Hearing Xiao Tian's words, Xun'er couldn't help but chuckle.
Deep down, she was already mourning for the old fellows of her clan.
As for whether Xiao Tian could deal with them, Xun'er wasn't worried in the slightest.
With Xiao Tian's countless trump cards, her ability to temporarily increase her strength by several stars, and her terrifying technique, Raging Thunder: Shatter, it was practically impossible to predict just how much combat power she could unleash.
"Currently, most matters outside the Gu Realm are handled by the Seventh and Eighth Commanders of the Black Annihilation Army."
Xun'er paused deliberately.
"The person coming this time is almost certainly the Seventh Commander."
She suddenly smiled.
"And this Seventh Commander... is someone you've already met."
"You definitely won't be unfamiliar with him."
Xiao Tian raised an eyebrow.
"Don't tell me it's that useless Ling Quan?"
She hadn't expected him to still dare to come.
She had assumed the Gu Clan would send another commander.
"Is he looking for revenge?"
Xun'er shook her head slightly.
"He shouldn't be that stubborn."
After all, many members of the Gu Clan already knew that Xiao Tian's current strength had reached the Dou Zun realm.
She couldn't imagine Ling Quan willingly coming here again after the beating he had received previously.
Xun'er still remembered how miserable Ling Quan had looked after their last encounter.
She had heard that he had been forced to return to the clan and consume a seventh-grade healing pill just to recover from his injuries.
Moreover, Xun'er was almost certain that Xiao Tian had deliberately left behind that strange lightning energy.
The lightning Xiao Tian wielded was exceptionally peculiar.
She had never seen lightning possessing such strange elemental properties.
Even more astonishing was Xiao Tian's ability to manipulate different elemental powers independently.
It was almost as if she possessed a physique capable of accommodating multiple elements simultaneously.
"No matter who comes, I've already prepared some gifts for them."
A meaningful smile appeared on Xiao Tian's lips.
"I hope they'll like them."
"Consider it compensation for disturbing us."
Xun'er didn't ask what Xiao Tian intended to do.
Her silence was essentially tacit approval.
...
While Xiao Tian and Xun'er were talking, more than a dozen flying magical beasts suddenly appeared above Tianbei City.
They flew directly toward the southern part of the city.
Several figures stood upon the backs of the magical beasts.
All of them wore distinctive black-and-purple robes, and each one radiated a powerful aura.
The man at the front was quite handsome.
However, his expression was gloomy, and a faint trace of hatred could be seen in his eyes.
If Xiao Tian had been present, she would have immediately recognized him.
Ling Quan.
The same Ling Quan whom Xiao Tian had thoroughly beaten at Jia Nan Academy.
"Commander Ling Quan, according to the information sent by the clan, Miss Xun'er is currently at the former Han Family stronghold ahead."
The man behind him spoke respectfully.
"It is now the stronghold of the Heaven Punishing Divine Palace."
Ling Quan's hands clenched unconsciously.
His expression became even darker.
"So the Heaven Punishing Divine Palace belongs to that fellow?"
"Yes, Commander."
The subordinate nodded.
Ling Quan coldly snorted.
"A force established in such a remote and barren place... What could possibly be special about it?"
His gaze swept across the buildings below.
"Even the buildings are ordinary."
A trace of hostility flashed through his eyes.
"I'd like to see what the inside of this so-called stronghold looks like."
Ever since his defeat at Jia Nan Academy, Ling Quan had become a laughingstock among several of the other commanders.
He had been mocked repeatedly for the incident.
That humiliation had remained buried in his heart.
And this time, he wasn't the only one who had come.
Ling Quan slightly turned his head and glanced toward the distant figures following behind him.
"Where is the entrance?"
After carefully surveying the area, the subordinate pointed toward one of the palaces below.
"According to our intelligence, it should be there."
He hesitated before asking,
"Commander Ling Quan, should we land first, or enter directly?"
"Enter directly."
Ling Quan's eyes flashed coldly.
"If anyone blocks us, attack immediately."
After saying this, he took the lead and flew toward the palace.
The Black Annihilation Army followed closely behind.
Soon, Ling Quan and the others landed directly in front of the palace.
The subordinate who had been following him suddenly frowned.
"Commander Ling Quan, something isn't right."
Ling Quan glanced at him.
"We've been inside for quite some time, yet we haven't encountered a single person."
Ling Quan also sensed that something was strange.
However, he remained confident.
Whether it was his own strength or the power of the Black Annihilation Army behind him, he didn't believe the Heaven Punishing Divine Palace could pose any real threat.
"Don't worry about it."
"Perhaps they've already sensed our presence and retreated."
He sneered.
"They're nothing more than a ragtag group."
"Let's go in and bring Miss Xun'er back first."
As soon as Ling Quan finished speaking, two members of the Black Annihilation Army stepped forward.
They pushed open the palace's enormous doors.
Creak—
The doors slowly opened.
A pitch-black interior appeared before them.
There was nothing visible inside.
Ling Quan frowned.
He carefully spread his spiritual perception into the palace but detected nothing unusual.
"Hmph."
He withdrew his spiritual energy.
"Trying to play tricks?"
"Go."
"Enter."
Ling Quan stepped forward.
The members of the Black Annihilation Army followed closely behind.
However, the instant they crossed the threshold—
A strange aura suddenly filled the palace.
An old voice echoed through the darkness.
Its tone was calm.
Yet the pressure contained within it was so overwhelming that the expressions of everyone present changed.
"Who dares to trespass upon the forbidden grounds of my Heaven Punishing Divine Palace?"
Ling Quan's pupils suddenly contracted.
"Not good!"
Without the slightest hesitation, he turned around and rushed toward the entrance.
But before he could reach the door—
Boom!
An eerie blue radiance suddenly illuminated the four walls of the palace.
Dozens of figures appeared out of thin air.
They had completely surrounded Ling Quan and the Black Annihilation Army.
Ling Quan's expression darkened.
He immediately became vigilant.
Among the people surrounding them were several powerful Dou Zong experts.
And at the very front stood an elderly man dressed in blue.
Ling Quan's pupils contracted.
He couldn't see through that elder's cultivation.
That alone was enough to make him cautious.
"Who are you people?"
Ling Quan shouted coldly.
"How dare you surround us?"
"Do you even know who we are?"
His voice was filled with the arrogance of someone accustomed to throwing his weight around.
"Call your so-called Palace Master out!"
"I want him to come here and speak to us!"
The surrounding cultivators remained silent.
Wen Yan finally stepped forward.
A cold smile appeared on his face.
"Accustomed to being arrogant and overbearing?"
"You forcibly entered the territory of our Heaven Punishing Divine Palace."
"And now you're demanding that our Palace Master come out to meet you?"
Wen Yan's eyes narrowed.
"Then I'd like to see exactly what gives you the confidence to behave so arrogantly."
The instant his final word fell—
Wen Yan's figure disappeared.
Ling Quan's expression changed.
Before he could react, Wen Yan had already appeared directly in front of him.
He casually raised his hand.
Boom!
A terrifying gust of wind erupted from his palm.
It struck Ling Quan directly in the face.
Bang!
Ling Quan felt as though an enormous mountain had slammed into him.
His body shot backward like a broken kite.
He crashed heavily into a stone pillar.
"Pfft!"
A mouthful of fresh blood violently sprayed from his mouth.
"Commander Ling Quan!"
The Black Annihilation Army members cried out in alarm.
Especially the man who had been following Ling Quan.
His expression turned extremely ugly.
He stared at Wen Yan and the others.
"We are—"
Before he could finish announcing their identity, a fist suddenly appeared before his eyes.
It rapidly grew larger.
Then—
Bang!
The fist slammed directly into his face.
His body shot backward like a cannonball.
Unfortunately, his trajectory was aimed directly toward Ling Quan.
Ling Quan had only just managed to get back onto his feet when he suddenly saw someone flying toward him.
His expression changed.
He hurriedly raised both arms to block.
The incoming figure slammed into his arms with tremendous force.
Crack!
A crisp sound of breaking bones echoed through the palace.
Ling Quan's face twisted in agony.
"Ahhh!"
The two bodies were sent crashing backward once again.
Boom!
They slammed heavily into the stone pillar.
Ling Quan ended up beneath his own subordinate, effectively becoming a human cushion.
His eyes were wide open.
His face was horribly distorted from pain.
The cultivators of the Heaven Punishing Divine Palace looked at him.
For a moment, nobody spoke.
They couldn't help feeling a little sorry for him.
Then, almost simultaneously, several of them quietly glanced toward Jin Mo.
One after another, they discreetly raised their thumbs.
Well done.
Jin Mo calmly withdrew his fist.
The expression on his face remained completely indifferent.
As for Ling Quan...
His luck was simply terrible.