Reincarnation of the Celestial Bastard

Chapter 91: A Rising Storm

As the sun crept over Yunhai City, illuminating the rooftops and narrow streets, Li Tian prepared for another day, knowing the Cult would escalate their attacks. The bounty on his head had stirred the city's underbelly, and whispers of impending conflict echoed through the alleys.

To strike first, he arranged a meeting with trusted allies in a secluded tea house. Among them were Liu Mei, her gaze filled with quiet determination, and a small group of cultivators who had pledged their loyalty to him after witnessing his power in recent encounters.

"Each of you knows the risks," Li Tian began, his voice steady. "The Cult's roots run deep in this city, but I intend to rip them out, one by one. You've seen their influence—Yunhai will never know peace until they're gone."

Liu Mei met his eyes, nodding. "We're with you, Li Tian. But the Cult won't sit idly by while you dismantle their network. What's your plan?"

He leaned forward, his voice barely above a whisper. "We'll start by isolating key operatives. With the Wen and Zhou families already on edge, we'll use that paranoia against them."

Over the next few days, Li Tian and his allies spread rumors of distrust between the Wen and Zhou families. It wasn't long before members of both families started questioning each other, the whispers of betrayal weakening their unity. The Cult members embedded within each family grew wary, the tension slowly mounting.

During one of his nighttime surveillance rounds, Li Tian slipped into the Wen estate using Dragon Shadow Step, his movements leaving no trace as he glided through the shadows. His target was Wen Lei, a high-ranking Cult member known for his ruthless tactics. If he could dismantle Lei's influence, it would disrupt the Cult's command within Yunhai.

Li Tian found Lei alone in a secluded chamber, poring over scrolls with diagrams and intricate maps. He positioned himself silently behind the man, watching as Lei muttered strategies for the Cult's next move.

"Enjoying your work, Lei?" Li Tian's voice cut through the silence like a blade.

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Lei shot up, turning to see Li Tian emerge from the darkness, a sly smirk on his face. His expression shifted from shock to anger as he realized the predicament he was in.

"You—how did you get in here?" Lei growled, his fists clenched as he readied his energy for a strike.

Li Tian's stance remained relaxed, hands clasped behind his back. "Getting in was the easy part. But you're not leaving this room, Lei."

With a roar, Lei launched himself forward, his fists surrounded by flickering blue flames. But Li Tian sidestepped each strike with ease, his Dragon Shadow Step making him appear and disappear like a phantom, each afterimage confusing Lei as he missed again and again. Frustration etched onto Lei's face as he fell into Li Tian's trap.

Then, with a swift, powerful strike, Li Tian brought his palm down on Lei's chest, sending him crashing into the wall. He staggered, barely able to stand, his breath ragged as Li Tian loomed over him.

"Tell me everything about the Cult's plans," Li Tian demanded, his voice cold.

Lei spat at him, defiant. "You'll never defeat us. We're everywhere, and for every one of us you cut down, ten more will rise."

Li Tian shook his head, pity in his gaze. "Then I'll cut down all ten."

With a final, decisive blow, he incapacitated Lei, leaving him unconscious. He pulled a small scroll from Lei's robe, unrolling it to reveal detailed plans for an assault on Yunhai's central market during the upcoming festival—a plan that would cause panic, allowing the Cult to seize more control.

Li Tian's eyes narrowed. With this information, he had the advantage. Returning to the tea house, he gathered Liu Mei and the others, laying out the scroll for them to study.

"We stop this attack, and we'll deal the Cult a serious blow," he explained, pointing to the diagrams. "They won't expect us to know their plans. This is our chance to take the fight to them."

One of his allies, a burly cultivator named Zhou Ming, nodded with grim determination. "The central market is packed during the festival. We'll need to act fast if we want to stop them."

Liu Mei studied the scroll, her eyes sharp. "They'll likely have multiple entry points. If we can set up traps along those paths, we'll catch them off guard."

Li Tian's lips curved into a smile. "Exactly. We use their plan against them, leading them into our ambush."

The festival night arrived, and Yunhai was alive with color and laughter. Stalls lined the streets, the scent of food and incense filling the air. Amid the celebration, Li Tian's allies positioned themselves at strategic points, each one hidden from view but ready to act.

As the Cult operatives began slipping into the market, Li Tian watched from a rooftop, the moon casting shadows over the bustling crowd. His gaze was sharp, every sense on high alert. The first wave of Cult members moved into the crowd, their expressions masked as they began setting up what appeared to be small devices along the central stalls.

Li Tian signaled to his allies. With swift, coordinated precision, they descended upon the Cult members, taking them by surprise. The operatives, caught off guard, scrambled to defend themselves, but Li Tian's group was ready, disabling their weapons before they could strike.

From the shadows, Liu Mei slipped forward, her blade a blur as she disarmed one operative and took down another. Li Tian fought through the crowd, his movements fluid as he struck down each Cult member in his path. Within minutes, the ambush had turned into a full-on retreat, the Cult operatives fleeing as their plan unraveled.

When the last operative fell, the central market erupted in cheers as Li Tian and his allies emerged victorious. The Cult had been dealt a heavy blow, and their presence in Yunhai was now compromised.

But as Li Tian stood in the center of the market, surrounded by the citizens he'd protected, he knew this was far from over. The Cult would retaliate, and the coming days would test his resolve like never before.

For now, though, he relished the victory, a glint of satisfaction in his eyes as he glanced at Liu Mei, who returned his gaze with a quiet smile. Together, they had protected Yunhai, and for the first time, the city seemed to feel the shift in power, its people sensing that someone was fighting back.

Back in his quarters later that night, a system notification chimed.

[System Notification: Quest Completed – Unearth the Sleeper Agents]

[Reward Unlocked: Dragon Shadow Step Mastery – Allows you to phase through shadows and extend movement duration.]

Li Tian leaned back, satisfied, knowing that with each step, he grew closer to freeing Yunhai from the Cult's grasp. The road ahead was steep, but he was ready. For every battle, every strategy, he would be prepared, and he knew his enemies would soon realize that Yunhai's protector was not one to be taken lightly.