Chapter 58: Wei Wu's Downfall!
"No!" Lin Qingyun screamed, tears streaming from her eyes.
However, it was to no avail. Wei Wu didn't pause for even a fraction of a second, appearing instantly before Zhao Dong. Without a word, his palm struck Zhao Dong's chest!
BANG!
With a muffled thud, Zhao Dong's body contorted violently as he sprayed out a mouthful of blood. That palm strike had sealed his fate. Wei Wu sneered, confident that Zhao Dong would die from this blow.
However, no one noticed a blood-red light flicker in Zhao Dong's eyes. It was as if his very blood was burning. His once lifeless gaze now held the terror of a primordial beast.
It all happened in an instant. Wei Wu sensed that something was wrong and immediately tried to retreat, but Zhao Dong suddenly shot up. His fist, carrying a pressure ten thousand times more terrifying than before, slammed into Wei Wu's chest!
BANG!!
The dull impact shook the hearts of everyone present.
Under this punch, Wei Wu's chest became a gory mess as a mist of blood exploded outward. His entire body was sent flying as if hit by a truck, shooting through the air like a cannonball.
BOOM!
Wei Wu smashed violently against the wall, leaving a terrifying human-shaped dent in it.
But Zhao Dong wasn't finished. With a glacial chill in his eyes, his body flickered like lightning. In a single bound, he was before Wei Wu again, his foot stomping viciously on the man's chest.
Wei Wu's body convulsed, a mouthful of blood spraying from his lips and splattering across the ceiling. His eyes were filled not only with overwhelming fear but also with unparalleled shock. "No, impossible..."
He forced out the words, trying to struggle to his feet. But Zhao Dong gave him no such chance, planting his foot directly on Wei Wu's neck. With the slightest pressure, Wei Wu would perish.
The room fell dead silent.
Everyone watched this scene in utter shock. They were not cultivators like Wei Wu, nor were they Cultivators like Zhao Dong; they were just ordinary people. It was hard for them to comprehend a scene straight out of a movie. So, it's really possible to send someone flying with a single punch!
Blood poured from the corner of Wei Wu's mouth. His face, now a mask of blood, stared up at Zhao Dong in shock. "Why... Why did your strength suddenly increase so much?!"
Wei Wu could feel it. Moments before, Zhao Dong's strength had been at the ninth level of Inner Strength at most. But in that last instant, his power had surged to a level infinitesimally close to a second-rank grandmaster, making them equals. In that state, Wei Wu was naturally no match for him.
Fear gripped Wei Wu. He trembled as he spoke, "Zhao Dong, let me go... You can't kill me. I'm from the Wei Family of the Provincial City! Our lineage is an ancient martial family!"
Zhao Dong's eyes narrowed. "You're from an ancient martial family?"
Ancient martial families are far more terrifying than the secular families of the world. They not only possess astonishing wealth beyond the reach of ordinary clans but also hold heavenly treasures. Most crucially, their families are filled with countless experts. Wei Wu is from an ancient martial family. Killing him means making an enemy of one. Compared to such a powerhouse, I'm currently nothing more than a mantis trying to stop a chariot. Even the Xiao and Lin Families of the Provincial City aren't ancient martial families; those clans exist on a level far above them. I can barely handle the Xiao Family as it is, let alone provoking an ancient martial family...
Seeing Zhao Dong hesitate, Wei Wu wiped the blood from his face and gave a sinister sneer. "Let me go. If you kill me, you'll die too. Why bother?"
Zhao Dong looked down at him and said coldly, "You're from a mere branch family. Do you really think you can use that to pressure me?"
Wei Wu's expression darkened. "Even if the ancient martial family doesn't avenge me, the Xiao Family will! If you kill me, you will die for certain!"
"Xiao Hongtian already wanted me dead. Even if I let you go, he'd just find someone else to kill me. So why should I?" Zhao Dong's tone grew colder, and Wei Wu's fear intensified. He was terrified of dying here today at the hands of this brash young man.
He swallowed hard, his voice quivering. "Zhao Dong, you really can't kill me. I'll go back and plead with Xiao Hongtian. I'll do my best to convince him to spare you..."
Zhao Dong laughed. "If our positions were reversed right now and I was the one on the ground, would you spare me?"
Wei Wu shamelessly replied, "I... I would definitely let you go! Please, just let me go! I promise I'll plead with Xiao Hongtian on your behalf. I'll even work for you!"
Terrified, Wei Wu's face was deathly pale, his eyes brimming with horror.
At that moment, Zhao Dong cracked a smile. "Alright. I'll let you go."
Hope lit up in Wei Wu's eyes. "Really? Thank you! I will definitely plead with Young Master Xiao for you!"
Zhao Dong nodded, lifted his foot, and in the very instant it was free, stomped down with ferocious force.
With a sickening squelch, a mist of blood burst from Wei Wu's neck. His eyes remained wide open in death, unable to believe that Zhao Dong had truly dared to kill him.
The room fell into a dead silence as everyone present trembled in fear at the scene. Many of them were ordinary people who had never witnessed such a horrifying spectacle.
Lin Qingyun also stared blankly at Zhao Dong, her face pale. Zhao Dong... killed someone? And it was Wei Wu, a member of the Wei Family from the Provincial City!
She was both shocked and baffled. How did Zhao Dong, who seemed so powerless just moments ago, suddenly become strong enough to defeat Wei Wu? Wei Wu was a second-rank grandmaster, a formidable expert not just in East Sea but in the Provincial City as well. Zhao Dong was supposed to be an ordinary person, yet he defeated first Xiao Hongtian, and now Wei Wu.
For a moment, Lin Qingyun felt a peculiar sensation. My "good-for-nothing" husband... seems to be anything but.
The entire banquet hall was silent. Zhao Dong stood over Wei Wu's corpse, frowning in thought. Killing someone here, especially a cultivator, is going to be difficult to resolve. The Chinese government has a special law enforcement agency for cultivators called the Dragon Binding Department. Having killed someone in public today... they'll probably be knocking on my door soon. He suddenly coughed a few times, involuntarily spitting up a mouthful of blood.
Lin Qingyun's expression changed, and she rushed to support him. "How are you? Should I take you to the hospital?"
Zhao Dong gave a wry smile. His meridian injuries couldn't be cured by a hospital. The only reason he had been able to erupt with such power and kill Wei Wu was because he had used a Forbidden Technique from the Mystic Sky Technique—the Blood Burning Technique.
The Blood Burning Technique could drastically increase a user's strength for a short time, but it caused irreversible damage to the meridians and the entire body. In severe cases, it could burn out the user's meridians and Dantian completely, making cultivation impossible ever again. Zhao Dong's meridians were already badly damaged, and he had just used the technique while on the brink of death. Already at the end of his rope, he had placed an immense burden on his grievously injured body.
He could feel his body rapidly weakening as the Spiritual Energy within him and his Dantian gradually dimmed. Pain and a scorching heat, like ten thousand ants gnawing at his heart, swept over him. Zhao Dong began to tremble violently, unable to even stand steadily. He looked down and saw his skin beginning to ooze blood, streaked with fine, web-like lines of red.
Beside him, Lin Qingyun noticed this as well, and her eyes filled with terrified tears. "Zhao Dong, listen to me! We have to go to the hospital right now! Let's go!"
She pulled at Zhao Dong, trying to lead him away. But after just two steps, he staggered and collapsed to the ground. Blood seeped from the corners of his eyes, his nose, and his ears, giving him an immensely terrifying appearance. The Blood Burning Technique had already inflicted horrific damage to his body.
However, Zhao Dong did not stop. He was like a dying wolf, stubborn to the very end. Blood flowed from his seven orifices, leaving a long trail on the ground. Lin Qingyun cried and rushed over, only to be pushed away by Zhao Dong again.
"Zhao Dong, please stop walking! Let me take you to the hospital! We need to go to the hospital!" she pleaded.
Zhao Dong continued his relentless pace until he reached the hotel entrance, where several receptionists stared in shock. He turned his head to look at Lin Qingyun. For a brief moment, a flicker of clarity returned to his blood-filled eyes as he spoke in a hoarse voice, "If I don't come back by tomorrow, take care of my parents for me. Tell them I went on a mission..."
After saying this, Zhao Dong used his last ounce of strength to stagger into the darkness. He was at his limit, already feeling his life force dwindling to a final thread. He absolutely could not die in front of so many people; how heartbroken would his parents be if they found out? Even if he had to die, he had to find somewhere private. He was afraid his parents would find out, which was why he had given Lin Qingyun that final instruction.
Like a blood-soaked lone wolf, Zhao Dong stumbled on, his vision failing. He didn't know where he was going; everything was just a sea of darkness. He took one last step, swayed, and pitched forward. His final breath escaped, and his heart gradually fell silent.
Just as he was about to hit the ground, a faint voice drifted through the night.
"He does have some talent. It would be a pity for him to die."
As the words faded, a woman appeared in the night. The moonlight spilled over her dark hair, giving it a soft glow and making her as beautiful as a moon goddess.