The crowd’s gazes shifted to Ma Yin, but Wang Ming, standing silently ten metres from the youth statue, shook his head at him.
Glancing at Wang Ming, Ma Yin retracted his gaze and said to Yuan Fen, “I suddenly don’t feel like killing him.”
Yuan Ren was Wang Ming’s rival, and since Wang Ming hadn’t spoken, Ma Yin had stayed silent. Were it not for fear of Yuan Ren’s wrath, he’d have attacked Yuan Fen himself.
Why not let Lin Xiao and the Yuan family tear each other apart before acting?
Ma Yin wasn’t a fool.
“You!” Yuan Ren’s anger flared. This wasn’t reluctance to kill—it was refusal to help.
Wang Ming snorted coldly, shouting to the crowd, “Whoever kills him will be my friend. When I’m done here, I’ll reward you handsomely!”
The crowd paused, some showing greed at the promise of Yuan Ren’s reward.
“He’s a Holy Origin Academy disciple. If unrelated people act, they’re disrespecting our academy—and me, Gu Xuanyuan,” Gu Xuanyuan declared, his tone threatening.
Those tempted to act halted. Killing Lin Xiao only to be hunted by Gu Xuanyuan wasn’t worth it.
They were surprised—weren’t Lin Xiao and Gu Xuanyuan rivals? Why was he helping?
Perhaps, as Gu Xuanyuan implied, allowing a fellow disciple to be mobbed in his presence would be a loss of face. Or maybe he wanted Lin Xiao to stir trouble for his rival, Yuan Ren.
“Since no one’s acting, I will!” Lin Xiao’s fist erupted with violent energy. He unleashed Reversal Chaos Second Form, a chaotic vital energy fist blasting toward Liu He.
Liu He’s expression shifted. His protective vital energy surged, and he raised his sword to block.
But he found his arm frozen, unable to move, restrained by an invisible force.
“Spiritual energy!” Liu He’s eyes widened in horror, screaming, “No!”
*Bang!*
A loud crash echoed as Liu He’s body was riddled with holes, blood spraying. His corpse collapsed, still frozen in terror.
The crowd gasped. Liu He, a second-level Martial King, was killed in one move without resistance?
*Swoosh!*
As Yuan Fen, pale with shock, turned to flee, he found his body slowed by powerful spiritual energy. Panicking, he surged his vital energy to shake it off, but in that brief pause, Lin Xiao’s sword slashed from behind.
Yuan Fen spun, raising his blade to counter.
*Clang!*
A piercing metallic clash rang out. Unable to withstand the force, Yuan Fen spat blood, his body hurled back, crashing into the ground.
The crowd was stunned. Yuan Fen, too, was defeated in one move, gravely injured?
“Pathetic. Prepare to die!” Lin Xiao stepped forward, gripping his sword with both hands. His third-level Martial King vital energy poured out, a ferocious martial intent enveloping his arms.
Amplified by his high-third-grade spiritual controller power, he swung the sword down at Yuan Fen.
The Great Azure Dragon Slash unleashed.
“Clan brother, save me!” Sensing death, Yuan Fen screamed toward Yuan Ren, raising his blade to block.
“Lin Xiao, stop!” Yuan Ren roared, but Lin Xiao didn’t hesitate, ignoring him and slashing down.
*Boom!*
A thunderous crash echoed. Yuan Fen’s blade was driven into his own body, smashing him half a metre into the ground, kicking up dust and spraying blood.
With the strike complete, Lin Xiao withdrew, using spiritual energy to snatch Yuan Fen’s storage ring, then casually collected Liu He’s as well.
As the dust settled, Yuan Fen’s mangled, lifeless body lay in a pit.
The crowd was shocked. He’d really killed Yuan Fen right in front of Yuan Ren.
The grey-robed and burly youths were dumbfounded.
“Lin Xiao, you—you’ll pay!” Yuan Ren’s eyes blazed with rage, nearly bloodshot.
“I said Yuan Fen’s life wasn’t worth much to his clan brother, but he didn’t believe me,” Lin Xiao sighed, as if lamenting Yuan Fen’s fate.
The crowd looked at Yuan Ren with disdain. Indeed, despite his fury, Yuan Ren hadn’t left the test to save Yuan Fen.
For the scroll and spirit stone, he’d abandoned his clansman.
This only fueled Yuan Ren’s rage, pushing him to the brink.
“Lin Xiao, I swear, when I’m out, I’ll kill you!” Yuan Ren growled, his killing intent palpable.
“Anytime,” Lin Xiao replied nonchalantly, then shifted his gaze to Ma Yin. “I’ve never killed a Human Demon List disciple.”
The crowd tensed. He was targeting a Human Demon List disciple now?
Human Demon List disciples were far stronger than their peers, especially Ma Yin, ranked eighty-eighth—not comparable to Yuan Fen or Liu He.
He dared to challenge Ma Yin?
His audacity was staggering!
The crowd gasped, especially those who’d mocked Lin Xiao, feeling a chill. This guy was ruthless.
The grey-robed youth and others who’d come with him were shocked again.
Ma Yin and Wang Ming’s faces darkened at Lin Xiao’s words.
“You sure?” Ma Yin’s gaunt face grew colder, his eyes glinting with menace.
“Certain. And I’ll only need one move,” Lin Xiao nodded.
MaYin’s eyes narrowed, killing intent surging.
“Hahaha!” Amid the tense atmosphere, Gu Xuanyuan burst into laughter, addressing Wang Ming nearby. “Wang Ming, if you don’t withdraw from the test, your Nether Sky Demon Palace might lose a Human Demon List disciple.”
Wang Ming’s face chilled. “Hmph, you think he can treat our Human Demon List disciples like those trash outside? Kill at will?”
“Just watch,” Gu Xuanyuan said.
Yuan Ren’s expression darkened, torn between wanting to kill Lin Xiao himself and hoping Ma Yin would do it now.
