The dawn broke over Chen City with a crimson hue, casting long shadows across the eastern road as Liang Wei's expedition set out for the mines. The squad consisted of ten guards, their Cultivation Ranks ranging from 7 to 6, their ki-blades gleaming with readiness, and Liang Wei at the helm, his Cultivation Rank 8 peak aura a beacon of resolve. Lady Xiu and the children had bid them a tearful farewell, Tianyi's small hands clinging to his father's robe, Meilin's quiet strength a mirror of her mother's grace. But Tian Zun rode beside Liang Wei, his silver hair catching the morning light, his golden eyes glinting with a cold, calculating intensity that belied his servant's guise.
The Primordial Chaos Foundation pulsed within, its silver-black vortex a storm of untamed power, a reflection of the Supreme who wielded it. Tian Zun's mind, a labyrinth of schemes forged through nine trillion lives, had already mapped the battlefield ahead. The attack on the eastern mines was no random act—it was a calculated move by the traitor's allies, likely Jian's doing, to destabilize Lady Feng's influence and sow chaos in Chen City. But Tian Zun saw deeper: the jade reserves were a lure, a distraction to draw Liang Wei away, leaving the manor vulnerable. A lesser mind might have rushed to the mines, but Tian Zun, the Supreme of Heaven and Earth, played a longer game.
"Liang Wei," he said, his voice a silken blade, each word dripping with elegant ruthlessness, "send two guards back to the manor. The traitor's true target is your family." Liang Wei's eyes widened, but he nodded, trusting the servant boy whose actions had already proven his worth. Two guards peeled off, their horses galloping back toward the city, while Tian Zun's lips curled into a faint, predatory smile. His scheme was in motion—let the traitor strike the manor, only to find a trap waiting.
The eastern mines lay nestled in a rugged valley, their entrances carved into cliffs that shimmered with veins of jade. As the squad approached, the scene was one of devastation: the overseers' bodies lay scattered, their blood staining the earth, and the jade reserves—cartloads of shimmering green stone—were gone. The attackers, a band of twenty cultivators, stood amidst the wreckage, their Cultivation Ranks averaging 6, their leader a Cultivation Rank 5 high Martial Artist with a scarred face and a ki-blade crackling with stolen energy. "Leave none alive," the leader barked, his voice a guttural snarl, as his men turned to face the approaching squad.
Liang Wei drew his blade, his Cultivation Rank 8 peak aura surging, but Tian Zun raised a hand, his elegant gesture halting the squad. "Stand back," he commanded, his voice a velvet storm, his golden eyes glinting with ruthless intent. The guards hesitated, but Liang Wei nodded, sensing the Supreme's authority. Tian Zun dismounted, his movements a dance of cold grace, each step a testament to his boundless elegance. The attackers laughed, their leader sneering. "A servant boy? You'll die first!"
Tian Zun's smile was a crescent moon, beautiful and deadly. "You mistake me for prey," he said, his voice a whisper that carried the weight of eons, "when I am the hunter." His Primordial Chaos Foundation flared, a silver-black aura that warped the air, and he unleashed a Chaos Pulse, a wave of energy that tore through the attackers like a scythe through wheat. Five fell instantly, their bodies disintegrating, while the others staggered, their Cultivation Rank 6 strength no match for a Supreme's wrath.
The leader roared, charging with a Savage Ki Strike, a crude but powerful blow aimed at Tian Zun's heart. But Tian Zun's Void Step flickered, shifting him behind the leader in a blink, his elegance unbroken. He raised a hand, his fingers snapping with a sound like breaking glass, and a Chaos Bind—a technique of his own creation—ensnared the leader, silver-black tendrils wrapping around him, crushing his meridians. "Who sent you?" Tian Zun asked, his voice a silken threat, his golden eyes boring into the man's soul.
The leader spat blood, his defiance crumbling under Tian Zun's gaze. "Jian… the eldest son… he promised us jade… to weaken the City Lord…" Tian Zun's smile widened, a ruthless edge to its beauty. Jian's scheme was predictable, a child's ploy to a Supreme who had orchestrated the fall of heavens. He tightened the Chaos Bind, and the leader screamed, his body collapsing into ash. The remaining attackers fled, their courage shattered, but Tian Zun let them go—let them spread fear, let Jian know his plans had failed.
Liang Wei approached, his face pale but resolute. "Lin Zun… your power… it's beyond anything I've seen." Tian Zun turned, his silver hair flowing like liquid moonlight, his elegance a stark contrast to the carnage. "Power is a tool," he said, his voice a melody of ruthless cunning, "and I wield it as I see fit. The jade is a diversion—Jian's true target is your family. We return now."
The squad rode back to Chen City at a breakneck pace, the guards' faces etched with awe and fear of the servant boy who commanded death with a smile. Tian Zun's mind raced, his schemes unfolding like a cosmic tapestry. Jian would pay, but not yet—let him think he'd won, let him overreach. A Supreme's vengeance was a slow, elegant dance, and Tian Zun had all the time in Hongmeng World to make it perfect.