Meanwhile, at the Azure Cloud region border.
Wang Jinhu and Daoist Shanchen both had faces like thunder. Confronting them were two figures clad in iron masks, each one an expert who had attained the Divinity Transformation realm! There was no doubt: they had come specifically to block their path! And positioned behind Wang Jinhu and Daoist Shanchen was none other than Li Tianshuang of the Li family!
They could even perceive a stream of powerful cultivators already converging on Merit City. It was inconceivable – what manner of faction could possibly deploy such a multitude of high-level experts within a single day?
"Just what kind of entity had the Li family managed to provoke?!!" A power of this scale... even Wang Jinhu, a man who had weathered many great storms and seen much of the world, felt his very soul quiver in terror.
"Our only target this time is the Azure Cloud region Li Clan. Surrender Li Tianshuang to us," one of the masked figures declared, "Or else..."
"You..." The faces of both Wang Jinhu and Daoist Shanchen turned livid with rage. Just as Wang Jinhu opened his mouth to speak, Li Tianshuang gestured to them with a slight shake of her head and calmly stepped forward.
Li Tianshuang, currently acting commander of the Azure Cloud Region Army in Tianyue's absence, was the same woman who, years past, had held dominion over countless beasts in the vast Swamp Forests.
Time and trials had etched their marks upon her, granting her a weathered maturity, and the military armor she now wore only served to accentuate her already valiant and heroic presence.
She held out the storage ring she carried, offering it to Daoist Shanchen. The moment he accepted it, however, Daoist Shanchen's expression underwent a violent transformation.
He, Daoist Shanchen, understood the look in Li Tianshuang's eyes – it was the resolute gaze of one prepared to meet her death.
In this young woman, there was no fear, only a surprising hint of relief and profound peace of mind!
A faint smile touched Li Tianshuang's lips.
"Senior Shanchen, General Wang Jinhu," she said, her voice steady. "I hadn't expected that our time together would be so brief, and that I would already be bidding you both farewell. I thank you for your instruction during these recent days, and for the assistance you've rendered to my clan. This storage ring contains the spirit beasts I have painstakingly raised over many years. Should you encounter any of my Li kin in the future, I ask that you also pass on these, my life's modest savings, to them."
"You..." Daoist Shanchen's eyes turned crimson.
Li Tianshuang, however, simply returned his gaze with a faint, serene smile. Then, she turned and walked forth to squarely face the iron-masked assailants.
She had no idea who her family had antagonized this time, nor whence these two 'Bastards' had appeared. But given that reinforcements from her clan had yet to materialize, she could roughly guess enough of the truth.
"Don't you worry, little girl," one of the iron-masked figures sneered as Li Tianshuang approached, his gaze like one looking down upon an insignificant ant. "Not a single soul from the Li family will leave this place alive."
The next instant.
Unable to watch what was about to happen, both Wang Jinhu and Daoist Shanchen squeezed their eyes tightly shut. They had already seen her intent.
Li Tianshuang set her own Divine Soul ablaze, then, like a woman possessed, she hurtled towards the two Divinity Transformation stage masters. In her final moments, she deliberately triggered a Heavenly Tribulation – the legendary Nine-Nine Heavenly Tribulation, summoned at the cost of her own existence!
From the very start to the bitter end, Li Tianshuang spoke no word of supplication, nor did she passively resign herself to doom.
She chose the path of absolute, unbridled defiance – to fight with every fiber of her being, even if, ultimately, it changed nothing.
The Heavenly Tribulation faded.
Daoist Shanchen watched the two shadowy figures retreat, his face a mask of grim resolve.
Reverently, he gathered the ashes left by the tribulation. Clenching the storage ring Tianshuang had given him tightly in his fist, he tossed it to Wang Jinhu.
"Daoist friend," he said, his voice strained, "Do not go to Merit City. We have no idea where these assailants originated, nor their full strength. You must find a secure location and lay low. As for myself, I shall stay in Azure Cloud region. Every life I can save is a victory. After some time has passed, I will seek you out to rendezvous."
"...Alright."
Wang Jinhu remained silent for a considerable time. Together, he and Daoist Shanchen stared off in the direction of Merit City. Dark, foreboding clouds completely shrouded it.
BOOM!
A colossal explosion rent the air, and a mushroom cloud billowed up into the distant sky over Merit City.
Unable to bear the sight any longer, Wang Jinhu averted his gaze. "I'm heading to the Imperial City," he declared grimly. "Once within Heavenly Light Sect, I doubt even they would dare to act too brazenly."
.....
"What in blazes is going on over in Azure Cloud region?!!"
Far away, within the Endless Forest, among the Wu Clan tribes locked in their perennial war with the Azure Cloud region, figures began to rise into the sky one by one. Brows deeply furrowed, they stared fixedly in the Azure Cloud region's direction, where a lone mushroom cloud was now visible.
Then,
BOOM! BOOM!
Two more erupted!
Until finally—
"Whooooosh—"
High in the sky above Merit City, a seemingly translucent box-like object ascended. Ripples surged across the upper cloud layer, forcefully parting the clouds. What manner of cataclysmic explosion could cause the very heavens and earth to lose their color, unleashing a radiance that stretched for countless leagues? One thing all the Wu Clan masters knew for certain: an incredibly brutal and desperate battle was absolutely raging over there!
"That's Merit City, in the Azure Cloud region! It must be the Li family!"
A Wu Clan Grand Priest sped to Apostle Lei Dong's side, his face alight with ecstatic surprise.
"Lord Apostle!" he cried. "The Li family slaughtered so many of our kinsmen! At long last, they are facing Heaven's judgment! This is our chance! Azure Cloud region must be in utter turmoil! Lord Apostle, give the command, and let us charge—"
SMACK!
But before the Grand Priest could even finish his eager pronouncement, his smile froze solid; Apostle Lei Dong struck him with a single, vicious slap, sending him sprawling to the earth.
Lei Dong drew a deep, steadying breath. Then, his voice boomed across the entire Wu Clan territory: "Relay my command! All forces are to launch a full-scale offensive against the three Azure Cloud Regions!"
"Yes, Lord!"
As the vast Wu Clan army mobilized for war, Lei Dong's features were etched with deep anguish. "The Li family," he muttered to himself, "Who in the blazes have they angered this time, someone they absolutely should never have crossed?"
Promptly, Lei Dong went to find two other Wu Clan Elders: Luo Xing and Soul Duke.
This pair, too, were staring fixedly towards the Azure Cloud region, towards the aftermath of that tremendous explosion. Even figures of their stature clearly felt a profound unease at the sheer force that had been unleashed.
"Venerable Elders." Lei Dong began.
Lei Dong bowed low with profound respect. "This humble one beseeches you, Venerable Elders," he said, "to accompany me in proceeding against the Azure Cloud Region Li Clan!"
"Your reason?" Luo Xing's tone was Cold.
Lei Dong exhaled slowly. A subtle yet profound energy – the power of Laws – coalesced briefly in his palm. "Venerable Elders," he asked, "Is this sufficient reason?"
(The implication was clear:) Within a century, Lei Dong was certain to achieve his breakthrough into the Divinity Transformation realm!
Witnessing Lei Dong's display, Luo Xing and Soul Duke exchanged a look and then nodded slightly.
"Very well, then," one of them likely said. "Let us accompany you on this journey. We shall ascertain for ourselves precisely what calamity has struck the Li Clan."
A short while later, Lei Dong, his jaw set grimly, set off with the two Elders towards the Li family's domain.
This territory, a place he hadn't dared venture near for so many years, now brought him no shred of triumph or joy – only a face etched with profound concern.
"Brother Dalong," he thought, "you have to make it through this!"
---
2/2
Donate on Ko-fi ➡️ [https://ko-fi.com/darktea] ⬅️
Get Early Access to 50 Chapters: Search for "Dark Tea" on Ko-fi (Explore tab) and join my membership to read ahead!