[Sudden Eruption]

"Thank you for the warning, Daoist. The green hills remain unchanged, the clear waters flow on. We'll meet again in the jianghu."

The unease in their hearts grew heavier by the moment.

Zhang Long and the others hurriedly cupped their fists toward Mao Ba, then took Zhao Wei's belongings and prepared to leave.

As for holding a grudge against Wu Dao?

They hadn't even considered it. They didn't intend to inform the higher-ups, either.

A man like Wu Dao—

Unless they were certain they could kill him with one hand, he would be an endless source of trouble, bringing countless headaches to the White Whale Martial Arts Hall. Then they would be the ones to blame.

Of course.

Most importantly—

The White Whale Martial Arts Hall had no justifiable grounds to target Wu Dao. Zhao Wei hadn't been killed by his hand, after all. At most, they could accuse him of cursing them for standing by and doing nothing.

"You... Forget it."

The three men's spineless attitude left Mao Ba, whose black-and-white sense of right and wrong had been ingrained in him since childhood, deeply indignant.

In his view,

the three of them should immediately return to the White Whale Martial Arts Hall headquarters, report what had happened, and issue a Jianghu Kill Order to execute the demon Wu Dao.

However,

when he remembered that the White Whale Martial Arts Hall was hardly any good itself,

he couldn't be bothered to say more. He planned to take Yun Tianliu's belongings to Fangcun Sword Hall later.

Rumble—

But just as Zhang Long and the others were about to leave,

rolling thunder boomed, and birds and beasts scattered in all directions.

A distinctly unnatural wind swept toward them, carrying a suffocating, explosive savagery.

In the distance, a colossal beast seemed to be charging at full speed. The earth shook, gray smoke billowed, and it rushed toward them at a breakneck pace.

A spirit monster?

A great demon?

The instant everyone present felt that overwhelming, tempestuous aura, like ten thousand beasts released from their cages, their expressions changed in unison. Without a second thought, they turned to flee.

Unfortunately...

They were too slow.

They had barely recovered from their shock

when Wu Dao's Tyrannosaur Physique, glowing like red-hot steel, appeared before their eyes amid a violent surge of air that swept through the forest.

In less than the blink of an eye—

Boom!!

The air surged and roared, rushing back in a torrent.

The surrounding trees and grass were blown flat, swaying against the ground, while dirt, splinters, and broken stones shot in every direction like bullets. The sharp clatter of impacts rang without end.

Zhang Long and the other two, hit head-on by the storm, strained with all their might just to keep their footing. They struggled to open their eyes and look.

"Wu Dao!!"

When they saw the familiar yet strange figure at the storm's center—tall, burly, and savage as a Mad Beast demon—

the three men, already scarred by their earlier encounter, felt their hearts clench as though an enormous hand had seized them. They collapsed to the ground on the spot.

Mao Ba's pupils contracted.

His heart shook!

He was an Immortal Cultivator at the peak of Divine Strength, with a spirit far beyond that of others at the same level. How could he fail to sense that Wu Dao was more than twice as strong as he had been last night?

Heavy, boundless, indestructible!

He was practically a Steel Tyrannosaurus in human form!

And that wasn't all...

Hiss!

Mao Ba suddenly felt a stab of pain in his head. The moment his spiritual sense touched Wu Dao's body, it slammed into Mental Armor of such savage, ferocious intensity that his skull nearly burst!

Mental Armor!

Only martial artists who had undergone a Second Rebirth could wield such a technique!

In just one night!

In barely one night, how had Wu Dao managed it?

Even with the Demon Core of the Flesh Tai Sui,

it was impossible to digest it all in a single night. That was a slow, painstaking process.

One thing after another—each overturning everything he believed—had become real in Wu Dao.

For a moment, Mao Ba's thoughts churned like a raging sea: hatred, shock, bewilderment, confusion...

In the end,

all of those emotions

became the instinctive terror of a lesser creature facing an apex predator when Wu Dao's gaze settled on him. His eyes were swallowed entirely by pure black, like a bottomless abyss, and Mao Ba trembled uncontrollably.

Mao Ba!

Wu Dao narrowed his eyes and glanced coolly at the crooked-necked Mao Ba.

When he saw the fragments of Yun Tianliu's broken sword in Mao Ba's hand,

killing intent suddenly welled up inside him.

He hadn't expected Mao Ba to be so hard to kill!

He had suffered such grave injuries last night, yet after only one night he had already recovered. He merely looked somewhat weak and drained.

But!

Mao Ba's mistake was returning to the scene so soon!

With Mao Ba's keen eye,

he could naturally notice plenty of things ordinary people would miss. He would know what Wu Dao had done.

And with his righteous, evil-hating nature, just like Yun Tianliu's, if he spread the story of what had happened here...

Wu Dao would definitely be painted as a devil guilty of every crime under the sun, a monster for all the righteous to hunt down!

Wu Dao wasn't some reckless fool who got into trouble without realizing it, enjoyed making the whole world his enemy, and charged around every day, shouting threats and picking fights.

He had no desire to live in misery and bitterness.

If nobody provoked him and his interests weren't involved, he wasn't some lunatic who got itchy all over if he went a day without killing.

He only cared about tangible benefits.

Some unnecessary little trouble—

When it could be nipped in the bud at the source, there was no point in making life difficult for himself.

That wasn't courage.

It was a serious screw loose!

So,

now that he had discovered a potential threat,

he had to snuff it out before it could take root!

With that thought,

Wu Dao spread his spiritual sense over the surrounding hundred meters. After confirming that no "outsiders" were hiding nearby, the corner of his mouth slowly curled into a cruel smile.

Thump—

Mao Ba's soul was instantly enveloped in an endless chill. It was as though a beast had fixed its eyes on him. His hair stood on end, his chest tightened, and alarm bells rang wildly in his heart.

How could he not understand?

Wu Dao had already decided to kill him!

"Daoist, how have you been?"

Wu Dao rolled his neck, the joints cracking one after another. His pitch-black eyes stared fixedly at Mao Ba in the distance, who was slowly backing away, one hand reaching into his Divination Bag as if bracing for battle.

A faint smile played across Wu Dao's face. "Don't be so tense. I deeply regret Brother Yun's death, too.

"Judging by your intentions, Daoist,

you're planning to send Brother Yun home?

"Tsk.

"It's a long road, with mountains high and rivers wide.

"Why don't...

"I, Wu, see you off!!"

Rumble!!

Before the words had even left his mouth,

thunder exploded across the flat ground. The earth broke apart and sank beneath him, the soil and rocks rising and falling like waves.

He couldn't be bothered with any more talk!

He attacked outright!

The Steel Tyrannosaurus's body crushed the air and tore through the Gale Wind. Its unmatched strength sent a storming tide surging outward!

In less than an instant,

his towering, sky-shrouding frame appeared before Mao Ba, carrying a fierce, blood-chilling menace!

"Not a chance!!"

At death's door, Mao Ba's face hardened. He activated the last silver talisman in his Divination Bag.

After deciding to return to the scene,

he had activated this final silver talisman ahead of time to guard against any unforeseen circumstances. Now, a thought was all it took to unleash its power!

This talisman—

the Golden Bell Talisman!!

Clang—

Golden light gleamed as a great bell enveloped him!

Wu Dao clenched his fist into a seal and brought down a mighty Whale Hammer Style strike.

His iron fist was like a whale in the boundless sea, ramming the water with its head. Its heavy, boundless force slammed into the golden bell, instantly bursting into sparks as the shockwave thundered in every direction!

Boom!

A mountain-like force crashed down!

The earth, as though struck by a missile, instantly caved in and burst apart, smoke surging into the sky!

The surrounding ground kept breaking apart, rising and falling like waves on the sea. Violent air currents burst outward in concentric rings, kicking up towering clouds of yellow dust that rolled and surged.