Celestial Refining Divine Scripture

The invisible pressure was suffocating.

Lin Lang stood frozen like a wooden statue, only feeling that Xu Yang at this moment was overwhelmingly intimidating, sending chills down his spine.

He couldn’t understand—how could someone at merely the Early Stage of True Immortal radiate such terrifying force?

That feeling was even more horrifying than facing a Middle Stage Celestial Immortal.

How could this be possible?

"You, you..."

Yang Jie was shaking with fury. When had the Yang Family ever suffered such humiliation?

"You bastard!"

"Just an Early Stage True Immortal, what right do you have to insult my Yang Family?"

"Ever since the Profound Pure Jade Bamboo was up for allocation, my Yang Family has never lost its qualifications. That’s the rule set by the Immortal Sect. Even if you’re the warden, if you want to strip our qualification, you have to give an explanation."

"Otherwise, my Yang Family will report this to the Immortal Sect, and this won’t end with you!"

Yang Jie’s furious roar echoed through the great hall, deafening everyone.

"You want an explanation?"

"Fine, I’ll give you one!"

Xu Yang slowly stood up, releasing a formless and bone-chilling pressure.

Everyone there didn’t even dare meet his gaze head-on.

In that moment, almost everyone forgot Xu Yang was merely Early Stage True Immortal.

Swoosh!

"These are the Immortal Artifacts I bought from your Yang Family’s Treasure Pavilion."

Xu Yang produced two Immortal Artifacts and, under Yang Jie’s stunned gaze, smashed down with his fist.

Bang!

The nearly top-tier Immortal Artifacts shattered instantly under that punch, their formation spells broken, and energy leaking out.

Bang!

A pile of fragments was thrown to the ground by Xu Yang.

Yang Jie’s face drastically changed.

He was in the Celestial Immortal Realm; although normally you couldn’t tell, the instant the Immortal Artifact broke, he immediately sensed something off.

This Immortal Artifact was wrong.

"Tsk tsk, the grand Yang Family’s Treasure Pavilion, actually selling such goods—impressive."

"You, you’re slandering us! What proof do you have that these were sold by my Yang Family’s Treasure Pavilion?" Yang Jie roared in anger.

Swoosh!

Xu Yang tossed out two beads. With a snap of his fingers, a light curtain appeared, displaying two scenes: him being coerced into a forced buy in the Treasure Pavilion and being ambushed by Yang Long outside Four Spirits Town.

The images shifted—Yang Long threatening him, then being instantly subdued by a punch—leaving Yang Jie dumbfounded, his mind utterly blank.

The rest of them wore even richer, more complicated expressions.

A warden, forced into buying and selling at your Yang Family’s Pavilion, then ambushed—let alone old grudges, even if there weren’t any, who could swallow this indignation?

Now they finally realized why Xu Yang was coming for the Yang Family.

This was the reason.

"Forcing trades, ambushing a Black Fire Immortal Mountain seed disciple—what else do you have to say?"

"I revoked your Yang Family’s qualification—got a problem with that?"

Xu Yang sneered coldly.

Yang Jie opened his mouth, wanting to speak, but not a word came out.

"Want to report to the Immortal Sect? Go ahead."

"I’d like to see if the Immortal Sect sides with your Yang Family or me."

"Oh, and I’ll spread these beads around too, let everyone see the true face of the Yang Family."

Yang Jie’s face became ashen.

He was sure—the Yang Family’s Treasure Pavilion would never do something like this.

It must have been Yang Long, conspiring with others behind the scene!

But if this got out, the reputation of the Yang Family’s Treasure Pavilion would be utterly destroyed.

You have to understand, just the trade market in Four Spirits Town brings the Yang Family tens of millions of second-rank Immortal Crystals a year.

That’s a mind-boggling sum.

Swoosh!

Yang Jie abruptly shot out toward the two beads.

"Hmph!"

A cold snort thundered like lightning.

Everyone shuddered, ears ringing, minds reeling.

Bang!

With a thunderous crash and a miserable scream, Yang Jie was blasted to the ground like a rag doll by Xu Yang’s effortless punch, blood spouting from his mouth.

Spurt!

"Hiss! Ah!!!"

"You, you, you..."

Yang Jie trembled, eyes wide as if he had seen a ghost. "I am Early Stage Celestial Immortal. You—"

How can this be?

Lin Lang and the others snapped to their senses, unable to believe their own eyes.

Early Stage Celestial Immortal—suppressed in one punch by True Immortal Xu Yang!

Are you kidding me?

Lin Lang suddenly shivered, recalling how his fellow disciples had called Xu Yang "monstrous in combat!"

This is "monstrous in combat"?

You must be joking.

This is simply defying heaven!

And the other cultivators from the major forces now also had a fresh understanding of what "monstrous combat power" meant, as Lin Lang described.

Early Stage True Immortal, Celestial Immortal-level combat ability!

Xu Yang walked down the steps slowly, staring at Yang Jie without any politeness.

Yang Jie was trembling all over.

"Xu Yang, the Yang Family will definitely hold you accountable for this."

He caved in.

Xu Yang shook his head slightly, then turned to the crowd, smirking mischievously: "Gentlemen, would you be so kind as to bear witness for me?"

"Witness?"

"Witness what?"

Everyone wore looks of confusion, completely at a loss.

"Yang Jie of the Yang Family, personally attempted to assassinate me right here."

"What?"

The hall exploded into uproar.

Ye Yize, Ming Quan, Su Yongzhou, and the other five simultaneously gulped, looking at the smiling Xu Yang with chills down their spines.

He was out to destroy Yang Jie.

The Yang Family was formidable, yes.

But an Early Stage Celestial Immortal, to dare openly try to assassinate a Black Fire Immortal Mountain seed disciple—that was a huge crime.

"My lord warden, I saw it with my own eyes! Yang Jie deserves a thousand deaths!" Lin Lang was the first to recover, blurting out without hesitation.

At this point, he was completely convinced.

As a subordinate, there was nothing else to consider now.

Just do what you’re supposed to do.

As Lin Lang finished, the other five’s faces kept changing color.

Xu Yang was also forcing them to choose a side—but...

"No, I didn’t!"

"Slander! This is slander!"

Yang Jie roared in desperation.

"Mr. Xu, I testify that Yang Jie was bold enough to try and assassinate you—unforgivable!" Ye Yize grinned at Yang Jie.

You know, the Yang Family had been riding high lately, acting outrageously domineering.

The other big factions had long been dissatisfied with the Yang Clan.

"I’m willing to testify for Mr. Xu too."

"Me as well."

...

In an instant, all five spoke up, without the slightest hesitation.

Yang Jie’s whole body trembled ashen-faced, glaring at Xu Yang with venomous eyes.

"Lin Lang, take him away and lock him up."

Xu Yang issued this instruction, not sparing Yang Jie a glance, then smiled at the other five: "Let’s distribute the Profound Pure Jade Bamboo first. Later, I’d appreciate everyone recording your testimony for the Immortal Sect."

"Of course."

"Hahaha, that’s all minor stuff—once we’re done, we’ll do our best to help."

"That Yang Jie bastard—outrageous—he deserves to die for what he did today!"

...

Lin Lang roughly hoisted Yang Jie up. Through the buzzing in his ears and everyone’s hearty laughter, Yang Jie shivered uncontrollably, knowing he was finished.

If these charges stuck, his clan would pay a heavy price to save him.

Walking out of the hall, Yang Jie finally snapped out of his stupor and wailed in despair: "Xu Yang, I was wrong, please spare me!"

"Mr. Xu, I beg you, spare me!"

Xu Yang turned a deaf ear.

Lin Lang slapped him hard across the face: "Shut up!"

Inside, the others heard the ruckus fading outside and exchanged smiles, though their hearts were hardly calm.

Today was a real eye-opener for them.

They looked again at Xu Yang, now filled with awe and reverence.

And this awe was no longer just for the master and status behind Xu Yang—but for his sheer, raw power.