Chapter 77 - 68: Better Off Dead
"Ah..."
Seeing the bodies fall from the sky, Yangg Yan, Feng Xiao, and Chen Xing stood frozen in place, as if turned to stone.
’What in the world just happened?’
’Did... did Nie Yun kill those three?’
’Impossible! To kill three Peak Powerhouses of the Gang Formation Realm in an instant... what kind of strength is that?’
The three of them took a few steps forward to get a clear look at the faces of the three corpses on the ground. Upon seeing the first one, Feng Xiao immediately cried out in alarm.
"That’s my family’s Five Yang Elders! Peak of Gang Formation Realm! His Iron Hand could shatter stone and split monuments like they were toys. It was said that even someone at the Early-Stage Armor Realm might not have been his match! How could he... how could he have died the moment they met?"
"That’s our family’s Elder Xuyuu," Chen Xing said, trembling all over. "Though not as formidable as the Five Yang Elders, he once wiped out a mountain stronghold of eighty-seven people in a single night with just his sword. No one survived. The three Gang Formation Realm chieftains were all killed with a single sword through the throat. How... he’s dead too..."
’Every one of these three was extremely famous in Luoshui City when they were alive. Now, against Nie Yun, they couldn’t even withstand a single move before becoming corpses. Just what is Nie Yun’s strength? What kind of speed is that?’
’Just a few days ago, I heard he was only at the Peak of True Qi Realm. How has it only been ten days, and now even Peak Powerhouses of the Gang Formation Realm can’t survive one attack from him?’
"The Nie Yun of today... we can no longer compare ourselves to him..." After a moment, Yangg Yan spoke with a bitter laugh.
Feng Xiao and Chen Xing involuntarily nodded, then shook their heads in resignation.
Although they were all proud and arrogant geniuses, they knew that Nie Yun had reached a level they could never attain. All they could do now was look up to him in awe.
...
Killing intent!
An overwhelming, heaven-storming killing intent!
’Nie Yun never imagined that his own cousins could be so ruthless and vicious over such trivial matters, so utterly devoid of honor and shame!’
As he recalled his past life—how his family branch had been annihilated, its members dead or scattered, his home destroyed even before the full-scale invasion of the Demon Race—the hatred in Nie Yun’s heart grew stronger, and his rage burned hotter.
ROAR!
As if sensing the boundless killing intent radiating from Nie Yun, Xiaohu’s eyes turned red with excitement, and it let out a long roar.
The man and the beast streaked across the entire town, racing toward the City Lord’s Mansion. Their overwhelming killing intent made every citizen they passed tremble in fear.
They didn’t know what this man and beast were about to do, but they knew one thing for sure—
Luoshui City was about to experience a massive earthquake!
...
"Miss Qingcheng, everything I’ve said is the truth! My feelings for you are as clear as day!" Nie Qiang said, standing behind the young woman. His eyes flickered, his mind racing with schemes.
The Four Great Families had been plotting for years, and their combined forces were beginning to overwhelm the City Lord’s Mansion, forcing it to retreat step by step.
Although Nie Qiang had publicly declared his intention to marry Luo Qingcheng, he didn’t dare to push her too far. Firstly, while the City Lord’s Mansion couldn’t withstand the combined power of the Four Great Families, if an all-out war broke out, they could certainly drag two of the families down with them. Secondly, the Baihua Sect backing Luo Qingcheng was terrifyingly powerful; the so-called Four Great Families of Luoshui City weren’t even worthy of carrying their shoes.
"Get out. I don’t want to hear your nonsense!" Luo Qingcheng waved a hand dismissively, paying no mind to Nie Qiang’s drivel.
"Yes, I’ll take my leave then." Seeing her anger, Nie Qiang took two steps back and turned to leave. The moment he stepped out of the room, the fawning smile on his face twisted into a vicious snarl. ’Damn it, you ungrateful bitch! I gave you an inch and you took a mile! Sooner or later, I’ll have you pinned beneath me and I’ll play with you until you break! You’ll learn just how formidable this young master is!’
A young man following behind Nie Qiang wore a lewd grin. "Hehe, Young Master, if you want to play with her, it’s simple. I still have a Thousand Desire Flower right here. When a man takes it, he burns like a wildfire; when a woman takes it, she becomes a wanton slut. Just slip it to her, and I guarantee she’ll throw herself into your arms!"
It was none other than Nie Liu, the very same person who had once tried to drug Feng Xiao with a Thousand Desire Flower, only to be taught a harsh lesson by Nie Yun.
By now, Nie Liu believed his young master had driven Nie Yun into hiding, a fugitive unable to return home. He was no longer afraid; in fact, he even hoped to see Nie Yun again, just so he could make him experience the same pain he himself had been put through.
"Thousand Desire Flower... It seems I didn’t search you thoroughly enough last time. Who are you planning to give it to?"
Nie Liu had just finished speaking when a faint voice sounded out beside the two of them.
"Of course, it’s for that Luo Qingcheng—" Nie Liu shouted back excitedly, assuming Nie Qiang had asked the question. Halfway through his sentence, he realized something was wrong. He scrambled to turn around, but before he could, a sharp pain erupted in his chest, and his entire body was sent flying like a cannonball!
CRACK!
The blow shattered his internal organs and all his bones. He was dead before he hit the ground.
With Nie Liu killed in a single move, Nie Qiang finally snapped to his senses. He whirled around and saw that a Tiger-Headed Beast had appeared behind him at some unknown point. On its back sat a youth, staring at him with ice-cold eyes. "Who are you?" Nie Qiang demanded.
Although Nie Qiang had orchestrated multiple plots against the Nie Tian Branch, he had never actually met Nie Yun in person and had no idea that the youth on the beast’s back was the very person he had been trying to capture.
"Who goes there?"
The violent thud of Nie Liu’s body hitting the ground alerted the entire City Lord’s Mansion, as well as the Heaven and Earth Net Nie Qiang had laid. Countless figures shot out from the shadows, surrounding them completely.
Someone in the crowd immediately recognized Nie Yun and roared, "Young Master, that’s Nie Yun!"
"Nie Yun? Don’t let him escape!" another person yelled.
"Oh? So you’re Nie Yun!" Nie Qiang let out a cold laugh. "Haha, since you’ve come, don’t even think about leaving! Seize him! Don’t kill him—his dog’s life is still useful!"
With a wave of his hand, countless figures swarmed toward Nie Yun.
Most of them were Elders of the Gang Formation Realm. As a dozen or so of them closed in, their powerful auras created an oppressive pressure that anyone with lesser strength would be unable to withstand.
"Nie Yun? What are you doing here? Go, quickly!"
Luo Qingcheng, who was inside the room, had heard the commotion. Upon seeing Nie Yun, she cried out with a panicked look on her face.
"As long as you’re safe." Seeing that Luo Qingcheng was unharmed, Nie Yun breathed a sigh of relief. He then turned to face the surrounding Gang Formation Realm Elders, his gaze turning cold and indifferent. "Either all of you die," he said faintly, "or you hand over Nie Qiang."
His icy words swept through the crowd like an autumn wind. Even though these were all Gang Formation Realm powerhouses, long since immune to the extremes of heat and cold, they couldn’t help but feel a chill run down their spines.
"Such arrogance! Telling us to die? You ignorant brat, you don’t know the immensity of heaven and earth! I think you’re the one who’s about to die!"
"Everyone, don’t hold back! I’ve never seen such a conceited little punk. Daring to speak to us Elders like that? He must be tired of living!"
These Elders hailed from the Four Great Families and were all proud and arrogant men. Although they felt something was off, they couldn’t help but roar back at him.
"It seems you’ve all chosen death... Very well," Nie Yun said. "I’ll grant you your wish!"
Suddenly, Nie Yun moved!
