"Haha… Jiang Chen, you really talk big!" Qiu Wuying laughed loudly, his eyes filled with contempt.
"You've grown from a mere waste to this level in such a short time. You must be hiding a significant secret, right?"
He smirked, his tone sinister. "Why don't you tell me your secret? Maybe then, I'll consider leaving your corpse intact."
Jiang Chen's eyes narrowed, his voice icy. "You're asking for death."
Qiu Wuying sneered. "No, boy, it's you who's seeking death!"
Without warning, Qiu Wuying raised his hand and shot a flare into the sky. The bright light streaked upward, exploding like fireworks.
Almost immediately, Jiang Chen sensed powerful auras approaching from about a hundred meters away. Within moments, three figures appeared before him.
He recognized the two men leading them: Lin Tianxiong, head of the Lin family, and Li Gan, head of the Li family. Beside them stood an elderly man in a Taoist robe, his demeanor haughty.
Jiang Chen's eyes flickered with amusement. "Lin Tianxiong, Li Gan. I didn't expect to see both of you here together. What a surprise."
Lin Tianxiong's eyes glinted coldly. "Cangshan City has always been ruled by three families in balance. Now, your Jiang family dreams of dominating us. We won't let that happen!"
He clenched his fists. "Jiang Chen, today is the day you die!"
Jiang Chen smirked. "You overestimate yourselves. Do you really think you can kill me just by joining forces?"
Lin Tianxiong's expression darkened. "We know you're strong, Jiang Chen. But do you think we'd confront you without preparation?"
"No matter how powerful you are, you won't leave here alive!"
He turned to the elderly man in the Taoist robe. "Master Gong, please."
The old man nodded, a calm, chilling confidence in his eyes. "Don't worry. Unless he's surpassed the Qi Protection Realm and entered the Foundation Opening Realm, he won't escape."
With a wave of his hand, Master Gong produced a scroll that glowed with strange, ethereal light.
He unfurled the scroll, and it floated above them, radiating brilliance.
In an instant, dazzling light erupted from the scroll, spreading like a dome over Jiang Chen and Meng Qingxue. A shimmering barrier formed, enclosing them within a ten-meter radius.
Meng Qingxue's eyes widened. "This... This is a formation array! That old man is a Formation Master!"
Jiang Chen raised an eyebrow. "A Formation Master? So, that's their trump card."
Formation Masters were rare and revered—more so than Alchemists. They could create intricate arrays with devastating effects. Some formations could kill without a trace, others could provide impenetrable defense, and some accelerated cultivation.
Each formation was complex, woven with the principles of the Five Elements and Yin-Yang, creating endless variations.
Lin Tianxiong laughed triumphantly. "Jiang Chen, I paid a hefty price to bring Master Gong here. He's a Third-Grade Formation Master! This array can trap even a peak Qi Protection Realm warrior!"
He sneered. "I told you—you're doomed today!"
As the barrier solidified around them, Lin Tianxiong's laughter echoed through the forest, his confidence brimming.