The number of cultivators in the Core Formation and Foundation Establishment stages was even greater.
Wu Tao, on his end, was constantly awaiting news from the central court to avoid delaying the time for the grand gathering in the imperial capital of Chang'an.
With some time to spare, he set his sights on the dark forces within the Chu Domain.
After all, on the surface, Wu Tao and his Ascension Immortal Sect had no enemies left in the Chu Domain.
...
Light and darkness combined, and only then could the world be complete.
As the master of the righteous path in the Chu Domain, Wu Tao naturally would not let go of its dark side.
To capture the small traces of these dark forces, Wu Tao even specially sent people to collect information on them.
...
Compared to his younger self, the current Wu Tao preferred to strategize before acting.
Looking at the information gathered by his subordinates over the past few days, Wu Tao had already made up his mind to deal with the Phoenix Auction House, the largest auction house in the Chu Domain.
The nominal owner of this auction house was the second-rank family, the Huang family.
However, in reality, its composition was complex, with various forces involved.
But no matter how strong they were, they were no match for the current Wu Tao.
...
That's right, true powerhouses did not live in the shadows.
The few forces with the greatest influence always resided in the righteous path.
And within the righteous path, the court held the greatest power.
The headquarters of the Phoenix Auction House was located in "Black Blood City," the largest dark city in the Chu Domain.
Within Black Blood City, the forces were a tangled mess, but on the surface, the Huang family was the only one providing protection.
"Reporting to Sect Master, our undercover agents have sent back word that the Huang family's clandestine activities have begun." A Core Formation cultivator responsible for monitoring Black Blood City rushed over to Wu Tao.
"Oh, they've finally made a move?"
"I thought those fellows from the Huang family would cower like turtles and never dare to act."
"Nangong Nan, Nangong Xing, the two of you, take your people and begin your operation. It's a good time for you two to advance to the Nascent Soul stage."
"The two of you working together should be enough to destroy the Huang family."
"Yes, Master."
Seeing Wu Tao acting as a hands-off manager, Nangong Nan and Nangong Xing exchanged a glance before respectfully cupping their fists and replying.
Having grown into adulthood, the Nangong Nan and Nangong Xing sisters were both elegant and graceful.
They possessed the same stunning faces and delicate features, making one suspect they were sprites from the snow.
Beneath their finely drawn eyebrows were a pair of indifferent black and white pupils, a perfectly straight nose, lips like a dot of rouge, and a faint scent of gardenia emanating from their bodies.
"My disciples, take down Black Blood City, and hoist our Ascension Immortal Sect's flag. This dark and filthy place has come to its day of doom."
"The first disciple to plant the Ascension Immortal Sect's flag will be rewarded with thirty thousand spirit stones."
...
"Kill, kill, kill! Take down Black Blood City, replace it with our Ascension flag!"
As Nangong Nan's voice fell, her disciples, instantly stimulated by the immense reward, had their eyes turn red.
"Quick, quick, quick! Push out the firework cannons recently developed by the Artifact Refining Hall and aim them directly at the city gate and the defensive array. Strike them hard!"
As a new force, most of the people here were battle-hardened fighters. Even the Nangong Nan and Nangong Xing sisters put aside their usual gentleness, exhibiting a ferocity and decisiveness in battle that was second to none among men.
True high-ranking individuals had cruelty and ferocity flowing in their veins, otherwise, they would never have climbed to their current positions.
Sunshine and grandeur, much like the Confucian ideal of "outward sage, inward king," were merely deceptions.
"Fire! Let this city bloom with beautiful fireworks!"
Nangong Xing also showed no mercy, waving her hand directly, completely unconcerned about how many people would die as a result of this order.
This was probably what the real world should look like.
Perhaps only towards their own families, or towards what they had to protect, would people like the Nangong Nan and Nangong Xing sisters, who had experienced hardships and climbed to the top, have a soft side...
"Light the fuse..."
"Aim..."
"Fire!!!!"
With roars echoing, the defensive array of Black Blood City began to ripple.
Clearly, facing the continuous bombardment of hundreds of firework cannons, the defensive array of Black Blood City would not last long.
At the same time, shouts of battle erupted from within Black Blood City, as the undercover agents who had infiltrated earlier began their actions.
The undercover agents within Black Blood City, as agreed, had planted highly explosive "fire crystals" in several crucial locations.
With the explosion of the fire crystals, the defenses of Black Blood City immediately showed weaknesses, and the city gate was even blown open with a gap.
The fire mixed with black smoke further facilitated the surprise attack by the disciples of the Ascension Immortal Sect.
Regardless of the changes at the city gate or the chaos within Black Blood City, the commotion was so great that it was impossible to keep it a secret.
In fact, the Nangong Nan and Nangong Xing sisters had no intention of hiding it from anyone.
Huang De, the patriarch of the Huang family, rushed towards the city gate shortly after the chaos began.
He couldn't believe that someone would show such blatant disregard for their Huang family. This was a challenge to their Huang family's authority!
It seemed that after a long time without shedding blood to establish authority, these scoundrels thought their Huang family was a pushover.
...
"Tell our Huang family disciples to tear these invading杂碎s to shreds!"
After saying this, Huang De gathered his men and quickly headed for the city gate.
By the time Huang De arrived, the Huang family disciples at the city gate had already been routed.
Kicking away a sobbing Huang family disciple, Huang De unleashed his spiritual power, his voice shaking the heavens as he loudly shouted, "Which blind杂碎s are you? Come forth and die!"
From a distance, the Nangong Nan and Nangong Xing sisters, who had already killed two early-stage Nascent Soul cultivators, naturally noticed Huang De's arrival.
However, the Nangong Nan and Nangong Xing sisters were, after all, disciples of Wu Tao and possessors of the Twin God Body. Their vision and magnanimity were not something ordinary cultivators could compare to.
Therefore, even though Huang De, accompanied by three early-stage Nascent Soul cultivators, approached them furiously, the Nangong Nan and Nangong Xing sisters remained completely unfazed.
Thus, the Nangong Nan and Nangong Xing sisters proactively met them, engaging Huang De and the other three early-stage Nascent Soul cultivators.
Huang De was a mid-stage Nascent Soul cultivator and wielded his family's ancestral top-tier artifact, the Heavy Essence River Halberd.
"No matter who you are, and no matter your origin or background, daring to cause trouble in our Black Blood City will make you regret it."
Huang De spoke in a deep voice, his eyes filled with killing intent as he looked at the Nangong Nan and Nangong Xing sisters and said furiously.
...
"With just you? Huang De, are you even worthy? Killing you is merely a matter of effort for us sisters!"
"Today, the Huang family will be erased from the cultivation world of Purple Province!"
The Nangong Nan and Nangong Xing sisters responded disdainfully.
...
Behind them, the light and dark energies flowed, manifesting the Way of Yin and Yang of heaven and earth.
The Nangong Nan and Nangong Xing sisters looked at Huang De as if he were already a dead man.
Huang De knew that this was not a time for hesitation.
He also held a strong desire to kill these two leading sisters.
Today, he would use their lives to establish his might!
Huang De's robes fluttered in the wind as he floated in the air. A deep blue river materialized behind him, depicting the image of a great river flowing eastward, washing away all.
Huang De pointed his hand, and torrents of water weighing tens of thousands of tons spewed out, waves churning like a dam bursting, swallowing all things.
This was Huang De's renowned "First-Rank Divine Ability—The River of Declining Years."
The other three early-stage Nascent Soul cultivators were not idle either, taking out various artifacts to assist Huang De.
The Nangong Nan and Nangong Xing sisters exchanged a smile, quietly observing all this, their light and dark energies condensing, crushing all things!
The light and dark energies flowed, shredding all things, shattering all laws, turning everything into nothingness, shattering the great river, and destroying the artifacts!
The sound of flowing water echoed through the heavens and earth. Huang De performed hand seals, displaying his power. The Heavy Essence River Halberd manifested the aura of the origin of water.
Instantly, the light energy and the origin of myriad waters collided, emitting a world-shattering roar, like a great river crashing against the Five Sacred Mountains, a contest of strength that demanded a victor.
One was a contemporary hero, a titan of the dark forces in the Chu Domain.
The other was a peerless prodigy, born of the same mother, possessing dual light and dark bodies, their combined attack unmatched in the world.
...
"Huang De, today we sisters will behead you and use your head to deter those unruly dark forces."
The Nangong Nan and Nangong Xing sisters, with perfect synchronization, performed hand seals.
The light and dark energies transformed at their will, forming a sky-covering giant net of black and white, enveloping Huang De and the other three Nascent Soul cultivators.
Furthermore, this giant net was steadily tightening, attempting to directly refine Huang De and the other three Nascent Soul cultivators.
"Huang De, today, we send you on your way!"
Between heaven and earth, light and dark energies converged, and the Nangong Nan and Nangong Xing sisters each held a spear of diametrically opposite nature!
These two spears, one black and one white, like dragons, possessed the might to pierce the firmament at their tips!
Light and darkness merged, transforming into the void!
With a single strike, the river water shattered, turning into tiny droplets that vanished into the air.
...
Instantly, Huang De spat out a mouthful of blood, his figure rapidly retreating.
The other three early-stage Nascent Soul cultivators were not faring any better, all suffering collateral damage.
The Nangong Nan and Nangong Xing sisters stood in mid-air, proud and upright, streaks of sharp light flashing in their beautiful eyes, shimmering brilliantly.
"Damn it!"
"Orb of Primordial Water, strike!"
Wiping the blood from the corner of his mouth, Huang De's expression changed drastically, but he did not resign himself to fate. He spat out a dark blue bead.