Gong Hongyun and the two Martial Kings were also heavily injured, and the group beside them was covered in bloodstains— their condition barely better than the Liu family’s.
As the Gong family arrived, all eyes turned towards the Liu family’s position. Thick killing intent surged, each person radiating an impulse to charge and fight at the slightest provocation.
A burly, thick-browed man from the Gong family glared straight at Liu He, his battle intent blazing.
At a glance, everyone could tell this was Gong Feiyun— one of the region’s four top geniuses and Liu He’s arch-rival.
“Hmph, once Junzang is settled, it’ll be time for our Gong family and the Liu family to have our final showdown!” With a cold snort, the Gong family member swept his robe and led his group to the ground.
“Afraid of you, are we?” Liu Yan retorted with a booming, authoritative voice.
With both groups present, the scene quieted down. The two families’ brutal clash had clearly been fierce.
Once the stone gate opened, an even bloodier battle was likely ahead!
Time ticked by, with more experts arriving. Yet within a day’s reach of the commotion, the only Martial Venerables present were likely Liu Yan and Gong Hongyun.
After all, Martial Venerables weren’t so easily produced.
Non-Venerable arrivals drew little attention.
“I heard Junzang appeared here— good thing I made the trip and didn’t miss it,” an elder’s voice rang out from the north as the red sun rose.
Then, a figure in a grey robe soared in on dazzling vital qi wings, halting above the crowd.
The elder, about sixty, had black hair, a lean frame, a gaunt face, and sharp eyes.
His gaze swept to the stone gate, where the light mist was fading. His narrowed eyes flashed with excitement as his aura sharpened, “Indeed, this trip wasn’t in vain!”
“That’s Guan Shuo, an elder of the Guan family from North City— sixth-tier Martial Venerable! His strength is terrifying, and his methods ruthless. Didn’t expect him to show up!” a knowledgeable elder in the crowd gasped. He’d seen this man before— from a family quite a distance north.
“These big powers stretch their hands too far!” someone whispered indignantly. Such a high-level expert’s arrival was far from good news for them.
Typically, distant factions wouldn’t appear here. Even a Martial Venerable couldn’t cover such ground in a day or two. Guan Shuo had clearly come to this region beforehand, tipped off about Junzang’s exact location.
His tone suggested he’d gone to great lengths, travelling far for this.
Liu Yan and Gong Hongyun’s faces darkened. Already injured, their Martial Venerable cultivation gave them an edge over the crowd for Junzang.
But a mid-tier Martial Venerable like this was a disaster— snatching anything from him would be no easy feat.
They knew he was very dangerous.
“Hahaha, just passing through— didn’t expect to stumble on such a grand opportunity!” A hearty laugh echoed from the west as a robust elder flew in on vital qi wings.
Roughly Guan Shuo’s age, this elder had a fierce face and an overbearing air— another ruthless figure.
“From the west, the Yuan family’s Yuan Kai! His infamy rivals Guan Shuo’s— he’s wiped out several Martial King families, often killing and looting, sparing not even the young!” Gong Hongyun’s expression hardened as he spoke coldly from the Gong family’s side.
“Another ruthless one!” The crowd grew solemn. His aura matched Guan Shuo’s— clearly a sixth-tier Martial Venerable. His menacing look suggested he’d strike at the slightest whim, inspiring dread.
“Guan Shuo, you’re here too?” Yuan Kai’s eyes flashed coldly upon spotting him.
The Yuan and Guan families, far apart, rarely clashed over interests, but Yuan Kai had heard of Guan Shuo’s reputation.
“Quite the coincidence— even a thief of juniors like you showed up!” Guan Shuo’s eyes glinted with chill as he stared at Yuan Kai, his voice icy.
At that, a cold aura seeped from Yuan Kai. He snorted, “Hmph, as if you’ve done any less of it!”
The two locked horns, poised to fight at the drop of a hat.
The crowd sighed inwardly— ruthless indeed. One meeting, and killing intent already flared, neither yielding.
Thump! Thump! Thump!
Just then, heavy footsteps echoed from the horizon, jolting the crowd. Eyes turned northeast.
The sight stunned them.
In the void, a golden tiger— as tall as a man— trod on vital qi wings. Each step rippled the air, leaping a hundred metres with a regal, tiger-like stride, exuding unmatched dominance as it approached.
Atop the tiger sat a man in golden robes, his face hidden by a golden mask, steady as a mountain. A faint murderous aura swirled around him.
“The Martial Venerable commander of the Tiger Legion?” Lin Xiao jolted. Qingyun had told him of the Chaos Lands’ top bandit group, the Tiger Legion, led by a Venerable who could enslave tiger beasts.
The Tiger Legion members he’d defeated dressed like this— masked and tiger-mounted.
The golden tiger’s aura marked it as a fifth-tier low-level spirit beast. Only that commander could tame such a creature, surely?
“A three-striped golden tiger— it’s that prodigious junior, the Tiger Legion’s young commander!” Guan Shuo’s eyes chilled, wariness crossing his face. This young commander had robbed and killed many of the Guan family’s men.
His strength was formidable, elusive— even a major power like the Guan family couldn’t catch him. To meet him here was unexpected.
Yuan Kai narrowed his eyes coldly too— he’d heard of this young commander.
“Rumours say he’s young— barely thirty— yet a mid-tier Martial Venerable, nearing his father, the Tiger King. He robs any faction, his infamy ten times greater than Guan Shuo’s or Yuan Kai’s!”
“Another ruthless one!”
The crowd’s voices trembled with fear. The Chaos Lands’ top bandit, notorious for leaving no survivors, struck terror into all.
Even Liu Yan and Gong Hongyun wore grave expressions. The young commander’s arrival added immense pressure.
“So it’s the young commander— and there’s a senior one too. The Chaos Lands really are full of ruthless figures!” Lin Xiao marvelled at the crowd’s wary murmurs. Each newcomer was fiercer and stronger than the last— Junzang would be tough to claim.
Especially this young commander— powerful himself, with a fifth-tier spirit beast equivalent to another Venerable. Together, they’d be a match few Venerables would dare face.
A supremely dangerous figure.
Lin Xiao silently hoped the young commander didn’t know he’d beaten Tiger Legion members— trouble from him would be perilous.
