Humiliation

As time passed, the City Defense Array's range continued to shrink.

More and more people gathered near Xiao Feng.

And when those people, filled with shock and suspicion, arrived at the Medical Clinic, the first thing they did upon seeing the crowd already gathered nearby was undoubtedly ask those around them what had happened...

Why had the City Defense Array suddenly activated? They needed answers to ease the doubts and unease in their hearts.

But... when they learned what had happened, their first reaction was disbelief.

Yet when they all turned their gazes toward Ximen Qing and sensed the immense profound energy radiating from him,

the unease in their hearts surged violently!

They unconsciously moved away from Ximen Qing...

If things were truly as those people said, then if a God Master Realm expert wanted to begin a massacre, who in Flowing Wind City could stop him...

At that moment, veins bulged across Ximen Qing's body, his eyes reddened as he looked at the dense crowd before him. A strange smile curled across his lips. "It seems... everyone is here. Then the grand show should begin!"

He leaned forward, and in the span of an instant, he had arrived beside Xiao Feng. His fingers curled into claws as he viciously grabbed at Qi Panjian beside him!

Situ Hao, standing beside Situ Yao, instinctively tried to block him. Lightning flickered around his body, but before he could even strike, Ximen Qing sent him flying with a single blow!

The head of the Si Family, a peak God Monarch Realm expert, had been blasted away with one strike, utterly unable to resist!

Squelch!

The sound of flesh being pierced rang through everyone's ears. Ximen Qing's right hand had punched through Qi Panjian's chest, viciously gripping his heart meridian and lifting him into the air!

"Jian'er!" At the sight, Qi Yunlong's eyes nearly split apart as he let out a terrified roar.

He rushed forward, the White Crimson Sword appearing abruptly in his hand. Wrapped in boundless sword light, it swung fiercely toward Ximen Qing.

The furious sword light of a peak God Monarch Realm expert made everyone's eyes sting as soon as it was unleashed, while their bodies felt the crushing might of the sword...

Yet Ximen Qing did not even glance at the terrifying sword light in everyone's eyes. With a casual wave of his left hand, the crushing sword light scattered into specks of white radiance!

Qi Yunlong stared blankly at the shattered sword light, clearly unable to believe that the gap between himself and a God Master could be so immense.

But when he saw Qi Panjian in Ximen Qing's grasp, he forcibly suppressed the terror in his heart and slowly swung the White Crimson Sword toward Ximen Qing's right hand.

"Hmph! You don't know when to quit!" Ximen Qing muttered disdainfully as he watched Qi Yunlong still dare to attack with his sword.

He made a move that left everyone stunned. He raised his left hand and fiercely grabbed at the White Crimson Sword!

Pfft...

The White Crimson Sword, carrying razor-sharp sword light, was actually caught barehanded by him! Qi Yunlong's eyes filled with shock at the sight.

He had never fought a God Master Realm expert before. He knew there was an enormous gap between a God Monarch and a God Master, but he had never imagined it would be so vast that someone could catch a sword barehanded and remain completely unharmed!

He wanted to pull back his sword, but the immense force gripping the blade left him utterly unable to control the White Crimson Sword!

"Old bastard! Die!" Ximen Qing viciously kicked Qi Yunlong with his right foot. It was a plain, unremarkable kick, but the moment its force struck Qi Yunlong, the only thing he felt was a terrifying power unlike anything he had ever experienced in his life!

Boom!

Qi Yunlong's body bent into the shape of a bow as a thick mist of blood erupted from his back! The body of a God Monarch had been pierced through by Ximen Qing's casual kick!

His right hand, still clutching the White Crimson Sword, tore away from his body. He was blasted dozens of miles away and fell to the ground, barely clinging to life!

"Father!" Qi Panjian endured the agony wracking his body and cried out in grief.

The head of the Qi Family, a peak God Monarch Realm expert who represented the pinnacle of combat power in Flowing Wind City, had been reduced to a dying state by Ximen Qing's casual kick!

As they witnessed this scene, an atmosphere known as "despair" began to spread through the crowd...

"Run... run!!!" Someone in the crowd shouted. Instantly, chaos erupted as people surged outward like madmen. But they had barely gone far when a wall of despair viciously cut off their escape, leaving them unable to flee...

Even that City Defense Mystic Array that had driven them into despair continued compressing the space in which they could move...

Someone gathered their courage and channeled profound energy, fiercely striking the City Defense Mystic Array. Yet the instant they attacked, a terrifying backlash followed, blasting every attacker away!

Wang Tianba said despondently, "It's useless. Qi Yunlong and I already tried. This mystic array is on far too high a level. It's simply not something we can break..."

Watching the crowd scatter in every direction, Ximen Qing sneered. "Seeking death!"

He casually waved his left hand. In an instant, soul-chilling frost spread outward. His left hand clenched, and one soul-piercing ice spike after another formed, viciously stabbing toward those profound practitioners attacking the City Defense Mystic Array in an attempt to flee...

"Ah! Ah..."

Miserable cries rang endlessly in everyone's ears. The moment the ice spikes entered the bodies of those with lower cultivation, the frigid energy froze their internal organs, turning them into shards of ice as they collapsed limply to the ground...

But... something even more horrifying happened. The bodies of those who had already lost their lives began to vanish at an astonishing speed, ultimately turning into nothingness, as though they had never existed in this world...

Facing death directly filled their souls with even greater terror, but their fear of death forced them to suppress the dread in their hearts.

They stood there blankly, silently gathering together as if doing so could bring them the slightest false... sense of security.

Seeing that the crowd had finally stopped causing a commotion, Ximen Qing smiled brightly. "That's more like it. If the scene is too chaotic, it won't be good for the performance... hahaha!"

Although he wore a smile, his words made their hearts turn cold...

Ximen Qing looked at Qi Panjian, whose heart meridian he held in his grasp. "Do you know why you're so special? You should thank Xiao Feng properly!"

"Because of Xiao Feng, I plan to make you the appetizer for this grand show!"

He whispered like a demon, "Originally, I wanted to kill you outright, but... I changed my mind."

"How about this? Insult Xiao Feng properly right now. As long as you insult him to my satisfaction, I'll let you go. What do you say?"

With Ximen Qing gripping his heart meridian, Qi Panjian's entire body trembled constantly beneath the fear of death.

But upon hearing Ximen Qing's words, he did not insult Xiao Feng as Ximen Qing had expected. Instead, he revealed a mocking smile and said,

"I'm afraid of death, but do you take me for an idiot? Even if I really insulted Brother Xiao, would you let me go?"

"I saw through your true face long ago, you damn... idiot!"

At those words, Ximen Qing's face immediately darkened. In his memory, Qi Panjian had always been spineless. He never could have imagined this... outcome!

Ximen Qing's Spiritual Sense swept over the surroundings. Though not a single person laughed due to the terror in their hearts, being embarrassed before so many people made him feel like a... clown!

Rage instantly rose in his heart. How dare Qi Panjian!

The hand gripping Qi Panjian's heart meridian tightened slightly...

"Aah—!!!"

Qi Panjian let out a miserable scream. Watching his wretched state and hearing his shrieks, the chill in everyone's hearts deepened without end.

"Let... let... him go." Xiao Feng spoke with difficulty.

When Ximen Qing heard Xiao Feng's voice, his dark expression immediately broke into a smile. "Sure. Beg me! I want you to beg me!"

"Brother Xiao... beg him my ass! Even if you beg him, he won't..."

"Urgh! Aaaahhh..." Before he could finish, the excruciating pain surging through his heart meridian made him scream uncontrollably.

Hearing Qi Panjian's words and his miserable screams, the pain in Xiao Feng's heart grew even worse. Qi Panjian was completely different from what he had thought... He never imagined that even with his life in another's grasp, Qi Panjian would still protect him like this.

Even knowing that Ximen Qing might not keep his promise even if he spoke, Xiao Feng still said with difficulty, "I..."

But before Xiao Feng could finish speaking...

Bang—!

A massive sound entered Xiao Feng's ears, but he seemed not to hear it...

His eyes stared blankly ahead. The darkness in his pupils instantly scattered and faded... Only several drops of crimson blood silently fell onto his face before slowly trailing down...

Ximen Qing stood drenched in blood, his expression crazed as he sneered contemptuously. "Sorry, Xiao Feng. My hand slipped just now. But I didn't expect him to be so fragile. He just exploded!"

"Hahaha..."

"Jian'er!!!!" Qi Yunlong collapsed limply onto the ground, tears streaming down his aged face as he let out a heart-rending howl.

Qi Panjian had exploded directly in Ximen Qing's hand. Blood, bones... sprayed wildly in every direction...

Only when the blood flowed down his face and into Xiao Feng's eyes did he snap back to his senses...

"Urgh... aaah... you... ngh..." Xiao Feng clenched his teeth tightly and glared at Ximen Qing.

His rage attacked his heart, and a mouthful of blood sprayed from his lips. Yet his eyes still carried uncontainable hatred as they remained fixed on Ximen Qing without moving.

Seeing Xiao Feng's eyes filled with extreme fury, Ximen Qing was not frightened. Instead, a crazed smile spread across his lips. "Hahaha... that's it... Xiao Feng, Xiao Feng... I love seeing you want to kill me but being unable to do it!"

"Look at yourself now! Even a stray dog stands prouder than you!"

"But... don't be sad... the true sorrow is still to come... hahaha..."

His expression turned sinister as he abruptly flashed toward Xiao Feng. Seeing Ximen Qing rushing toward them, Xiao Feng's eyes nearly split as he roared at the Si Family head, "His target is Yao'er!"

But Situ Hao needed no reminder. He had already shielded Situ Yao at once. Lightning flashed around him as he raised his right hand, and a thunder dragon condensed into existence. Though the pressure before him made his legs tremble, he did not retreat even half a step...

Thunderclap Art, Sixth Form—Thunderous Might!

Seeing the terrifying thunder dragon brimming with fearsome lightning power, contempt flashed through Ximen Qing's eyes. "A pathetic trick!"

The Ice Soul Sword appeared in his hand. With a light swing, a streak of soul-chilling icy sword light shot straight at the thunder dragon, cleaving it apart with overwhelming force!

The remaining sword light struck Situ Hao, blasting him several miles away!

Situ Hao looked at Ximen Qing, who was about to reach his daughter. A strange power suddenly surged from within his body, allowing him to dissolve the impact and rush over once more at the first possible moment.

But... there was no time! He could no longer reach her in time!

Situ Yao's face had turned deathly pale under the immense upheaval, and she stood there completely stunned.

Under the pressure of a God Master, anyone below the God Monarch Realm could not affect Ximen Qing in the slightest.

At that moment, a figure cloaked in black appeared beside Situ Yao. He stood before Ximen Qing, preventing him from approaching...

Then something even more unbelievable happened. Ximen Qing was actually forced back by this person, hurriedly withdrawing his strength just as he was about to reach them.

But... the resulting shockwave was immense. It directly blew back the black-robed figure's hood, revealing a face that left everyone stunned...

Everyone stood dumbfounded...

No wonder they had not seen him at all until now...