Li Xiong, the leader of the Thirteen Protectors, had the power of a ninth-level Xiantian Expert. He was considered the top expert in Nine Lions City, and he had twelve younger brothers who were all Xiantian Experts. That was how Li Xiong had built a force like the Thirteen Protectors.
But today, Li Xiong suddenly felt as if disaster were about to befall him.
"Strange. Nothing has happened lately, so why do I feel so uneasy?" As a powerful Martial Artist, he knew that sudden premonitions could sometimes be remarkably accurate.
"Right. Have we found any trace of those two Qingcheng Sect remnants today?"
His Confidant immediately dropped to his knees and replied respectfully, "Reporting to you, Boss, we still haven't received any news!"
"What? It's been several days already. How can there still be no news? Quick, send more men out! Those two fat lambs must not fall into someone else's hands!"
At Li Xiong's order, his subordinate was just about to leave and carry it out when a terrifying Demonic Sound suddenly rang through the entire estate.
"Thirteen Protectors, come out and meet your deaths!"
The one who had come was none other than Old Man Snow Mountain!
His overwhelming aura pressed down like a tidal wave. With only a wisp of True Qi, he had made an ordinary voice carry across the entire area.
Some people were so weak that, after hearing those words infused with True Qi, they bled from all seven orifices and died!
His terrifying strength sent countless Martial Artists reeling.
"Who goes there?!" Li Xiong had no choice but to go out and face him. Though his opponent came in with a menacing air, Li Xiong was a ninth-level Xiantian Expert himself. Surely he deserved at least a little respect!
"May I ask why you've injured my disciples?"
"Injured your disciples? That's not enough. I'm going to slaughter every last one of you! Only then will I be able to vent the hatred in my heart!"
Old Man Snow Mountain was brimming with rage and had nowhere to unleash it. He wasted no words and attacked at once.
His True Qi surged like a vast sea, crashing fiercely toward Li Xiong.
"Ha! You've got some nerve. Since you're so unreasonable, let's settle this with our fists!"
Li Xiong refused to back down. He raised a hand, and his own dense True Qi took shape, countering Old Man Snow Mountain's powerful attack.
As the top expert in Nine Lions City, Li Xiong certainly had some real skill.
But Old Man Snow Mountain had spent decades immersed in the ninth Xiantian level and had long since reached the limits of the Xiantian Realm.
Though he was still at the ninth level, he could say without hesitation that he was no weaker than any Xiantian Expert!
"Die! Take this: Merciless Black Tiger!"
A black tiger formed from True Qi suddenly pounced forward. Its powerful attack shattered the hard paving stones around them. Some disciples were grazed by the shock waves and were left dead without a whole body!
Li Xiong's eyelid twitched as he watched. He had to admit that there was no way he could block that move. It had nearly surpassed the Xiantian level and reached the next realm.
"That old geezer is too strong to fight head-on!" Having made up his mind, Li Xiong promptly turned and fled, leaving behind a crowd of stunned cannon fodder.
"Trying to leave? Did you ask me first? Get back here! Great River Whale Swallows the Sea!"
Relying on his formidable True Qi, Old Man Snow Mountain forcibly created a gigantic whirlpool. Its powerful winds dragged Li Xiong, who had been running away, back toward him.
As Old Man Snow Mountain worked his technique, several disciples were swept into the center of the whirlpool.
Then a horrifying sight unfolded—the disciple was torn apart on the spot, dissolving into a cloud of blood that scattered into the world!
Li Xiong's scalp tingled as he watched, terrified that he would meet the same fate.
So, abandoning all dignity, he shouted desperately, "Senior, there's been a misunderstanding! Senior, please, there's been a misunderstanding! I don't know how I offended you. I beg you to spare my life!"
But Old Man Snow Mountain couldn't have cared less. He meant to kill this man, seize control of his force, and use it to find Liu Yucheng and Xiao Yuxian, who had gone into hiding!
"There's no misunderstanding. I'm here to kill you! Accept your death like a good man!"
More and more people were sucked in and shredded. Li Xiong watched with eyes nearly bursting from their sockets, only to realize he was completely unable to resist.
With his ninth-level Xiantian cultivation, Li Xiong could only hold out a little longer than the others!
At the thought of this, despair crept over him.
"I hate this! Why haven't I obtained the Qingcheng Sect's supreme art yet? If I'd gotten it earlier, I might have had enough strength to strike back!
"And where did this old Devil come from? Why does he have to kill me? I refuse to accept this!"
In the end, Li Xiong was still torn apart by Old Man Snow Mountain's attack, carrying his endless regrets with him.
Only then did Old Man Snow Mountain slowly withdraw his True Qi. By that point, there was not a living soul within a hundred meters!
The ground lay in ruins, and what had once been magnificent buildings were now heaps of broken walls. A Martial Artist at the limits of the Xiantian Realm possessed destructive power beyond the imagination of ordinary people.
Naturally, the battle was noticed by several forces in the city.
But after seeing such a terrifying old Devil, the great forces all turned a blind eye, acting as though they hadn't seen the Thirteen Protectors' miserable fate!
Some even secretly cheered. After all, one less force meant a bigger slice of the pie. To these people, nothing else mattered; only profit could truly stir their hearts!
After killing everyone, Old Man Snow Mountain didn't leave. He waited where he was.
Soon, the other Protectors returned. After a friendly discussion and negotiation, Old Man Snow Mountain successfully took control of the remaining nine Protectors!
Two of them missed Li Xiong so much that Old Man Snow Mountain kindly sent them off to join him.
Once Old Man Snow Mountain had taken control of the force, he immediately began searching for Liu Yucheng and Xiao Yuxian.
But he didn't know that the two of them were still locked up in a mountain stockade outside Nine Lions City, with their lives no longer in their own hands!
Once someone was captured by Black Wind Stockade, they were practically impossible to find.
After all, Black Wind Stockade already had plenty of money and provisions, enough to "go into seclusion" for several months!
Old Man Snow Mountain's efforts were doomed to fail. A month later, the truth proved just that.
Seeing that his subordinates still hadn't brought back the news he wanted, Old Man Snow Mountain's face turned icy. In the end, he couldn't hold back any longer. He killed nearly a third of the men he'd sent out to search before his anger finally began to subside!
"Worthless! You're all worthless! You can't even find two living people. What use are you?"
"Get out! All of you, get out!"
After a month, Old Man Snow Mountain knew there was no longer any chance of finding those two who carried the legacy. He strongly suspected that they had already left the area around Nine Lions City.
But there was nothing he could do. His plan had ultimately fallen apart. Without obtaining the final legacy, his dream of reaching True Condensation would end too!
"Damn it! Is Heaven really determined to destroy me? I refuse to accept this!"
Old Man Snow Mountain roared at the sky, feeling as if fate were always toying with him.
He had worked so hard for so many years, only to end up drawing water with a bamboo basket. How utterly despairing!
"For the sake of a cultivation art, I framed and betrayed my own sect with my own hands, destroying it. But now I still have nothing to show for it. Was what I did back then truly meaningless?"
At that thought, Old Man Snow Mountain felt a pang of regret.
But those few pangs of regret were soon cast aside.
"No, I wasn't wrong. The Qingcheng Sect was the one that wronged me. Everything I did was right!
"Hahaha! The Qingcheng Sect was wiped out by King Lanling. That was the fate it deserved!"
Suddenly, Old Man Snow Mountain thought of something, and his spirits immediately lifted.
"Hahahaha! I really was a fool. Now that my sect is gone, why should I still obsess over that damn sect technique?
"Why not join King Lanling? With the Prince's Mansion's resources, helping me break through to True Condensation would be a piece of cake!"
Having broken free of his narrow way of thinking, Old Man Snow Mountain immediately felt refreshed and clear-headed.
He could almost see himself standing proud and triumphant as he broke through to True Condensation.