In the ruins of Tianyun City, Ma Xinyuan and the others stood silently in place, their faces grim, the atmosphere unbearably heavy.
They had never truly believed that
They had witnessed the overwhelming force of that exchange. They knew Fei Zhitu had held nothing back. A strike of that magnitude — not a single Return Void Realm cultivator present could have taken it unharmed. Yet a youth at the Saint King Stage Three had blocked it.
Along with the shock that rattled through their hearts, a deep wariness toward
Every person present was a wily old fox who understood the necessity of crushing threats in their infancy. Especially that meaningful look
After a long hesitation, Ma Xinyuan cupped his fists and stammered, "City Lord… are we really just letting him go?"
"If not, what would you have me do?" Fei Zhitu was still simmering with frustration and nowhere to vent it. He fixed Ma Xinyuan with a cold stare.
"But that kid killed someone from the Xie family…"
"The Xie family!" Fei Zhitu snorted coldly. "You know it's the Xie family. What happens to the Xie family's people — what's that got to do with me?"
Ma Xinyuan's expression faltered, and he dared not say another word.
"Hmph. If you don't want to let him leave, you're welcome to chase after him right now — as long as you're confident you can keep him here!"
"The City Lord jests." The group wore expressions of extreme embarrassment, and no one dared mention
"Since you lack confidence in your own strength, stay put! If anyone dares question my word, don't blame me for being unkind. Also — do you really think old
The group exchanged uneasy glances. Just as they were about to press for more details, they saw Fei Zhitu flick his sleeve and vanish from the spot.
"Brother Ma, what are we to do? From the way City Lord Fei spoke, it sounds like the struggle within the Hall is more complicated than we thought. Isn't it said that Elder Qian…"
"Exactly, Brother Ma. Didn't you say this was a sure thing? Otherwise, why would we have come all this way to help the Xie family deal with a Saint King Realm cultivator?" Another person pressed.
Ma Xinyuan's face was ashen. He replied impatiently, "You're asking me? Who am I supposed to ask? I only heard it from the higher-ups. I don't know the specifics. If you really want answers, go ask Steward Xie and see what he tells you."
"Steward Xie…" Hearing Ma Xinyuan deflect like this, everyone realized they had truly been played. Regret flooded through them. Recalling
The moment he entered the mountain, he saw
"You're hurt?"
"Nothing serious. How are
"They're all recovering. They should heal before long. If you hadn't come back soon, Elder Chang and Elder Hao were planning to make another trip to Tianyun City."
"Mm."
"Understood. I'll keep an eye on them and make sure they don't go out."
Fei Zhitu truly deserved his reputation as a peak powerhouse of the Return Void Stage Three. That strike had looked unremarkable, but only those who actually received it could appreciate its ferocity. Still,
A half-hearted strike was enough to wound him. The gap between himself and the Return Void Stage Three was still quite significant.
He drew several bottles of pills from his ring, popped a few into his mouth one after another, and closed his eyes to regulate his breathing.
The injuries weren't severe — just some instability in his aura. After half a day of meditation,
He extended his Divine Sense and sensed that it was already deep into the night. His expression shifted. He rose quietly, opened the restrictions on his stone residence, and slipped out of