At the foot of the hill near the lakeside villa, Shen Qingtian, dressed in a black suit, ascended the steps with four elite fighters from the Shen family following closely behind. Each of them radiated a powerful aura. Initially, Shen Qingtian had not taken Xiao Tiance seriously at all. However, when he reached the top and saw Tian Qi and Xiao Tiance with his own eyes, he couldn’t help but narrow his eyes. Both Xiao Tiance and Tian Qi felt incredibly strong to him. Although Shen Qingtian himself did not practice martial arts and could not fully comprehend their strength, just from observing their demeanor, he could see that Xiao Tiance, despite knowing that the Zhou family's large forces would arrive in a few hours, remained calm and composed. This alone made Shen Qingtian view him in a higher light.
“Brother Xiao, I am Shen Qingtian. I’ve often heard Yuxuan mention you, and now that I’ve met you, you indeed live up to your reputation,” Shen Qingtian said with a smile after observing Xiao Tiance for a while.
Xiao Tiance smiled and nodded at Shen Qingtian, replying, “Thank you, Mr. Shen. I’m very grateful that you came at this critical moment when I’m about to face the Zhou family tonight.”
Shen Qingtian looked deeply at Xiao Tiance and, noticing his completely unhurried demeanor, frowned slightly and said, “Brother Xiao, I’ve heard you’re from the War Department and have seen your share of battles. But I must say, the Zhou family is not to be underestimated. They’ve been entrenched in Qianjiang for years, with deep roots in every industry. Forgive me for saying this, but if you’re planning to confront the Zhou family with just this handful of people, it won’t be nearly enough.”
“No need to worry, Mr. Shen. You don’t have to be overly concerned. We’ve been through the most brutal battlefields over the years,” Xiao Tiance responded to Shen Qingtian’s concerns with a casual wave of his hand, showing little interest.
“Xiao—” Shen Qingtian wanted to say more, but seeing Xiao Tiance’s indifferent attitude, he swallowed his words and sighed inwardly, realizing that Xiao would have to rely on himself.
Time passed quickly, and the rain in Qianjiang showed no signs of stopping, though it had lessened somewhat. By 5 p.m., the sky outside had finally darkened. The Zhou family’s forces, already gathered at the foot of the mountain, began their action. Groups of thugs dressed in black, armed with steel pipes and machetes, started charging up the hillside in an orderly manner.
Dozens, then hundreds, and eventually more than a thousand armed men advanced up the mountain. Among them, Zhou Zhenghao and other key members of the Zhou family, including several powerful elders, also began moving up.
Zhou Zhenghao, Zhou Zhenglong, and the other strong-willed Zhou family elders, surrounded by their subordinates, advanced quickly and silently up the hill. Meanwhile, Xing Feng, who had been monitoring the situation at the foot of the mountain, immediately notified Hou Zonghua at the Qianjiang Surveillance Division. As a result, the division’s forces also began to mobilize.
In just two or three minutes, the Zhou family’s forces reached a platform midway up the hill near Xiao Tiance’s villa. Zhou Zhenghao looked in Xiao Tiance’s direction, and Xiao Tiance also stood up to face him.
“Dad, save me! Save me!” Suddenly, Zhou Jie, who had been feigning death in the pigsty where Tian Qi had thrown him, crawled out and screamed desperately at Zhou Zhenghao across the platform.
“Shut up!” Tian Qi kicked Zhou Jie hard in the back, the force so great that Zhou Jie spat out a mouthful of blood.
Zhou Zhenghao, standing opposite and surrounded by his people, narrowed his eyes when he saw this. A cold killing intent flashed in his eyes as he stared at Xiao Tiance, suppressing the urge to act on his rage. Slowly, he said, “Xiao Tiance, so your reliance is on Shen Qingtian beside you?”
Indeed, Zhou Zhenghao did not see Xiao Tiance as a threat. Although Xiao Tiance and Tian Qi were formidable, Zhou Zhenghao had two five-star level experts on his side, in addition to numerous four-star level fighters and over a thousand subordinates. To him, Xiao Tiance was as good as dead.
The only thing that concerned him now was Shen Qingtian. The four people behind Shen Qingtian also exuded strong auras, comparable to his own, marking them as four-star level experts.
Just as Xiao Tiance was about to respond, Shen Qingtian stepped forward to shield him and said to Zhou Zhenghao, “Zhou Zhenghao, since things have reached this point, it doesn’t matter anymore. I, Shen Qingtian, will protect Xiao Tiance! What can you do?”
As soon as Shen Qingtian finished speaking, he waved his hand, and the four strong Shen family members behind him unleashed their full aura. Meanwhile, additional Shen family forces began advancing up the mountain, numbering eight hundred to a thousand men, although still fewer than the Zhou family’s forces.
Shen Qingtian, at this moment, fully unleashed his own aura, standing his ground against Zhou Zhenghao. However, Zhou Zhenghao sneered dismissively and said to Shen Qingtian, “What can I do? Heh, let me show you if I can wipe out the Shen family today. Attack!”
With Zhou Zhenghao’s command, four strong fighters from his side immediately charged toward Shen Qingtian. Tian Qi was about to act, but Xiao Tiance, sitting in his chair, stopped him. For as the Zhou fighters charged, the four Shen family experts also rushed forward.
Boom! Boom! Boom! Boom!
In the blink of an eye, the Zhou family experts clashed head-on with the Shen family fighters. However, the shocking scene that unfolded left everyone in awe. The four Shen family experts were instantly struck down, each one’s chest caving in, spewing blood, and collapsing to the ground, their auras rapidly fading.
“What? How is this possible? Five-star! Five-star level experts!” Shen Qingtian’s face turned pale with shock as he stared in disbelief at Zhou Zhenghao.
But Shen Qingtian’s shock was just beginning. Almost as soon as he finished speaking, chaos erupted among the advancing Shen family forces, with some members outright rebelling. The Shen family’s forces fell into disarray, and it became uncertain how many would even make it to the top. The rebels were none other than the Shen family’s own high-ranking members, leading a significant portion of the Shen family’s strength in defection.
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“Shen Sihai! Are you crazy? You’re a Shen family member!” Shen Qingtian shouted in disbelief at the high-ranking Shen family member leading the rebellion.
Shen Sihai, laughing loudly, responded, “Hahaha, Shen Qingtian, you’re so naive! Even though I bear the Shen name, I’m not part of the main branch. Why should I risk my life for you? You’re the fool here!”
As time ticked by, Zhou Zhenghao, watching Shen Qingtian’s face turn ashen with fear, sneered and said, “Heh, Shen Qingtian, you’ve lost. You lost ten years ago, and you’ll never win in this lifetime. Did you really think your rapid rise in recent years was due to your own strength? It was nothing more than me playing with you for my own amusement. How foolish you are.”
“Zhou Zhenghao, you—you—you!!!” Shen Qingtian pointed at Zhou Zhenghao, his anger causing him to cough up black blood. Yes, he had lost—lost completely. At this moment, Zhou Zhenghao had not only defeated him but had also shattered his spirit entirely.
"Master, go, hurry up! We four will cover you!" As Shen Qingtian spat blood, the four Shen family experts he brought along struggled to stand in front of him, each one resolute in their decision to sacrifice themselves so that Shen Qingtian could escape.
But at this moment, Shen Qingtian, his spirit shattered by Zhou Zhenghao, seemed to age ten years in an instant. He waved his hand and said, "I can't escape. Zhou Zhenghao won't let me go."
After speaking, Shen Qingtian turned to the seated Xiao Tiance and earnestly said, "Brother Xiao, I can't make it. You're strong—I'll hold off Zhou Zhenghao while you escape. My daughter, Shen Yuxuan, I didn't bring her here. My only hope is that after you escape, you take her away from Qianjiang and never return."
Xiao Tiance remained silent. Meanwhile, Zhou Zhenghao looked at Shen Qingtian and Xiao Tiance and sneered, "Escape? After crippling my son, do you think you can still get away? Shen Qingtian, or do you think you can protect him?"
Zhou Zhenghao's eyes filled with malice as he continued to stare at Xiao Tiance. "Xiao Tiance, from the War Department, right? Do you really think you can escape today? I know you're strong, but the Zhou family has two five-star experts! Can you still escape?"
Shen Qingtian's face changed repeatedly. He hurriedly shielded Xiao Tiance with his body and shouted, "Xiao Tiance! Run! My Shen family will fight to the death to hold them off for a moment! Don't forget my request! Take my daughter and leave! Go!"
After giving his order to the four Shen family experts, Shen Qingtian was determined to buy Xiao Tiance some time. Upon receiving the order, the four Shen family experts charged towards the enemy with a do-or-die mindset.
At the same time, Zhou Zhenghao, his eyes filled with murderous intent, roared, "Since you seek death, Shen Qingtian, I'll kill you first, then Xiao Tiance! Kill them!"
With Zhou Zhenghao's command, the two five-star experts and the two peak four-star experts from the Zhou family drew their long blades and charged at the four Shen family experts.
"Go! Go!" Shen Qingtian, seeing the two five-star experts charging, shouted urgently at Xiao Tiance, who was still sitting motionless.
But in the next moment, everyone was stunned by an unbelievable sight. Just as the two sides were about to clash, a figure suddenly appeared in the middle. In a flash, this figure kicked out four times, and the four peak experts from the Zhou family were sent flying, spitting blood.
For a moment, time seemed to stand still. Everyone's eyes were filled with disbelief, their mouths wide open as they stared at the powerful figure who had suddenly appeared in the middle of the battlefield. Zhou Zhenghao quickly recognized the person, pointing in terror and saying, "You...you are Wang Changsheng? The God of War of the Central Domain! How...how are you here?"
Wang Changsheng sneered at Zhou Zhenghao and said, "Oh? Zhou Zhenghao, you recognize me? But today, I am not Wang Changsheng, nor am I the God of War of the Central Domain. Call me Tian 34."
"Tian 34? Tian Thirty-Four?" Zhou Zhenghao muttered instinctively.
Wang Changsheng proudly replied, "That's right, under the Hall Master, my rank is 34!"
As Wang Changsheng spoke, one by one, powerful warriors no less formidable than Wang Changsheng, some even more so, began to appear, each exuding an aura of a war god. As they appeared, they surrounded the Zhou family from all sides.
A mighty warrior suddenly appeared behind the Zhou family, his aura exploding and sending several Zhou family members flying. The newcomer coldly declared, "I am Tian 33!"
Another powerful presence followed, announcing, "I am Tian 31!"
One by one, god-like auras erupted on the mountainside, and Tian 7 stepped forward from behind Xiao Tiance, smiling faintly, "I am Tian 7!"
But it didn't stop there. Suddenly, four auras far surpassing those of the war gods appeared in four directions on the mountainside.
In the north, a powerful aura dispersed the clouds. The newcomer said calmly, "I am Slaughter, of the Celestial Palace."
In the south, another formidable aura scattered the clouds. "I am Battle," declared the figure.
In the west, another being beyond a war god appeared, stating, "I am Darkness."
In the east, yet another declared, "I am Annihilation."
As the four great kings of the Celestial Palace revealed themselves, three thousand elite warriors of the Celestial Palace began to appear rapidly from all directions around the lakeside villa. At the foot of the mountain, military armored vehicles roared as they approached, while large-caliber cannons were pushed out at the mountain peak. Armed helicopters flew in from the distant sky, and a fully armed battleship with eight cannons sailed into view on the river.
Seeing this scene, the Zhou family members, including the two five-star experts they had hired, were all paralyzed with fear.
Zhou Zhenghao, trembling with terror, stared at the still-seated Xiao Tiance, his mind overwhelmed with fear. Stuttering, he asked, "Who...who are you?"
It wasn't just Zhou Zhenghao who was utterly shocked and terrified; even Shen Qingtian, who had been trying to help Xiao Tiance, was so stunned by the scene that he collapsed to the ground: "Who...who is he?"
"Kneel before the Hall Master!"
"Kneel before the Hall Master!"
"Kneel before the Hall Master!"
The next moment, around the lakeside villa, three thousand elite warriors of the Celestial Palace knelt on one knee towards Xiao Tiance, shouting fervently. Then, more than thirty war god-level experts also bowed their heads and shouted. Finally, the four great kings of the Celestial Palace joined in. For miles around, the shouts of the Celestial Palace warriors echoed.
Amidst the shock of the crowd, Xiao Tiance slowly stood up. As he rose, a pillar of energy shot straight into the sky, breaking through the gloomy clouds and revealing light.
Xiao Tiance took a deep breath, gazing playfully at the terrified Zhou Zhenghao, and asked, "You want to kill me?"