A Dragon's Roar
The long staircase had come to an end, and not far away lay the jade seal that Gong Chengsi had coveted for more than ten years.
He was supposed to wait for the clan elder presiding over the ceremony to announce it before he could take it. But Gong Chengsi couldn't hold back any longer. He couldn't wait for the clan elder to speak and grabbed the jade seal!
The cold, hard texture reached his hands, and Gong Chengsi felt an unprecedented sense of satisfaction.
Seeing this, the clan elder looked displeased. "Chengsi, you should be following the rules!"
He was the eldest among the clan elders, and also the most rigid and etiquette-conscious. He had never thought much of Gong Chengsi, preferring the Wisdom Eyes Gong Chengjue.
Unexpectedly, a series of events led to Gong Chengjue's defeat.
If the Gong Household didn't genuinely need a patriarch to stabilize morale, the elders wouldn't have wanted to stand here and preside over the ceremony.
Therefore, seeing Gong Chengsi's lack of manners, the clan elder couldn't help but reprimand him.
But is Gong Chengsi now as easy to bully as he used to be?
He chuckled and put the jade seal into his robes, "The Gong Household is no longer what it used to be, so why should the elders stick to the old ways? In this Gong Household, I'm the only one qualified to be the family head. Wouldn't it be better to give this jade seal to me directly?"
Having said that, he ignored the elder's flushed face and turned to raise the jade seal to the crowd below the platform.
Behind him were the clan elders' repeated curses, and in front of him were countless eyes looking up at him.
At this moment, Gong Chengsi's confidence swelled to its peak.
"Gentlemen, thank you all for attending the succession ceremony of the head of my Gong Clan. Today, I, Gong Chengsi, will inherit the legacy of my ancestors and assume the position of head of the clan. From this day forward, the entire Northern Snowfield will be under my control!"
"I assure you all, as long as I live, I will strive to manage Delusion-Breaking City and seek the well-being of my Gong Household and all those who live within Delusion-Breaking City. I will not be like my father and brothers, confined to the city and unwilling to expand and develop. I will stand on the shoulders of my predecessors and lead the Gong Household to a more glorious future!"
His words were delivered with great force, and at first glance, they seemed quite convincing.
Those who had always been by Gong Chengsi's side were deeply moved upon hearing this, and their hearts were filled with fervor.
But to those as discerning as Jimo Qing, these were nothing more than empty platitudes with no real practical use.
To put it bluntly, even someone as Wisdom Eyes as Gong Chengjue could only manage to avoid being suppressed by other forces and barely manage to keep Delusion-Breaking City. What could Gong Chengsi, a person without power or connections, possibly accomplish?
Gong Chengsi was naturally unaware of the gossip circulating among the crowd. He was holding up the symbol of power, declaring to everyone his status as the head of the family.
However, his joy was short-lived, for the next second, his hand was empty, and the jade seal he valued more than his own life was instantly in someone else's hands.
The man was dressed in a guard's uniform, just like an ordinary guard in the palace. But Gong Chengsi recognized his face at a glance.
"Gong Cheng'an!" Gong Chengsi practically spat out these words through gritted teeth.
He had not forgotten that it was his third brother who had tried every means to seize the position of family head, and had even almost destroyed his own Spirit Root!
Gong Chengsi had assumed that the other person wouldn't live much longer after being driven out of Delusion-Breaking City, but he never expected that the person would actually come back alive.
"Long time no see, elder brother. It's such an important day, and you didn't even tell your younger brother. How disappointing!" The young man looked somewhat like Gong Chengsi, but seemed to have inherited all the best features of his parents, making him many times more handsome than his two older brothers.
Unfortunately, the bright Fallen Devil Mark between his brows showed everyone that he was no longer Human Race cultivator.
"You! You, Gong Cheng'an, you actually betrayed the Gong Household and turned to the demonic path!" If Gong Chengsi was only surprised before, now he was completely furious.
Why did Gong Cheng'an have to appear now, right after I became the head of the family? And now that he's fallen into demonic ways, doesn't that make me, the head of the family, look problematic?
The young man didn't take his anger to heart, only saying, "What does it matter if it's the righteous path or the demonic path? Those who follow the righteous path aren't necessarily benevolent, and wasn't I forced into the demonic path by you all?!"
After saying this, Gong Cheng'an was too lazy to argue with Gong Chengsi anymore. He put away the jade seal, formed his five fingers into a claw, and attacked his elder brother directly.
The start of their battle seemed to sound the horn of chaos; the inner city trembled violently, and the intense shaking made everyone present lose their footing.
This sudden, earth-shaking movement caused everyone in the city to tense up, and the entire banquet hall was thrown into chaos.
The steward was no longer concerned about the two brothers fighting; he was busy directing the guards to stabilize the situation at the venue.
Taking advantage of this opportunity, Jimo Qing and Liang Ranyue quietly left the banquet.
Following Sang Ying's earlier directions, they accurately located the secret chamber. Inside the chamber, the very life force emanating from the jade beads filled the air!
Meanwhile, Sang Ying and her group outside the city arrived at the last Vitality Formation as agreed.
This last Vitality Formation is not elsewhere, but in the village where Sang Ying once visited.
"How could they be here? They actually built Vitality Formation beneath a mortal's dwelling! What's the difference between that and taking lives?!" Sang Ying couldn't contain her anger.
No wonder there were so many Snow Beast near this village before, no wonder the people in this village all had such short lifespans.
It turns out that someone had secretly taken away their chance at life long ago!
"There's no use worrying about these things now. Let's break the Vitality Formation here first. However, this place isn't an empty snowfield like before. You probably can't use your sword to cut through the snow anymore." Jiang Zhuoxue even sounded a bit gloating at the end.
But as soon as he finished speaking, he leaned close to Sang Ying's ear and said, "If you find this difficult, I can help."
His face was still veiled in white, preventing Sang Ying from seeing his expression. But Jiang Zhuoxue's breath brushed against Sang Ying's ear, making her instinctively avoid the heat.
"I don't need your help, I can manage on my own." Sang Ying refused him without even thinking.
In the past, Sang Ying would probably have been troubled by this, but now that she has broken through one formation and understands the structure of the Vitality Formation, Sang Ying no longer needs to cut through the thick snow to cast spells on the formation at close range.
Not wanting to waste time, after Jiang Zhuoxue cast Sleep Incantation on everyone in the village, Sang Ying couldn't wait to get started.
The female cultivator, shrouded in a black cloak, leaped into the air above the village. She opened her eyes, and what she saw reflected in them was not the village below, but a golden array.
The Gate of Life, the Gate of Death; Transformation of Fate, Seeking Survival!
A massive Law Seals took shape under Sang Ying's hand and then slammed down onto the Vitality Formation hidden deep beneath.
A crisp snapping sound reached everyone's ears from somewhere.
As if sensing something, the people on this snowfield all looked up at the sky in the center of the snowfield.
But the wind and snow blocked their vision, preventing them from seeing anything.
But soon, the vibrations beneath their feet made them lose interest in that elusive feeling.
But before the panic caused by the earthquake could subside, a deafening dragon's roar echoed from the fierce wind and snow!
A note from the author:
Sorry everyone, I'll be quite busy lately, so I'll only be able to update twice a day, and the update time will be earlier.
Thank you everyone for your support, love you all~