Chapter 129: [Must Die!] (Two-in-One)

"Shi Jinlun!"
"Shi Zhinie!"
"How is that possible!"
Zhou Wencen and Li Lilou exclaimed.
"Shi Zhinie? Shi Jinlun? What are they..."
*Whoosh!*
Before Su Jingxing could finish his sentence, a cold, bloodthirsty, and fanatically crazed gaze swept violently toward the entrance of the tunnel where Zhou Wencen, Li Lilou, and Su Jingxing were standing.
"He..."
*BOOM!*
A thunderous crash interrupted Zhou Wencen.
The source of that bloodthirsty gaze, a tall figure covered in blood, had unleashed his aura completely. He transformed into a pillar of crimson light and charged toward the tunnel entrance like lightning.
As for the man with the single-line eyebrows, whose chest had been pierced, he was shattered into a dozen pieces by the impact.
*CRASH!*
The air exploded, and the floor erupted.
Su Jingxing retreated repeatedly, as did Zhou Wencen and Li Lilou, each utilizing their movement techniques to dodge the direct, diagonal trajectory of the crimson light.
Though the latter missed its target, it smashed through the tunnel entrance and plowed into the ceiling of the passageway, instantly blasting out a massive crater.
Countless shards of rock and dust rained down in the hallway.
"ROAR!"
A bestial howl, like that of a wild animal, echoed throughout the entire base before the dust had even settled.
Su Jingxing projected his internal energy to clear the air. What he saw was the tall, blood-drenched figure descending from the ceiling, standing in the passageway with a fierce, tyrannical aura surging around him.
A crimson serpent...
No, a lifelike, vivid crimson dragon coiled around the tall figure, twisting and spiraling, emitting an boundless, heaven-shaking blood aura.
Under the pressure of this blood aura, Su Jingxing felt as if a great mountain were pressing down on his chest, making it difficult to breathe and causing his blood to churn.
His limbs trembled uncontrollably, yet his body remained frozen in place, unable to move.
An unprecedented sense of terror surged wildly through his heart.
Danger!
Extreme danger!
Facing this crimson dragon, a tremor originating from his very soul desperately burrowed into the depths of Su Jingxing's heart, stimulating his entire body to shake. His mind went blank. Amidst his genuine fear, his survival instinct forced him to visualize a secret technique in his mind.
The Demon Elephant Treading Heaven Diagram!
This mental technique, recorded by the ancestors of the Wei family at the end of the "Nine Steps to Tread the Heavens" manual, was something Su Jingxing had only simulated in his mind and never tested.
The reason was a lack of sufficient soul power.
But at this moment, faced with the terrifying might of the crimson dragon, the fear born from his soul triggered the "Demon Elephant Treading Heaven Diagram" to activate automatically, mobilizing his meager soul power to visualize the heaven-treading demon elephant.
The result...
Only a brief elephant trumpet sounded. Before the blurry image of the demon elephant could even fully form, Su Jingxing felt a stabbing pain in his brain and regained clarity.
Though it was a failure, this clarity allowed Su Jingxing to break free from the fear induced by the crimson dragon and regain control of his body.
The moment he regained his freedom, he threw a punch at the tall, blood-drenched figure.
He channeled two hundred years' worth of internal energy!
The full amplified power of the "Hundred Step King Fist," with every step adding to the force, erupted instantly. Two million jin of explosive power tore through the air, causing a sonic boom, and collided fiercely with the tall figure who was lunging toward him.
The terrifying force instantly shattered the energy swirling around the opponent, then struck the tall figure, forcibly tearing apart the crimson dragon coiling around his body, accompanied by an angry roar.
*BANG!*
The crimson dragon exploded, turning into countless streams of blood-colored energy that surged outward, churning the air and shattering the walls.
The tall figure was propelled backward, flying through the air like lightning, crashing through one wall after another.
*CRASH!* *CRASH!* *CRASH!*
Deafening explosions echoed back from the broken walls, accompanied by dust.
Only when the sounds finally ceased and everything came to a halt did the vast base regain a hint of life.
A moment later, screams, wails, low growls, and groans began to rise from every corner.
Su Jingxing, slightly drained, leaned sideways against the wall, his heart hammering against his ribs.
*Thump-thump! Thump-thump!*
For the first time in his life, Su Jingxing listened to his own heartbeat and found it to be a beautiful sound.
"Th-thank you..."
Ten meters away, Zhou Wencen sat slumped against the corner of the wall, looking at Su Jingxing and gasping for breath while offering his gratitude.
"Huff... huff... huff..."
Li Lilou was in a similar state, breathing like an ox, his face still lingering with the terror that had not yet faded.
"M-Martial Intent! Shi... Shi Zhinie actually... actually condensed Martial Intent! He... he really succeeded, successfully advancing to the Third Grade!"
Third Grade?
Martial Intent?
"No! He is not yet!"
Yan Yuanfeng's voice rang out. Still shaken, he walked out slowly from behind where Su Jingxing, Li Lilou, and Zhou Wencen had come from.
"Shi Zhinie is not yet Third Grade; that crimson dragon Martial Intent from just now wasn't fully solidified either!"
"If it had solidified, the Martial Intent wouldn't have been so easily shattered!"
Though he spoke thus, Yan Yuanfeng’s face was filled with excitement. He looked at Su Jingxing with a fanatical gaze and said excitedly, "Of course, this does not diminish Guest Elder Lin's power. Although Shi Zhinie is not yet a true Third Grade, he is invincible among the Fourth Grade. For Guest Elder Lin to shatter his Martial Intent with a single punch and send Shi Zhinie flying a hundred meters away—the power of this punch, even if it falls short of the Third Grade, is not far off!"
"Y-yes, it's all thanks to Guest Elder Lin just now, otherwise we would all have died at Shi Zhinie's hands," Zhou Wencen added gratefully.
"I was merely protecting myself."
Su Jingxing spoke in a low voice, his eyes flickering as he looked toward the empty hole where the tall, blood-covered figure—the former head of the Shi family, Shi Zhinie—had disappeared. His heart was still racing.
This tycoon, who had single-handedly developed the Shi family into the top power in the West District, had left a deep impression on Su Jingxing.
He feared that for quite some time, he would not be able to forget it even if he tried.
"He is not dead."
Su Jingxing lowered his voice. "The situation with this former Shi family head is very strange. The Shi Jinlun you mentioned earlier? He died at his hands!"
"That's right, Shi Zhinie killed Shi Jinlun. If I'm not mistaken, he has suffered a Qi Deviation."
Li Lilou took a deep breath and said solemnly.
"What? Shi Zhinie killed Shi Jinlun?" Yan Yuanfeng exclaimed. "Isn't Shi Jinlun his son? Did the old man take the wrong medicine, killing his own son? Even a Qi Deviation doesn't go that far!"
"Qi Deviation?" Su Jingxing raised an eyebrow.
"I said it was a Qi Deviation. Shi Zhinie has lost his sanity and doesn't even recognize Shi Jinlun. In his mind right now, there is only madness, slaughter, and bloodthirst," Zhou Wencen said impatiently. "In such a state, it's no surprise that Shi Jinlun was killed when he appeared nearby; it was entirely expected."
Uh...
Yan Yuanfeng smacked his lips.
"You all seem to have known that Shi Zhinie would have problems?" Su Jingxing asked.
"That's right. Guest Elder Lin might not know, but our families have always been wary of the Shi family, and the problem lay with Shi Zhinie himself."
Li Lilou took a deep breath and continued sternly, "That old man, Shi Zhinie, has always wanted to replace my Li family and become the number one martial family in Qinghe City."
"To achieve this goal, he would stop at nothing."
"About a few years ago, we received a tip, of unknown veracity, that Shi Zhinie had obtained a demonic art!"
"A demonic art?" Yan Yuanfeng exclaimed. "How come I didn't know?"
Li Lilou ignored him and continued, "It was suspected that Shi Zhinie obtained a demonic art, which was rumored to allow him to advance to the Third Grade. To verify the truth, we sent many people to infiltrate the Shi family to gather information, but we never got any results."
"It wasn't until this time, when our people were captured and brought to this secret base, that I became ninety percent certain that Shi Zhinie was indeed practicing a demonic art."
"After hearing that loud explosion just now and smelling the heavy scent of blood, I am further convinced: Shi Zhinie has succeeded in practicing the demonic art!"
"However, it was unexpected that he would suffer a Qi Deviation. But thinking about it carefully, it makes sense. How could a martial art that relies on large amounts of blood to succeed and advance to the Third Grade be without any risks?"
"Including the Martial Intent," Zhou Wencen added. "Martial Intent condensed through demonic arts might be more powerful, but correspondingly, it is much harder to control!"
"Martial Intent? Shi Zhinie succeeded?"
A clear, resonant voice rang out.
Li Linzhou, Wang Tiedao, a sturdy man, and a woman carrying an oversized leopard cat arrived, surrounded by a group of people, walking toward the tunnel where Su Jingxing, Li Lilou, and the others were.
"Qi Xinjue, Fourth Sister Qi, Alliance Master Zhao Zhongyi, and also Master Li and Boss Wang, you've finally arrived."
Yan Yuanfeng turned his head to see them and grinned, "It's a pity you missed the good show just now. As for Shi Zhinie, that's right, he condensed Martial Intent, but it was shattered by Guest Elder Lin with a single punch!"
*Whoosh, whoosh, whoosh!*
Upon hearing this, Li Linzhou, Wang Tiedao, and the others looked up at Su Jingxing, their eyes filled with amazement.
"It's true."
Seeing this, Li Lilou echoed, "Shi Zhinie advanced to the Third Grade, but it is unstable, and the Martial Intent he condensed is not complete; it could dissipate at any time. The main thing is that he only succeeded in advancing to the Third Grade by practicing a demonic art. Even though he broke through, he has also suffered a Qi Deviation."
"Qi Deviation? Hmph, good riddance!" The sturdy man, Zhao Zhongyi, sneered upon hearing this.
"Unbelievable, simply unbelievable," Wang Tiedao remarked with emotion.
"So, where is he now?" Li Linzhou frowned. "How is Shi Zhinie now?"
"Right there, in the deepest part," Yan Yuanfeng turned slightly and pointed toward the large hole Shi Zhinie had broken through.
"This was caused by Guest Elder Lin," he raised an eyebrow. "Guest Elder Lin destroyed his Martial Intent and sent Shi Zhinie flying with a single punch. If nothing goes wrong, he should be lying unconscious in the ruins now."
"No, he's coming," Su Jingxing said, his body tensing.
Li Lilou, Zhou Wencen, Wang Tiedao, and Zhao Zhongyi all felt their hearts race.
Li Linzhou was the first to draw a water-like long sword, aiming it at the broken entrance and releasing streams of sword energy.
*Swish, swish, swish!*
The sword energy tore through the air, heading straight into the depths of the large hole.
"Go! Everyone, hurry and leave this place!"
Li Lilou's face was grim as he ordered his subordinates who had recovered to evacuate quickly.
"Right, right! Everyone, evacuate immediately!"
Yan Yuanfeng woke up and signaled his men to leave the base.
A Third Grade expert, even if the breakthrough was unstable, possessed power that the lower-grade martial artists could not withstand.
Even Sixth or Fifth Grade martial artists could barely hold their own.
Su Jingxing was different.
He was an exception; with his "golden finger," he was not someone others could compare to.
Shi Zhinie was suffering from Qi Deviation, lacked reason, and was bloodthirsty and violent.
Honestly, Su Jingxing had no need to face him head-on.
But if this former Shi family head were to regain his senses and seek revenge, the trouble would be far from ordinary.
Aside from a few descendants, Su Jingxing had nearly wiped out the rest of the Shi family.
Once Shi Zhinie regained his senses, he would surely seek revenge.
It was expected that he would come for Su Jingxing.
Although Su Jingxing had disguised his appearance and never revealed his true face, no one could guarantee hundred-percent safety forever.
The best way was to extinguish the threat in its cradle.
That is to say, Shi Zhinie must die!
With everyone here, if they attacked together, there was definitely a high probability of killing the Third Grade Shi Zhinie.
After all, Li Lilou, Zhou Wencen, Wang Tiedao, Yan Yuanfeng, Zhao Zhongyi, Qi Xinjue, and Li Linzhou all had reasons to kill Shi Zhinie.
Although Li Linzhou was the Commander of the Qinghe City Martial Arts Administration and seemed to have no grudge against the Shi family, the opposite was true: if Shi Zhinie regained his senses, the first person he would kill would be Li Linzhou.
Because it was Li Linzhou who approved the duel application for the Lin family to challenge the Shi family.
If Li Linzhou hadn't acted as the referee, the Shi family would have ignored Lin Tuotian.
The heavy casualties of the Shi family were partially due to Li Linzhou.
In such a situation, would a Third Grade Shi Zhinie let Li Linzhou go?
Impossible!
Whether for his own sake or to maintain the stability of Qinghe City, Li Linzhou had to kill Shi Zhinie.
Therefore, without needing to say a word or exchange glances, all seven of them reached the same decision.
Eliminate Shi Zhinie!
"Go! Outside!"
Seeing a tall figure slowly walking out of the ruins from a distance, Li Lilou’s expression changed, and he shouted in a low voice.
"We can only deal with him together once we are outside."
Having said that, he retreated rapidly and darted toward the exit of the base.
Zhou Wencen, Yan Yuanfeng, Wang Tiedao, Qi Xinjue, and the others followed closely behind.
Su Jingxing thought for a moment and also moved toward the exit.
There were too many tunnels in the base, and the limited activity area was disadvantageous for a siege.
It would be easier to surround and kill Shi Zhinie in the open area outside.
Everyone understood this.
For this reason, everyone quickly left the base.
"ROAR!"
A beast-like roar echoed across the mountainside almost simultaneously.
*BOOM!*
The sound of air exploding came from inside the base.
Li Lilou, Yan Yuanfeng, Qi Xinjue, and their party had just escaped from the base exit and scattered, waiting outside.
Hearing this roar, everyone's expression changed.
Qi Deviation!
Shi Zhinie was still in a state of Qi Deviation!
In this state, he had no pain, no emotions, and only knew how to kill.
The difficulty of the siege would undoubtedly be at its highest.
But the arrow was already on the string; it had to be fired.
"ROAR!"
The roar echoed across the mountaintop.
*BOOM!*
A thunderous crash shook the earth.
Under everyone's gaze, Shi Zhinie, covered in blood with a crimson dragon coiling around his body, appeared once more.
That's right, the Martial Intent that Su Jingxing had shattered had been manifested by Shi Zhinie again!