In Xuanwu City.
"Are you sure?" A middle-aged man asked, his expression filled with tiredness and solemnity. He looked towards the two girls beside him. One of them was an astounding beauty but looked a little pale, her aura shaky with a hint of instability and her body seemed frail. The other had glasses and had an expression of extreme indifference. Her cultivation was non-existent, obviously having been wasted. Unlike the beauty, she wasn't given heavenly materials to restore her cultivation after being crippled.
These two girls were Ying Yimian and Ying Sumian respectively.
Ying Fenmian felt a headache whenever he looked at these two girls. Currently, the Ying Clan was in a disastrous state. The majority of its resources was taken, many members were corrupt, and they had become a laughing stock of the entire Sky Titan City. Luckily, they didn't lose all their support.
"Don't worry. He'll be here." An auburn-haired handsome youth walked forward and said casually as if he wasn't worried about being wrong. He was He Shijing. When he looked towards Ying Yimian, his eyes couldn't help but display a bit of anger. Initially, he intended to marry this beautiful girl, but someone wasted her cultivation.
This was not giving him, He Shijing, the He Clan Lord designate, any face. Unfortunately, that person was dead and couldn't be tortured, but the other one was still breathing. Even if he wasn't directly responsible, his rage was flared all the same.
"Han Zaiji will arrive." His words were filled with confidence. However, if he was wrong, who would care? No one could bring it up with him, they weren't worthy, especially not the current Ying Clan. He simply said it to comfort Ying Yimian.
Ying Sumian simply stayed silent. However, Ying Yimian got physically closer to He Shijing, grasping his hands into her own. One could tell that she accepted him wholeheartedly from her stance. Not to mention, it seemed that she was distancing herself from her father.
When Ying Yimian was found, she was already crippled. The Ying Clan nor her Father were willing to use the last bit of their resources for her recovery. This frustrated her. Although she did betray the clan, they didn't have any proof! They used nonsensical reasons to deny her recovery, and of course, this originated from the many elders she cheated.
Then He Shijing came along.
With a snap of his fingers, he allocated his clan's resources, and she was restored in a months time. She regained her former cultivation, and her body was recovered somewhat. However, the trade-off was marrying He Shijing. She accepted, of course. Who could accept being a cripple? That's the same as asking someone who lost their legs if they were willing to marry a billionaire who can help them restore them.
Who wouldn't?!
What detriments do you have? In the cultivation world, status and strength were important, and He Shijing was a Clan Lord designate of a first-tier clan. All of its resources were funneled into his cultivation, and he will definitely be one of the strongest in his clan when he grows up, if not the strongest in his entire clan.
Originally, she felt her potential and plan was sufficient and thus unwilling to settle for just him, but after the events that happened, she felt defeated and her thoughts changed. Not to mention, her anger for Ying Zhihao couldn't be released because he was already dead. However, Han Zaiji was not, and felt he was partly responsible for her defeat. Even if it didn't make a lick of sense.
Seeing his daughter act this way towards He Shijing, Ying Fenmian couldn't help but shake his head. After rescuing her, he could feel that she was heavily involved in this matter, and if misfortune hadn't hit her, she would probably be outside enjoying the clan's wealth in full while they scrambled for sand without pockets. He couldn't believe he raised someone like this.
"If he said he will come to the Xuanwu City for the spatial platform, then he should be here today. He shouldn't be expecting us. We'll trap him, get what belongs to us back, and give him a despicable end." He Shijing said as if he was a god, determining the future with a single word.
"You're right. Not to mention, if he plans to come with the skyship, it'll be noticed. We already have people on the lookout. A skyship can't be stored in spatial rings or bags, and therefore he'll either leave it closeby or come with it." Ying Fenmian deduced. They even had a special technique to sense the types of formations on a skyship, if it's nearby, it'll be honed on immediately.
"With Nine Qi Unification Cultivators, 180 Essence Formation Cultivators, and a rank seven formation set up. He'll have no escape, regardless of his trump cards." He Shijing stated. From what Ying Yimian told them, Han Zaiji used a talisman that killed an initial-Qi Unification cultivator like Ying Zhihao. If that's the case, they just had to be wary of that and other unknown capabilities. They prepared to the teeth, mainly because the resources of the clan was worth it.
While they were scouting for Yan Zaizen, he was already nearby. He didn't need to use the skyship to fly into the city. He felt it was too conspicuous and may cause issues if others were looking for it. He was already starting to think with caution. After being pulled along, forced into a few situations, and schemed against multiple times, his vigilance rose up, and he thought three times about everything.
When he arrived, he found something strange. With his immensely powerful spiritual sense derived from his Aurora Soul, he could feel the presence of a massive amount of Qi Unification and Essence Formation cultivators in Xuanwu City. He found this odd. There could be justification for it if they were all going somewhere due to the spatial platform activating today, but a few were spread out constantly looking about as if watching. The others were crowded together in the city in wait, these cultivators obviously seemed to be waiting for the spatial platform to activate.
His brows furrowed when he saw this. Could it be the Ying Family? How could they know he was going to…?
Wait.
He remembered when Ying Sumian requested him to help the Ying Clan, at that time he said he couldn't because he had to take the spatial platform in five months. "Shit...So they set up a trap for me?" After thinking up to here, his eyes flashed with a vicious killing intent.
No one will stop him from getting home, even if it was an army. His first thoughts weren't to take the skyship and ride home, no, he waited four months for this, if he took that route, it would still take too long for him. Not to mention, he had no love for the Ying Clan at this moment.
Oh?
He noticed a person was flying towards his direction rather casually. When he scanned the person with his power spiritual sense, it shuddered slightly and slowed down. Afterward, it sped up towards his direction.
Yan Zaizen's eyes lit up in surprise. That was Wu Yuanxu! The personage of the Anima Syndicate and Great Serpentine Emporium. He waited for his arrival. His current location was pretty isolated. Wu Yuanxu must've found his location due to the soul jade fluctuation. He didn't put that into his Meteor Ring for the express purpose of finding Wu Yuanxu. However, at that time, he didn't realize a trap was being set for him.
When Wu Yuanxu arrived, his expression was quite solemn. There was a trace of hesitation and fear in his eyes. As he was flying over, an incredibly invasive spiritual sense that invaded his every existence swept out. This spiritual sense must either originate from a power soul art or an incredibly profound soul cultivation. Either way, it startled him.
Following the soul jade fluctuation, he intended to find Yan Zaizen and warn him before he entered the city. After learning of the news with his status, how the Ying Clan and He Clan was hunting a Han Zaiji, he knew it was Yan Zaizen due to their earlier interaction. He couldn't just let his friend's disciple perish. So when he saw Yan Zaizen, his eyes lit up with relief.
"It seems you're okay." He said, his voice vigilant.
Yan Zaizen couldn't help but smile at Wu Yuanxu's tone. This individual had the soul cultivation at the Advanced Nascent Soul, which was far inferior to his own, but he couldn't help but have a good impression towards this old man. He answered quite a few questions earlier and even gave him a huge benefit in selling his goods.
"Of course, Senior-Uncle Yuan. Why wouldn't I be?" He asked. In truth, Yan Zaizen was a little infuriated. Sure, he stole a massive amount of the Ying Clan's wealth, but who told them to try to convince him to marry a conniving bitch? If she didn't try scheming her way out, he would've just taken the skyship, what he was already owed. Perhaps, when he grew up, he'd have come back and take Ying Yimian as his second or third wife out of guilt or give her some resources as an apology.
However, this girl was too devilish. She used her looks and intelligence to convince and lure in numerous Ying Clan members to betray the clan for profit or other reasons. Moreover, she intended to leave the clan high and dry, and everyone who assisted her would be desolate traitors. He didn't regret not killing her directly though, because even if he did, the Ying Clan would still be here because of Ying Sumian. She still deserved to live as a cripple for her betrayal towards the Ying Clan.
Death was too easy for her. Yan Zaizen despised traitors the most.
"The Ying Clan and He Clan set up a trap for you inside Xuanwu City." He stated, confirming Yan Zaizen's suspicions. He wasn't too concerned. Nothing was going to stop him from using the Spatial Platform if he could.
"Has the Earthly Titan Sect closed off the Spatial Platform? Are they allowing people to enter?" He inquired. If the Earthly Titan Sect was backing those two clans, his situation would be dire. In which case, he may as well just leave and take the long route home. He can't use it if it wasn't being opened, so what's the point?
"No. If you get to the spatial platform, I'll be able to activate it for you, and send you to Zhu Que City." He said, obviously he had massive power over the Spatial Platform in the city. This delighted Yan Zaizen. If that was the case, then he can go.
"However, they have set up a blockade, unless you bypass it, it'll be impossible for you to enter the city. There's even a rank seven formation, it'll be powered by many cultivators, no matter what, they're intent on capturing or killing you." His words had a dire tone to it as if this was an impossible mission.
With the number of Qi Unification cultivators inside the city and Essence Formation Cultivators, not to mention the rank seven formation that could rival an Origin Core Realm expert.
However, Yan Zaizen eyes flashed with increasing murderous intent. "They set up all of that for me? Oh, how nice of a welcoming gift." His tone was filled with anger. He didn't have any pleasant feelings towards the Earthly Titan Sect or its subordinate clans.
One must remember, he was born in the Yan Clan. The Yan Clan are enemies with the Earthly Titan Sect and Vanishing Fiend Sect due to their allies being the Soaring Cloud Sect and Water Veil Sect. So if a subordinate clan wanted to go against him, so be it.
He'll take not only their possessions; he'll also take their lives
"Good. Go, I'll be there soon. Ready it for my arrival." He said, his tone almost imperious, his eyes sharp, and his aura dominant.
Wu Yuanxu was surprised. He remembered a few months ago how Yan Zaizen was. He was a person who was rather childish and naive, but it seems like his eyes were opening to the world of cultivation. He may not have fully formed his own cultivation path, but he could see it. He nodded, "Be careful. If you can't, it's fine if you wait next year." With that last piece of advice, he took off.
Yan Zaizen looked towards the city gates that seemed so tall before, but now it seemed shorter and climbable. "They want to hinder me from going home? I'll teach them a lesson they'll never forget." He was unwilling to be pushed around any longer, and it was about time people realized the consequences of thinking that they could do so.
He started to walk slowly towards the gate with full view, not hiding from the perceptions of others. Each step seemed to contain a trace of faint aurora-like light.