Heavenly Dao Engine
Chapter 1546 - 1546 0896 Scions of Noble Families

Chapter 1546: Chapter 0896: Scions of Noble Families Chapter 1546: Chapter 0896: Scions of Noble Families Chapter 0896: Scions of Noble Families

Qi Tian and Huang Liuyan were visiting this city for the first time and were both completely in the dark about what it was like. At this moment, Yi Xuwen took the initiative and said, “Come, I’ll take you to find a place to stay.”

As Yi Xuwen spoke, other people had already begun to make their moves, clearly having made extensive preparations in advance.

Yi Xuwen led the two through the city called Relay City, down major streets and through narrow alleys, eventually arriving at an unassuming inn. Yi Xuwen said with a smile, “Don’t judge by its appearance; although small, it has everything a lodge should have. Plus, it has one advantage you won’t find elsewhere—it’s cheap. We’re heading to the Holy City to participate in the grand competition, and the journey is long; we might encounter all sorts of emergencies. When it comes to lodging, we should save where we can. The resources saved for cultivation could prove pivotal at any time. Great Elder, I’m not skimping on accommodations for you.”

Qi Tian smiled faintly and replied, “I’m fine with whatever, even camping outside would be acceptable to me.”

The three entered the inn, only to discover that there were quite a few guests inside, with many cultivators like Qi Tian who were transferring through Relay City, including Nascent Soul Masters like Yi Xuwen. It seemed that there were quite a few cultivators who shared Yi Xuwen’s way of thinking.

Yi Xuwen secured three rooms at the counter, then told Qi Tian and Huang Liuyan to rest early, as they had to continue their journey the next day.

Huang Liuyan initially wanted to help Qi Tian tidy up the room, but seeing her complexion wasn’t great, Qi Tian insisted she rest first. The consecutive long-distance teleportations had tired him as well, and he needed to rest properly.

Without insisting further, Huang Liuyan told Qi Tian to call her if he needed anything and then returned to her own room.

Qi Tian took out Array Disks and Array Flags, intending to set up a simple array when suddenly he felt as if the inn were enveloped by low atmospheric pressure. His instincts kicked in, and he put away the Array Disks and Array Flags.

“All the cultivators at the peak of the Gold Core Realm staying in Relay City, listen up. I’m giving you the time it takes to sip a cup of tea to gather five miles north of the city. Otherwise, I’ll make things unpleasant for you.”

The speaker’s voice was domineering; his words were commands, allowing no room for refusal and cutting off any discussion.

Qi Tian’s brow creased almost imperceptibly. He had just used the Heavenly Dao Engine to scan Relay City and its surroundings for Spirit Qi, and to his surprise, he discovered significant changes had occurred in Relay City without anyone noticing. Firstly, the Teleportation Array at the city center had stopped operating, with its core damaged and a large portion missing. Secondly, except for the north, Nascent Soul Masters were stationed outside the city in various numbers, forming a siege that enveloped Relay City, suggesting they were ready to capture their target.

The sudden emergence of such a situation was surely not good. Qi Tian pondered over which power was behind this and what their intentions might be.

Before Qi Tian could figure it out, Yi Xuwen appeared outside his room door, speaking urgently and in hushed tones, “Great Elder, have you rested? There’s trouble; it’d be best for you to come out.”

Qi Tian stepped out of his room and asked, “Mansion Master, what exactly is going on?”

Yi Xuwen looked very distressed and said, “It’s very likely we’ve encountered noble scions who are clearing out their competition. Let’s go find Vice President Lu and see what he suggests.”

At that time, Huang Liuyan also emerged from her room, and upon hearing the conversation, she wanted to join, but Yi Xuwen flatly refused. The situation they faced was extremely dangerous and beyond the capabilities of cultivators at Huang Liuyan’s level. She not only couldn’t help but might also cause further trouble.

Yi Xuwen rushed with Qi Tian to find Lu Songsheng. By then, Lu Songsheng had already joined up with Zhang Chenghua, both wearing grave expressions.

Zhang Chenghua said flatly, “No one anticipated this kind of emergency, but since we’re here, there’s no possibility of avoidance. Additionally, I must clarify that in this situation, we can’t help you—you’ll have to rely on yourselves to resolve this crisis. Those of you who are going to participate in the competition, don’t just stand there. Hurry up and follow the instructions to leave the city and gather to the north.”

No one expected such a callous statement from Zhang Chenghua. Qi Tian was somewhat better off with some confidence in his abilities, but Zhang Baolin and the others were panicked, having never faced a situation like this. They had initially hoped that Zhang Chenghua would support them, but he had abandoned them so quickly.

They all turned their hopes to Lu Songsheng, the Vice President of Wanjie Commerce.

Lu Songsheng sighed and said, “You go first; we will follow soon to negotiate with them and do our best to ensure your safety.”

With even Lu Songsheng echoing that sentiment, the matter left no room for negotiation. Without a word, Qi Tian lifted his foot and flew north out of the city. Although Zhang Baolin and the others were reluctant, they had no choice but to follow Qi Tian out of the city.

Shortly after Qi Tian flew out of Relay City, he spotted a flat terrain not far ahead. There, about a dozen chairs were arranged in a row, with five already occupied. The remaining chairs were empty. Behind these chairs stood dozens of cultivators, several of whom were at the Nascent Soul Stage. In Wanjie City, Nascent Soul Masters were revered and held in high esteem, but here, they stood like servants in uniform, their posture submissive, devoid of any aura of respect.

Qi Tian inwardly gasped at the scene, which gave him a profound sense of the caliber of cultivator he had encountered, a background unmatched by anyone he had met before. Not even Wanjie Commerce or the Ink Flood Dragon Association could display such grandeur.

At the center of the arranged chairs sat a very young cultivator with a juvenile face, no more than sixteen or seventeen, yet the aura he emanated unmistakably identified him as a genuine cultivator at the peak of the Gold Core Realm.