The Biandu's full force was present. Their strongest elders were here outside of a few not currently in Black Wood.

The crumbling of the gate meant that they would be the first to face the waves. Thus, they always did their best to guard this area. Their disciples and elders channeled all of their power into the wall.

Alas, this didn’t stop Li Qiye for a split second. It wasn’t that they didn’t want to stop him; they simply couldn’t.

They didn’t feel Li Qiye’s existence as he was passing through at all. He didn’t use any force to attack the gate or them. The laws and restraints of the gate had no effect on him either.

The clan master was rightfully alarmed. There was no explanation for this, at least not one that would be considered logical.

The ancestors among the crowd had cultivated numerous merit laws and read ancient scrolls. None sufficed in explaining this scene or Li Qiye.

The clan master and the Praetor eventually calmed down. Their eyes flashed murderously since the killer of their son had returned.

“Wanna fight?” Li Qiye smiled at their aggression.

“Looks like you prefer the hard way.” The Praetor spoke: “This will be your last moment, I will make mincemeat out of you!”

“Don’t see how you can, given your abilities.” Li Qiye smirked.

The Praetor turned red from rage. He had absolute authority right now as the chief commander of the eastern coalition.

Even ancestors needed to be respectful towards him, let alone a junior. Putting his son aside, the disrespect alone was enough for him to kill Li Qiye.

“Everyone’s responsible for taking down villains.” The clan master of the Biandu raised his voice: “Your greed drove you to kill fellow men and commit unforgivable offenses. The world is a better place without you.”

The clan master tried to take the moral high ground, unlike the Praetor. He wanted to be on the side of justice while taking down Li Qiye.

“Yes, we’re all responsible!” One ancestor shouted in agreement.

“That’s right, we need to work together for the sake of justice!” Other experts chimed in.

The crowd seemed to be against Li Qiye in no time at all. Of course, they didn’t care about any of the bullshit rhetoric. Their goal was Li Qiye’s treasure.

As the saying goes - excessive wealth will arouse the envy of others. Li Qiye had a priceless piece of metal so all were against him.

The experts here forgot about the incoming horde, completely blinded by greed.

“No medicine can cure your stupidity.” Li Qiye looked at the people around him and smiled. Having said that, he gestured provocatively: “Come, wannabe heroes, let’s see what you can do.”

These cultivators exchanged glances but no one stepped forward. Li Qiye’s monstrous abilities were as clear as day. The metal seemed unstoppable too, only requiring one slash to kill the two geniuses.

Who would want to be the first to attack? Even a fool knew that the vanguard would die right away.

Thus, it was better to wait and take advantage of the situation. Let someone else fight Li Qiye instead.

“Morons.” Li Qiye sneered at the suddenly hushed crowd.

“I’ve had enough of your antics, Li Qiye!” The Biandu Clan Master shouted: “My clan will make sure that you will not leave Black Wood Cliff alive!”

Vengeance was another strong driving force. Thus, the clan master dared to take the initiative.

“Your courage is wasted on you.” Li Qiye smiled and said: “Your decision today will be the end of your clan. I can easily destroy it.”

The clan masters and other clan members became furious right away.

“Brat, you’re dead!” The clan members began yelling at Li Qiye.

“No one ever survives after crossing us!”

“We will exterminate your clan no matter how far away it is!”

The aggressive shouts drowned out the area. There was no way the authoritative Biandu would let a junior humiliate them in public without barking back.

“Does he think he’s a dao lord?” An expert from another sect murmured.

“Just wait and see, the Biandu won’t let him off easy for this transgression.” A young cultivator snorted.

This was precisely the development everyone wanted - for the Biandu and Li Qiye to fight.

“I want to see who dares to destroy my clan!” A thunderous voice echoed, causing everyone’s ears to feel pain. They staggered backward from shock.

A massive power descended and affected all of Black Wood. There seemed to be a giant looming above everyone. The pressure stemming from this being could crush them all.

“Boom!” A person landed on the ground with the weight of countless mountains, causing shockwaves to shoot out and sweep people off their feet.

When people got up to look at him, they saw an old man wearing a resplendent robe. Runic halos pulsed around him; images of sages sang praises for him.

He looked like an uncrossable mountain; others had no choice but to look up in deference.

“That, that’s the Biandu Paragon…” An ancestor recognized the runic halos right away.

Even those who had not seen him before still recognized his title.

“An ancestor serving as the current leader of the Biandu. Rumor has it that Buddha Supreme had a high evaluation of his talent during his youth.” A high elder became startled.