The Arrogance of the Central Plains

"How pitiful. The great Heavenly Emperor City of the Southern Wastes…"

"It is already remarkable that this barbaric region produced one young master. What more can you expect?"

On the ninth floor, several scions of powerful families spoke with merciless disdain, not even deigning to acknowledge the experts beyond the Central Plains.

"Yin Feng, has your Netherfire truly reached the Fifth Heaven?"

"Not yet. Merely the peak of the Fourth Heaven, but that is more than enough to deal with these Southern barbarians."

The Great Shang kingdom was far superior to the Tianluo kingdom of the south. It was a nation founded on martial strength, where every clan and family were born of cultivators, and their descendants were destined to be masters.

Some might hold prejudice against aristocratic offspring, dismissing them as useless scions. Such individuals certainly existed, but in a world that venerated cultivation, they were the minority. The rest, even if of middling character, possessed formidable cultivation.

Their starting point was higher. Even if the techniques they obtained were not heavenly scriptures or precious tomes, they were close to them. With the deep foundations of their families, it was hardly surprising that they far surpassed ordinary cultivators.

It was much like how princesses were generally more beautiful than common girls. This was not deliberate embellishment. The first emperor might not have been handsome, but the consorts he took were always the most beautiful in the realm. How then could his children be ugly? Thus, generation after generation, the offspring of royalty would never be lacking in countenance.

As for the great families, their ancestors were cultivation prodigies. If their descendants were properly instructed, their accomplishments would naturally be significant. This was a matter of an elevated starting point.

"That fellow Xiao Chen, it's a pity he died. If he had lived to this day, he might have become someone of note."

"What? Has your patriarch begun seeking young retainers? You could try the Great Qin or Ancient Han regions. I hear there are some promising young experts there. If your Yin family extended an invitation, they would swarm like moths to a flame."

"Enough. If there truly were hidden experts, you would never tell me. You would have recruited them long ago."

"Sigh, the Southern Wastes, the Western Frontier, and the Northern Deserts have all declined. There is not a single person worth paying attention to."

The several aristocratic scions passed their ruthless judgments, deliberately sneering at the private rooms on the ninth floor. Their mocking gazes swept over all the seats outside the rooms, causing many present to seethe with rage, yet they could do nothing.

Not only were these young men extremely skilled in cultivation, but the families behind them were not to be trifled with.

Shang was one of the five hegemonic kingdoms. This was its capital, and the families here were among the most powerful in the world.

"Despicable! A bunch of useless scions!" Yan Qingcheng's jade-like face flushed with anger. Her silver teeth clenched, and her fair skin rose with a hint of rosy color. Her slender hand gripped her longsword tightly.

Qilao, a man of captivating beauty whose blue hair shimmered like water, was usually brimming with confidence. But here in the Great Shang capital, even he revealed a trace of anger and could no longer maintain his composure.

In the end, he had to suppress his fury. "Never mind. It's better to endure for peace. The top young experts of the Southern Wastes are barely a match for them. Fighting them in the Shang capital would mean great loss."

"If Dugu Jianmo were here, they would never dare to spout such nonsense." Yan Qingcheng was furious. She had wanted to say another name, but at the last moment she changed it to Dugu Jianmo.

"Dugu Jianmo, perhaps…" Qilao neither confirmed nor denied. Clearly, he too had thought of another name.

That was a night of bloodshed. The entire Heavenly Emperor City had trembled. Over a dozen Spirit-Treasury realm experts had died, and five demigods had been slain, all by the hand of a single youth. The Southern Wastes had been shaken.

After that, no one had ever seen that person again. It was said that in his final battle, he had exhausted his lifespan and could not possibly survive. Everyone believed he had long since departed this world.

Thinking of this, Qilao sighed.

Yan Qingcheng was also dazed. That person she had so deeply despised—was he truly dead? No matter how much she hated everything he had done, she had to admit that his rate of growth had been astonishing. If he had not fallen that night and lived to this day, perhaps with his cultivation he could have contended with the most outstanding young experts of the Central Plains.

In a private room on the ninth floor, Yuwen Feng frowned. "Thank you for your goodwill, but these people are too arrogant. If I cannot kill one of them, I will not be able to vent my hatred."

Across from Yuwen Feng sat a brother and sister. The man was handsome and heroic, with thick eyebrows like two long sabers and eyes that shone with divine light, marking him as an expert. Beside him was an exceedingly beautiful woman, graceful and delicate, like a willow swaying in a gentle breeze. She was light and enchanting, with skin like snow that shimmered with a crystalline luster. Her eyes sparkled, full of captivating charm.

These two siblings called themselves A Shui and A Bing. They were from the Western Frontier and were equally outraged by the aristocratic scions, but they knew they could not provoke them. Two years ago, they had met Yuwen Feng a few times and had some friendship, so they had stopped him, not wanting him to court death. Seeing they could not dissuade him, they said no more.

Bang.

Yuwen Feng strode out of the private room and kicked over a table, sending it hurtling straight toward the aristocratic scions. Though it was only a wooden table, it shimmered with light, as if completely turned to metal. Carrying the force of a thousand jin, it was infused with Yuwen Feng's divine power. If it struck, even steel bones would break.

"Heh!" Yin Feng, one of the aristocratic sons, sneered without turning his head. He casually flicked his sleeve, and a black light instantly enveloped the table. Silently, the table, filled with Yuwen Feng's divine power, turned to ash. The sight made everyone on the floor change color. The terror of the Black Netherfire had exceeded all expectations.

Even his companions were astonished. "Impossible. Are you still only at the Fourth Heaven?"

"I feel you have already stepped into the Fifth Heaven."

Yuwen Feng stepped forward. "Since you belittle the experts of the Southern Wastes, let us fight!"

Three years had passed. The Yuwen Feng of today was no longer the Mortal-Shedding Ninth Heaven youth of the past. While others grew rapidly, his cultivation had also advanced by leaps and bounds. Otherwise, he would not have rashly challenged these aristocratic experts.

"Hmph. Netherfire is merely a minor art."

A residual image remained in place as Yuwen Feng materialized before Yin Feng. A blood-red domain descended, and the roar of ferocious beasts instantly burst out of the Moon-Viewing Tower, like thunderbolts crashing down.

Yin Feng wore a faint smile. With a flicker, he escaped, floating gracefully to settle on the ninth floor. He stood proudly, addressing Yuwen Feng, "This is where the peerless sword immortal Li Bai inscribed his poems. Do not damage a single table or chair. Let us settle this here on the ninth floor."

"Hmph!" Yuwen Feng merely snorted coldly in reply. Like a fleeting shadow, he lunged forward again. Dozens of terrifying ferocious beast souls could be seen swirling around him, their massive forms seeming to pierce the ceiling, radiating a fierce killing aura. They moved in unison with him, tearing at Yin Feng.

"Hehe…" Yin Feng only sneered. His movements were as smooth as flowing clouds and water. Though he was a Spiritist, he had also practiced martial arts. His motions were elegant and effortless, dodging Yuwen Feng's attacks by a hair's breadth.

Whoosh.

Netherfire spread from his casual wave, enveloping Yuwen Feng from all sides in an instant. The black flames could melt steel and burn iron, reducing any physical form to ash. Though this was a spiritist art, cultivated to this level it had evolved into a divine ability.

Crackle.

Caught off guard, Yuwen Feng found the black flames burning into his blood domain. Three ferocious beast souls nearby were burned to ash in an instant.

In a single exchange, he had suffered a great loss. This shook his spirit. In terms of pure cultivation, he was no weaker than his opponent. But Yin Feng's divine ability was too strange—it could even refine souls, an incredibly terrifying power.

At this moment, A Shui, A Bing, Yan Qingcheng, and Qilao all stepped out of their private rooms. The dozens of people on the ninth floor retreated to the sides, silently watching the duel.

"Great Sun Nether Lotus!" Yin Feng called out lightly, his expression relaxed, showing no sign of tension.

A black sun suddenly appeared on the ninth floor. Even before it approached Yuwen Feng, it set his blood domain ablaze.

The black sun was malevolent and strange. It transformed into a flower bud, blooming in the exact shape of a lotus. Its black petals were so dark they chilled the heart.

"That's bad. That is the Yin family's ultimate art, which can cause a cultivator's spiritual energy and true essence to combust." A Shui and A Bing whispered, then called out to Yuwen Feng, "Brother Yuwen, forget it. This is not worth the pride."

"Heh!" Yuwen Feng was not panicked. He cried out coldly, "Ten Thousand Beasts Demon Art, Wreak Havoc on Heaven and Earth!" In an instant, countless beast shadows emerged around him, brandishing claws and emitting world-shaking roars. The entire Moon-Viewing Tower began to tremble.

Netherfire collided with the endless beast shadows. Though many beast shadows were burned to ash, even more charged toward Yin Feng.

"Lotus upon lotus!"

At Yin Feng's command, black lotuses bloomed one after another. With a series of popping sounds, Yin Feng calmly retreated while the black lotuses broke through seven layers of Yuwen Feng's beast souls, setting his clothes on fire and forcing him to hastily fall back.

"Hahaha… How dare a firefly compete with the bright moon?" Yin Feng laughed loudly.

The other aristocratic scions joined in the unrestrained laughter.

"Brother Yin is truly remarkable. Though he is indeed still at the Fourth Heaven of Spirit-Treasury, the power of his Netherfire is astonishing. It has fully evolved into a divine ability. I suspect that even against a Sixth Heaven expert, he would be undefeated."

"The Southern Wastes is barren of talent, haha…"

They completely ignored Yuwen Feng's ashen face, showing no mercy or restraint. Their gazes casually swept over Qilao nearby, their mockery undisguised.

When they saw Yan Qingcheng, the heat in their eyes was unmistakable, but they did not act on it. These men were nothing like the Hofmans of the Southern Wastes. Even when faced with unsurpassed beauty, they would not simply snatch her away. That would invite contempt from other aristocratic sons. While there were indeed those who bullied and abducted others, such methods were considered vulgar by true aristocratic standards.

For them, a glorious and open conquest was the proper kingly way.

Their philosophy was: I can be arrogant because I have the capital. I will defeat you openly and leave you with nothing to say. I can be lustful as well, but I will conquer by upright means, not coercion.

"Again!" Yuwen Feng, furious, strode forward.

"You… aren't good enough." Yin Feng shook a finger casually. "To tell you the truth, though I am at the Fourth Heaven of Spirit-Treasury, I am fully capable of contending with Sixth Heaven experts. I see that you have some talent. Join my Yin family. Follow me in the future, and I will guarantee you a life of wealth and honor."

Yuwen Feng was enraged. He stepped forward, and a thousand beasts roared. Endless beast shadows surged from his body, sweeping toward Yin Feng.

"Black Lotus Bloom!"

Yin Feng uttered lightly, and black lotus petals emerged in the air. Hissing sounds filled the air, and all the beast souls were refined away to nothing.

Yuwen Feng was forced to fly backward by the Netherfire. The aristocratic scions behind him laughed loudly. Their arrogance was backed by real power.

Yin Feng's expression turned cold. "I wanted to recruit you, but you refuse to submit. Do not blame me for killing you!"

At this moment, A Shui and A Bing stepped forward, grabbing the furious Yuwen Feng. "Do not act rashly. This man is terrifying. Even if your realm is not lower than his, your divine ability is at a disadvantage."

"Oh, it is Brother A Shui and Sister A Bing from the Western Frontier. What a pleasure. I have long admired Miss A Bing's reputation as a beauty of national renown. Today I see you are even more beautiful than the portraits."

The aristocratic scions behind them laughed flippantly.

Xiao Chen sat not far away, taking all this in, but he made no move. None of this seemed to concern him.