Bickering? Then Let the Blood Flow Like a River!

The heavy iron door of the Death Prison creaked open fully behind Wang Xuan. Before the shrill scrape of rusted metal had faded, blinding daylight surged in like a tide, instantly dispelling the darkness and dampness that had accumulated in the prison for years.

Ding Dian instinctively narrowed his eyes. The wounds around his collarbones throbbed faintly under the daylight. He gently pressed them, his fingertips brushing against dried blood, and a complicated trace of relief at surviving the disaster flashed through his eyes.

Wang Xuan led the way, his steps steady. Inner strength circulated slowly through his meridians, and his Lesser Vajra Indestructible Body gave off a faint yellow glow, barely noticeable yet carrying an inviolable pressure.

Ding Dian followed close behind. Though he had only just broken free of iron chains as thick as bowls, and though his Divine Illumination Scripture was far from mastery and his body was covered in wounds, he still held his back straight and took every step resolutely.

The moment the two stepped out of the Death Prison, they stopped in unison, their expressions changing.

The manor soldiers who should have scattered in defeat were nowhere to be seen. In their place stood a dense sea of heads, packed three layers deep inside and three layers outside, sealing off the small clearing before the Death Prison so tightly that not even water could pass through. Even their way back had been completely blocked by a dense wall of people. They could not escape even with wings.

The crowd was clearly divided into two sides. On the left were Martial Artists dressed in all manner of fitted outfits and wielding sabers, spears, swords, and halberds. Most wore fierce expressions, their eyes fixed on Wang Xuan and Ding Dian like hungry wolves. The looks directed at Ding Dian in particular were filled with undisguised greed and covetousness, as if he were not a man, but a treasure vault filled with riches and Divine Arts.

On the right stood the more disorderly dressed Players. Their expressions varied. Some were excited, gripping their weapons and eager to make a move, clearly hoping to claim a share of the spoils;

others looked nervous, shrinking toward the rear of the crowd with shifting eyes;

still more stood some distance away with their arms crossed and indifferent faces. They had come purely to watch the excitement and had no intention of getting involved.

At the front of the crowd stood Steward Gao, the goateed man in a silk robe. His face was still pale as paper, and his lips trembled faintly in fear. Clearly, he had yet to recover from the terror of Wang Xuan slaughtering the manor soldiers earlier. But when he thought of Ling Tuisi's ruthless methods, he gritted his teeth, gathered his courage, and shouted himself hoarse, "Fellow martial heroes! Look carefully! He is Ding Dian! Lord Ling's heavily guarded prisoner! The secret of the Secret of the Linked Cities treasure, as well as the peerless Divine Illumination Scripture, are all in his head! Capture him, and wealth, glory, and supreme martial arts will all be yours!"

His words were like a ladle of cold water splashed into boiling oil. The already restless crowd instantly erupted. Shouts, discussions, and the clash of weapons mingled together, plunging the scene into chaos.

"Ding Dian! It really is Ding Dian, the Chrysanthemum Swordsman!"

"Treasure! The Divine Illumination Scripture! Get either one, and you can dominate the martial world!"

"Get him! Strike first!"

Roars rose one after another. The eyes of many Martial Artists instantly turned red as they gripped their weapons and desperately shoved forward, wishing they could rush up and capture Ding Dian immediately.

Ding Dian's face changed dramatically. He instinctively clenched his fists until his knuckles turned white. His old wounds were pulled open by the movement, sending agony through his body, while fine beads of cold sweat seeped from his brow.

Back then, he had merely been a hot-blooded young man, kind by nature. He had only saved the life of old Mei Niansheng, the Iron-Boned Ink Crocodile, and been taught the Divine Illumination Scripture and the Linked Cities Sword Technique. Who could have imagined that years later, this would leave him hunted and cursed by all? Unable to be with the woman he loved, he had been set up by her father, imprisoned, and tortured for information. Every memory of the past was stained with blood and tears.

Turmoil surged within Wang Xuan, but his face remained expressionless. He merely lowered his eyes and swept them across the crowd. His once-calm gaze gradually turned cold, and his aura grew increasingly chilling. A dense killing intent quietly spread, causing the restless crowd around him to fall somewhat silent.

He knew perfectly well that these people only coveted the secrets on Ding Dian. Ding Dian was the key to obtaining the Divine Illumination Scripture. Anyone who dared block his path had only one road ahead: death.

Ever since he had killed Yu Jinghong of the Yu Clan Royal Clan, he had already lost any way out. No—perhaps the moment he awakened his Unique Rank talent, those Royal Clans and Longevity Families had been destined to refuse to let him live!

Seeing the crowd grow restless, Steward Gao found some courage. He secretly glanced at the cold-faced Wang Xuan, then stiffened himself and pointed at him as he shouted, "And that brat! He is Wang Xuan, the Skull-Crushing Hand, the fiend who killed three great heroes of the Four Wonders of the South! Capture him, and you can make a name for yourselves too! Heroes, this opportunity must not be missed!"

With those words, even more eyes fixed on Wang Xuan. Some were greedy, some wary, and some eager to try.

Within the crowd, a burly man carrying a Ghost-Head Blade stepped forward. He licked his cracked lips and gave a sinister chuckle. "Kid, hand over Ding Dian if you know what's good for you, then surrender yourself. Don't make me act and give you an ugly death!"

A tall, skinny swordsman beside him also took a step forward, his gaze dark and sinister. "That's right! There are so many of us. No matter how skilled you are, can you really turn the world upside down? Don't refuse a toast only to drink a forfeit. Today, you won't escape even with wings!"

The surrounding Martial Artists all echoed them, rubbing their fists and palms together as they waited for Wang Xuan to yield. Among the Players, those eager to act also became more agitated. Only the Players who had decided to lie low remained at the back, quietly talking amongst themselves with unconcerned expressions.

Wang Xuan raised his eyes and casually glanced at the saber-wielding brute and the tall, skinny man. Then the corner of his mouth curled into a cold arc, a smile containing nothing but bone-deep chill and contempt.

"Finished?"

He spoke softly, yet his voice instantly drowned out the surrounding clamor.

Wang Xuan was not surprised that such obvious lackeys dared provoke him. The world of the Secret of the Linked Cities had never lacked people blinded by greed; for gold and treasure, they would do anything.

"Then it's my turn." Wang Xuan rolled his wrists, and his knuckles cracked sharply. The inner strength throughout his body erupted at once, his Post-Heaven Eighth Layer aura sweeping through the entire area. His Lesser Vajra Indestructible Body was like a deity sculpted from yellow jade.

Before his words had faded, his figure flashed. His Wild Goose Movement Technique operated at full force, making him astonishingly fast. Like an arrow leaving the bowstring, he shot before the saber-wielding brute in an instant. The brute saw only a blurry afterimage. Before he could raise his blade, Wang Xuan's right hand had already slammed into his chest.

A dull thud rang out. The brute's chest instantly caved in, leaving a massive crater. The force within him burst through his back, tearing his clothes apart and forcing his spine to protrude grotesquely. His eyes bulged wide as he spewed a mouthful of blood mixed with broken organs, then fell straight backward. After twitching twice, he stopped breathing.

The scene instantly fell deathly silent. A needle could have been heard dropping. Everyone was stunned. No one had seen how Wang Xuan moved. That ferocious brute had not even been given a chance to resist.

The arrogance on the faces of the Martial Artists who had been swaggering just moments earlier froze instantly, replaced by a measure of wariness.

The Players also sucked in cold breaths, and the discussion abruptly stopped.

The silence lasted only a moment before someone was the first to shout, "Kill him! Avenge Brother Li!"

That sentence was like a fuse. Dozens of Martial Artists at the front howled as they charged madly at Wang Xuan and Ding Dian, brandishing their weapons. A chaotic mass of saber light and sword shadows descended upon them, filled with killing intent.

Facing the surging crowd, Wang Xuan showed no fear whatsoever. His eyes became even colder. Ruthless and decisive, he neither dodged nor avoided. He unleashed the Great Monument-Breaking Hand with full force, every strike carrying tremendous power.

A sword-wielding Martial Artist was struck on the head by one of his palms. His skull burst instantly, brains spraying everywhere in a gruesome sight.

Crack!

Another man wielding an iron whip lashed out. Wang Xuan caught the tip of the whip with a backhanded grab and snapped the iron whip in two with a light tug. He then seized the man's arm, yanked him up, and swung him into the crowd. A whole group was immediately knocked down, and screams rose one after another.

Wang Xuan was like an unstoppable humanoid weapon. Wherever he went, people fell in droves.

The sabers in the Martial Artists' hands struck his body with only the clang of metal against iron, unable to leave even a white mark, while the impact numbed their wrists. When long swords stabbed at him, he simply grabbed their tips, broke the blades with a slight exertion of force, and drove the broken swords into their owners' throats with a backhanded thrust, his movements clean and efficient.

Blood sprayed everywhere, and severed limbs flew through the air. The entrance to the Death Prison instantly became a human Asura. The greed on the faces of those Martial Artists who had failed to squeeze forward gradually faded, replaced by deep fear. Their legs trembled uncontrollably as they backed away, no longer daring to approach even half a step.

The Players stared in stunned disbelief and retreated one after another, afraid of being dragged into the melee.

"Holy shit... isn't this guy way too fierce? Sabers can't cut him, and swords can't pierce him!"

"Good thing we didn't go up there to die. Isn't lying low and watching the show better?"

"This Plot World has only just started. No need to throw away our lives for such a small reward." The Players discussed it among themselves, but no one stepped forward to help.

Wang Xuan was killing to his heart's content. He alternated between the Water-Skipping Technique and the Wild Goose Movement Technique, weaving nimbly through the crowd as though no one stood before him.

His Lesser Vajra Indestructible Body meant he did not need to consider defense at all. He simply attacked with all his strength, his inner power flowing smoothly. Even after killing dozens in succession, his breathing remained steady. He intended to use the most ruthless means possible to intimidate everyone and ensure that he could obtain the Divine Illumination Scripture without trouble.

Just as Wang Xuan was cutting through the crowd like bamboo and seemed about to break through the encirclement, a somewhat sharp aura suddenly erupted from within the crowd. A middle-aged man in a green robe leaped into the air, his long sword drawing a flower of sword light as it stabbed directly at Wang Xuan's brow. Though the move was not particularly exceptional, it was far sharper than the rabble before him.

Wang Xuan's eyes narrowed slightly, and a trace of disdain flashed through them.

With a brief sense, he could tell that the man was merely at the Fifth Layer of Postnatal Realm. Before him, he was not worth mentioning—just an ant somewhat stronger than the others.

Without wasting words, Wang Xuan flashed forward and charged straight at Liu Qing. His palm wind was fierce as it struck for the other man's chest.

Liu Qing's expression changed. He did not dare underestimate his opponent, rapidly swinging his longsword in an attempt to block Wang Xuan's palm force. But his sword was far too slow before Wang Xuan. Wang Xuan's palm easily slipped past the blade and slammed into his chest. Liu Qing did not even have time to scream before falling straight down, utterly lifeless.

The surrounding Martial Artists completely panicked. Even Liu Qing, the strongest among them, had been killed in a single move. They were not even ants by comparison. Some were so frightened that their legs gave out and they collapsed to the ground. Others turned to flee, only to find themselves unable to move because of the people packed behind them. The scene descended into total chaos.

If you enjoy this book, please remember to add it to your bookshelf so you won't lose it next time.