At that moment, a young man dressed in black approached the crowd. A long scar ran across his face, his gaze was piercing, and his expression fierce and menacing. His entire being radiated a thick aura of killing intent. His footsteps were heavy and solitary as he walked, exuding an invisible sense of danger that seemed to carry a whiff of peril.
“Shura Butcher!”
Upon seeing this figure, the crowd collectively sucked in a breath, then hurriedly parted to make way for him. As he drew closer, almost no one dared meet his gaze directly.
“It’s him!” Lin Xiao was also taken aback. He had seen this man when he first entered the academy, at the registration hall, a dangerous figure with a menacing air. He hadn’t expected him to show up now, let alone speak on his behalf.
At this point, the faces of Duan Cangsheng, Phantom Butterfly, Dao Yi, Ji Qingshan, and others all revealed expressions of solemnity and deep wariness.
“Why is he here?” Duan Cangsheng muttered, puzzled. Even he felt immense pressure in this man’s presence.
However, as a member of the Martial Alliance, he couldn’t remain silent no matter how wary he was.
“Shura Butcher, this matter doesn’t concern you, does it?” Duan Cangsheng asked first, eyeing the man cautiously.
“It doesn’t, but I’m stepping in anyway. If you want to touch him, that is,” the fierce-looking man replied in a chilling tone.
To speak this way to Duan Cangsheng, the top-ranked in the Outer Court, was an incredibly bold move.
Lin Xiao, Hu Yue, and the others thought so too, though to the crowd, it seemed perfectly normal.
Because they all knew who this man was: Shura Butcher, a notorious figure. Though he rarely took action and wasn’t on the ranking list, everyone understood how terrifying he was.
Once, a powerful Outer Court faction clashed with Shura Butcher. It had two three-star disciples and dozens of strong members.
Yet, with just one move, Shura Butcher wiped out the entire faction, erasing it from the Outer Court in an instant.
That single move shook the entire academy, earning him the well-deserved titles of “Butcher” and “Shura.” When questioned by the elders for breaking academy rules, Shura Butcher simply replied, “That was my weakest move.”
The academy was stunned.
In the end, even the vice-dean was alerted, granting Shura Butcher a special pardon and a lenient punishment.
It was the only personal pardon the vice-dean had issued in years. From then on, Shura Butcher’s name resounded throughout the academy, and no one dared provoke him again.
In terms of strength, Shura Butcher’s reputation could likely place him at the top, but he rarely fought and had no official rank.
The main reason was that Shura Butcher himself dismissed the Outer Court’s “childish rankings,” so his name was never listed on the leaderboard.
Still, whenever someone encountered Shura Butcher, they’d steer clear. Who knew when his killing intent might flare up? One move could mean instant death, and no one would seek justice for the fallen.
Even Duan Cangsheng, ranked first, didn’t dare offend such a dangerous figure lightly.
Seeing Shura Butcher speak for Lin Xiao, Duan Cangsheng’s facial muscles twitched involuntarily. He couldn’t gauge Shura Butcher’s true strength.
Even if he could defeat him, it would likely be a pyrrhic victory. With the Inner Court quota training just three months away, clashing with Shura Butcher now would be unwise.
The Martial Alliance was the top faction among Shengyuan Academy’s disciples; they weren’t afraid of dealing with Shura Butcher later.
“Hmph, kid, consider yourself lucky!” Duan Cangsheng finally chose to back off, casting a cold glare at Lin Xiao, “But your luck won’t last forever. Let’s see how you walk out of the slaughter training in three months unscathed!”
With that, Duan Cangsheng flicked his sleeve and stormed off.
The crowd was astonished once more. Shura Butcher was indeed a force to be reckoned with, even forcing the top-ranked Duan Cangsheng to retreat.
Shura Butcher seemed unfazed by Duan Cangsheng’s departure. His gaze then turned to Phantom Butterfly, Dao Yi, and the others.
Their lips twitched slightly. Shura Butcher’s stare was too sharp, like that of a god of death.
Even Phantom Butterfly didn’t dare flirt in his presence. Her usual tricks clearly wouldn’t work on this seemingly emotionless killer, and they might even provoke him.
Since even Duan Cangsheng had backed off, confronting Shura Butcher now would be a bad idea.
Phantom Butterfly averted her gaze, looking at Lin Xiao, “Little brother, be careful during the training. Your big sister holds grudges, you know.”
With that, she gave Yun Lian a knowing glance, and the two turned to leave.
“Heh, I wouldn’t dare disrespect Brother Shura’s face,” Dao Yi said with an awkward smile, turning to Lin Xiao, “But I’ll offer Junior Brother Lin Xiao a word of advice: watch yourself during the slaughter training!”
“Thanks for the heads-up, Senior Brother and Senior Sister, but let me make one thing clear: if anyone comes looking for trouble, I won’t hold back either!” Lin Xiao replied, fully aware their words were threats.
Well, great, he’d offended three factions in one go. But he wasn’t some pushover either. If anyone messed with him, he’d give as good as he got.
At his words, Dao Yi, Phantom Butterfly, and Yun Lian paused briefly. They sneered inwardly at Lin Xiao’s overconfidence, and a mocking smirk curled Dao Yi’s lips.
Then, the three strode off.
Seeing them leave, Ji Qingshan, from behind, gave Lin Xiao a cold glance before slipping away too.
Now, aside from the onlookers surrounding the scene, only Lin Xiao and Shura Butcher remained in the centre.
“Thanks for the help, but why did you step in for me?” Lin Xiao asked Shura Butcher, puzzled.
“Because you’re the only opponent I see in my future worth my effort. I hope you won’t disappoint me when the time comes,” Shura Butcher replied simply, then turned and walked off with heavy steps.
Lin Xiao and the crowd were left stunned.
Helping him just to preserve a future rival? That was an absurd reason, wasn’t it?
But from his tone, it seemed he didn’t even consider Duan Cangsheng a worthy opponent?
“What a strange guy!” Lin Xiao muttered, watching Shura Butcher’s heavy retreating steps.
After a moment’s thought, he turned to the Heaven Gate disciples, “Current Heaven Gate disciples, listen up: go strip every Mo Alliance member of their thunder crystals!”
Lin Xiao’s clear voice rang out amid the crowd’s various stunned reactions.
Mo Yi spat out another mouthful of blood and fainted.
The Mo Alliance members were filled with unspeakable despair and fury.
Meanwhile, Heaven Gate’s seventeen disciples, including Hu Yue and Ling Hu, excitedly charged toward the Mo Alliance members.
The crowd sighed collectively. The Mo Alliance had truly fallen into these people’s hands this time.
