His gaze swept over the area below with the air of someone surveying lesser beings—until it landed on a young woman of graceful figure and stunning poise, standing in the valley like a secluded orchid in an empty gorge, impossibly conspicuous.
"Hm?" Zhao Mang's interest was piqued. He recalled that Mo Laoba had mentioned the killer of Qin Shisan was a beautiful woman.
At the time, Zhao Mang hadn't believed it. What did a brute like Mo Laoba know about beauty?
But now, seeing her with his own eyes, he realized Mo Laoba hadn't been exaggerating in the slightest.
For a moment, even Zhao Mang felt his heart stir. He mentally noted with caution, "Where did this young female cultivator come from? With this kind of presence, she should be well-known across the human domain."
Lu Yi, the junior brother at Zhao Mang's side, was equally stunned when he saw Consort Dan's true appearance.
"I am Zhao Mang, a true disciple of the Heavenly River Palace. May I ask which sect this young lady belongs to?" Zhao Mang's attitude shifted ever so slightly.
Consort Dan replied coolly, "Have you come to avenge Qin Shisan?"
Zhao Mang smiled with feigned nonchalance. "That Qin Shisan was a crude fellow. If he offended this young lady, he deserved what he got. I certainly wouldn't seek revenge on his behalf. However, if—"
"No need for 'if.'" Consort Dan cut him off directly. "Zhao Mang, was it? I killed that Qin Shisan. If you want revenge, come down here and try."
Though Consort Dan could tell that Zhao Mang's strength far surpassed Qin Shisan's, she showed no fear.
Zhao Mang had been about to demonstrate his gentlemanly refinement, but Consort Dan's sharp words left all his rehearsed lines with nowhere to go.
Still, he was a true disciple after all—well-traveled and experienced in such situations.
"Young lady has quite the temper. Among the sects of the Upper Eight Regions, the ones with the most talented female cultivators are either the
Zhao Mang still wanted to get to the bottom of things.
After all, even though he was a true disciple of the Heavenly River Palace, his sect ranked only in the third tier among the eight great first-rank sects when it came to martial foundation.
So even if he were to make an enemy, he wanted to know exactly who he was dealing with first.
Zhao Mang didn't mind stirring up trouble, but he also didn't want to provoke a major disaster for no reason.
"Stop beating around the bush. I'm not a disciple of any first-rank sect, so there's no need for your paranoid probing. If you want to fight, lay out your terms." Consort Dan despised the false courtesy of these sect disciples above all else. If they were going to turn hostile, why bother asking so many questions?
Not a first-rank sect disciple?
Zhao Mang was momentarily taken aback. A talent like this, yet not from a first-rank sect?
"With your talent, young lady, are you really languishing in some second- or third-rate sect, wasting your youth? If so, I truly feel sorry for you." Zhao Mang smiled. "Why not abandon the darkness for the light? I can guarantee that if you join our Heavenly River Palace, I'll personally smooth over the Qin Shisan matter. I assure you that once inside the Heavenly River Palace, you'll rise above the masses."
As a true disciple, Zhao Mang held an exceedingly high status in the Heavenly River Palace. He had every reason to make such promises.
A trace of mockery appeared on Consort Dan's face. "Disciples of first-rank sects—are they all as self-impressed as you? The Heavenly River Palace? I've never heard of it, have no interest in it, and certainly don't think highly of it. If you want to fight, then fight. Stop flattering yourself."
Her ridicule was merciless.
No matter how well Zhao Mang could keep up appearances, after hearing that, he could no longer maintain his composure.
He nodded coldly, his voice turning frigid. "Very well. Since you won't appreciate my kindness, don't blame me for showing no mercy to a beautiful woman."
"Lu Yi, watch my back." Killing intent surged from Zhao Mang.
"With Senior Brother stepping in, victory is a foregone conclusion," Lu Yi said, eager to flatter.
Although Zhao Mang's cultivation had not yet reached the Imperial Realm, he was a peak Saint Realm existence. In terms of actual combat power, he was comparable to
The only difference was that Cao Jin ranked merely ninth among the younger generation of the Nine Yang Heavenly Sect.
But Zhao Mang ranked within the top five—possibly even the top three—of the entire Heavenly River Palace.
As the full might of his Saint Realm cultivation erupted, a bizarre black mountain range materialized behind Zhao Mang. The dark peaks radiated an oppressive gloom, howling with yin winds that sent a chilling dread through all who saw them.
Zhao Mang muttered an incantation, and the black mountain range exploded in midair, fracturing into countless black boulders that hurtled toward Consort Dan like cannonballs.
"Senior Brother, what a magnificent Black Meteor technique!" Lu Yi clapped his hands in admiration.
The sky was blotted out by a dense rain of black boulders, packed so tightly there was scarcely a gap between them. They plummeted like a meteor shower, their speed terrifying, trailing devastating gusts of wind and crushing momentum.
In the span of a few breaths, they were already bearing down on Consort Dan from every angle.
Peak Ninth-Level Saint Realm cultivation was formidable on its own. Combined with the Black Meteor attack—which carried a natural oppressive pressure against spiritual consciousness—it was a devastating assault.