"You..." Bruno stared at Joe Di in shock. Although he hadn't used his full strength in that slap just now, he knew Joe Di wasn't lying when he said he hadn't used his either.
"What about me? You fat fool, when the True Domain Prodigy Trials come, your grandpa will come find you to settle the score." Joe Di kicked Bruno again.
Bruno clearly saw Joe Di's kick coming, but he simply couldn't dodge it completely, and his heart was filled with shock.
If the Starshatter Lord found out he couldn't even handle this trivial matter, there would definitely be consequences. The Starshatter Lord had dozens of sons, and it was unrealistic for him to come to Little Central World just for one of them.
He had miscalculated this time. Who would have thought that in Little Central World, there'd be someone who didn't even care about the Starshatter Lord?
"Still not leaving? Or do you want me to take a few parts off you?" Joe Di's killing intent surged.
Bruno didn't dare argue with Joe Di any longer; he could only retreat quickly. He needed to see if he had a chance to report this to the Starshatter Lord. If not, he'd wait until Joe Di went to the True Domain to settle the score.
Seeing Bruno frightened off, Joe Di finally turned and returned to his cave dwelling. He really didn't dare do anything to Bruno right now—not when he wasn't alone. Letting him escape was fine for now.
"Joe Di, you truly haven't disappointed me!" Miles Phantom said excitedly, having witnessed Joe Di scare Bruno away.
Regardless of his methods, Joe Di's strength alone was enough to put him in the top three.
"I'm just worried the Starshatter Lord might come himself," Joe Di said, though he suspected the Starshatter Lord wouldn't personally hunt him down. Still, he couldn't help but feel uneasy. As long as it wasn't a Domain Stage powerhouse, he wasn't worried about any Ascendant coming after him.
Miles Phantom waved his hand. "You don't need to worry. Every Domain Lord has plenty of sons. There's no way he'd waste time coming to Little Central World just for one of them."
Joe Di nodded. The reason Miles Phantom feared Bruno was because he understood the Domain Lord of the True Domain better. If that was the case, then what he said was probably true.
"Brother Vaughn, what happened with you and Ben? How did you end up getting caught by that fat guy?" Joe Di finally had a chance to ask Vaughn Che and Ben Stone, who were standing to the side.
Vaughn Che's eyes reddened as he said, "Liana Quing was captured by the Swordcloud Sect and killed there. Ben and I rushed to find you, but that fat guy spotted us at the entrance, smashed the restriction, and threw us inside."
"Junior Sister Liang was killed?" Joe Di's expression turned grim.
Vaughn Che and his two friends were close to him. Back at Nightlake, although Liana Quing's cultivation wasn't high, she was the one most concerned for him—a deeply loyal and affectionate woman. Originally, after the Little World Star event, Joe Di had planned to invite Vaughn and the others to the Star River Sect. Now that Liana Quing had been killed by the Swordcloud Sect, how could he not be furious?
"Yes, the three of us left soul tokens with each other. Liana was the first to come out of Little World Star. Afterward, we couldn't find her. When we tried to send her a message, her soul token shattered. I asked an acquaintance and learned she'd gone to the Swordcloud Sect. Ben and I knew something was wrong, so we hurried to find you," Vaughn said through gritted teeth.
Liana Quing and Vaughn Che's group had joined the Swordcloud Sect because of the Firegod Herb at Nightlake. Now, Liana had been killed by the Swordcloud Sect.
"Excuse me, is Senior Miles Phantom here?" a clear voice called from outside, as the restriction at the entrance was triggered.
Miles Phantom opened the restriction, and a tall, handsome man entered from outside. He was at the fifth level of the Calamity Life Stage.
Vaughn Che immediately sent a voice transmission to Joe Di, "Brother Joe, this is Gavin Guy from the Swordcloud Sect. His father is Elder Guy Shu, a Transforming True Stage cultivator."
Vaughn's voice transmission clearly hadn't escaped Gavin Guy's divine sense. Gavin glanced coolly at Vaughn before cupping his fists to Miles Phantom, saying, "Gavin Guy of the Swordcloud Sect greets Senior Miles of Destiny Isle."
Miles Phantom's seniority was even greater than Gavin Guy's father, Guy Shu. Even though Gavin was at the fifth level of the Calamity Life Stage, he still had to address Miles Phantom as senior.
"I left Destiny Isle a long time ago. What brings you here?" Miles Phantom had just heard Vaughn's message and clearly knew Gavin Guy's visit was related to Vaughn Che and Ben Stone. Mentioning Destiny Isle was a subtle warning to Gavin Guy that Miles Phantom was no longer its Pavilion Lord.
Still, Miles Phantom didn't take it to heart and wouldn't lose his temper over such a trivial matter.
Gavin Guy produced a jade box and offered it forward, saying, "This junior found a Rainbow Soulfruit on Little Central Star and wishes to present it to Senior."
Joe Di was a bit puzzled. The Rainbow Soulfruit was a top-tier, ninth-grade spiritual fruit, no less valuable than the Ice Radish, though not as broadly useful. It was a soul-repairing fruit. Why was Gavin Guy presenting it? Did Senior Miles Phantom suffer a soul injury?
Miles Phantom laughed heartily. "No merit, no reward. You really do have sharp sources—so you know my soul was injured."
It was true—Joe Di immediately recalled the internal strife at Destiny Isle, guessing Miles Phantom had been gravely wounded in the conflict, though he hadn't mentioned it, probably to avoid worrying Joe Di.
Gavin Guy didn't put away the Rainbow Soulfruit, but set the jade box aside before saying, "Vaughn Che and Ben Stone are disciples of my Swordcloud Sect. They violated sect rules, and I intend to take them back with me."
Miles Phantom replied coolly, "I'm not in a position to decide that. You'll have to ask Vaughn Che and Ben Stone themselves."
Gavin Guy was secretly pleased and quickly said, "Thank you, Senior."
Miles Phantom's words clearly meant he didn't intend to interfere. As long as Miles Phantom didn't intervene, that was enough. If Joe Di attacked Gavin Guy, Gavin would welcome it—because then the Swordcloud Sect's Ascendant experts would arrive and openly hunt Joe Di down.
"Vaughn Che, Ben Stone, come with me. Sect matters are resolved internally." Gavin Guy's icy gaze fell on Vaughn and Ben.
"Get lost!" Joe Di didn't hesitate and kicked out immediately.
Gavin Guy had been watching Joe Di closely, but when Joe Di kicked at him, Gavin Guy realized in despair that even while staring at Joe Di, he couldn't dodge the kick.
Bang! Joe Di's kick landed squarely on Gavin Guy's chest. Gavin spat out a mouthful of blood and felt his body slip out of his control.
The restriction at the cave entrance was forced open again as Gavin Guy tumbled outside.
To Gavin Guy's horror, he discovered all his meridians were severed and his dantian had ruptured.
"Joe Di, I want you dead..." Gavin Guy had barely shouted a few words before a figure flashed by, sweeping him away in an instant.
When he opened his eyes again, Gavin Guy found himself lying in the discussion hall at the Swordcloud Sect's headquarters.
"Sect Master, Father, why didn't you act?" Gavin Guy screamed, his voice hoarse. The plan was for the Sect Master and his father to strike as soon as Joe Di attacked him. The Rainbow Soulfruit was just a decoy for everyone; as soon as Miles Phantom made a move, Swordcloud Sect would stop him.
What baffled Gavin Guy was that after making such a huge sacrifice, neither the Sect Master nor his father acted. If he had known Joe Di would cripple him with a single kick, he would never have accepted this job.
"Gavin, I promise I'll heal your injuries. As for Joe Di, we will kill him—but not now," Guy Shu said, his face grim.
Standing to the side, Shawn Ran, who had previously been gravely injured by Joe Di, said in a deep voice, "Junior Brother, we've just received word—Joe Di single-handedly gravely wounded the Immortal Watch Sect Master, Edward Carter. Not only that, Kun Sect Master Howard Lane is confirmed to have been killed by Joe Di as well."
Gavin Guy, who had been enraged and anxious, was stunned by these words. If Joe Di could seriously injure Edward Carter and kill Howard Lane, then even if all the Swordcloud Sect's experts attacked together, they still wouldn't be able to kill Joe Di and Miles Phantom. Besides, Miles Phantom was accompanied by Xian Ze, a third-layer True Transformation cultivator.
Guy Shu took a deep breath and said calmly, "Joe Di must have been possessed by someone. What I don't understand is how he managed to enter the Starlight Nexus..."
"Does that mean he'll earn a spot to ascend to the Immortal Realm in the True Domain Prodigy Trials?" Gavin Guy exclaimed, forgetting his own injuries in shock.
If Joe Di gets the chance to ascend to the Immortal Realm, what then?
Shawn Ran sneered, "The True Domain Prodigy Trials don't just check physical age—they also test the age of your soul. Anyone over two hundred years old can forget about participating."
...
"Senior Phantom, since Swordcloud Sect delivered this right to our door, there's no need to be polite." Joe Di nodded at the jade box Gavin Guy left behind. He had checked it with his divine sense—it was indeed a Rainbow Soulfruit.
Miles Phantom nodded. "I know. Still, I advise you not to confront Swordcloud Sect head-on. A gentleman's revenge can wait ten years—you're not ready yet. With your cultivation speed, you'll be able to challenge Swordcloud Sect soon enough."
Joe Di replied, "I understand. I'm heading to the auction now—I'll leave things here to you, Senior."
Joe Di wasn't being honest. "A gentleman's revenge can wait ten years"? He believed in immediate retribution. To avoid delaying the auction, he would definitely act after winning the True Essence Fernfruit.
(That's all for today's update. Good night, friends!)