C21 Chen Yuan Died!

As the trio were frolicking, a sudden commotion caught their attention.

"Patriarch, we have a serious problem! Patriarch!" Chen Jiang approached, his face etched with urgency.

"What's the rush? Is the sky falling or something?"

Despite Chen Lieh's scolding, Chen Jiang remained visibly distressed. "The Law Enforcing Elder has injured several of our clan members and is now heading toward Wind City."

Chen Bai was visibly taken aback by Chen Jiang's report, but Chen Lieh seemed unfazed, as if he had anticipated this. He simply nodded and instructed, "Okay, I've got it. Tell our people there's no need to panic; I've prepared for this."

Chen Jiang, upon receiving his orders, quickly set out to reassure the clan.

"Father, is this something you and Chen Yuan arranged?" Chen Bai inquired, puzzled, after Chen Jiang had departed.

Chen Lieh shook his head, his gaze heavy as he looked in the direction of Wind City.

Shortly thereafter, Chen Lieh rallied the clan and they set off for Grand Void City under the cover of night.

After departing from the Chen family's caravan, Chen Yuan let out a sinister chuckle before making his way toward the Huo family.

"Bang! Bang! Bang!"

"Bang! Bang! Bang!"

The knocking was loud and insistent, jolting Huo Erhei awake from his deep slumber.

"Who's there? Knocking on the Huo family's door at this ungodly hour, are you looking for trouble? Whatever it is, it can wait until tomorrow!" Huo Erhei, groggy and irritable, bellowed through the door.

Despite only having just reached the Qi Refining Stage, without fully stabilizing his power, Huo Erhei spoke with a boldness that belied his status.

Why? Because he, Huo Erhei, was the gatekeeper for the Huo family. With the Chen family and the City Lord Mansion having both retreated, the Huo family now reigned supreme over Wind City.

What's that? The Chen family warned of a formidable Spirit Beast on its way to cause trouble? The Patriarch had already dismissed such claims as mere posturing at a family council. Huo Erhei sighed inwardly, wondering why the Patriarch hadn't seized the chance to utterly destroy the Chen family.

With a resigned sigh, Huo Erhei turned over and drifted back to sleep.

Knock! Knock! Knock!

After a persistent knocking, Chen Yuan noticed complete silence from within. With determination, he scaled the wall and entered the Huo family compound.

The instant he breached the Huo family's perimeter, the man in black brought by Huo Xiaotian snapped open his eyes.

Once inside, Chen Yuan navigated toward Huo Fei's residence, guided by his memory.

"Hehehe ~ My luck is truly astounding today. Just look at this succulent golden core, utterly irresistible. I simply can't wait any longer ~"

With that eerie chuckle, the man in black materialized before Chen Yuan in the blink of an eye.

Chen Yuan jumped at the unexpected sound. Recognizing the man as one of Huo Xiaotian's associates, he quickly bowed and respectfully addressed him, "I presume you are one of the two subordinates brought by Huo Xiaotian. My name is Chen Yuan, and I have had previous dealings with the Patriarch. I would be grateful if you could arrange a meeting with Patriarch Huo for me."

"Tsk tsk tsk ~ You're so eager to meet the great elder, I'll certainly take you to him!"

Chen Yuan's face lit up with elation as he bowed deeply and expressed his gratitude.

"There's no need to thank me. In fact, I should be thanking you!" The man in black sneered, his hand transforming into a claw as he seized Chen Yuan's head.

A powerful suction emanated from his palm, and Chen Yuan watched in horror as his Golden Core began to fade rapidly.

"Stop! Please, stop! I am a cultivator at the Golden Core Stage seeking to join the Huo family! When the Huo family takes control of Wind City, they will need someone of my abilities to assist in its governance!"

"I targeted you precisely because you're at the Golden Core Stage. If you weren't, you wouldn't be worth the effort. And as for ruling Wind City? Life Death Valley has no shortage of Golden Core Stage cultivators. Your concerns are unnecessary."

As the suction intensified, Chen Yuan felt his dantian wither, and his Golden Core turned ashen, threatening to crumble at any moment.

With a faint crackling sound, Chen Yuan's dantian shattered into pieces, rendering him crippled.

"Tsk, such a promising Golden Core, yet so fragile to absorb. Disappointing," the man in black remarked indifferently as he tossed Chen Yuan aside.

A thought then struck him, and he gazed at Chen Yuan with renewed interest, murmuring, "The Chen family still has a few at the Golden Core Stage, and a plethora at the Foundation Stage."

Licking his lips with excitement, he exclaimed, "Of course! Why didn't I think of absorbing them directly? That would significantly boost my cultivation. The sect has dulled our wits with all this training. Today marks the rise of Shun Dan. Hehehe."

With no further hesitation, Shun Dan dashed toward the Chen family's convoy.

As he passed the main gate, he nonchalantly struck the sleeping Huo Erhei, reducing him to a mess of flesh. "Can't even guard a door. You're useless to me. Consider this a favor to the great elder, cleaning up the sect. Hehehe."

In the master's quarters, Huo Xiaotian exhaled deeply and flung Elder Mo aside. Turning to the quivering Huo Fei, he commanded, "Alright, take care of him. You've done well today. Keep it up, and you'll join Life Death Valley."

At these words, Huo Fei's fear turned to delight, and he gratefully repeated, "Thank you, Father. Thank you."

With an impatient wave of his hand, Huo Xiaotian dismissed him.

Once Huo Fei had left, Huo Xiaotian lay back on the bed contentedly, embracing the young girl Huo Fei had presented to him, and began to thrust...

Shun Dan, having left the city, glanced at the ground to confirm his direction before soaring into the air. As he flew, he cast his Divine Sense outward.

After advancing to the Nascent Infant Stage, cultivators gain the ability to soar into the skies and develop their Divine Sense.

Before long, the Chen family's caravan came into Shun Dan's view.

"Hehehe, you Chen family runts, are you ready for some affection from yours truly?"

"Roar~~!!!"

As he was about to charge forward, a thunderous roar of a beast erupted through the night, halting his advance.

Cursing under his breath, Shun Dan abandoned his pursuit of the nearby Chen family members and bolted toward Wind City.

Not far from the city, Niu Yuvcai, who was amusing himself with a pure white Essence Devouring Beast, shuddered at the sound. "That voice... could it be the Heaven Rending Tiger? It sounds incredibly enraged. Hold on, the Heaven Rending Tiger... could it be that nearly pure-blooded one?"

Laughing like a lunatic, he dashed toward Wind City, and to the astonishment of onlookers, he took flight. The staff from the Spirit Beast Workshop stared in disbelief at their usually benign manager.

Outside Wind City, a colossal Saber-toothed Tiger, towering over a hundred feet tall, stood majestically in the air. Its fur was a pristine white, and it sported a pair of massive wings on its back. With each flap, fierce winds were born. Its enormous tiger eyes glowed a bloody red, as if dripping with blood. The most horrifying aspect was the wintry aura surrounding it, with snow fluttering down and ice crystals forming on the ground.

With a splash, a water curtain surged from beneath Wind City, enveloping the entire city. This was Wind City's Water Curtain Heavenly Light Formation, a sixth-grade Defensive Array installed by a Spirit Array Master from Great Wilderness City during its construction. It would only activate upon detecting a Desolate Beast beyond the Void Discerning Stage.

"Roar~~!!!" The Saber-toothed Tiger, now visibly more incensed, inhaled deeply and let out a furious roar at the water curtain.

The roar was filled with a multitude of sword-shaped ice crystals, which from a distance, appeared as if countless ice swords were charging toward Wind City.

As the water curtain trembled violently, it successfully fended off all the ice crystals.

Atop the city gate tower, Huo Xiaotian, alongside another somber-faced man in black, watched the Saber-toothed Tiger beyond the water curtain, a wave of helplessness washing over him.

"Where is Shun Dan?"

"Reporting to the great elder, Shun Dan is currently not within the city. I suspect he may have ventured outside the city walls."

"Ridiculous!"

"You are correct, great elder."

Before Huo Xiaotian could respond, the man in black beside him let out a piercing scream.