A wide, dusty road stretched under the blazing sun. Seven or eight horse-drawn wagons trundled along at a leisurely pace, their wheels kicking up clouds of fine dust. The scorching sunlight beat down upon the guards flanking the convoy, drenching them in sweat. Irritated curses echoed constantly along the road.
Jia Lie Nu—one of only two remaining elders of the Jia Lie family—had recently advanced to the rank of Three-Star Great Dou Master. In a city like Wutan, that made him one of the more formidable figures around. That the family had entrusted him personally to escort this medicinal shipment spoke volumes about how desperately important these herbs had become. Though it seemed Jia Lie Nu had not yet learned of Liu Xi's disappearance; otherwise, he would have turned these expensive herbs right back around.
Seated cross-legged atop one of the wagons, Jia Lie Nu remained perfectly still despite the constant jolting. Two full days of travel had tried the patience of a man accustomed to comfort, and irritation was beginning to show.
"It's all because of that damned Xiao Clan. I'll bring them down sooner or later," he growled through clenched teeth. He tilted his head slightly, peering through the carriage window at the low-grade medicinal herbs stacked neatly behind him. A trace of helplessness crossed his otherwise expressionless face. While Spatial Rings made transport incredibly convenient, a low-grade one held only two or three square meters of space. Loading all these herbs would require at least five such rings, and Spatial Rings were expensive and rare—even the entire Jia Lie family owned only two. So they were stuck with these cumbersome wagons.
He blinked wearily, about to doze off for a moment, when the wagons ahead suddenly ground to a halt. Shouting could be heard from the front.
Frowning, Jia Lie Nu was about to send someone to investigate when a Jia Lie guard came sprinting back from the front, breathlessly reporting: "Elder, a black-robed figure has blocked our path for no apparent reason!"
Jia Lie Nu's expression darkened. They were already within Wutan City's territory—who would dare intercept them here?
A cold gleam flashed in his eyes. He nodded slightly, leaped down from the wagon, and strode quickly to the front of the convoy. Sure enough, a black-robed figure sat casually atop a large boulder in the middle of the road. Though the figure's face was hidden, Jia Lie Nu could sense that the gaze beneath those robes carried unmistakable ill intent.
"Who are you? Why do you block our road?" Jia Lie Nu's voice was deep and measured.
"You people are from the Jia Lie family, correct?" An aged voice drifted slowly from beneath the black robes.
Jia Lie Nu's face twitched. With a cold expression, he swept his arm backward, and dozens of guards behind him immediately drew their weapons, fixing them warily on the mysterious figure.
"Hmm, seems I found the right ones." The black-robed figure gave a faint smile at Jia Lie Nu's reaction, then hopped down from the boulder and began walking slowly toward the convoy.
Jia Lie Nu's face was grim as he watched the approaching figure. He snatched a massive bow from a guard beside him, pulled the string taut, and released. The arrow screamed through the air with a piercing whistle, shooting directly at the black-robed figure's throat.
The arrow hurtled forward with terrifying force, but when it reached within a meter of the black-robed figure, a mass of bone-white flame materialized out of thin air. The arrow pierced into the flame and instantly disintegrated into black powder.
Watching this, Jia Lie Nu's expression shifted. A seed of unease took root in his heart—this black-robed figure was clearly no weaker than a Great Dou Master.
He exhaled slowly, then reached behind him to receive a deep-blue long spear from an attendant. A faint blue Dou Qi began seeping from his body, and the surrounding air grew noticeably more humid. His cultivation technique was clearly of the water element, leaning toward the cold and yin side.
Gripping the spear tightly, Jia Lie Nu fixed his stare on the black-robed figure. After a moment of adjustment, his foot slammed against the ground and his body shot forward like a streak of blue light, charging directly at the steadily approaching figure.
Mid-air, Jia Lie Nu's expression turned solemn. His long spear twisted violently, Dou Qi radiating brilliantly along its length. The spear hummed with a resonant singing tone.
"Wave Overlap!"
"Wave Overlap"—a Profound-tier low-grade Dou Technique. This was the most advanced technique Jia Lie Nu had ever mastered, and years of dedicated practice had brought it to a level of perfection. At full power, even a Six-Star Great Dou Master would not dare take it lightly.
As Jia Lie Nu's shout fell, a massive surge of blue energy burst from the glowing spear. The energy manifested as a towering blue wave that crashed skyward before plummeting down toward the black-robed figure standing motionless in its path.
The guards nearby erupted in triumphant cheers as their elder displayed his might. Along this route, they had already encountered several bands of bandits, and every single one had ended as casualties beneath Jia Lie Nu's spear. In many people's eyes, another name was about to be added to that list.
The blue wave roiled across the sky, and within it, a brilliant pinpoint of light flared suddenly—a spear, flashing like lightning toward the black-robed figure's head—
But the figure merely raised one skeletal hand. A pillar of bone-white flame erupted from his palm, colliding with the spear's tip. The impact sent shockwaves rippling outward, and Jia Lie Nu felt a violent tremor travel up his arms. His face drained of color as he was hurled backward through the air, crashing into the side of a wagon with a heavy thud.
"You... what level are you?!" Jia Lie Nu struggled upright, blood trickling from the corner of his mouth. His spear lay bent and twisted on the ground, its tip melted into a shapeless lump.
The black-robed figure withdrew his hand, the bone-white flame dissipating like smoke. His aged voice carried a hint of amusement: "I'm just a nobody passing through. But these herbs... I'm afraid they won't be reaching the Jia Lie family today."
Before Jia Lie Nu could respond, a wave of bone-chilling cold swept across the convoy. The black-robed figure raised both hands, and two streams of flame—one bone-white, the other a deep purple—twined together in a spiraling column that shot toward the wagons.
"NO!" Jia Lie Nu screamed, but it was already too late.
The dual-colored flame struck the first wagon, and in the span of a single heartbeat, the entire cargo burst into spectral fire. The medicinal herbs didn't merely burn—they sublimated, transforming into wisps of fragrant smoke that rose into the air before vanishing completely.
One wagon after another, the flames raced down the line. Within moments, all seven or eight wagons had been reduced to smoldering husks. The entire shipment—forty thousand gold coins' worth of herbs—had been annihilated.
The guards stood frozen in shock, unable to process what had just happened. Several of them collapsed to their knees, their faces white as paper.
Jia Lie Nu's eyes were bloodshot as he stared at the black-robed figure. "You... who sent you?!"
The black-robed figure turned to leave, his aged voice drifting back: "No one sent me. Consider this... a lesson from the Heavens."
And then, like a wisp of smoke, he vanished.
Jia Lie Nu stood alone amid the ruins of the convoy, his fists clenched so tightly that his knuckles cracked. The herbs were gone. Forty thousand gold coins—borrowed on credit—gone in an instant. The thirty thousand gold coins still owed to the Telan City medicinal family might as well be a death sentence.
Behind him, the guards exchanged terrified glances. Not one of them had recognized the attacker's technique, but everyone knew one thing for certain—the Jia Lie family had just suffered a blow from which it might never recover.
---
Back in Wutan City, Xiao Yan stood on a rooftop overlooking the road leading north, watching a thin column of smoke rise in the far distance. A faint smile played across his lips.
"Not bad, old man," Yao Lao's voice echoed in his mind. "You didn't even have to lift a finger."
Xiao Yan shrugged: "The credit is yours. That dual-flame technique of yours is simply terrifying."
"Heh heh, and you've been practicing it diligently. Once your cultivation catches up, you'll be able to use it yourself." Yao Lao paused. "With this, the Jia Lie family's last hope for a comeback has been crushed."
Xiao Yan nodded, his gaze sweeping across the cityscape below. The wind carried the distant sounds of merchants hawking their wares, children laughing, and the general bustle of daily life. None of these people had any idea that the balance of power in their city had just shifted irrevocably.
"Let's go back," Xiao Yan said softly. "Tomorrow, the Jia Lie family is going to have a very bad day."
He turned and descended from the rooftop, his black cloak billowing behind him like wings of shadow.