A resounding boom shook the air, as if the stars themselves were plummeting from the sky. As the colossal battleship hit the ground, the impact sent up ripples of shockwaves that spread far and wide.
The ground quaked beneath the tremendous force, hurling rocks and dirt hundreds of zhangs into the air, with debris scattering across a radius of dozens of li. It was akin to a natural disaster.
Yet, the bronze battleship took zero damage, its surface unmarred by a single crack, a testament to the exceptional quality of its construction and materials.
How durable. Wu Yuan’s eyes gleamed with a cold light.
Seventh or eighth-grade spirit flying boats couldn’t even hold a candle to this fourth-grade one in terms of sturdiness. The materials used in their construction were of vastly different calibers.
If this battleship had an owner, Wu Yuan would still have been able to restrict its movements with his Domain, but throwing it around like this would be out of the question.
But now, Tu Chi and Fang Youlong were no longer around, and the remaining black-robed cultivators aboard the ship were merely at the Qi Sea phase. Though they could barely operate the ethercrystal weapon, fully controlling the battleship was beyond their capabilities.
However, if they chose to hide within the ship like turtles in their shells, Wu Yuan would be hard-pressed to get them out in the short term. As for towing the flying boat with him and dealing with them later at his own pace? If there was enough time, Wu Yuan would naturally do so.
Unfortunately, time is not a luxury I can afford. Two late-stage Golden Core cultivators of the Tu Family are dead, this is no small matter.
There likely weren’t that many Golden Core powerhouses of this level within the Tu Family. Perhaps only ten? Twenty?
How would the Tu Family react upon receiving the news? Would the Amethyst Cradle Reverend rush over immediately to seek vengeance? These uncertainties nagged at Wu Yuan’s mind.
Just as I threatened Tu Chi and the other man with the Redmoon Immortal Realm, they could easily have relayed information about me before their demise. Wu Yuan’s mind raced, pondering his next move.
The conclusion he finally came to was – flee as far as possible!
“You should understand that I have the means to end every single one of your lives,” Wu Yuan’s frosty voice cut through the air, loud enough that the black-robed cultivators within the battleship could hear him.
“You have two options,” his tone remained cold and unwavering. “Either I break this flying boat open and eliminate you all, or you surrender willingly and I will spare your lives. You should understand that I never intended to kill them in the first place.”
A stark ultimatum hung in the air.
As the dust settled and everything fell silent, Wu Yuan fixed the battleship with a frigid stare. Yet in his heart, he silently counted the seconds. One, two, three…
In this period of silence, Fang Youlong and Tu Chi’s treasures flew towards Wu Yuan in streaks of light.
Once he reached the count of six, he prepared to store his newfound treasures and leave.
At that moment, a sudden stir within the battleship caught his attention. The sealed hatch flung open, and a group of over ten black-robed figures emerged, their expressions a mix of fear and trepidation.
“Senior Li Xia, we wish to surrender,” intoned the black-robed elderly man leading the group, his hands raised towards the sky in a gesture of submission.
“We wish to surrender,” echoed the fearful black-robed cultivators, their resolve shaken by the deaths of two late-stage Golden Core powerhouses. Even the ethercrystal weapon was useless against the enemy.
The choice was clear – to continue their resistance would mean certain death, while surrender offered a slim chance at survival.
“Very well, I will uphold my word and spare your lives,” declared Wu Yuan, his tone chilly as he effortlessly stowed away the massive bronze battleship, along with the spoils left behind by Tu Chi and Fang Youlong.
“You, come with me,” he ordered. With a mental command, the giant ethereal hand grabbed the black-robed elderly man and lifted him up. As a late-stage Qi Sea cultivator, he was completely powerless to resist.
“Let’s go!” Bringing this captive along, Wu Yuan returned to Black Sun. Moments later, Black Sun accelerated, hurtling towards Starsword City at breakneck speed.
The ethercrystal consumption? In a race against time, ethercrystal was the last thing on Wu Yuan’s mind.
The ten or so black-robed figures left behind exchanged bewildered glances, feeling a little lost at Wu Yuan’s unexpected leniency.
“Quick, report this to the family,” one of them finally reacted.
“Yes, report this immediately.”
“We should enter the Tu Family Immortal Hall.” The black-robed figures immediately began sending a flurry of panicked messages and pleas for assistance.
The threat issued by Wu Yuan was so menacing that even teetering on the brink of life and death, the black-robed figures refrained from making any hasty actions, fearful of provoking his wrath.
Unbeknownst to them, the Tu Family had already been alerted to the situation by Tu Chi’s demise.
…
Within the flying boat, Wu Yuan split part of his consciousness to pilot the flying boat while the rest focused on interrogating the black-robed elderly man before him. “Speak, why did Tu Chi wish to kill me so desperately?” he demanded.
The black-robed elderly man was clearly the leader among the black-robed cultivators. Hence, Wu Yuan decided to capture him and extract information while on the move to get a clearer picture of the situation.
For example, what was the root cause of the conflict? It would serve as a lesson during his future encounters with other cultivators.
Furthermore, Wu Yuan sought to better understand the Tu Family’s strength. How many Amethyst Cradle Reverends did they have in their ranks? And how many Golden Core cultivators? To face an enemy effectively, one must know them inside out.
The black-robed elderly man gritted his teeth and spoke in a low voice, “Senior Li Xia, you promised to spare our lives.”
“And I have kept that promise,” Wu Yuan replied coolly. “You have two options: speak and live, or stay silent and meet your end right now!”
…
As Wu Yuan continued to flee while interrogating the old man in the flying boat, the recording of the battle that ended in Tu Chi and Fang Youlong’s demise was already received by the Tu Family, automatically uploaded to the immortal realm upon their deaths.
At the same time, within the Tu Family’s ancestral mansion, the life lamps representing the two Golden Core cultivators flickered out. This signified that both of their lives were lost.
The Amethyst Cradle and Shambhala cultivators of the Tu Family received the news first, followed by the Tu Family’s upper echelons.
“Tu Chi is dead?”
“Even Fang Youlong is dead? Both of them had a high chance of reaching the Amethyst Cradle phase, yet their lives were cut short just like that.” The upper ranks of the Tu Family were thrown into disarray.
Despite the strength of the Tu Family, losing two late-stage Golden Core cultivators at once was a massive, unexpected blow.
Soon, these upper echelons received notifications from the Redmoon Immortal Realm, and witnessed the projection of the final moments of the two Golden Core cultivators.
This only deepened their shock.
“Li Xia? Where did he emerge from?”
“Does he truly have that much mana, or has he reached an extremely high level of the Domain stage?” The upper echelons of the Tu Family were left shocked. What could drive Tu Chi to provoke such a formidable adversary?
“Per Fang Youlong’s final words, Li Xia is still within Fengchuan City’s boundaries. There may still be a chance to hunt him down.”
“Should we pursue him?”
“It’s obvious that Tu Chi was the one looking for trouble by trying to loot him and ended up losing his life. Are we to continue making trouble for others and tarnish our reputation further?” the Golden Core cultivators of the Tu Family deliberated.
Many agreed that vengeance was not necessary. In battles on the path of immortal cultivation, life and death were up to fate. Furthermore, no matter how one looked at it, Wu Yuan was an innocent party in the matter.
Even those who had originally been invited by Tu Chi to join the raid against Wu Yuan ceased their advance upon learning of his death.
“Tu Chi has fallen?”
“How could this be? Wasn’t the task supposed to be a walk in the park? Yet from the battle projection, Li Xia managed to dispatch Tu Chi within mere seconds. Just how powerful is this Li Xia?”
“Going there now is equivalent to throwing our lives away,” concluded the Golden Core cultivators, each secretly relieved at having avoided this disaster as they returned to the city.
“Let’s await the decision from the ancestor.”
“There’s no rush.”
“Unless the ancestor personally steps in, we stand no chance of killing Li Xia,” the Tu Family’s Golden Core cultivators unanimously agreed.
Both Tu Chi and Fang Youlong had been ranked among the top twenty cultivators within the Tu Family.
…
The Tu family, one of the top large families in Fengchuan City, boasted a rock-solid foundation with three Amethyst Cradle cultivators and one Shambhala cultivator among their ranks.
In particular, the Shambhala cultivator was an ancestor of the Tu Family, who possessed a lifespan of 10,000 years and had walked this world for nearly 3000 years. His strength acted as an anchor, enabling the Tu family to expand rapidly and rise to prominence.
Tu Chi was a favored descendant of the ancestor. Hence, Fang Youlong had sent word to him first via the Redmoon Immortal Realm. The other three Amethyst Cradle Reverends were currently absent from Fengchuan City. Thus even though they received the news, they were unable to pursue Wu Yuan.
This was the norm. Cultivators flocked to Fengchuan City to gain exposure to different experiences, trade and acquire treasures, and get access to the latest news.
But for the Amethyst Cradle cultivators, Fengchuan City was but a stepping stone. If they wished to join a sect or purchase treasures, they would venture to higher tier cities such as Starsword City or Twin Jade City. Thus, the only one who could immediately pursue and eliminate Wu Yuan was the ancestor of the Tu family, Tu Guanghe.
But at this very moment, Tu Guanghe, who had just received the message, was currently stuck in the immortal army’s main hall within Fengchuan City, participating in an extremely important banquet with no way to excuse himself early.
The Redmoon Immortal Army’s compound occupied a massive plot of land, and on this particular day, the main hall buzzed with extraordinary liveliness.
In attendance were the eminent figures of Fengchuan City, each possessing significant influence whether due to their robust connections, official standing, or personal strength. But despite their ability to shake the very foundation of Fengchuan City with a stomp, they were all ordinary attendees of this gathering.
“Daoist Tu, does something trouble you?” A melodious yet detached voice suddenly pierced the air from the seat of honor.
In an instant, all eyes turned to Tu Guanghe, who was momentarily lost in thought.
“Hmm?” Quickly snapping back to reality, Tu Guanghe rose to his feet with deference, “Your Highness Haiyue, please pardon my insolence.”
Seated upon the dais was not the commander of the Fengchuan City Immortal Army. He was seated to one side. Instead, the seat was taken by a young woman garbed in silver armor, her hair bound tightly and her features flawlessly sculpted, possessing a striking beauty. From her appearance, she looked around eighteen or nineteen years old. However, her eyes exuded a chilling aura!
Even just seated there, it was enough for the Amethyst Cradle and Shambhala powerhouses to feel a chill sweep over them, yet their gazes were still drawn irresistibly to her presence. She was truly a goddess of war!
Yet, it was the shadowy figure completely cloaked in black robes, standing behind the silver-armored woman, that truly instilled fear in their hearts. He was mysterious and aloof, with only a pair of crimson eyes visible. However, the fiery emblem emblazoned on his chest was enough to send tremors through their hearts.
“Insolence?” The silver-armored woman intoned with a smile that failed to reach her eyes.
“Your Highness,” A voice rang out, and a black-robed elderly man rose to address the gathering with a smile, “It appears that Daoist Tu has received news of the recent deaths of two late-stage Golden Core cultivators from his family near the city.”
The elder’s smile widened, “I’m afraid that Daoist Tu isn’t interested in spending time here with Your Highness, but rather preoccupied with thoughts of revenge.”
Tu Guanghe’s countenance remained impassive, yet a glint of fury flickered within his gaze. This dratted Old Dong!
As the only other family in Fengchuan City with the power to rival the Tu Family, the Dong Family’s rivalry with them had lasted close to 1000 years.
“Is that truly the case, Daoist Tu?” inquired the silver-armored woman with a nonchalant air. “Are you telling me you need to take action personally for two Golden Core Superiors dying outside the city? No one else in your family is up to the task?”
Before Tu Guanghe could respond, the black-robed elderly man interjected, “Your Highness may not be aware, but the two who perished were late-stage Golden Core cultivators. Despite their extraordinary strength, their deaths occurred with incredible swiftness. It is likely that the culprit possesses Amethyst Cradle phase strength.”
Tu Guanghe’s anger simmered. The top priority on his mind now changed from killing Wu Yuan to identifying the traitor within his own family.
The Dong Family must have bought over a Golden Core cultivator from the Tu Family. Otherwise, how could he get the news so quickly?
“Amethyst Cradle phase strength, you say?” mused the silver-armored woman with a glint of intrigue in her eyes. She chuckled, “Daoist Dong, you speak with such certainty. Do you possess a recording of the battle? Show it to me, I wish to have a look.”