“Sizzle!” In an instant, beneath Lin Xiao, a massive dark cyan vortex suddenly appeared, an aura of extreme terror emanating from it. Terrifying forces of devouring and incineration surged from the vortex, dimming the surrounding space, as if the entire area was about to be swallowed whole.
At the same time, a dreadful burning aura filled the air, making it seem as though the atmosphere itself was boiling.
“What, devouring power!” The two fastest-charging youths, both at the fourth level of Martial Venerable, turned pale with horror. The terrifying suction force had already enveloped them, dragging their bodies violently toward the abyss-like vortex.
“Danger, retreat!” The others, their faces also changing, hurriedly activated their maximum speed, retreating frantically.
However, their initial charge had been swift, and they were too close. The two fourth-level Martial Venerables were the first to be swallowed by the terrifying dark cyan vortex, their bodies vanishing into it.
“No!!!”
A series of horrified screams rang out. The two fourth-level Martial Venerable youths disappeared in the blink of an eye, followed by more figures being pulled into the dark cyan vortex. The intense “sizzle” sound echoed as they were consumed.
In the end, seven people were devoured by the dark cyan vortex, with only three youths, who were the farthest away, managing to break free.
“Sizzle!”
In a short time, the terrifying dark cyan vortex dissipated, and the bodies of the seven Martial Venerable youths vanished into thin air along with it.
“What!” Witnessing the scene, Lu Hong, standing on a peak a thousand feet away, was utterly shocked, his eyes filled with deep fear.
That dark cyan vortex was so terrifying that it had directly devoured and killed seven low-tier Martial Venerables?
The three who escaped death were equally filled with terror. Under the overwhelming devouring force, they couldn’t even muster an attack. Fortunately, their distance had been greater, and the vortex’s power had weakened after consuming the seven, sparing them.
Otherwise, they would have met the same fate as the seven, perishing in the devouring vortex without even their remains left behind.
Who could have imagined that Lin Xiao, whose elemental force was sealed, could unleash such a terrifying attack using only his spiritual power?
Killing seven people in one move, including two fourth-level Martial Venerables, how could they possibly be his match? It was laughable that they had coveted the treasures on Lin Xiao and the rewards offered by the Lu and Xu families.
If Lin Xiao’s elemental force hadn’t been sealed, how powerful would his combat strength be?
They were practically courting death.
“You three, still want to kill me for the reward?” At this moment, Lin Xiao glanced at the trio, speaking with a mocking tone.
The three trembled, shaking their heads vigorously.
“Brother Lin Xiao, spare us! We were only momentarily blinded by greed. Please, show mercy!”
“Exactly, Brother Lin Xiao, please spare us! We’re willing to serve you!”
“Whatever Brother Lin Xiao commands, we’ll obey without hesitation!”
The three pleaded humbly, their courage to resist Lin Xiao completely gone.
“Fine, I’ll give you one chance. Whoever kills Lu Hong, I’ll let live,” Lin Xiao said to the trio.
Lu Hong’s heart trembled. In his current state, he had no strength to resist the three. He had already played all his cards, and if the three turned on him, his situation would be truly perilous.
Hearing Lin Xiao’s words, the three youths turned their gazes toward Lu Hong on the peak, their eyes brimming with killing intent.
“What are you planning? I’m warning you, I’m from the Lu family! If you dare kill me, you won’t leave the Yuan Spirit Pool Secret Realm alive!” Seeing their wolf-like stares, Lu Hong panicked, hastily threatening them.
But his words were utterly useless. In the next moment, the three charged forward with reckless abandon, rushing toward him at top speed.
Before they even reached him, the three struck first, unleashing unparalleled power. Blades of light and sword beams burst forth, surging with unstoppable force toward Lu Hong.
“No!!!” Lu Hong let out a terrified shout, followed by a thunderous explosion.
“Boom!”
Lu Hong was instantly overwhelmed by the combined power of the three Martial Venerables. The entire peak collapsed with a rumble, and clouds of dust billowed into the air.
Amid the dust, the three, fearing Lu Hong might still be alive, positioned themselves on three sides, gripping their weapons, ready to strike again.
Lin Xiao was slightly surprised. The three, in their desperation to survive, had shown no mercy. With that strike, Lu Hong was likely dead beyond doubt.
Sure enough, as the dust settled, Lu Hong’s mangled, bloodied body came into view. His armour was completely shattered, and there was no trace of life left in him.
Seeing this, the three halted their preparations to attack again and turned to Lin Xiao. One of them cautiously said, “Brother Lin Xiao, Lu Hong is dead. We…”
The other two also looked at Lin Xiao nervously, their hearts in their throats.
But Lin Xiao didn’t respond. Instead, he shifted his gaze to another part of the void and suddenly spoke, “Since you didn’t intervene to save him, that means you’re not from the Lu family. After watching for so long, isn’t it time you showed yourself?”
The three were stunned by Lin Xiao’s abrupt words. Was someone else hiding here?
They hadn’t sensed anything at all.
Sure enough, as Lin Xiao’s words fell, a young figure in a battle robe, riding wings of elemental energy, flew into view, appearing in the nearby void.
“Xu Rong!” The three gasped upon seeing the figure.
Xu Rong, the third-ranked top genius of the Xu family, a sixth-level Martial Venerable with immense power.
Though Lin Xiao was strong, with his elemental force sealed, he surely couldn’t match Xu Rong.
At that moment, the three regretted their actions deeply. If they had known Xu Rong was here, they would never have killed Lu Hong, completely offending the Lu family.
But the deed was done, and regret was useless. From now on, they would have to live in hiding, avoiding the Lu family at all costs.
“I didn’t expect you to be a high-grade fourth-tier Spirit Controller, and one with spiritual abilities at that, with combat power comparable to a low-grade fifth-tier Spirit Controller. Truly beyond my expectations!” Xu Rong exclaimed upon appearing. “But what a coincidence, entering the Yuan Spirit Pool Secret Realm and encountering you before the others, with your elemental force sealed no less.”
The “others” he referred to were clearly the top geniuses of the other two major families. As he spoke, a thick aura of battle intent radiated from Xu Rong, and a cold voice followed, “Lin Xiao, I told you, I’ll make you join Xu Wei in death.”
