Chapter 104: Thunderclap

Jiang Xiaotian was startled and immediately braced himself, scanning his surroundings with heightened vigilance. However, within his sensory range, even if there were people present, none possessed power threatening enough to warrant such alarm.

Who was it?

He felt as though someone were watching him from the shadows, yet he could not perceive a single trace of the person’s presence, as if they did not exist at all. Was it just his imagination? Jiang Xiaotian pursed his lips and continued on his way.

As he ventured deeper, the sensation grew more pronounced. He could not help but stop in his tracks. "Which expert is ignoring the rules? Anyone above the mid-stage of Internal Force is strictly forbidden from entering!" In truth, even a mid-stage Internal Force practitioner would not have made him feel this way. But the empty woods offered no reply. Just as he prepared to move again, a voice froze him in place.

"Master..."

A shudder ran through Jiang Xiaotian, and he dared not move a muscle. It was the voice of a girl; it sounded near and far all at once, ethereal and phantom-like, as if it were a hallucination. He paused for a long while before quickening his pace, but the girl's voice sounded again: "Finally... you've come..."

This time, Jiang Xiaotian was certain it was no hallucination. He had undeniably heard a girl's voice!

"Hey, who are you? Are you looking for a master? You've got the wrong person! I'm still just a kid!" Jiang Xiaotian shouted.

But the other party ignored him entirely. The feeling of being watched never dissipated, leaving him deeply unsettled. Just as he began to wonder if the place was haunted, the flow of spiritual energy suddenly shifted. No one else present could have detected this subtle change, except for Jiang Xiaotian, who possessed the unique ability to harness spiritual energy for his own use. Highly sensitive and already on edge, he sensed it immediately.

Previously, the spiritual energy saturating the city park had no destination, but now it was gradually converging on a single point. From that moment on, a sense of longing rippled through Jiang Xiaotian's heart. It felt as if something were summoning him; even knowing it might be a trap, he could not help but dash in that direction.

He followed the flow of spiritual energy, driven by an irresistible impulse he could not explain. He pushed forward without pause, passing countless small family groups. The further he went, the fewer people he saw. Eventually, even the members of the Zhao family were nowhere to be found, and the terrain grew increasingly flat. He knew he was nearing his destination. Finally, he slowed down and came to a halt. There was no path left ahead—only an endless expanse of lake water.

Jiang Xiaotian did not understand why such a massive lake existed within this park. But as he squinted, he noticed a small patch of land in the center of the lake.

Perhaps it was his imagination, but the fog seemed to thin, and visibility improved significantly. He could clearly see that stuck into that patch of land was a rusted, dilapidated, slender sword. This was the source of the spiritual energy current.

Jiang Xiaotian could not help but feel a surge of excitement. This must be the treasure of the city park—the very thing releasing or absorbing the spiritual energy. However, once he saw it clearly, he felt a twinge of disappointment. This sword had lured him here, and he was the first to discover it, but could this thing really be called a treasure? Under his scrutiny, it emitted no aura, and the blade was covered in various notches. He felt no desire to possess it at all.

"Little sister, you called me here, and this is the treasure?" Jiang Xiaotian asked the empty air.

There was still no response, and the feeling of being watched had faded away. He looked around; no one was there. He hesitated, debating whether to take it. To be honest, he wasn't even sure if it was a treasure. Moreover, if he pulled it out, everyone would likely notice, and it was questionable whether he could even get it out of the park. According to his original plan, he was supposed to wait for someone else to find the treasure and then snatch it from them.

After much deliberation—afraid to pull it but unwilling to walk away—Jiang Xiaotian was in a state of deep conflict. But thinking of all the things the Zhao family had done, he hardened his heart and leaped toward the center of the lake. The spiritual energy here was several grades denser than outside; he could even use it as a foothold to walk across the water.

In just a few strides, Jiang Xiaotian reached the tiny plot of land. The moment he stepped onto it, an ancient, sorrowful emotion washed over him. He did not understand why he felt so sad. There was a broken stone here, stuck in the dirt like a tombstone, and the sword stood right before it. Upon seeing it, the feeling intensified. Even though Jiang Xiaotian didn't even know what this object was, he felt a strange sense of familiarity with the sword.

Was it because he had been tainted by Sister Ling'er's dragon aura? He had considered before entering that the treasure might be related to the Dragon Clan, and now he was certain—could the sword have mistaken him for one of its own?

Jiang Xiaotian reached out with a trembling hand. He tried to touch the sword countless times, but pulled back each time. He desperately wanted to obtain it and see what would happen if he pulled it out, but some unknown force was holding him back.

Jiang Xiaotian took a deep breath. Since he was already here and had seen it, there was no reason to back down now. Just do it!

With that, he hesitated no more!

"Don't! Hey! Jiang Xiaotian! Don't touch it!"

An anxious voice rang out. Jiang Xiaotian looked to the side and saw a little girl rushing toward him. He recognized her—she was the one who had guided him to the bearded man. At that moment, it suddenly occurred to him that the Ouyang family had also mentioned a little girl.

But it was too late. Jiang Xiaotian had already gripped the hilt. The next second, all the spiritual energy surged into the blade. Jiang Xiaotian was stunned, but his hand felt as if it were glued to the hilt—he couldn't let go!

As the spiritual energy gathered, the sword began to vibrate violently!

Jiang Xiaotian panicked, but before he could call for help, he felt the world spinning. His vision went black, followed by the sensation of an endless freefall.

"Boom!" A loud crash startled him into opening his eyes.

The scene around him had completely changed. He was in an unfamiliar place. Everything was blurry, as if he were nearsighted; no matter how much he rubbed his eyes, he could not see clearly. Moreover, there wasn't a shred of spiritual energy left in his body; he was no different from an ordinary person.

As he tried to figure out what was happening, a thunderbolt struck from the sky, accompanied by the mournful, miserable roar of a dragon. Jiang Xiaotian looked up to see a giant dragon falling from the sky like a kite with a broken string, while a figure stood above the clouds.

Was it he who had struck the dragon down?

Jiang Xiaotian was deeply shocked. What kind of formidable power could bring down a member of the Dragon Clan? But upon hearing the dragon's cry, his heart ached—perhaps out of empathy, he immediately thought of Ling'er.

"Hey!" Jiang Xiaotian shouted at the sky, but there was no reaction. He strained his eyes, but everything remained blurry; he couldn't see what the person looked like.

The dragon slammed into the ground, dripping with blood!

The figure in the sky did not intend to stop. With a flick of his sleeve, another bolt of heavenly lightning struck the giant dragon. The dragon was now on the brink of death, lacking even the strength to wail.

Unable to bear it, Jiang Xiaotian rushed over to the dragon's side and looked up at the powerful figure: "Master! Why are you killing her?"

Neither the dragon nor the powerful figure seemed to be able to see him. The man slowly descended to the dragon's side and looked down at it: "Where is he?"

The dragon used all its remaining strength to open its eyes, letting out a final whimper. And this time, Jiang Xiaotian understood it.

"Master, I'm sorry... I failed..."

After she spoke, the cold man turned and left: "Unrepentant to the end. Prepare for your clan's extinction."

As soon as he finished speaking, countless thunderbolts rained down from the sky, engulfing the giant dragon in a sea of lightning. The man was like a god, presiding over life and death; even a dragon was no match for him.

Jiang Xiaotian stood frozen in place. The voice of this dragon was the very same voice that had guided him here. His heart broke, but he did not understand—he didn't even know her, so why did he feel this way?

Jiang Xiaotian chased after the man, wanting to ask why he had been so ruthless, but his body passed straight through the man.