Chapter 499

Chapter 499: Encirclement

“Fall back!”

As Wang Chen struck Yungfang Pavilion, Wu Chengzhi shouted with urgency.

Being a cultivator of the same level, he was acutely aware of the devastating power of the Purple Palace. He had never anticipated that Wang Chen would act with such decisiveness and ferocity, showing blatant disregard for the Wu family.

Yet, Wu Chengzhi was left with no choice but to command the members of the Wu family to retreat, hoping to spare them from the impending calamity.

In an instant, he activated the jade talisman array he had been clutching, triggering the Wu family’s defensive formations.

Every family that had established itself in Daying City possessed its own strengths, and the Wu family was no exception. Their internal defensive formations were constructed to the highest standards befitting their status.

The defensive formations of the family estate did not interfere with the protective formation of Daying City, though they operated on entirely different levels. Nevertheless, their power was formidable.

Once the Wu family’s formations were activated and raised to their maximum Defense level, they could withstand several strikes from a Golden Core true master.

Containing Wang Chen’s destructive power within the inner courtyard would certainly not pose a problem.

However, in the next moment, the expression of the Wu family head changed drastically.

He saw the dark light surging into the sky and sensed the malevolent and chilling aura emanating from it.

There truly were Sand Tribe spies hidden within Yungfang Pavilion!

Boom!

In that fleeting moment of shock, a bolt of lightning imbued with destructive power suddenly descended from the heavens.

It struck directly at the dark light that had just erupted from the ground.

And it plunged deep into the earth.

“Ah!”

In the next instant, an ear-piercing scream erupted.

Accompanied by a violent explosion, countless rocks and dirt scattered in all directions as a figure cloaked in blood light burst from the ground, hurtling toward Wang Chen in the sky like an arrow loosed from a bow.

Bang!

Wang Chen swiftly brought his palm down, striking the blood figure and sending it crashing back to the ground with tremendous force.

The Wu family’s inner courtyard now bore another large crater.

Yet, the blood figure leaped out once more, astonishingly still alive despite the blow.

Wang Chen was somewhat taken aback; his palm strike had been infused with immense power, carrying the destructive might of the Heavenly Dragon Vajra. Even a foe forged of copper and iron would have been flattened instantly.

Now, he could clearly see the true form of the so-called “Sand Tribe locust!”

It appeared that the creature had revealed its true nature—a grotesque hybrid of a locust and a human, its body encased in dark red armor studded with countless sharp spikes.

Its eyes bulged, its nose bridge was sunken, and sharp mandibles protruded from the sides of its mouth, while two long antennae dangled behind its ears.

Its crimson pupils locked onto Wang Chen, radiating a savage, bloodthirsty aura.

However, blood streamed from its mouth and nose, and its armor bore visible dents and cracks. Its limbs trembled uncontrollably, leaving it looking utterly wretched.

“Ah!”

The Sand Tribe locust let out a shrill scream as it surged out of the hole in the ground, its head tilted toward Wang Chen.

Many people from the Wu family, who had already retreated from the inner courtyard, were struck as if by a heavy blow, clutching their heads and screaming in agony.

The weaker Qi Training cultivators even collapsed to the ground, foaming at the mouth and writhing in pain.

Wu Chengzhi, who was closest to the battlefield, involuntarily took a step back, feeling as though several red-hot steel needles had pierced his Sea of Consciousness, his head throbbing as if it might explode!

The screech of the Sand Tribe locust was clearly a sonic spell or divine ability capable of attacking the opponent’s spirit.

He had only been caught in the aftershock, yet he nearly fell victim to it.

It was truly terrifying.

But Wu Chengzhi was a seasoned Purple Palace master; at this critical moment, he did not choose to retreat. Instead, he raised his hand and hurled three Thunderfire Pills toward the Sand Tribe locust!

The Thunderfire Pill was a unique concealed weapon, containing compressed thunder and fire energy that exploded upon impact.

Using such a weapon in a sneak attack could seriously injure or even kill a Purple Palace master, making its power truly astonishing!

In the hands of a Purple Palace master, its might was even greater.

Due to its rarity, Thunderfire Pills were difficult to obtain at the Four Seas Trading Association or Wanbao Pavilion; loose cultivators couldn’t acquire them at all, and they were exorbitantly priced.

After years of accumulation, Wu Chengzhi had only five Thunderfire Pills, and he had never used them before.

He carried them at all times, reserved for life-saving purposes in critical moments.

This time, however, he unleashed all three at once!

The head of the Wu family knew very well that such a major incident, even if his family could clear the accusations of harboring spies, would inevitably lead to severe consequences, potentially shaking their foundation.

The worst-case scenario would be Wang Chen being killed by the Sand Tribe spies; in that case, the Wu family would surely face annihilation, with no hope of survival!

At this point, Wu Chengzhi demonstrated the decisiveness expected of a family leader.

As he launched the Thunderfire Pills, he sent a message through his divine sense: “Uncle, help me!”

Wu Chengzhi’s uncle was a clan elder of the Wu family, a sixth-level Purple Palace cultivator, who usually remained at the Wu family estate and rarely ventured out.

He was the family’s pillar of stability.

In fact, he didn’t even need to be summoned; the elder had already initiated an attack.

The space around the inner courtyard instantly solidified, and an invisible force enveloped the Sand Tribe locust.

The Sand Tribe locust was immediately trapped as if in a quagmire. Its magical power and bloodline strength were severely restricted, and even breathing became difficult.

Boom! Boom! Boom!

Three Thunderfire Pills struck its body simultaneously, causing violent explosions.

In an instant, lightning and fire illuminated the scene, creating a spectacular display.

The Sand Tribe locust’s screech was abruptly cut off as the thick armor covering its body shattered into pieces, revealing bloody flesh and white bones beneath.

Under normal circumstances, with its Defense, it could have withstood the Thunderfire Pills without such severe injury.

The problem was that it had previously been struck by Wang Chen’s Heavenly Dragon Vajra Palm and hit by the Sky Thunder, leaving its protective outer armor severely damaged and its Defense reduced by at least sixty to seventy percent.

At this moment, it was as if Wang Chen and the two Purple Palace masters from the Wu family were jointly attacking the Sand Tribe locust!

“Ah—”

The Sand Tribe locust, struck repeatedly, spewed blood from its mouth and let out a furious, frenzied roar.

In the next moment, a flying sword wreathed in flames descended from above, ruthlessly piercing its skull!

Seizing the opportunity to strike while the enemy was wounded, Wang Chen had no qualms about following any martial code when dealing with such inhuman beings.

Immediately, he summoned the Chini Sword and delivered a fatal blow!

The Chini Sword stabbed through the top of the Sand Tribe locust’s head, penetrated its body, then turned and spiraled upward, instantly slicing it into sections before severing its head.

【Heavenly Merit +1000】

1000 Heavenly Merit?

Before Wang Chen could react after retracting the flying sword, he saw the severed head of the Sand Tribe locust suddenly explode, a burst of blood light spreading in all directions.

Countless runes silently formed within the blood light, radiating an unfathomable and mysterious aura.

Suspended in mid-air, Wang Chen suddenly felt an ominous premonition!