Joe Di had also heard of Ruby Lan before. She was known for her incredible kindness; even if someone offended her, she rarely resorted to killing. At most, she would simply reprimand them. In the Dao Domain, cultivators with Ruby Lan’s strength and status were few and far between—but those with her gentle and benevolent nature were even rarer.
The main reason Ruby Lan wanted Joe Di to come to Cloudveil Hall was because they had met once before, and she thought highly of his talent.
Now that Ruby Lan had left, he was certain there would be no problem killing Joe Di. Even if Ruby Lan eventually learned about it, she would never kill him for it.
Suppressing his inner elation, Richard Ni and Ethan Young, the City Lord of Leapgate City, formally escorted Ruby Lan and her companions away from the teleportation array.
Once Ruby Lan had departed, Ethan Young turned to Joe Di with a smile and said calmly, "Joe, you have the boldest spirit of any cultivator I’ve ever met. If I’m not mistaken, your relationship with Fairy Ruby Lan of Cloudveil Hall isn’t particularly deep, is it?"
Joe Di smiled faintly, his tone even more indifferent. "I’ve never been timid. As for Senior Sister Ruby Lan, we’ve only met once. I’m grateful she thought well of me and still remembers me to this day."
Richard Ni snorted coldly. "Even a dog that crossed paths with Fairy Ruby Lan would leave an impression on her."
"Richard Ni, this is our second meeting. Years ago, I killed your son, Ryan Ni. I heard you even hunted me for a while." Joe Di looked at Richard Ni, his tone turning cold.
Richard Ni’s heart skipped a beat. Joe Di’s tone didn’t sound afraid at all. Because of this wariness, Richard Ni didn’t attack immediately. Instead, he wondered—why wasn’t Joe Di afraid of him? Who was backing Joe Di?
He never even considered that Joe Di could overpower him on his own—that was absolutely impossible. After all, how long had it been since Joe Di escaped from the Wormhole Gate? Even if you multiplied that time by a hundred, it would be almost impossible for him to reach Richard Ni’s level of cultivation.
Ethan Young also felt something strange in his heart. What did Joe Di mean by this? Was there truly someone so unafraid of death?
While both Ethan Young and Richard Ni were feeling uneasy, Joe Di suddenly fixed his gaze on Ethan Young. "If I’m not mistaken, you must be Ethan Young, the City Lord of Leapgate City."
Seeing that Joe Di showed him no respect and spoke so openly, Ethan Young felt more and more that Joe Di was no ordinary person. He took a deep breath, deciding to remain silent until he understood Joe Di’s background. After all, it was Richard Ni who held a grudge against Joe Di, not Ethan Young.
"That’s right, I am Ethan Young. May I ask what advice you have for me, Joe?" Ethan Young replied, neither humble nor overbearing. Though he had decided not to provoke Joe Di, he did not show extra courtesy either, not even offering a formal salute.
Joe Di nodded. "Back then, I was trapped in the Wormhole Gate, and later confined within Leapgate City. If I hadn’t had half a Dao Vein left, I might never have escaped this city in my lifetime. So today, I’ve come here for one reason…"
"How did you get here?" Richard Ni finally realized the question he should have asked first. He had no idea how Joe Di had arrived at the Wormhole Gate—this was simply too unbelievable.
Because of Ruby Lan’s presence earlier, he hadn’t had the chance to ask anyone else.
Joe Di glanced at Richard Ni. "I’ll deal with your matters later."
Ethan Young smiled slightly. "I wonder what business you have, Joe. Please, enlighten me."
He had figured it out—Joe Di had only ascended to the Dao Domain a few thousand years ago. What kind of backing could he possibly have? Ethan Young realized he had no reason to fear Joe Di at all.
"I’m worried that my friends might come here in the future and be blocked by Leapgate City as well. So I hope that from now on, any cultivator who arrives at Leapgate City should be allowed to leave freely, rather than being detained within its walls," Joe Di said.
Ethan Young stared blankly at Joe Di. Was this guy an idiot? He sighed, convinced that Joe Di’s mind must have been damaged by cultivation. Otherwise, how could he say something so foolish? No wonder he had refused Ruby Lan’s invitation to leave earlier.
Richard Ni had a similar reaction and breathed a sigh of relief. He didn’t say anything, but like Ethan Young, he turned his gaze to the curly-haired, high-nosed man who had remained silent until now.
Although he could crush Joe Di right now, since Joe Di wanted to die a more thorough death, he didn’t need to act just yet. Later, he could even do Craig Stone a favor and slowly torment Joe Di.
The curly-haired, high-nosed man fixed his gaze on Joe Di and asked coolly, "You want to change the rules of Leapgate City and the Wormhole Gate?"
Only now did Joe Di realize that among these three, the real authority in Leapgate City was not Ethan Young, but this curly-haired man. Still, he didn’t care and answered directly, "That’s right—I want to change the rules of Leapgate City."
At this moment, Shane Rivers and Serena Heng both lowered their heads in resignation. Both believed that Joe Di must have suffered some cultivation mishap, leading to his current state of mind.
After all, guarding the Wormhole Gate meant certain death, and now was no different. Since death awaited them either way, what was there to be afraid of?
Craig Stone was usually serious and rarely smiled, but Joe Di’s words amused him. He chuckled, "My name is Craig Stone, a steward of the Dao Domain Sect Alliance. I’m in charge of the Wormhole Gate and Leapgate City. Since you want to change the rules here, I’ll have to take you to the Alliance and let you negotiate with the leader. Who knows, maybe the leader will agree by accident…"
As he spoke, Craig Stone stepped forward, his powerful Transformation Realm domain locking down the entire space. He reached out to grab Joe Di by the neck, clearly intending to lift him up by force.
He was taller than Joe Di, so grabbing Joe Di’s neck would indeed allow him to lift him off the ground.
The moment Craig Stone unleashed his Transformation Realm domain, Ethan Young’s expression changed. He was also at the peak of the Transformation Realm, and had thought that even if he was weaker than Craig Stone, the gap wouldn’t be too large. Now, seeing Craig Stone in action, he realized the difference was immense. If Craig Stone wanted to kill him, it would take less than a single incense stick’s time.
As for Shane Rivers and Serena Heng, they couldn’t even move, let alone breathe.
Joe Di simply chuckled and, without moving his body, reached out and grabbed Craig Stone’s neck in return.
As Joe Di extended his hand, Shane Rivers and Serena Heng instantly felt all the oppressive force from Craig Stone vanish without a trace.
Both of them stared at Joe Di in shock, completely unable to comprehend what had just happened.
Craig Stone was even more shocked. His violent domain seemed to have no effect on Joe Di at all. But shock quickly turned to horror. Not only was his domain useless, but with a casual gesture, Joe Di seemed to erase the space itself, locking Craig Stone in place.
What is this…
Craig Stone drew a sharp breath. Even his father couldn’t create such a terrifying spatial domain. The Joe Di before him had to be at the Genesis Realm, or perhaps even a Dao Fusion powerhouse.
Crack! Craig Stone’s neck was seized by Joe Di—not with his bare hand, but with the God Origin Hand Seal.
Just like that, Craig Stone was lifted into the air by Joe Di’s hand seal. Then Joe Di’s calm voice rang out, "You want to take me to the Dao Domain Sect Alliance? Your alliance isn’t qualified for that. However, I’ll give you a chance—bring all your leaders here, and I’ll be waiting. By the way, since I want to change the rules here, your alliance will have to agree, whether you want to or not."
Joe Di subconsciously touched his nose, realizing he’d picked up Jaden Jiao’s habit. Calling himself ‘grandpa’ just felt natural now.
Ethan Young and Richard Ni were completely petrified. In an instant, Richard Ni understood where Joe Di’s confidence came from. He didn’t rely on anyone—he relied on himself.
A chill ran down his scalp and cold sweat soaked his back. Richard Ni knew he was finished. He cursed his own stupidity—if Joe Di could escape a Prime Dao Expert years ago, how could he possibly be weaker now?