"What is that?!"
Zhan Kong's pupils trembled as he stared into the distance.
The Silver Trade Building had completely collapsed into rubble.
Standing atop the ruins was a golden, humanoid spirit—crackling with lightning—its glowing figure looming above the corpse of the Winged Cang Wolf.
Even from far away, Zhan Kong could feel the immense power radiating from it.
A battle was about to erupt.
Ray's sharp eyes locked onto the Winged Cang Wolf like twin blades of lightning, and thunder surged around its body.
BOOM! BOOM! BOOM!
A roar—ancient and wild—shook the sky as the storm clouds above began to churn counterclockwise.
Gradually, a massive spear of pure lightning took form, gleaming with divine fury.
The Winged Cang Wolf sensed danger and beat its colossal wings, attempting to flee—ironically flying straight toward Zhan Kong's direction.
"Dammit! Don't fly toward me!!" Zhan Kong's expression changed instantly.
He wasn't afraid of Yi Canglang itself—but that thunder spear was another story entirely.
The spear in the sky solidified, its surface humming with violent energy.
Without hesitation, Zhan Kong changed direction, darting away before the lightning struck.
In the next instant, Ray raised his arm and hurled the spear of lightning.
A piercing whistle tore through the stormy air, echoing with a faint dragon's roar as the weapon descended like a celestial axis connecting heaven and earth.
It crashed down with unstoppable force—
Piercing straight through the Winged Cang Wolf's back!
Blood erupted, instantly vaporizing into crimson mist from the heat of the electricity.
Bolts of lightning exploded through the wound, forming a web of glowing veins across the beast's body.
Its transparent form revealed a still-beating scarlet heart within.
Ray didn't hesitate. He summoned a second lightning spear, golden light reflecting in his fierce eyes.
With a thunderous flash, the spear pierced the exposed heart—
And the Winged Cang Wolf's core exploded into shreds of light.
"So strong..."
Mu Nianbing's eyes widened in astonishment.
He hadn't expected Ray's destructive power to be this terrifying.
Taking advantage of the chaos as Zhan Kong veered away, Mu Nianbing quickly rode Cangming Jiao toward the fallen beast.
"Damn… after all that, it's only a residual soul."
He frowned when he saw the faint wisp of energy rising from Yi Canglang's remains.
The drop rate is terrible…
He had hoped for a commander-level Spirit Essence, but luck wasn't on his side tonight.
Still, even a residual commander-level soul was valuable—definitely not something to leave behind.
Mu Nianbing swiftly collected it before a sudden gust of wind swept over him from above.
Someone was approaching.
Without hesitation, he dismissed Cangming Jiao and activated Shadow Cloak, vanishing into the darkness.
The Winged Wolf's corpse was valuable too, but without a Space Ring, there was no way for him to carry it.
Besides, he didn't want to expose Ray's existence yet.
Moments later, Zhan Kong descended from the clouds and landed near the ruins.
"What on earth was that? A Lightning Holy Spirit?" He stared at the scene in disbelief.
"To kill the Winged Cang Wolf so easily... that's unreal."
Even for someone as battle-hardened as Zhan Kong, it took a while for the shock to fade.
But at least now, with Yi Canglang dead, the army of demon wolves would lose its leader.
Bo City would no longer face total annihilation.
After taking a deep breath, Zhan Kong regrouped with his subordinates and began clearing out the remaining demons in the city.
"Strange… why are there so many demon wolf corpses on this street?"
"Maybe the Lightning Saint wiped them out too?"
They exchanged puzzled looks but continued their sweep.
After slaying the Winged Cang Wolf, Mu Nianbing didn't linger outside the barrier.
Both his magic reserves were nearly empty—staying out any longer would be reckless.
Upon returning to Anjie, he unexpectedly ran into Mu Zhuoyun, who wore a weary, solemn expression.
"Nianbing," Mu Zhuoyun began with a strained smile.
"I've made arrangements. I plan to transfer what's left of the family's assets to the Imperial Capital. It'll also be easier for you and Xiaoxue to continue your studies there."
Bo City had been devastated. The Mu Family Manor lay in ruins, and most of their business was destroyed beyond recovery.
As the family head, Mu Zhuoyun had no choice but to ensure the survival of the clan.
Rebuilding in Bo City was impossible—but in the Imperial Capital, a new beginning awaited.
"Uncle Yun, I don't want to go to the Imperial Capital," Mu Nianbing said firmly.
Mu Zhuoyun froze, surprised. He had already made up his mind—he didn't expect this response.
"Didn't you say you wanted to attend the Imperial Capital Academy?" he asked, puzzled.
Mu Nianbing hesitated, then looked him in the eye. "Uncle Yun, there's something important I have to tell you."
"What could be more important than our relocation?" Mu Zhuoyun asked, frowning slightly.
"Mu He's adopted son, Mu Yu Ang… was an undercover agent of the Black Vatican. I killed him."
"What?!"
Mu Zhuoyun's eyes widened in disbelief. The adopted son he'd raised with care—a spy for the Black Vatican?
The realization hit him like a hammer.
After losing his fortune and his home, now came betrayal from within the family.
Disaster truly never comes alone…
"Deputy Chief Lin Yuxin can confirm what I said," Mu Nianbing added, his voice calm but resolute.
Mu Zhuoyun took a deep breath, then exhaled heavily.
"There's no need. I believe you. I… did notice something off about Yu Ang recently."
His shoulders slumped under the weight of exhaustion and disappointment.
Seeing his uncle's desolate expression, Mu Nianbing sighed inwardly.
This is only the beginning.
He had thought about asking Ray to eliminate Mu He as well, to cut off future trouble—but since the disaster, Mu He's whereabouts were completely unknown.
"If you don't want to go to the Imperial Capital," Mu Zhuoyun asked quietly, "then where do you plan to go?"
"I plan to go to the Magic City and enter Pearl Institute through special recruitment," Mu Nianbing answered honestly.
He had no intention of taking a break. The Three-Step Pagoda of Pearl Institute would greatly accelerate his cultivation, so the sooner he enrolled, the better.
"Pearl Institute isn't a bad choice," Mu Zhuoyun admitted after a moment.
"But if you go there, you'll have to rely on yourself. I can't provide you with much in terms of resources."
"This is also a form of training," Mu Nianbing replied with a small smile.
Inwardly, though, he couldn't help but think, The Mu Family is broke anyway. Even if you wanted to give me resources, you couldn't…
Still, he respected Mu Zhuoyun's determination to keep the family afloat.
"Since you've made up your mind, I won't stop you," Mu Zhuoyun said solemnly.
"If you encounter any trouble, contact me right away."
He knew the family's situation was fragile—and perhaps letting Mu Nianbing find his own path was the best option.
Besides, if Mu Nianbing entered the Magic City, the Mu Family would have another foothold outside the Imperial Capital.
As a businessman, Mu Zhuoyun understood one thing clearly—
Never put all your hopes in one place.
...
Author's Note:Sorry for not uploading chapters regularly. I'm currently studying for my semester exams, so chapter upload times may vary for now.
From next month onward, chapters will be uploaded on time. Thank you for your patience and support.