Chapter 657 638: Aches and Pains

Wang Meng knew this was aimed at him. It was his first time reaching the twenty-eighth floor, and even though Ji Jin'Er had opened the way, rules rarely applied to a taboo figure like him.

The world trembled as a frigid aura raged. Ni Yong's expression grew grim; his Qiankun Daluo Holy Protection was beginning to fail.

Amidst the ice and snow, one Two-headed Extreme Wolf King after another began to emerge from the ground. The faces of the group instantly turned pale.

'How could this be happening???'

Princess Jin'er was no fool. She wanted to leave but found herself bound by a barrier. Her Life Wheel was completely unable to open a passage.

Gazing at the swarms of Two-headed Extreme Wolf Kings, Wang Meng slowly walked forward.

And just as expected, the Extreme Wolf Kings' target was indeed Wang Meng. They instantly submerged him in their onslaught.

Jin'Er covered her mouth. The entire situation had changed in a flash. They didn't dare step outside the range of Ni Yong's array technique; the killing intent from the Five Elements frigid aura outside had intensified to a terrifying degree.

"We have to help him, or we'll all die here!" Meng Ningzhi declared. Though a Female Cultivator, she was decisive and ruthless.

But just as everyone was about to make a move, a golden light erupted.

The might of heaven and earth manifested as a brilliant light that burst from the eyes of a Celestial Horse.

BOOM...

The pack of Two-headed Extreme Wolf Kings shrieked as they were shattered into ice fragments. VMMMM~~~

As the golden light swept past, everyone's vision blurred.

By the time their sight returned, it was all over.

When Meng Ningzhi and the others looked at Wang Meng again, they were filled with wariness.

'Who could have imagined that this masked man possessed such terrifying strength?'

"Who in the world are you? With such power, could you be one of the Seven Extremes?"

Meng Ningzhi and the others had already formed a protective circle around Ji Jin'Er.

Wang Meng found their "facing a great enemy" posture amusing. The barrier had already vanished, and a teleportation gate was now open.

Master Wang was about to say something, but he realized that his meager True Essence was almost completely drained from that stylish explosion. He had no choice but to leave.

Long after Wang Meng had left, Meng Ningzhi and her group remained on high alert.

The group exchanged glances. 'Who was that person?'

"Is there anyone like that among the Seven Extremes?" Yuan Juhuo frowned. Thanks to the Fire Emperor, the Yuan Family was generally more knowledgeable than the others.

"That person is about our age."

Ni Yong's sudden remark startled everyone.

"Are you kidding, Ni Yong? That person's strength is top-tier. How could he possibly be our age?"

"Even if he's older, it can't be by much," Ni Yong said. "I could feel his abundant Vitality. That's not the mark of an old man."

He was, after all, a Pill Cultivator, and no ordinary one at that.

Jin'Er suddenly clapped her hands. "Ooh, another interesting person to play with."

"Ahem, Your Highness, it would be best to be cautious," Yuan Juhuo said. "This person's origins are unknown."

For Wang Meng, the struggle against the Dao Laws had begun, with the Divine Space as his battlefield. And here, it was clear that the Dao Laws were just a tiny bit more helpless against him.

Back at the Bai Family residence, Master Wang's body was wracked with a fierce, hollow ache. 'Damn it, this body is too pathetic,' he thought. 'Just one small display of power and I'm completely wiped out.'

Wang Rencai's foundation was still too weak. Wang Meng would have to work harder on it.

While Master Wang was busy, others hadn't been idle. In Wang City, the Bai Family and the Muhe Family had deepened their cooperation by launching large-scale hunting expeditions. The Bai Family also began recruiting high-level Loose Cultivator hunters to build up their external power base.

Fatty Bai was like a changed man. He was no longer seen anywhere within a hundred meters of the Celestial Fragrance Tower. Instead, he spent his days immersed in the Divine Artifact Pavilion, the Spirit Control Association, and the Pill Immortal Alliance, and of course, he trained arduously.

Wang Meng would occasionally offer Fatty Bai some guidance. After all, strength was the foundation for one's survival. The fatty's aptitude wasn't the best, but he had no problem becoming a wealthy powerhouse.

"To be the Bai Family's Revitalization Family Head, you must have the courage to break with convention." After learning the Ten Thousand Attraction Golden Star Technique, Fatty Bai went ahead and changed the Bai Family motto.

Time passed quickly. The hunting collaboration between the Bai Family and Muhe Family went very smoothly. Fatty Bai didn't lead the expeditions himself. Instead, he dispatched Li Xunhuan and the old Bai Family retainers—the same ones who had faced the Taiyuan Demon Spirit and chosen to stand their ground even in the face of death. Their power was somewhat lacking, but strength could be cultivated over time; their loyalty, however, was a rare and precious treasure.

During the hunts, the Bai Family truly had a chance to flaunt their new capabilities.

The black whip that Wang Meng had provided to the Divine Artifact Pavilion had now been named the "Demon-Suppressing Divine Whip." The Bai Family was granted priority and free usage rights.

Although the hunts were nominally a collaboration between the Bai and Muhe Families, in reality, all the major families of Wang City had sent large contingents of their own. And every single one of them witnessed the terrifying power of the Demon-Suppressing Divine Whip!

The details aren't important; the results of this hunt speak for themselves. Fifty-six Third-Transformation True Essence Beasts were captured, all of which were successfully converted on the spot. Upon returning to Wang City, they could be taken directly to a Spirit-Controlling Master for appraisal and sealing!

Furthermore, they even captured two Fifth Transformation True Essence Beasts!

On previous hunts, teams would typically give any Fifth Transformation True Essence Beast a wide berth. A berserk one was simply too powerful. Even if a capture were possible, the cost in manpower to the Hunting Team would be far too high. This time, however, everyone roared with excitement and charged straight in!

Go berserk? One lash from the Demon-Suppressing Divine Whip forcibly cut the rampage short!

It was absolutely insane!

The so-called Demon-Suppressing Mirror, Linglong Tower, and Five Elements Demon Binding Array all seemed pathetically weak compared to the Divine Whip!

If one had to name a weakness... well, the Divine Whip's effectiveness was greatly diminished against Seventh Transformation True Essence Beasts.

But then again, how many people could even dream of provoking a Seventh Transformation True Essence Beast?

Although the Divine Whip didn't bring the Divine Artifact Pavilion much direct income this time, its reputation was now firmly established. All of Wang City knew about the pavilion's ultimate weapon. Of course, stopping at just Wang City would be pathetic; the surrounding cities also learned of the Wang City Divine Artifact Pavilion's power. This news even silenced the cities that had been grumbling about Wang City hosting the upcoming Five Elements Divine Beast Festival.

Families who knew the secret lairs of Fifth Transformation True Essence Beasts were starting to get antsy. Before, if they found one, all they could do was secretly note its location, not daring to make a move. Now... now they could start making plans.

Yang Qi went to sleep smiling every night. The prestige was nice, of course; he wasn't immune to vanity—in fact, the more skilled an Artifact Refiner, the more they cared about such things. But what made him even happier was that his conversations with Wang Meng had led to a massive breakthrough in his own cultivation. He now had a realistic hope of becoming an Artifact Refining Grandmaster. To Yang Qi, this was a debt of gratitude equivalent to being given a new life.

Yang Qi's happiness was Hu Qingsong's misery. Seeing Yang Qi's position grow more secure by the day, Hu Qingsong knew he no longer stood a chance. He simply requested a transfer from headquarters to leave Wang City and embark on a journey of experiential training. His departure caused the internal opposition faction at the Divine Artifact Pavilion to completely collapse, consolidating power in Yang Qi's hands to an unprecedented degree.

And the more secure Yang Qi's position became, the more solid the Bai Family's influence in Wang City grew.

Although the Zhe and Jiang Families had not declined—their income levels were roughly the same as before—the overall standing of Wang City was on the rise. They, however, were not rising with the tide. This was, in effect, a subtle weakening. Like a boat sailing against the current, if you're not moving forward, you're falling behind.

The Jiang Family had resigned themselves to their fate. Of the former four great families of Wang City, only two now reigned supreme: the Muhe and the Bai. (To be continued. If you like this work, you are welcome to come to Qidian.com to vote for recommendations and monthly tickets. Your support is my greatest motivation.)