The Lord's Demise

On the open ground in front of the armory, flames leaped. Chen Qing settled A Ning in a relatively safe corner, set up a simple starlight barrier, and then turned around abruptly.

From afar, the two hall masters from the Shadow Kill Tower emerged spitting blood, their eyes filled with terror. But they knew they had no retreat; even if they fled, they would die tomorrow, so they might as well fight one last time.

Chen Qing's gaze was icy as he locked onto the two Shadow Kill Tower hall masters who were charging at him again—"Shadow" and "Absolute Thorn". The Ancient Star Ruins Scripture circulated within him at an unprecedented speed, and the faint starlight around his body became clearer, as if he were clad in a luminous battle suit.

"Kill!" Hall Master Absolute Thorn roared, his twin daggers crossing, each strike cunning and fierce, aimed directly at vital points.

Hall Master Youying's movements became even more elusive, like a true shadow gliding close to the ground. The short blade in his hand swiftly slashed towards Chen Qing's ankles and joints, coordinating with Jueci's fierce assault, making it extremely insidious.

Chen Qing stepped on the star formations, his body shifting within inches, calmly evading the fatal attacks.

He used his palms and fingers, striking and tapping, the power of starlight surging unpredictably. When his palm collided with the curved daggers, a dull roar erupted, cracking Absolute Thorn's tiger's mouth; when his fingers met the short blade, Shadow's blood essence churned.

"A desperate gamble! Finish him with all our might!" Shadow shrieked, his attacks intensifying.

Chen Qing also felt some pressure. It wasn't pressure from strength, but a lack of combat experience. Both of these men were battle-hardened assassins, fighting to the death with tacit coordination, their moves lethal, and their footwork bizarre. Dealing with them was quite taxing on his mind and internal energy.

He also had to remain vigilant of other assassins in the vicinity and any potential surprise arrows.

Although the starlight could protect his body, it wasn't inexhaustible with continuous consumption. The sleeve of his arm was slashed open at a strange angle, leaving a shallow bloody mark. Though the wound was instantly sealed by star power, preventing the poison from spreading, it still showed how troublesome the opponents were.

"I must end this quickly!" Chen Qing's mind raced, starlight flaring in his eyes.

He deliberately exposed a weakness, his shoulder dipping slightly.

"So what if his strength is formidable and his internal energy is strange? He'll still die by our hands!"

Hall Master Jue Ci thought he had an opening and, with a sinister grin, thrust his dagger with all his might! At that very moment, Chen Qing advanced instead of retreating. His left hand shot out like lightning, not to block directly, but with his fingers slightly curved, grasping and pulling at the air!

The first minor divine ability of the Ancient Star Ruins Scripture—Star Vortex Pull!

An invisible field of distorted force instantly generated with his left hand as the center! Hall Master Jue Ci felt as if his curved dagger was caught in a raging vortex, uncontrollably deviating outwards, causing his entire body to lose balance and stagger forward!

And at this instant, Chen Qing clenched his right fist, all the star power within his body converging madly towards his right fist. His entire fist seemed to transform into a miniature star, emitting a heart-stopping, immense power and heat! Before the fist even struck, the surrounding air began to distort and vibrate!

The first offensive divine ability—Star Shattering Fist!

"Boom!"

A simple, direct, and overwhelmingly powerful punch, aimed straight at the chest of Master Jue Ci, whose defenses were wide open due to the Star Vortex Pull!

Hall Master Jue Ci's pupils contracted violently, the shadow of death instantly engulfing him. He desperately tried to counter-thrust and block, but his body was being pulled by the strange gravitational force, leaving him no choice but to watch the fist rapidly enlarge before his eyes!

"No—!"

"Crack—!"

A cracking sound! The power of the Star Shattering Fist, without reservation, blasted into his body. The chaotic stellar energy instantly destroyed his internal organs and meridians! Hall Master Jue Ci's body was sent flying backward like a tattered sack, crashing through half of a burning broken wall. By the time he hit the ground, he was already a twisted pulp, his eyes still holding extreme fear and disbelief.

All of this happened too quickly! Hall Master Youying hadn't even had time to change his move before his partner was already dead!

He retreated in terror, wanting to merge with the shadows and escape.

But how could Chen Qing give him such an opportunity? The moment he killed 绝刺, his body moved without pause, pursuing like a shadow. He pointed his fingers like a sword, condensing highly compressed starlight at his fingertips, and aimed directly at 幽影's vital acupoint on his back! This strike was even more refined and swift than the one used against the Shadow Fox!

Hall Master Youying's soul was about to flee his body. He twisted with all his might, bringing the short blade horizontally in front of his chest to block!

"Screech!"

The starlight finger energy instantly pierced through the steel short blade, its momentum undiminished, and directly entered his heart!

Hall Master Shadow's body stiffened abruptly. He looked down at the small, scorched hole in his chest, then looked up at Chen Qing's calm eyes. He opened his mouth but couldn't utter a sound, falling straight down.

The two hall masters were killed in an instant. The remaining assassins immediately fell into disarray, and were quickly annihilated by the alerted guards and the enraged Wolf King.

However, just as the crisis at the armory seemed to be resolved, an indescribable killing intent surged in like a tide from the side, instantly enveloping Chen Qing!

Chen Qing turned his head sharply.

Not far away, a heavy shadow formed by the burning surroundings seemed to come alive, slowly writhing and rising, coalescing into a figure clad in a black robe and wearing a pale mask.

It was the master of the Shadow Kill Tower, "Faceless"!

He had, at some unknown time, stealthily approached so close!

"Very good." The楼主's dry voice sounded, his gray eyes locking onto Chen Qing. "You are indeed worth my personal visit."

Before he finished speaking, he shook his black robe, and his entire body seemed to merge with the shadows cast by the firelight, disappearing instantly!

The next moment, Chen Qing felt a fatal sense of crisis from his left, right, and behind simultaneously! Three almost identical "Faceless" figures lunged out from the shadows, their claws, short blades, and palm winds attacking his vital points from three directions! Each figure exuded an incredibly real aura and a chilling killing intent!

Shadow Clone! And it was an extremely high-level clone technique that could launch physical attacks simultaneously!

Chen Qing's pupils contracted. The Ancient Star Ruins Scripture operated at its extreme, his spiritual perception fully deployed. His body swayed rapidly like a willow in the wind, narrowly dodging two attacks, while simultaneously striking back with his palm towards the claws of the third figure!

"Bang!" The energy collided, and the figure flickered slightly, appearing somewhat insubstantial. However, the other two attacks, having missed, did not stop and lunged forward again!

At the same time, the楼主's true body remained indistinct, occasionally launching needle-thin poison darts with a strange colorful glow from unbelievable angles, or scattering poison mist that could corrode internal energy. His methods were insidious and vicious, leaving no stone unturned!

Chen Qing's star power was significantly depleted, and he immediately fell into a passive state.

The Host's martial arts style was extremely bizarre. His footwork was like a ghost, his attacks carried potent poison, and his clones further confused the enemy, making it difficult to distinguish between reality and illusion. This greatly drained his spirit and star power.

After several exchanges, his robes were slashed open in several more places. Although his extraordinary reflexes and starlight barrier prevented him from being seriously injured, the consumption of star power was exceptionally severe, and his breathing became slightly rapid.

A poison needle grazed his arm, leaving a black line and a numb, itchy sensation. Although the star power quickly expelled and neutralized it, it still made him frown.

"Your power is indeed special, capable of countering ordinary internal energy. But under absolute speed, cunning, and attrition, how long can you last?" The楼主's voice came from all directions, carrying a hint of cat-and-mouse playfulness and coldness. "Hand over the secret of your cultivation technique, and perhaps I can grant you a swift end."

Chen Qing remained silent, but his eyes grew deeper and brighter. While dodging and blocking, he continuously used his spiritual perception to sense the extremely subtle energy flow and differences in aura between the opponent's true body and its clones.

The opportunity would come only once!

He deliberately feigned weakness, his starlight flickering unstably, and his movement slowed by half a beat.

One clone seized the chance and lunged forward, its claws aiming straight for his heart! The other two clones and several poison needles also sealed off his escape routes from different directions!

The moment this deadly trap was set, Chen Qing's eyes blazed with sharp light!

Ignoring all other attacks, he twisted his body at an unbelievable angle, gathering all his remaining star power, even that stimulated by pushing his potential to its limit, and poured it all into his right fist without reservation!

This time, it wasn't a faint shimmer. His entire right arm seemed to transform into flowing starlight. On his fist, a point of extreme brilliance and condensation lit up, as if he had truly plucked a tiny star from the sky!

"Found you!" Chen Qing grunted, and the Star Shattering Fist, with the force to obliterate everything, didn't strike the clone in front of him, but instead slammed into a seemingly empty shadow to his rear!

"What?!" The楼主's voice, always calm and dry, showed a violent fluctuation for the first time, filled with unconcealable shock!

His true body was forced to stumble out of the shadows. In a hasty move, he crossed his arms to block, attempting to withstand the punch head-on!

"BOOM—!!!"

"CRACK!"

The sound of breaking bones was clearly audible!

The host's crossed arms instantly twisted and deformed. The terrifying force of the punch penetrated his defense and hit his chest squarely!

"Pfft—!"

A large mouthful of black blood mixed with internal organ fragments erupted from beneath his mask! He was sent flying backward like a kite with a broken string, crashing heavily against the thick stone wall of the armory, and slowly slid to the ground.

The pale mask cracked with a "snap" sound, splitting open halfway, revealing a bloodless, contorted, and pained face of a middle-aged man. His gray, lifeless eyes were now filled with horror, confusion, and... an unbelievable sense of witnessing a myth descend!

"No... impossible... this power... is definitely not... martial arts..." With every word he spoke, more black blood gushed out, and his aura rapidly weakened. "It's... immortal... immortal arts?! How could... there truly be... in this world..."

Before he could finish, his head lolled to the side, the grayness in his eyes completely solidified, and his life force extinguished.

The fearsome Shadow Kill Tower's Lord had fallen!

Chen Qing panted slightly, retracting his fist, the starlight on his arm slowly fading. He walked to the楼主's corpse, his gaze swept over it, and he retrieved a chillingly cold Mysterious Iron Token from within the black robes. The front was engraved with the character "影" (Shadow), and the back bore complex, mysterious patterns. In addition, there was a small scroll wrapped in special oil paper, seemingly written in cipher on silk.

He pocketed the token and the scroll, not sparing the corpse another glance.

The firelight still flickered, and the sounds of shouting gradually subsided. The Wolf King let out a low growl and nudged his leg. In the distance, A Ning's eyes slowly lost their fear, replaced by complete reliance.