Fang Xin merely glanced indifferently.
The snake-scaled man's golden vertical pupils fixated on Fang Xin.
A thick snake tail whipped towards Fang Xin.
Fang Xin raised a hand.
His index finger pointed directly at the snake-scaled man.
A pitch-black aura at his fingertip rotated, transforming into a fist-sized black orb.
Fang Xin flicked his index finger upwards.
The fist-sized black aura instantly struck the snake-scaled man's glabella.
Ah!
The snake-scaled man clutched his head with both hands and knelt on the ground.
He desperately tried to expel the black aura from his body.
But the aura not only failed to be expelled but instead scorched the meager mental energy within him.
A sensation of both cold and heat swept through his entire body.
The snake-scaled man was in agony.
The mutated fireflies in the sky were all First-Order, and Fang Xin controlled them in an instant, plunging the surroundings back into darkness. With his Perception Talent, Fang Xin clearly observed everyone's every move.
Fang Xin raised his hand and pressed it onto the snake-scaled man's crown.
The Ring of Slaughter condensed in Fang Xin's palm, directly piercing the snake-scaled man's head!
Zhao Shuo, not far away, couldn't see very clearly, but he heard the snake-scaled man's screams and immediately roared, "All together!"
Fang Xin raised his hand, and six fist-sized black auras floated in his palm.
The six small black aura orbs flew out.
In a flash, they scorched the mental energy of the six people charging at the front.
Those below Fourth-Order collapsed to the ground, motionless, in just a single breath. The black orbs flew out again, heading towards the others.
Their speed was incredibly fast.
Because it was nighttime and visibility was very low, and now without the mutated fireflies, Fang Xin's black orbs were almost integrated with the night, making them difficult to detect.
Zhao Shuo's subordinates fell in batches.
Noticing this scene, Zhao Shuo's face turned pale, and he roared, "All of you, attack!"
While shouting this, the bastard himself turned and ran.
Fang Xin's body merged with the night, disappearing from his original spot.
The frantically fleeing Zhao Shuo only felt a black shadow flash before him.
He saw that figure appear in front of him.
His clear, cold eyes held a chilling indifference, as if viewing all things as mere straw dogs.
Fang Xin held the Little Girl in his left arm, pressing her head into his embrace to prevent her from seeing the slaughter.
He raised his right hand, his palm facing Zhao Shuo.
Zhao Shuo's voice trembled as he pleaded, completely losing his previous arrogance, "Big Brother! Spare me! Please, spare me! I'll give you money! Five million! Oh no, ten million, please let me go, okay? Let me go!"
"You curse quite foully!"
The Ring of Slaughter erupted from his palm.
It directly pierced Zhao Shuo's head.
The woman who followed Zhao Shuo had also run behind him when she saw the unfavorable situation.
Seeing this, the woman immediately knelt on the ground, her voice trembling as she flirted, "Little Brother, please don't kill me, okay? I can do anything you want! I know so many things! You won't have to do anything but enjoy! I guarantee your satisfaction! Can you..."
Fang Xin raised his hand.
The Ring of Slaughter erupted.
The woman passed away peacefully.
Behind them, Zhao Shuo's other subordinates fell in batches.
Screams rose and fell.
Not long after.
Amidst the desolate mountains and wilderness, silence reigned, and an eerie, sinister aura pressed down.
Fang Xin raised his arm.
The Ring of Slaughter had increased from five to six!
This proved that through his Slaughter Talent, Fang Xin could now exert Sixth-Order combat power!
"Amitabha! Buddha bless! Immeasurable Heavenly Venerable! Hallelujah! Allah bless!"
A flash of light suddenly appeared.
Miao Neng, who was lying on the ground, stood up warily, holding a lamp.
He had already switched back from his fierce, muscular state to his handsome Little Monk state.
The lamplight spread, and when he saw dozens of figures had become corpses.
Miao Neng quickly made the sign of the cross on his chest, then placed a single hand vertically in front of him, "Amitabha! Damn it! I've seen a living Yama today! How the hell did he kill them? So many people! Even roll call isn't this fast!"
Xiahou Wu's eyelids were swollen from the beating, and he could only see through a slit. When he saw so many of his enemies dead, he was also shocked. Even a Fifth-Order combat expert had died just like that!
Fang Xin placed Xiahou Yue beside Xiahou Wu.
Xiahou Wu struggled to get up and hugged his sister, sincerely thanking Fang Xin, "Thank you, Benefactor!"
"It's nothing. Their family will definitely continue to pursue you. Have you decided where to go next?" Fang Xin asked.
Xiahou Wu slumped onto the ground, "Nowhere to go."
Fang Xin looked at Xiahou Wu, "Do you want revenge?"
Xiahou Wu was startled, then raised his head, his emotions a little agitated, "Benefactor, do you mean you want to avenge me? If you help me get revenge, I am willing to give you half of my family's fortune!"
Fang Xin shook his head, "What is the highest combat power in Zhao Shuo's family?"
"There's a Seventh-Order combat expert, a retainer that Zhao Shuo's father, that old beast, hired with a hefty sum!" Xiahou Wu quickly said.
Fang Xin nodded, "Then what is Zhao Shuo's father's combat power?"
"Fifth-Order combat power!"
Fang Xin looked at Xiahou Wu, "Do you want to kill him with your own hands?"
Xiahou Wu was stunned for a moment, then shook his head, "Me? Kill him with my own hands? I'm only Third-Order combat power! It's impossible to kill him with my own hands!"
"I have a way for you to kill him."
Xiahou Wu's eyes lit up, "Really?"
But soon, Xiahou Wu added, "What price do I have to pay?"
Fang Xin merely uttered three words, "Follow me!"
If Xiahou Wu followed Fang Xin, then by helping Xiahou Wu get revenge, he could also annex the Zhao family, and the Seven Killings Sect would gain a legitimate identity.
After hearing Fang Xin's words, Xiahou Wu was clearly hesitant. Fang Xin didn't rush him, "I'll give you a contact method. If you've thought it over, you can come find me again!"
He turned to leave after saying this.
But before he had taken two steps, Xiahou Wu said, "Benefactor, do you really have a way to quickly raise my cultivation and let me kill my enemy with my own hands?"
"Yes! Three months at most! I can help you get revenge!"
"What about their family's Seventh-Order retainer?"
"I'll handle him!"
Xiahou Wu's eyes flickered, seemingly weighing the pros and cons, "I have nowhere to go now. Zhao Shuo is also dead, and his father will definitely try everything to hunt me down. Benefactor, I'll ask you one last time! Can you really let me kill my enemy with my own hands within three months?"
"Yes!"
Xiahou Wu was already Third-Order combat power, and his innate talent wasn't weak. With a little hardship, it wouldn't be difficult for him to reach Fifth-Order within three months through his Slaughter Talent.
As if having made a certain decision, Xiahou Wu knelt on the ground and cupped his fists towards Fang Xin, "Benefactor! You saved my sister and my life today! I already owe you two lives! If you can help me avenge myself! I will go through mountains of knives and seas of fire! This humble general, Xiahou Wu, will not flinch from a myriad deaths!"
Fang Xin raised his hand, "There's one thing you must remember: you must not harbor any rebellious thoughts towards me! Otherwise, you will die a very miserable death!"
Xiahou Wu gritted his teeth, "No problem!"
Fang Xin raised his hand and tapped Xiahou Wu's glabella.
A faint, almost imperceptible blood glow flashed and drilled into Xiahou Wu's glabella.
Xiahou Wu looked dazed for a moment, then raised his head to look at Fang Xin, "Thank you, Benefactor!"
"At dawn, I will arrange for someone to pick you up. You'll follow him for now!"
"Understood!"
Fang Xin's gaze fell upon the Little Monk.
Miao Neng gathered and arranged all the corpses, then sat cross-legged on the ground, hands clasped, chanting sutras to transcend the souls.
As this Little Monk chanted sutras to transcend the departed souls, his aura was gradually strengthening.
Since the era of awakened abilities dawned, some people could awaken various Buddhist talents. The Little Monk before him clearly belonged to this category.
When scanned with the zhilian device earlier, this Little Monk was the Buddhist Saint Son chosen by this generation's Xuankong Temple, but his rank wasn't stated. He had awakened the talent to invoke the blessings of two great Buddhist figures, Ksitigarbha Bodhisattva and Acala Vidyaraja. Accumulating merit was the simplest way for him to advance, so this boy usually had to be careful in everything he did, accumulating virtue and doing good deeds, helping others, from the moment he opened his eyes each day.
But no matter how you looked at him, this boy seemed like the type to help old grannies cross the street.
While chanting sutras for transcendence, the Little Monk entered a strange state. The light from his lamp condensed into a lotus pedestal beneath him, making him appear even more solemn and dignified. If not for the half-eaten pig's trotters peeking out of his bag, one might truly mistake him for a genuine enlightened monk.
The mental energy of Zhao Shuo's men had all been scorched by Fang Xin's dark aura. Even if Zhao Shuo's father took the bodies back and had a Perception-type user examine them, they wouldn't be able to determine who killed his son and his subordinates.
Fang Xin turned and went to the other end of the wilderness graveyard.
He raised his hand, and a blood-red ring appeared. Fang Xin reached his hand into it.
"In the name of my Slaughter! I command the ghosts and gods of the eight directions to appear!"
A chilling wind blew.
A large, fan-like hand interlocked with Fang Xin's fingers.
Seeing this, Fang Xin exerted force.
He pulled the other party out.
Looking closely.
The man was 1.8 meters tall, broad-shouldered and powerfully built, with a foot-long, bristly beard, eyes like copper bells, a lion-like nose and wide mouth, and a ferocious countenance. He wore a golden helmet with a ghost-face pattern, blood-stained chainmail, a python-embroidered cloak, and a three-foot green sword at his waist. In his left hand, he carried a pair of primordial hammers.
He was the third-ranked among the Thirteen Tiger Guards!
Tiger Guard Zheng!
Upon seeing him, Fang Xin's eyes couldn't help but light up.
If the third-ranked combatant was like this, then the top two must be truly extraordinary!
With the appearance of Tiger Guard Zheng.
Xiahou Wu, who had come with Fang Xin, couldn't help but feel a chill in his heart, his throat bobbing up and down.
Tiger Guard Zheng scrutinized Fang Xin, "Did you summon This humble general?"
"Yes!"
"This humble general, Zheng! I am willing to go through fire and water for my Lord! I will not flinch from a myriad deaths!"
As he spoke, Tiger Guard Zheng grabbed Fang Xin's hand and pressed it against his chest.
Fang Xin was startled.
Eh?
Tsk!
You! We're all grown men! What's there to press!
It wasn't soft at all, ten thousand miles away from Tiger Guard Ali's pectorals!
Fang Xin reluctantly pressed it once, just going through the motions.
Tiger Guard Zheng's tiger-like eyes rotated, looking at Tiger Guard Mo and Tiger Guard Ali.
"Brother Mo, Sister Ali! Damn it! Are you two dead too? Where's the Marshal?" Tiger Guard Zheng asked in a booming voice.
"Missing in action!"
"Why missing in action?"
Ali briefly explained, "Church power struggle. He was a Reformist and was purged by the Royalist Faction!"
Tiger Guard Zheng's fleshy face twisted, "Damn it, these dogs of the Church! They just need a good beating! If I were alive! During the Church's reforms, I'd shove these two precious hammers into the Pope's ass and stir them three times!"
Ali explained to Fang Xin, "Zheng grew up in the military camp! So he speaks a little roughly sometimes!"
"I understand, I understand!"
At his peak, this Zheng was a Twelfth-Order combatant, with SS-rank Strength Talent and SS-rank Combat Talent, a natural battle maniac. His way of speaking was merely a minor flaw that didn't detract from his overall excellence.
Miao Neng rubbed his eyes. The transcendence ritual was over. Seeing Fang Xin about to leave, Miao Neng quickly ran over, "Big Brother! Oh no, Officer! Wait!"
Fang Xin glanced at him. He had a pretty good impression of this half-sincere, half-fake Little Monk, "Something wrong?"
"Officer, your midterm exam is going to the God and Demon Ruins, right? I'll also be sent in then. How about we team up?"
"No need!"
Miao Neng quickly caught up, clinging to Fang Xin's arm with a brazen face, "Big Brother, I see you have a strong killing intent. There are no rules in there, everyone will be bloodthirsty. You'll probably go on a rampage when you enter, but killing always incurs karma. If you take me with you, you'll be responsible for killing, and I'll be responsible for transcendence. You won't have karma weighing you down, and I can accumulate merit. It's a win-win!"
Fang Xin chuckled, "Don't you Buddhists say that everything depends on fate? If we're fated, we'll meet in there!"
"Big Brother, let's reintroduce ourselves. My secular name is Chen Puti, and my dharma name is Miao Neng!"
This time, Fang Xin didn't use an alias, "Fang Xin!"
"Okay, Xin Ge! It's settled then, if we meet inside, you have to team up with me! You'll be in charge of killing, I'll be in charge of burying! You take the resources, I'll accumulate merit!"
"Alright!"
After leaving Gu Yuan Ridge.
Fang Xin handed the Xiahou Wu siblings over to Huang Dabao, instructing him to take good care of them.
He didn't linger outside for long.
Fang Xin returned to Sky Shield Academy in the morning.
As soon as he returned to the academy, he informed Xiao Lu Jie and prepared to go back to his dorm to rest.
But unexpectedly, Xiao Lu Jie looked at Fang Xin with some sympathy.
Fang Xin asked, puzzled, "What's wrong, Xiao Lu Jie?"
Xiao Lu Jie took a breath, about to speak, when space distorted, and Bai Mao Zai appeared beside Fang Xin.
Bai Mao Zai was uncharacteristically serious, raising a hand and placing it on Fang Xin's shoulder.
"Come with me!"
His vision blurred, and when the surrounding scenery reassembled, Fang Xin found himself in a morgue.
In the center of the morgue was a bed, on which lay a corpse, covered with a white sheet.
Cheng Bingqing stood nearby, and Director Xu Boshan also stood there.
Upon seeing Fang Xin arrive, their eyes were all filled with sympathy.
"Take a look!" Zhuge Heng said softly.
Fang Xin slowly lifted the white sheet.
Upon seeing the person underneath, his hand trembled violently.