Interception-Leave None Alive! (Four Thousand Words, Please Bookmark and Vote)

Night.

Luo Heng built a small campfire beside the stream. The flames danced, casting their glow over Han Chong's pale face.

After half a day of recuperation, coupled with the pills Luo Heng had provided, Han Chong's breathing had stabilized considerably. At the very least, he was no longer in mortal danger.

"Brother Luo, I will never forget your life-saving grace." Han Chong leaned against a rock and solemnly thanked him again.

Luo Heng stirred the fire without looking up. "Brother Han, there's no need to be so polite. I'm heading to the Flame City Rune Master Tower as well. It was only a small favor."

Han Chong's eyes flashed with delight upon hearing this. "Brother Luo, you're going to the Symbol Master Tower? Could it be... you're also a Talisman Master?"

His tone clearly rose at the end. A Talisman Master and an Earthen Yuan Stage martial artist under eighteen?

Luo Heng did not deny it. With a thought, a thread of Spiritual Power gently swept out.

As a Two-Seal Symbol Master, Han Chong was naturally keenly sensitive to Spiritual Power. His expression changed at once, and he blurted out, "A First Seal Rune Master?! And... your Spiritual Power is nearly as refined as that of an ordinary Two-Seal Symbol Master! Brother Luo, how old are you?"

"Sixteen," Luo Heng answered flatly.

Han Chong sucked in a breath. A sixteen-year-old First Seal Rune Master, with Spiritual Power this refined... such talent would rank among the very best even in the Symbol Master Towers throughout the Great Flame Dynasty!

"Brother Luo..." Han Chong's attitude grew increasingly respectful, even carrying a hint of intent to befriend him. "With your talent, you'll surely receive special cultivation after joining the Symbol Master Tower. If you need anything then, I will do my utmost to recommend you."

Just as Luo Heng was about to reply, his brow suddenly furrowed. His sharp gaze swept toward the dark woods beyond the firelight.

"Someone's coming."

He rose to his feet, his Spiritual Power spreading out like spilled mercury. Every movement within a hundred meters fell within his "sight."

Five of them.

Four were at the Earthen Yuan Stage. The last one... had a rather strange aura. He seemed to have cultivated some method for Concealment, but he was roughly between the late Earthen Yuan Stage and the early Heaven Yuan Realm.

Their footsteps were light, their killing intent obvious as they moved in a fan-shaped encirclement toward the stream.

"Pursuers?" Han Chong's face instantly turned ugly as he struggled to stand.

"Don't move."

Luo Heng pressed him down, his eyes cold. "Stay here. I'll deal with them."

"Brother Luo! You mustn't!" Han Chong said urgently. Although Luo Heng's Spiritual Power talent was extraordinary, his cultivation seemed to be only at the early Earthen Yuan Stage. How could he possibly face at least four Earthen Yuan Stage martial artists? Not to mention there might be an expert nearing the Heaven Yuan Realm among them!

"They're here for me. I..."

"Stop. I'm handling this." Luo Heng cut him off, his tone calm and offering no explanation.

As soon as he finished speaking, his body flashed and vanished from the spot, leaving only an afterimage beside the fire.

His self-created movement technique, the Soaring Dragon Steps, combined with the pure Primal Energy of the middle Earthen Yuan Stage, made him astonishingly fast.

Han Chong stared dumbly in the direction Luo Heng had vanished, his heart churning with stormy waves.

That speed... was absolutely not something an ordinary early Earthen Yuan Stage martial artist could possess!

"Could it be..."

An unbelievable thought rose in his mind.

Within the woods, five black-clad figures were silently approaching.

At their head was a one-eyed, burly man with a vicious scar across his face. His aura was fierce and brutal. He was the Seventh Chieftain of Black Skull Stronghold, the One-Eyed Wolf, Chen Kui, at the peak of the Earthen Yuan Stage.

"Boss, his aura is by the stream ahead. It's very weak. He should be nearly finished," a gaunt man with a pointed mouth and monkey-like cheeks said in a low voice. He was a scout from Black Skull Stronghold, at the middle Earthen Yuan Stage.

"Hmph. That brat from the Symbol Master Tower has quite a tough life."

Chen Kui gave a savage grin, cold light flickering in his one eye. "Han Chong must die, and that batch of Fire Cloud Crystals must be recovered! The stronghold master said that if we fail this time, we'll bring back our heads!"

"Yes!" the other three answered. They were all capable fighters at the middle Earthen Yuan Stage.

"Move faster. Kill him and retreat immediately!" Chen Kui waved his hand, and the five quickened their pace.

Yet just as they were about to rush out of the woods and catch sight of the campfire by the stream—

A green figure appeared like a ghost beneath a large tree three zhang ahead of them, utterly soundless.

Moonlight filtered through the gaps in the branches, falling upon that young yet exceptionally calm face.

"This road is closed."

Luo Heng's voice was not loud, yet it clearly reached all five men.

"Who goes there?!" Chen Kui's heart jumped. He had not even noticed when this person had appeared!

Once he saw Luo Heng clearly and realized he was merely a sixteen- or seventeen-year-old youth, disdain and brutality immediately flashed through Chen Kui's eye.

"Where did this little brat come from, daring to block the path of your grandfathers from Black Skull Stronghold? Tired of living?"

"Black Skull Stronghold?" Luo Heng's lips curled into a cold arc. "Perfect. I'll use you to test my skills."

"Courting death!" A hot-tempered, burly man behind Chen Kui roared. Without waiting for Chen Kui's command, he lunged forward.

The cultivation of the middle Earthen Yuan Stage erupted. A Ghost-Head Broadsword howled through the air as it cleaved straight toward Luo Heng's face! The strike was vicious, clearly intending to split Luo Heng in two!

Faced with a blow powerful enough to split steles and shatter rocks, Luo Heng advanced instead of retreating.

The Soaring Dragon Steps unfolded, and his body moved like a fish swimming through water. With an incomparably nimble sidestep, he narrowly avoided the blade.

At the same time, he brought two fingers together like a sword. Pale golden Primal Energy gathered at his fingertips as they shot like lightning toward the burly man's sword-wielding wrist!

Sssht!

The instant his fingertips touched the wrist, a sharp, needle-like stream of Primal Energy pierced straight in!

"Argh!"

The burly man felt agonizing pain shoot through his wrist, as if his tendons had been pierced through. His grip loosened involuntarily, and the Ghost-Head Broadsword clanged to the ground.

Luo Heng pressed the advantage. His footwork shifted again, and his body moved like a dragon flicking its tail as he instantly closed into the burly man's chest.

Tiangang Thunderclap Fist—First Appearance of Lightning!

Faint lightning flickered over his fist as it slammed hard into the burly man's chest.

Bang!

A dull impact rang out. The burly man's eyes bulged, his chest caved in, and his body flew backward like a sack of rags. He crashed through two small trees before hitting the ground, twitching twice before falling silent.

Killed in a single blow!

Silence!

The remaining four, Chen Kui included, were all stunned.

A capable middle Earthen Yuan Stage fighter had been instantly killed in a single exchange?

Just what cultivation did this youth possess?!

"You..." Uncertainty filled Chen Kui's one eye. Only now did he realize that he could not see through this youth at all.

His opponent's aura seemed to be only around the middle Earthen Yuan Stage, yet the speed, judgment, sense of timing, and terrifying explosive fist strength he had displayed far surpassed an ordinary middle Earthen Yuan Stage martial artist!

"Attack together! Kill him!"

Chen Kui was, after all, a hardened bandit who lived by the blade. He made his decision instantly. No matter what was strange about this youth, they had the advantage in numbers and had to end this quickly!

"Kill!"

The remaining three middle Earthen Yuan Stage martial artists shouted together and pounced on Luo Heng from three directions, blades and swords raised, their killing intent surging.

Chen Kui remained half a step behind. His one eye locked tightly onto Luo Heng as he silently gripped a pair of refined steel short halberds, searching for the chance to deliver a fatal strike.

Facing the three-man assault, Luo Heng's expression did not change in the slightest.

He pushed the Soaring Dragon Steps to their limit, weaving through the flashes of blades and swords. Though he seemed to be in constant danger, he always evaded their attacks from impossible angles.

"His movement technique is strange! Don't give him an opening!" one sword-wielding bandit shouted. His sword light formed a net, trying to seal off Luo Heng's room to dodge.

The other two intensified their attacks as well. For a moment, Luo Heng seemed to be suppressed.

But that was precisely the effect Luo Heng wanted. Everything was under his control.

At the instant the three men's offensive reached its densest point and they were about to exert their full strength—

Within his Niwan Palace, three Myriad Techniques Spirit Needles that had long been condensed shot forth soundlessly!

Their targets were the three bandits' brows!

Spiritual attacks were invisible and formless, and their speed surpassed all reaction.

"Urgh!"

The three men almost simultaneously felt as if red-hot iron needles had pierced their brains. Intense pain and powerful dizziness struck at once. Their attacks halted abruptly, their bodies stiffened, and painful confusion appeared on their faces.

"Now!"

Cold light burst from Luo Heng's eyes as the Great Devouring Art began to circulate, Primal Energy surging through him.

The Flowing Cloud and Soaring Goose Steps combined with the Soaring Dragon Steps, pushing his movement speed to its absolute limit. He became a blurred green bolt of lightning, flashing through the three bandits.

The Qingxuan Sword had somehow appeared in his hand. Its sword light flashed like the cold radiance of the moon, then vanished.

Pfft! Pfft! Pfft!

Three heads soared into the air! Blood spurted like fountains!

Only when the three headless bodies slowly collapsed did Chen Kui recover from the lightning-fast change.

He looked at Luo Heng standing with sword in hand, blood dripping from its tip, his eyes as cold as frost. A chill shot from the soles of Chen Kui's feet to the crown of his head!

Four middle Earthen Yuan Stage subordinates, all wiped out in fewer than ten breaths!

What kind of youth was this? He was clearly a ferocious beast wearing human skin!

"You... who exactly are you?!" Chen Kui's voice was dry, and his palm was drenched in cold sweat around his short halberd.

He knew that today, he had kicked an iron plate—and a red-hot one at that!

Luo Heng flicked the blood droplets from his sword and raised his eyes to Chen Kui. "Why ask so much when you're already a dead man?"

Chen Kui's expression shifted before finally turning savage. Fierce light burst from his one eye.

"Brat, I'll admit you have some skill, but if you think you can kill me, Chen Kui, you're not qualified!"

The cultivation of the peak Earthen Yuan Stage erupted, several times stronger than the previous four men! The muscles in his arms bulged as black light spread over his pair of short halberds. They had clearly been coated in deadly poison.

Poison Dragon Twin Kill!

Chen Kui shouted as his body shot forward. His twin halberds became two black rays like venomous dragons, one above and one below, stabbing toward Luo Heng's throat and heart! This was his trump card. Combined with his unique poison arts, it had slain several martial artists of the same level!

It was incredibly fast, its angles vicious, and the wind from the halberds carried a sickly sweet stench!

However, beneath Luo Heng's powerful Spiritual Power perception, Chen Kui's movements seemed to slow several times over.

Every detail and every thread of Primal Energy circulation was crystal clear.

Luo Heng's feet stepped in rapid succession. His body shifted several times in tiny, phantom-like movements, precisely evading the deadly combined attack of the twin halberds.

At the same time, he flicked his wrist. The Qingxuan Sword shot forward like a venomous snake striking, thrusting straight toward the exposed gap beneath Chen Kui's ribs as he exerted force!

Chen Kui had extensive combat experience. At the crucial moment, he forcibly twisted his body and swept a short halberd back, trying to block.

Clang!

Sword and halberd collided, sending sparks flying!

Chen Kui felt a tremendous force travel through the halberd, numbing both his arms. Shock surged through his heart. What terrifying strength!

Yet he was still at the peak Earthen Yuan Stage and battle-hardened. He used the force to retreat, while the short halberd in his left hand flew from his grip, shooting toward Luo Heng's face like a poisoned dart!

The sudden change was extraordinarily sinister!

Luo Heng seemed caught off guard and could only tilt his head aside.

Sshhk!

The short halberd grazed past his ear, taking several strands of hair with it.

A flash of delight had just appeared in Chen Kui's eye, thinking he had seized an opportunity, when Luo Heng's smooth head-tilting motion flowed into a strange spin. Like a turning dragon, he instantly closed the distance between them!

The two were nearly face-to-face!

Chen Kui could even see the icy, bone-deep killing intent in Luo Heng's eyes.

Not good!

Alarm bells blared in his mind. He desperately thrust the short halberd in his right hand toward Luo Heng's lower abdomen, intending to take him down with him.

But Luo Heng was faster!

His left hand clamped around Chen Kui's halberd-wielding wrist like an iron vise. A stream of bone-chilling Primal Energy carrying an eerie devouring force instantly invaded, numbing Chen Kui's entire arm!

At the same time, the Qingxuan Sword in Luo Heng's right hand pierced unimpeded into Chen Kui's heart.

"Urgh..."

Chen Kui froze. He lowered his head to stare at the blade buried in his chest, his eyes filled with disbelief.

He was the dignified Seventh Chieftain of Black Skull Stronghold, at the peak Earthen Yuan Stage, yet he had actually... died at the hands of a sixteen-year-old youth?

"Wh... why..." A hoarse rasp came from his throat.

"Because you wanted to harm someone I want to protect now." Luo Heng leaned close to his ear, his voice cold. "In your next life, try not to meet me."

After saying that, he twisted his wrist, and Sword Qi erupted!

Chen Kui's body trembled. The light in his eye quickly faded, and with a thud, he dropped to his knees and breathed his last.

Luo Heng pulled out his sword without even glancing at the five corpses on the ground.

He walked to the stream and carefully washed the blood from his sword and hands, then used Primal Energy to dry the bloodstains on his clothes.

When dealing with enemies, he had always exterminated them completely and uprooted the problem, never leaving behind future trouble.

These bandits had no idea how much innocent blood stained their hands. They deserved death.

More importantly, they knew he was protecting Han Chong. If even one escaped and word reached Black Skull Stronghold, not only would Han Chong be in danger, but Luo Heng himself might be targeted by those desperadoes, possibly even dragging his family in Qingyang Town into it.

Therefore, not a single one could be left alive.

Luo Heng casually put their Spatial Pouches into the System Space, too lazy to inspect them now.

When he returned to the campfire, Han Chong was leaning against the rock, watching him with a complicated expression.

Though the battle had been brief, it had not been quiet. Although Han Chong's injuries had yet to heal, he had sensed the fierce killing intent and the abruptly vanishing life auras.

"Brother Luo... they..." Han Chong's voice was somewhat dry.

"Taken care of." Luo Heng's tone was calm, as if he had merely swatted a few flies. "Chen Kui, the Seventh Chieftain of Black Skull Stronghold, and four Earthen Yuan Stage subordinates. All dead."

Han Chong sucked in a breath, and the way he looked at Luo Heng changed completely.

To eliminate Chen Kui and his group so cleanly and decisively, Brother Luo's strength far exceeded anything Han Chong had imagined! He was surely not merely at the middle Earthen Yuan Stage!

"Brother Luo, words cannot express my gratitude!" Han Chong clasped his fists solemnly. "I will remember this favor forever! Once we reach Flame City, if you have any orders, I will not refuse even if it costs me my life!"

Luo Heng waved his hand and sat down beside the fire again. "Brother Han, there's no need for this. Focus on recovering first. At dawn, we'll set out for Flame City."