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The dark clouds rolled like ink, and the sky grew ever lower.
On the walls of Wu'an City.
Looking at the puzzled Dai Xuan, Dai Chengfeng stood up. A sudden gust of wind whipped his clothes as they flapped noisily.
"Because I believe what you know might not be more than what I know!"
With that, Dai Chengfeng raised his hand and gave a light flick. A faint glow emanated from his spirit ring, and a pitch-black halberd adorned with blood-red streaks appeared in his palm.
Buzz—
Holding the halberd in one hand, he slightly turned his wrist. The blade of the halberd sliced through the air, emitting a sharp whistle that stirred up a violent wind.
Crash—
Dai Chengfeng slammed the halberd heavily onto the ground.
Several cracks spread out, and fragments of stone flew everywhere.
His gaze turned icy as he swept it over Dugu Bo and the others, his tone leaving no room for argument: "Do not interfere. I will handle this myself!"
"I will personally avenge Li Zhizhao, Zhu Yan, the Yin family, and all the people of Wu'an City who have been oppressed by Dai Xuan!"
At these words,
The surrounding soldiers were momentarily stunned.
Li Zhizhao's eyes instantly reddened, his lips trembling as if he wanted to say something but was too choked up to speak.
Zhu Yan was also deeply moved, his heart surging with emotion.
In this world where imperial power and strength reigned supreme, where the weak were devoured by the strong—a law as immutable as iron—they had never felt so valued, as though they were truly being treated as "human beings."
"Zhu Yan, thank you, Young Master!"
Zhu Yan's voice was filled with gratitude as he shouted first.
"This humble servant is willing to brave any danger for Young Master, no matter the cost!"
Li Zhizhao followed Zhu Yan, dropping to his knees before Dai Chengfeng with a thud.
Seeing this, the soldiers behind them knelt in unison on one knee, their voices echoing across the heavens: "We are willing to die for Young Master!"
Dai Chengfeng nodded slightly, his expression softening somewhat. "Rise."
Then, he once again turned his gaze toward Dai Xuan, his eyes instantly chilling like frost. "I heard that you're a Rank 37 Soul Elder?"
"Both of us possess the White Tiger martial soul, both from the Dai family lineage. Out of respect for your martial soul, I am giving you one last shred of dignity."
He paused, raising the halberd and pointing its tip at Dai Xuan's throat, his voice deep and commanding: "Come."
"If you defeat me, I'll let you leave!"
"Really?"
Dai Xuan was utterly astonished, disbelief flashing in his eyes.
He was nearly twenty years older than Dai Chengfeng. Though his talent was mediocre, his age advantage was undeniable. In his mind, there was no way Dai Chengfeng could possibly match him.
He couldn't help but confirm again: "If I defeat you, you'll really let me go?"
"Yes!"
Dai Chengfeng's response was concise, his heterochromatic golden-blue eyes burning with crimson flames, exuding an icy killing intent.
The next moment, he planted the halberd into the ground and waved his hand, instantly summoning his White Tiger martial soul.
Roar—
The White Tiger martial soul let out a thunderous roar, majestic and awe-inspiring, radiating a powerful aura as if proclaiming its dominance to the heavens and earth.
Dai Xuan's gaze was fixed on the massive White Tiger martial soul behind Dai Chengfeng, which was ten times larger than his own and wreathed in strange golden-blue flames. His mind was filled with confusion.
Both possessed the White Tiger martial soul and belonged to the Dai family lineage—so why was the disparity so vast?
His own martial soul seemed instinctively afraid, even wanting to submit to Dai Chengfeng.
"How… how is this possible?"
Dai Xuan muttered to himself, panic flickering in his eyes. But soon, greed and madness replaced it.
"So what if your martial soul is stronger? I've been cultivating longer than you, my soul power is deeper than yours. Who knows who will emerge victorious today!"
With that, Dai Xuan's aura surged abruptly as he summoned his White Tiger martial soul.
Simultaneously, three soul rings slowly appeared beneath his feet.
"Third Soul Skill: White Tiger Vajra Transformation!"
Instantly, Dai Xuan's muscles swelled like they were inflating, his body glowing with golden light. His presence soared to another level, resembling the descent of a war god.
"Dai Chengfeng, prepare to... die!"
As soon as Dai Xuan spoke to draw Dai Chengfeng's attention,
The next second, he seized the opportunity to launch a surprise attack.
His figure flashed, his sharp tiger claws gleaming with cold light as they lunged straight for Dai Chengfeng's throat. His movements were swift and ruthless, clearly aiming for a fatal blow.
Dai Chengfeng's eyes narrowed, neither dodging nor retreating.
His right fist clenched tightly, and a dim golden glow flashed from his shoulder down to his arm, enveloping it in an armored gauntlet.
With that, he met Dai Xuan's tiger claw head-on.
Boom—
The clash of fist and claw produced a muffled explosion, like the tolling of a great bell, shaking the surrounding air.
Pfft!
Dai Xuan felt an overwhelming force surge through his tiger claw, numbing his arm and making it feel as though his bones were about to shatter.
A mouthful of blood spurted out, and his body uncontrollably flew backward.
Seeing this, a purple soul ring lit up beneath Dai Chengfeng's feet, and a pair of enormous bluish-black wings emerged from his back.
Whoosh—
In the next instant, Dai Chengfeng appeared before Dai Xuan as if teleporting, reaching him before he could even land.
Crack—
Dai Chengfeng suddenly lifted his right leg and drove his knee into Dai Xuan's spine.
Snap…
Pfft!
Dai Xuan, still airborne, was sent flying like a kite. A crisp sound of bone breaking rang out as he spat out another mouthful of blood.
The next moment, Dai Chengfeng had already returned to his original position and grabbed the halberd embedded in the ground.
"White Tiger Overlord Spear First Form: City Destroyer!"
BOOM—!
A surge of golden-blue energy erupted from the halberd, its force resembling a golden-blue dragon, roaring and charging toward Dai Xuan.
With his spine shattered and his body completely immobilized, Dai Xuan had no way to evade. He was instantly engulfed by the golden-blue wave.
The overwhelming force shattered his body, severing his limbs.
Like a broken doll, his body plummeted toward the city wall.
In an instant, the outcome was decided.
"Master Ye, heal him."
Dai Chengfeng turned to Ye Renxin, his expression calm.
"Heal him?"
Ye Renxin was baffled. After all, Dai Xuan was Dai Chengfeng's enemy—why heal him?
Moreover, given the state Dai Xuan was in, aside from his head and torso, the rest of his body was shattered into hundreds of pieces. How could such injuries possibly be healed?
"You don't need to fully heal him—just keep him alive."
Dai Chengfeng's tone was indifferent. "Death would be too merciful for him. Let the dogs have him…"
Gasp—
In an instant, everyone looked at Dai Chengfeng, their expressions changing instinctively to one of awe.
"To become Chengfeng's enemy… dying would be a mercy!"
Zhu Fan shrank his neck slightly, thinking about being bitten to death by dogs—it sounded excruciating…
Upon hearing Dai Chengfeng's words, Dai Xuan, who had been lying on the ground with weak breaths, stared at Dai Chengfeng in sheer terror.
"No!"
"Dai Chengfeng, I was wrong! Spare me, please!"
"And… and I'm Dai Tian's nephew! You can't do this to me! My uncle… he… won't forgive you!"
Dai Xuan's voice was filled with fear, regret, and pleading.
However, Dai Chengfeng remained completely unmoved, his expression icy throughout.
"Rest assured. Your uncle will join you soon enough."
As he spoke, Dai Chengfeng flicked the blood off his halberd. The blood splattered onto the ground, forming crimson blossoms, before he finally stored the halberd back into his spirit ring.
Soon after, Dai Xuan was dragged away by the soldiers. His cries and pleas for mercy gradually faded, eventually falling silent.
"Chengfeng, it's finally over. Are we heading back to Star Luo City next?"
At this point, Zhu Fan stretched lazily, speaking in a relaxed tone, a hint of ease on his face.
Hearing this, Dai Chengfeng's expression remained as cold as frost, showing no signs of softening. "Over?"
"Uncle, it's only just begun!"
"Just begun?"
Zhu Fan looked at Dai Chengfeng in confusion.
Now that Dai Xuan was dead, the Spirit Hall's people had been driven away, and Wu'an City was back under Dai Chengfeng's control. Next would be routine matters like pacifying the populace and restarting the Dujiangyan project.
How could this be just the beginning?
But soon, Zhu Fan suddenly realized something, his eyes widening in horror as he stared at his nephew.
"Chengfeng? Don't tell me you're thinking of…"
"No!"
"Absolutely not!"
"You can't do something so reckless! He's not like Dai Xuan!"
"Not to mention whether you can kill him—if you really do, the entire empire will be shaken!"
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