“Whoosh, whoosh, whoosh!” At that moment, figures dashed out from within the Liu family, lining up beside the Liu family elder. Each exuded a powerful aura, gripping swords and sabres, poised to strike.
Among them were over a dozen high-tier Heavenly Martial experts— the Liu family’s elite force.
With the elder himself, a low-tier Martial King, even an intruder of that rank would struggle to escape.
“Hmph, chatting with you was just a stalling tactic. Did you really think I’d invite you in for tea after you came to kill at my Liu family?” The elder sneered, his killing intent surging.
He’d only waited because Lin Xiao had withstood his strike, buying time for the family’s experts to arrive— otherwise, he wouldn’t have bothered with words.
“Heh, you were stalling, but why wouldn’t I be doing the same? Why else would I waste so much breath on you?” Lin Xiao chuckled calmly, then lightly pointed forward. A tiny, faint speck of light shot from his fingertip.
The Devouring Heaven Spirit-Gathering Finger had been brewing during this delay.
“Now, all of you— die!”
With a shout, Lin Xiao grabbed Hu Yue and retreated. The speck of light hurtled towards the Liu family elder.
The elder, already primed to act, instinctively slapped out a palm.
But as he did, a chill of dread hit him.
The light’s aura was terrifying— as if it could shatter heaven and earth— sending shivers through him.
“Trouble— retreat!” he bellowed, but the words were drowned by an earth-shaking explosion.
“Boom!” “Boom!” “Boom!”…
A blinding burst, brighter than the sun, erupted. Torrents of energy exploded outward, the shockwave ravaging all directions. The elder and the dozen-plus experts were flung like driftwood on waves, many blasted into chunks of flesh.
Only the elder might have survived.
The ground cratered massively, the immense force flipping the surrounding earth outward, toppling a swathe of Liu family buildings across hundreds of metres.
Even more Liu family fighters rushing to the gate were caught in the blast, hurled aside.
As the dust settled, the elder lay hundreds of metres away, face twisted in horror. That attack’s terror had left him gravely wounded.
“No matter who you are, when the patriarch returns, he won’t spare you!” His expression turned ferocious with rage.
“Oh, really?” A voice cut through. Two masked figures appeared beside him.
“You— who are you? What do you want?” The elder’s face paled as if he’d seen ghosts, panic overtaking him.
Crippled by injuries, he couldn’t muster any strength to resist.
“Die ignorant— blame your Liu family for crossing the wrong person!” Lin Xiao stepped forward, killing intent surging, and slashed with his sword.
He’d considered having Hu Yue stealthily behead him, but in this state, there was no need— a direct strike sufficed.
“You’re from the Gong family!” the elder roared, his voice echoing through the Liu family grounds.
It was his gut reaction— offending the wrong foe must stem from the patriarch’s clash with the Gong family.
Only they would dare strike the Liu family so boldly.
As he shouted, a sword arc severed his neck, his head tumbling as he perished.
Lin Xiao then cut down more foes. With most Liu family experts absent and no Martial Kings present, they stood no chance against him and Hu Yue.
Leaving the Liu family, Lin Xiao hacked the crater at the gate into a jagged mess, obscuring its shape to prevent Liu family Martial Venerables from linking it to him.
Miles away, sensing onlookers, Lin Xiao ignored them, deliberately rasping in an aged voice to Hu Yue, “Hmph, daring to cross our Gong family— this is the Liu family’s fate!” Then he strode off with her.
A passing expert, startled by Lin Xiao’s words, memorised them and headed to the Liu family.
Seeing the carnage, he nearly collapsed in fright, hurrying to report to the patriarch.
A day later, the Liu family patriarch learned from fleeing clansmen that nearly all remaining experts had been wiped out. Enraged, he spat blood.
Two other Martial Kings, equally furious, coughed up blood too.
When a clansman relayed the elder’s dying roar, the patriarch led the Martial Kings straight back.
Returning to a field of corpses, the patriarch’s skyward bellow shook the heavens, resounding for a hundred miles.
A passing expert then reported the masked figure’s words. In a fury, the patriarch marched on the Gong family.
He ordered the hunt for Lin Xiao halted, redirecting all forces to attack the Gong family.
The Gong family patriarch, hearing the news, was baffled— it wasn’t their doing.
But with two pieces of “evidence” circulating, no explanation would sway the Liu family. To avoid a similar fate, he recalled all experts to defend the clan.
A day later, a titanic clash erupted at the Gong family.
By then, Lin Xiao and Hu Yue had reached Junzang’s location, catching wind of the families’ war en route.
“Heh, when those old fools learn it was you, wonder if they’ll die of rage?” Hu Yue giggled, gleeful the whole way.
“They want to hunt me with their clans? They’ll pay with extinction— sparing some is already merciful,” Lin Xiao shook his head, relishing the thought of their reaction to the truth.
Hu Yue nodded, knowing Lin Xiao’s terror best.
He’d once turned the Feng family upside down.
“Hmm, the map points here— why’s it just flat ground with nothing?” At Junzang’s marked spot, Lin Xiao paused, doubt creasing his face.
A thousand-metre expanse of lush grass stretched out— no tombstones, no sign of a burial site. How could this be a peak Martial Lord’s tomb?
Hu Yue’s brows rose as she scanned around, puzzled. Nothing stood out.
The map was genuine— was this truly the place?
Were they supposed to dig for a grave?
