That Kneel

Wu Zhan turned around and watched helplessly as the great axe slashed across the backs of his three sons.

Blood sprayed everywhere. Wu Zhan's eyes flew wide, and he let out a thunderous roar. The long saber at his waist trembled and rang, turning into a streak of black light nearly two meters long as it shot forward.

The black light grazed Wu Jin's cheek. Just as the great axe was about to chop down again, the black light struck it. With an explosive crash, the axe shattered. The burly man holding it watched the black light cleave toward his face and could only release a desperate howl.

The heavy armor that Wu Jin's saber had been unable to damage was torn apart like paper, and the man's body split into two.

Wu Jin and Wu Yin had just breathed a sigh of relief when several arrows trailing thin black smoke shot at them from behind, striking their shoulders and backs.

The arrowheads had been coated with something strange. The instant they entered their bodies, agonizing pain erupted, sending Wu Jin and Wu Yin's muscles into uncontrollable spasms.

The wounds the great axe had carved into their backs were deep enough to reach the bone. As their muscles convulsed wildly, even fiercer pain struck. The brothers howled, and the fingers gripping Wu Tong's shoulders loosened instinctively.

Wu Tong was gravely wounded and had been relying on his two elder brothers to carry him away.

The moment Wu Jin and Wu Yin loosened their grip, their bodies surged more than ten meters forward with the momentum of their sprint, while Wu Tong crashed heavily to the ground.

Wu Jin and Wu Yin cried out at the same time as they turned back.

Wu Zhan roared anxiously and charged forward. His huge body whipped up a gale as he rushed toward the fallen Wu Tong.

Wu Jin and Wu Yin stopped at once and turned, wanting to grab Wu Tong.

More than a dozen armored figures rushed out from the cave behind them.

Seven or eight blades and swords chopped down viciously. The bald, scar-faced woman's eyes were bloodshot. Holding a Snake-Fang Dagger in each hand, she shrieked as she charged at the brothers Wu Jin and Wu Yin. Like a mad demon, she screamed hoarsely, "You killed our captain... You deserve to die!"

Wu Jin swung his long saber. It became a flash of black blade-light, bypassing the woman's body and intercepting the seven or eight enemies wielding weapons.

The woman rushed before Wu Jin and Wu Yin, the black blade-light nearly grazing her chest. Her face twisted as she gave a strange laugh, and the Snake-Fang Daggers in her hands stabbed down from left and right toward Wu Jin and Wu Yin's chests.

Wu Jin had thrown that saber with all his strength, hoping to block the blades and swords chopping toward Wu Tong. But his spasming body had thrown off his breath, and the agony in his chest left him no time to dodge.

Wu Yin let out a strange cry. Spreading his arms, he stepped sideways and shielded Wu Jin.

Both daggers stabbed into Wu Yin's chest. The woman drove them forward with all her strength. The daggers tore open Wu Yin's chest, shattered his ribs, and half their blades burst fiercely from his back.

The corners of Wu Jin's eyes split open, and two streams of blood spattered out. He shrieked hoarsely, "Brother..."

Blood gushed from Wu Yin's mouth. He spread his thick arms, each as thick as the woman's waist, and abruptly wrapped her in a crushing embrace. Opening his mouth, he tore the muscles at the corners of his lips from exerting too much force. Like a crazed venomous snake, he opened his jaws.

A mouthful of gleaming white teeth bit viciously into the woman's slender neck.

With a crack, just like when he gnawed on those thick beast-bone clubs at home, Wu Yin's teeth were exceptionally strong. He could always crush even the thickest beast bones with a single bite.

The woman's neck was not as sturdy as beast bone.

With another crack, the woman's head suddenly twisted sharply to one side. A great flood of red blood mixed with the pale blue blood in Wu Yin's mouth and ran all over them.

The light faded from Wu Yin's eyes. Still tightly holding the woman, he fell to the ground.

His life force had already gone out, yet Wu Yin's body still strained by instinct... strained... strained...

Shrill cracking sounds came from within the woman's body. Wu Yin's embrace broke and crushed her bones. Bone fragments pierced through flesh, pushing vicious bulges into her leather armor.

"Brother..." Wu Jin spat out another mouthful of blood.

"Brother!" Wu Zhan turned around with astonishing speed, while Wu Tie had only just heard the commotion behind them and was only now turning back.

The moment he turned, he saw Wu Yin and the woman perish together!

The moment he turned, he saw Wu Jin vomiting blood!

The moment he turned, he saw Wu Tong lying on the ground!

Wu Jin's blade-light slammed into the chest of a burly man in heavy armor. The man gave a muffled groan and was knocked back two steps by Wu Jin's blade-light, blood spurting from his chest.

The blade-light Wu Zhan had just unleashed twisted like a monstrous python turning over, sweeping around several burly men's bodies.

The blade-light was chillingly sharp. Five or six burly men were cut in half at the waist!

The upper body of a bald man flew high into the air. Eyes wide, he stared fixedly at the charging Wu Zhan. "Xuan Sensing? No... Half-Step Chonglou..."

The bald man's body crashed heavily to the ground. Throwing away his weapon, he clawed and crawled wildly over the ground with both hands, gritting his teeth as he muttered unwillingly, "This godforsaken, dirt-poor place... Half-Step Chonglou... I'm actually going to die here!"

Wu Zhan's blade-light killed five or six burly men. An emaciated old man, about the size of one of the Gray Dwarves, suddenly darted out from behind a massive man. His thrusting sword brought up a streak of cold light and plunged deep into Wu Tong's heart.

The emaciated old man abruptly raised his head and roared hoarsely at Wu Zhan, who had come to a sudden stop. "You killed our captain... You killed our big sister... You killed so many of our brothers!"

"Brother!" Wu Jin yanked out the two arrows embedded in his back and threw them heavily onto the ground.

He recalled his thrown saber, gripped it in both hands, and stared at Wu Tong's rigid body as he wailed hoarsely.

"Second... Third..." A trickle of blood seeped from the corner of Wu Zhan's mouth. He reached out, and the long saber circling in the air flew back into his hand. Taking a deep breath, he pointed the saber at the emaciated old man.

"Watch your old man avenge you!" Wu Zhan grinned, blood running from the corners of his mouth.

With a spit, Wu Zhan ejected half the tip of his tongue.

Wu Yin and Wu Tong had died one after another. Rage surged into Wu Zhan's heart, and he had bitten off the tip of his own tongue.

Wu Tie stood beside that vast expanse of water. Darkness washed over his vision in waves, and his knees gave out as he dropped to the ground.

There was blood before his eyes, nothing but blood, blood filling his sight...

The images of Wu Yin and Wu Tong appeared over and over before him...

Their deathly pale faces blended into the boundless blood, brutally and tyrannically filling his vision...

His chest throbbed with pain...

His heart felt stifled in waves...

It felt as though his mouth had been stuffed full of rotten mud reeking of blood, leaving him unable even to breathe...

Wu Tie was no coward. He could even clean Xiong Hu's head by himself...

But this time, his lower abdomen suddenly convulsed, and warmth spread wetly down his legs...

Wu Tie's face twisted as he screamed at the top of his lungs, "Brother... Brother!"

More armored figures swept into the cave. They stood behind the emaciated old man, each glaring fiercely at Wu Zhan and Wu Tie.

The Ox Tribe warriors and Azure Wolf warriors Wu Zhan had brought into the mine raised their weapons and came to stand behind him. They growled low, staring at these powerful enemies like enraged beasts.

Tears streamed down Wu Tie's face as he could only cry out "Brother!" again and again.

He did not even have the strength to stand.

Nor did he have the strength to wield a blade and fight the enemy.

"Eldest, retreat!" Wu Zhan held his saber in one hand and waved his left hand behind him. Blood kept spilling from his mouth. "Your old man isn't dead yet. It's not your turn, my own boys, to risk your lives!"

With a strange cackling laugh, Wu Zhan gritted his teeth and grinned savagely. "If word of this gets back, the old men of the main family will beat me half to death, and those bastards will laugh at me for the rest of my life!"

"My, Wu Zhan's sons!"

"Actually, right before my eyes!"

"Were killed by someone else!"

"If I can't even protect my two remaining sons..."

Wu Zhan shook his head and spat bloody saliva onto the ground. "That would truly disgrace the ancestors!"

The emaciated old man held a thrusting sword nearly as tall as himself, pointing it at Wu Zhan as he laughed angrily. "Our captain, our brothers! Were their lives not lives?"

Wu Zhan grinned and tilted his head. "Did I invite you here?"

The emaciated old man fell silent.

That gentle voice came from nowhere. "What nonsense are you talking about? We crossed thousands of miles only for wealth. Men die for riches, birds perish for food... You kill me, I kill you, then he kills me, and I kill him. Killing back and forth, who is innocent? In the end... this is the way of the world."

The gentle voice suddenly became incomparably shrill. "Enough nonsense! Kill!"

The emaciated old man turned into a wisp of black smoke and charged at Wu Zhan.

A red wave of light, more than a meter high and resembling flames, erupted from Wu Zhan's body. He did not use his saber, instead throwing a punch at the black smoke the old man had become.

A thrusting sword darted out from the black smoke and struck Wu Zhan's fist.

Then the thrusting sword shattered, exploding into countless fragments of iron.

The black smoke broke apart, and the old man's emaciated body exploded with a boom.

Expressionless, Wu Zhan turned and glared at Wu Jin. Gritting his teeth, Wu Jin, saber in hand, retreated in great strides until he reached Wu Tie's side.

Without saying a word, Wu Zhan charged forward, moving like the wind as he burst into the dozens of armored figures.

Blade-light and sword-shadows swept across a hundred-meter radius, while heavy impacts rang out without pause.

Wu Tie could not see what was happening amid the blade-light and sword-shadows. He could only hear the dense, unbroken succession of impacts, only hear the piercing cracks of shattering bone. Great sprays of blood erupted from the chaotic figures from time to time, accompanied by low cries of pain.

A miserable scream rang out as seven or eight mangled bodies spun out of the battle.

Seven or eight armored men collapsed crookedly to the ground. One man, not yet dead, stared wide-eyed and murmured, "Wrong... wrong... Not Half-Step Chonglou... Chonglou Realm... Chonglou... Realm..."

A roar rang out.

Wu Zhan had originally stood two meters tall. Amid that roar, his burly body suddenly swelled to nearly five meters tall.

He held his saber in his right hand, while his left palm smashed downward. The sound of cracking bones popped like exploding beans as four or five figures flew into the air, swatted away by a single slap.

"Chonglou Realm!" That gentle voice became especially shrill. "This time... we've taken a loss!"

A ball of lightning appeared out of thin air above Wu Zhan's head. The meter-wide lightning pulsed violently, and within it, a rectangular object roughly a foot long and three inches wide could faintly be seen rapidly flickering.

Wu Zhan's eyes were blood-red. Flame-like heat blasted from every pore of his body.

He growled low, utterly unaware of the strange lightning above his head. Throwing away the long saber that no longer suited his hand, he hammered his fists wildly in every direction like collapsing mountains.

The sounds of breaking bones continued without end. Figures flew away like cannonballs fired from their barrels, hurled far into the distance by his heavy fists.

There were still screams when they flew out, but once they hit the ground, there was no more sound from them.

Wu Zhan roared as he fought in fury. The bloody light in his eyes grew ever stronger, and his body, already nearly five meters tall, expanded by another meter.

Wu Zhan suddenly raised his right foot and stomped fiercely on the ground.

With a tremendous boom, the ground within a radius of more than ten meters trembled.

A vast section of rock shattered, and countless head-sized stones shot in all directions, breaking the bones and tearing the tendons of the surrounding enemies. With that one strike, nearly half of the seventy or eighty enemies around him fell.

The lightning flashed abruptly, and the rectangular object within broke apart, becoming a fist-sized ball of thunder.

Wu Jin and Wu Tie screamed together, "Father!"

Wu Zhan turned and smiled at Wu Jin and Wu Tie. Already consumed by mad battle intent, he grinned. "Be good. Once Father kills them all, then..."

The thunder fell. The fist-sized lightning flowed like water, swiftly covering Wu Zhan's body before exploding violently.

Wu Zhan's body suddenly became translucent. One could even see his blurred bones through his flesh and blood.

His body exploded. His enormous six-meter-tall body exploded.

Among the remaining forty-odd enemies, nearly half screamed miserably as the overflowing lightning blasted them to pieces.

Wu Zhan vanished.

He was utterly annihilated.

Not even a fragment remained.

"Father!" Wu Tie knelt on the ground with both hands braced against it, staring ahead with bewildered eyes.

Wu Jin turned to look at the raging, boiling water, then looked toward the place where Wu Zhan had vanished.

Wu Tie wailed loudly. His entire body trembling, Wu Jin took a step sideways and stood in front of Wu Tie.

More than twenty wounded men and women panted as they gripped their weapons and advanced step by step toward Wu Jin and Wu Tie.

As for those Ox Tribe warriors and Azure Wolf warriors...

During the melee, they had long since been blasted into fragments.

A figure slowly appeared amid the mist rising from the water.

His face was pale and beardless, and he looked to be in his forties or fifties. He wore black leather armor covered by a gray cloak.

What drew attention was the enormous insignia on the chest of this middle-aged man's leather armor, several times larger than the emblems on his subordinates' chests.

Black mist churned, and a skeletal hand extended from it. In the skeletal palm lay several bloodstained Gold Coins.

That hideous, ugly insignia was enough to reveal the profession of this middle-aged man and those behind him.

"This time, we've taken a loss." The middle-aged man carried a black wooden staff topped with a viper's head in his left hand as he approached Wu Jin and Wu Tie step by step.

He kept shaking his head as he said gently, "We've taken a loss. Who knows how long it will take to earn it back!"

"I'm very angry... Tell me, little friends, how should I vent this anger?"

The middle-aged man smiled. His laughter was gentle, but his gaze was incomparably vicious.

Wu Tie was dazed and gave no response at all.

Wu Zhan was dead...

Wu Yin was dead...

Wu Tong was dead...

Wu Tie's mind buzzed loudly.

The scene before him was no different from a nightmare. That Wu Tie could remain conscious without fainting was already no easy feat.

Wu Jin stood trembling before Wu Tie.

He was not afraid. His injuries simply made his entire body twitch and convulse uncontrollably.

The middle-aged man and his subordinates drew closer step by step, their faces dark as they clenched their teeth until they clicked.

Suddenly, Wu Jin threw down his long saber and dropped to his knees with a thud.

Wu Tie trembled in fright, staring in horror at Wu Jin kneeling before him.

The middle-aged man and those behind him were all stunned as well.

"Kneeling?" The middle-aged man burst into shrill laughter. "You actually... kneeled!"

"Brother!" Wu Tie cried out hoarsely!