The Mightiest Warrior Under Heaven!

The scene was horrific. The ground was awash in crimson, and the corpses could hardly even be called corpses anymore. Not one was intact; it was as if they had been crushed to death by a boulder.

They must have died in an instant, too—so quickly that they hadn't had time to cry out in pain before they were gone.

Otherwise, there would have been at least a few anguished screams.

Zhu Youning turned his gaze toward the bodies, his brow furrowing. The sight was genuinely nauseating.

Then he looked toward the passage beside them.

A group of people came down the passage. They were the Xuanming Cult assassins, led by Jiang Renjie. They seemed to have sensed that something was amiss and hurried over.

Zhu Youning addressed Jiang Renjie as he approached at a measured pace. "These people met gruesome deaths. Benevolent Saint Yama King, you're the most experienced among those present. Can you tell what killed them?"

Jiang Renjie clasped his hands, then walked over to the mangled corpses.

After examining them for a moment, he reached a conclusion.

"They were probably bludgeoned to death! The weapon may have been a blunt instrument, like a meteor hammer." As befitted the foremost of the Five Great Yama Kings, Jiang Renjie had recognized the cause of death at a glance.

Zhu Youning shook his head. "No, I think they weren't killed by a weapon. They were killed by a person."

"Killed by a person? What did he use?"

"His fists!"

"What person in this world could have fists that big?"

Jiang Renjie reflexively rejected the idea. But as soon as the words left his mouth, someone suddenly came to mind. His brow furrowed, and he cried out in alarm, "Wait. There really is someone in this world with fists that big! Could it be..."

Before Jiang Renjie could finish, a lewd laugh suddenly drifted over from the horizon.

The laughter came without warning. Then everyone heard the thunderous sound of enormous footsteps in the distance. Each step sent a tremor through the ground, like an earthquake.

"With a commotion like that, could it really be that man?!"

Jiang Renjie's face darkened, and even a trace of fear and panic showed in his expression.

If someone could frighten Jiang Renjie, the foremost of the Five Great Yama Kings, then he was no ordinary person!

After all, Jiang Renjie could commit regicide without so much as batting an eyelid. He had long since buried any hint of panic deep within himself.

"What's happening? Is the earth dragon turning over?"

Wu Yi's whole body tensed as he watched warily.

Knowing full well who was coming, Zhu Youning immediately gave his orders. He first sent three hundred soldiers forward to form ranks, then instructed the rest to take up bows and arrows, climb onto the surrounding rooftops, and stand ready to fire.

He already knew who was coming.

Just then, a deafening crash rang out. A giant smashed through the courtyard wall with one punch and came lumbering out through the breach, his every step shaking the ground. The bricks beneath his feet sank, leaving enormous footprints. The ground around them cracked apart, sending dust billowing into the air.

The giant soon came to a stop.

He stood nearly four meters tall, with muscles knotted all over his body. His neck was thick, and his broad back and shoulders were as solid as rock. On his bare skin, bulging muscles rose in thick cords.

Now, his palm—larger than an ordinary person's head—was wrapped around a horse's neck. With a face as fierce as a demon from the underworld, he struck terror into the heart just by standing there.

The horse dangled in his grasp, all four hooves off the ground. It whinnied incessantly, but to no avail.

The horse belonged to Zhu Youning.

And this man was Li Cunxiao, the head of the Filial Sect within Tongwen Hall, ranked tenth among the Thirteen Taibao of Jin State—and hailed as "the mightiest warrior under heaven"!

At the sight of the hulking Li Cunxiao, the soldiers froze. Even Jiang Renjie, the foremost of the Five Great Yama Kings, couldn't hide his fear.

Standing atop the giant's head was a small, monkey-like figure. This was Li Cunzhong, head of the Loyal Sect within Tongwen Hall and ninth among the Thirteen Taibao.

Li Cunzhong gave a leering laugh. "It took a while to catch this beast that dared to provoke us. I didn't expect you to come right to our door! Tenth brother, kill the beast first, then we'll slaughter this lot!"

At his words, Li Cunxiao let out a roar and clamped a hand around the horse's head. His fingers, like iron rods, nearly sank into its flesh.

The powerful steed couldn't even struggle in his grasp. Li Cunxiao tightened his grip, and with a crack of breaking bone, the horse's eyes burst out along with its brains. Its head was crushed in his hand.

The horse thrashed desperately a few times, then went limp and lay still. Li Cunxiao reached out with his other hand, seized one of its hind legs, and pulled with both arms.

Splurt!

Horse blood sprayed into the air and splattered in every direction, but just before it could touch Li Cunxiao, an invisible force of true qi blocked it.

Afterward, Li Cunzhong looked at the terrified people in the courtyard and said delightedly, "Our Holy Lord big brother only told me to kill Wang Shifan. I never expected to find such a big fish here besides him! Rebel Zhu Youning, you followed Zhu Wen in rebelling against the throne and throwing the court into chaos. Everyone has a right to kill you. Now that you're here, you're not leaving!"

"Impertinent! You dare speak the names of His Majesty and Prince An so casually?"

Wu Yi stepped forward and shielded Zhu Youning with his body. He drew the sword at his side, raised it slightly, and pointed its tip at Li Cunzhong, perched atop Li Cunxiao. "Archers, prepare!"

The creak of bowstrings being drawn rang through the air. Li Cunzhong wasn't fazed in the least. He looked around and saw the fully armed Longxiang Army soldiers standing expressionless.

"As expected of the Liang State's well-trained elite. They aren't the least bit afraid of my tenth brother. Too bad they're all about to die."

"Die? We'll see who dies!"

Wu Yi shouted, "Shield-bearers, advance slowly! Archers, aim at Li Cunzhong and fire!"

In an instant, hundreds of archers on the rooftops drew their bows and loosed a rain of arrows.

Their target wasn't Li Cunxiao, but Li Cunzhong on his back.

But Li Cunxiao clearly wouldn't let the arrows hit Li Cunzhong. He immediately raised his arm to shield him. The sharp arrowheads struck his corded, muscular arm, leaving only faint white marks.

The sight filled Zhu Youning with worry.

As expected of the mightiest warrior under heaven! Li Cunxiao's body was practically impervious to blades and spears!

Li Cunzhong remained utterly calm from beginning to end. Seeing every incoming arrow blocked, he couldn't help but gloat. "You think a few lousy arrows can hurt Li Cunxiao, the mightiest warrior under heaven?!"

Zhu Youning made his decision at once and ordered, "All troops, listen up! Switch to fire arrows!"

The archers on the rooftops calmly fitted fire arrows to their bows, drew the bowstrings back with the strength of their arms, and took aim at Li Cunxiao, ready to fire.

"Volatile Fire! Throw!"

At Zhu Youning's command, the soldiers on the ground hurled more than twenty bottles and jars at Li Cunxiao.

As soon as the jars landed beside Li Cunxiao, Zhu Youning immediately ordered, "Fire!"

With a whoosh, flaming arrows sprang from their strings, tracing delicate arcs through the air before raining down on the jars.

Boom!

One explosion after another rang out. Within a ten-meter radius of Li Cunxiao, flames surged into the sky.