“Jushicheng!”
On the broad road, three Tuotuo beasts bowed their heads respectfully.
These Tuotuo beasts resembled camels, with long fur trailing on the ground and a single hump, yet they possessed extraordinary endurance, making them essential companions for long journeys undertaken by Spirit Tamers.
“Finally back again…”
Wu Ming murmured as the Tiechi Golden Eagle became a mere speck in the sky thousands of zhang above, monitoring the surroundings.
Beside him, the Xie Lang transformed into a large wolfhound, running back and forth behind the Tuotuo beasts, flanked by Hou Yong and Zuo Linling.
“Left leading yellow, right holding falcon? Never thought I would become a spoiled noble walking dogs and hawking, huh?”
Looking at his current entourage, Wu Ming chuckled.
“This is where your family resides…”
Hou Yong and Zuo Linling were quite astonished.
After all, Jushicheng was at best a medium-sized city on the entire Yan Continent, showing no signs of exceptional features.
“You shouldn’t underestimate Jushicheng… beneath this city sleeps a Lava Tyrant!”
Wu Ming said calmly.
“A Lava Tyrant?”
Hou Yong and Zuo Linling’s expressions turned serious. This was a Silver-ranked Phantom Spirit, massive in size and terrifying in power.
Just imagining that this city was built on a volcano made their scalps tingle.
Wu Ming gazed at the city’s silhouette, recalling the memories of the world’s grand situation he had captured upon his arrival.
Indeed, beneath Jushicheng slept a Silver-ranked Lava Tyrant!
In fact, it had once possessed King-level strength, but after sustaining serious injuries, it had fallen to the peak of General-level and thus slept here.
Later, the ancestors of the three great families—Dongfang, Tantai, and Wuma—discovered this phantom spirit and deliberately settled here, eventually forming Jushicheng.
The lifespan of the Elemental Realm’s Phantom Spirits was truly astonishing!
“Thousands of years have passed… Now, only the core members of the three great families probably know this secret?”
Wu Ming shook his head and smiled: “Unfortunately… they want to exploit the Lava Tyrant for profit, forgetting that it’s not something to be trifled with…”
The reproduction of Elemental Realm Phantom Spirits was quite fascinating.
They did not reproduce through reproduction but through self-division.
This sleeping Lava Tyrant would split and reproduce periodically, from the lowest Earth Elementals to elite Rock Golems and outstanding Gem Golems, all present in astonishing numbers, even forming a small Elemental clan.
The three great families raised them, selling and contracting them for profit while simultaneously enhancing their family strength and foundation.
Elemental Realm spirits were already superior to those of the Living Realm, let alone the exceptional ones. Relying solely on this advantage, the entire Jushicheng could flourish.
Moreover, the three great families harbored an even greater ambition!
They wanted to provoke the Lava Tyrant into splitting and generating Silver-ranked Phantom Spirits!
Even if they were Silver-ranked, newly born Lava Tyrants would only be at the juvenile stage, easily captured. Whether contracted or sold, the profits would be staggering!
Unfortunately, none of the three great families had ever produced a King-level Spirit Tamer capable of fully subduing the Lava Tyrant. Thus, they could only keep it in slumber, inadvertently planting the seeds of catastrophe.
In his memories, during the 9998th year of the Creator God’s Calendar—just a few years later—the Lava Tyrant would awaken, fully restoring its King-level strength, unleashing a massacre that would destroy the entire Jushicheng and lead to the downfall of the three great families.
However, by that time, the signs of great chaos had already emerged, and compared to the destruction of several empires and the widespread wars across Yan Continent, this would hardly be significant.
“Calculating the time… it should be around when the Lava Tyrant splits again, right?”
Wu Ming rubbed his chin thoughtfully: “I remember the ancestors of the three great families had an agreement. To avoid breaking the pact, senior experts couldn’t intervene. Instead, they would hold a competition among outstanding disciples under twenty to decide the distribution shares…”
“Wonder if the Elders’ Hall will be happy or worried to see me back?”
He smirked mischievously and urged the Tuotuo beast into the city.
Clearly, his face was somewhat of a “celebrity” in Jushicheng. Especially since the recent uproar at the Yu Feng Studio, which had happened just a few months ago, without hiding, he immediately caused a sensation.
On the way to the family, disciples from the Punishment Hall had already come to meet him, led by Dongfang Ao.
“Sigh… Dongfang Suoming, since you’ve already left, why return?”
Dongfang Yue sighed beside him.
“Dongfang Suoming! You have violated our family law; surrender now!”
Dongfang Ao shouted but did not immediately attack.
“Oh? What law have I broken?”
Wu Ming sneered slightly: “The Yu Feng Studio’s profits were originally mine, and I even paid the monthly rent… As for leaving the family, at most, the family could seal and reclaim the shop, then count my mission as a failure. What else is there?”
“This…”
Dongfang Ao’s face froze.
“Hehe… Of course, there’s also the blood debt of the Jie Ao brothers!”
Beside him, the “Ri, Jin, Dou, Jin” Four Stewards from the Second Elder’s faction stepped forward, with Dongfang Jin saying triumphantly: “Dongfang Suoming, we suspect you killed Dongfang Jie and Dongfang Ao during your cultivation period in the Xingying Mountains. Surrender immediately, or else…”
“Hehe…”
Wu Ming laughed loudly: “Alive or dead, show me the body! I’ve never even seen the Jie Ao brothers, and besides… how can you be sure they’re already dead? Couldn’t they have just gone traveling… Or perhaps you killed them yourself, right?”
“Hmph! Little brat, your words are still sharp as ever!”
Dongfang Jin muttered and stepped back.
“I didn’t do it, so I have nothing to fear. If you don’t believe me, feel free to invite a fortune teller or astrologer to divine the truth!”
Wu Ming revealed his set of white teeth, smiling brightly.
The Shen Gui Tian Ji Star could not only conceal his own heavenly fate but also confuse and mislead—it was its specialty.
“You… You know how much it costs to hire a fortune teller! If you want to prove your innocence, you pay for it!”
Dongfang Jin’s heart sank as he saw Wu Ming’s confident demeanor, frowning: “Could my guess be wrong? Was it really not him?”
“In any case, you are a major suspect!”
Dongfang Ri smiled and said: “Dear nephew, why don’t you come back with us? Before you prove your innocence, stay within the family, okay?”
With a glance, the other three stewards immediately rushed forward, their bodies radiating summoning lights.
Although they were only skilled in commerce, these Four Stewards were indeed Soldier-ranked Spirit Tamers!
Dongfang Ao and Dongfang Yue exchanged glances and strangely remained silent, not joining the fight.
“Aowww!”
With a howl like that of a wolf, Ironclaw Wolves, Blazing Wolves, Bloodscale Wolves, and Zombie Wolves emerged—all elite Soldier-ranked Phantom Spirits—charging straight at Wu Ming!
“Four idiots!”
Wu Ming sneered coldly. Suddenly, a loud eagle cry echoed from the sky, and a mighty golden eagle swooped down amidst the howling winds, its talons slashing.
Puchi! Puchi!
The four elite Phantom Wolves howled in agony and collapsed. An astonishing spiritual pressure radiated from Wu Ming, causing Dongfang Ri, Dongfang Jin, and even Dongfang Ao and Dongfang Yue to stare in shock as if they had seen a ghost!
“Jiang-level!”
Dongfang Yue’s lips quivered: “You… actually advanced to a Jiang-level Spirit Tamer, damn it!”
Soldier-level was merely elite within the family, but Jiang-level was an absolute backbone, even sufficient to compete for a seat in the Elders’ Council.
“No… impossible!”
Dongfang Jin was disheveled, almost furious enough to spit blood: “Such… such talent… how could this be?”
The scene fell into sudden silence.
Even when Wu Ming had promoted to Soldier-level, the Dongfang clan already considered him a once-in-a-century genius, but now he had advanced to Jiang-level? Words like genius could no longer describe him!
Such an outstanding descendant might well be the key to the Dongfang family’s rise—could they still suppress him?
“Chirp!”
More Dongfang clan members, staring at the clearly Jiang-level Tiechi Golden Eagle, wore bitter smiles on their faces.
To deal with a Jiang-level opponent, they would need the Three Elders or hidden core forces to intervene.
The presence of a flying spirit beast meant that even if Dongfang Suoming couldn’t win, he could immediately escape on his spirit beast, making it impossible to catch him.
“Wait a moment!”
In the standoff, Dongfang Dieyu came panting, tightly clutching a black iron token: “My grandfather said Dongfang Suoming is allowed to defend himself! We cannot treat him as guilty yet!”
“This token has been approved by the Grand Elder!”
Dongfang Rouxin stepped forward gracefully, her eyes filled with surprise as she looked at Wu Ming: “However, during the investigation, you cannot leave Jushicheng. Dongfang Suoming, do you agree or not?”
“If I didn’t kill the Jie Ao brothers, I have nothing to fear from any investigation!”
Wu Ming said indifferently.
He knew the treatment between Jiang and Soldier levels was entirely different!
Previously, the commotion at Yu Feng Studio and that million-lingbi sum might have posed a threat to a Soldier-level Spirit Master, but for a Jiang-level, it was sufficient to ensure his safety.
“Especially… I now display two major deterrents! Jiang-level strength is just the foundation; the key is having the Tiechi Golden Eagle, capable of both offense and retreat. At worst, I can just ride it into the sky, leaving even the Grand Elder’s Hellhound helpless…”
“The second… is the imminent splitting of the Lava Tyrant. Would the family’s upper echelons really be willing to lose such a decisive combat force?”
“Therefore, now is a different time from before…”
He dismounted with a sigh and looked at Dongfang Dieyu.
“Ah Ming…”
Only now did Dongfang Dieyu’s face relax, showing relief: “You’ve gained so much weight…”
“Uh…”
Wu Ming was at a loss for words. His older cousin’s question was indeed direct.
Truthfully, after leaving home, with money in his pocket, he naturally didn’t starve himself. Coupled with Hou Yong, a master chef, he hadn’t suffered much hardship on the road. Moreover, as a teenager still growing, he was now half a head taller than Dongfang Dieyu, his physique even more robust.
“Regardless… it’s good that you’re back!”
Dongfang Dieyu wiped her eyes and smiled radiantly.
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