Chapter 75: Chapter 75: Total Annihilation
"Haha, bring it on! Merciless Iron Leg, shatter it!"
If an ordinary Martial Artist were to face this blood-light martial soul, they would have been scared out of their wits and lost all composure, unable to unleash even half of their true strength.
But who was Luo Zhan? A Captain of the kingdom’s Golden Lion Corps, a man who had crawled out of mountains of corpses and seas of blood. How could his spirit be so easily broken by an opponent?
His legs shot out, and for a moment, it was as if ghosts wailed and gods howled. A piercing shriek, like a blaring horn, accompanied the terrifying blur of his kicks as they struck the crimson saber light.
BOOM! The crimson saber light shattered. Blood Saber was thrown backward, his feet carving a trench more than ten meters long in the ground, his hands trembling as he clutched his saber.
"Haha, exhilarating! Again!"
Luo Zhan let out a hearty laugh. His body moved like wind and lightning as he instantly charged at Blood Saber. A flurry of kicks filled the air, forcing Blood Saber to stumble back repeatedly, blood continuously spilling from the corner of his mouth.
"Chieftain!"
The remaining bandits were all stunned. As their chieftain, they knew Blood Saber’s strength better than anyone.
His blood-light martial soul, his Blood Light Saber Art, his formidable cultivation, his brutal aura, his ruthless methods.
Even against an ordinary Second-Layer Earth Martial Artist, their chieftain could hold his own for a time. Yet, before this green-robed Martial Artist, he was utterly powerless. The scene was so shocking it nearly blinded them.
’This is bad. He’s a Second-Layer Earth Martial Artist.’
Blood Saber, too, was filled with an inexplicable terror, and his heart sank to the depths.
"Kill!"
He lashed out violently, swinging his saber at Luo Zhan in a suicidal strike with no regard for his own safety. It was a desperate, life-for-a-life gamble.
"Everyone, surround him! Second Brother, capture that Ye family brat!" Blood Saber roared, his eyes bloodshot, his expression savage and crazed.
By now, Blood Fang, who had been grievously wounded and knocked to the ground, was back on his feet, gasping for breath. His face twisted savagely as he suddenly lunged at Ye Xuan.
"Shit!" Luo Zhan’s face fell. He kicked Blood Saber and turned to help, but Blood Saber took the full force of the blow. Spitting out bloody fragments of his own organs, he fearlessly threw himself at Luo Zhan.
At the same time, the remaining seven or eight Third-Layer Martial Master bandits also charged recklessly at Luo Zhan, using their own bodies to block his path, their faces twisted like madmen.
They all knew it was their only chance to live.
"Oh no!"
"Young Master Xuan!"
Standing guard behind Ye Xuan, Ji Ling and the others cried out, rushing to form a human wall in front of him.
"Xuan’Er, get back!"
Seeing this from the manor, Ye Zhanyun and the others shouted frantically, wishing they could sprout wings and fly over.
"You’re not getting away." Blood Fang’s gaze was savage, his eyes locked on Ye Xuan. With a bloody glow swirling around his palms, he struck out at Ji Ling and the others in a suicidal attack.
BANG! BANG! BANG!
Blood Fang unleashed his full power, taking the brunt of the attacks from Ji Ling and the other two. Amid the sound of cracking bones, he coughed up a huge mouthful of blood as several new, deep gashes appeared on his body.
Yet he paid it no mind, using every last ounce of his strength to lunge for Ye Xuan with both hands.
’He knew if he didn’t capture Ye Xuan, they would all die.’
"Young Master Xuan!"
Everyone roared, their faces etched with alarm.
"Haha, come to me!" Blood Fang gave a savage grin, blood trickling from his lips, as his hands suddenly landed on Ye Xuan’s shoulders.
"Everyone, stop right—" he roared madly over his shoulder as his hands came down. But before he could finish, the triumphant look on his face froze solid.
His hands had landed, but they hadn’t caught Ye Xuan. A sideways glance left him completely stupefied.
Somehow, Ye Xuan was now at his side, a cold smile playing on his lips as he sent a fierce punch smashing into his chest.
"You’re courting death! A mere Warrior thinks he can hurt me? Dream on."
Despite his grievous injuries and having only ten or twenty percent of his strength remaining, Blood Fang paid Ye Xuan’s attack no mind. He released his blood-light martial soul, forming a protective barrier, and simultaneously reached for Ye Xuan again.
BAM!
Ye Xuan’s right fist was impossibly fast, smashing into Blood Fang’s chest before the bandit’s hands could find their mark.
"Haha, useless! I am a mighty First-Layer Earth Martial Artist, you—"
As Blood Fang laughed savagely, his hands descended. Suddenly, his expression froze. His voice died in his throat, and his eyes bulged like those of a dead fish.
PFFT!
He sprayed a cloud of blood. The martial soul barrier over his chest had, at some point, been completely shattered. A peculiar energy invaded his heart meridian, pulverizing the organ itself and even sucking his blood-light martial soul dry.
"Idiot."
Ye Xuan retracted his right fist and slowly turned. Behind him, Blood Fang’s massive body crashed to the ground, kicking up a cloud of dust. His eyes stared wide, unable to close in death.
"Second Brother!"
Blood Saber let out a wretched howl.
"Die!"
Luo Zhan launched a flying kick that connected with Blood Saber’s head. His skull instantly burst like a watermelon, scattering viscous fluids everywhere.
"You... all of you will die!"
Luo Zhan’s face was ashen. He was a tiger loosed upon sheep; with each kick, another of the remaining bandits fell with a bloodcurdling scream.
In their final moments, they were filled with regret—regret for coming to Cyan Mountain Town, regret for attacking the Ye family.
But that realization came far too late.
THUD!
As the last bandit’s corpse fell, Luo Zhan rushed to Ye Xuan’s side. "Young Master Xuan, are you alright?" he asked anxiously.
"Xuan’Er." Ye Zhanyun and the others hurried over, their faces knotted with worry.
"Don’t worry. What could happen to me? He’s the one with the problem."
While everyone else had been beside themselves with anxiety, Ye Xuan had remained completely unfazed. He might only be a Third-Layer Warrior right now, but if he could be killed by a First-Layer Earth Martial Artist who was not only grievously wounded but also down to ten or twenty percent of his strength, then as a former Tier-Eight Martial Emperor, he might as well just find a block of tofu and bash his head against it.
Luo Zhan and the others stared at Blood Fang’s corpse, still finding it hard to believe. They were all utterly shocked.
Although Blood Fang had been heavily injured, he was still a First-Layer Earth Martial Artist. Forget everything else—his defenses alone were something no ordinary Third-Layer Warrior should have been able to pierce. Yet Ye Xuan had shattered his heart with a single punch. It was beyond anything Luo Zhan and the others could comprehend.
"Alright, let’s clean this up. Tally the spoils, then send someone to inform grandfather."
The Ye family guards quickly swept the battlefield clean.
"Young Master Xuan, from this ambush, we have killed one hundred and thirty-seven bandits from the Blood Saber Stronghold. We’ve seized one hundred and ninety-eight weapons, one hundred sixty-seven thousand Profound Tickets, and two Storage Rings from the stronghold’s chieftains. I have not inspected their contents."
A guard captain presented all the items.
"Mm. Father, these weapons are all poisoned. Let’s collect them; they might be useful later. You can hold onto these Profound Tickets as well. This is all just pocket change, I imagine. The real prize is in Blood Saber’s and Blood Fang’s Storage Rings. We’ll check them properly when we get back to the estate. I’m sure Grandfather is getting anxious."
Ye Xuan said with a faint smile.
There wouldn’t be anything valuable on the bodies of those Martial Master and Warrior bandits. The real treasures of the Blood Saber Stronghold would have been on Blood Saber’s person.
Ye Xuan was quite curious himself to see what treasures the Blood Saber Stronghold, so infamous in Blue Moon City, had accumulated.
Ye Zhanyun nodded, then turned to the guard captain. "Right, what were the casualties on our side?"
"Replying to the Third Master, we suffered no casualties."
Even though they were prepared for it, Ji Ling and the others were still stunned by the news.
This was the notorious Blood Saber Stronghold, not just some random thugs. They were infamous in Blue Moon City. If a thousand souls hadn’t perished by their blades, then at least eight hundred had.
Even the City Guard had failed in several large-scale attempts to annihilate them, suffering heavy losses in the process.
And yet, this terrifying band of marauders was completely annihilated within a single hour under Young Master Xuan’s direction, with not a single one left alive. As for the Ye family guards, they hadn’t suffered so much as a scratch.
If word of this victory got out, it would likely shake all of Blue Moon City.
As they looked at Ye Xuan, everyone’s eyes filled with a deep sense of awe.
’Terrifying. This young man is simply terrifying. His insight into the hearts of men is enough to make one shudder.’
"Alright, let’s head back." Ye Xuan himself thought nothing of it. Leaving a few men to stand guard, the group mounted up and galloped toward the Ye family estate.
"Xuan’Er, I know you have your own ideas," Ye Zhanyun said on the road, still shaken by what had happened, "but that was too dangerous. Try not to put yourself in that kind of position again."
Ye Xuan was taken aback for a moment, but a warmth spread through his heart as he looked at his father.
"I understand, Father," Ye Xuan said with a smile. "Besides, I still have you, don’t I?"
"Me?"
In the darkness, Ye Zhanyun’s fists clenched so tightly his knuckles turned white.
When he’d seen Blood Fang attack Ye Xuan, his heart had leaped into his throat. He wished he could have thrown his own body in front of his son to protect him. But unfortunately, he was just a cripple now, powerless to do anything but watch.
He wanted to be like any other father, to stand before his son and shield him from all harm. But for him, that was a distant, impossible dream.
"Xuan’Er," he sighed. "My own strength is insignificant; I probably can’t protect you. You, however, are a dragon among men. Your stage shouldn’t be confined to a single city. But I hope... I hope you always leave yourself an escape route. Otherwise, a single misstep can lead to a lifetime of regret, with no chance to turn back. If I hadn’t been so young and foolish back then, your mother... sigh..."
At this, Ye Zhanyun couldn’t help but sigh again. His gaze grew profound as he looked up at the night sky, seemingly lost in memory. His expression was a mixture of longing and pain, the light of a single tear glinting in his eye.
As a Soul Refiner, Ye Xuan’s Soul Power allowed him to clearly perceive his father’s emotions even in the pitch-black night, and his heart was stirred.
