The City Lords Blockade

The city gates slammed shut with a deep, echoing thud.

Dust swirled in the heavy silence.

Li Wei's fingers curled into fists. "Teacher…"

Wu Chen remained calm, his gaze settling on the golden-robed man standing before them.

City Lord Bai.

Unlike Elder Huang or Lin Yufeng, this man had true authority.

And judging by the energy rolling off him, he wasn't weak either.

City Lord Bai clasped his hands behind his back, his voice smooth. "Wu Chen, I will not waste words. You know why I'm here."

Wu Chen raised an eyebrow. "Do I?"

City Lord Bai chuckled. "The scroll. Hand it over."

The surrounding guards tightened their grip on their weapons.

From the rooftops and alleys, hidden figures watched closely.

This wasn't just a simple demand.

It was a city-wide blockade.

Wu Chen didn't respond immediately.

Instead, he glanced around, taking in the sheer number of guards, assassins, and spies lurking nearby.

Then, he looked back at City Lord Bai.

And Laughed.

City Lord Bai's eyes narrowed. "You think this is funny?"

Wu Chen tilted his head. "No, I think it's amusing. The entire city against one person… for a mere scroll."

City Lord Bai's lips twitched.

He didn't like this boy's attitude.

At all.

"It's no ordinary scroll, It holds secrets worth a fortune."

Wu Chen's smirk remained. "Does it?"

The City Lord's patience thinned.

"I don't have time for games. Hand it over, and I'll consider letting you leave unharmed."

Wu Chen sighed. "And if I refuse?"

City Lord Bai's smile faded. "Then you won't leave this city alive."

The surrounding air grew heavy with tension.

Wu Chen glanced at the shut gates.

Then at the dozens of guards and hidden forces lying in wait.

Then back at City Lord Bai.

He took a single step forward. "You're confident in that?"

The City Lord's eyes flashed. "Try me."

Wu Chen chuckled.

"Very well."

And then he moved.

The moment Wu Chen took his second step, City Lord Bai instinctively reacted.

His robes flared, and an immense wave of energy surged forward—

Boom!

A golden palm print hurtled toward Wu Chen.

The sheer force of it warped the air, cracking the stone beneath.

Li Wei stepped back in alarm.

The crowd held their breath.

And Wu Chen?

He simply raised his hand.

Tap.

His palm met the incoming attack—with no effort at all.

The golden palm print shattered instantly.

City Lord Bai's expression froze.

And before he could react—

BAM!

Wu Chen casually flicked his fingers, and a powerful force crashed into the City Lord's chest.

The golden-robed man flew backward, smashing through three stone pillars before rolling to a stop.

Silence.

No one moved.

No one even breathed.

A single casual blow… had sent the City Lord flying?!

Even the most hidden assassins felt a chill run down their spines.

This was no ordinary young man.

This was a monster in human skin.

Even the City Lord was shocked.

He recalled an acquaintance sending guards to capture a boy who supposedly held something valuable.

At the time, he dismissed the whole matter as childish nonsense.

But now, he wondered: Was this the same young man those guards had chased? How could he suddenly become so powerful?

Even though Wu Chen had done disguise it seems like the city Lord had uncover his Identity.

City Lord Bai gritted his teeth, forcing himself up.

His entire chest felt numb.

Even now, he couldn't fully understand what just happened.

Wu Chen's strength was beyond reason.

Beyond calculation.

City Lord Bai had prepared for this confrontation.

He had brought his forces.

His allies.

His entire city.

And most importantly he's Strength as a Mortal 4 Master, this should have been more than enough.

And yet, he was still powerless.

Wu Chen glanced at the dazed City Lord.

"This is your last chance."

His voice was calm, but it echoed across the silent city.

"Open the gates."

City Lord Bai's hands tightened into fists.

What the hell was this.

A whole city Lord against a kid, yet he's been treated like this.

His pride screamed at him to fight back.

But his reason warned him not to.

Wu Chen wasn't someone he could handle.

Not now.

Not alone.

He had to retreat.

City Lord Bai exhaled deeply. Then, with a flick of his hand—

The gates opened.

The crowd watched in disbelief.

The City Lord… actually backed down?

Wu Chen turned away. "Let's go" he beckoned Li Wei

And just like that, they walked through the gates—unchallenged.

The city had tried to stop him.

And it had failed.

Wu Chen had done many of the things he did simply to feel emotionally free. The way he had been treated in the kingdom since childhood—like an outcast, a nobody—had always felt deeply wrong. The disdain, the neglect, the constant reminder that he was less than nothing in the eyes of others had carved a hollow space inside him. But now, he reveled in the power he had gained, the skills he had honed, and the knowledge he had wrested from the very world that had tried to crush him.

He didn't stop when he showed them what he had learned—what they had, in their arrogance, taught him. He didn't stop because it felt good. It felt like justice. Every triumph, every moment of defiance, was a step toward reclaiming the dignity they had stripped from him.

Weakness, he had learned, was the greatest sin of all. It was the sin that made you prey, the sin that left you powerless in a world that thrived on exploitation. And Wu Chen had vowed never to be weak again.

The streets had raised him, the kingdom had scorned him, and now, he would rise above it all—unyielding, unbroken, and free.

....

The journey away from Azure Flame Kingdom was uneventful, but the change in atmosphere was undeniable.

Wu Chen and Li Wei traveled for several days, crossing vast plains and winding mountain paths.

The deeper they went into the new territory, the more evident the difference became.

This was a Tier 3 Kingdom—far stronger than an unranked one. The cities were grander, the people more disciplined, and the cultivators... much stronger.

Wu Chen and Li Wei traveled toward the Silvercrest Kingdom, a Tier 3 Kingdom. Compared to the unranked Azure Flame Kingdom, this place was far more developed, with structured cities, stronger cultivators, and well-established guilds.

The journey had been peaceful—until they reached the gates of Silvercrest City, the kingdom's capital.