In the courtyard, the wind from the blade died away, and ash drifted off on the breeze.
Of the eleven Martial Kings, not even a scrap of bone remained.
Qiao Meng stood in the doorway, staring at the empty ground. It took her a long while to come back to herself.
"That's... it?"
Her voice sounded dry.
Li Yun sheathed his blade. "That's it," he said calmly.
Qiao Meng drew a deep breath and forced down the storm surging through her heart.
She knew Li Yun was strong. She had known it from the day she met him.
But she had never imagined he had grown this strong.
Eleven Martial Kings, reduced to flying ash in three breaths.
"Strong" no longer began to describe it. This was a miracle, a degree of power that seemed almost excessive.
"Fenghua!" a voice called from outside the courtyard.
Qiao Tai strode in, his face full of worry.
He had been training nearby rather than staying at the old house. The moment he sensed something was wrong, he had rushed over.
Yet when he entered the courtyard, he found it peaceful.
Li Yun stood with his hands behind his back, Qiao Meng was at the door, and the ground was spotless. There was nothing there.
"What happened?" Qiao Tai asked, baffled.
Qiao Meng glanced at him and pointed at the ground. "Gone."
Qiao Tai froze. "Gone? What do you mean?"
"Exactly what I said."
Her voice was so calm that even she found it unbelievable. "Eleven Martial Kings from Divine Domain came to take Fenghua by force. Now they're all gone. Three breaths, and every one of them turned to ash."
Qiao Tai's mouth opened wide enough to fit an egg.
He stared at Li Yun, then at Qiao Meng. It took him ages