Nine Star Hegemon Body Arts-Chapter 6001 Leaving Sovereign Mountain

It was the same single word as before, but this time, Zhao Manjiang and the others didn’t show the slightest anger. Instead, it was as if they had just been granted a pardon from a death sentence.

Zhao Manjiang hastily bowed respectfully to Qingyu. Just as he turned to leave, Long Chen’s calm voice echoed again.

“Hold it!”

Zhao Manjiang stiffened. Thinking Long Chen had changed his mind, he turned back with a face full of anxiety.

“Do you have any instructions?” Zhao Manjiang asked politely.

Long Chen clasped his hands behind his back and looked into Zhao Manjiang’s eyes.

“You’re a sword cultivator,” Long Chen said slowly. “What happened to make your spine bend like this?”

Zhao Manjiang trembled. He couldn’t meet Long Chen’s eyes. Those eyes were like a mirror—he couldn’t face them, because he couldn’t face himself.

Long Chen had seen through him at a glance. Zhao Manjiang wasn’t a schemer by nature and didn’t know how to play such underhanded games. That kind of trickery was taboo to a sword cultivator, and deep down, Zhao Manjiang felt ashamed and conflicted.

Zhao Manjiang sighed and shook his head. With a bitter smile on his face, he answered, “My spine? I lost it when I was still young. I doubt I’ll ever find it again...”

Long Chen asked again, “In your heart, is there anything more important than your life or your clan’s glory?”

Zhao Manjiang was startled.

Before he could reply, Long Chen continued, “Senior, when you go back, help me inform the higher-ups of the Jiuli race that I am someone who always repays debts—whether they are debts of kindness or enmity. I can be their greatest ally, or their worst nightmare. That choice is theirs to make.”

Zhao Manjiang silently nodded, his heart heavy.

Long Chen had seen through everything—from their intentions to the Jiuli race’s schemes. Furthermore, he was now giving a final warning to the entire Jiuli race.

Long Chen was choosing to let this matter go for now, but if it happened again, there would be no second chance.

Zhao Manjiang could also sense that they had severely underestimated Long Chen. Just the fact that he was standing beside Qingyu was proof of his immense status within the violet blood race.

If the Jiuli race continued to treat him with the same shortsighted arrogance, they wouldn’t just lose him—they would make an enemy of him.

For the first time, Zhao Manjiang started to understand what made Long Chen so terrifying. And he was also grateful. Long Chen had chosen not to humiliate him. Had Long Chen let Qingyu handle this, Zhao Manjiang would have been forcibly detained, and the Jiuli Divine Palace would’ve been forced to send someone with an explanation to retrieve him.

Long Chen did not wish for the violet blood race and the Jiuli race to have a falling out because of him. After all, the nine heavens were reviving, and the ten thousand races were about to compete for superiority soon. Humanity was already plagued by internal strife. If the Jiuli and violet blood races also turned on each other, the human race would never recover.

“I will definitely pass your words to them,” promised Zhao Manjiang solemnly.

At this point, he no longer dared to view Long Chen as a mere junior. His respect was genuine.

Zhao Manjiang took his people and left, while the gifts they had brought were returned to them untouched. Such a gesture was undoubtedly offensive, but none of them dared to say a word. After all, they were the ones in the wrong. They could only leave dejectedly.

Once everyone else left and it was just the two of them, Qingyu asked, “Long Chen, what’s your opinion on the Jiuli race?”

Shaking his head, Long Chen answered, “I don’t have time to think about them. If they treat me like family, I’ll do the same. But if they scheme against me, I won’t show mercy. If it was up to me, I’d have killed or at least skinned them before letting them go. But this place is Sovereign Mountain. I have to think about the violet blood race. So, this can be considered their final warning.

“To be honest, I don’t have much faith in the Jiuli race. The fact that Zhao Manjiang dared to come and try to trick me shows that their higher-ups don’t care—or worse, they’re divided into internal factions deadlocked in power struggles. That’s likely what gave Zhao Manjiang his chance. He may be strong, but he can’t act to save his life. If I were the one pulling strings, I would never have sent someone like him. The fact that he was here means they had no other choice.

“If Zhao Manjiang was the best they could offer, then the Zhao clan was likely behind this. Of the Long, Ye, Zhao, and Jiang clans, I’ve killed members of the first three more than once. It’s not surprising they’d want revenge.”

In truth, from the moment Zhao Manjiang’s group entered and he didn’t see Jiang Yue’e or Feng Fei, Long Chen already knew that they didn’t have any good intentions.

If the Jiuli Divine Palace truly wanted to invite him, Feng Fei would have come herself—or at least sent a message to him. She was the one who wished to prevent conflict between him and the Jiuli race the most.

The fact that she and Jiang Yue’e were absent only confirmed that something was off. And with the Earth Cauldron’s warning, everything became crystal clear.

Qingyu sighed. “Conflicts are inevitable in large families. What matters is how we turn those conflicts into strength and shape the future of our family. The violet blood race also has internal conflicts, but everything remains within our control. The Jiuli race, though... if they had to send people like Zhao Manjiang, then things had likely spiraled out of control.”

Long Chen was impressed. Mountain lord Qingyu did not just possess sharp vision—she also had guts. For her to use a Spirit Awakener like Bi Xingyao as a stepping stone for Long Chen was the best example. With this gamble, she had won the Infinity-One Technique.

As she had once told Long Chen, some people indeed deserved to die—but when and how they died was what mattered most. With such wisdom and boldness guiding the violet blood race, it was no wonder they remained stable.

In comparison, the Jiuli race looked like a house slowly crumbling from within.

However, that wasn’t Long Chen’s concern. He had one goal now—to grow stronger and lead his Dragonblood Legion to greater heights. Only by getting stronger could they survive.

“Mountain lord, I’ll need to leave Sovereign Mountain for a while,” Long Chen said.

Qingyu had been expecting this, but she still looked concerned. “Lord Brahma already has his eyes on you. Once you leave, you’ll be under constant threat, and we will not be able to protect you. Are you sure about this?”

Long Chen smiled. “From the mortal world to the immortal world, I have always protected myself. Don’t worry!”

Seeing Long Chen’s handsome face and sunny smile, Qingyu suddenly felt a wave of sorrow. Just how much suffering and pain lay hidden behind this smile?

“Alright. Child, I won’t stop you. Just remember—no matter what happens, Sovereign Mountain will always be your home and your steadiest shield.” Qingyu gently reached out and straightened Long Chen’s robes, like a mother sending her child off on a long journey.

Long Chen’s eyes reddened. It had been a long time since he had felt such warmth.

Sovereign Mountain had its cold side, but it also had its warm, unspoken care. It truly felt like home for Long Chen.

As Long Chen departed, the other three mountain lords silently appeared. They gazed at his back and could only sigh helplessly.