Chapter 82: Young Master Xiao’s Orbs

All of Young Master Xiao’s companions were shaken by the Lion’s Roar, their ears ringing, their minds plunged into a brief dizziness. Except for Young Master Xiao himself, all the others had thin trickles of blood seeping from their seven orifices—a terrifying sight indeed. Yet, the damage went no further; they could still move freely and retained their combat strength.

In contrast, Young Master Xiao was vomiting blood in great mouthfuls. He had invoked a forbidden technique, unleashing a high-level Lion’s Roar that only those of an advanced realm could wield. The backlash was violent; his meridians were unstable and on the verge of collapse. Though he forced himself to appear unscathed, he was clearly on the brink, slumped on the ground with a darkened complexion.

“Jin!” Lian Fengying sobbed as she rushed forward and embraced him from behind, cradling him in her arms.

The Golden Lion finally collapsed, his eyes half-open, and with difficulty, he said, “My strength fails me; this is as far as I go. Take care of yourselves!”

At that moment, Lin Zhan, sword in hand, leapt a distance of several yards. In a flash, he appeared before Jin and his companions. With his left fist, he unleashed a gust of wind that swept them several yards away.

Nightingale quietly landed on a nearby rock, secretly guarding them. According to Lin Zhan’s instructions, she was to remain hidden for now; her true identity as the Violet-Gold Luan had to remain secret, lest it cause a great stir and bring grave danger upon them.

“Scoundrel! Resorting to trickery—no matter, you won’t escape death!” Young Master Xiao and his men were just emerging from the aftershocks of the Lion’s Roar, preparing to deal a fatal blow to the dying Golden Lion, when suddenly a figure appeared, barring their way.

“Brat, do you have a death wish?” Young Master Xiao roared, brandishing his white feather fan, sending a wave of chilling light sweeping forward.

At this moment, Lin Zhan had changed his clothes at the trading center, so Young Master Xiao failed to recognize him immediately.

Lin Zhan said nothing. The Ink Sword in his hand burst forth with a fearsome crimson blaze, burning wildly in the wind.

The air grew scorching in an instant.

It was as if a star of fire had descended.

The explosive flames beat like the drum of a death god, intent on seizing souls.

Lin Zhan, at the peak of the First Grade of the Yellow Rank, unleashed his full strength. His spirit sea boiled, and the pure spiritual energy, like a host of howling warriors, surged into the Ink Blade, bursting forth in a torrent.

“Blazing Flame!”

He brought the sword down vertically upon Young Master Xiao. In an instant, the white feather fan’s light was suppressed, and the crimson blade energy descended in a straight line, cleaving down with irresistible force.

Young Master Xiao hastily raised his fan to block and leapt backward—a swift reaction, indeed.

Both the white feather fan and Lin Zhan’s Ink Sword were ordinary weapons, but in terms of weight and aura, the Ink Sword’s explosive energy was far superior. Such a hurried defense was destined to fail.

Though Young Master Xiao retreated quickly, Lin Zhan’s sword was not a mere kitchen knife. The sword aura had already enveloped him.

The Ink Sword and the white feather fan clashed in mid-air, erupting in a dazzling burst of red and white light, accompanied by a thunderous crash that rivaled the Lion’s Roar itself.

Clang!

Lin Zhan only felt a slight resistance in the Ink Sword before it pressed on unhindered.

Crack—the feather fan split in two, flying from Young Master Xiao’s hand. Yet the blazing sword aura did not stop, pursuing him relentlessly.

“Damn it!” Young Master Xiao’s soul nearly fled his body. “What the hell is this? I set out full of confidence to train, and in this godforsaken place, the woman I fancied turns out to be a hideous wretch, and yet someone is willing to risk his life for her! Then at Drunken Moon Pavilion, I had to wait in line because business was booming, so I thought I’d let it go and come back to meet the so-called ugly beauty again. But before I know it, some black-clad expert wielding a black sword shows up and wipes the floor with me. Am I really this unlucky?”

But from the time Lin Zhan swung his sword until Young Master Xiao’s outburst, only a fleeting moment had passed. Even as regret filled him for appearing in Fuyang City, it was too late. He could already feel the searing heat from his forehead to his groin—a line of burning energy that split him.

Then the scent of scorched flesh drifted up to his nostrils.

He remained standing, his back still appearing tall and heroic, but in front—

When Lin Zhan glanced at the wounded Young Master Xiao, even he regretted it instantly. “Damn, that’s horrifying. I knew my sword would leave him miserable, but why did I have to look? What bad luck!”

For Young Master Xiao’s front was a ghastly sight. From his forehead down through his brow, nose, lips, and chin, everything was split in two. His upper garment was also torn open, exposing his chest, which was likewise cleaved in half. Fortunately, his internal organs had not spilled out, and the heat of the Ink Blade had cauterized the wounds, so blood did not gush everywhere.

Otherwise, Lin Zhan might have been left with a lasting trauma.

But from Young Master Xiao’s lower abdomen down, as for the prized treasures he’d hoped to cool and vent tonight—who could say if they were still intact…

“Guh… guh-guh…” Young Master Xiao found himself unable to speak, only able to utter dry, rasping sounds as he watched the black-clad figure methodically cutting down his companions one by one.

Young Master Xiao swallowed hard, staring fixedly at the black figure. “Wait, he looks familiar… Ah! I remember now… Fuyang Inn… This black fellow was the famed Rank Five menial disciple at Fuyang Inn!”

“Damn it, I even mocked him for putting on airs. Turns out I’m the real joke! He’s obviously not just Rank Five—this level of strength, at least Yellow Rank! Wait, didn’t Father send Elder Li, a Yellow Rank Five, to protect me in secret? Why hasn’t he shown up?”

With difficulty, Young Master Xiao turned his head, searching desperately for Elder Li. If only he appeared, there might still be hope.

But that simple movement triggered excruciating pain, and his nose began to itch. He reached up, intending to scratch, and—swish!—without any obstruction, his finger plunged clear through to the top of his head…

So, after Lin Zhan finished off Young Master Xiao’s companions, he finally approached Young Master Xiao himself, ready to end it. On his way, he heard the wailing, ghostly screams:

“Damn it, my nose!”

“Damn it, my chin!”

“Damn it, my—my manhood…”