Outside in the jungle, Shen Lang was methodically eliminating the members of the Holy Light Sect, one by one.
Unhurriedly, he collected the Spiritual Artifacts and Storage Pouches from the Martial Artistsâ bodies, not letting a single one go.
He even collected the Demon-Breaking Arrows they held.
He glanced at Yi Hongchen, who had already left the small island to battle Ji Chenhai, and chuckled softly. âThat guy... heâs got a sharp tongue, and heâs clever too,â he muttered. âHe actually guessed I was making a move and even knew how to coordinate like this. I guess saving them wasnât a waste of time after all.â
...
Hearing Luo Fenglingâs theory, Zhao Qing and the others were overjoyed. They all looked where she indicated and, sure enough, spotted the anomaly.
As they stared in those directions, they saw that the Martial Artists over there were indeed completely still!
"Thatâs great!" Zhao Qing started to jump up, but Luo Fengling rapped him on the head, forcing him back into a crouch.
âThe key is, how much longer can Hongchen hold on...â Luo Fenglingâs heart clenched, and her jaw tightened. She was so completely focused on Yi Hongchen that she didnât even notice her fingernails had broken the skin of her palms, drawing trickles of blood.
Meanwhile, in the clearing by the lake, Ji Chenhai grew bolder with every exchange, his spirits soaring.
"Boy, is this all the strength you have left? Werenât you so sharp-tongued before? Why so quiet now!"
As he spoke, his Long Spear trembled, deflecting Yi Hongchenâs Longsword in a flash of lightning before he thrust forward with blinding speed. The sharp whistle of the spear cutting through the air echoed through the canyon, a piercing sound that made the faces of those in the Chaotic Stone Array on the island turn pale.
"HAH!"
Just as the Long Spear stabbed forward like lightning, Yi Hongchenâs face suddenly filled with savage hostility, and a light like that of a Fierce Beast flashed in his eyes!
Instead of retreating, he advanced. With a shift of his left shoulder, the Long Spear ran him straight through with a sickening THUD!
"Ah!"
Even the usually calm Luo Fengling screamed out loud!
Under everyoneâs disbelieving gazes, Yi Hongchen grinned, raised his left hand, and seized the Long Spear tightly.
Then, the Longsword in his right hand scraped down the shaft of the Long Spear!
The crisp sound of metal striking metal was exceptionally loud at that moment. Ji Chenhai was stunned for a moment and subconsciously let go with both hands.
A leg flashed through the air. Yi Hongchen twisted his body and landed a whip kick on Ji Chenhaiâs face.
PFFT!
Unable to dodge in time, Ji Chenhai spat out a mouthful of blood and was sent flying sideways.
"Ji Chenhai, go to hell!"
Yi Hongchen roared. Still gripping the Long Spear that pierced his body, he rapidly closed in on Ji Chenhai, repeatedly stabbing forward with his Longsword in the most direct manner.
Ji Chenhai, who had never expected Yi Hongchen to be so ferocious, was scared out of his wits. However, he still managed to react, rolling repeatedly on the ground. Though it was a pathetic sight, he finally managed to evade Yi Hongchenâs Longsword.
"Fucking madman, you think you can hurt me like this!"
Ji Chenhai, his mouth stained with blood, roared loudly. With a flick of his hand, he produced another Longsword.
Even with his Long Spear taken, he still had several Spiritual Artifacts.
Yi Hongchen was already at the end of his rope. Even with this self-destructive method, he was still a fraction too slow to truly injure Ji Chenhai severely.
"Hehehehe, I knew I couldnât kill you. I just wanted to give you a good, hard kick! That kick was for my fallen martial brothers. Howâd it feel? Hahaha!" Yi Hongchen looked like a madman.
Inside the Chaotic Stone Array, Luo Fengling watched him, mesmerized. The mist in her eyes grew thicker, as did the Affection she felt.
CLANG!
The Longsword in Yi Hongchenâs hand burst with a dazzling Spirit Light. With one strike, he snapped the Long Spear, leaving only a small section protruding from his body.
"Ji Chenhai, come on! You coward, come kill me!" Yi Hongchen screamed madly.
Ji Chenhai had been about to charge forward, but seeing this scene, he subconsciously retreated a few more steps.
"Madman! Youâre fucking dead! You think you can scare me? You wonât last a few minutes even if I donât do anything!" A look of horror appeared in Ji Chenhaiâs eyes, and he retreated a few more steps.
Yi Hongchen, normally as handsome as jade with eyes like bright stars, had always carried himself as a refined, elegant young master.
But now, in Ji Chenhaiâs eyes, he had completely transformed into a madman, a Demon King!
"Hongchen!"
Inside the Chaotic Stone Array, Luo Fengling let out a sharp cry and charged out desperately. The other four followed close behind, rushing forward like madmen.
âDamn it, these guys have been poisoned for so long, yet they can still move. How strange...â
Ji Chenhai was slightly stunned.
âIn any case, theyâre all just fish in a barrel. Thereâs no rush to kill Yi Hongchen right now!â
Thinking this, Ji Chenhai continued to retreat cautiously, no longer willing to fight Yi Hongchen.
In the current situation, with Yi Hongchen already running on fumes and now pierced through by a Silver Spear, he would collapse within two minutes. There was absolutely no need to take any more risks.
âWhat if this madman tries some other desperate move, like self-destructing a Spiritual Artifact to take me down with him? I canât take that risk...â
He raised his left hand high above his head and said grimly, "Move out! Kill them!"
From the surrounding jungle, six figures immediately shot out, charging toward the people of Evil Wind Valley with battle cries.
After charging forward a few steps, these people suddenly felt something was wrong!
The Holy Light Sect, excluding Ji Chenhai and the few who died in the earlier chaotic battle, had a full twenty-four able-bodied members. Why did only six people charge out?
Where did everyone else go?
These few people felt a chill rise in their hearts, and even the Spiritual Artifacts in their hands began to tremble.
Ji Chenhai also sensed something was wrong. A sense of foreboding rose in his heart.
He immediately accelerated back toward the six men, wanting to regroup with them, shouting, "Fire the arrows! Kill Yi Hongchen first!"
In Ji Chenhaiâs view, the only person from Evil Wind Valley with any fighting strength left was Yi Hongchen. The others were deeply poisoned; even if they recklessly charged out, they wouldnât last long.
Besides, engaging in such strenuous activity while poisoned was simply suicidal!
As long as Yi Hongchen was dead, everything would be resolved.
As for why only six men from the perimeter had emerged, Ji Chenhai felt uneasy, but he still refused to believe anything had actually happened.
WHOOSH!
A Demon-Breaking Arrow shot straight toward Yi Hongchen and, with a THUD, embedded itself in his right chest.
Yi Hongchen let out a pained grunt and stumbled backward, caught by Luo Fengling and the others behind him.
CLANG! CLANG! CLANG! CLANG!
However, the next few Demon-Breaking Arrows were all struck down one by one by Luo Fengling and the others.
Although they hadnât fully recovered yet, they had regained most of their strengthâenough to fight.
Ji Chenhai, who was retreating, saw the Demon-Breaking Arrows being knocked down. His gaze hardened as he finally realized something was wrong.
âIf the people from Evil Wind Valley hadnât recovered from the poison, itâd be impossible for them to strike down Demon-Breaking Arrows at such close range!â
âAnd only six people came out... This is far too strange...â
"Where is everyone else? Where the hell did they go!" Ji Chenhai screamed hysterically.
The six men didnât know how to answer him and just looked at each other in dismay.
Just then, Ji Chenhaiâs eye twitched. He saw a dark figure plummeting from the sky behind the six men.
"Behind you!"
Ji Chenhai shouted a warning, but it was too late.
Shen Lang descended from the air in a spin, his foot landing squarely on the back of the rearmost man.
PFFT!
The man spewed blood and flew forward, then slammed violently onto the ground. He struggled a few times before dying.
"Sorry, itâs time to close the net. Your companions wonât be able to help you," Shen Lang said calmly as he walked forward slowly.
"You... Who the hell are you! How dare you kill people from my Holy Light Sect!" A chill ran through Ji Chenhaiâs entire body.
âTo be able to wipe out all my subordinates so silently... This manâs abilities are bizarre and terrifying!â
âAnd he just killed a sect brother with a single kick. That kind of strength... Itâs impossible for anyone below the Peak of the Qi Martial Realm...â
Shen Lang clasped his hands behind his back and smiled. "Who I am doesnât seem important, does it? Because today, every single person from the Holy Light Sect here is going to die."