moved out into the open.

By now, the Flying Celestial Ship had descended to a low altitude, and several Golden Core Realm Cultivators stood at its prow.

Although they had survived this ordeal, Jiang Wanzhao’s expression didn’t relax.

’Her life was saved, after all, but the reckoning to come...’

This was especially true of the middle-aged Cultivator standing at the forefront of the prow, whose gaze toward Jiang Wanzhao was clearly hostile.

Jiang Wanzhao, of course, recognized this middle-aged Cultivator.

Luo Peng, a Central Court Elder of the Pinnacle Celestial Immortal Sect and a member of the Law Enforcement Hall.

’For him to have specifically stayed behind and waited for me to emerge... his intentions were already quite clear.’

"Elder Luo!"

What was coming was coming. Jiang Wanzhao had never been one to shy away from trouble, and now that it was upon her, she faced it with composure.

Luo Peng stared down at Jiang Wanzhao, completely ignoring the two Core Disciples, Zou Feng and Su Qingyu. He asked grimly, "Jiang Zhenchuan, do you know your crime?"

’Huh? They’ve already decided she’s guilty?!’

’Zou Feng had assumed that the extent of Jiang Wanzhao’s responsibility for the fall of the Celestial Hearing Tower would have to be determined after returning to the Pinnacle Celestial Immortal Sect, following a thorough investigation, public discussion, and a formal trial.’

’But Elder Luo had declared her guilty the moment he opened his mouth. This had to be a personal grudge, right?’

’Then again,’ he considered, ’the fall of the Celestial Hearing Tower was an undeniable fact. No matter the outcome of the investigation, Jiang Wanzhao couldn’t possibly be completely blameless. So, insisting she was guilty right now wasn’t completely unreasonable.’

"I was derelict in my duty. I will return to the Immortal Sect to await my punishment," Jiang Wanzhao said, not bothering to argue. In her eyes, it was pointless.

And just as Zou Feng suspected, this Luo Peng did indeed have a history with Jiang Wanzhao.

Now that he finally had an opportunity, he was naturally going to take it to settle the score.

So he snorted, a cold smile playing on his lips that didn’t reach his eyes. "You still have the nerve to return?"

"The Celestial Hearing Tower stood in the Northern Domain for centuries, only to be destroyed in your hands. Are you worthy of the Immortal Sect’s investment in you?"

"You’ve brought shame to all the True Disciples of our Pinnacle Celestial Immortal Sect!"

Jiang Wanzhao had always been proud and haughty; it had been centuries since anyone had dared to scold her to her face like this.

But she had indeed made a grave error and was in no position to argue. She could only endure it, her face ashen, feeling utterly suffocated.

It wasn’t just Luo Peng, either. Several other Elders joined in with their own taunts and jeers, tearing Jiang Wanzhao down with a torrent of abuse.

As for the few familiar-looking True Disciples on the prow, some watched the spectacle with cold detachment, while others looked like they wanted to speak but ultimately held their tongues.

Watching this, Zou Feng felt more and more that something was wrong.

’On the surface, it seemed normal for a Law Enforcement Hall Elder to taunt and berate Jiang Wanzhao for her mistake. It shouldn’t have been a big deal. The problem was, Jiang Wanzhao was currently exhausted, heavily injured, and had been under immense mental strain. To put it bluntly, for her to be insulted and mocked by her own sect members in such a poor state, with them constantly emphasizing the gravity of her crime and how she would be severely punished...’