Many people present had their attention drawn to the hazy Golden Light Barrier. Even the Yan family's two Guest Elders showed astonished expressions.
"Hmph, this Golden Light Barrier can last quite a long time. You two Guest Elders may kill the enemy to your hearts' content; there is no need to worry about this old man's safety!" the Yan family patriarch said with a cold snort.
Yan Xu adapted quickly. He burst into laughter. "Hahaha, good! Since you have such a means of protecting yourself, Master, I can finally rest easy. You turtle grandson, hand over your life!"
At once, before the reinforcements from the Seven Kill Squad could arrive, he intensified his assault.
For a time, Li Qing's pressure greatly increased.
Every one of Yan Xu's palm strikes carried incomparably fierce force, numbing even the web between Li Qing's thumb and forefinger as he gripped the Peerless Hammer.
His attention had just been drawn to the Golden Light Barrier, and defending himself now was somewhat difficult. He was beaten back steadily.
Just as Yan Xu's palm was about to fall upon him, the other five dead soldiers finally charged over.
All of them feared neither heaven nor earth, attacking Yan Xu without the slightest concern for their own lives.
"Seeking death!" Yan Xu sent Li Qing reeling with a palm strike, then turned to meet the attacks of the five Seven Kill Squad dead soldiers.
Wind Piercing Hand!
Yan Xu's strike was incredibly fast. In virtually the blink of an eye, his fingers pierced straight through one dead soldier's throat. His move was savage and ruthless.
Yet before that man died, the momentum of the punch he had launched did not decrease, and it still smashed into Yan Xu's head.
The other four remained unmoved. Their companion, who had lived beside them day and night, had died right before their eyes, yet their gazes did not ripple in the slightest.
They made no attempt to defend themselves, only attacking relentlessly—trading wound for wound, life for life!
bang!
Yan Xu, having taken a punch to the head, was not seriously affected. But now that these four men who cared nothing for their lives had entangled him, he could no longer spare a hand to deal with Li Qing.
All of this happened quickly, but Li Qing reacted even faster.
He lunged forward and unleashed a hammer-cleaving strike from the Ancient Profound Hammer Technique.
The Peerless Hammer, weighing more than two hundred pounds, descended with crushing force and a gust of wind, smashing solidly into Yan Xu's shoulder.
Crack!
A crisp sound rang out—the sound of bone breaking.
The Yan family Guest Elder's eyes turned red. The excruciating pain assailed his mind, driving him nearly mad.
"Ahhh! I want you dead!" Yan Xu roared. With his hair hanging loose and disheveled, he looked utterly terrifying.
However, with half his shoulder ruined, Yan Xu no longer posed much threat. Li Qing merely watched him coldly as he was entangled by the other four dead soldiers who did not value their lives.
The five became locked in a struggle, and the scene abruptly turned bloody.
Yan Xu punched once more, blasting apart one man's skull. The others drew short weapons and stabbed toward his vital points.
Short blades, daggers, and slender swords carved several wounds across his body, and blood sprayed forth at once.
Just as Yan Xu still wanted to trade his life for another's, Li Qing suddenly swung his hammer from the side, ending his life.
On the other side, Tian Long's situation was not nearly so favorable.
Although several members of the Seven Kill Squad supported him, this old man called Mo Nan possessed truly terrifying martial arts. Facing the siege of six men, he still held the upper hand firmly.
The might of inner martial arts was on full display.
"Old Man Mo, no wonder you still haven't stepped into the Internal Energy realm after so long. So you also cultivated an external martial art, and your attainments in it are quite profound." With his pressure greatly reduced, Tian Long was finally able to catch his breath.
Mo Nan's expression remained calm. Every move he made was orderly and unhurried. Not only did he block Tian Long's attacks, he also dealt with the life-risking entanglement of the five dead soldiers with ease.
"This old man's talent for martial arts is too poor. Seeing no hope of cultivating Internal Energy, I turned to the Iron Cloth Technique instead. Heavenly Dragon Gang Leader, you flatter me."
"Heh, take another slash from me!"
Seeing that the battle situation here would not end anytime soon, Li Qing had no intention of interfering. With the Seven Kill Squad's help, neither side could do anything to the other.
Instead, he looked toward the Yan family patriarch, whose entire body was enveloped in golden light. It was his first time seeing such a miraculous thing.
Especially the yellow paper talisman the man had slapped onto his chest—it looked exactly like the talismans described in immortal-cultivation storybooks.
"Old Mo, why haven't you killed Tian Long, that traitor, yet?" The Yan family patriarch was beginning to panic as well. Seeing Li Qing cooperate with several people who had suddenly emerged to kill Yan Xu, fear finally rose within him.
The three dead soldiers surrounding him had bloodshot eyes as they used every means at their disposal to hack at the layer of golden light around Master Yan.
"How can this be? How can this be!"
"Why won't it break? What kind of monstrous thing is this?"
"Damn it! Break for me!!!"
Their mortal enemy stood right before them, yet a strange golden light blocked their path. They had gone mad with desperation, wishing they could swallow the detestable Yan family patriarch whole and tear him limb from limb.
Li Qing observed this scene without rashly approaching.
This Golden Light Barrier was clearly no ordinary mortal object. It resembled a legendary immortal's method.
Honestly, if not for the Yan family patriarch's panicked tone, which made it seem as though he had exhausted all his trump cards, Li Qing might even have chosen to leave.
Who knew whether this old man might suddenly pull out a talisman that spat fire and summoned lightning? That would be dangerous.
Just as the thought of retreat began to sprout in Li Qing's heart, a crisp cracking sound suddenly rang out.
Crack!
That layer of Golden Light Barrier abruptly dimmed. Then faint cracks appeared across it, like glass or porcelain on the verge of shattering.
Finally, under the unrelenting, desperate efforts of the three dead soldiers, the Golden Light Barrier exploded into fragments, turning into golden rain of light that vanished into the air.
The yellow talisman on the Yan family patriarch's body shattered along with it.
"No! Impossible! How could it be destroyed so quickly? Didn't they say it could last a full day and night, and that the fists, kicks, and weapons of mortal men could never break it?"
The Yan family patriarch was dumbfounded. Looking at the vanished Golden Light Barrier, his legs immediately began to tremble.
"No!"
The three dead soldiers looked at the shattered Golden Light Barrier, then pounced upon the white-haired old man like madmen. Like starving wolves, they bit, devoured, and clawed at Yan Qitian.
Li Qing opened his mouth, wanting to stop all of this. He wanted to question the man about the origins of the Golden Light Barrier, but it was already too late.
Taking revenge on the Yan family was the sole purpose that kept the Seven Kill Squad alive. They wished to drink his blood and eat his flesh—how could they give Li Qing time to speak?
The Yan family patriarch was dead beyond all doubt, while fighting still continued among the others inside the estate.
In order to end all of this quickly and obtain the Medicinal Wine Recipes he wanted, Li Qing used Outer Strength and shouted in a deep voice, "The Yan family patriarch has been executed! Why do you not quickly lay down your weapons!"
This shout was thunderous, echoing both inside and outside the Yan estate. Everyone heard it clearly.
"Father!" Second Young Master Yan screamed miserably, but Zhao Kou gave him no chance to say another word. He viciously slit his throat.
swish!
This Second Young Master, who had committed countless evils in Obsidian City, died on the spot.
The others all turned their gazes toward the estate and saw that the Yan family patriarch was indeed dead. They no longer dared to keep fighting, tossing down their weapons and fleeing like mad.
"Master Yan is dead! The Yan family has been exterminated!"
"The Yan family is finished!"
The guards and thugs raised by the Yan family immediately scattered like birds and beasts.
Within the residence, Tian Long, who was still fighting Mo Nan, laughed heartily. "Hahahaha, the Yan family patriarch is dead. Old Man Mo, I won't make things difficult for you. Let us stop here. Whatever treatment the Yan family gave you before, I'll give you double!"
Mo Nan also knew that there was no way to turn the situation around. One martial artist Guest Elder had been crippled first, and Yan Xu had died at Li Qing's hands. There was indeed no need to continue fighting.
"Sigh! So be it!" Mo Nan sighed, then withdrew with several leaps, shaking off Tian Long and the members of the Seven Kill Squad.
Thus, this great lineage that had stood in Obsidian City for many years completely collapsed!