Shen Xiang had just broken through to the seventh level of the Mortal Martial Realm. He needed to stabilize his cultivation, which would allow him to better utilize the "Devouring Demon Art."
At noon the next day, Shen Xiang left the forest and returned to the Royal City. He was curious about how Dan King Hall's sales were going.
Walking down the street, he could see Dan King Hall in the distance. However, it wasn't as bustling as he had expected, which made him feel uneasy. Quickening his pace, he hurried towards it.
When he arrived at the entrance of Dan King Hall, Shen Xiang saw chaos inside. Shen Luzong's face was full of fury as he directed people to clean up the mess.
Dan King Hall had clearly been ransacked, and Shen Xiang was certain of it!
"Great Uncle, I'm back," Shen Xiang said anxiously as he hurried over to Shen Luzong. Seeing his pale face, Shen Xiang frowned and asked, "Great Uncle, who injured you?"
Shen Xiang was filled with rage. He decided that as soon as he found out who was responsible, he would immediately seek revenge and make them pay a heavy price.
"It was Shen Furong who injured me, and the Black Wind Gang was responsible for the ransacking. They even injured some of the shop workers. Old Meng and the other alchemists were in seclusion, refining pills, so they were unharmed," Shen Luzong explained, his face still pale.
At that moment, Shen Luzong grabbed Shen Xiang's arm urgently. "What are you planning to do?"
Shen Xiang's face darkened upon hearing it was the Black Wind Gang. His anger surged—he hadn't yet settled the old score with them for attempting to kill him, and now they had come to ransack his shop.
"I'm going to wipe out the Black Wind Gang," Shen Xiang said coldly. "Old scores and new debts, I'll settle them all at once. Great Uncle, notify my father and have him prepare for war with the Yao Family. If our Shen Family wants to establish itself in the Royal City, we must destroy the Yao Family. That will also serve as a warning to other factions."
"You're going alone? Let me go with you," Shen Luzong suggested.
"No. You go talk to Old Meng. Dan King Hall must continue to operate. If anyone dares cause trouble again, kill them," Shen Xiang said firmly before quickly leaving. Although Shen Luzong and Meng Bo's strength wasn't a match for Shen Furong, if they fought hard enough, Shen Furong wouldn't escape unscathed.
As Shen Xiang walked through the city, he overheard many discussions about Dan King Hall. Many people expressed disappointment. Dan King Hall's pills were priced significantly lower than those of the Yao Family, and if sold in large quantities, the Yao Family's pill business would certainly take a huge hit. This was why the Yao Family had used such aggressive tactics to force Dan King Hall to close.
Although these tactics were utterly dishonorable and even barbaric, no one stepped in, as the Yao Family's influence in the Royal City was immense, and no one wanted to make an enemy of them.
"Yao Family, just you wait!" Shen Xiang's face darkened as his rage boiled over.
Outside the Black Wind Gang's headquarters, many guards stood at the gate. When they saw Shen Xiang approaching, they hurriedly drew their weapons.
"Get lost if you don't want to die," Shen Xiang said coldly, standing in front of the gate. His fists clenched, and a wave of green light surged from his body. Within the green glow, arcs of lightning crackled, making a terrifying sound.
No one wanted to die. The guards were instantly intimidated by Shen Xiang's true energy. They knew they were no match for him and would be as insignificant as ants, so they quickly stepped aside.
The gates were tightly shut. Shen Xiang stood before them, his eyes flashing with electric light. With a muffled roar, he unleashed his fists, infused with the thick Azure Dragon Thunder energy. His punches crashed into the gates like two giant dragons.
"Boom, boom!" The thick wooden gates shattered into pieces, sending dust flying. The sight terrified the guards, who trembled in fear. If those punches had landed on them, they would have been reduced to dust, just like the gates.
"That... that's the power of the seventh level of the Mortal Martial Realm! He just used true energy!" one of the guards exclaimed in shock as Shen Xiang walked into the compound.
Rumor had it that Shen Xiang was only at the sixth level of the Mortal Martial Realm, but now he was at the seventh! The guards secretly breathed a sigh of relief, grateful they hadn't tried to stop him, or they'd surely be dead.
As Shen Xiang entered the compound, murderous intent radiated from his body. He had been cultivating the "Heart of Slaughter," and now, filled with killing intent, the accumulated murderous aura erupted. Along the way, his presence alone caused many servants and maids to collapse, trembling in fear. This was the power of the "Heart of Slaughter," using one's killing intent to intimidate others.
"Who dares cause trouble at the Black Wind Gang?" a voice shouted as a figure leaped toward Shen Xiang, swinging a large blade aimed at his head.
Shen Xiang sneered in disdain. With a casual wave of his hand, a bolt of green lightning burst forth, carrying intense thunder energy. It shot out from his palm, striking the attacker mid-air. With a loud explosion, the person was instantly reduced to a cloud of blood mist.
This was the power of thunder energy—a force of terrifying destruction! The members of the Black Wind Gang who had arrived on the scene were stunned, watching the blood mist scatter in the air, along with the shattered remains of the attacker's blade. They were witnessing a kind of power they had never seen before—an attack so fearsome that it had obliterated one of their stronger members in a single move.
Shen Xiang was in the seventh level of the Mortal Martial Realm, a realm rarely seen in combat. Not to mention, he was cultivating a divine skill and wielded true energy of the five elements!
"You've walked right into the trap, Shen Xiang. Today, you won't leave here alive. You killed my son, and I'll take your head to avenge him!" a voice filled with hatred rang out.
Shen Xiang stood in the middle of a large courtyard, surrounded by black-clad men. The leader of the Black Wind Gang appeared in front of him, flanked by a few richly dressed individuals.
To Shen Xiang's surprise, the City Lord of the Royal City, Hua Gaoyun, was also present. Behind Hua Gaoyun stood a young man, presumably his son.
Shen Xiang sneered. "So, your son can come to kill me, but I'm not allowed to kill him? Besides, he brought three hundred men with him, yet I killed them one by one. They were nothing but a bunch of weaklings—they deserved it!"
"No wonder you're the famous young master of the Shen Family. Do you even realize the situation your family is in right now? Your worthless father has already been injured, and Dan King Hall has been smashed. Yet, you still dare to come here seeking death," sneered a middle-aged man dressed in gold.
Shen Xiang's body trembled with fury. Electricity crackled around him as he glared at the man with hatred in his eyes. "Are you the one who called my father worthless?"
"And what if I am? Remember my name—Wang Yishan, the head of the Wang Family," the middle-aged man said arrogantly.
The Wang Family was a martial arts family in the Royal City, though they weren't particularly powerful. However, like many of the Royal City's families, they looked down on those from the outer cities, including the Shen Family.
"Hmph! So, you're just another dog licking the Yao Family's boots. I thought you might be someone important," Shen Xiang sneered. It wasn't unusual for smaller families to curry favor with the Yao Family.
"You little brat, how dare you insult the Wang Family! I'll cripple you today!" Wang Yishan roared, furious. Although Shen Xiang's words were harsh, they were true.