From the fake emperor to the concubine

Three days later, it was a dark and windy night.

In the vast mountains outside Qingyun City, more than 300 cultivators were fully prepared, their expressions solemn, their eyes gleaming with excitement and tension.

Wang Tianhai stood at the front of the group, dressed in a long white robe, his white hair fluttering gently in the night breeze. His face was expressionless, but his eyes burned like flames, revealing the hatred and anticipation suppressed for twenty years.

"Gentlemen," he began, his voice not loud, yet clear enough to reach everyone's ears, "twenty years ago, we were forced to leave Qingyun City, our wives and children torn apart, our homes destroyed. For twenty years, we have endured humiliation and hardship, biding our time, all for this moment."

"Tonight, we will reclaim everything that is rightfully ours."

"Kill!" More than three hundred people shouted in unison, their voices echoing through the mountains and forests.

Zheng Yi stood beside Wang Tianhai, quietly watching everything unfold.

He was still wearing that long black robe tonight, his face veiled, revealing only a pair of deep eyes. In the torchlight, his figure appeared exceptionally mysterious and unpredictable.

“Mr. Dark Night,” Wang Tianhai turned to him, “is everything ready in the city?”

“Everything is ready,” Zheng Yi nodded. “At midnight, the people in the city will make their move.”

"Okay." Wang Tianhai took a deep breath. "Then let's set off."

With a wave of his hand, more than three hundred people transformed into streaks of light and flew towards Qingyun City.

Meanwhile, in Qingyun City.

In a small alley in the east of the city, dozens of people dressed in black were gathered together. The leader was a one-eyed middle-aged man, a centurion of the city guard and one of Wang Tianhai's former subordinates.

"The time is almost up," the one-eyed middle-aged man said in a low voice. "Is everyone ready?"

"Ready!" everyone responded in unison.

"Remember, once you start, immediately disperse," the one-eyed middle-aged man ordered. "Set fire to the west gate, create chaos at the east gate, and spread rumors at the north gate. Make sure to draw the city guards' attention away and create an opportunity for Master Wang."

"clear."

The one-eyed middle-aged man looked at the sky; the moon was already obscured by thick clouds, and the entire city was shrouded in darkness.

"It's midnight," he hissed. "Make your move!"

Dozens of men in black quickly dispersed and rushed toward their respective targets.

Moments later, a raging fire suddenly broke out near the west gate. The fire spread rapidly, quickly engulfing several shops, billowing thick smoke and shooting flames into the sky.

"Fire! Fire!" Terrified cries echoed through the night sky.

The city guards' patrols immediately rushed to the west gate to try to extinguish the fire.

Meanwhile, a commotion arose from the east gate. A group of men in black stormed into the city guards' barracks and began fighting with the guards. Although outnumbered, they moved swiftly, striking and fleeing, keeping the city guards busy.

Chaos reigned at the north gate. Someone shouted in the street, "Wang Tianhai is back!" causing widespread panic. People rushed into their homes, afraid to go out. The city guards had to send a portion of their forces to maintain order.

In an instant, the entire Qingyun City was plunged into chaos.

Inside the city lord's mansion, Li Tiancheng was handling official business in his study.

Suddenly, a guard rushed in and knelt down.

"Report! Lord City Lord, something has happened in the city!"

"What is it?" Li Tiancheng asked, frowning.

"The west gate is flooded, there's trouble at the east gate, and rumors are spreading at the north gate that Wang Tianhai has returned."

Li Tiancheng's expression changed drastically, and he stood up abruptly.

"Wang Tianhai?" he said coldly. "He really came?"

“I’m not sure,” the guard said, “but the city is indeed in chaos, and the city guards have already been dispatched to deal with it.”

Li Tiancheng narrowed his eyes, secretly calculating in his mind.

The sudden appearance of so many incidents in the city clearly indicates that someone is orchestrating this behind the scenes. If it really was Wang Tianhai who did it, then his target must be the City Lord's Mansion.

"Send the order: all guards in the city lord's mansion must be on high alert," he commanded. "Also, summon the three retainers; I have something to discuss with them."

"Yes!" The guard accepted the order and left.

Li Tiancheng walked to the window, looked at the dark night sky outside, and a cold smile appeared on his lips.

“Wang Tianhai, you’ve finally arrived,” he murmured. “This city lord has been waiting for you for a long time.”

He remained calm. Although some of the city lord's guards had been redeployed, the core forces were still intact. Moreover, he had three late-stage Nascent Soul Realm elders, and together with himself, they were more than capable of handling Wang Tianhai's small force.

What's more, he even hired an assassin.

Thinking of this, Li Tiancheng frowned slightly.

There's been no news from "Dark Night" for several days now. What is he doing? Why hasn't he made a move yet?

"Never mind, even without him, I, the city lord, can handle Wang Tianhai," Li Tiancheng thought to himself.

He turned and walked out of the study toward the council chamber.

Behind the city lord's mansion, there is a dense bamboo forest.

Zheng Yi, along with Wang Tianhai and a dozen elite soldiers, quietly infiltrated this place.

Beyond the bamboo grove lies the back wall of the City Lord's Mansion, covered with restrictions and formations that emit a faint glow. This is the City Lord's Mansion's defensive system, impossible for ordinary people to breach.

But Zheng Yi had already found the flaw.

"This is it." He pointed to an inconspicuous corner on the back wall. "There's a gap in the barrier here, a weak point in the formation. Breaking through from here will only take the time it takes for an incense stick to burn."

Wang Tianhai nodded. "Mr. Dark Night, thank you for your trouble."

Zheng Yi didn't say anything, walked to the back wall, and placed his hands on the wall.

His spiritual power slowly surged forth, seeping into the restrictions along the wall. The restrictions, like living things, tried to resist his intrusion, but were utterly powerless in the face of his overwhelming spiritual power.

Buzz buzz.
The restriction began to tremble, emitting a slight buzzing sound.

Zheng Yi frowned slightly and increased the output of his spiritual power.

A moment later, with a "crack," the barrier collapsed. A gap about one person's height appeared in the back wall, just big enough for one person to pass through.

"Let's go," Zheng Yi said in a low voice.

The group filed in and sneaked into the city lord's mansion.

The city lord's mansion was larger than I had imagined. Pavilions, terraces, rockeries, and ponds were arranged in a harmonious and orderly fashion. Guards patrolled everywhere, and torches illuminated the area brightly.

Zheng Yi led the group, avoiding the patrolling guards, and quietly made their way towards the council hall.

Their target was clear—Li Tiancheng. Killing Li Tiancheng would leave the City Lord's Mansion leaderless, and the situation would be settled. However, just as they approached the council hall, they suddenly stopped.

A group of people stood in the square in front of the council chamber.

Leading the group was Li Tiancheng, dressed in a brocade robe, standing with his hands behind his back, a cold smile on his face. Behind him stood three gray-robed elders, their auras profound; they were clearly the three senior retainers of the City Lord's Mansion. In addition, there were dozens of guards, completely surrounding the square.

"Wang Tianhai, I've been waiting for you for a long time," Li Tiancheng said calmly as he looked at Wang Tianhai emerging from the shadows.

Wang Tianhai's expression changed. "You knew we were coming all along?"

“Of course,” Li Tiancheng sneered. “Do you think your old subordinates in the city are so well hidden? This city lord has their names in hand for a long time. I just haven’t made a move yet.”

"How could I, the city lord, not know about the commotion you caused in the city tonight? A feint, a coordinated attack from within and without—who could you possibly fool with such petty tricks?"

Wang Tianhai's expression grew increasingly grim.

He hadn't expected Li Tiancheng to be so prepared. It seemed their plan had been seen through from the very beginning.

"Since you knew all along, why didn't you act beforehand?" Wang Tianhai asked in a deep voice.

“Because I, the city lord, want to wipe them all out in one fell swoop,” Li Tiancheng said. “When you were hiding in the mountains, it was difficult for me to take action. But now that you’ve delivered yourself to my doorstep, it’s a different story.”

His gaze swept over the dozen or so people behind Wang Tianhai, and finally landed on Zheng Yi.

"This must be the infamous 'Dark Night'," he said. "I paid you five million spirit stones to kill Wang Tianhai, but I never expected you to be colluding with him. I will settle this score with you."

Zheng Yi didn't say anything, he just stood there quietly.

His divine sense had already extended outwards, sensing the surrounding situation. Although the city lord's mansion had many guards, most of them had been transferred to deal with the riots in the city. Only the people in front of him remained here.

Li Tiancheng, peak of the Integration Realm.

All three worshippers were at the late stage of the Integration Realm.

Dozens of guards, ranging from the early to mid-stages of the Integration Realm.

This lineup is indeed very strong, but it's not enough to make Zheng Yi wary.

“Li Tiancheng,” Wang Tianhai took a deep breath, “tonight, we must settle things once and for all.”

"A clean break?" Li Tiancheng laughed loudly. "You? Wang Tianhai, do you think you've been cultivating diligently for the past twenty years while I, the city lord, have remained stagnant? Let me tell you, my strength now is more than ten times greater than it was twenty years ago. You are no match for me at all."

"Whether someone is a match or not, we'll only know after we fight," Wang Tianhai said coldly.

His spiritual energy began to surge, and a powerful aura erupted from him. That aura was like a monstrous wave, spreading outwards and causing many of the guards present to change their expressions.

The oppressive aura of someone in the early stages of the Mahayana realm!

Li Tiancheng's expression also changed slightly.

He hadn't expected that Wang Tianhai had actually broken through to the Mahayana realm. This old fellow had spent twenty years cultivating diligently on the border and had actually achieved something.

But he quickly regained his composure.

"So what if I'm only at the early stage of the Mahayana Realm?" he sneered. "Although I'm only at the peak of the Integration Realm, I've been studying combat techniques all these years, which is something someone like you who only knows how to cultivate in seclusion can't compare to."

"Enough talk, let's get started." After saying that, Wang Tianhai moved swiftly and rushed towards Li Tiancheng.

He moved incredibly fast, becoming a white blur in the moonlight, and arrived in front of Li Tiancheng in the blink of an eye.

With a single palm strike, the wind howled, carrying the pressure of a Mahayana Realm expert, and slammed towards Li Tiancheng's chest.

Li Tiancheng was prepared and dodged the palm strike by sidestepping. At the same time, his right hand transformed from a fist into a claw, reaching for Wang Tianhai's throat.

The grab was swift and ruthless, carrying a sharp gust of wind; if it had landed on Wang Tianhai, his throat would have been torn apart.

Wang Tianhai snorted coldly, blocked Li Tiancheng's attack with his left hand, and struck out again with his right hand.

boom!
The two exchanged a blow and both took a few steps back.

“Not bad,” Li Tiancheng said, narrowing his eyes, “Your strength has indeed improved considerably after breaking through to the Great Ascension Realm. But with this much strength alone, it’s not enough to kill me, the city lord.”

"Is that so?" Wang Tianhai sneered. "Then let me see just how much you're worth."

He charged forward again and engaged Li Tiancheng in battle.

The two exchanged blows, fists and palms flying, locked in a fierce and evenly matched fight. Although Wang Tianhai was of a higher cultivation level, Li Tiancheng had far more combat experience, and for a time, the two were evenly matched.

At the same time, the three gray-robed priests also moved.

Instead of helping Li Tiancheng, they rushed towards Zheng Yi and the others.

"Stop them!" Chen Feng shouted, leading several experts in the late stage of the Integration Realm to meet them.

The two sides immediately engaged in battle.

The gray-robed elder was indeed very strong, but Chen Feng and his group were no pushovers either. They had followed Wang Tianhai for many years, experienced countless battles, and were well-coordinated and experienced in combat. Although outnumbered, they managed to hold their own for a time.

The remaining guards were entangled by the others brought by Wang Tianhai.

In an instant, the entire square was filled with the glint of swords and the deafening shouts of battle.

Zheng Yi stood aside, observing coldly.

He didn't make a move. According to the plan, he was only responsible for the final blow. Before that, he needed to conserve his strength to deal with any unforeseen circumstances.

Moreover, he also wanted to see Wang Tianhai's true strength.

In the center of the square, the battle between Wang Tianhai and Li Tiancheng grew increasingly fierce.

Wang Tianhai unleashed a barrage of attacks, his palm strikes whistling through the air, each move carrying the pressure of an early-stage Mahayana Realm cultivator. His attacks were swift and ruthless, like a storm, leaving Li Tiancheng struggling to keep up.

But Li Tiancheng was no pushover either.

Although he was only at the peak of the Integration Realm, his movements were unpredictable and his moves were tricky. He was always able to dodge Wang Tianhai's attacks at the last second and then counterattack.

Moreover, he now had an additional weapon in his hand—a black longsword.

The longsword was entirely black, exuding a chilling aura; it was clearly no ordinary weapon. A faint black light flowed along the blade, seemingly containing some terrifying power.

"This is my treasure," Li Tiancheng sneered, "called the 'Soul-Devouring Sword,' a high-grade spiritual weapon. Anyone pierced by it will have their soul devoured, without even a chance to be reincarnated."

As he spoke, he swung his longsword, and a black sword aura slashed towards Wang Tianhai.

The sword energy contained a strange power, causing Wang Tianhai's expression to change slightly.

He dodged the sword energy by sidestepping, but it still grazed his arm.

laugh!
His sleeve was torn, revealing a shallow wound on his arm. The wound wasn't deep, but a black aura seeped into Wang Tianhai's body through it.

"This is..." Wang Tianhai's expression changed drastically. He felt the black aura eroding his spiritual power, slowing his movements. (End of Chapter)