Chapter 979: Conflict

Although Meng Zhang had suspicions about the intentions of this group of Five Punishments Guards, he had been maintaining his composure without any extra movements. He obediently underwent their inspection, showing no signs of dissatisfaction.

Feng Baofeng, the vice commander of the Five Punishments Guards, had only reached the Gold Corelate stage of cultivation, yet he appeared confident and disregarded the presence of the four Primordial Spirit True Monarchs around.

He continuously scrutinized them with a gaze as if observing criminals, his expression clearly unpleasant.

Even after the initial inspection was over, he didn't stop there; he ordered his subordinates from the Five Punishments Guards to inspect again.

In his words, the previous inspection didn't count. Today, unless they unearthed the Demonic Cultivation hidden among the group, no one was allowed to leave.

Feng Baofeng didn't bother to conceal his intentions and directly issued orders to his subordinates.

Cultivators generally had keen senses and were perceptive; they all heard his words.

As soon as he spoke, a commotion erupted below.

The Cultivators trapped here, who might have endured the situation until now, suddenly erupted.

Though physical violence had yet to ensue, the crowd had already started to raise their voices in protest.

The few Primordial Spirit True Monarchs present were all displeased. Aside from Meng Zhang, the other three had grim faces.

A middle-aged man with a rough appearance patiently communicated with Feng Baofeng in a low voice.

When the Five Punishments Guards had inspected the backgrounds of the four Primordial Spirit True Monarchs earlier, Meng Zhang had paid attention.

This man introduced himself as Sun Shengdu and claimed to be a native cultivator of the Dali Dynasty, currently serving in its military but not as part of the main army, rather in a regional defense force.

He had official business to attend to at the Grand Crossing Cultivation Circle.

The previous search operations by the Five Punishments Guards had already consumed a lot of time. If this continued, it would certainly hinder his official duties.

The military laws of the Dali Dynasty were strict, even for regional defense forces.

If he delayed military matters, he would face serious consequences.

Sun Shengdu played the military card, hoping to pressure the Five Punishments Guards and secure his release.

Unexpectedly, Feng Baofeng, a mere Gold Corelate stage cultivator, paid no attention to his status and refused to let Sun Shengdu, a Primordial Spirit True Monarch, leave.

Sun Shengdu could no longer hold back; he began to erupt.

He believed he was not an insignificant figure, holding an important position within the military as a Primordial Spirit True Monarch. Yet here he was, being harassed by a junior Gold Core cultivator, damaging his reputation.He started to loudly question, asking the Five Punishments Guards what they were up to.

The Five Punishments Guards were incompetent; they couldn't find the Demonic Cultivation but still chose to trouble these innocent cultivators. It was truly outrageous.

If the Five Punishments Guards continued to cause a scene, he wouldn't hesitate to take action.

Apart from Meng Zhang, the other two Primordial Spirit True Monarchs showed agreement.

As for the other cultivators in the scene, seeing the Primordial Spirit True Monarchs taking the lead, they immediately joined in the commotion.

For a moment, the scene was very lively, with a clear indication that things could escalate into a fight at any moment.

Meng Zhang shrunk back and remained silent.

Whether he left early or late didn't matter much to him; he had no reason to oppose the Five Punishments Guards.

This wasn't because he was timid, but rather because it was unnecessary to provoke a conflict.

Moreover, he had already sensed the ulterior motives of the Five Punishments Guards, so he wouldn't step in at this moment.

Under Sun Shengdu's leadership, the atmosphere had become increasingly tense, and the Five Punishments Guards were struggling to maintain control.

If it was just the group of Gold Core stage Five Punishments Guards in the scene, Sun Shengdu alone could deal with them.

However, considering the formidable background of the Five Punishments Guards, he naturally needed to rally more people.

"Brother Meng, Brother Wang, Brother Qin, these Five Punishments Guards have gone too far. Their arrogance knows no bounds. How much longer must we endure?"

"If we continue to tolerate this, when will it ever end?"

"They see us as weak and think they can bully us. If we don't stand up now, they'll keep taking advantage of us and further humiliate us."

Sun Shengdu adopted an impassioned tone, attempting to show that he wasn't only thinking about himself but was considering everyone's well-being.

Although the four Primordial Spirit True Monarchs hadn't formally met, when the Five Punishments Guards questioned them earlier, they learned about each other's backgrounds.

In order to govern the Crossing Severing Mountain Range, the Dali Dynasty had also established a governor's office here.

Brother Wang was named Wang Xibei, an official within the governor's office.

From his seemingly self-deprecating but subtly proud introduction, it could be inferred that he held a significant position and wielded substantial power within the governor's office.

Among the four Primordial Spirit True Monarchs, he had the highest official status.

Brother Qin was named Qin Canmou, a loose cultivator by origin who currently didn't serve any particular faction.

He had always been carefree and rarely concerned himself with the affairs of the Cultivation World.Among the four Primordial Spirit True Monarchs, he was the one with the best attitude apart from Meng Zhang.

Sun Shengdu attempted to unite the four Primordial Spirit True Monarchs in pressuring the Five Punishments Guards.

No matter how dominant the Five Punishments Guards were, facing such collective force should give them some reservations.

Except for Qin Canmou among the four Primordial Spirit True Monarchs, the others all had distinct identities and had certain influences behind them.

Moreover, among the Cultivators who joined the commotion below, there were individuals with exceptional backgrounds, not easily provoked.

Stirred by Sun Shengdu's provocation, Wang Xibei, who believed in his significant status, immediately put on an official demeanor typical of the governor's office and sarcastically taunted the group of Five Punishments Guards led by Feng Baofeng.

Meng Zhang shook his head, appearing indifferent, and voluntarily stepped back a few paces.

Meng Zhang's submissive behavior drew the attention of the crowd.

Qin Canmou evidently also didn't wish to cause trouble. He adopted a calm approach, trying to mediate between the two sides, encouraging understanding and mutual compromise.

Feng Baofeng remained unmoved by either Sun Shengdu and Wang Xibei's threats or Qin Canmou's well-intentioned advice, displaying neither compliance nor resistance.

In short, the bottom line remained: unless the hidden Demonic Cultivation was exposed, no one was leaving.

This attitude ultimately infuriated the trapped Cultivators.

It's unclear who made the first move, but those trapped Cultivators started launching attacks against the Five Punishments Guards.

Naturally, the Five Punishments Guards didn't stand idle and immediately retaliated.

Consequently, a chaotic brawl erupted among a sizable number of Cultivators in the vicinity.

Thankfully, both sides exercised restraint, refraining from utilizing their full power and avoiding causing any substantial casualties.

While it seemed like a lively and fierce exchange, the actual damage inflicted was limited, and there were no fatalities.

The confrontation between the trapped Cultivators and the Five Punishments Guards also affected Sun Shengdu and his group.

They were eager to join in, itching to take action.

Given their Cultivation Bases, as long as they unleashed some of their true abilities, the Five Punishments Guards wouldn't be able to hold their ground.

Feng Baofeng, as though blinded to the situation, allowed his subordinates from the Five Punishments Guards and the trapped Cultivators to engage in combat.

He, along with a few of his trusted subordinates, kept a close watch on the four Primordial Spirit True Monarchs, preventing them from escaping his sight.

Sun Shengdu made a final effort, attempting to persuade Feng Baofeng to avoid unnecessary conflict.

However, Feng Baofeng, whether out of loyalty to his duty or a lack of self-preservation, remained impervious to the well-intentioned advice of others.

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