That sense of danger lingered in his mind, refusing to fade.
"Master, did you notice something?" Duan Jian asked. Nie Li hadn't said a word the entire way, and Duan Jian sensed something was off.
"That old man just now — he's an expert," Nie Li said, gazing into the dark night sky. In this Black Prison World, aside from the powerhouses of the thirteen great families, there were likely many more hidden experts lurking about.
Duan Jian nodded. He'd felt it too, though he couldn't gauge just how strong that old man truly was.
"So the ancient formation actually connects to this Black Prison World. Such a dangerous place — if I'd known, I never would have come," Nie Li thought to himself. He'd originally assumed the ancient formation might lead to some enormous treasure vault. Otherwise, why would the
Once he got back, he wasn't setting foot in this godforsaken place again until his strength reached the Black Gold level.
"First, I need to rescue Ning'er,
The moon hung bright, stars sparse.
Occasionally, enormous flying Demon Beasts passed overhead. In the valleys between mountains, flickers of firelight rose here and there — people fighting the flying creatures.
The Silver Wing Family was the same as always, with patrol guards stationed everywhere. This great clan, numbering tens of thousands, had existed here for several thousand years and stood as a dominant force in the Black Prison World.
Two figures emerged from the darkness of the forest.
"Time to begin," Nie Li said with a faint smile. Everything he'd set in motion would soon give the Silver Wing Family quite the surprise.
In the treetop palace,
"Who knows when that brat
Just then, a young woman kneeling beside him — massaging his legs — grew a little tired and accidentally knocked over a cup nearby. It clattered to the ground, shattering into pieces while wine spilled everywhere. The sight immediately drained the color from her face.
She quickly dropped to her knees. "Clan Leader, it was an accident! Please spare this lowly servant!"
"You worthless wretch — dare you ruin my mood?!" Sikong Yi's expression darkened, and with a single backhand slap he sent the girl flying. She crashed into a pillar and tumbled to the floor, a thin trail of blood seeping from the corner of her lips.
"Clan Leader, I didn't mean it! Please, for the sake of all these years I've served you, spare me!" The girl kowtowed desperately, her forehead striking the floor with a wet thud, leaving a smear of blood.
Sikong Yi let out a cold snort. "Guards! Drag her out and behead her!" His voice carried the chill of the deepest hell, devoid of any emotion.
The girl continued kowtowing and begging for mercy as several guards, fierce as wolves and tigers, marched over. They seized her and began dragging her toward the exit.
"Clan Leader, please forgive me! I'll never do it again!" The girl's cries grew fainter and fainter as she was carried away.
"Hongyue, what do you think about Lei Zhuo? Do you think he'll actually bring back the antidote?"
"I don't think so — his friends are still in our custody," Sikong Hongyue said, her elegant brows knitting together. "No need to worry, Father. Lei Zhuo will definitely deliver the antidote."
No sooner had Sikong Hongyue finished speaking than a deafening boom shook the entire treetop palace, sending tremors through its foundations.
"What's going on?!" Sikong Yi sprang to his feet. The terrifying explosion had struck like a thunderbolt out of a clear sky, the sound so violent it made ears ring with pain.
What had happened? Sikong Hongyue's expression turned grave as well.
BOOM! BOOM! BOOM!
Across the Silver Wing Family's territory, explosions erupted everywhere — one after another, steady and relentless.
Rumble, rumble, rumble!
The treetop palace swayed violently, on the verge of collapse.
"We have to go — now!" Sikong Yi's face drained of color. He and Sikong Hongyue leaped out of the palace together.
The terrifying blasts echoed across the entire sky, accompanied by blinding bursts of fire that lit up the heavens. Even the thirteen other great families in the far distance could see the spectacle.
Many people across the thirteen families were jolted from their sleep, all turning their gaze toward the mountaintop where the Silver Wing Family resided, murmuring among themselves.
"What's happening over at the Silver Wing Family?"
"Maybe they're celebrating something — setting off fireworks!"
"These fireworks are incredible! You can hear them from this far away."
"So pretty!" a few children clapped their hands, cheering with excitement.