The moment Shadow finished speaking, the atmosphere, which had just eased slightly, grew tense again.
"Damn it, it's just a courtyard! Does this young master look so poor that I can't even afford to provide one?"
Chen Xiao cursed inwardly.
In truth, Chen Xiao understood that the three of them weren't fighting over a mere place to stay. They were fighting over pride, over status.
All three were exceptionally gifted, peerless geniuses of their time, each with an air of pride. When geniuses met, they either admired one another and became confidants, or fought to prove who was superior, even to the death.
But clearly, there was next to no chance of these three becoming confidants. If Chen Xiao weren't keeping them in check, they would probably have already come to blows. It gave Chen Xiao a headache. Keeping his subordinates in line was hard work; one wrong move could cause a major disaster.
There were only three of them for now. What would happen when a few more Tribulation Disciples showed up? Chen Xiao already deeply regretted his decision. He'd only asked Cai Di to spar with Ao Xie because he wanted to see what they could do and get a better sense of their abilities.
He hadn't expected Shadow to butt in as well. Now the three of them's auras collided in the air. If Chen Xiao hadn't placed Breath-Concealing Talismans and Heaven-Concealing Talismans on them, the force of their auras would have been enough to demolish his little courtyard.
Cai Di, the weakest of the three, let out a muffled groan and staggered back three steps. A mass of grayish mist had also appeared in his palm. It was clearly some kind of deadly poison.
In an instant, the black mist in Cai Di's palm spread over his body, like a wall of dark qi shielding him.
"Myriad Poison Profound Baleful Intent! You're the Poison Immortal Cai Di!"
Ao Xie's expression changed when he saw the black mist around Cai Di. A trace of wariness showed in his eyes, but in the next moment, fighting spirit blazed from them.
The name of the Poison Immortal Cai Di had long since spread throughout the Immortal World. To kill an immortal while only at the Body Integration Realm was an unprecedented feat in the history of the Immortal World, overturning everyone's understanding of what was possible. And what Cai Di had relied on back then, besides his Poison Chiefs, was the Myriad Poison Profound Baleful Intent he had painstakingly refined.
As the Dragon Prince of the Worry-Free Sea, Ao Xie devoted himself to cultivation most of the time, but he still knew of the outstanding figures across the Nine Heavens and Ten Earths of the Immortal World.
Shadow, however, remained completely calm, showing no reaction. He had come from the lower realm, and his knowledge of the Immortal World was practically a blank slate. He didn't even know what the Myriad Poison Profound Baleful Intent was.
"All right, enough. Stop messing around."
Seeing Cai Di bring out even the Myriad Poison Profound Baleful Intent, Chen Xiao furrowed his brow. If he didn't stop them, this could really turn into a disaster.
"When I said you should compete, I didn't mean for you to fight among yourselves here. Our enemies are still watching us from outside, and you're busy squabbling among yourselves. What kind of conduct is that?"
The three hurriedly withdrew their auras when they saw Chen Xiao get angry.
"Young master, how do you want the three of us to compete?" Ao Xie was the only one who dared speak to Chen Xiao like that.
"The Nangong Family is my enemy, and now it's yours, too." Chen Xiao held up a finger. "For this competition, you'll kill the Nangong Family's elders. Whoever brings back the most Nascent Souls and Storage Rings wins."
Chen Xiao would never forget how, in his past life, hundreds of cultivators had filled the sky when the Nangong Family exterminated the Chen Clan. The power radiating from them had been at least at the Body Integration Realm.
Chen Xiao had always wondered where those people had come from. But now, it seemed the force backing the Nangong Family had already made arrangements in Moon-Gazing City.
Now that he had three more fighters under his command, wouldn't it be a waste not to clip the Nangong Family's wings?
In fact, when Cai Di had joined him, Chen Xiao had already wanted to send him to take out a few of them. But making a move then would have left him vulnerable and provoked a backlash from the force supporting the Nangong Family.
Now, however, Nangong Xiangyan and the others had offended Shi Chou and broken the rules of the force behind him. They wouldn't live much longer anyway, so Chen Xiao could use the situation to draw attention elsewhere.
Besides, Chen Xiao had guessed that Nangong Xiangyan would consider Shi Chou either an enemy of the Nangong Family or someone interfering with their plans in Moon-Gazing City. He would never suspect the Chen Clan.
Shi Chou's unexpected interference had been a great help to Chen Xiao, successfully drawing the Nangong Family's attention elsewhere. Once Nangong Xiangyan and the others were dead, that would only confirm their suspicions.
Of the three, Cai Di had been with Chen Xiao the longest. He had carried out many of Chen Xiao's plans in secret. Now that he heard Chen Xiao was going after the Nangong Family, his expression turned solemn.
"Fine." A trace of killing intent entered Ao Xie's eyes, and the long halberd in his hand began to tremble faintly.
"I'll do whatever you command, young master." Shadow had no objections. Whatever Chen Xiao said, he would do.
"Mm." Chen Xiao nodded. "Don't touch the envoys from the Glazed Heaven Palace. Someone will deal with them in due course. And don't touch the head of the Nangong Family, Nangong Shenhe. Go."
Chen Xiao waved a hand.
As for how they would find the Nangong Family's elders, that was up to them. Chen Xiao also understood that the three of them couldn't kill anyone on the Nangong Family's turf if they fought alone. If they worked together, they might have a chance.
Chen Xiao took out another Heaven-Concealing Talisman and gave it to Cai Di. Shadow could turn into a shadowy wisp on his own, so he had no need for one.
Although Chen Xiao now had three more subordinates at the Mahayana Realm, or cultivators comparable to it, they still stood little chance against the Nangong Family. What's more, he didn't want to wipe out the Nangong Family just yet.
With the Nangong Family here, they could serve as cover for the Chen Clan. If the Nangong Family were wiped out, the Chen Clan, as the ruling clan of Moon-Gazing City, would inevitably be thrust into the eye of the storm.
All signs pointed to the treasure in Mingyu Mountain being extraordinary. Otherwise, even a family like the Nangong Family, with an immortal among its ranks, wouldn't have taken it so seriously or spent centuries having one of its branches make plans there.
After the three left, Chen Xiao took Mengmeng out to wreak havoc across the streets again. But now, he could clearly feel that the atmosphere in Moon-Gazing City had grown much tenser. Many unfamiliar faces had appeared in the city.
Cultivation experts at the Body Integration Realm and Division Spirit Realm were also appearing frequently in Moon-Gazing City. There were even several powerful figures Chen Xiao couldn't see through, watching the entire city from various corners.
Clearly, the battle between Nangong Xiangyan and Shi Chou in Moon-Gazing City a few days earlier had attracted the attention of some interested parties.
The corners of Chen Xiao's mouth curled up slightly. Let it get chaotic, let it get chaotic. If Moon-Gazing City didn't descend into chaos, how could he fish in troubled waters?
As for the Chen Clan, Chen Xiao wasn't worried in the slightest. The battle between Nangong Xiangyan and Shi Chou had completely exposed the Nangong Family, while a High Immortal from the Glazed Heaven Palace had personally bestowed the Town-Suppressing Seal upon the Chen Clan. That was a protective talisman.
The second update is here. Please vote! I'll get started on the third update!