> "Feng'er—!!"
Zhao Qingtian's roar tore through the night like thunder.
He dropped to his knees, clutching his son's limp body, his eyes bloodshot with rage and grief. Lightning qi flickered violently around him, scorching the ground where he knelt.
> "You… you bastard!" he bellowed, his killing intent surging.
"Lin Xian! Lin Clan! I'll bury every last one of you tonight!"
The air trembled as seven powerful auras burst forth behind him.
The Zhao Clan Elders, each one a peak Spirit Foundation Realm expert, stepped forward with swords drawn. Their spiritual pressure combined into a storm that darkened the skies.
The Lin Clan disciples staggered backward, pale and trembling. Even seasoned warriors felt their knees weaken under the crushing might of seven combined cultivations.
> "Protect the Patriarch!" someone shouted.
"Form the defensive line!"
Lin Yuan's aura flared golden, shielding his people, while Lin Xian stood motionless at the center — silver eyes calm as still water.
Even now, when death was moments away, he didn't flinch.
Beside him, Xiao Jian crouched low, lightning crawling around his fur. The little beast's claws dug into the ground, his eyes flashing with battlelust.
The Zhao Clan roared in unison and surged forward, swords gleaming under the moonlight.
> "Kill them all!"
But just as blood was about to be spilled —
a crushing pressure suddenly descended from the heavens.
The earth cracked. Air rippled. Everyone — Lin, Zhao, and bystander alike — froze.
---
An invisible weight pressed upon every cultivator, suffocating and absolute.
The Zhao Clan Elders gasped, their killing intent snuffed out like candle flames. Their spiritual qi scattered, their faces turning pale.
> "W-What is this pressure…?"
"This isn't Spirit Foundation… it's higher!"
Then, a calm, aged voice echoed through the silence.
> "Enough."
A single word — yet it rolled like divine thunder.
A figure slowly appeared between the two clans, his white robe fluttering despite the still air. His expression was peaceful, but his eyes gleamed with unfathomable depth.
Xu Tian, the guest grandmaster of the Pill Academy.
The moonlight traced the outlines of his hands — steady, powerful, radiating an aura of absolute dominance. The very air around him shimmered as his cultivation spread outward like a tide.
> "C-Core Formation Realm!" someone whispered in disbelief.
"A Core cultivator… in Azure Cloud City?!"
Even Zhao Qingtian stumbled backward, his fury faltering beneath sheer fear.
Lin Xian exhaled slowly, his silver eyes narrowing.
> "So he's been hiding this deep all along," he muttered.
"A Core Formation cultivator… in such a backwater city. Hah."
He shook his head and smirked.
> "Tch. Guess the Zhao Clan gets to live another day."
Beside him, Xiao Jian puffed out his cheeks and crossed his tiny arms, glaring at the Zhao Clan like a child denied his favorite meal.
The fur around his neck sparked faintly, his tail twitching in protest.
Lin Xian glanced at him sideways, amused.
> "You wanted to play, huh?"
Xiao Jian let out a soft huff! — clearly sulking.
Several Lin disciples watching from afar couldn't help but exchange nervous chuckles despite the tension.
The storm of killing intent slowly dissipated — but the pressure from Xu Tian's aura still lingered, heavy and absolute.
---
Xu Tian's voice, calm yet carrying immeasurable force, echoed across the courtyard.
> "Today is the Lin Clan's coronation. I am a guest — and I will not stand idle while blood stains this celebration."
He looked toward Zhao Qingtian, his gaze cold as frost.
> "Patriarch Zhao, your son challenged Lin Xian of his own accord. He lost.
That is not injustice — it is consequence."
Zhao Qingtian clenched his fists, teeth grinding. His aura flared for a moment… but under Xu Tian's presence, it shattered like glass.
Xu Tian's tone sharpened.
> "You have a grievance, take it up in the proper way — through the Pill Alliance or the City Lord's Hall. But if you dare raise your sword here again…"
"I will personally erase your Zhao Clan's name from Azure Cloud City."
Silence.
The only sound was the wind rustling through the banners of the Lin estate.
Even the Zhao Clan's peak elders lowered their heads, sweat running down their temples. A Core Formation Realm cultivator — even a city lord would tread lightly before him.
Xu Tian turned slightly, his voice calm again.
> "This old man does not interfere in clan wars. But I will not allow this city to descend into chaos while I am here."
Lin Xian folded his arms, smiling faintly.
> "So the old fox does have a spine."
Xu Tian gave him a sidelong glance — equal parts irritation and amusement.
> "And you, boy, are a walking disaster."
Lin Xian smirked.
> "I'll take that as praise."
Xiao Jian gave a soft chirp, tail flicking proudly — as if agreeing.
The atmosphere that moments ago teetered on the edge of massacre now felt absurdly light.
Even the onlookers struggled to decide whether to laugh or kneel.
But deep down, everyone knew—
the Zhao Clan wouldn't let this end so easily.
---
The courtyard of the Lin Clan was still heavy with spiritual pressure when Zhao Qingtian rose to his feet, his face twisted with rage.
He stood among the wreckage, his son's severed arm wrapped in cloth, the sight burning into his eyes.
> "This is an outrage!" he thundered, his voice echoing through the hall.
"My son—crippled! My clan's honor trampled! And you call this justice?"
The Zhao Elders behind him roared in agreement, raising their swords toward the sky. Their combined anger was like a storm ready to break.
> "Our people didn't even land a single blow, while the Lin Clan stands without a scratch!"
"Is this the fairness you speak of, Xu Tian?!"
The crowd of onlookers murmured in unease.
The Zhao Clan's fury wasn't entirely baseless—on the surface, this was a humiliation.
Zhao Qingtian's chest heaved with barely restrained wrath.
> "If you think the Zhao Clan will let this go quietly, you are mistaken. Azure Cloud City cannot have two suns. Either the Lin Clan will kneel, or it will be erased. There is no third choice."
The words echoed like a vow of war.
Even the air trembled under the weight of his killing intent.
---
Xu Tian's eyes narrowed sharply, his calm demeanor turning to cold authority.
> "So, that's how it is, then."
He swept his gaze across both clans — the Zhao's burning with hate, the Lin's standing resolute yet tense.
> "You both want to claim dominance. Then fine."
He stepped forward, the faint golden light around him surging. Even the clouds above seemed to part as his voice rolled like thunder.
> "Since this all began with pills — let it end with pills."
The words struck everyone silent.
> "A pill competition," he declared.
"The Zhao Clan and the Lin Clan will face each other before the entire city. Whoever wins… will monopolize the pill market of Azure Cloud City."
He paused, his voice growing colder.
> "As for the loser—" he sneered faintly, "—they will close all their businesses, disband their trade routes, and leave the city forever."
A death sentence hidden beneath the guise of fairness.
The courtyard erupted in gasps. Even the neutral clans watching from the sidelines exchanged uneasy looks.
> "Leave the city… forever?"
"That's not just defeat, that's annihilation!"
Xu Tian's gaze swept across the Zhao Clan, then the Lin Clan.
> "Whoever refuses…"
"...will face me."
His aura flared briefly — the spiritual might of a Core Formation Realm cultivator blanketing the entire estate.
For a moment, everyone felt like ants beneath the gaze of a god.
Then, silence.
---
The Zhao Clan exchanged uneasy glances. Even for them, this was no small gamble.
Zhao Qingtian's face darkened. His instincts screamed danger — Lin Xian wasn't an opponent to be taken lightly. That boy's intelligence and cunning were monstrous.
But then, from his side, Zhao Feng, the clan's strategist, leaned close and whispered.
> "Patriarch… agree to it."
Zhao Qingtian frowned. "You would stake our clan's survival on this?"
Zhao Feng's lips curved in a cold smile.
> "We have an ace that Lin Clan cannot match. The Pill Academy Headmaster — your sworn brother. He's already at the Pinnacle of Alchemy in this city."
He continued, voice low and confident.
> "Half the formulas sold by our clan were created by him. Even the city's Pill Alliance bows to his experience. Lin Xian might be talented, yes…"
"…but against a man who has refined pills for over forty years?"
A faint chuckle escaped him.
> "Even if Lin Xian started concocting pills from his mother's womb, he still couldn't match the Pill Academy's Headmaster."
Zhao Qingtian's expression shifted — from hesitation to cruel satisfaction.
> "Hmph. You're right… that boy might be clever, but genius alone can't replace time."
His eyes glowed with renewed malice as he turned to Xu Tian.
> "Fine then. The Zhao Clan accepts the challenge."
Xu Tian nodded once, his expression unreadable.
But deep within his gaze, a flicker of intrigue danced — as if he already anticipated what kind of storm Lin Xian would unleash next.
To be continued...