Chapter 130: Could it be that Chu Tian has already drained Long Tianjiao of her essence?

"Arrogant!"

Situ Wugou’s expression darkened. Forced into a corner, he had no choice but to strike, throwing a punch that seemed to erupt instantaneously. His fist was wreathed in a howling gale, surging toward Chu Tian with blinding speed. Even before the blow landed, the pressure of the wind alone was overwhelming.

Chu Tian, however, did not dodge. Only as the fist drew near did he raise his right palm, meeting the strike head-on.

*Boom!*

As fist and palm collided, a jolt of numbness instantly raced up Situ Wugou’s arm. The power he had gathered in his punch shattered, his fingers splayed open, and he was sent stumbling backward. A searing pain tore through his arm; his strongest attack had been effortlessly dissolved by a single palm from Chu Tian.

What kind of terrifying cultivation was this?

Before Situ Wugou could recover his senses, Chu Tian had already blurred into an afterimage, charging toward him. Situ Wugou’s face shifted in horror, and he scrambled to retreat, desperate to create distance. But with a flicker of movement, Chu Tian’s speed surged tenfold. He caught up to the retreating man in an instant and drove a punch straight toward his heart.

Situ Wugou’s pupils contracted in terror. Chu Tian’s blow had surpassed the limits of his vision; there was no way to evade it.

*Boom!*

The punch pierced his chest, shattering his heart. Chu Tian’s fist tore through, emerging from the back as it dripped with fresh blood. The gruesome sight left the spectators stunned.

"Is he dead?"
"He killed him?"

The North-South Tournament had claimed its first casualty, and a master of the Transformation Realm at that. The scene was enough to jolt the nerves of everyone present. A moment later, the arena erupted in cheers. They had paid high prices for their tickets specifically to witness a life-or-death struggle between the great families, to see the raw, bloody spectacle. Now, Chu Tian’s actions had finally satisfied their cravings.

*Boom!*

With a sharp vibration of his arm, Chu Tian sent the corpse flying. When it hit the ground, Situ Wugou’s eyes remained wide open—filled with shock and resentment, though he was long dead. The blood that had coated Chu Tian’s fist was cast into the air by the force of his internal energy, turning into a fine mist of droplets that stained the marble floor of the ring.

"To neutralize a master's full-force strike with a single palm—Mr. Chu’s technique is truly godlike!"
"And it only took one punch! To slay Situ Wugou with a single blow—what overwhelming power!"

The crowd gasped and gulped in awe. However, those who had previously witnessed Chu Tian’s clash with the experts of the Ten Thousand Ghosts Sect remained unfazed, as if it were only natural. If Chu Tian could easily slaughter cultivators from the Ten Thousand Ghosts Sect, what was a mere Transformation Realm master to him? To the common man, a master was an unattainable peak, but to Chu Tian, they were but ants to be crushed at will.

"Impossible!" Situ Deng gritted his teeth, his eyes filled with disbelief. "How could his injuries heal so quickly? How could his strength reach this level?"

He had fought Chu Tian personally in the underground palace just last night. At the time, Chu Tian had overexerted the Heaven-Devouring Demon Arts, suffering severe internal damage to his meridians. Though still stronger than Situ Deng, the gap had not been insurmountable. Yet, the power Chu Tian displayed now was countless times greater than the night before. If they were to fight now, Situ Deng feared he wouldn't last three rounds.

Situ Deng was struck by a terrifying realization. How could he have recovered in a single night? And why had his strength surged so drastically? Suddenly, Situ Deng whipped his head around, locking his gaze on the Dragon family’s section, staring intently at Long Tianjiao.

*The Seven-Orifice Exquisite Heart!*

Could it be that Chu Tian had already harvested her? It was the only explanation. A wave of bitter hatred washed over him. Why was it not his to possess? If he had the Seven-Orifice Exquisite Heart, his cultivation would never have stalled where it was. A man in the grip of such rage is easily stripped of his reason, and Situ Deng never stopped to consider if he possessed such a heart, would someone like Wu Xingyan not have devoured him instead?

Ignoring the shock of the crowd, Chu Tian walked to the edge of the ring, his gaze settling on Song Guodong.

"Was it you who wanted to seize the formula for the Qingxue Spirit Liquid?"

Chu Tian’s voice was indifferent, devoid of any discernible emotion. At these words, Song Guodong trembled violently. He was paralyzed by fear. What kind of enemy had the Song family provoked? If not for Situ Deng’s instigation, he would never have been the first to launch an attack at the tournament, nor would he have targeted Liu Qingxue. He realized now he was merely a pawn in the Situ family’s game, a piece used to test the waters. He hadn't minded being a pawn, provided he believed Chu Tian was dead. Had he known Chu Tian was still alive, he would never have dared to wade into these murky waters.

But the Song family was now riding a tiger, with no way to dismount.

"Patriarch Situ!" Song Guodong cried out in panic, unable to face Chu Tian’s questioning, looking instead toward the Situ family.

But this time, the Situ family ignored him. Ever since Chu Tian and Long Tianjiao had appeared, the situation had slipped entirely from their control. First, the fact that Long Tianjiao was alive meant the Dragon family knew the truth. The Situ family had framed Chu Tian for her kidnapping to incite a conflict between the Dragon family and the other powers of Tianmen City. While those families couldn't defeat the Dragons alone, they had hired enough experts to wear them down with attrition.

But the Dragons had refused to play along; they hadn't even attacked the Qingxue Group. Situ Wuhen finally understood why his "driving tigers to devour wolves" strategy had failed. The Dragon family had known the truth all along—that the Situ family had colluded with Wu Xingyan to kidnap her. Long Jianfei had hidden his rage and waited until this very moment.

Compared to the unified forces of the North, the Southern factions were far more complex. In the North, the Wan family stood supreme, and no other clan dared to challenge them. As long as the Wans remained silent, no one dared to act. But in the South, the power was split between the Dragon and Situ families. Today’s internal strife was disguised as an attack on the Qingxue Group, but in reality, it was a test of strength and a direct provocation against the Dragon family’s status.

The outcome of this North-South struggle had become entirely unpredictable.