In less than an hour, the three of them arrived at the foot of a mountain.
According to the three bandits they had left alive, the Flood Dragon Gang's lair was here.
Looking up the mountain, they indeed saw a stronghold built along the slope, with guards stationed outside.
The location of this stronghold was especially unusual. Behind it stood a sheer cliff dozens of zhang high, while both sides were heavily guarded.
That left only the path before them leading up the mountain—a terrain that was easy to defend and difficult to attack.
"This place really has something to it. What do you think? Charge straight in?"
Zhou Yue glanced at Hong Ye and Lin Changkong and asked.
Hong Ye said, "There's only this one path. We have no other choice but to attack head-on. Junior Brother Lin, what do you think?"
She had wanted to ask Lin Changkong's opinion, but before she could finish speaking, she saw that he had already leaped from his horse, saber in hand, and headed up the mountain.
Hong Ye was stunned. Suddenly, she felt that what she had just said had indeed been rather unnecessary.
With Lin Changkong's personality, why would he waste so many words? There was only one path, so they simply had to kill their way up.
Everything else was pointless.
Thus, Hong Ye and Zhou Yue also dismounted and followed him up.
After walking only a short distance, the three of them witnessed an utterly inhumane scene.
On a hill ahead lay a pile of corpses. Some had already begun to rot, while the blood on others had not yet dried, clearly showing they had been killed not long ago.
These people were dressed plainly. At a glance, they were ordinary townsfolk, just like the common people of Black Water Town.
There were even several half-grown children among them, all slaughtered as well.
A woman held an infant that looked no more than a few months old. She had been cut through from behind, killed together with the child in her arms.
Poor woman—until death, she had still clutched the child tightly, never loosening her grip even a little!
"Beasts!"
At the sight of this, Hong Ye and Zhou Yue trembled with rage, their eyes reddening.
Lin Changkong remained silent. He said nothing, but his steps quickened greatly.
After only a few strides, he was nearly running.
"Stop! Who goes there?"
As they approached the mountain stronghold, a shout suddenly rang out. A bandit stepped forward with a saber, trying to block their path.
Pfft—
Before he could utter a second word, a crimson saber light swept across him, slicing both man and weapon cleanly in two.
The next second, Lin Changkong charged directly into the crowd with the Crimson Flame Saber in hand, like a god of slaughter.
Pfft! Pfft! Pfft—
Saber light flashed, and blood sprayed everywhere.
By the time Zhou Yue and Hong Ye arrived, Lin Changkong had already cut down more than a dozen men. Nearly all had been severed at the waist. They were certainly beyond saving, yet they would not die immediately and could only endure immense agony.
Lin Changkong had undoubtedly done this on purpose.
But neither Hong Ye nor Zhou Yue felt there was anything wrong with his methods. After seeing what the Flood Dragon Gang had done, they had only one thought left in their minds: slaughter these bastards!
And Junior Brother Lin's way of slaughtering them was undoubtedly the most satisfying.
They really had much to learn from Junior Brother in this regard.
The three charged forward, cutting through the outer guards as easily as chopping melons and vegetables. Before long, they had nearly killed them all.
Cries of "Enemy attack!" immediately spread throughout the entire stronghold as large numbers of people surged toward them.
"What audacity! You dare barge into Flood Dragon Stronghold? You're courting death!"
A shout rang out, and several powerful auras appeared amid the crowd. Experts of the Flood Dragon Gang had arrived—five in total, all Qi Gathering Realm cultivators, though none had surpassed the Qi Gathering Fifth Level.
The five did not know the depths of Lin Changkong and the others' strength. After all, those they had killed so far were merely weaklings, at most in the Body Tempering Realm.
In their eyes, they were all trash.
Killing some trash naturally did not count as much skill.
The five immediately rushed down to kill the trio, sabers, spears, clubs, and staves crashing down together.
Hong Ye and Zhou Yue gave sharp cries and met them with their swords.
Lin Changkong, meanwhile, did not say a word. The heavy Crimson Flame Saber in his hand swept up saber light, every strike powerful and weighty, impossible to stop.
With one horizontal sweep, he severed a Qi Gathering Third Level cultivator at the waist. Then he brought the saber down again, smashing him directly into a puddle of flesh.
He backhanded another slash, killing a second man, then charged into the crowd behind them, crashing back and forth, left and right. No one could stop him!
Wherever the saber light passed, heads flew through the air.
He crushed through them like rotten wood, his momentum like splitting bamboo!
In merely a few breaths, he had cut down over half the people who had rushed out. His savage, valiant bearing made even Zhou Yue and Hong Ye, who had just slain the other three Qi Gathering Realm cultivators, feel their hearts pound in alarm.
"Junior Brother Lin's saber technique is incredible!"
Zhou Yue cried out in amazement, her eyes full of admiration as she watched Lin Changkong.
She noticed that Lin Changkong's attacks were broad and forceful, appearing simple and crude at first glance. Yet upon closer inspection, every strike—whether in strength or direction—was controlled with incomparable precision.
With every slash, a bandit died. There was not the slightest excess or waste.
And relying on the enormous Crimson Flame Saber, he possessed the bearing of one who could sweep through a thousand troops.
That tall, upright figure seemed to leap with a masculine vigor she had never seen before.
Hong Ye's heartbeat quickened as she watched Lin Changkong. From him, she felt with absolute clarity what it meant to be ruthless and sparing of words!
Clearly, both she and Zhou Yue were at higher realms than Lin Changkong, yet at this moment their movements were actually slower. They could not kill with Lin Changkong's same carefree, effortless vigor.
"Kill!"
Hong Ye then gave a sharp cry as well and, together with Zhou Yue, pursued him from either side. Cold glints flashed as they harvested one wicked man after another.
These Flood Dragon Gang members had always been arrogant and tyrannical, acting as tigers' accomplices, but before true experts like these, they were utterly insignificant. They were soon slaughtered until they threw away their helmets and armor, fleeing in utter disarray.
But the three did not spare a single one. They wiped them out completely, leaving none alive!
"You damned bastards! You dare kill my men, Zhao Heilong's men? You're dead!"
Just as the three were at the height of their slaughter, a furious roar suddenly sounded. A powerful, boundless aura descended from above.
The three looked up and saw a gigantic, burly man leap down from the stronghold above. A Mountain Splitting Axe was in his hand, cleaving down through the air, radiating a terrifying aura under the enhancement of spiritual energy.
"Qi Gathering Eighth Level—Zhao Heilong! Fall back!"
Hong Ye immediately cried out, yet she herself did not retreat. Instead, she raised her sword to meet him. With one slash, sword light collided with the Mountain Splitting Axe.
She knew full well that among the three of them, her cultivation was the highest, and thus her responsibility was the greatest. The man attacking now was the Flood Dragon Gang's strongest expert, their gang leader Zhao Heilong.
Lin Changkong and Zhou Yue were certainly no match for him, so she had to step forward.
With a clang, Hong Ye felt an enormous force travel through her sword, forcing her back several steps.
Zhao Heilong was no different. After exchanging a single move, he sensed Hong Ye's extraordinary strength. His eyes widened as he asked, "Who are you?"
Hong Ye shouted, "Hong Ye of the Heavenly Fire Sect, here to take your dog life!
Junior Brother Lin, Zhou Yue, don't delay. End this quickly. I'll hold him off—deal with the others as soon as possible."
"Damn it, you really are from the Heavenly Fire Sect! You want to kill me? Today, I'll send all of you to the western heavens! Second Brother, Third Brother, kill them!"
Zhao Heilong roared in fury. Two more powerful auras came rushing down—the Flood Dragon Gang's second and third leaders, Shi Heihu and Zhang Heibao.
For a moment, spiritual energy surged and killing intent soared into the heavens.
Before you continue