In his moment of crisis, Luo Tianyu shouted threats, but it was merely the struggle of a dying man.
Lacking the strength to confront Ling Xiao, he resorted to using his sect to intimidate him.
The Heavenly King Sect, one of the twelve sects, was the only one likely to be considered a ninth-tier sect.
If Ling Xiao dared to kill him, the Heavenly King Sect would surely come after the Moonlight Sect, even if it meant razing it to the ground.
Ling Xiao smiled faintly. “The Heavenly King Sect, huh? It’s indeed formidable, and I do have some reservations.”
“That’s right. Since you’re afraid, stop your attacks. Your actions don’t just affect you; they involve the entire Moonlight Sect. You’d better think carefully!”
Seeing Ling Xiao pause his assault, Luo Tianyu was overjoyed. While outwardly offering advice and warnings, he harboured malicious thoughts: Hmph, you offended me today. In the future, I’ll storm the Moonlight Sect and leave no one alive!
Fool, letting me go won’t save you!
Hahaha!
His inner laughter abruptly stopped.
He suddenly felt his body disintegrating, as if sliced apart by countless sword beams, not a single part left intact.
“Idiot. I’ve even offended the Holy Son. What’s there to fear in killing you? Besides, whether I kill you or not, the Heavenly King Sect won’t let me off, will they?”
Ling Xiao had long accepted this reality.
From the day he crossed the Holy Son, he understood that his enmity with the Heavenly King Sect might become irreconcilable.
Unless the sect’s leader was wise enough not to clash with him over the Holy Son.
But that seemed highly unlikely.
“Hahaha, Senior Brother Ling is too strong. You even killed the sixtieth-ranked fighter in the Martial Arts Festival!”
Zhao Zhi, emerging from his shock, burst into laughter.
“But from now on, Senior Brother Ling might not find peace. Luo Tianyu was, after all, an inner disciple of the Heavenly King Sect. They won’t let this go easily.”
Zhao Ci voiced his concern.
“No matter. If I didn’t kill him, the outcome would be the same. Might as well kill him and enjoy the moment! Besides, my real grudge with the Heavenly King Sect lies with the Holy Son. Compared to him, this Luo Tianyu was nothing.”
Ling Xiao waved his hand dismissively, unconcerned.
For a martial artist, avoiding pursuit was only possible for the utterly mediocre.
Ling Xiao thrived under such pressure.
It was this pressure that allowed him to grow faster.
“Junior Brother Ling is right. That’s the way of the martial world. If you don’t kill him, he’ll come for you later. Killing him now might even prevent trouble.”
Lan Yuer nodded in agreement.
Behind the wall, Chen Meng and Ao Chu were gripped with fear.
“How is this possible? How could Ling Xiao kill Luo Tianyu? How does he have such ability?”
Ao Chu kept repeating the same words.
“Calm down! Though this was unexpected, Ling Xiao’s killing of Luo Tianyu means he’s as good as dead. The Heavenly King Sect won’t spare him! Once we get out, we’ll report what happened here to them!”
Chen Meng was more composed than Ao Chu. Though equally terrified, she retained some rationality and knew what to do next.
She hadn’t expected Ling Xiao to defeat Luo Tianyu, let alone dare to kill him knowing he was a Heavenly King Sect disciple. It was ruthlessly bold.
“Right, Senior Sister, you’re correct. Ling Xiao is finished, utterly finished. His life is ruined, and he has no chance of rising again!”
Ao Chu suddenly snapped out of it, his expression trembling with both fear and excitement.
“Heh, what are you two whispering about? Mind if I join in?”
Suddenly, a devilish voice sounded beside Chen Meng and Ao Chu.
In an instant, Chen Meng used a secret technique scroll and escaped.
That woman was decisive indeed.
But Ao Chu was a step too slow. Ling Xiao’s sword pierced his throat, and he died without a sound.
“Damn, I didn’t expect Chen Meng to be so quick. Hmph, no matter. This can’t be hidden anyway. Let her go tattle. The Moonlight Sect can use the Heavenly King Sect to establish its authority!”
Ling Xiao smiled faintly. Chen Meng’s escape didn’t trouble him; it only added to his excitement.
This guy was an absolute madman.
“Junior Brother Ling, what now? If Chen Meng really tells the Heavenly King Sect what happened, given their usual style, they’ll surely cause trouble, won’t they?”
Lan Yuer asked, frowning.
“Right now, it’s the critical period of the Holy Dynasty Martial Arts Festival, and mutual killing in the preliminaries is tacitly allowed. The Heavenly King Sect won’t make big moves. There might be minor conflicts, but with the Moon Lady and Senior Brother Wu, things won’t spiral out of control.”
Ling Xiao analysed. “The real issue will come after the festival ends. Once the Heavenly King Sect has time, they might move against our Moonlight Sect. But by then, things might have changed.”
“Whatever. Worrying won’t help. We’d better focus on improving our strength. If a big battle comes, we can play a key role.”
Lan Yuer agreed with Ling Xiao’s analysis.
“Senior Brother Ling, how did you know those two from the Sword King Sect were hiding nearby? That’s a distance of four to five hundred metres. You were so focused on the fight, yet you could still multitask?”
Leng Hao was curious about something else.
“Small trick. I’ve been able to multitask for a long time, and now I’m just more skilled at it. And look at this.”
On Ling Xiao’s hand perched a black-and-white moth.
“A Yin-Yang Moth?”
“Exactly. When I first arrived here, I sensed those two but wanted to see what they were plotting, so I didn’t say anything.”
Ling Xiao smiled.
“Controlling a Yin-Yang Moth requires immense soul power, doesn’t it? Senior Brother Ling, your soul power must be extraordinary.”
Leng Hao asked again.
“Kid, why so many questions? You entered the sect with Junior Brother Ling and were hailed as one of the two great geniuses alongside Ming Tian. Now he’s surpassed you by so much. Shouldn’t you be focusing on yourself instead of him?”
Lan Yuer reminded him.
“Senior Sister Lan, how can I compare to Senior Brother Ling? He’s a miracle-maker. I’m no match.”
Leng Hao gave a wry smile.
“Enough of that. We’ve lingered here long enough. The others are probably far ahead by now. Let’s catch up.”
Ling Xiao, seeing Leng Hao’s discomfort, changed the subject.
“Let’s go!”
The group pressed forward, covering about a thousand metres when Ling Xiao suddenly stopped.
“Looks like we’ve run into something big.”
He spoke, then released the Yin-Yang Moth.
Moments later, the moth transmitted a series of images.
About seven or eight hundred metres ahead, a soul of the undead blocked the path.
This undead soul was formed from the spirits of countless warriors who had died here in battle. Killing it would surely yield a wealth of martial art and martial soul inheritances.
