156 Chapter 156 (1/2)

People murmured among each other. Everyone clearly heard the city leader's voice before the large beam of light took off. They weren't sure what was happening, but the city owner probably had something to do with it. The clouds parted and they saw a giant golden lightning bolt firing off into the distance and golden lightning was something that the Zhang Patriarch was known for.

While the commoners gossiped with each other the Zhang Clan members were left stupefied.

”D-did the Patriarch just fly without his sword?”

”What was that strange phenomenon?”

”Did he... reach the Nascent Soul realm?”

The Zhang clan members that witnessed their leader taking off from this spot looked at the large hole in the ceiling. They all gulped wondering if Zhang Dong had actually taken that step forward that no one from their clan had ever done before.

”This complicates things.”

Zhang Kuo stood up while looking in the distance where Zhang Dong had taken off. He knew what the Dark Palm sect would do if they saw their leader who had reached the nascent soul level. The other problem was that something had happened during the Dao festival, it didn't take this man long to put one and one together to figure this out.

”We must call Senior Zhi.”

Zhang Kuo looked to a person on the side, this was someone that worked for him.

”Give out a decree, everyone is to return to Spirit Spring City we need to activate the grand formation!”

”Also prepare the battleships, we need to aid the Patriarch!”

The person bowed and quickly moved out to carry out the orders, the people that were gathered there were still perplexed by the whole situation.

”I'm leaving on the first ship!”

Zhang Jie proclaimed while running to get her battle robe ready, she knew that her children were in trouble once again and she didn't want to wait here twiddling her thumbs. The place got louder as the senior members from the clan started running around like headless chickens. This situation looked even direr than the one where they were ordered to visit that secret ground, it seemed that someone from their clan had offended the big overlord that was the Dark Palm Sect.

Zhang Zhi got the call first, the man didn't take long to bolt on his flying sword towards Spirit Spring City. His true destination was the city where the Dao festival was held, but first he wanted to meet up with the Zhang force that would be heading there.

His wife being a Feng Clan member quickly called up her old contacts in the female-run family. Their side didn't have any info on anything, no communications were going through. Their side was skeptical about the whole thing and decided to wait it out, but to be sure they also started gathering their most powerful experts to aid their Matriarch.

Word also reached the Huo clan that began their own preparations as well. The three clans had made an agreement to share information with each other. Everyone was gathering up their forces, but they knew better than to just barge into Jade Grass City. They didn't like their chances when going against the Dark Palm Sect, so for now they would be preparing their forces and wait for more information to arrive.

The two clans didn't like the look of this. If a conflict arose they would probably have to abandon those young masters that were sent to that tournament. There was no realistic way of going against a sect with Nascent Soul cultivators. The congregation of their forces was more a formality than a show of force, done more to not make them look weak in this kind situation.

Out in the distance, there was a sudden rumble. A large beast at the core formation level was munching on some delicious meat of its prey. The monster was the apex predator of this area, but even it shivered uncontrollably as it felt a massive spike in spiritual energy. The creature had never felt an astonishing amount of power like this before, the only thing it could do is prostrate itself towards the incoming being.

The thing that was making this meat-eater afraid was a person that was rapidly approaching. This person was hard to spot as he was surrounded by golden lights, lightning bolts firing off and thunder clapping everywhere. Everything in the vicinity either passed out or prostrated itself like the beast.

'God damn, I'm so much faster now... but that blasted city is too far away... it will take me an hour to get there...'

This was an angry-looking Zhang Dong, he looked at the zooming scenery as he was rapidly flying towards Jade Grass City. It would have taken him one or two days to get there on his flying sword when he was at core formation. He was several times faster now, but this wasn't enough to get there in under an hour.

'I hope they can hold up until I arrive. Don't you die on me...'

Matt pushed his cultivation to its limits as he charged forward, he was feeling a myriad of emotions. Worry about his disciple and his new family that could very well die soon. Anger about the fact that the Dark Palm Sect was aiming for them and even sadness due to his grandpa withholding information from him.

'Am I so unreliable?'

He tried tossing these questions to the back of his mind for now. The battle ahead was more important, he also had to think about what he should do after it's all done. The Dark Palm Sect would be knocking on their doors if he trashes their city, even more, when they realize that he reached the nascent soul level.