215: With a single word, the enemy was repelled; the city lord himself arrived.

In the private room of the inner hall of Bi'an Residence, the crackling sound of the burning lamp wick was exceptionally clear.

The proprietress carefully put away the bag of High-Grade Spirit Stones, the charm and coquettishness on her face

had long vanished without a trace, replaced by the solemnity unique to a businesswoman.

She personally refilled a cup of Spirit Tea for Shen Yuanmo; the tea mist curled up, and the aroma was crisp and refreshing.

“Sir, are you truly going to the Ten Thousand Buddhas Demonic Land?” The proprietress lowered her voice, confirming again.

Shen Yuanmo picked up the teacup, his fingertip lightly tapping the rim, but did not answer directly.

He countered, “In Wusheng City, besides that Old Ancestor, who else holds authority?”

The proprietress’s heart skipped a beat, and she shook her head with a bitter smile.

This person before her was clearly not some newly arrived fat sheep, but a fierce Dragon crossing the river whose depth she couldn't fathom.

“Sir, you jest. In Wusheng City, Old Ancestor Wusheng is the sole Heaven.”

The proprietress sighed softly, abandoning any thought of testing him, and disclosed the city's details completely.

“Beneath Heaven, there are naturally several powers. Besides the City Lord's Manor, there are the Savage Sand Alliance, the Black Water Dock, and our Bi'an Residence.”

“The Savage Sand Alliance Leader, Sha Tongtian, is a Late Nascent Soul Stage Cultivator with a fiery temperament, specializing in illicit business. The Black Water Dock Leader, Shui Qianchou, is also a Late Nascent Soul Stage Cultivator, cunning and best at stabbing people in the back. As for our Bi'an Residence... we are merely struggling to survive in the cracks.”

When she spoke of herself, her tone revealed a profound sense of powerlessness.

Shen Yuanmo set down the teacup, his voice calm and level, yet it struck Hong Sanniang's heart like a heavy hammer.

“A Nascent Soul Early Stage cultivation, capable of supporting the city's most imposing inn in this land of wolves and tigers, cannot be explained merely as 'struggling to survive'.”

Hong Sanniang's hand, which was holding the teapot, suddenly froze in mid-air.

The look in her eyes as she gazed at Shen Yuanmo changed completely, shifting from scrutiny to terror!

She believed her breath concealment technique had reached the Transcendent level; even old monsters like Sha Tongtian only took her for a Golden Core Perfection Cultivator with backing, never seeing through her true cultivation.

Yet this young man, with just a glance, had stripped her foundation bare!

Just who in the world was he?!

“Sir... your Dharma Eye is unerring.”

After a long pause, Hong Sanniang finally squeezed out those words, lowering her posture even further, almost to the point of humility.

“This little one, Hong Sanniang, dares not speak a single false word in front of you again.”

“Continue.” Shen Yuanmo showed no interest in her identity or background.

Hong Sanniang tightened her fingertips, composed herself, and continued, “The three major powers appear to stand in a tripod formation, but in reality, they all rely on the City Lord's Manor. If you wish to cross realms, you ultimately cannot bypass Old Ancestor Wusheng. The World Crossing Formation is controlled solely by him, and furthermore...”

Before she could finish, an extremely arrogant barrage of curses suddenly erupted outside the private room door!

“Hong Sanniang! Get your ass out here for this Young Lord!”

The loud crash of tables and chairs being violently overturned, accompanied by the suppressed cries of a maidservant, shattered the inn's tranquility.

“If you don't drink merrily with this Young Lord today, I'll tear down your lousy establishment!”

Hearing this voice, Hong Sanniang's expression instantly turned ugly, and deep within her beautiful eyes was an uncontrollable mix of disgust and apprehension.

“Sha Tianba, the Savage Sand Alliance's Young Alliance Lord.” She whispered to Shen Yuanmo, gritting her teeth. “A spoiled rake, running rampant by relying on his father's might. He himself is a Golden Core Great Perfection Cultivator, and ordinary Nascent Soul Cultivators are unwilling to clash with him.”

“Crash—!”

The door curtain was violently ripped open.

A young man wearing a gold-threaded beast fur robe and sporting a fleshy, menacing face burst in, flanked by two black-robed old men with gloomy auras.

“Oh, Hong Sanniang, hiding here and having fun with a pretty boy?”

Sha Tianba's gaze swept contemptuously over Shen Yuanmo's plain cloth robes, then fixed greedily on Hong Sanniang, filled with undisguised lust.

“This Young Lord fancies this private room of yours! If you know what's good for you, take your pretty boy and scram immediately!”

The two black-robed old men behind him had profound auras; they were actually two Nascent Soul Early Stage Cultivators!

They said nothing, but their two cold gazes locked onto Shen Yuanmo, as if the moment he dared to utter a single word of refusal, blood would splatter then and there.

Hong Sanniang quickly stood up and forced a smile, “Young Lord Sha, this gentleman is...”

“Shut up! Is it your turn to speak?” Sha Tianba interrupted rudely.

He stretched out his finger, nearly poking the tip of Shen Yuanmo's nose, his arrogance reaching its peak.

“Brat, did you hear me? You have three breaths to get out of my sight! Otherwise, this Young Lord will make you crawl out!”

The entire inn lobby instantly fell into a deathly silence.

Everyone's eyes converged here, filled with the anticipation of watching a good show.

In Wusheng City, offending the Young Lord of the Savage Sand Alliance was no different from seeking death.

Hong Sanniang was burning with anxiety and was about to speak, but then she witnessed a scene that she would never forget for the rest of her life.

From start to finish, Shen Yuanmo hadn't even lifted his eyelids once.

He seemed deaf and blind, completely unresponsive to the shouting and killing intent before him.

He simply and unhurriedly picked up the cup of slightly cooled tea from the table.

Then, he uttered two words.

“Noisy.”

The voice was very soft, very faint.

But the moment those two words fell.

All sound in the world vanished.

The crackling of the lamp wick, the clamor from the distant streets, even people's heartbeats and breathing—all sounds were invisibly erased at this instant.

Sha Tianba's twisted face froze.

His outstretched finger stiffened in mid-air, completely motionless.

The bodies of the two Nascent Soul old men behind him, which had been surging with spiritual power and were ready to erupt and kill, instantly froze, turning into two living stone statues.

The three people maintained their previous posture, but their eyes were drowned in an unspeakable terror originating from the depths of their Souls!

They couldn't move!

They discovered with horror that they were completely immobilized!

It wasn't a Restriction of spiritual power, nor was it a Divine Sense suppression!

It was a terrifying power they could neither understand nor imagine, which “nailed” them and the surrounding space together in place!

They felt they were no longer Cultivators, but figures in a painting, or insects trapped in amber!

Even more terrifyingly, their Golden Cores and Nascent Souls were howling and trembling frantically inside them!

An invisible great hand was tightly gripping their source of life, capable of instantly crushing it into dust with just a single thought!

What was this?!

What kind of power was this?!

Late Nascent Soul Stage? No! Absolutely impossible!

Even if it were the City Lord, Old Ancestor Wusheng... there was absolutely no way he could do this so effortlessly!

The entire inn was deathly silent.

The schadenfreude on the faces of all the onlookers had long turned into a ghostly stupor and terror.

Hong Sanniang desperately covered her mouth, preventing a scream from escaping her throat. She looked at the three “living statues,” then at the figure in blue robes still calmly sipping tea, her mind completely blank.

Shen Yuanmo finished the remaining tea in the cup.

Clink.

The teacup landed on the table, emitting a crisp, light sound.

In this absolute silence, this light sound was like an imperial decree from Heaven.

He finally raised his eyes, his calm gaze falling upon the three people.

“Scram.”

It was another single word.

The terrifying Dao rhythm that restricted all laws and froze time suddenly dissipated.

“Thump!”

Sha Tianba and the two others simultaneously collapsed onto the ground, panting frantically, their bodies already drenched in cold sweat.

The look in their eyes when they gazed at Shen Yuanmo held not a shred of arrogance, only the most primal and pure reverence and fear.

They didn't even dare to utter a single face-saving remark.

They didn't even dare to harbor a single thought of resentment!

Sha Tianba crawled backward using his hands and feet, stumbled to his feet after hitting the wall, and rushed out of Bi'an Residence like a mad dog, never looking back.

The two Nascent Soul old monsters didn't even dare to activate their escape light, fleeing in utter disarray, using all their strength to escape this nightmare place they would never forget.

The storm subsided invisibly.

Yet, the news turned into a tempest, sweeping across the entire Wusheng City in an instant!

A Dragon crossing the river had arrived at Bi'an Residence!

A single word suppressed two Nascent Soul Cultivators!

A single character terrified the Savage Sand Alliance away!

Wusheng City was shaken!

Right at this moment, inside the private room.

A pressure a hundred times more terrifying than that of the two previous Nascent Soul old monsters descended without warning!

This pressure was condensed like a mountain, utterly domineering, as if the entire sky had tilted over, making the pillars of Bi'an Residence groan and creak!

A withered figure ignored all Restrictions and appeared directly inside the private room.

The visitor wore a faded hemp robe, his body was hunched, his face withered, yet his eyes were extremely sinister, holding the coldness of scrutinizing prey.

The sole Dominator of Wusheng City, Old Ancestor Wusheng, a Half-step Soul Transformation Cultivator!

The moment he appeared, his terrifying Divine Sense, capable of tearing apart Divine Souls, transformed into an invisible storm and ruthlessly crushed down toward Shen Yuanmo!

However, when the Divine Sense storm reached three feet in front of Shen Yuanmo, it silently melted away like spring snow meeting the scorching sun, failing to even stir a ripple.

Old Ancestor Wusheng's pupils suddenly contracted into dangerous pinpoints!

He couldn't see through him!

He, a dignified Half-step Soul Transformation Cultivator whose Divine Sense power was unrivaled in the Western Desert, was completely unable to gauge the depth of this young man before him!

Who... exactly was this person?!

Just as Old Ancestor Wusheng's mind was violently shaken.

Shen Yuanmo slowly set down the teacup that had just been refilled.

He raised his head, his calm gaze meeting that of the Dominator of Wusheng City for the first time.

The air in the entire private room seemed to solidify at this moment.

“I want to cross realms.”

Shen Yuanmo spoke, his voice calm, directly declaring his objective.