"Could it be... he really escaped?"
Seeing that figure leaping down from the arena, all the onlookers were still somewhat in disbelief, as the same thought spun in their minds. At this moment, Yun Xiao seemed quite different to them.
If previously those watching never considered that Yun Xiao could escape from Yang Dingshan's grasp, now, having witnessed those extraordinary skills, their confidence was completely shaken.
In fact, the techniques Yun Xiao had displayed were still very limited, but whether it was the Earth Rank Low Level Five Elements Ancestor Veins, the Clone Afterimage that could cause real confusion, or the dissolution of the Meridian Qi Net, all had left a profound impact on them.
At the very least, some of the cultivators who had reached the Middle Stage, Late Stage, or even the Peak of the Qi Seeking Realm, knew they absolutely didn't possess such methods. If that young man could do all of this, what was there that he couldn't accomplish when it truly came to escape?
Especially for Hu Ying'er, who had been through moments of worry and despair, she could never have expected that Brother Yun Xiao would not let her down in the end, able to escape easily even from the grasp of an Origin Seeking Realm powerhouse.
"Ying'er, find a chance to leave Ancient Moon City first!"
Just as Hu Ying'er's heart was filled with joy, the familiar whisper suddenly reached her ears. It was none other than Brother Yun Xiao who had just leapt off the arena.
"I'm sorry, Brother Yun Xiao!"
Hu Ying'er wasn't foolish and knew what such a transmission at this moment meant. Originally planning to return to Ancient Moon City inconspicuously to recover her parents' remains, she realized that due to her own recklessness, her efforts were about to go to waste.
Moreover, she had dragged Brother Yun Xiao into this mess as well. What Hu Ying'er didn't know was that even if Yun Xiao hadn't fought on the arena with Yang Wanliu, he would still have taken the opportunity to try and seize the Thunder Wood, so the matter couldn't entirely be blamed on her.
"Elders, stop that boy!"
As Hu Ying'er was slowly blending into the crowd upon hearing Yun Xiao's words, Hu Dingshan, the Family Head of the Hu Family on the platform, suddenly bellowed out. In front of Yun Xiao, several majestic figures suddenly appeared.
Among them, the leader was not unfamiliar to Yun Xiao—it was Yang Qiwu, the Great Elder of the Yang Family, who he had briefly encountered on Yulei Mountain, a true Peak of the Qi Seeking Realm powerhouse.
However, compared to the Yang Family Head who was at the Origin Seeking Realm Early Stage, the threat Yang Qiwu posed to Yun Xiao was much less, but others didn't think so.
The saying goes: 'Two fists are no match for four hands.' No matter how powerful Yun Xiao's combat ability was, if he were simply delayed for a few breaths of time and Yang Dingshan arrived, it would probably be hopeless for him to escape again, right? Having been once deceived by the Shadow Clone, Yang Dingshan surely wouldn't be fooled again.
"You old fools, if you can even touch a piece of my clothes, then I'll admit defeat!"
As everyone pondered, a cold smile appeared on Yun Xiao's face. This smile instantly enraged all the Yang Family Elders.
After all, even the Great Elder Yang Qiwu hadn't connected the young man called Yun Xiao before them with that dark-skinned young man they had encountered on Yulei Mountain.
Despite Yun Xiao's demonstrated strength being so peculiar and astonishing, the idea that so many Peak of the Qi Seeking Realm cultivators couldn't even touch a corner of his clothes was simply too humiliating.
These several Yang Family Elders acted in tacit agreement; as soon as Yun Xiao's voice fell, they took their places in several directions, leaving only the arena side open, effectually surrounding Yun Xiao in the middle.
Swish swish swish!
However, in the next moment, everyone saw Yun Xiao's figure seem to flicker a few times, and right before their eyes, incredibly lifelike figures each appeared, causing them to be momentarily stunned.
"What a bunch of idiots, those are afterimages!"
Just as the Elders were about to happily strike at the figures that appeared before them, a voice filled with outrage suddenly came from the platform.
Naturally, the owner of this voice was none other than Yang Dingshan, the Family Head of the Yang Family. He had been tricked by this Shadow Clone before, and thus realized it sooner.
However, hearing his accusation, the onlookers all wore strange expressions, inwardly mocking that the Yang Family Head himself had also been mistaken just now; what ground did he have to criticize the Yang Family Elders as fools when he himself had been one too?
Thud thud thud thud!
Several soft thudding sounds followed. The voice of Yang, the Family Head, was a bit too late. The several Yang Family Elders each shattered the figure before them, eliciting the sound of the afterimages being destroyed.
This was another variation of Yun Xiao's Body Meridian Techniques. Having reached the Middle Stage of the Qi Seeking Realm, he could not only project a single Shadow Clone, those several Clone Afterimages were indistinguishable to those unaware of the inner workings.
"Family Head Yang, and all the Yang Family Elders, though mountains do not turn, rivers will; today's grudge, I, Starlight, have noted, and there will be retribution for it in the future!"
Just as Yang Dingshan leaped off the arena, and several Yang Family Elders' faces were clouded with gloom, a loud voice suddenly came from outside the crowd. When the crowd looked in the direction of the voice, they saw that familiar figure, who was actually already dozens of yards away.
"We won't be able to catch up..."
Apart from those of the Yang Family who were unwilling to accept this fact, some with exceptional vision lamented in their hearts when they saw the distance between them.
If it were an average cultivator in the Middle Stage of the Qi Seeking Realm, even in the presence of these Yang Family powerhouses, including an Early Stage cultivator from the Seeking Origin Realm, they would be quickly caught even if they escaped this far.
But that youth called Starlight simply cannot be judged as an ordinary Middle Stage Qi Seeking Realm cultivator, neither his methods nor his speed are something an average person could even imagine.
He managed to escape from such a close range just now, and now with such a distance between them, even Yang Dingshan in the Early Stage of the Seeking Origin Realm could only look on with a sigh.
"Family Head Yang must be so angry he's about to explode, right?"
Many reveled in schadenfreude as they watched the just descended Yang Family Head. They were already dissatisfied with the Yang Family's domineering ways, and seeing this arrogant individual suffer a major loss today was truly gratifying.
A battle on the arena originally fully under control turned into Yang Wanliu being forcefully defeated, his Dantian crushed, and the Thunder Wood taken away; and in the end, they couldn't even keep the person behind this huge grudge—what a tremendous failure?
"Search! Search for me! Even if it means turning Ancient Moon City upside down, I want that brat found!"
Sensing the odd looks from everyone around, Yang Dingshan indeed felt close to bursting with rage. Staring at the disappearing figure in the distance, he finally issued a thunderous command that left all the Yang Family Elders too afraid to even breathe loudly.
Ever since the eradication of the Hu Family, the authority of Yang Dingshan, the Yang Family Head, has been on the rise, incomparable to the days when he was at the Peak of the Qi Seeking Realm.
In addition, elders like Yang Qiwu knew all too well that their earlier act of attacking a clone with gusto would surely displease the Family Head, so they collectively bowed and went to make arrangements.
"And that wretched girl, find her too!"
Having calmed down a bit, Yang Dingshan abruptly remembered something and again shouted out commands. However, as soon as his voice fell, everyone, including himself, looked around but could no longer see any trace of that frail girl.
It seems Hu Ying'er knew to slip away due to the messaging from Yun Xiao, aware that if the Yang Family could not find Starlight, they might turn their attention to her—better to make an early escape.
With the disguise techniques Yun Xiao taught Hu Ying'er, with just a few adjustments, even the Yang Family members might not recognize her if they stood right in front of her. Yun Xiao was not too worried about this.
Yang Dingshan, unable to find traces of the girl after a long search, naturally was engulfed in a wave of rage again. In the end, he had no choice but to leap back onto the arena, take his son Yang Wanliu, who had his Dantian destroyed, and leave with a face full of anger.
Witnessing the retreating backs of the Yang Family powerhouses, everyone felt emotional. The Yang Family, who had just become the overlords of Ancient Moon City, could it be that they were now without a successor?
What happened today would surely become the most talked-about story in the Cultivation World of Ancient Moon City as time passed. But the youth they were discussing had already changed his appearance and was hidden in a small inn in some secluded area, unnoticed by anyone.
Yun Xiao, who had escaped from the arena, did not leave Ancient Moon City right away. As he said when he left the arena, he would find an opportunity to seek retribution from the Yang Family for today's account.
Yun Xiao was not someone who would simply tolerate a loss. Back in the Hidden Dragon Continent, when three great families from the Imperial City joined forces with the Qingshan Sect to try to annihilate the Jade Pot Sect, he managed to retaliate and wiped them out one by one after getting his breath back.
With Yun Xiao's current level of cultivation, even though he may not be a match for Yang Dingshan at the Early Stage of the Seeking Origin Realm, it would be an effortless matter to assassinate some Yang Family Elders from the shadows.
However, to be on the safe side, Yun Xiao did not act immediately. After taking several turns through the Ancient Moon City, he found a secluded place to change his appearance again, and only after another transformation did he enter a small inn.
"Heh heh, that creature is still not awake, it shouldn't come to snatch food, right?"
Inside the room, Yun Xiao, sensing that the Golden Snake Worm Xiao Wu was still asleep, couldn't help but let out a light chuckle, then with a flick of his wrist, the Thunder Wood already appeared in his palm.
"Earth Rank Middle Level Thunder Wood!"
Sensing the aura of the Thunder Wood once again, Yun Xiao was left without any doubts, as this was even stronger than the Thunder Spirit Crystal awarded to the champion of the Spirit Fighting Conference.
This was precisely why Yang Wanliu could easily defeat cultivators at the Low Middle Stage of the Qi Seeking Realm. Although he couldn't fully unleash the power of that Earth Rank Middle Level Thunder Wood, to have it burst forth with power comparable to an Earth Rank Middle Level weapon was still very easy for him.
In fact, Yang Wanliu could only marginally unleash a wisp of Thunder Power contained within the Thunder Wood, but that was enough. A clash between masters could be decided in the blink of an eye; a moment of paralysis at such a critical time could determine the outcome of a battle.