Ethan Young also realized what was happening and quickly shouted, "Brother Di, you mustn't harm Craig Stone! His father is Senior Victor Kuang..."
Joe Di looked at Ethan Young with a half-smile. "Who is Victor Kuang? Is he a Dao Integration expert or a Third Step cultivator?"
Joe Di was speaking honestly. If Victor Kuang was a Dao Integration expert or a Third Step cultivator, he would naturally have to be more cautious.
Ethan Young, however, thought Joe Di was being sarcastic. His forehead darkened and he hurriedly explained, "Senior Victor Kuang is a Genesis Realm powerhouse, and many say he's already half a step into Dao Integration..."
"Oh, you startled me for a moment." Joe Di said, then pressed his hand harder. The surrounding people heard several crisp cracking sounds, and then saw Joe Di toss Craig Stone onto the ground.
Craig Stone collapsed on the ground, and even a non-cultivator could tell that nearly all the bones in his body had been crushed by Joe Di.
It's over—this was the only thought in Ethan Young's mind. With Victor Kuang and the Dao Domain Sect Alliance's experts arriving, even if Joe Di was killed, Ethan Young feared he would be implicated as well.
"I'll give you some time. Go call the experts of the Dao Domain Sect Alliance. Otherwise, you're worthless—and I crush worthless things into dust." Joe Di said coldly to Craig Stone.
It wasn't that his methods were ruthless—Craig Stone had tried to kill him just as ruthlessly moments ago. If Joe Di's strength had been inferior, Craig Stone's grip on his neck would have left him not with broken bones, but with his entire skeleton shattered to dust.
Craig Stone said nothing. With a flicker of divine sense, two flying swords shot out and vanished from sight.
Joe Di paid no attention to Craig Stone's flying swords. Instead, he looked at the slowly retreating Richard Ni and said calmly, "Chairman Ni, are you leaving now?"
Richard Ni quickly bowed and saluted. "Senior Di, I was blind and ignorant. Please forgive me."
He tried to steady his voice, but he simply couldn’t manage it. He knew very well that today might be his last day.
Thinking of the hardships he had endured to reach his current position and cultivation, only to face death now—how could he accept it?
"Did you send word to William Sha?" Joe Di asked.
"I wouldn’t dare." Richard Ni finally managed to control his emotions, his tone becoming a little steadier.
Joe Di snorted, "Then hurry up and send word to William Sha. Tell him I’m here."
"I truly don’t dare." Despair welled up in Richard Ni’s heart. He thought of countless ways to escape, but none could get him past Joe Di.
"Then you have no value." Joe Di said, forming another hand seal of divine essence.
"Senior, I’ll send the message now!" Richard Ni dared not hesitate any longer. He immediately took out his Commsphere and sent several messages.
"Since you’re at least quick about your tasks, I’ll let you die swiftly..."
"Senior, spare me! If you let me go just this once, the entire Qian Yuan Trading Guild will be yours..."
Richard Ni didn’t even finish his plea before Joe Di’s divine essence hand seal completely enveloped him. A miserable scream rang out, followed by a faint scent of blood. When the hand seal dissipated, Richard Ni had vanished without a trace.
A chill ran down Ethan Young’s spine, and even Craig Stone—usually fearless—felt cold at his back. In the past, he was fearless because no one dared to touch him, so he never had to curry favor with anyone. Now, with Joe Di clearly able to kill him at any moment, he couldn’t help but feel fear.
Shane Rivers looked at Joe Di with even greater reverence. To be honest, he had seen Joe Di arrive at the Wormhole Gate with his own eyes. How many years had it been? He was still a struggling, low-level cultivator at the Wormhole Gate, while Joe Di could now crush a Genesis Realm powerhouse with ease—and even defy the Dao Domain Sect Alliance.
People truly can’t be compared. Thankfully, Joe Di was on his side. As long as Joe Di remained strong, he would have a chance to leave this place.
After killing Richard Ni, Joe Di turned his gaze to Ethan Young. "City Lord Ethan, the teleportation array of Leapgate City isn’t open to ordinary cultivators. Is that a rule set by the Dao Domain Sect Alliance? Or are you just a puppet, helping them enforce their will?"
Ethan Young hadn’t even had time to answer Joe Di when an abrupt voice interrupted, "You don’t need to ask Ethan Young about this. I’ll answer you myself—and I guarantee you’ll be satisfied."
The speaker was a slightly gaunt man in a gray robe. As he stepped out of the teleportation array, the crowd could feel his Genesis Realm aura surging and overwhelming. The air was filled with a sense of "defy me and perish"—anyone who dared speak out would be crushed to dust by that aura.
Shane Rivers and Serena Heng, being weaker cultivators, were nearly forced to spit blood by the pressure of that aura.
Joe Di couldn’t even be bothered to speak. Anyone who tried to pressure him with mere aura clearly wasn’t interested in reason. If there was no reasoning to be had, then it was time to fight.
He unleashed his domain, summoned the Azure Veil Blade, and slashed down with a single stroke.
The unstoppable blade intent swept forth, emanating a chilling aura—the kind that promised death or nothing. This was Joe Di’s signature move: the Bleakwind Blade.
This was the first time Joe Di had used Bleakwind Blade since reaching Prime Realm completion. As he unleashed the blade, he felt a surge of excitement. He’d used this move countless times before, but never like today—this time, it felt as if the whole world was beneath his blade.
In the next moment, the blade aura formed an almost tangible blade domain. Joe Di had always created a blade domain with this technique, but never had it been so real—one slash, and the domain was suffused with killing intent.
This nearly tangible blade domain overlapped with his Prime Realm domain, making his spatial field even more vast and powerful. The gray-robed man’s domain was already suppressed by Joe Di’s, and now, with the blade domain layered on top, his own domain was crushed to pieces.
The gray-robed man’s face turned pale in an instant. He was a late-stage Genesis Realm cultivator, a renowned figure in the Dao Domain Sect Alliance, yet he couldn’t even hold his domain against Joe Di.
With the Azure Veil Blade locking onto his life force, the gray-robed man threw a terrified punch.
"Thud!" The Azure Veil Blade struck the center of his fist. The blade paused for a moment, then pressed forward. Along its path, the gray-robed man’s arm instantly vanished.
Boom! Boom! Just as the Azure Veil Blade was about to tear apart the gray-robed man’s body, two artifacts struck Joe Di’s blade, stopping its advance.
Two people had blocked Joe Di. The man on the left was short but powerfully built; the one on the right was tall and bore a resemblance to Craig Stone—curly hair, high nose, and a commanding presence.
"Daoist Di, please stop!" Before Joe Di could unleash another technique, the short man on the left quickly called out.
Joe Di did stop. The two newcomers were far stronger than the gray-robed man whose arm he’d just severed.
Besides, Joe Di hadn’t come here to kill—he was here to change the rules of Leapgate City.
The fight between Joe Di and the gray-robed man had lasted only a breath. Off to the side, Ethan Young couldn’t help but gasp. He knew the gray-robed man well—Lucas Lu, the Right Guardian of the Dao Domain Sect Alliance and its third strongest member. Yet, in front of Joe Di, he’d lost an arm in just one move.
Although Joe Di had the advantage of surprise, even when the Alliance Master and Victor Kuang attacked together earlier, they hadn’t managed to do anything to Joe Di. Clearly, even without surprise, Lucas Lu was no match for him.
(That’s all for today’s update. Good night, friends!)