Rumble!
The oppressive might of the heavenly tribulation permeated the entire city. Every cultivator across Moon Shadow City looked up at the firmament in terror.
The heavy dark clouds hung right above their heads. In the blink of an eye, the churning thunderclouds of lightning expanded to cover more than a hundred zhang across.
Chen Xiaotian's eyes glinted cold and sharp as he looked up toward the vault of heaven.
With a wave of his hand, several array plates landed in the cardinal directions. Turning his wrist, he produced medicinal pills and began restoring his condition.
His mind steady, he took a deep breath and stood calmly beneath the tribulation.
The crowds in the buildings below fled in a frenzy; none of them wanted to die under the heavenly tribulation.
Within a few breaths, the entire northern district of Moon Shadow City became a deserted no-man's-land.
Boom! Boom!
Two horrifyingly immense auras erupted in an instant.
Late Soul Formation Realm!
Two streaks of flowing light shot into the sky as two imposing men rushed straight toward the northern district.
Both wore icy expressions, brimming with killing intent.
They were none other than the head of the Zhou clan, Zhou Xing, and the head of the Wu clan, Wu Zhengjie!
Li Guanqi frowned slightly. If it had only been the consecrated elders of the two clans, Chen Xiaotian would have had a very good chance once he broke through to the Soul Formation Realm.
Furthermore, even if he couldn't kill his opponents, Chen Xiaotian would have had an opportunity to escape by using the power of the heavenly tribulation to breach Moon Shadow City's protective barrier.
Yet facing four Soul Formation experts, to say nothing of Chen Xiaotian, even Li Guanqi himself, back when he had just stepped into the Soul Formation Realm, would have had no choice but to run.
After all, the suppression of two late Soul Formation cultivators in both strength and realm was far from as simple as it appeared on the surface.
Sure enough, Chen Xiaotian's eyes narrowed slightly; he had clearly realized that this situation was unmanageable.
His gaze flickered, lost in thought.
Li Guanqi smiled faintly. It seemed he would have to step in after all.
Still...
He truly wanted to see what Chen Xiaotian would do under such circumstances.
Beneath the wide sleeves of his black robe, Chen Xiaotian's fingers twitched slightly.
A palm-sized, silvery-white scroll appeared in his hand. Li Guanqi raised an eyebrow.
"If that's all, I'm afraid it won't be enough..."
The consecrated elders of both clans recalled their venomous insects. Such creatures harbored an innate terror of thunder and lightning; beneath this heavenly tribulation, not even a tenth of their strength remained.
Seeing their clan heads arrive, both consecrated elders stood aside, their faces tinged with dread.
Soon, the two clan heads arrived near the tribulation thunderclouds.
"My son... is dead?"
Zhou Xing had a burly build and resolute features, grief leaking into his eyes.
Hearing this, the Zhou clan's consecrated elder looked exceedingly grim, but could only nod slightly and reply in a heavy voice, "Yes, Clan Head."
At those words, Zhou Xing flew into a rage. A horrifying pressure pervaded the void as his late Soul Formation aura was unleashed without restraint.
His chilling gaze fell upon Chen Xiaotian beneath the tribulation, killing intent surging.
"Was it him who killed my son?"
"Reporting to Clan Head... it was him."
Unlike Zhou Xing's boiling murderous intent, Wu Zhengjie—scrawny and thin as a bamboo pole—narrowed his eyes and appraised Chen Xiaotian.
It was as though Wu Jiang's death was not something worth grieving over.
He could sense Chen Xiaotian's formidable strength, and most importantly, his youth!
To reach such a realm at this age...
Wu Zhengjie's cheeks were gaunt, with slightly high cheekbones, prominent brow ridges, and sunken eye sockets.
A peculiar chill glinted in his monolid eyes, and his lips were thin.
His sinister, ruthless aura was even more pronounced than Wu Jiang's.
Perhaps Wu Jiang's nature had also been shaped by Wu Zhengjie.
Zhou Xing glanced at Wu Zhengjie nearby, drawing back his sorrow slightly.
Although he had spoiled Zhou Ze into a dissolute scion, having his son killed still tore at his heart.
Rage blazed within him; had he not exerted every ounce of restraint over his emotions, he feared he would have lost control and charged straight into the heavenly tribulation to slaughter Chen Xiaotian.
Yet looking at Wu Zhengjie, the man remained as placid as still water, showing scarcely any emotional ripple.
Rage? Sorrow?
Not a trace of either could be felt from Wu Zhengjie.
In recent years, the Zhou clan had been continually suppressed by the Wu clan, leading a miserable existence.
Wu Zhengjie's eyes gleamed as his thoughts churned, but Zhou Xing caught something in his gaze... an intent to recruit him!
Zhou Xing froze for a moment, unable to believe what his eyes saw or what he sensed.
This man had murdered his son, yet he actually harbored the desire to recruit him?
Zhou Xing's throat bobbed. He could hardly fathom what kind of person Wu Zhengjie was.
Even if Wu Jiang was a useless, unfavored second son, how could anyone be so cold and callous?
Dropping his hands loosely to his sides, Zhou Xing narrowed his eyes at Wu Zhengjie and spoke in a bone-chilling voice, "Wu Zhengjie, don't tell me you're thinking of recruiting this brat!"
Wu Zhengjie slowly turned his head, looking at him with calm eyes, and spoke deliberately, "What I, Wu Zhengjie, choose to do is not your place to manage."
Zhou Xing's breath caught. The man hadn't denied it, which meant he truly intended to do just that!
For the people of Nanjiang, controlling someone was exceedingly simple.
Venomous insects capable of turning someone into a puppet were countless.
Yet how could Zhou Xing, whose heart was consumed by murderous intent, allow Wu Zhengjie to get his way?
Tucking his hands into his sleeves, Zhou Xing did not look at Wu Zhengjie, merely speaking in a flat tone, "I will kill this lad. Whoever killed my son cannot be spared."
Wu Zhengjie sneered coldly.
"Heh, a useless second son—what is he compared to a Soul Formation puppet of such potential?"
"A useless thing. If he's dead, then he's dead."
Hearing the man's nonchalant words, a chill ran down Zhou Xing's spine.
Nanjiang teemed with venomous insects, and its people loved raising gu above all else.
Insects slaughtered one another, and the sole survivor was naturally the strongest.
To a callous man like Wu Zhengjie, who had many sons and daughters, trash was simply trash.
Trash meant lacking any value to be exploited, which was why he let his children fend for themselves.
In the eyes of such a person, as long as one possessed utility, anything could be negotiated.
Zhou Xing had not been cultivating for as long, so he still could not accept such ways.
"Heh, then let's see whose skills are superior. Try keeping him alive first!"
With that, Zhou Xing shot a meaningful glance at the consecrated elder behind him.
For a time, the atmosphere turned strangely tense.
Both clan heads harbored their own schemes.
Wu Zhengjie narrowed his eyes, his sinister gaze fixing upon Chen Xiaotian like a viper stalking its prey.
He was certain this fellow was definitely not a Nanjiang native.
In that case, regardless of whether a faction backed him, as long as he fell into his grasp, Wu Zhengjie had full confidence he could reshape him from the ground up into a puppet for the Wu clan!
Moreover, the youth possessed monstrous talent. If nurtured properly in the future, he might very well become a tremendous boon to the Wu clan!
When that day came, the entirety of Moon Shadow City would fall into Wu Zhengjie's hands!
Boom!
A violent crash interrupted their dispute.
An arm-thick bolt of purple lightning plunged from the heavens.
All along, Chen Xiaotian had been focusing intently on the movements of the heavenly tribulation while keeping part of his attention on their conversation.
Chapter 1384