Mount Song's Revenge, All the Protectors Mobilize, Qinghai One-Eyed Owl, Message to Qingcheng

Zuo Lengchan's true qi surged throughout his body, his face dark as he said, "You said Junior Brother Ding and the others are all dead?"

Looking at Zuo Lengchan, who resembled a furious lion, Tang Ying'e's heart pounded like a drum.

Though terrified, he did not dare conceal anything. "Senior Brother Sect Leader, Senior Brother Ding and the other two were all killed..."

Hearing this, Zuo Lengchan could no longer suppress the fury in his heart.

An aura at the Grandmaster Realm burst forth, instantly shattering the surrounding rockeries, flowers, and grass.

Under the pressure of that aura, Tang Ying'e staggered back several steps in succession, his face deathly pale.

It was no wonder Zuo Lengchan was so enraged.

Ding Mian and the other two had all been capable generals under his command, as vital as his right- and left-hand men.

The Mount Song Sect had become the foremost of the Five Great Sword Sects and struck fear into the other four not only because of Zuo Lengchan's formidable martial arts, but also because of the Thirteen Protectors' assistance.

Now, three of the Thirteen Protectors had died at once—and they had been the strongest three. This was a grievous loss to the Mount Song Sect.

Especially now, when Zuo Lengchan was brimming with ambition and planning to unite the Five Great Sword Sects.

Losing fighting strength at such a critical moment could very well affect the plans to come.

How could Zuo Lengchan not be furious?

Tang Ying'e understood Zuo Lengchan's anger and did not dare offer any advice. He could only stay as far away as possible, afraid of being caught in the fallout.

After a long while, the area had become a complete mess. Only after venting his rage did Zuo Lengchan regain his composure.

He took a deep breath, forced down his anger, and looked at Tang Ying'e again. "What exactly happened? Tell me everything without leaving out a single word."

Tang Ying'e's heart jolted again. He hurried forward and came to Zuo Lengchan's side.

"Senior Brother Sect Leader, this is what happened..."

Tang Ying'e recounted in full how Ding Mian and the other two had been slain by a black-clothed swordsman.

Naturally, he also confessed that he had intercepted the warning message Lao Denuo had sent earlier.

The quieter Tang Ying'e spoke, the worse Zuo Lengchan's expression became.

By the time Tang Ying'e had finished, Zuo Lengchan's face was as cold as ice.

"Heh heh. Good, good. Truly excellent." Zuo Lengchan laughed in extreme anger. "Junior Brother Tang actually dared make decisions on his own and withhold Lao Denuo's message. In this Mount Song Sect, is it you who calls the shots, or me?"

Those words cut to the heart of the matter. Tang Ying'e was terrified and hastily admitted his fault. "Senior Brother Sect Leader, I have absolutely no disloyal intentions..."

But Zuo Lengchan was in the midst of a raging fury. How could he listen to another word from him?

Tang Ying'e had only gotten halfway through his sentence when Zuo Lengchan struck without restraint.

Zuo Lengchan's aura surged out. His right hand formed a palm, and with one strike carrying an icy chill, he hit Tang Ying'e squarely on the shoulder and sent him flying backwards.

The instant Tang Ying'e was struck, he felt a wave of cold assault his shoulder.

Then, the chill spread without cease. In the blink of an eye, the left half of his body had become freezing cold, as though he had fallen into an ice pit. Even the circulation of true qi through his meridians had slowed.

"Ice Qi! Senior Brother used Ice Qi..."

In an instant, extreme terror engulfed Tang Ying'e. He knew Zuo Lengchan truly intended to kill him.

Everyone in the martial world knew that Zuo Lengchan had earned his fame and authority through the Songyang Divine Palm.

Yet few knew that Zuo Lengchan's true killing move was the Ice Qi he had created himself.

He had hidden this technique for twelve years without revealing it, waiting to use it against Yue Buqun's Purple Cloud Divine Skill and Ren Woxing's Star Absorbing Great Method.

Yet now, Zuo Lengchan had used this "secret weapon," which he had hidden for twelve years, without hesitation.

It was clear that he truly meant to kill.

Those thoughts had only just flashed through Tang Ying'e's mind when Zuo Lengchan attacked again.

Judging by his posture, he would not stop until Tang Ying'e was dead beneath his palm.

Tang Ying'e was horrified and retreated again and again. "Senior Brother Sect Leader, please spare my life..."

"Rather than kill me yourself, why not spare my life and let me avenge Senior Brother Ding and the others..."

Only then did Zuo Lengchan stop his assault.

At that moment, his right palm hovered above Tang Ying'e's head, less than an inch from his crown.

Zuo Lengchan slowly withdrew his palm, and only then did Tang Ying'e let out a breath of relief.

Yet the fear in his heart remained impossible to calm.

Had he been even one second slower, Zuo Lengchan's right palm would already have split his skull open.

"I will spare your life for now. Once this matter is settled, I will deal with you."

"Thank you for your magnanimity, Senior Brother Sect Leader. I will remember it with all my heart and certainly do everything in my power to avenge Senior Brother Ding and the others, and to help you accomplish your grand plan of uniting the Five Great Sword Sects..."

"Hmph." Zuo Lengchan snorted coldly. "No need for empty pleasantries. Killing that swordsman as soon as possible is what matters..."

Afterward, Zuo Lengchan summoned the remaining Protectors as well and discussed the matter of revenge with them.

Mount Song's main hall.

Zuo Lengchan, Tang Ying'e, and the remaining nine Protectors gathered together.

When they heard that someone had killed Ding Mian and the other two,

Great Yin Yang Hand Yue Hou, Nine Bends Sword Zhong Zhen, and the others immediately flew into a furious uproar.

"That vile bastard actually dared kill our three senior brothers! We must tear him into ten thousand pieces..."

"And Liu Zhengfeng as well. If not for him, how could Senior Brother Ding and the others have suffered such a disaster? He cannot be spared either—we must slaughter his entire family..."

"Senior Brother Sect Leader, give the order! The moment you command it, we will set out for Hengyang and avenge this blood feud..."

Seeing everyone's reaction, Zuo Lengchan nodded in satisfaction.

Then his expression turned solemn. "This grudge must be avenged. However, that black-clothed swordsman was capable of killing Ding Mian, Lu Bai, and Fei Bin, so his strength cannot be underestimated. We must still proceed cautiously."

"I have already lost three junior brothers. I do not wish to see anyone else come to harm."

Hearing this, Yue Hou and the others stopped shouting.

Ding Mian and Lu Bai were both Minor Grandmaster late-stage experts, while Fei Bin possessed Minor Grandmaster mid-stage cultivation.

Moreover, all three were genuine Mount Song disciples, and the martial arts they practiced were all first-rate techniques.

Under such circumstances, the three of them had still been killed by the black-clothed swordsman.

That was enough to show that the black-clothed swordsman was at least at the peak of the Minor Grandmaster Realm. He might even have reached the Grandmaster Realm.

Within Mount Song, only Zuo Lengchan had the strength to deal with such a person.

For a time, everyone's gaze gathered on Zuo Lengchan.

Zuo Lengchan said, "That swordsman is formidable. I will personally take action. In addition, all of you will accompany me. We must succeed in a single battle and leave him no chance of survival."

"Senior Brother Sect Leader is wise..." everyone praised in unison.

Tang Ying'e's eyes shifted as he suddenly said, "Senior Brother Sect Leader, that swordsman also killed Yu Canghai earlier. Why not send word of this to the Qingcheng Sect?"

"I imagine the Qingcheng Sect will also send people to hunt down that swordsman."

Zuo Lengchan considered it for a moment before agreeing.

"I leave this matter to you. Make sure it is handled properly."

Then he looked at Yue Hou and the others and ordered, "Go back and prepare. At dawn tomorrow, accompany me to Hengyang and take revenge..."

"We obey Senior Brother Sect Leader's command."

After everyone left, Zuo Lengchan secretly sent another message, notifying Qinghai One-Eyed Owl, the underworld assassin working with him, and ordering him to depart at once for Hengyang to keep watch on the black-clothed swordsman.