"Boom!"
Yao Chen formed wings from his Dou Qi and rose into the air, dodging Kakashi's Lightning Cutter outright. The ground where he had stood, however, was blasted into ruins. Dust billowed, and the thunderous commotion rang out for a thousand meters around the Jia Lie Residence.
"Ling Feng actually has a subordinate this powerful?!"
Watching Kakashi unleash his strength, Jia Lie Bi wore a grave expression from where he had taken cover. A vague sense that he had acted too hastily crept into his heart. But thinking of Yao Chen's formidable strength stirred him up again.
Meanwhile, Yao Chen hovered in the air and looked down, but the dust obscured his vision, leaving him unable to discern what was happening below.
He stretched out a hand, intending to disperse the dust with his Dou Qi and assess the situation. Just then, a piercing cry suddenly rang out.
"Scree!"
An ink-black shape burst through the dust, a figure standing on its back.
"Hm? Where did this magical beast come from?"
Yao Chen frowned at Kakashi, who was approaching astride an eagle. He had no idea that Ling Feng possessed the Creation God Pen. Creating a flying beast was naturally no trouble at all.
With the Black Eagle's help, Kakashi could fight in the air as well.
"Lightning Cutter!"
Kakashi's low shout rang out in midair as he activated Lightning Cutter again. Blue arcs flickered around his hand, forming a streak of blue lightning in the bright daylight.
"Do you really think I can't deal with you?!"
Yao Chen glared coldly. His Storage Ring flashed, and an enormous slab of black iron appeared in his hand.
It was the Heavy Black Ruler.
Yao Chen narrowed his eyes, then abruptly opened them a moment later. A terrifyingly powerful aura surged from his body like a dragon awakening from its slumber.
He calmly raised the Black Ruler. The unusual markings on its surface shone fiery red, and as the ruler swept through the air, the surrounding space grew hazy and distorted.
Gripping the Black Ruler, now glowing as red as the setting sun, Yao Chen let out a low shout and abruptly moved.
"Flame Splitting Wave Ruler!"
A muffled, thunderous explosion erupted in the open sky. A surging wave of heat rushed toward Kakashi immediately afterward.
From below, it looked as though a tsunami of flame was meeting Lei Ting, a bolt of blue lightning.
"Boom!"
The two forces collided head-on, the blast rolling through all of Wutan City like an explosion of spring thunder.
The blue Lei Ting sliced into the flaming tsunami, as though cleaving the sea in two. But Kakashi was clearly weaker than Yao Chen. He held out only briefly before Yao Chen's Dou Technique overwhelmed him.
"Pfft!"
The residual force of the Flame Splitting Wave Ruler blasted Kakashi backward, sending a trail of blood spraying through the air.
Yao Chen pressed his advantage. In a single soaring leap, he reached Kakashi's back and sent him crashing to the ground with a backward-flipping kick.
"You've lost!"
Yao Chen planted his foot on Kakashi's head and drove the Heavy Black Ruler into the ground beside it, his voice cold.
"Boom!"
Suddenly, Kakashi's body beneath Yao Chen's foot turned into a Substitution Log, making his expression change sharply.
At that same moment, four Kakashis appeared around Yao Chen. Each held a Lightning Cutter as they charged in to surround and kill him.
Four people? What on earth is going on?!
Shocked as he was, Yao Chen dared not hesitate. They were less than five meters apart. At that distance, he had no time to counterattack and could only take to the air again to evade them.
Yet the instant Yao Chen rose to avoid their attacks, a dark figure suddenly leaped toward him, cutting off his retreat!
"Die, you old bastard!"
Ling Feng gripped his right hand with his left and activated Lightning Cutter, diving toward Yao Chen from above with a sweeping slash.
"Ling Feng?!"
Seeing Ling Feng blocking his escape with Lei Ting in his hand as well, Yao Chen finally realized that everything had been a chain of traps designed to lure him down.
Damn it, I fell for it!
With nowhere left to retreat, Yao Chen's face turned utterly grim.
But just as Ling Feng was about to strike Yao Chen first, a dark figure suddenly launched a sneak attack against him. Sensing danger, Ling Feng's expression changed drastically. Caught off guard, he felt a tremendous force slam into his body. His internal organs shuddered violently, as though they were about to shatter.
"Pfft!"
Blood sprayed from his mouth, and Ling Feng flew backward through the air like a kite with its string cut.
"Boom!"
The next instant, an aura even more terrifying than Yao Chen's erupted. Black shadows materialized out of thin air, blotting out the sky, then transformed into an enormous black hand that slaughtered all four "Kakashis" below.
Ling Feng's chain of traps had been utterly destroyed.
The sudden turn of events startled Yao Chen as well. He abruptly turned his head and saw an old man, also dressed in black robes, standing with his hands behind his back, putting on the full airs of a lofty master.
"Thank you for lending a hand."
Yao Chen cupped his hands slightly toward the black-robed elder in thanks, but the man merely waved a hand casually. "No need. I was only following my young lady's instructions."
Seeming to understand something, Yao Chen allowed a faint smile to appear on his face. I really have my young disciple to thank this time.
"Cough, cough..."
Several Itachi Uchihas rushed over to help the severely injured Ling Feng up from the ground. Clutching his chest, where an unknown number of ribs had been broken, he struggled for breath and coughed up blood again.
After coughing up the blood, however, Ling Feng felt considerably better. He fixed a bloodthirsty stare on the newly arrived black-robed man and shouted through gritted teeth.
"Ling! Ying!"
Indeed, the one who had saved Yao Chen at the last moment was none other than Ling Ying, the Peak Dou Emperor who secretly guarded Xun'er!
Their exchange just now, together with Ling Ying's Shadow Dou Technique, had allowed Ling Feng to identify him immediately.
"You know me too?!"
Ling Ying turned his gaze toward Ling Feng, frowning.
Yet Ling Feng, his face deathly pale, stared back at him with chilling hostility. The killing intent in his eyes was utterly unconcealed, making Ling Ying narrow his aged eyes slightly.
"Ling Ying, you'll regret this!"
Ignoring Ling Ying's surprise, Ling Feng stared straight at him with icy eyes and screamed through a mouthful of blood, "The moment I set foot in Ancient Emperor City will mark the beginning of your Gu Clan's destruction!"
"Hmph!"
"Arrogant fool!"
Ling Ying snorted coldly and thrust out a palm. Black shadows spread at once, forming another giant shadowy hand that bore down on Ling Feng.
Seeing this, the five Itachi Uchihas Ling Feng had created rushed forward without hesitation, rapidly forming hand seals.
"Fire Style: Fireball Jutsu!"
"Water Style: Water Dragon Jutsu!"
The five Itachi Uchihas unleashed several ninjutsu in succession, trying to withstand Ling Ying's attack. But the strength of a One-Star Dou Ling could never stand against a Peak Dou Emperor.
In an instant, their attacks proved as futile as ants trying to shake a tree, all crushed by Ling Ying's Dark Shadow Giant Hand. Without a second thought, the Itachi Uchihas put themselves in harm's way for Ling Feng, blocking the attack with their own bodies.
"Boom!"
A tremendous blast rang out as Ling Ying mercilessly slaughtered all five Itachi Uchihas. Their sacrifice stopped his attack, however, stirring up flying dust, raging winds, and monstrous waves of force. The weakened Ling Feng staggered backward repeatedly under the residual energy. Only after enduring the pain and circulating his Dou Qi to resist it did he finally steady himself.
Ling Feng hesitated no longer. He reached for his Storage Ring, and a white light flashed. A Void Gate instantly appeared behind him out of thin air.
Ling Ying and Yao Chen grew solemn at the sight. Opening the void was a feat only a Dou Zun expert could accomplish. Unable to fathom Ling Feng's methods, neither dared act rashly.
"Hahahaha... Ling Ying, you can't kill me..."
Ling Feng faced Ling Ying and Yao Chen with bloodthirsty eyes. Then he abruptly threw back his head and laughed wildly, like a demonic god descending into the world. Pointing at Ling Ying and the others, he screamed in a voice that seemed to rise from the netherworld,
"Yao Chen, Xiao Yan, Ling Ying, and the entire Gu Clan-just you wait! I'll repay today's humiliation a hundredfold!"
As his voice faded, Ling Feng stepped alone into the Void Gate. Ling Ying's and Yao Chen's expressions changed, and they immediately moved to stop him, but the Void Gate had already vanished.