The Strongest Dandy in the City Chapter 2235: 2224: Taking Sides

In the square where the ritual was taking place.

With the ritual progressing without a hitch.

All at once, the five-pointed altar shuddered fiercely, its crimson radiance dimming bit by bit, which caused Zhao Shenghong, Zhao Jinpeng, and Zhao Wenyu’s faces to alter faintly.

Just as doubt crept into their expressions, a tremendous “boom!” erupted from the west, where a colossal black mist exploded skyward, instantly cloaking the far horizon in darkness.

Spotting the origin of that billowing black mist, every member of the Nine Nether Ice Lion clan, Zhao Shenghong included, saw their faces twist in shock. Zhao Shenghong, Zhao Jinpeng, and Zhao Wenyu abandoned the ritual without a second thought and dashed toward the west at full speed.

Once Zhao Shenghong and his group took off, the other Nine Nether Ice Lion clan members hurriedly trailed after them.

This turn of events baffled Ye Chenfeng completely, yet the black fog rising from the west told him trouble had struck. He turned to Zhao Chengming and Zhao Huaqing next to him and questioned, “What’s going on?”

Zhao Chengming and Zhao Huaqing no longer saw Ye Chenfeng as an outsider, aware of his unbreakable bond with Bai Xiaorou. Even the typically composed Zhao Huaqing spoke with urgency, “Chenfeng, we’ll fill you in on the way there.”

Ye Chenfeng gave a nod of assent, then he and Bai Xiaorou stuck close behind Zhao Chengming and Zhao Huaqing.

While racing forward, Zhao Huaqing and Zhao Chengming laid out the full story of the black demon from beginning to end.

This revelation left Ye Chenfeng speechless, as the voices of Old Bai and Old Black resounded in his head.

Old Bai Wu Fengxian said gravely, “Black demon? That fabled black demon was truly sealed away in the Nine Nether Ice Lions’ ancestral grounds?”

Old Black Jiang Yuntian spoke with rare gravity, “Kid, based on our knowledge, during the Ancient Era’s dawn, the black demon rampaged unchecked, his power just shy of the Dragon Clan’s founding Clan Leader.”

“Sadly, the black demon’s atrocities finally compelled the Dragon Clan’s first Clan Leader to act personally, scarcely managing to seal him away. Back in Old Bai’s and my time, countless theories swirled about the black demon’s prison, never guessing it was the Nine Nether Ice Lions’ ancestral land.”

“Kid, should the black demon escape, no one here stands a chance of survival. Ancient texts note that though he never touched Eternal Life, his might was bottomless, nearly there. Even the Dragon Clan’s inaugural Clan Leader neared that realm.”

“Despite endless years of suppression and sealing, the black demon’s power may have waned sharply, but he’s still the black demon. Even at a fraction of his former glory—just one-tenth—everyone present wouldn’t sate him as an appetizer.”

Absorbing Old Black’s somber warning, Ye Chenfeng’s forehead creased deeply, confirming the black demon as a supreme force from the Ancient Era’s outset.

Moments ticked by slowly.

The nearer they drew to the western depths, the denser the black fog grew around them, seeping into bodies and inducing vertigo.

All those venturing west could merely deploy their inner Spiritual Energy to resist the black fog, yet it proved impossible to block entirely.

At last, Ye Chenfeng and Bai Xiaorou reached the heart of the west, where the black fog hung thickest. Zhao Shenghong and his group had arrived ahead, blocked by a Black Energy Barrier.

Beyond that Black Energy Barrier stood the mountain that pinned and sealed the black demon, with Zhao Chenggao, Zhao Hongliang, Zhao Qishu, and Zhao Feiyu positioned before a cavern at its foot. The massive stone door sealing the cave now bore a fist-wide crack, from which black fog poured ceaselessly.

That Black Energy Barrier brimmed with immense might, probably impervious even to top Divine King Realm masters.

Zhao Shenghong stared at Zhao Chenggao and his allies, stunned that Zhao Chenggao would dare unleash the black demon. Had they no grasp of its horrors? This was tantamount to hurling the entire Nine Nether Ice Lion clan into flames.

Zhao Jinpeng bellowed, eyes bulging, “Zhao Chenggao, do you realize what you’re doing? Is it solely because Chenfeng beat Zhao Feiyu that you’ve gone this far? Chenfeng showed him mercy, but now you pull this. Halt it at once.”

Zhao Hongliang scoffed, “Zhao Jinpeng, drop the act. Want us to quit? Then we’d be in your hands? Truth is, it’s not merely about that kid thrashing Feiyu—we’ve plotted this for ages.”

Madness and bitterness twisted Zhao Hongliang’s features, his tone growing wilder, “Had Feiyu wed Bai Xiaorou, he’d have become the next Dragon Clan Leader, and we wouldn’t be in this mess. It’s your Lion King Lineage that drove us to this.”

“Why must only the Lion King Lineage dominate the Nine Nether Ice Lion clan? Why not the ordinary lineage? Who decreed that? We’re finished bowing to the Lion King Lineage.”

Zhao Chenggao called out to the Nine Nether Ice Lion clan folk beyond the Black Energy Barrier, “Here’s your shot right now. Side with us, relax your Sea of Consciousness, and we’ll implant a restriction, bringing you over to our camp.”

“Lion King Lineage or ordinary lineage, everyone’s invited. This is your moment—once we fully dominate you, submitting later won’t end well.”

“You know the black demon’s dreadfulness, don’t you? We’ve sworn pacts with him via our cultivation hearts. Breaking them strikes at our core, so the black demon won’t betray us.”

“Backed by the black demon, can Zhao Shenghong, Zhao Jinpeng, and Zhao Wenyu of the Heavenly God Realm hold him off? Care to stay with them? Join us now, stay in the clan. After it all ends, you’ll serve as our slaves.”

The cavern’s stone door creaked further ajar, spewing even more black fog, deepening the gloom over all.

Certain ordinary lineage members, already aligned with Zhao Chenggao, rushed to the Black Energy Barrier without pause. Their Divine Sense slipped through effortlessly, doubtless with the black demon’s aid.

Once Zhao Chenggao and his crew inscribed marks into those people’s Sea of Consciousness, the marked ones crossed the Black Energy Barrier with ease to stand with Zhao Chenggao’s faction.

“That wretched Dragon Clan elder confined me for eons; at last, I taste freedom again. Soon as I, the black demon, reclaim my power, these realms will bow to me.”

A sinister, archaic voice drifted from the widening stone door, paired with a potent energy surge bursting forth.

No Peak Divine King Realm expert could unleash such a pulse. Sensing it, additional ordinary lineage folk surged toward the Black Energy Barrier.

In time, the factions solidified.

The bulk of the ordinary lineage threw in with Zhao Chenggao, though a handful chose Zhao Jinpeng’s side. The Lion King Lineage held firm, none yielding to Zhao Chenggao, prizing honor above survival.

Surveying the split, Zhao Chenggao sneered, “Seems you lot are doomed to slavery in the Nine Nether Ice Lion clan.”

…(To be continued. If you like this work, please visit Qidian (qidian.com) to vote for recommendations or monthly votes. Your support is my biggest motivation. Mobile users, please go to m.qidian.com to read.)