Cards on the Table

Only after securing control of the city defense formation did Yaoguang truly set foot inside Nandu. With the advantage of this rank-thirteen formation, even if a Void Shattering powerhouse dared to come alone, he was confident he could ensure they never left alive. "The demonic cultivators of the Shadow Moon Sect are running rampant. Nandu seems quite deserted because of it," Yaoguang remarked after stepping past the formation's boundary, glancing at the numerous shops shuttered tightly by owners frightened by recent rumors. Turning to Ling Ruogu, he continued, "Since demonic cultivators are so brazen, we cannot let our guard down. Fully activate the city defense formation. We must drag every last demonic cultivator into the open." "Understood," Ling Ruogu replied respectfully, immediately moving off to bring the grand formation to full power. Seeing this, Wu Changfeng hurried over to urge restraint. "Sect Master, the Tiandu Dragon Slaying Formation is a rank-thirteen formation. Once brought to full capacity, the daily consumption of spirit stones and materials will be astronomical. Even without anyone attacking it, the upkeep alone will burn through hundreds of thousands of Pure Yang Great Pills every day. To do all this for a petty Shadow Moon demonic cultivator is simply not worth it..." "I am newly arrived, and I need to make an example of someone to establish my authority as deputy sect master. This Shadow Moon demonic cultivator is the perfect candidate," Yaoguang said sternly. "Yet with the formation running at full capacity, entering and leaving Nandu will become very inconvenient," Wu Changfeng argued. "As the capital of the Southern Domain, the daily turnover of capital here is staggering. Every single day lost will mean immense devastation!" "Take a look at Nandu! See how badly it has already been ravaged by these Shadow Moon fiends? Not even twenty or thirty percent of the shops are open. Exerting all our strength to hunt down demonic cultivators right now is precisely so that order can be restored to Nandu as quickly as possible. Better to suffer short-term pain than chronic agony." Yaoguang wore a look of earnest concern for Nandu's prosperity. Listening to him, Wu Changfeng, Jing Zhengyang, and the others were gripped by an ominous premonition. This deputy sect master... His methods promised to be far more radical and ruthless than they had imagined. They had better prepare themselves. "By the way, summon all merchant associations in Nandu that pay over ten thousand Pure Yang Great Pills in taxes, in the name of the Lord of the Southern Domain. I have a minor announcement to make," Yaoguang instructed Chi Yu. "Yes," Chi Yu nodded. On their journey here, they had already conducted a preliminary assessment of Nandu's renowned merchant guilds; now, they only needed to pass along the message. Hearing this, Wu Changfeng smiled and chimed in, "Why must the sect master trouble himself with such minor matters? We can help with that." "No need. Haven't you prepared a welcoming banquet to wash the dust of travel from me? Naturally, I cannot let everyone's kind intentions go to waste. Come, come, let us head over together. Today, we will not stop until we are drunk!" Laughing, Yaoguang took Wu Changfeng and Jing Zhengyang by the arm while hailing Lu Qianshan, Li Guiren, and the others, heading straight for the Domain Lord's Estate. Though these men had no idea what Yaoguang was plotting, none dared disobey an invitation from the Lord of the Southern Domain. Before long, the party entered the estate of the Lord of the Southern Domain. This manor was usually where Wu Changfeng resided and held court, but it had naturally been cleared out in advance for Yaoguang's residence. The entourage stepped into the banquet hall, which had long been prepared. Soon, singing and dancing filled the hall, and the festive air grew lively. Under such an atmosphere, the tension gradually began to ease. Yet... This ease lasted less than half a day before someone sent an urgent message via divine mind to Li Guiren. Upon receiving the message, the Void Piercing powerhouse bolted to his feet. An instant later, however, realizing how inappropriate his reaction was for the occasion, he lowered his voice slightly and smiled. "Deputy Sect Master Yaoguang, might I ask where Tianyu Tower has offended you, that you have gone to the trouble of sending troops to surround it?" "I haven't the slightest idea. Haven't I been drinking with all of you this entire time? Let me ask." Wearing a bewildered expression, Yaoguang summoned a subordinate, inquired briefly, and soon said, "Ah, Tianyu Tower is suspected of harboring demonic cultivators from the Shadow Moon Sect, so I sent men to investigate... Huh?" At that moment, as though noticing something new, he chuckled and conjured an illusory projection. Displayed within was a tense standoff between forces from the Chi family and men from Tianyu Tower. "Look at that. If Tianyu Tower isn't harboring demonic cultivators, how could they have the gall to disobey orders from my Domain Lord's Estate? They even dare to rally a mob against my people! What boundless audacity! In my view, nine times out of ten, the demonic cultivators of the Shadow Moon Sect are hiding right inside Tianyu Tower!" Turning directly to the contingent from the Tianshang Battle Hall, Yaoguang barked, "Qi Sha, take your men over immediately and raze Tianyu Tower to the ground! Capture the demonic cultivators lurking within and bring peace back to the people of Nandu!" "Understood!" Given his order, Qi Sha rose swiftly and departed. "Deputy Sect Master Yaoguang!" Seeing that even a Void Piercing powerhouse like Qi Sha was being dispatched, Li Guiren rose hastily to his feet. "To my knowledge, Tianyu Tower has always been a well-known philanthropic enterprise in our Nandu, long devoted to charitable endeavors. Under no circumstances would they harbor demonic cultivators! I beg the deputy sect master to allow me to investigate—I will certainly uncover the truth for you!" "Charitable endeavors? Nothing more than a facade," Yaoguang said casually. "In my view, it is precisely because you have been far too lenient toward these merchants that they have colluded to deceive you, allowing the Shadow Moon Sect's demonic cultivators to run rampant right under your noses for so long without being caught." He waved a hand dismissively. "When dealing with demonic cultivators, there is no need to speak of honor! Better to kill by mistake than let a single one slip through! Therefore, leaving this matter to my people will suffice! I will root out these demonic cultivators in the shortest possible time, freeing the people of Nandu from danger and restoring our prosperity!" "Deputy Sect Master Yaoguang..." Li Guiren tried to speak further, but Yaoguang cut him off. "Enough. Let us not allow these trifles to spoil my mood. Lingxi, activate the divine mind shielding formation. Since we agreed to celebrate grandly today to wash away the road's dust and drink until we drop, let us enjoy ourselves thoroughly! No one is permitted to let outside affairs disrupt our good spirits, nor may anyone leave halfway through. Doing so would be spitting in my face." With a broad wave of his hand, he called out to the dancers and celestial maidens performing below, "Sing louder! Dance on!" Receiving her order, Lingxi promptly activated the estate's divine mind shielding formation. Once this formation was running, it completely severed divine mind transmissions between the inside and the outside world. In other words, they would no longer receive any messages from outside. At this moment, all the Void Piercing experts in the hall grew visibly restless. Yaoguang... He clearly intended to utterly annihilate every force that refused to submit to his will. Furthermore, judging by how he showed no mercy even to an establishment like Tianyu Tower, which belonged to the Li family, it was obvious that unless a faction bowed its head immediately, hardly anyone would be spared. Before long, many anxious glances shifted toward Jing Zhengyang and Wu Changfeng at the head of the assembly. Wu Changfeng's expression shifted repeatedly. In theory, he was the most suitable figure to step forward, yet in this moment he remained silent. In contrast, seeing Wu Changfeng unmoved, Jing Zhengyang could sit still no longer. "Deputy Sect Master Yaoguang!" The patriarch of the Jing family rose to his feet and said slowly, "Must matters be pushed to such an extreme before you are willing to stop?" "Oh? I don't quite understand what Patriarch Jing is referring to. Please, enlighten me," Yaoguang replied, looking straight at him. Jing Zhengyang did not answer directly, pointing instead at Li Guiren. "Standing behind the Li family is Peak Master Li Baijie of our Heavenly Dao Sect, a mighty being who attained Void Refining over a thousand years ago. It is said that a century ago, he even exchanged for a Dao artifact! With a Dao artifact in hand, his combat strength ranks among the pinnacle of the entire Void Refining Realm!" Next, he pointed toward Lu Qianshan. "Though Peak Master Lu Wanshi behind Elder Lu does not possess a Dao artifact, the years he has spent tempering himself in the Void Refining Realm are even longer than Peak Master Li's. To describe his mastery of Dao arts as superior among Void Refining experts would be no exaggeration." Having introduced the two, he paused briefly before continuing, "As for Grand Elder Jing Yuntian standing behind me... I trust there is no need for me to elaborate on his weight?" "And then?" Yaoguang smiled. "And then?" Jing Zhengyang's voice rose sharply. "You wish to purge all power in Nandu and seize absolute control, but have you truly considered the consequences of doing so? Have you truly prepared yourself to pay the price of offending every single one of us?" "I think there is one thing all of you have fundamentally misunderstood from the start." The smile vanished from Yaoguang's face as he slowly rose from his seat. "The ones who truly need to consider the price are not me, but you! Who am I? I am the deputy sect master of the Heavenly Dao Sect, having attained Void Refining in under a century! Barring Dao Lords, only Void Shattering cultivators can pose even a slight threat to me! What qualifications do any of you have to make me pay a price?!" His gaze swept across Lu Qianshan, Li Guiren, and Jing Zhengyang one by one. "Never mind you—even the peak masters behind you, how can they compare to a deputy sect master like me?! And as for Grand Elder Jing Yuntian, the only one among them whom I might afford a shred of regard, I respect his strength... but since he is already dead set on opposing me, do you imagine I would fear him?!" The moment these words fell, the faces of Lu Qianshan, Li Guiren, and Jing Zhengyang turned pale at once. Yaoguang was tearing away all pretense of civility. And he was doing so simultaneously against two peak masters and a grand elder. He was making enemies of two Void Refining experts and a Void Shattering powerhouse. "I can only say that I was too benevolent before, which led you to forget your place. But in truth... even if the peak masters and grand elder behind you were standing right here, I would still have every right to point at every single one of you and ask..." Yaoguang's expression turned frigid. "What kind of dogs do you think you are?" Lu Qianshan and Li Guiren immediately turned their eyes toward the two Void Refining experts, Jing Zhengyang and Wu Changfeng. Humiliated by such words, Jing Zhengyang's face flushed crimson, his breathing growing ragged. Wu Changfeng, on the other hand, maintained his silence, keeping an eerily low profile. "The formation has already been activated. Here, divine mind transmissions cannot escape, nor can shadow-recording stones capture images properly. Therefore... I might as well tell you plainly." The power of Void Refining rippled outward from Yaoguang in concentric waves. "Today, I will eliminate every defiant force in Nandu and seize absolute control of the city. Then, using Nandu as my foundation, I will rapidly consolidate my hold over the entire Southern Domain." He had laid his cards on the table. He was stating his purpose without the slightest reservation. "If you refuse to accept this, how convenient—aren't there Shadow Moon demonic cultivators running rampant within Nandu? Come! Band together and defeat me! As long as you can defeat me, whether I die at the hands of Shadow Moon demonic cultivators or for any other reason, you may invent whatever tale you please! Otherwise..." Yaoguang pointed toward the outside. "Get the hell out of the Southern Domain!"