"Ah!"

A piercing scream echoed from outside the North Gate, and everyone glanced in horror at Kong Qianshan, one of the Twin Thunder Sons from Sky Thunder Valley, or rather at the bloody hole in his right shoulder.

Just moments ago, Kong Qianshan had deftly dodged the impending strike from the fiery red bird aimed at his chest, but the bird's speed was unstoppable, thwarting Kong Qianshan's hopes of escaping unscathed.

Its extreme speed seemed to possess immense piercing power, as the fiery red bird tore through Kong Qianshan's right shoulder. If not for its slender form, Kong Qianshan might have lost his entire right arm.

Yet at this moment, Kong Qianshan's right arm was as good as severed, causing everyone to feel shock as the hole was devoid of blood, a scene eerily bizarre.

No one understood the overpowering fire attribute aura of the Ancient Heavenly Phoenix. While piercing Kong Qianshan's right shoulder, the Heavenly Phoenix Fire had already evaporated all his flesh and blood, leaving no blood to surface for the time being.

The intense pain was unbearable even for Kong Qianshan, one of the Twin Thunder Sons of Sky Thunder Valley. His eyes were filled with venomous hatred, yet a trace of fear lingered when his gaze fell on the coarse-clothed youth.

Deep down, Kong Qianshan realized that this assault was a miscalculation, and from today onward, not only would his brother Kong Sihai cease to exist, but his position as one of the Twin Thunder Sons would also have to be relinquished.

With one brother dead and one wounded, it's clear there would be no more renown for the Twin Thunder Sons throughout the Southern Domain of Tenglong Continent. Even if Kong Qianshan retained a life, his right arm's piercing would diminish his cultivation talent, letting others surpass him.

But who could have predicted that an ordinary youth at the Peak of Qi Seeking Realm possessed not only a weapon suspected to be of Heavenly Rank but also had an eighth rank low-level Meridian Spirit within?

The concept of Meridian Spirits is known even to cultivators outside of Spirit Fighting Commerce. Those formidable Vein Demons are all exceedingly proud; even low-level Vein Demons wouldn't willingly become human Meridian Spirits, let alone high-ranked ones.

Typically, cultivators can't refine a Meridian Spirit that exceeds their own cultivation level. Even members of illustrious families or powerful forces face risks when refining high-ranked Vein Demons, as a single misstep could cost their lives.

The scene unfolding before them not only filled Kong Qianshan with rage and bitterness but also startled Xiao Qiming and Chu Nian, who had previously been full of confidence.

Xiao Qiming, the self-proclaimed mastermind who claimed to have all strategies in hand, now felt the situation slipping out of control. Initially, he thought the coarse-clothed youth's weapon was merely formidable, but he hadn't expected such a powerful Meridian Spirit.

Judging by the fiery red bird Meridian Spirit's speed, Xiao Qiming reckoned if it targeted him, his fate might not be much better than Kong Qianshan's.

"Tsk tsk, from your expression, it seems you still want my life!"

Just as thoughts stirring in Xiao Qiming's mind, a voice filled with reflection suddenly came from the mouth of the coarse-clothed youth. Then, with a slight flick of his right index finger, the fiery red bird that had just darted from Kong Qianshan's shoulder spun in midair and returned.

Crunch!

As everyone still pondered Yun Xiao's cryptic words, the severely injured Kong Qianshan had no chance to react, no thoughts of dodging even arose before the fiery red bird drilled into his back and then burst through his chest.

Now everyone could see clearly; the blood hole in Kong Qianshan's shoulder had extended through his chest and back, leaving a chilling trail. Though no blood sprayed, they all understood this marked the end of one of the Twin Thunder Sons from Sky Thunder Valley.

"The Twin Thunder Sons both died by that youth's hand. This is just..."

The nearby spectators could no longer regard that coarse-clothed youth as a mere ordinary youth at the Peak of Qi Seeking Realm. Their tone became noticeably more respectful.

This continent is ultimately ruled by strength, with figures like Xiao Qiming and Chu Nian having profound backgrounds. Their brilliant cultivation talent holds limitless potential for their future achievements.

For ordinary geniuses of other first-class forces, these cultivators generally pay little attention. Thus, when Yun Xiao displayed a strength surpassing the Kong brothers, renowned talents from Sky Thunder Valley, opinions began transforming in their minds.

Some people might believe Yun Xiao relied on external power to slay Kong Sihai and Kong Qianshan. Still, wasn't his weapon and the fiery red bird Meridian Spirit also part of his strength?

Some even speculated this coarse-clothed youth, so powerful at the Peak of Qi Seeking Realm, refining an eighth rank low-level Meridian Spirit, might also be from a first-class force or even one of the four top forces?

While those nearby cultivators were engaged in discussions, a plump middle-aged woman stood atop a tree in another direction. If anyone noticed, they'd realize this was Mei Qian, the Elder presiding over the auction from the Spirit Fighting Branch.

"Tsk tsk, this kid hid so deeply, even fooled me!"

Watching the corpse of Kong Qianshan collapse on the ground over there, Mei Qian's almond-shaped eyes flashed with a gleam. In fact, she just wanted to come to see the excitement, but she hadn't expected it to end like this.

Mei Qian was quite knowledgeable about the brothers of the Kong Family. In her view, the two brothers, along with Xiao Qiming and Chu Nian, four early-stage Origin Seeking Realm talents, were going to trouble a boy at the peak of the Qi Seeking Realm. Was the result even in question?

Who could have known that the rough-clothed youth, in just a few maneuvers, brutally killed the Kong brothers on the spot. Such means are hardly lesser than the top talents of some major powers.

"Where on earth did this boy emerge from?"

Mei Qian was puzzled beyond measure. As an elder of the Bianlei City Douling Commerce branch, at least she had some understanding of the information in the Southern Domain of the Tenglong Continent. But even after racking her brains, she couldn't match any major talent with that rough-clothed youth over there.

...

"Chu Nian brother, this brat is a bit tricky, let's join forces!"

Xiao Qiming's eyes glittered with a strange light. Seeing Kong Qianshan already fallen over there, he shouted loudly, bringing Chu Nian back to his senses instantly, and nodded promptly.

"I'll hold him off head-on, you look for a chance to strike!"

Chu Nian was from the Chu Family and excelled in physical strength. When it came to wit, even ten of him might not match Xiao Qiming. After Xiao's shout, Chu Nian immediately radiated a dense Earth Attribute Meridian Qi, appearing majestic and awe-inspiring.

"They really don't know what's good for them!"

Seeing Chu Nian charging at him, Yun Xiao couldn't help but smile wryly, thinking to himself if these guys couldn't see the situation clearly? Knowing he possessed an Eighth Rank low-level Meridian Spirit, yet they still dared to court death?

Swish!

Yet, just as Chu Nian was pouncing towards Yun Xiao and the latter expected Xiao Qiming to make a move as well, Xiao's sudden move startled him by suddenly sprinting away in another direction.

"Xiao Qiming is... escaping?!"

The spectators not far away, watching Xiao Qiming's actions, were instantly stunned. They could never have imagined that the guy who seemed so righteous moments ago would flee without looking back in a blink of an eye.

These ordinary cultivators couldn't comprehend Xiao Qiming's thoughts?

As soon as Kong Qianshan was killed by the Eighth Rank Meridian Spirit, Xiao Qiming was already planning not to face him head-on because the consequence of bravado might be a fate similar to the Kong brothers'.

One must say, Xiao Qiming had grasped Chu Nian's single-minded disposition well. By letting this muscle-bound guy confront the opponent head-on, and then escaping unexpectedly, the chance of success was naturally high.

Of course, regarding the treasures taken by Yun Xiao, especially that possibly Wuyan Palace secret treasure's shabby cloth, Xiao Qiming was absolutely unwilling to give up easily.

The question Yun Xiao asked at the beginning kept echoing in Xiao Qiming's mind. In fact, both the Xiao Family and the Chu Family had indeed brought guards along, and those guards were indeed far superior in strength to both Xiao Qiming and Chu Nian.

Previously, Xiao Qiming and the others deemed it unnecessary for those guards to act against a naive boy at the peak of the Qi Seeking Realm. Who would have thought the outcome would end up like this?

The saying goes, 'as long as the green hills remain, there's no fear of running out of firewood.' Right now, Xiao Qiming was playing this card. While fleeing in a hurry, he secretly swore to shred that rough-clothed boy, who had disgraced him, into pieces.

As the most famous ghostly talent of the Xiao Family, Xiao Qiming had never failed in his plans before, but today he found himself utterly humiliated, even fleeing like a stray dog under the watchful eyes of the masses. If he couldn't restore his reputation, his name as the ghostly talent of the Xiao Family would surely take a hit.

"That damned bastard..."

Here, Chu Nian, who was ready to confront Yun Xiao directly, intending to let Xiao Qiming circle around and attack, finally caught a glimpse of the distant retreating figure. Even as stubborn as he was, he realized he had been played by Xiao Qiming.

So, at this moment, Chu Nian cursed inwardly, but his hand movements abruptly came to a halt. This transition from extreme motion to extreme stillness appeared rather bizarre.

However, whether it was Yun Xiao or those observing cultivators, they all saw a touch of barely concealed embarrassment on the face of this Chu Family genius.