Who Dares Utter the Word "Execute" Again

The bluestone street cracked apart inch by inch, and dust and smoke surged into the sky, instantly swallowing the Fire Qilin's figure.

Yet the swordsman did not relax in the slightest, his gaze locked firmly onto the churning cloud of gray dust.

Though the smoke was thick, sharp crackling explosions continued to erupt from within—

The Fire Qilin was not dead at all!

"Roar—aaaoow—!" An enraged bellow exploded through the air as scarlet flames instantly burned away the dust. The Fire Qilin raised its head and revealed itself!

Its eyes were blood-red and savage. Its four hooves bent slightly as it drew back, coiling with power.

In a flash, it vanished from where it stood. The next instant, it slammed straight into the middle-aged man's chest and sent him flying!

As he flew backward, the middle-aged man's face was filled with disbelief—

He had roamed the martial world for half his life and had been nearly invincible, yet he had been defeated by a mere beast?

He did not know that the Fire Qilin's current strength was already comparable to the reclusive old monsters of this world. Had he known, he would never have been so shocked!

The Heavenly Sword realm was indeed the pinnacle of swordsmanship, but in terms of true cultivation, Nameless was far inferior to existences such as Di Shitian, God, and Devil.

Losing to a Fire Qilin on their level was no disgrace. It was only natural.

After sending Nameless flying, the Fire Qilin did not pause. Wrapped in blazing flames, it pursued him like a meteor crashing to earth, unstoppable in its momentum.

Once it caught up in midair, it opened its massive jaws. Scorching Qilin flames churned in its throat, ready to be unleashed and burn this martial arts legend to ashes.

"Stop!"

Barros's icy voice rang out from afar, his pressure as immovable as a mountain and impossible to defy.

The flames in the Fire Qilin's throat halted. It reluctantly withdrew its attack, lowered its head, circled around Nameless, and obediently retreated.

"The martial arts legend, Nameless?"

Watching the Fire Qilin defeat the publicly acknowledged strongest man in this world, a trace of satisfaction flashed through Barros's eyes.

With a slight sway of his body, he was already seated steadily upon the Fire Qilin's back—the beast snorted disdainfully, casting a sidelong glance at the battered Nameless on the ground.

Step, step, step...

Barros urged his mount forward at a slow pace, passing calmly by Nameless's side.

The Fire Qilin had only severely wounded him. Barros had no intention of taking his life, much less any desire to befriend him.

Nameless watched Barros and the Fire Qilin pass by, his expression impossibly complicated.

Only after man and beast had gone farther away did he clutch his chest with one hand, grit his teeth, and force himself to his feet. Staggering onward, he disappeared at the end of the street lined with ruined walls and shattered buildings.

As they traveled west, the Fire Qilin's fame spread ever farther.

In just a few days, the entire Divine Land knew that someone had tamed the Fire Qilin as a mount and ridden across the martial world, invincible wherever he went.

There were no shortage of clever people in the world, but there were even more who did not know the value of their own lives.

As Barros rode the Fire Qilin onward, he had already slaughtered countless petty scoundrels coveting the divine beast.

Every time he acted, he ordered the Fire Qilin to give its all—

If they dared come to die, why should they beg for mercy?

Thus, wherever they passed, people trembled at the very mention of them, and no one dared approach.

Barros and the Fire Qilin were also regarded as thorns in the flesh by the so-called righteous heroes of the realm. Some had even begun secretly gathering experts from various sects, swearing to join forces and kill them both.

Before long, another piece of news spread: every part of the Fire Qilin's body was a treasure. Back then, a single scale had been forged into the Fire Qilin Sword, which had shaken the martial world.

From then on, it was not only those self-proclaimed righteous people. Even the major forces and martial arts overlords sent men to intercept them, hoping to seize the divine beast.

Unfortunately, by the time Barros rode the Fire Qilin to the gates of Hero King Manor, no one had succeeded—

Instead, several thousand martial arts heroes and top experts had all fallen beneath the Fire Qilin's claws and fangs.

Hero King Manor!

Its name for chivalry was renowned throughout the world.

Barros swept his gaze over it, did not pause, and directly urged the Fire Qilin onward.

At the sight, the Adam's apples of the two manor guards bobbed as they blurted out in trembling voices, "Gulp... Fi... Fire Qilin! Run—run!!"

Before their words had even faded, the other guards had already scattered like frightened birds and beasts.

BOOM!!

Wood splinters flew everywhere as the crimson gates of Hero King Manor were blown apart by the Fire Qilin's flames, shattering into dust that filled the sky. The courtyard walls and several side buildings collapsed as well, turning into blackened ruins that fell to the ground in showers of debris.

Barros rode slowly onward atop the Fire Qilin. Under the flickering firelight, his imposing aura rolled toward the depths of the manor like wave after wave of a rising tide.

Before long, a middle-aged man in his early thirties, dressed in a brocade robe, hurried out with a group of Hero King Manor guards whose faces were ashen and whose hands and legs trembled.

He stopped more than ten paces away from the Fire Qilin, cupped his fists in salute, and said in a slightly trembling voice, "Senior, may I ask how Hero King Manor has offended you to warrant such a grand visit?"

Barros gave him a sidelong glance, his voice like an icy blade leaving its sheath. "You did not offend me. This Emperor has come only for the Ice Soul—if you want to live, get lost."

"Ice Soul?" Lü Yi's heart jolted violently, his throat tightening so much that he could not utter a single word of objection.

In the wake of the Fire Qilin lay corpses strewn everywhere. Countless renowned masters and self-proclaimed invincible grandmasters had all been burned into wisps of smoke by its Qilin flames. Even if Hero King Manor possessed thousands of troops and horses, how could they possibly withstand the overwhelming might of this ancient ferocious beast?

Barros snorted coldly and lightly patted the Fire Qilin's neck. The colossal beast raised its head and strode onward.

The Ice Soul was hidden within the forbidden ground of the rear mountain of Hero King Manor—the Hero King Mausoleum. Even without a guide, Barros could follow the veins of cold energy straight to its core.

No matter how vast Hero King Manor was, it could not withstand the Fire Qilin's pounding hooves. In the blink of an eye, Barros, the Fire Qilin, and the people of Hero King Manor following behind them had arrived before the main hall beyond the Hero King Mausoleum's stele.

Inside the hall sat a statue of the first Hero King, lifelike in every feature.

With a flick of his finger, Barros fired an exceedingly thin yet unstoppable qi wave. With a hum, it shattered the Ice Soul's seal. His figure flashed, and the dark-blue, crystalline supreme frigid treasure was already resting steadily in his palm!

With the Ice Soul in hand, Broly's impending crisis of lost sanity could finally be resolved!

That very afternoon, news that Barros had forcibly entered Hero King Manor and seized its treasured Ice Soul swept through the martial world like a gale, spreading across north and south!

The martial world of the Divine Land was utterly shaken.

Yet in just a few days, countless famed heroes who proclaimed themselves righteous had already been reduced to ash in the Qilin flames, leaving neither corpses nor bones behind.

Even the most upright and incorruptible people had long since put away their thoughts of vanquishing evil and defending justice. They sought only to avoid disaster and did not dare speak of battle.

In this catastrophe the martial world called the "Qilin Calamity," who still dared utter the word "slay"?

The Heavenly Mountains towered into the clouds, the foremost among the peaks within a hundred miles of Heaven Shade City. Here stood a colossal sect that had intimidated the martial world for decades—

"Under Heaven Society."

Its headquarters was built atop the summit, clinging to the cliffs. Halls rose in layers, upturned eaves pierced the sky, and its majestic presence inspired awe.

And today, this foremost gang of the world, which dominated the northern Central Plains and forced the heroes to bow in submission, welcomed an unparalleled foe it had no power to contend against.

When Barros rode the Fire Qilin to the foot of the Heavenly Mountains, the mountain-guarding disciples' expressions changed drastically as they cried out hoarsely, "Report to the Chief at once! The Fire Qilin is here! The Qilin Emperor has arrived in person!"

Since no one knew his true name, and he always referred to himself as "This Emperor," the martial world naturally came to call him the Qilin Emperor.

Upon hearing this, one of the gang members turned and ran frantically, stumbling and scrambling toward the headquarters atop the mountain.

Everyone understood that the Qilin Emperor and the Fire Qilin had certainly not come merely to pay their respects.

Thinking of the rumors spreading wildly through the martial world these past days, they secretly wondered—what exactly was hidden within Under Heaven Society, or upon these Heavenly Mountains, that was worth this Emperor traveling a thousand miles, slaughtering his way from the eastern reaches of the Divine Land to this frozen northern frontier?

With several leaps from the Fire Qilin beneath him, Barros had already arrived at the center of Under Heaven Society's training grounds.

Its Chief, Xiong Ba, had long been waiting there with his hands behind his back.

"Your Excellency must be the Qilin Emperor?" Xiong Ba cupped his fists in greeting. His gaze swept over the Fire Qilin, which he had encountered once before, and his pupils suddenly contracted. His tone remained steady, though it carried a note of probing. "May I ask what within my Under Heaven Society has caught Your Majesty's eye? So long as it is within Xiong Ba's power, I will never refuse!"

A wise man submitted to circumstances.

Xiong Ba had risen from nothing through his own efforts, commanded the northern heroes, and founded Under Heaven Society. How could he be some reckless and ignorant fool? At a moment of life and death, he certainly would not stubbornly cling to his pride.

Barros nodded slightly and went straight to the point. "This Emperor is quite interested in Chief Xiong's Three Parts Return to Origin Qi. Since I have asked, hand it over."

Though he had anticipated it, truly hearing the other party demand the ultimate art he kept in reserve still made fury surge within Xiong Ba's chest.

Had that glance from the Fire Qilin not nearly crushed his mind into suffocation—

even knowing he was no match, he would have turned hostile on the spot and fought to the death.

Seeing Xiong Ba's shifting expression, Barros's face darkened. He raised a hand and sent out a qi wave. The right peak of the Heavenly Mountains vanished in response, the entire mountainside silently evaporating into nothingness like snow and ice beneath the sun.

He had not lifted a finger throughout the journey here.

Yet this single strike made the still-hesitant Xiong Ba grit his teeth and nod at once. "Please wait a moment, Your Majesty! I will fetch the Three Parts Return to Origin Qi immediately!"

Barros waved his hand, his tone indifferent. "I hope Chief Xiong does not hold anything back in the technique... otherwise—"

He did not finish the sentence, but Xiong Ba heard its meaning loud and clear.

Facing such a terrifying existence, unheard of before, one that could destroy mountains and split peaks with a casual gesture, how could he dare play tricks?

In his eyes, Barros erasing half a peak of the Heavenly Mountains with one strike was no different from a god descending into the world.

No matter how arrogant he was, he would never gamble his life on whether the Three Parts Return to Origin Qi was genuine or altered—that would not be scheming. It would be seeking death.

A short while later, Xiong Ba hurried over, carrying three yellowed silk scrolls.

Without a single unnecessary word, he respectfully offered them with both hands, handing every text that recorded the Three Parts Return to Origin Qi over to Barros.

At this moment, the benefits of having stayed for several months in the Legend of the Condor Heroes World finally became apparent—

Although Barros had never cultivated the Three Parts Return to Origin Qi, he needed no one to explain its profound principles. He only needed to study it quietly for a few days to thoroughly comprehend this peerless art that had shaken the world.

The intelligent computer on his wrist swiftly scanned the contents of the three scrolls, after which he stored the originals inside a Universal Capsule.

The corners of Barros's lips lifted slightly. He flipped onto the Fire Qilin's back, turned around, and departed without looking back.

Just as he and the Fire Qilin were about to disappear into the sea of clouds, a clear voice drifted through the air, echoing across the entire Heavenly Mountains:

"Chief Xiong, may This Emperor never set foot upon the Heavenly Mountains again."

Xiong Ba naturally understood the deeper meaning.

If they met again, it would mean there was a problem with the Three Parts Return to Origin Qi.

And when that time came, the Heavenly Mountains would crumble, the Under Heaven Society would scatter, and Xiong Ba would fall—all within the span of a moment.

Xiong Ba's face turned livid. His knuckles cracked as he clenched his fists, staring fixedly at the retreating figures of Barros and the Fire Qilin. Within his chest surged a nearly burning thirst for power.

He had dominated the martial world for half his life, yet never before had he been forced into such utter helplessness—reduced to watching as he handed over his most closely guarded ultimate technique.

This was the first time—Xiong Ba gritted his teeth. He would never allow there to be a second.

Stronger! The thought blazed through his heart like a wildfire, erupting in an instant!

Barros, however, had no idea of the humiliation and obsession roiling within Xiong Ba. To him, obtaining the Three Parts Return to Origin Qi was more than satisfactory!

The technique of condensing true qi into pellets and bombarding targets from afar held no value in his eyes. At most, it made him raise a brow and glance at it twice.

What truly interested him was the defensive method within the Three Parts Return to Origin Qi, one similar to Broly's protective energy barrier.

Once he comprehended and mastered this art, there would no longer be any forbidden zones in the Dragon Ball Universe.

And only then would the true beginning of roaming the starry seas and sweeping aside all opposition arrive!!