Chapter 229: Carnage

Translator: Tim Editor: Chrissy

Another bang, and the door splintered open. A waitress attempting to intervene was kicked aside by a man and remained on the ground.

Tang Beiwei saw three men burst in, immediately charging towards her. Her heart pounded, and she stumbled backward.

The leading man lunged at her, clearly not perceiving her as a threat. He saw her merely as a lamb to the slaughter.

In a surge of panic, Tang Beiwei hurled several charms at the man, yelling "Lin!" repeatedly.

With a roar, a ball of fire engulfed the man. However, the flames vanished instantly, leaving only a small pile of drifting ash. Tang Beiwei was stunned, utterly speechless. What was this? She felt no heat from the flames, yet the man had completely vanished. This was utterly bizarre. Was her Fireball Charm that potent? Was this… immortal magic? Who was her brother? She subconsciously glanced at the remaining charms in her hand.

The two remaining men halted, staring at the swirling ashes in shock, their minds momentarily frozen. Burning a person to ash? Impossible! Yet, they had witnessed it with their own eyes.

After several seconds, they recovered, their gazes fixed on the runes in her hand. Too terrified to advance, they fled.

Only after their disappearance did Tang Beiwei fully comprehend the reality—and terrifying power—of the fireballs. The heat was intense enough to incinerate a person in an instant.

Tang Beiwei surveyed the shattered door, realizing the futility of remaining. She promptly left the hotel, clutching her seven remaining charms, contemplating how she could assist Ye Mo. She hailed a taxi, heading towards his location.

The scene hadn't initially seemed violent, so Tang Beiwei hadn't given it much thought. However, now, sitting in the taxi, the image of the man reduced to ash churned her stomach.

"Are you feeling carsick?" the driver asked.

"Mm-hmm, a little," Tang Beiwei replied, prompting the driver to pull over as she vomited.

…

Ye Mo disembarked where the car could travel no further. He then entered the forest from the path Tang Beiwei had indicated. His speed was phenomenal, rivaling a car. Within half an hour, he reached the long canyon, just as she'd described.

He entered immediately, simultaneously deploying his spirit sense.

From a distance, Song Hai observed a lone figure entering the canyon. Suspecting something amiss, he turned to Li Mingqiang. "Why is there only one person? Did he detect something and come alone? You two go ahead and investigate." His final words were directed at the two men brought by Dongfang Xi.

After their departure, Li Mingqiang sneered. "I knew Dongfang Xi was unreliable. I believed the hidden sect would allow him to set an ambush, but I doubted his ability to communicate directly with them."

Song Hai abruptly stood. "Predecessor Li, I believe this situation is precisely as you predicted. What should we do now?"

Li Mingqiang sneered. "I don't believe Ye Mo has three heads and six arms. Whether or not he dares to cross the metal chain bridge, I fear him not. Even without Dongfang Xi, can I not avenge my disciple?"

"There are only eight of you. Disappointing. If you wish revenge, come," Ye Mo's voice cut through the air, interrupting Li Mingqiang.

Song Hai's face paled. He hadn't anticipated Ye Mo's ability to locate them without first crossing the metal chain bridge. They were concealed at the canyon's edge; how had Ye Mo found them? He quickly recovered, barking orders. "Surround him! Predecessor Li, hold him in place, and the rest attack simultaneously!"

Song Hai's urgency stemmed from the knowledge that any order to retreat would make him the first target. The others were significantly stronger.

Ye Mo was surrounded.

Ye Mo observed Song Hai slowly retreating and sneered. "If you dare take a single step back, I will kill you first."

Song Hai froze, inexplicably unable to retreat.

"State your names," Ye Mo commanded, scanning them with a cold gaze.

Li Mingqiang sneered. "I am Li Mingqiang, little brat. Just because you've learned some martial arts, you dare to be so arrogant and kill my disciple Hu Qiu? I shall offer your head as a sacrifice to him. You shall pay for your insolence!"

Ye Mo's eyes turned glacial. Li Mingqiang was Hu Qiu's master—the Song Family. His suspicions were confirmed. The Song Family's audacity was appalling, their vengeful scheme even more so. In Ye Mo's mind, the Song Family was already condemned to oblivion.

"Then die," Ye Mo said, casually drawing Bian Po's longsword and striking.

He'd learned this technique from Bian Po. If Bian Po knew not only had Ye Mo taken his weapon but also his fighting style, would he rise from the grave and weep?

Except for Li Mingqiang, who noticed Ye Mo suddenly wielding a sword, nobody else saw the weapon. They only saw a flash of white light.

Even Li Mingqiang was momentarily stunned. He'd clearly seen Ye Mo unarmed moments before.

A cascade of blood splattered as four Yellow Level warriors fell lifeless beneath Ye Mo's blade. They hadn't even managed to defend themselves.

Despite the swiftness of the attack, Ye Mo's precision was deadly. This terrified Song Hai, whose legs began to tremble. He hadn't expected Ye Mo to be so strong. It seemed Dongfang Xi hadn't overestimated, but rather underestimated him. Song Hai attempted to flee, but his trembling legs betrayed him.

Witnessing Ye Mo's slaughter of four with a single strike, Li Mingqiang realized he'd underestimated his opponent. Ye Mo was undoubtedly stronger. This realization snapped him back to reality. He drew his whip, encircling Ye Mo with the two remaining Yellow Level peak fighters.

Li Mingqiang's whip blurred into a whirlwind of shadows around Ye Mo. The two Yellow Level masters behind attacked relentlessly with curved swords.

Although Li Mingqiang's whip was vastly superior to Hu Qiu's, it paled in comparison to Daoist Xian's.

Ye Mo, without resorting to wind blades, simply parried and riposted with his sword. Slash after slash, his chi flowed freely. With a longsword, he was far more effective than when he fought Daoist Xian.

Li Mingqiang managed to block six of Ye Mo's strikes before his whip snapped. Ye Mo then shattered another curved sword, bisecting one of Dongfang Xi's men.

Blood spurted, and Ye Mo retreated slightly to avoid being splattered.

The gory spectacle caused Song Hai to collapse, his stomach heaving. He had killed and interrogated before, but he'd never witnessed such carnage.

Fortunately, Ye Mo hadn't brought Tang Beiwei. He glared coldly at the stunned Li Mingqiang, his eyes filled with lethal intent.

Li Mingqiang stared at the remnants of his whip, his earlier composure shattered. Although Ye Mo had initially slain four Yellow Levels, he'd felt he could still contend. Now, he knew he was utterly outmatched. For the first time, Li Mingqiang felt regret.

Ye Mo's initial strikes, across the throats of his victims, hadn't been particularly bloody. However, the subsequent bisection of a warrior was a different matter. The remaining Yellow Level fighter stared at his dismembered comrade, his face ashen. After a moment, he discarded his sword and fled.

Without even glancing, Ye Mo casually launched a wind blade. The man's legs were severed, his body convulsing on the ground.

"If you spare me, I…" Li Mingqiang pleaded, terror etched on his face. He'd never encountered anyone as powerful as Ye Mo. His fighting spirit had vanished.

Ye Mo sneered. He had no intention of granting mercy. Before Li Mingqiang could finish his plea, Ye Mo's sword fell, silencing him with a swift decapitation.