“This Lord Feixue is not to be trifled with, but Tie Chengliu, who delivered false intelligence, cannot be let off lightly.” The Mountain Master of Bat Mountain spoke in a hoarse, icy tone, his eyes dark and cold. “Old Eighth, go and bring Tie Chengliu here.”
“Yes, Big Brother. We absolutely cannot spare this Tie Chengliu—claiming Lord Feixue was only at the early Divine Lord stage and severely injured!” A handsome man in purple robes gritted his teeth, his voice laced with fury. He bore some responsibility for this as well. The Bat Mountain faction had operated in Junshan City for countless years, engaging in ambushes and plunder frequently. This time, Tie Chengliu had sought him out over drinks, mentioning the ascended ‘Lord Feixue’ with absolute certainty: “That Lord Feixue has wandered the Great Wilderness for ages. Rumor has it he was originally at the mid-stage Divine Lord level and must have acquired many treasures there. Now, severely weakened, he’s dropped to the early Divine Lord stage, with lingering, incurable injuries. Hmph, if I were strong enough, I’d take him out and seize his treasures for a hefty profit.”
Hearing this, Old Eighth’s eyes gleamed, and he swiftly reported the news.
In truth, the higher-ups of Bat Mountain knew Tie Chengliu was trying to manipulate them into eliminating Lord Feixue—they understood his motives perfectly.
But the intelligence on Lord Feixue had been verified as accurate!
Their investigations revealed that Steward Yun had once used the ‘Jade Light Divine Eye’ to probe him—a technique they trusted implicitly. To ensure success, they had dispatched not only Old Fifth and Old Ninth but even Old Third, a mid-stage Divine Lord! It should have been a sure victory. Yet, Lord Feixue turned out to be uninjured, his strength far surpassing expectations.
Even the Mountain Master of Bat Mountain, ranked among Junshan City’s top ten powerhouses, was stunned.
—
In an ordinary mansion, the towering figure of Tie Chengliu sat alone, drinking, his eyes cold and dark.
Ever since that incident, he had grown bitter and deranged, his relationships deteriorating.
“Ascendants… ascendants all deserve to die,” Tie Chengliu muttered under his breath. “Why should they be treated differently? Hmph, given Bat Mountain’s methods, they should have results within days.”
As he drank, memories seemed to resurface, his gaze growing increasingly frenzied.
Suddenly—
“Boom!”
A streak of purple light descended into the courtyard, materializing into the handsome purple-robed man. Tie Chengliu, still seated, looked up and paled at the man’s grim expression. “Brother Xue,” he said hastily.
“Because of your idiocy, Third Brother and the others have fallen,” the purple-robed man spat through clenched teeth. He conveniently forgot that their attack had been motivated by greed—Lord Feixue’s treasures from the Great Wilderness and his supposedly weakened state. After all, those who survived the wilderness for long always reaped rich rewards.
The Great Wilderness was perilous, but the remains of its beasts alone were priceless.
“What?” Tie Chengliu’s face twisted in shock.
“Come with me. My elder brother wants to see you,” the purple-robed man said, striding forward.
“Whoosh!”
Tie Chengliu bolted without hesitation. Facing the Mountain Master of Bat Mountain? He could guess the outcome.
The purple-robed man sneered, extending his right hand. A surge of purple threads erupted from his palm, twisting like living tendrils to ensnare the fleeing Tie Chengliu, binding him tightly.
Though one was a peak Divine General and the other an early-stage Divine Lord, the gap between them was vast.
Divine General, Divine Lord, Divine Emperor—each major realm brought a qualitative leap in power, especially for natives of the Divine Realm, whose cultivation of the Primordial Ancestral Bloodline amplified these differences.
—
The Yufeng Clan of Junshan City sprawled across tens of thousands of miles—a testament to their dominance in the unique environment of the Divine Realm.
Countless factions within Junshan City warred among themselves, yet all bowed before the Yufeng Clan. Figures like Dongbo Xueying, the Mountain Master of Bat Mountain, or even Tie Chengliu and other ordinary soldiers, were mere outsiders. Only Yufeng bloodline members and a handful of loyal retainers like Steward Yun held the clan’s trust.
“Rumble—”
Atop a towering peak within the Yufeng estate, stone gates groaned open.
Outside stood two figures: the clan’s young master, Yufeng Lei, second only to his father in status, and Steward Yun. Though highly placed among the stewards, Yun ranked only third. His presence here alongside the young master hinted at deeper reasons.
From within the gates emerged a middle-aged man with graying hair, his weathered face exuding authority. At his approach, Yufeng Lei and Steward Yun instinctively bowed.
“Father,” Yufeng Lei greeted.
“Master,” Steward Yun echoed.
This was the undisputed ruler of Junshan City—Yufeng Junshan himself.
Yufeng Junshan nodded slightly before turning to Steward Yun. “Your trip to Dawnbreak City—what was the outcome?”
Steward Yun replied deferentially, “Master, the gifts were returned. The Dawnbreak Sect Master declined to accept Third Miss as his disciple.”
Yufeng Junshan’s pupils contracted imperceptibly, the muscles around his eyes twitching. “For someone of his strength, it would have been trivial,” he murmured. “Yet he refused.”
He understood.
The Dawnbreak Sect Master wanted no part in this brewing storm.
“Father, even without external aid, I refuse to believe we cannot withstand the ‘Demonheart Society,'” Yufeng Lei declared, lightning crackling around his eyes, distorting the surrounding void.
“The old fiend Demonheart has grown far stronger, earning a place on the ‘Divine Emperor Ranking’ at 987th—low, but still listed,” Yufeng Junshan said grimly. “Though I loathe to admit it, he now surpasses me. Even with Junshan City’s terrain advantage, we may not prevail.”
The Divine Emperor Ranking cataloged the thousand most formidable Divine Emperors across the boundless Divine Realm. To rank among them marked one as a true hegemon.
“The Tianxin Clan, one of the Three Royal Clans, would not err in their assessment,” Yufeng Junshan said coldly. “My feud with Demonheart runs deep. Knowing his nature, he will not relent. Now that he has the upper hand, he is merely biding his time, ensuring minimal losses before striking.”
“Father, with Junshan City’s defenses, they will not take us easily,” Yufeng Lei insisted, frustration evident.
“Compose yourself,” Yufeng Junshan chided. Then, to Steward Yun: “Accompany Jin on a journey to Eastwood City. The Ninth Young Master of Eastwood once showed interest in Qingyin during his visit here. See if a union can be arranged. With Eastwood’s intervention, their city lord’s prestige would resolve this effortlessly.”
“The Ninth Young Master of Eastwood?” Yufeng Lei’s expression darkened. “Father, must we truly sacrifice Sister to that—”
Marrying her off would be throwing her to the wolves. Yet, no matter how she suffered, Junshan City dared not oppose Eastwood.
“His reputation is unsavory, but he is our only hope now,” Yufeng Junshan said coldly. “For the sake of the clan, Qingyin will understand.”
Yufeng Lei fell silent.
Indeed.
With Demonheart on the Divine Emperor Ranking, who could aid them? Yufeng Junshan’s acquaintances were mostly peers—none willing to antagonize Demonheart. Only the Dawnbreak Sect Master could have intervened effortlessly, but he had refused.
As for the Eastwood City Lord? His status was lofty, but Yufeng Junshan lacked the standing to approach him directly. Only the Ninth Young Master’s past visit offered a thread of connection.
“This matter is settled,” Yufeng Junshan declared. For now, they could only send his second son, Yufeng Jin—who had some rapport with the Ninth Young Master—to test the waters. If prospects seemed favorable, Yufeng Junshan might even personally seek an audience with the Eastwood City Lord.
“Speaking of which, how fares the city during my seclusion?” Yufeng Junshan asked.
Yufeng Lei replied, “All is calm, save for an ascended cultivator named ‘Lord Feixue,’ whom Third Sister rescued. I temporarily appointed him as a cultivation instructor for our clan. Just days ago, Bat Mountain sent three Divine Lords to ambush him, only to be crushed by his hand.”
…
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