CHAPTER 406: POINTING FINGERS

In the end, after talking things through, all the Nirvana Cleansing realm powerhouses in the Purple Crest Immortal Sect came to the same conclusion—Jiang Chen had to be a cultivator at their level who somehow ended up in the Immortal Martial Continent by accident.

It was the only way to explain how someone that powerful could come from a place with such a low ceiling for cultivation.

Sect Master You Shaojun’s expression finally eased a little. He sat back, thinking aloud, "Whatever the case, Jiang Chen wiped out all the demons first, then went after personal enemies. That lines up with someone on the human side. If that’s true, he’s not really a threat to the Prosperous Stone Immortal Star."

"What are you saying? Are you seriously trying to defend him?" Sun Xiangyuan shot to his feet like he’d been burned, his face twisted with rage. "Just because he’s not threatening the whole star, we’re supposed to let him go? He killed two Nirvana Peering realm cultivators from my Sun Clan—they were my blood! Almost my entire family is gone! I will kill Jiang Chen!"

The other two Sun Clan powerhouses stood up too, their fury practically boiling over.

"Exactly! No matter where that bastard came from, he’s killed too many of our people. We can’t just let that slide," Sun Anming growled.

"He might be a Nirvana Cleansing realm cultivator who knows some deep spatial techniques," Sun Ancheng said, "but come on—we all know spatial arts too. If we work together, he doesn’t stand a chance."

"Everyone, calm down. I’m not trying to defend Jiang Chen, and I’m not getting in the way of your revenge," You Shaojun said, shaking his head. "What I’m saying is—he’s not a demon. That means we don’t have to worry about some powerful demon sneaking in and attacking us from behind. With that out of the way, we can focus on what really matters—dealing with Jiang Chen."

"That makes more sense. I’ve got a score to settle with him too," Lu Tingguang said, standing. "But before we all go chasing after him, the Sun Clan needs to settle things with us first. Lu Tingyun died trying to track Jiang Chen. You’re not blameless in that, Sun Xiangyuan. You owe the Lu Clan an explanation—and compensation."

"Exactly," Lu Tingze added, his eyes cold. "If it weren’t for you, our Lu Clan wouldn’t have gotten dragged into this mess. We wouldn’t have lost one of our strongest. If you don’t make this right, don’t blame us for cutting ties."

Sun Xiangyuan’s jaw tightened. "No one wanted Lu Tingyun to die," he said. "Even a Void Tribulation realm enemy wouldn’t have killed her that fast without giving her a chance to react. She sensed the danger and still went ahead. That was her choice. You can’t pin all of this on me."

He glanced between the two Lu Clan elders. "Still, I’ll offer some compensation—initial resources for now. We can talk about the rest later."

"Not good enough," Lu Tingguang snapped. "You think that’ll settle this?"

Lu Tingze stepped up beside him. "Sun Xiangyuan, we lost a Nirvana Cleansing realm powerhouse. If you won’t meet our demands, don’t blame us for turning this into a fight."

The two of them took a step forward, their killing intent thick in the air.

"You think I’m going to let you name the price?" Sun Xiangyuan’s brow twitched. "You’ll ask for something outrageous. Like I said, we still don’t know exactly what happened to Lu Tingyun. Blaming me now is premature. Once we catch Jiang Chen and get to the bottom of this, you’ll get what you’re owed—I won’t hold back."

"Cut the crap!" Lu Tingguang barked, eyes locked onto Sun Xiangyuan. "You think losing a Nirvana Cleansing realm cultivator makes the Lu Clan weaker than you?"

Sun Anming let out a cold snort. "On the cultivation path, strength is all that matters. And right now, the Lu Clan’s just not on the same level as the Sun Clan."

"Bastards," Lu Tingguang growled. His eyes blazed with fury. "So that’s it? You’re planning to kick us while we’re down? Try it—we don’t even know what the word ’fear’ means."

The argument between the two clans was getting worse, and the tension in the room was thick enough to cut.

These top cultivators, once united under the Purple Crest Immortal Sect, were now showing clear signs of a growing rift.

"Everyone, settle down!" You Shaojun stepped in quickly, trying to ease the situation.

He couldn’t help but wonder—how had a few comments led to things spiraling this fast?

"Settle down? Don’t give me that!" Lu Tingze shot him a cold glare. "If the Sun Clan doesn’t properly compensate us for Lu Tingyun’s death today, then we’re done. There’s no going back."

You Shaojun knew his role as Sect Master only existed because both the Sun and Lu Clans had agreed to back him. Without their support, there was no way he could keep the peace between them.

Now, that balance was falling apart. The Sun Clan’s ambitions were becoming harder to ignore—and it was only a matter of time before he’d have to take a side.

And if it came to that, You Shaojun already knew where he’d stand: with the Sun Clan.

"Please, let’s look at the bigger picture," You Shaojun said, clearly frustrated. "Think about it—if Jiang Chen turns against us, what do you think he’ll do?"

"What will he do?" Sun Ancheng narrowed his eyes. "Are you saying he might side with the Compassionate Sword Immortal Palace?"

"Exactly." You Shaojun nodded. "He’s strong—dangerously strong. If he becomes our enemy, they’d welcome him with open arms."

Lu Tingguang’s eyes flared. "And what, you think we should just forget everything and befriend him? If that’s your idea, You Shaojun, you’ll be the first to die."

"No! That’s not what I’m saying at all. We absolutely have to take him down—and we can’t wait any longer."

He took a deep breath. "But before we move, we need to label him a demon spy. That way, the Compassionate Sword Immortal Palace won’t dare take him in. We’ve wasted enough time arguing. If we keep dragging this out, Jiang Chen might already be on their side—and then getting revenge will be next to impossible."

Everyone went still. His words hit hard—and made too much sense.

"We can’t let that happen!" Sun Xiangyuan said sharply. "If Jiang Chen joins them, we’re finished."

"Spread the word now," Lu Tingguang snapped. "Say he’s a demon spy sent to infiltrate us!"

They didn’t wait another second. Each one pulled out their transmission jade tokens and began sending orders.