C22 Chiang Xie's True Strength

Chiang Xie was clearly taken aback by Chiang Tianhai's unexpected punch.

In theory, Chiang Xie's strength was no match for Chiang Tianhai's, so it seemed beneath Chiang Tianhai to resort to such a sneaky move as a sucker punch...

Moreover, Chiang Xie had already landed two hits on Chiang Tianhai. Yet, it appeared that Chiang Tianhai was unfazed. How thick could his skin be?

Chiang Tianhai looked at Chiang Xie with a cold expression and asked, "Do you know why I haven't killed you?"

Chiang Xie's mouth twitched. So, that punch was you holding back? It certainly felt like you were going all out. What a low attempt at deception.

"Hmph, are you still refusing to hand over the Chiang family's prodigy?" Chiang Tianhai pressed, seeing that Chiang Xie was ignoring him.

At that, Chiang Xie's eyes sparkled. This could buy him some time. In just half an hour, the regenerative power of the Devil Slaying technique would restore him to his peak condition. After all, it was a Heaven Level Cultivation Method, with truly exceptional healing capabilities.

Without hesitation, he said, "Then follow me. I've left the person in a certain small forest."

Upon hearing about the certain small forest, Chiang Tianhai and the Chiang family members felt a twinge of frustration. Where exactly was this forest?

Chiang Xie climbed out of the pit, dusted himself off, and declared confidently, "Don't think that because you ambushed me, I'm scared of you. I have a hostage; would you dare lay a finger on me?"

Chiang Tianhai really couldn't risk making a move against Chiang Xie, considering he held so many of the family's talents in his grasp. Any harm to them could spell disaster for the Chiang family.

His grand ambitions would turn into a laughing stock. Left with no choice, he conceded, "Fine, lead the way. But no funny business."

Chiang Tianhai certainly wasn't about to follow Chiang Xie by himself. Who knows what kind of trap the young man might set? Therefore, he decided to take the remaining powerhouses of the family along with him.

Chiang Xie smirked, fully aware of Chiang Tianhai's thoughts, but he didn't give them much weight. Once his injuries healed, he wouldn't fear this small band of people. If they dared to come at him, he'd simply annihilate them all!

"You'll need to bring the spirit stones, or else I won't hand over the hostage. Not even if it kills me," Chiang Xie mused aloud.

Chiang Tianhai let out a cold huff, "How much do you want?"

"Let's make it a friendly deal—ten thousand spirit stones," Chiang Xie replied.

No sooner had he spoken than everyone internally exclaimed, "Friendly, my foot!" Ten thousand spirit stones were nearly what the Chiang family spent in several years!

Chiang Tianhai, however, remained silent, merely instructing his butler with a scowl, "Give him ten thousand spirit stones."

It wasn't that Chiang Tianhai was feeling generous; the amount of spirit stones was irrelevant to him. Once he laid eyes on the hostage, he planned to kill Chiang Xie on the spot and reclaim every last spirit stone he had parted with.

Chiang Xie was playing the same game. Though he had only collected ten thousand spirit stones now, once his injuries were healed, he would be in a position to kill Chiang Tianhai. Then, all of Chiang Tianhai's and the Chiang family's treasures and spirit stones would be his.

It must be said that both Chiang Xie and Chiang Tianhai were master strategists with inscrutable tactics...

And so, both parties completed the transaction of ten thousand spirit stones for the hostages with great satisfaction. Chiang Xie, ever the professional, led a group from the Chiang family to a certain small forest...

Chiang Xie took Chiang Tianhai and the rest out of Fire Cloud City, traversing mountains and valleys, until they finally reached the small forest behind the Chiang family's property, where they stopped.

Yes, you heard correctly. After a lengthy detour, they ended up back at the Chiang family's place, and that "certain small forest" was none other than the one behind the Chiang family's own backyard!

Many thought Chiang Xie was toying with them, yet no one realized that Chiang Xie was merely buying time.

"Why take such a circuitous route when you're already here?" Chiang Tianhai was skeptical. If this was merely a ruse, why hadn't Chiang Xie led them even farther away?

They had followed Chiang Xie for quite a distance, but it had only been about half an hour—a mere warm-up for cultivators.

Chiang Xie offered no explanation, simply stating, "See that wooden house up ahead? The hostages are inside. Go and fetch them yourself."

Chiang Tianhai paused, incredulous. The hostages were hidden in the Chiang family's own grove. Did Chiang Xie really consider the Chiang family's estate his personal playground?

He also couldn't fathom how Chiang Xie managed to hide the hostages there without anyone in the Chiang family noticing.

What Chiang Tianhai didn't realize was that Chiang Xie had secretly brought the hostages to the Chiang family's estate earlier. Naturally, they went undetected.

Unable to make sense of it, Chiang Tianhai stopped pondering and promptly summoned a group of the family's strongest members to join him as he entered the wooden house.

"Ah! Chiang Xie, I will reduce you to ashes!"

Soon after, a furious roar erupted from the wooden house, followed by an explosion of violent Profound Energy.

Enveloped in cyan Profound Energy, Chiang Tianhai radiated a fearsome aura of murderous intent.

Chiang Xie sneered, "Looks like you've seen the heads wrapped in white cloth, huh? Tsk, your family's so-called geniuses are pathetically weak."

"Enough talk, today you will pay the price!" Chiang Tianhai had lost all reason. With the Chiang family virtually wiped out, there was no room left for mercy or rationality.

"That's exactly what I was thinking. I've been itching to take you on..."

"I once warned you, hurt my aunt and I'd decimate the Chiang family. Now, you're the last one standing. So why don't you go collect your 'lunch' already?"

No sooner had the words left his mouth than Chiang Tianhai became a blur, charging forward. Chiang Xie, with equal speed, drew the Shark Tooth and struck out at Chiang Tianhai.

"Boom! Boom! Boom!"

Two figures collided repeatedly, creating numerous deep craters in the earth. Green and red Profound Energy intertwined fiercely, like two dragons locked in combat.

"Bam!"

Caught off guard, Chiang Tianhai took a hit from Chiang Xie's Shark Tooth and hastily retreated. In just a few exchanges, he, a Golden Core Stage Level 2, was surprisingly on the losing end!

Chiang Tianhai's complexion fluctuated between shades of anger and pallor. To think that his opponent, merely at the Profound Energy Stage and having been sucker-punched, could still put him at a disadvantage... it was utterly humiliating.

But Chiang Tianhai, as a Golden Core Stage powerhouse, quickly recovered from his shock and unleashed a deadly technique. The heavens dimmed as a golden palm imprint flickered into existence.

"This... I can't believe the Patriarch has resorted to the Chiang family's ancestral Profound Level Martial Skill, the Golden Light Palm!"

"We should move back quickly. This technique is incredibly potent; it could sweep us all up in its wake."

Chiang Xie scoffed at the crowd's wary reactions. "Scared of what? Think summoning a palm is like invoking a divine palm? Just watch how pathetic this martial skill really is!"

He silently recited an incantation: "Spatial Beast Bone, sharp tower, red crystal..."

Then, with a sudden upward thrust of his palm towards the golden imprint in the sky, he bellowed, "Unleash the Thunderous Cannon!"

Thunder roared across the sky as three bolts of lightning struck the golden palm imprint. In the blink of an eye, it detonated, blooming into a spectacular mushroom cloud!

Ripples coursed through the void. Anyone gazing into the heavens would now see that the golden palm imprint had vanished without a trace...

Chiang Tianhai's long-anticipated big move had been effortlessly countered by Chiang Xie, leaving him utterly outmatched.