Chapter 343: I Am Here to Slaughter the City

Shangguan Yanzhong burst into loud, confident laughter: "Yi Huizhu, I never thought our Ten Thousand Worlds Guild would gain another Immortal-Bridge cultivator—haha…"

No matter what else was happening, I had to return, and I absolutely had to come back to congratulate you."

"Don't rush the congratulations yet—this Immortal-Bridge may not even be real," a sudden voice rang out.

Though the voice was calm and unhurried, it echoed clearly throughout the Boundless City—and even across a hundred li beyond its walls.

Everyone turned to see the speaker: a young man in plain robes.

Unlike others, he wasn't standing on the Ten Thousand Worlds Plaza, nor outside it—he stood directly above everyone's heads, in midair.

He hovered in empty space, gripping a long spear, its tip adorned with a red tassel.

Those who knew the truth drew sharp breaths.

At a ceremony like this, where the Immortal-Bridge was being confirmed, an aerial prohibition was absolutely in place.

Even if there were no aerial prohibition, no one was allowed to stand atop another's head—not even the Guild Master Shangguan Yanzhong himself, who now stood beneath this man's feet.

This wasn't just arrogance—it was outright audacity.

Shangguan Yanzhong's eyes narrowed slightly; he knew exactly how difficult Ding Huan's feat was.

He himself had helped design the aerial prohibition of the Boundless City—he was an eighth-rank Array King. Who could break his prohibition?

Yet this man had not only broken it effortlessly, but stood atop his head, and Shangguan hadn't sensed a thing.

Regardless of the man's strength, his Array mastery far surpassed his own.

"Who are you?" Shangguan Yanzhong raised a hand to halt several Earth Immortal elders who moved to charge forward.

Ding Huan, a man bold enough to defy the Ten Thousand Worlds Guild, must die—but before killing him, Shangguan needed to know his origins.

Moreover, he suspected Ding Huan was an Immortal-Bridge cultivator; otherwise, he wouldn't dare such insolence.

Ding Huan had already removed his mask. He ignored Shangguan's question and spoke loudly:

"Friends, over a decade ago, several of my friends came here—and were killed by the Ten Thousand Worlds Guild. Today, I've come to demand justice. This is my personal feud with the Guild."

When the fighting starts, blades and spears won't spare anyone. I never hold back when killing enemies."

All friends in the Boundless City who are not with the Ten Thousand Worlds Guild, leave immediately. Those who stay will be assumed to be allied with the Guild against me."

He turned to Shangguan Yanzhong: "You're the Guild Master, right? I'm giving those uninvolved a chance to leave. Do you object?"

Shangguan Yanzhong spoke coolly: "Anyone may enter the Boundless City, and anyone may leave. But if you refuse to reveal who you are, don't blame me for acting."

As he spoke, his robes stirred without wind, and his violent Immortal-Bridge aura surged toward Ding Huan.

His domain slammed into Ding Huan's—but Ding Huan didn't move an inch.

"Will the Guild Master not even grant uninvolved people time to live? If you insist on dragging every innocent into this, then come."

Shangguan Yanzhong laughed wildly: "Fine! Within the time of one incense stick, all who are not with the Ten Thousand Worlds Guild—or unconnected to it—leave the Boundless City!"

Of course, if you choose to stay, I, Shangguan Yanzhong, swear as Guild Master: no one shall harm you so much as a single hair."

"Guild Master Shangguan, since we came here, we stand with the Ten Thousand Worlds Guild. To speak of leaving would be too distant!"

"The Guild's affairs are our affairs. Who is this arrogant fool, crawling out from some forgotten corner, daring to challenge the Ten Thousand Worlds Guild? Pah! We stand with the Guild—together in victory or defeat!"

A pale-faced man shouted, his voice radiating willingness to die for the Guild.

"Friend, many are unwilling to leave—I cannot force them," Shangguan Yanzhong said to Ding Huan, calmly.

In truth, no one echoed his words after he spoke.

Ding Huan laughed aloud: "Whether you choose to leave or not—the escape window is one incense stick."

Then he raised his voice again:

"Let me be clear: today, I've come to slaughter this city."

Everyone in the Boundless City—whether at home or out in the streets—must leave within one incense stick. After that, all who remain are enemies, and they shall be held accountable for their own life or death.

"Faking divine tricks…" An Earth Immortal cultivator could no longer bear it—he charged forward, aiming to punch Ding Huan down.

But halfway there, the aerial prohibition halted him—he tumbled from the sky.

Ding Huan didn't kill him; he didn't wish to kill the innocent. But he knew this man was far from innocent.

He guessed that killing this Earth Immortal would trigger immediate chaos.

Chaos didn't bother him—but many truly innocent people still hadn't left.

Ding Huan stood still. Shangguan Yanzhong stood still too, eyes closed. A long sword hovered above his head, and his violent aura domain surged ever higher.

Had his domain not failed to crush Ding Huan's, he would have struck already.

Even if he could kill Ding Huan now, it would mean countless deaths—harmless to Ding Huan, but devastating to the Guild's reputation.

A few had already hurried toward the city gates.

They saw Ding Huan's strength—Shangguan Yanzhong couldn't overpower him.

The sect leaders and elders who had come to congratulate were caught in awkward silence: leave or stay?

Leave, and they insulted the Ten Thousand Worlds Guild—earned its enmity. Stay, and this plain-robed youth seemed dangerous.

If the Guild failed to kill him, they'd make another bitter enemy.

Few believed Ding Huan would kill those who stayed.

"Did the Qijian Dao Sect Master leave?" Someone whispered in shock.

The Qijian Dao Sect Master was one of the Three Great Sects of Biankui Starland.

Though weaker than the Ten Thousand Worlds Guild, he was still among the top powers on Biankui Starland.

Seeing the Qijian Dao Sect Master depart, over a dozen other sect leaders followed immediately.

"The Jidao Men and Xuandan Valley have left too…"

"We're just here to observe. Staying serves no purpose. Let's go."

"Right—we're just small fry. Why stay?"

…

The departure of the Zhenjian Dao Sect's leader seemed to have sparked a sense of crisis; even though the Wanjie Commerce Guild was immensely powerful, more and more people were leaving Wubian City.

Most residents of Wubian City wondered: what did this great battle at the Immortal-Fanqiao realm have to do with them?

Why not return after the battle is over? Wouldn't the Wanjie Commerce Guild still leave these lowly cultivators alone?

Groups of people rapidly departed Wubian City; in the end, even the Wanjie Commerce Guild's clerks wanted to leave.

But they dared not, because others leaving would merely offend the Wanjie Commerce Guild—while they leaving would be treason.

"Master, why must we leave? Doesn't this offend the Wanjie Commerce Guild? The Wanjie Commerce Guild gains another Immortal-Fanqiao cultivator, while we…" The Zhenjian Dao Sect's elder whispered to Master Ye Lie as they stepped out of Wubian City.

Ye Lie replied coldly: "Do you know why Vice Guildmaster Yi Canzhen of the Wanjie Commerce Guild was able to ascend to the Immortal-Fanqiao realm?"

"I heard it was a Nine-Colored Immortal-Mortal Lotus," the elder answered.

Ye Lie snorted: "Do you know that a Nine-Colored Immortal-Mortal Lotus was auctioned on the Wanjie Commerce Guild's Void Sky City twenty years ago?"

"Of course I know—back then, over two hundred Earth Immortals attacked the cultivator who bought the Nine-Colored Immortal-Mortal Lotus, and they were all annihilated…"

As the elder spoke, he suddenly remembered something, staring in shock at his master: "Could it be… could it be…"

Ye Lie sighed: "This matter today will not end simply. Think—what reason did that young man give for coming here?"

"He said it was because several of his friends were killed here over a decade ago…"

The elder finally realized—events from over a decade ago were still vivid in their memories.

Because it was the only time since the Wanjie Commerce Guild's founding that anyone had dared tear up its bounty notice and kill one of its Earth Immortal elders.

Clearly, the man on that bounty notice was the young man who came today; the people executed by the Wanjie Commerce Guild for tearing the notice were this cloth-clad youth's friends.

He came for vengeance on behalf of his friends.

It was clear not only Ye Lie had figured this out—some sect leaders had realized it too.

In such a situation, no one wished to get involved. Even if it meant offending the Wanjie Commerce Guild, they could only withdraw first.

"That young man clearly knew so many sect leaders and elders were here. Since he was outnumbered, he simply ordered unrelated parties to leave," the elder remarked.

Ye Lie said helplessly: "Elder Ju, do you think that young man fears crowds? He simply doesn't want to kill innocents or make arbitrary enemies."

If he told us to leave and we refused, that wouldn't be making an enemy—it would mean standing with the Wanjie Commerce Guild. He'd have no hesitation in cutting us down."

…

"The incense has burned out. Let me, Shangguan Yanzhong, test your abilities once more," Shangguan Yanzhong said, stepping forward through empty space toward Ding Huan.

He no longer asked about Ding Huan's origins—he must already know who Ding Huan was.

Ding Huan raised his hand and traced a series of array patterns; instantly, the entire Wubian City was sealed within a deadly array. Simultaneously, Ding Huan unleashed his Poison Array.

The cultivators who had not left were thrown into panic.

"Why has Guildmaster Shangguan sealed Wubian City?"

"Bai Chi, it wasn't Guildmaster Shangguan who sealed Wubian City—it was that guy…"

"So what? He sealed his own escape route—he's asking for death. Even better."

Some cultivators who sensed something amiss quietly prepared to flee, for Wubian City's protective array had been set by the Wanjie Commerce Guild.

If the Wanjie Commerce Guild could control the array, it would never be locked by an outsider.

Shangguan Yanzhong's longsword whipped up swirling vortexes of sword qi, his Immortal-Fanqiao domain pressing down like a solid weight upon Ding Huan.

The swirling vortexes of sword qi encircled Ding Huan, forming a colossal vortex mouth.

Within this vortex mouth, infinite sword blades crisscrossed, intent on tearing Ding Huan into fragments.

Ding Huan watched the sword qi vortex closing in—he made no move, for he wished to test whether he could break through his opponent's spiritual domain.

Otherwise, before Shangguan Yanzhong's sword qi vortex fully formed, Ding Huan could have destroyed his technique outright.

"Guildmaster, this man killed my Peng family's Peng Sa—he and my Peng family are sworn enemies…"

A voice filled with grief and rage rang out; a red-robed man charged forward, his spiritual domain already overlapping Shangguan Yanzhong's and crushing down upon Ding Huan before he even arrived.