Chapter 176: Chapter 173: Furious Killing Intent
"Who’s there?!"
Nangong City jolted, leaping to his feet and looking warily toward the source of the voice behind him.
’A moment of carelessness, and someone nearly snuck right up to me.’
’A careless mistake!’
At that moment,
two figures emerged from the narrow entrance.
"Cao Hongshang? What are you doing here?!"
Nangong City’s pupils contracted. He recognized the man he had met just a few days prior.
Beside him stood an old man with a ruddy complexion, his hair and beard stark white.
The old man paid Nangong City no mind.
His gaze was locked on the nearby pool of Earth Vein Spiritual Milk, his eyes brimming with regret.
When he saw Shen Changchuan in the pool, that regret turned to fury.
"Damn you all! How dare you defile such a Heaven and Earth Treasure!"
"Die!"
The old man roared and attacked without another word!
He thrust his palm toward Shen Changchuan in the pool of Earth Vein Spiritual Milk. His immense Magical Power coalesced mid-air into a giant, translucent hand. Stirring up a wild gale, it slapped down viciously at Shen Changchuan’s head from across the cavern!
The attack’s fearsome power made the very air tremble.
’He’s a Cultivator at the Qi Introduction Late Stage!’
Though shocked, Nangong City had been on guard and reacted instantly. With a flicker of movement, he appeared in the air above and in front of Shen Changchuan.
BOOM!
Nangong City threw a punch. An earthy-yellow light—his Magical Power—enveloped his fist, imbuing it with the crushing weight of a mountain as he smashed it down onto the giant, magical palm!
KABOOM!!!
The violent collision was followed by a massive explosion.
A deafening crack, like muffled thunder, shook the entire cavern. A visible shockwave blasted outward, sweeping through and destroying the Bell Stone Milk formations.
"What is the meaning of this?!"
Nangong City stumbled back a few steps, landing on a nearby Bell Stone Milk formation.
His expression darkened, his gaze fixed on the white-haired old man before him.
"What’s the meaning?"
"You damned whelps, what right do you have to use a Heavenly and Earthly Treasure like this?!"
The white-haired old man’s face was contorted with savagery.
The look in his eyes was utterly predatory.
This sight undoubtedly made Nangong City’s brow furrow.
’What’s going on? Where did this old lunatic come from?!’
"Heh heh, the Qi Family Ancestor mobilized the entire Qi Family to come here in search of the Cyan Essence Water Grass. The goal was to find it and refine the aptitude of a talented disciple from a younger generation, with the hope that they could one day reclaim their status as a Soul Emergence Clan..."
"While the effects of this Earth Vein Spiritual Milk can’t compare to the Cyan Essence Water Grass, it’s still one of those rare Heavenly and Earthly Treasures that can improve one’s aptitude for Immortal Cultivation. A treasure he sought at great cost, only to find he’s arrived a step too late, beaten to the punch. You tell me what that does to a man..."
Cao Hongshang sneered from the side.
"Hmph! Cao Hongshang, you talk too much!"
The Qi Family Ancestor snorted.
’The Qi Family’s movements had already caused quite a stir in the outside world.’
’But that wasn’t a good thing. To a certain extent, it exposed the Qi Family’s weakness.’
’If it wasn’t absolutely necessary, what family would bet its future on a rumor that was still nothing but smoke?’
’Outsiders would easily guess that they must have run into some serious trouble.’
The thought flashed through the Qi Family Ancestor’s mind.
But at the same time,
the gloom in his eyes deepened.
’Damnable!’
’Utterly, infuriatingly damnable!’
’Just a few days late, and this treasure of heaven and earth, capable of transforming a cultivator’s aptitude, was being wasted!’
’Logically, as a man who had lived a long life, he shouldn’t be this easily agitated.’
’But the immense pressure of his situation, the rollercoaster of emotions from thinking he’d found it only to lose it again, was enough to shatter his composure.’
’Since the Supreme Ancestor’s death, not only had the Qi Family failed to produce a True Cultivator of the Soul Emergence Realm for decades, but the number of Elders at the Qi Introduction Ninth Layer Realm was also dwindling, leaving only a few.’
’As a clan that had once produced a True Cultivator of Soul Emergence, the Qi Family’s current situation was perilous.’
’Without enough strength to protect it, the wealth they had accumulated over many years was nothing more than a grain silo for others.’
’To change their fate of future decline, or even extinction, the Qi Family Ancestor had no choice but to secretly mobilize the family’s power and wade into the muddy waters of the Border Desolate Land.’
’He hoped that through the Cyan Essence Water Grass, a genius would emerge from the younger generation and change their current situation.’
’But who could have known that not long after they made their move, rumors about them would start spreading like wildfire.’
’The Qi Family Ancestor knew that this was, nine times out of ten, the work of those other family factions who coveted the Qi Family’s wealth. They were fanning the flames from the shadows.’
’Their goal was simple, too. They were most likely after the Qi Family’s inheritance from their True Cultivator of the Soul Emergence Realm.’
’First, muddy the waters. Let some bold and reckless Loose Cultivators test the situation... The moment any weakness is discovered, a group of men in black would follow with a thunderous attack...’
’At this moment, the Qi Family already had one foot over the edge of a cliff!’
’While the aptitude-refining effect of this pool of Earth Vein Spiritual Milk couldn’t compare to the Cyan Essence Water Grass, it was still enough to refine the aptitude of three to five of the clan’s younger disciples.’
’Although the chances of a Cultivator refined by the Earth Vein Spiritual Milk advancing to the Soul Emergence Realm were still slim, reaching the Ninth Layer Realm would be all but guaranteed!’
’If this Earth Vein Spiritual Milk hadn’t been taken, they could have arranged for their clan’s disciples to come for refinement. Then they could have pulled out of this huge vortex surrounding the Cyan Essence Water Grass and focused all their energy on fending off the probing attacks from rival families. After that, they could have bought a few years’ time, using the clan’s resources to raise the refined disciples to the Qi Introduction Ninth Layer.’
’At that point, even if the family still had no True Cultivator of Soul Emergence, with several more family Cultivators at the Ninth Layer Realm, they could have safely navigated the current crisis. They might not have had to worry for decades to come!’
’All of this... that’s how it was supposed to go!’
’But... just because they were two days late! Two days! All of it had become nothing but an empty dream!’
’This left the Qi Family unable to escape the dangerous vortex, still with one foot over the precipice!’
The Qi Family Ancestor glared at Nangong City and Shen Changchuan in the pool of Earth Vein Spiritual Milk, his eyes blazing with murderous rage!
"Elder Qi, my apologies. I misspoke."
"But since you’ve already made an enemy of them, why not just pull them out by the roots and eliminate any future trouble?"
Unfazed by Elder Qi’s expression, Cao Hongshang simply grinned and continued to fan the flames.
"Kill!"
Elder Qi wasted no more words, his actions his only reply.
His hands flew through the seals of a Technique. A pulse of Magical Power vibrated through the air as an azure radiance rose from the ground, coalescing in midair into a ferocious tiger. With a wave of his hand, the tiger roared and charged at Nangong City...
