The assassin could not give Ling Xiao any chance.
He aimed to kill Ling Xiao in one strike.
But he forgot about time.
Or perhaps he never considered that Ling Xiao could undo Qin Huo’s seal.
The next moment, a massive fist appeared in his vision.
It was Qin Huo.
The fist, like a giant hammer, came too fast for the assassin to block. By the time he reacted, it was too late.
His body was sent flying like a cannonball, crashing through several trees before stopping.
Flee.
The assassin did not hesitate.
Injured by Qin Huo’s sneak attack, staying meant certain death.
He was confident that if he wanted to escape, Qin Huo could not catch him.
But he did not expect that the moment the thought of fleeing entered his mind, a hole appeared in his chest.
As if something had pierced through.
A chilling, terrifying killing intent.
“Shadow Cone.”
Ling Xiao stood slowly, his gaze coldly fixed on the assassin.
He could not let such a dangerous man escape, or it would pose a massive threat to him.
So this man had to die.
Only in his final moment did the assassin realise he had misjudged from the start.
The greatest threat was not Qin Huo but Ling Xiao, whose cultivation seemed unremarkable.
This kid was not only cunning but also ruthlessly efficient.
“General Qin, what are your plans now?” Ling Xiao asked, turning to Qin Huo.
Qin Huo sighed deeply. “Thank you, young hero, for saving me. But some of my brothers are still trapped in the auction house. I must find a way to rescue them. As for the future, we’ll see.”
At this moment, Qin Huo’s trust in Ling Xiao had grown significantly.
The fact that Ling Xiao could undo his seal was enough to earn his admiration.
“I’ll find a way to help your brothers. By the way, let me introduce myself. I’m Ling Xiao.”
Ling Xiao knew that commanding someone as stubborn as Qin Huo was impossible.
He lacked the strength to force him.
So he did not push, only doing what he could. Once someone like Qin Huo trusted you, that trust was lifelong, their loyalty unwavering.
“Ling Xiao?” Qin Huo’s eyes widened as something clicked. “Are you the Chosen One, Ling Xiao?”
“Indeed,” Ling Xiao said, not denying it.
Hearing this, Qin Huo dropped to his knees and cupped his hands. “This subordinate pays respects to the Chosen One. If it’s you, I’m willing to follow you.”
Faced with Qin Huo’s pledge of loyalty, Ling Xiao did not immediately respond. Instead, he said coldly, “I despise betrayal above all else. You still have a chance to back out. If you follow me, it’s for life. If you betray me, I’ll use every means to kill you.
If you can’t commit, leave now. I can arrange a good opportunity for you to use your skills.”
Qin Huo shook his head. “I’ve heard of the Holy City’s events. The Chosen One single-handedly saved the surviving warriors of the Holy Dynasty. From that moment, I knew you were the true king capable of rebuilding the human empire, like the Human King of old.
Moreover, I, Qin Huo, am not an ungrateful man. If not for you today, I would have ended up like my brother, at the mercy of others.”
“Very well. Since you feel this way, stay by my side. But I’ll say it again: I hate betrayal. If you choose to follow me, don’t entertain other thoughts.”
Ling Xiao stepped forward, helping Qin Huo up. “General Qin, rise. I’m temporarily staying at the Clear Void Academy. You can come with me there for now. Once we have news of your brothers, I’ll find a way to rescue them.”
Ling Xiao had planned to save those men today, but unfortunately, only Qin Huo appeared at the auction. The others’ whereabouts were unknown.
“I obey,” Qin Huo said, cupping his hands.
From this moment, his life belonged to Ling Xiao. He wanted to bet on whether Ling Xiao was a true dragon among men or just a worm pretending to be one.
But with his character, dragon or worm, he would serve loyally until death.
If a dragon, it was his fortune. If a worm, it was his misfortune.
“Bring Yanran. Let’s go.”
Having dealt with the assassin, Ling Xiao remained uneasy. Yan Peng likely hated him to the core and would not pin his hopes on a mere Tenth Heaven Realm assassin.
There would surely be more to come.
“Yes.”
Qin Huo carried Feng Yanran on his back, following Ling Xiao as they sped off.
Moments after they left, a figure appeared at the battle site, seeing the assassin’s body.
The figure shook their head. “As expected, the young master of the auction house was right. This Ling Xiao is no simple man. It seems he’s undone Qin Huo’s seal, or this man wouldn’t be dead.”
Ignoring the body, the figure followed Ling Xiao’s trail at high speed.
Though the road was sparsely populated, some warriors passed by. Seeing this figure, they cowered by the roadside, not daring to move.
“Good heavens, a Cave Heaven Realm warrior. What’s he up to?”
They swallowed hard, terrified.
Even in the Divine Phoenix Continent, Cave Heaven Realm warriors were rare. Three or four hundred across the entire continent was considered plenty.
This number was much higher than in the Heavenly Dragon Continent, but still scarce.
The figure ignored them, following the footprints.
But moments later, they stopped.
“Come out. Hiding is useless,” the figure said coldly, staring at a spot in the jungle. “Don’t make me act, or I’ll kill even Feng Yanran.”
In the bushes, Ling Xiao sighed helplessly.
If he were alone, he could evade this pursuer. But with Feng Yanran, knocked out because of him, he could not abandon her.
Suddenly, a black shadow shot out from the bushes. It was Qin Huo.
A long spear had appeared in his hand, its tip radiating explosive energy.
“Hmph, so your seal is undone. But it’s useless,” the Cave Heaven Realm warrior sneered, using no weapon. Their palms met the spear, stopping it mid-air, then unleashed a burst of energy that sent Qin Huo flying.
“The Flying General’s reputation is well-earned. Your combat strength indeed reaches the level of an early Cave Heaven Realm warrior. But sadly, you’re no match for me.”
The warrior was clearly surprised by Qin Huo’s strength.
An ordinary Tenth Heaven Realm warrior facing them would have a slim chance of survival.
Yet Qin Huo retreated with ease, truly remarkable.
“You shouldn’t have followed,” Qin Huo said, shaking his head.
“Those who come must die.”
“Just you?” the Cave Heaven Realm warrior said, full of disdain.
