In another private room of the Mo Xiang Tower, Li Ruohuan, the young master of the Li family, sat opposite Wang Juetian.
"Young Master Li, how much confidence do you have regarding this matter?" Wang Juetian asked directly with a slightly serious expression.
"If I act alone, my confidence would naturally not exceed fifty percent, but if your Patriarch Wang were to join me, I would have over ninety percent confidence!"
"That young man appears to be merely a cultivator of the second tribulation Nascent Soul stage. Even with a formidable background, his strength is ultimately limited. With our combined efforts, he won't be able to make any waves."
"Moreover, the Second Young Master had his cultivation crippled by that young man. Don't you wish for revenge, Patriarch Wang?" Li Ruohuan vigorously persuaded Wang Juetian.
Li Ruohuan was determined to acquire the withered branch of the Du E Tree. Even if the auction was unsuccessful, he intended to kill and seize the treasure.
However, he lacked absolute confidence acting alone, so he needed an accomplice. Wang Juetian, who bore a grudge against the young man, naturally became his first choice. Although Li Ruohuan was also a cultivator of the third tribulation Nascent Soul stage, he was still inferior to a peak third tribulation Nascent Soul cultivator like Wang Juetian.
"Your father's strength surpasses mine. Why are you seeking me out, Young Master Li?" Wang Juetian hesitated.
"My father has been in seclusion for several months, preparing to overcome the fourth tribulation of the Nascent Soul. It would be inconvenient to disturb him with such a trivial matter," Li Ruohuan said with a smile.
"The fourth tribulation of the Nascent Soul..."
Wang Juetian's breathing faltered slightly. Although he had also cultivated to the peak of the third tribulation Nascent Soul, he had no confidence whatsoever in facing the fourth tribulation. He could only forcefully suppress the impending tribulation. He knew that once the fourth tribulation of the Nascent Soul was triggered, the terrifying Celestial Immortal Fire would instantly incinerate his Nascent Soul. If that old fellow could truly overcome the fourth tribulation of the Nascent Soul, then Wu Ning City would likely be dominated by the Li family from then on.
"Since that is the case, let's do it!"
After Wang Juetian agreed, the two discussed some details while awaiting news. Not long after, a subordinate reported, "Young Master, that young man has departed towards the south of the city with a little girl. It appears they are preparing to leave the city."
Li Ruohuan and Wang Juetian exchanged glances and vanished from the room in a flash. They employed their movement techniques and arrived outside Wu Ning City ahead of Zhang Fan, lying in wait.
Zhang Fan seemed oblivious to all of this, walking out of Wu Ning City with Luo Xiaoxiao.
"Master, where are we going next?" Luo Xiaoxiao looked up at her master and asked.
"To cultivate," Zhang Fan replied with a smile.
Luo Xiaoxiao appeared bewildered, but she did as her master instructed, honestly following behind Zhang Fan as they left Wu Ning City. They walked for a long time. To allow Luo Xiaoxiao to keep up, Zhang Fan had to slow his pace. After nearly two hours, they had only covered a little over ten kilometers. Luo Xiaoxiao's delicate face was covered in sweat, and the road was rugged. Her feet were already slightly red and swollen, but she gritted her teeth and persevered.
"Take a rest. I'm going to deal with our tail," Zhang Fan said to Luo Xiaoxiao.
Luo Xiaoxiao was confused again. What tail did they have? Was her master not a human cultivator?
Then, Zhang Fan turned around and said, "You've been following us all this way. Shouldn't you come out now?"
"Hmm?"
Li Ruohuan and Wang Juetian, who were hidden in the dark, were slightly startled. They had used concealment techniques. How could this young man, with his second tribulation Nascent Soul cultivation, possibly detect them?
As they pondered this, a short figure appeared. It was the short middle-aged man who had vied with Zhang Fan for the withered branch of the Du E Tree in the auction hall.
"There's someone else?"
Li Ruohuan and Wang Juetian exchanged glances, both slightly taken aback. They hadn't expected that their idea of killing and seizing treasure wasn't unique. Since someone else was making a move, they naturally wouldn't rush. As the saying goes, the mantis stalks the cicada, unaware of the oriole behind. Today, they decided to be the oriole.
After revealing himself, the short middle-aged man summoned a gleaming long saber with a wave of his hand. The blade's sharp edge reflected chilling rays of light.
Luo Xiaoxiao finally understood what her master meant by "tail." However, this short man looked very powerful. She wondered if her master could defeat him.
"My target is only the withered branch of the Du E Tree. Hand it over, and you can live. Otherwise, both of you will die!" the short middle-aged man said coldly. "You have three breaths of time. Hand over the withered branch of the Du E Tree."
"Fellow Daoist, killing and seizing treasures is not a good habit," Zhang Fan said with a playful tone. However, he didn't stop his movements. He took out a pair of golden, resplendent gloves from his Star Domain space and put them on unhurriedly.
"Three breaths of time have passed. Since you are unwilling to part with the treasure, then die!"
Before the short middle-aged man's voice faded, he unleashed a saber strike. Nearly a thousand strands of saber dao rules were integrated into the saber's glow, stirring the surrounding spiritual energy for tens of kilometers. With unparalleled might, it slashed directly at Zhang Fan.
"What's happening?"
Cultivators within Wu Ning City sensed the disturbance in the spiritual energy and followed the source. They saw a dazzling saber beam slash across the sky. Before it even landed, it had already carved a trench several kilometers long in the earth.
*Clang!*
With a clear sound, Zhang Fan raised his fist and met the saber beam head-on. With a single punch, he dispersed it. Before the short middle-aged man's horrified gaze, Zhang Fan transformed into a bolt of lightning and instantly appeared before him.
"Die!"
Zhang Fan struck with lightning speed, aiming a punch directly at the man's chest, piercing through it instantly.
*Boom!*
Simultaneously, Zhang Fan activated the Golden Radiance Origin Fire within his gloves. A stream of golden flames erupted and burst forth from the short middle-aged man's body. Within moments, a powerful third tribulation Nascent Soul cultivator was reduced to ashes by the Golden Radiance Origin Fire, leaving only his Nascent Soul, which Zhang Fan had deliberately preserved. At this moment, the Nascent Soul's small face was filled with terror. It had never imagined that this young man, who appeared to be merely a second tribulation Nascent Soul cultivator, possessed such terrifying strength. He was annihilated in one move, without even a chance to self-detonate his Nascent Soul.
Zhang Fan circulated his spiritual power, sealed the Nascent Soul, and collected it into his Star Domain space. After all, a third tribulation Nascent Soul was still of great use to him at this stage.
On the imposing city walls of Wu Ning City, many powerful cultivators turned their gazes towards this location. They had expected a magnificent duel, but instead, a third tribulation Nascent Soul expert couldn't even withstand a single move and was instantly annihilated by the young man, leaving nothing behind. Such a scene was truly astonishing. To achieve such a feat, what was the young man's true strength? A peak fourth tribulation Nascent Soul? Or perhaps a fifth tribulation Nascent Soul cultivator?
"He is truly as monstrous as the rumors say. With his cultivation at the second tribulation Nascent Soul stage, his explosive power has likely reached the level of a peak fourth tribulation Nascent Soul." Shangguan Jing was also watching this scene from the walls of Wu Ning City. A distance of over ten kilometers was a mere flash for Nascent Soul stage cultivators.
Luo Xiaoxiao's mouth hung open as she watched this scene. In her eyes, her master was like a god at this moment.