“Releasing the tiger will only create future troubles!”
Dongfang Yelai and Zhu Qiyuan were both frantic, urgently ordering Gou Langtu to take people and pursue Yan Yong.
Since they had already struck, they really wouldn’t be able to rest unless their master died!
Unfortunately, at this moment Gou Langtu was gravely wounded as well.
Across his chest there was an outrageously large wound—
It had been inflicted by the Xuanba World-Devouring Axe!
This superior-grade artifact possessed a unique power: it could infuse a wound with divine energy, continuously corroding the body and widening the injury’s scope.
At the same time, it devoured the enemy’s divine power, rendering them combat-incapable in a short time.
Hence the name Xuanba!
Not only Gou Langtu but several other members of the Divine Race were hurt to one degree or another.
In their current state, they were utterly unable to chase down Yan Yong!
Staying put to marshal their divine power and stem the wound’s spread was the only sensible course of action.
“You two, return to the Hall of Fortune and gather intel on our master’s condition. If he’s still alive, finish him off!” Gou Langtu barked, restoring his strength even as he issued the command to Dongfang Yelai and Zhu Qiyuan.
His words drove Dongfang Yelai to the brink of collapse.
“Are you insane? How can we go back now? Damn it, do you want us to die?”
At Gou Langtu’s slightest thought, a massive horse-cleaving blade appeared above Dongfang Yelai’s head.
With a single sweep it could have severed him completely.
As a late-stage Heavenly Divine, Gou Langtu might not be able to kill Yan Yong wielding a superior-grade artifact, but cutting down a True God-stage cultivator like Dongfang Yelai was as easy as reaching into one’s pocket.
Dongfang Yelai immediately fell silent.
Second Brother Zhu Qiyuan hastily intervened, urging calm and reminding everyone they were on the same side.
Only then did Gou Langtu sheathe his weapon and say coldly, “Afraid of dying now? From the moment you decided to slay your master, you ◆ Nоvеlіgһt ◆ (Only on Nоvеlіgһt) should have prepared to cast aside life and death. We are all grasshoppers in the same boat. If Master Yan Yong lives, we die! You’d better go back and see. Don’t forget you’re wearing your stealth suits—what is there to fear?”
Hearing this, Dongfang Yelai slowly regained his composure and realized Gou Langtu was right.
If Yan Yong survived, he would surely hunt down every one of them for vengeance. The moment a blade hovered at their necks, they would be betrayed.
Yan Yong had to die!
With that clear in their minds, Zhu Qiyuan and Dongfang Yelai set off that very day for the Divine Alliance.
They even had a perfectly plausible excuse: halfway there, they received a Communication Stone message from Senior Sister Xie Buyu, claiming Master Yan Yong was critically injured and ordering their swift return.
Returning now was reasonable—no one could object.
Upon reaching the Divine Alliance, Dongfang Yelai heard excellent news: Yan Yong was gravely wounded and near death. Perhaps they wouldn’t even need to strike the final blow themselves.
Their only concern was whether Yan Yong had recognized them—after all, they had faced him at close range.
But such recognition seemed unlikely.
Besides, if he had truly known them, Senior Sister Xie Buyu would have brought her blade to slay him rather than weeping and calling them back.
Reassured, Dongfang Yelai followed Zhu Qiyuan into the main hall.
There, Yan Yong’s face was ashen. He opened his mouth as if to speak, then hesitated.
Dongfang Yelai’s heart skipped a beat.
Had Yan Yong sensed something?
Senior Sister Xie Buyu quickly prompted, “Fourth Junior Brother, admit your fault to Master. Tell him you shouldn’t have argued with him just now.”
She winked at Dongfang Yelai, making her meaning clear: when Master lay at death’s door, don’t let him depart with regrets!
Guilty, Dongfang Yelai readily apologized.
Yan Yong exhaled heavily and then instructed his disciples to disband the Hall of Fortune, conceal their identities, and establish a new Divine Alliance.
Finally, he told them not to avenge him.
After these brief instructions, Yan Yong waved for everyone else to leave, keeping only Xie Buyu by his side.
The others were not surprised—everyone knew Senior Sister Xie Buyu was Master’s designated heir.
Meanwhile, Dongfang Yelai was already scheming how to seize the Xuanba World-Devouring Axe.
No—given his sister’s indulgent nature, if he refused it, she might offer it to him willingly.
Others might not have such luck, but Xie Buyu was different!
The more he thought about it, the more excited he became.
A moment later, Senior Sister Xie Buyu emerged from the hall and announced that Master had passed on.
A chorus of wailing rose among the senior and junior brothers and sisters.
Seeking to blend in, Dongfang Yelai forced a few tears of his own.
Xie Buyu led the disciples away, following Master’s last wishes.
But vengeance would not be abandoned!
The next year, Xie Buyu attained the peak of the Great Divine Realm, matching Master Yan Yong’s lifetime cultivation, and immediately set about her revenge.
Although she lacked a clear target, she began slaughtering Master’s enemies one by one and seizing their souls.
Fearing exposure, Zhu Qiyuan and Dongfang Yelai secretly contacted that old dog Gou Langtu to ask what to do next.
Gou Langtu replied that his foundational injury still required healing, so he wouldn’t personally kill Xie Buyu. Instead, he would send the Divine Race assassins from the previous ambush to eliminate her.
“You can rest assured—they don’t know your identities. Whether they succeed or fail, you will remain hidden!”
Dongfang Yelai and Zhu Qiyuan were delighted and promptly provided Xie Buyu’s whereabouts.
However, to their shock, the superior-grade Xuanba World-Devouring Axe in Senior Sister Xie Buyu’s hand unleashed even greater power.
She cut down every one of Gou Langtu’s assassins!
By probing their souls, Xie Buyu learned they were the very murderers of Master Yan Yong and burst into tears of joy, sharing the news with her fellow disciples.
Of course, killing them alone did not equate to complete vengeance.
From the memories they extracted, she learned that three individuals had taken part in the ambush: the mastermind Gou Langtu and two unknown shadow-cloaked figures.
Thus, the path of revenge would continue.
