As the saying goes, beneath a heavy reward, brave men are bound to emerge.
100,000 Gold Coins.
It was an enormous sum that most Advanced Martial Artists could scarcely earn even in a lifetime!
Thus, it was not only the Meng family who received the news.
Many other well-informed lineages, factions, organizations, and the like also learned of it!
In an instant, quite a few people were tempted.
Numerous Advanced Martial Artists were eager to try. Without another word, they grabbed their weapons and rushed from the city toward the strongholds, afraid someone else would beat them to it... Even some Martial Masters got ideas, specifically heading to the four strongholds to lie in wait, all for the chance to claim the 100,000 Gold Coins first!
And so, by the next day.
"Hm? There are more people?"
After hearing the reports from the technique avatars, Su Zhan found it somewhat strange.
Blood Consumption: "That's right, Boss. There are clearly a lot more people. It used to be especially difficult to find an Advanced Martial Artist where I was, but today, they're practically everywhere!"
Jiuhuo: "Same here, Boss. There are a lot more Advanced and Intermediate Martial Artists! And they seem to be... looking for us!"
Sanyu: "Not 'seem to be'—they are looking for us! I heard their conversations. A Black Cloak, a mysterious man in a mask... aren't they talking about us?"
Frenzy Blood: "More people is perfect! I was just worried I hadn't killed enough yesterday!"
Lei Yin: "Boss, they found me!"
Su Zhan: "Being found is no big deal. Try not to get surrounded. Escape first, and after ensuring your own safety, take them on slowly!"
Lei Yin: "Boss, I've already slaughtered them all! The feeling of slaughtering people... is really nice!"
Su Zhan: "..."
"If nothing unexpected happened, this should be the effect of yesterday's massacre."
Su Zhan's eyes flickered as he had already guessed the general situation.
He had underestimated the Meng family's response speed. He had thought he would need to massacre them for several more days before the Meng family made a move. Who would have thought that a great lineage was indeed a great lineage? Not only did they react swiftly, their influence was so vast that they could summon so many reinforcements in a single day!
"But this is a good thing!"
The corner of Su Zhan's mouth curled up. "I was worried that after killing them once, they would turtle up and stop coming out, leaving me with less profit... But the truth is the exact opposite. With so many people, just how plentiful will the harvest be?"
All these people regarded him as prey.
Little did they know that they were the big patrons in his eyes!
Su Zhan seemed to already see a towering mountain of gold waving at him!
"Everyone, you may now let loose and slaughter to your hearts' content!"
Su Zhan ordered.
Blood Consumption: "Alright, Boss. Then I won't hold back!"
Jiuhuo: "Heh heh, they dared to come looking for us? Then we'll make sure none of them return!"
Sanyu: "Kill, kill, kill! With this many people, I definitely won't come in last in today's results!"
Frenzy Blood: "I've already started!"
Lei Yin: "Killed another one. This feels incredible!"
Su Zhan: "Lei Yin, enjoy yourself, but don't focus only on killing. Remember to collect the bodies!"
Lei Yin: "Yes, Boss!"
After that came several system notifications for loot gained.
Su Zhan could not even be bothered to look at them.
Opening them one by one was too troublesome. It was better to wait until all the prizes had piled up, then give himself one huge surprise in a single go!
Meng family stronghold.
"They're here, they're here! Black cloak, white mask—it's him!!"
"He showed up so openly? With so many of us here, this guy really isn't afraid of dying!"
"Wait... why is his realm only that of a Beginner Martial Artist?!"
"Is there some mistake? A Beginner Martial Artist can kill an Advanced Martial Artist? Is the intelligence wrong? Since when did Heaven City produce such a monstrous genius?"
"Could someone have deliberately dressed a person up like this, then killed him to claim the reward?"
"It might be a trap. This person has concealed his realm... A Beginner Martial Artist killing an Advanced Martial Artist? Who are they trying to fool?"
"Hahaha, you idiots, who cares whether he's a Beginner Martial Artist or not? As long as we slaughter him, the 100,000 Gold Coins are mine!!"
"..."
When a tall figure in a black cloak and white mask appeared before everyone, quite a few people were stunned and did not react for a moment.
There were over twenty of them in total, from various lineages, all searching for the other party's traces... Yet not only had the other party appeared directly before them, the aura of his realm clearly indicated that he was a Beginner Martial Artist!
According to the intelligence, this guy had slaughtered several Advanced Martial Artists... How could his realm possibly be only at the beginner level?
A Beginner Martial Artist killing an Advanced Martial Artist?
They had only heard of such things online. They had never seen it in reality!
Everyone was somewhat dumbfounded.
However, a bald, burly man at the Advanced Martial Artist realm reacted swiftly, charging out without a second word.
And the words he shouted woke everyone up.
That was right!
Who cared whether he was a Beginner Martial Artist? Dressed like this, in this outfit, they just needed to slaughter him and go back to claim the reward!
Unfortunately, they were one move too slow.
With an Advanced Martial Artist making the first move, they had no chance.
Yet just as they were certain that this Beginner Martial Artist in the black cloak and white mask was doomed, he made his move.
Sshk—
A clean, decisive slash.
The bald man was separated from his head.
A head and a headless body spraying blood were flung through the air.
"Holy shit!"
"Damn!"
"What the hell!"
"Are you kidding me?!"
"An Advanced Martial Artist... was gone in one slash?!"
"What just happened?!"
"Run!! There's something strange about this guy!!"
"..."
In an instant, all twenty-plus Martial Artists were terrified and thrown into a panic... The Beginner and Intermediate Martial Artists turned and fled on the spot, not daring to hesitate in the slightest!
Lei Yin: "Trying to leave? That won't do. I haven't killed to my heart's content yet!"
The next second.
Her figure was like a gale, unbelievably fast. The hundred-meter distance took less than a breath, and she had already caught up to an Advanced Martial Artist.
Feeling the sharp killing intent behind him, the Advanced Martial Artist was terrified to the extreme.
He tried to turn around and defend himself.
But it was already too late.
"No!!!"
Blade Energy flashed.
Blood sprayed.
By the time that Advanced Martial Artist's head fell to the ground, Lei Yin was no longer behind him. She had already passed through the fleeing crowd and caught up to another Advanced Martial Artist.
"Spare me, please, spare—"
His hoarse plea for mercy came to an abrupt halt as his head once more flew into the air.
Just like that.
With speed that completely surpassed those Martial Artists, Lei Yin darted back and forth through the fleeing crowd.
Even though every one of them fled in different directions.
Even though some of them wore armor made from High-grade Spirit Weapons.
Before Lei Yin's absolute power and absolute speed, they could only die with resentment in their hearts.
This was an Earth Grade Technique!
This was the ultimate speed of a Movement Technique!
Even without a grade, relying solely on the enhancement of instinct, it already far surpassed those of the same realm!
"Hm?"
However, among the twenty-plus people, Lei Yin encountered the only Advanced Martial Artist who could withstand her blade and was not killed in one slash.
Clearly, this Advanced Martial Artist was an expert among those of the same realm.
He was far stronger than the bald man.
But the reason this Advanced Martial Artist fled was simple as well: he believed he could kill the bald man, but he absolutely could not do it so cleanly and decisively in one slash!
So he ran.
When he witnessed Lei Yin weaving through the crowd of Martial Artists, striking so quickly that even he could not see clearly, the Advanced Martial Artist was so horrified that his eyes trembled.
It was over.
Those were the only two words in his heart.
"If one slash can't finish it, then I'll give you another!"
Lei Yin's solution was simple and brutal.
The second slash, the third slash, the fourth... There was no need for a fourth. By the third slash, his head had already been chopped clean off!
Lei Yin flicked her finger, shaking the blood from her blade.
Her gaze drifted toward the outline of the Meng family stronghold in the distance.
"Boss seemed to say that I can kill them all, right?"
"Should I ask Boss?"
"Forget it. Why disturb him over such a trivial matter... Kill!"
Before you continue