Chapter 32: Defeated in a Single Blow
The voice thundered like a clap of lightning, shaking the entire crowd.
“The head of the Ji family has actually returned, and he’s brought someone with him. Is he seeking revenge against the Jun family?”
“With the Ye family annihilated and the city lord slain, the Ji family was doomed as well. We all thought Jiangning City would fall into the hands of the Jun family alone, but now Ji’s patriarch has fetched reinforcements.”
“There’s bound to be a great battle today!”
As the news spread, citizens swarmed in from all directions, quickly gathering outside the Jun family estate.
At that moment, a group of people streamed out from the Jun residence, headed by none other than Jun Zhantian himself.
“Jun Zhantian, you’ve finally shown yourself. Where is Jun Wushuang? Drag him out here!”
When enemies meet, their eyes blaze with hatred.
Ji Yuntian fixed his gaze on Jun Zhantian, his eyes burning with deep resentment.
“Old dog Ji, you fled in disgrace that day. I never thought you’d come knocking at my door yourself. Since you’re here, don’t even think about leaving—leave your life behind!”
Jun Zhantian stared straight at Ji Yuntian, exuding a domineering aura and murderous intent. The Ji family’s actions against Jun Wushuang had infuriated him. And Ji Yuntian’s repeated targeting of the Jun family only intensified his desire to kill.
During the martial contest on the stage, if not for Xu Huanhu’s intervention, he would have slain Ji Yuntian. And now, with his enemy before him, how could he possibly let him go?
“Such grand words from a mere insect!”
Nangong Lei snorted coldly, his face full of contempt.
Jun Zhantian’s gaze sharpened as he assessed Nangong Lei. Although Nangong Lei’s cultivation was not especially high—only at the ninth level of the Myriad Phenomena Realm—his imposing bearing was enough to make one’s heart tremble. It was as if he were a god towering above mortals, regarding all beneath him as ants.
Moreover, the pressure rolling off him was like thunderclouds in the sky, weighing down on Jun Zhantian as though he were facing a true god of thunder, ready to be struck down at any moment.
“Who are you?” Jun Zhantian felt a faint unease rising in his heart.
Since Ji Yuntian had dared to come, he must have had something up his sleeve. Clearly, Nangong Lei was his trump card.
“Jun Zhantian, today I’ll see to it that you die with clarity,” Ji Yuntian sneered. “This is Nangong Lei from the Nangong family of the imperial capital and an elite of the Royal Martial Academy.”
“He and my daughter Qingchen are in love. This time, he’s come to help avenge the Ji family!”
The moment he declared Nangong Lei’s identity, the crowd erupted in shock.
“Someone from the imperial capital?”
“The Nangong family—one of the four great families?”
“A celestial-ranked student from the Royal Martial Academy?”
Everyone gasped in unison, their eyes wide with awe as they looked at Nangong Lei, as if in the presence of a true dragon, inspiring reverence.
Even Jun Zhantian felt his heart skip a beat. He knew Ji Qingchen had gone to the imperial capital and had been exceptionally admitted to the Royal Martial Academy as a celestial-level student. But he had not expected someone would come all the way to Jiangning City for her sake.
The man before him, Nangong Lei, whether in status, talent, or strength, was not someone Jiangning City could hope to contain.
This was a ferocious dragon crossing the river—who in Jiangning could stand against him?
Nangong Lei relished the astonished, admiring gazes of the crowd, his arrogance growing ever more pronounced.
“Qingchen is my woman. If you harm the Ji family, you harm me.”
“Send Jun Wushuang out to die, and have your entire Jun family kneel for three days before taking your own lives to atone.”
“If not, I’ll make sure your whole clan suffers a fate worse than death!”
Kneel for three days, and then kill themselves—this was murder of both body and spirit.
The crowd was horrified, and Jun Zhantian’s face became like still water.
Jun Wushuang was in seclusion, healing his wounds; there was no way he could appear. Though Nangong Lei was formidable, there was no chance Jun Zhantian would let his entire family kneel and take their own lives.
“My Jun family may be small, but we are no cowards without backbone!”
“If you want to harm my son, you’ll have to step over my corpse first!”
Jun Zhantian stood his ground alone, staring unflinchingly at Nangong Lei, without the slightest hint of retreat.
“Frog at the bottom of a well—how ignorant of the world you are!”
“You’ve committed a capital crime by plotting against the Ji family, and now you dare defy my command. Even if the King of Heaven himself appeared, he couldn’t save you.”
“Since you choose to be obstinate, I’ll kill you first, then go crush Jun Wushuang!”
Nangong Lei shook his head, dripping with disdain.
A thunderclap suddenly resounded.
The ground shook, the sky trembled, and everyone was left dizzy and in pain.
Brilliant lightning exploded from Nangong Lei’s body, earthshaking and destructive.
“Innate Divine Ability: Thunder Annihilates the World!”
Nangong Lei attacked with a killing move.
He possessed the body of the Thundercloud King, his divine abilities long since awakened and immensely powerful.
Blinding, violent lightning coalesced, swiftly taking the form of a hundred-meter-long thunder tiger, which lunged at Jun Zhantian like a beast pouncing on its prey.
“Not good!”
Sensing the terrifying aura of destruction, Jun Zhantian’s pupils shrank to pinpricks.
He dared not be careless. Drawing his battle blade, he activated the Primordial Infinite Technique and swung with all his might.
“Heaven-Rank Advanced Martial Art: Severing Mountains and Rivers!”
A boundless wave of blade energy swept in all directions—one strike, dazzling and fierce enough to sever mountains and rivers.
Jun Zhantian was not only a first-level Divine Sea expert, but also cultivated the Primordial Infinite Technique, his spiritual energy vast and profound.
With this blade, he had defeated Ji Yuntian and slain Ye Tiande—truly formidable.
But this time, his opponent was Nangong Lei.
Though Nangong Lei was also at the ninth level of the Myriad Phenomena Realm, he possessed extraordinary talent and had been lavished with resources since childhood.
It was known that the minimum requirement for a celestial-level student at the Royal Martial Academy was the Divine Sea Realm.
Like Ji Qingchen, Nangong Lei had been exceptionally admitted.
His realm might still be the Myriad Phenomena, but his strength already exceeded most Divine Sea cultivators.
The thunder tiger rampaged forward, its destructive lightning shattering the sweeping blade energy.
With a crisp snap, Jun Zhantian’s battle blade broke in two under the strain.
The thunder tiger barreled on, striking Jun Zhantian squarely.
He was sent flying, crashing through a wall and gouging a long furrow into the ground, blood spraying through the air.
A single blow—Jun Zhantian, a first-level Divine Sea expert, was defeated!
This outcome left everyone stunned.
On the martial stage, Jun Zhantian had been invincible. Yet now, facing Nangong Lei, he was felled in one strike.
The stark contrast left the crowd in awe—and made them realize just how terrifying Nangong Lei truly was.
“No wonder he’s a genius of the Nangong family—his strength is overwhelming!”
“Looks like Qingchen has really found someone powerful this time!”
Ji Yuntian’s eyes glittered with excitement. He had guessed Nangong Lei was extraordinary, but he hadn’t expected him to be so powerful.
With a single attack, he had defeated the once-invincible Jun Zhantian.
It seemed today, vengeance would finally be his!
“Insects dare defy me? If you seek death, I shall oblige!”
Nangong Lei pressed his advantage, determined to finish Jun Zhantian off.
At this point, Jun Zhantian was blackened all over, gravely wounded, and could not possibly withstand another assault. If Nangong Lei closed in, his death would be certain.
“Stop!”
Just then, a long, piercing cry echoed from afar.
In the next instant, a figure leapt forward, blocking Nangong Lei’s path!