"Oh ho, that puts my old mind at ease!"
Although the words exchanged were still outwardly polite, none of the experts from the various families laughed and chatted loudly the way they had before. They could feel the tension thick in the air, like swords drawn and bows bent. Many of these family heads were old foxes themselves, and they keenly sensed that relations between the Wind Snow Family and the Sacred Family had deteriorated to a truly dangerous degree.
Huyan Xiong was the City Lord's right-hand man. This move was clearly meant to test the Sacred Family. And the Sacred Family's overreaction showed they were fully prepared for things to turn violent.
In the front seats,
"Old Brother Huyan may seem rough around the edges, but there's sharp thinking behind that roughness. He knows exactly what he's doing. Smashing that bowl just now was nothing more than a probe against the Sacred Family — and sure enough, the Sacred Family has long harbored rebellious intentions." Ye Shuo shook his head with a sigh.
"That snake Shen Hong has been coveting the position of City Lord of the City of Radiance for a long time. Why else would he have pushed so hard for that bastard
Nie Li felt a flicker of surprise. He hadn't expected that
The great hall had lost all its earlier bustle. Shen Hong looked around, vaguely sensing that every finger seemed to point at the Sacred Family. Huyan Xiong was warning the other families. The Sacred Family and the Wind Snow Family were on the verge of openly tearing each other apart, and this was meant to make the other families keep their distance.
Though the Sacred Family was one of the three great pinnacle families, if forced to choose between the Wind Snow Family and the Sacred Family, every family would choose the Wind Snow Family without hesitation. After all, the Wind Snow Family had led the City of Radiance for centuries, and their reserves had reached an unimaginable level — far beyond what any other family could hope to challenge.
Shen Hong swept a cold gaze over the family heads around him. To avoid suspicion, each one turned their heads away.
Shen Hong looked up. In the seats of honor at the top of the hall sat only Ye Xiu, Ye Shuo, and Nie Li. His expression darkened, and he drank his wine in bitter silence.
The Sacred Family had once had a thoroughly complete plan. If it had gone smoothly, the Sacred Family could have overthrown the Wind Snow Family's dominance in the City of Radiance without paying too heavy a price. But now, all of it had been ruined — because of that cursed Nie Li.
Shen Hong couldn't figure it out. Were the Sacred Family and Nie Li enemies from a past life or something? Why had this kid set himself against the Sacred Family from the very beginning? It gnawed at him, endlessly frustrating.
Now the Sacred Family had been pushed into an extremely awkward position. The other families of the City of Radiance were keeping their distance, and the Wind Snow Family was surveilling and suppressing them. The Sacred Family had only two paths: the first was to gradually decline into irrelevance. The second was to join forces with the
Shen Hong absolutely refused to accept the first path. But if they chose the second and failed, it would mean utter annihilation — the Sacred Family's legacy destroyed forever under his watch.
Meanwhile, in a tavern somewhere in the City of Radiance and at the Sacred Family's headquarters, fierce battles had already erupted.
Ye Zong had charged into the Sacred Family's headquarters, leading from the front, and in rapid succession sent several Black Gold-level powerhouses flying. The City Guard Army had surrounded the Sacred Family compound so tightly that not even a bird could escape, and wave after wave of soldiers poured inside.
However, Ye Zong and the Wind Snow Family's experts had not gone on a killing spree. They simply injured and subdued the Sacred Family members one by one.
Just as Ye Zong was about to step into the Sacred Family's great hall, it suddenly erupted with a dazzling radiance. Mysterious runic patterns spiraled like a storm, forming a barrier of protective energy.
Ye Zong raised an eyebrow. That was the grand protective formation set down by the Sacred Family's ancestors across generations — a last resort for self-preservation.
"Your formation can only hold off demon beasts. How could it possibly stop me?" Ye Zong's robes billowed as he strode forward, step by step, toward the formation.
The Sacred Family had existed in the City of Radiance for so many years — did the Wind Snow Family not know exactly how many trump cards they held? Ye Zong had long since mapped out everything about the Sacred Family. The only thing he didn't know was exactly when they had begun collaborating with the Dark Guild, and to what extent.
"Those who betray the City of Radiance — perish!" Ye Zong's expression turned solemn. His form transformed into a massive Wind Snow Giant Ape, and with a thunderous roar, a boundless blizzard hurtled toward the Sacred Family's protective formation.
Since merging with the Wind Snow Giant Ape Demon Spirit, Ye Zong's strength had grown immensely. He was only a sliver of fortune away from breaking through to the Legendary realm. Under his control, the Wind Snow Giant Ape unleashed truly terrifying power.
Boom! Boom! Boom!