Chapter 203: Chapter 191: Trying to Escape? Nowhere to Run

With a single sword strike, he hammered an Ultimate Venerable Peak Powerhouse into the ground like a nail. The sight was so far beyond comprehension that the hall instantly fell silent enough to hear a pin drop. Everyone stared, wide-eyed, a profound fear blooming from the depths of their very souls.

’Impossible... Master Huo Gang is invincible. There’s no way he could be defeated...’

Of everyone in the crowd, Liu Jifei was undoubtedly the most shocked.

He was one of Huo Gang’s long-serving subordinates and knew firsthand how terrifying his old leader’s power was. To see such a mighty powerhouse utterly unable to retaliate, smashed into the ground by a single sword strike... ’Just how strong is he?’

"Haaah... Secret Technique, Tornado Skill!"

Nie Yun’s previous strike hadn’t used the Momentum of the Earth or the Momentum of Mountains and Rivers; he had relied solely on his physical strength and True Qi Power. While the attack was powerful, it hadn’t severely injured Huo Gang. Trapped in the earth and seeing the looks on everyone’s faces, Huo Gang’s immense pride was on the verge of shattering. He let out another long roar as a violent tornado erupted from his body. With a WHOOSH, he leaped out of the ground and shot straight out of the hall!

The Demon Race had many Secret Techniques, but the Human Race had its fair share as well. The Blood Character Great Golden Spell that Nie Yun had once used was one such technique.

One doesn’t live for over a hundred years without learning to prioritize. If he had been overly concerned with saving face, he would have died long ago. Thus, even though Huo Gang was burning with rage, he knew he was no match for the youth before him. He had no intention of continuing the fight; he used the Secret Technique and made a break for it.

"Brat, just because I’m no match for you doesn’t mean others aren’t! The day I gather all the Ultimate Venerables will be the day you die!"

Huo Gang roared as he flew through the air.

He was a dignified Ultimate Venerable Peak powerhouse, one of the most powerful figures in Divine Wind City, yet he had just been beaten black and blue by some brat. The intense humiliation was driving him mad, and he shouted his plan the moment he broke free.

The Four Great Venerables of Divine Wind City (the three great families and the Royal Family) were a unified front; their fates were intertwined. ’With my standing,’ he thought, ’I can definitely get the other three to take action. I refuse to believe that the four of us together can’t kill a single brat!’

"The day I die? Oh, you’re making me... so scared..."

Nie Yun put on an exaggerated expression, smiled faintly, and swung his sword up at the sky.

SWOOSH!

The jet-black Profound Jade Sword unleashed a Radiant Sword Aura. It stretched over a hundred feet long, striking toward Huo Gang like a snake’s flicking tongue.

"Haha! My Tornado Skill is all about speed! You want to hurt me? Dream on! Just you wait for death!"

With a flicker, Huo Gang instantly moved dozens of feet to the side, dodging the serpent-tongue Sword Aura.

Secret Techniques came in various types. The Tornado Skill that Huo Gang was using transformed his body into a whirlwind, granting him ultimate speed. Once he was airborne, not even a Sword Aura could catch him.

That was why he dared to linger in the air and roar, rather than fleeing immediately.

"I told you to come down, so you will come down."

Ignoring his opponent’s glee, Nie Yun just smiled again and slashed with his longsword once more.

Another Sword Aura shot out, and Huo Gang dodged to the side again.

"Haha, I told you it was useless, and it’s use—"

He dodged the Sword Aura again and began to roar in triumph, but his cry was cut short. A sudden, sharp pain shot through his back, his vision went black, and he plummeted headfirst out of the sky.

THUD!

He crashed heavily onto the ground, once again planting himself in the dirt.

Only this time, he wasn’t feet-first, but head-first—a complete reversal.

Then, a cool voice spoke from behind where he had been. "Tornado Skill? You? Trying to play with the wind in front of me? I’ll beat you so badly your own mother wouldn’t recognize you..."

As the voice faded, a snow-white Wind Wolf appeared, hovering silently in the air with a narcissistic expression. One glance was all it took to know this was an Ultimate Venerable Level Demon Beast.

"An Ultimate Venerable Level Demon Beast?"

The crowd was once again stunned.

"Master!" the Wind Wolf King said, bowing to Nie Yun with a fawning expression.

"..." The crowd nearly fainted.

They had just seen the Wind Wolf King knock Huo Gang out of the sky with a single move. Its speed was like a phantom’s, its strength rarely seen in the world. Such a powerful beast should carry itself with the air of a true expert, but now... it was fawning over the young man like a common lapdog. Everyone felt their understanding of the world shatter into a million pieces.

"Xiaoton, Xiaohai, you two come down, too. Teach this Huo Gang a good lesson for me, but don’t kill him."

Oblivious to the crowd’s expressions, Nie Yun gave the casual command, pointing at the upside-down Huo Gang.

"Yes, Master!"

Two more Demon Beasts flew in from outside the hall, screeching with excitement as they dove in unison toward Huo Gang on the ground.

"Aah... I’m here! Kaka, it’s been ages since I got to torture an Ultimate Venerable Powerhouse! I can finally have some real fun!"

"An Ultimate Venerable Powerhouse, and one with high status, too! Kaka, I love this kind. Beating them up is so much more satisfying..."

The two Demon Beasts shrieked as they flew over, looking at Huo Gang as if he were the most amusing toy they had ever seen.

They had felt bad about not being able to help when Nie Yun fought Baihua Xiu. Now that they had a chance to show off, they were as wired as if they were on stimulants, each wishing it could sprout a few extra claws for the occasion.

"Hey, let’s get this straight. This part’s mine. You guys can hit his back or something, just don’t fight me for this spot..."

"What’s your problem? Didn’t I call dibs? Let me do it! My tail is covered in spikes, and I love smacking faces with it..."

"Alright, alright, stop arguing! Leave the butt to me. I love biting butts! Ah, the taste, the exquisite sting..."

"Dammit, are you guys done messing around? Don’t fight me for this arm! I love crushing the bones inside, piece by piece. CRUNCH CRUNCH. It sounds so satisfying..."

The Three Great Demon Pets—Zi Tong, Hei Yan, and the Wind Wolf King—descended upon Huo Gang and began to brutalize him.

Demon Beasts were inherently vicious and didn’t have the best relationship with the Human Race. It wasn’t often they encountered a human Ultimate Venerable weaker than themselves. Now that they had one—and a high-status one at that—the excitement deep inside them exploded. They unleashed an endless variety of cruel techniques on Huo Gang.

’Three Demon Pets? How the hell... is that even possible?’

’So vicious...’

’Those three Demon Pets...’

Seeing the three Demon Pets "taking care of" Huo Gang, Tie Yan and the others felt a chill run down their spines, the corners of their mouths twitching uncontrollably.

So vicious. Simply too vicious!

’You can afford to offend anyone but his three Demon Pets. Otherwise...’

They exchanged glances, all of them breaking out in a cold sweat.

THWACK! THWACK! THWACK! THWACK! THWACK! THWACK!

Ten minutes later, the three Demon Beasts stopped. Huo Gang lay flat on the ground, swollen several sizes larger. Even his own mother probably wouldn’t have recognized him.

GULP! GULP!

Seeing the "horrifying" scene before him, Liu Jifei swallowed hard. His legs trembled, his face was pale, and he looked as if he might collapse at any moment.

He had thought that with an Ultimate Venerable Powerhouse like Huo Gang arriving, the Iron Rock Mercenary Corps would have no choice but to obediently hand over the Essence Energy and offer countless treasures as compensation. He never imagined that the young man he had met back in Jibei City would be this powerful!

’One move to beat an Ultimate Venerable Peak until he vomited, a second to smash him into the ground... But as shocking as those two moves were, the most stunning revelation was that he actually had three Ultimate Venerable Level Demon Pets!’

’And these three Demon Pets had no regard for their status as Ultimate Venerables, resorting to dirty tricks like groin shots and butt pokes...’

A cool breeze blew past, and Liu Jifei felt a torrent of unspoken curses stampede through his mind. A phantom chill gripped his rear...

’Please don’t see me. Just pretend I was never here. Please don’t see me. Just pretend I was never here...’

He repeated the mantra in his head, but before he could finish, the young man’s cool gaze swept over him. The moment that gaze fell upon him, Liu Jifei couldn’t help but shudder. His knees went weak, and he nearly collapsed to the ground. 𝘧𝓇ℯℯ𝑤ℯ𝘣𝓃ℴ𝓋𝑒𝑙.𝑐𝘰𝑚

Liu Jifei was a military man, a veteran of countless battles who possessed an iron will. He was also a Peak Powerhouse of Qi Sect. For such a man to be frightened into this state showed just how terrifying the display from the Three Great Demon Pets had been.

"I was the one who killed your brother, Liu Chengze. I was the one who took everything. And yet, you came looking for trouble with the Iron Rock Mercenary Corps. You’ve got some nerve."

Seeing Liu Jifei’s face grow even paler, Nie Yun knew exactly what he was thinking and let out a cold snort.

"My lord, spare my life..." Liu Jifei trembled from head to toe.

"Spare you? So you can go harm others? So you can find a chance to get revenge on me? Heh, I prefer to pull weeds out by the roots. I don’t like leaving loose ends."

With a dry laugh, Nie Yun flicked his Profound Jade Sword.

SPLAT!

Liu Jifei, a Peak Powerhouse of Qi Sect, was swatted like a cockroach. With a sickening SPLAT, he was reduced to a pile of bloody paste.

"You can go with him."

Nie Yun turned his head to glance at Wei Tian, who was already half-dead from his shout. He gave his sword another flick.

THUMP!

Wei Tian’s breathing stopped instantly.

Those two might have wanted revenge on him, but they would never get the chance in this lifetime. He was more concerned they would cause trouble for the Iron Rock Mercenary Corps again. Rather than worry about the future, it was better to solve the problem now.

Nie Yun was not a soft-hearted person; he wouldn’t leave such a potential threat festering. He killed them both with two simple strikes. Only the dead can’t turn on you. Only the dead can’t betray you.

"Alright, now it’s your turn."

After killing Liu Jifei and Wei Tian, Nie Yun walked over to the now-unrecognizable Huo Gang.

The dignified patriarch of the Huo Family, one of the most powerful experts in the Divine Wind Empire, was now sprawled on the ground. His eyes were bruised black, all his teeth were gone, and there wasn’t a patch of undamaged skin on his body. He looked like a shelled shrimp, in a state more miserable than could be imagined.

"You... If you’re going to kill me, then just do it!"

Knowing he couldn’t escape and couldn’t win a fight, Huo Gang’s earlier fear had vanished.

"Kill you? No, I won’t kill you. I have other methods..." Nie Yun chuckled. Spreading his fingers, he sent a peculiar stream of energy rushing toward Huo Gang’s head.

"What did you do to me?"

He felt a peculiar energy rush into his mind and vanish in an instant, leaving him unable to sense it at all. "What did you do to me?" he asked frantically.

"That’s the Possessing Qi of the Demon Race. It’s similar to possession by a Demon Spirit. It’s now hidden in your mind. If you ever disobey me or do anything to betray me, it will activate and blow your head apart."

Nie Yun said casually, as if he were discussing something utterly trivial. (To be continued. If you like this work, you are welcome to come to Qidian (qidian.com) to vote for recommendations and monthly passes. Your support is my greatest motivation.)