The night after the warehouse robbery, Lin Kai and his group returned to the western district carefully.
They avoided the main roads and entered the city through a small path that only a few people knew.
Inside the courtyard, everyone sat down to rest.
Wang Bo was still excited.
“Brother Kai, that Stage 8 elder was really strong, but you still killed him. Your power is growing too fast!”
Ye Chen cleaned his sword quietly and said, “We need to be more careful from now on. The Li Clan will go crazy after losing a Stage 8 elder and a full warehouse.”
Su Mei looked at Lin Kai with worry.
“Han Wei already sent a message. The Li Clan is mobilizing all their forces. They will surround the western district tomorrow morning.”
Lin Kai sat down and closed his eyes for a moment.
The Void Core inside him was still digesting the Stage 8 core.
His cultivation had stabilized at Early Stage 6, and his body felt much stronger.
“Let them come,” he said calmly.
“But we will not stay here and wait.”
He opened his eyes and looked at everyone.
“Tonight, we move again. There is one more place we need to hit.”
Wang Bo’s eyes lit up.
“Another warehouse?”
“No,” Lin Kai answered.
“The Li Clan’s second young master, Li Tian, is currently staying in a private courtyard in the southern district. He is protected by two Stage 7 guards. If we capture him, the Li Clan will have to stop and negotiate.”
Su Mei’s face changed.
“Kidnapping Li Tian? That is very dangerous.”
“It is,” Lin Kai said.
“But it is the fastest way to make them pause.”
After a short discussion, they agreed.
Around midnight, the four of them moved toward the southern district.
The streets were quiet.
Only a few night patrols walked around.
They reached a large courtyard with high walls.
Two guards stood at the gate.
Both were at Stage 6. Get faster updates on g.com.
Lin Kai used Shadow Step and appeared behind one of them.
One silent strike later, the guard fell without making a sound.
Ye Chen took care of the second guard with a precise sword strike.
They entered the courtyard quietly.
Inside the main hall, Li Tian was drinking wine with two beautiful women.
He looked relaxed and arrogant.
Two Stage 7 experts stood near the door.
When Lin Kai stepped into the hall, Li Tian’s face turned pale.
“You… you are the black flame monster!”
The two Stage 7 experts immediately released their auras and attacked.
Lin Kai didn’t hold back.
He activated both Dark Flame Palm and Lightning Flash Step at the same time.
His body became a black shadow covered in flames as he clashed with the first Stage 7 expert.
Boom!
The impact shook the entire hall.
The Stage 7 expert was forced back several steps, blood leaking from his mouth.
Wang Bo charged at the second Stage 7 expert with his heavy sword.
Ye Chen supported him from the side with fast and sharp attacks.
Su Mei stayed near the entrance to stop anyone from escaping.
Li Tian tried to run toward the back door, but Lin Kai’s black tentacle shot out and wrapped around his leg, pulling him back.
“Stay,” Lin Kai said coldly.
The fight with the two Stage 7 experts lasted only a few minutes.
Lin Kai’s devouring power was too strange.
Every time he touched them, their energy was sucked away.
Finally, both Stage 7 experts fell to the ground, their cores half-devoured and their cultivation heavily damaged.
Lin Kai walked toward Li Tian, who was now shaking in fear.
“Please… don’t kill me. My father will give you anything!”
Lin Kai looked at him without emotion.
“You will come with us. If your clan wants you back, they will have to pay a price.”
They knocked Li Tian unconscious and left the courtyard quickly.
The next morning, the entire Azure Cloud City was in chaos.
The Li Clan had lost a Stage 8 elder, a warehouse full of resources, and now their second young master had been kidnapped.
The Clan Leader, Li Zhen, who was at Peak Stage 9, was furious.
In the Li Clan main hall, Li Zhen smashed the table into pieces.
“Find that black flame boy! I want him dead! And bring my son back alive!”
At the same time, in Lin Kai’s hidden cave outside the city, Li Tian was tied to a stone pillar.
He had already woken up and was staring at Lin Kai with pure hatred mixed with fear.
Lin Kai sat in front of him.
“Tell your clan that I want 50,000 gold coins, ten high-grade spirit stones, and a guarantee that they will stop hunting me for three months. If they refuse, I will send your head back.”
Li Tian’s face turned white.
“You… you are crazy! My father will never agree to that!”
Lin Kai smiled coldly.
“Then he will lose a son.”
He stood up and looked at his team.
“From now on, the Li Clan will no longer look at me as a small problem. They will see me as an enemy that must be destroyed.”
Wang Bo laughed.
“This is getting more and more interesting!”
Ye Chen remained calm.
“We need a better base. This cave is not safe for long.”
Su Mei nodded.
“I know a place deeper in the mountains. It used to belong to an abandoned sect. We can use it for a while.”
Lin Kai agreed.
While they were preparing to move, far away in the Lin Clan mansion, Lin Feng received the news about everything that had happened.
He sat in his room, holding a cup of tea.
A cold smile appeared on his face.
“Lin Kai… you are growing faster than I expected. Good. The stronger you become, the more satisfying it will be when I crush you with my own hands.”
He looked out of the window toward the direction of the western district.
“The wedding is getting closer. At that time, I will make sure the entire city knows the difference between a true genius and a piece of trash who got lucky.”
The conflict in Azure Cloud City was no longer a small matter.
It was becoming a war.
End of Chapter 10