Chapter 144: The Final Blow, Leaving No Survivors

"Ah!"

At this moment, a black-robed disciple in his forties let out a furious roar and charged forward.

The disciple's eyes were wide open, his eyeballs looking as though they might pop out of their sockets, and his face was twisted into a frantic, near-demented expression.

The black Qi around his body was noticeably denser than that of ordinary disciples, swirling around him like thick, dark ink.

This black Qi gathered on his saber, faintly forming the shape of a skull. As he slashed toward Li Chao, a shrill and piercing sound pierced the void, resembling the cries of evil ghosts, inducing dizziness and deep agitation.

It actually carried a sonic attack.

If an ordinary practitioner were careless, they might truly fall victim to it.

Unfortunately, the one he had run into this time was Li Chao.

Li Chao raised a brow, a trace of disdain resting on his lifted eyebrow, and with a flick of his wrist, his sword light swept forward like lightning.

The skull-like shadow shattered instantly, as fragile and vulnerable as a delicate bubble. Even the saber in the disciple's hand was blasted away by the immense force, spinning in the air before landing far off in the distance.

In a panic, the disciple hastily retreated.

Yet, it was too late!

The terrifying blade light pursued him like a shadow, ultimately landing squarely on his chest.

His clothes split open, and a gruesome bloody gash instantly appeared. His heart was pierced in an instant, and a jet of fresh blood erupted from him like an arrow before he collapsed limply to the ground, twitching a few times before falling completely still.

Immediately afterward, figures from both the left and right closed in together to attack.

Not only that, but the black mist on the ground gathered once more, pouncing on Li Chao like a pack of fierce wolves.

Attacking from three directions simultaneously, they attempted to suppress him.

Yet Li Chao’s eyes remained entirely unchanged, like a tranquil body of water without a single ripple. His expression was calm as an ancient, deep well as he swung his weapon to strike all around him.

Crackling sounds echoed.

The black mist beneath his feet was shattered once again, turning into wisps of dark smoke that dissipated into the air.

Meanwhile, the disciples of the Departing Fire Sect who had rushed in from both sides suddenly froze in their tracks.

Shortly after, a bloody line appeared across their necks, spreading rapidly. Their heads rolled off, spinning a few times on the ground, their eyes still wide open in death, unwilling to accept their fate.

By this point, of all the Departing Fire Sect disciples present, only a few remained standing.

Their courage had long since shattered, their faces pale as paper and their eyes filled with terror. Lacking even the courage to continue fighting, they spun around and fled desperately into the distance, their stumbling strides revealing the extreme panic within their hearts.

Li Chao continued his pursuit.

Amidst flashing cold light, the remaining men all collapsed to the ground.

The routed troops lay scattered in a disorderly, gruesome heap.

In the distance, the black mist was still churning like surging waves, attempting a final struggle.

Yet without the assistance of the Departing Fire Sect disciples, such an attack was utterly unworthy of Li Chao's notice.

Boom!

Li Chao stepped forward with a momentum like a rainbow, smashing apart all the converging black mist until the broken fog dissolved completely into smoke.

Then, grasping his sharp blade, he surged forward like an arrow released from a bow toward the spot where Shi Wanli stood!

The distance between the two was no longer great.

In the blink of an eye, Li Chao arrived right beside Shi Wanli.

Yet at this moment, instead of fleeing, Shi Wanli wore an inscrutable, cold smile—a grin filled with craftiness and a sense of triumph achieved.

Behind him, the black mist surged like turbulent waves, transforming in an instant into a pair of giant hands over two meters long that lunged toward Li Chao, wreathed in roiling dark Qi and resembling demonic claws straight from hell.

And right at that moment.

A muffled roar echoed from the adjacent wall, deafening in its intensity.

Amidst flying stone fragments, a figure wreathed in fireballs rushed forward like a charging steed, aiming directly at Li Chao!

Crisis descended in an instant!

The newcomer possessed immense momentum, brilliant as a rainbow piercing the sun, clearly having prepared for a long time just to deliver this fatal blow.

It was Yuan Yang!

The fireball seen a moment ago was the flame attribute attached to the dagger in his hand, burning fiercely as if intent on reducing everything to ashes.

Before him, Shi Wanli’s mouth curled up in a crazed grin, filled with twisted satisfaction.

First, use the entire sect of disciples as a sacrifice to weaken Li Chao's combat power; next, use secret arts to bind him; and finally, have Yuan Yang burst out from hiding to deliver the killing blow!

Link after link, perfectly executed!

In truth, Li Chao had indeed let his guard down slightly.

He had assumed Shi Wanli was acting alone, never expecting that the man would have drawn Yuan Yang into the plot as well.

Boom!

At the critical juncture, all the starlight energy Li Chao had accumulated within his body erupted at once, blazing with golden light like a rising sun that shattered the black-qi hands Shi Wanli had used to bind him, before he hurriedly leaped back.

Even so, he was still grazed by Yuan Yang's attack.

Rip!

Li Chao's clothes were torn open, leaving a long gash and a wound on his skin from which fresh blood instantly seeped. A bloody trail was cut across his arm, the blood flowing continuously to stain his sleeve before dripping down his arm.

Standing firm in the distance, Li Chao narrowed his eyes, a dangerous light flashing within them as he looked at Yuan Yang and said, "I never expected you to be involved in this as well!"

His gaze was filled with fury and disappointment, the anger burning like a blazing fire while the disappointment felt like the frost of a cold winter night.

"I truly misjudged you!" A trace of deep regret tainted Li Chao's tone, heavy as a shackle weighing upon his heart.

Yuan Yang smiled and replied, "There's no help for it!" His smile carried a hint of helplessness and greed—the helplessness feigned, the greed unmasked.

"Who told your treasures to be so irresistible?"

"The possession of a treasure becomes a crime in itself!"

Not a shred of guilt lingered in Yuan Yang's words, as though everything was entirely justified.

At his side, Shi Wanli shouted loudly, "Brother Yuan, don't waste words with him!" Urgency filled his voice, brimming with impatience. "Subdue him first!"

He was single-mindedly focused on capturing Li Chao, his eyes burning with desire and haste.

Even as he spoke, his hands formed hand seals, and several wisps of black Qi emerged from his body, winding toward Li Chao like venomous black serpents, claws bared and carrying a biting chill.

Yuan Yang gripped his dagger once more as flames erupted from its surface, slashing forward with scorching heatwaves that seemed capable of burning the very air.

Though they had failed to kill Li Chao outright, managing to wound him greatly boosted the pair's confidence.

Ignoring the wound on his arm and letting the blood flow freely, Li Chao casually picked up a stray saber and hacked apart the incoming streams of black Qi. Blade light flashed, and the dark mist vanished.

He charged straight toward Yuan Yang, his posture resolute and unyielding.

Yuan Yang proved himself a true expert of the Yuan Family Village.

Wielding his dagger, fire danced everywhere during his attacks like brilliant fireworks. Every single move and stance carried immense pressure, as if capable of crushing everything in its path.

The space within a radius of several paces was dyed in a fiery glow, blazing and dazzling.

Yet Li Chao remained entirely on the defensive, launching no counterattacks, creating the deceptive illusion that he was steadily forced into retreat, his figure appearing somewhat beleaguered amidst the flames.

Seeing this, Shi Wanli grew increasingly excited, his eyes wide as he manipulated the black shadows to constantly disrupt the surroundings and fracture Li Chao's rhythm, the dark entities darting about like ghosts.

At last, Li Chao revealed an opening.

Bang!

Seizing the opportunity, Yuan Yang swept his dagger upward at an angle. Accompanied by a fierce whistle of wind, he shattered Li Chao's saber into two pieces, then brought his foot up in a heavy kick toward Li Chao's chest. The blow was immensely powerful, carrying a howling wind capable of splitting mountains and shattering rocks.

Li Chao crossed both arms to block his chest, colliding with the sole of the foot with a muffled thud. Unable to maintain his footing, he stumbled backward six or seven paces, nearly falling.

Seizing the moment once more, Shi Wanli bit the tip of his tongue and spat out a mist of blood.

The dark shadows grew more solid, resembling rigid iron chains as they slithered swiftly to Li Chao's feet and abruptly contracted, binding his legs tightly and immobilizing him.

Clearly, Shi Wanli had expended every ounce of his strength, veins bulging on his forehead and his face pale as paper.

Staring at Li Chao pinned in place, Yuan Yang wore a cold sneer on his lips, icy and merciless like the frost of winter. As he walked forward with his dagger in hand, he mocked, "Without that supreme treasured sword, your strength is indeed far inferior!"

His eyes were filled with contempt and complacency, as though gazing upon a beaten foe.

Pausing briefly, he demanded, "Where did you hide the sword?"

"Tell me!"

"And I'll leave your corpse intact!"

Convinced of his absolute victory, Yuan Yang sought to force the whereabouts of the treasure out of Li Chao, his tone lofty and arrogant.

Watching Yuan Yang approach, the corners of Li Chao's mouth curled upward in a trace of mockery and disdain as he slowly replied, "You want to know?"

"Very well!"

"Then I'll tell you!"

"The sword... is right here!"

Li Chao's voice was deep and powerful, exploding in the air like a rumble of thunder. The moment his final word fell, a blinding glare suddenly blossomed before them.

Yuan Yang's eyelids twitched violently as a sensation of impending death flooded his mind like an icy tide, chilling him to the bone.

When he looked again, Li Chao was holding a sharp sword flashing with cold light.

It was precisely the treasure they had sought to seize.

That couldn't be right!

When he arrived, his hands had clearly been empty!

Where on earth had this sword materialized from?

However, Li Chao gave him no time for questions.

Swish!

A streak of cold light carrying the momentum of heaven and earth swept toward Yuan Yang with the force of a violent storm and a sharp, piercing gale.

This strike felt like a divine stroke!

Unstoppable and sweeping across a thousand armies, the intersecting sword Qi caused the surrounding air to emit a sharp screech.

It wasn't that Li Chao had been unwilling to use the sword earlier; rather, wielding this divine weapon consumed an immense amount of stamina. With his current level of cultivation, he could hardly use it more than a few times.

Therefore, he had deliberately feigned weakness, exposing flaws to let Yuan Yang and Shi Wanli lower their guard.

Then, he would wait for the singular opportunity to strike a fatal blow!

Once drawn, the sword must taste blood!

The terrifying cold light sealed off every possible route of escape.

Yuan Yang watched helplessly as the sword light descended upon him, his eyes filled with despair and terror in that fleeting moment.

The only thing he could do was raise his dagger in a desperate attempt to block.

A final, futile struggle!

Unfortunately, the grade of his dagger fell far short of Li Chao's divine weapon.

Crack!

As the sword light swept downward, Yuan Yang's dagger snapped instantly into two halves, the sound crisp and decisive.

Following that, the sharp blade light continued downward with irresistible momentum, splitting the stunned Yuan Yang directly in half!

Fresh blood mixed with internal organs spilled across the floor, a nauseating and sickening scene.

This master painstakingly cultivated by the Yuan Family Village had died thus in a foreign land, a victim of his own greed, meeting a tragically wretched end.

Having slain Yuan Yang with a single strike, Li Chao waved his hand, generating a fierce sword gale that shattered the black mist bound around his legs, and walked toward Shi Wanli with steady, resolute steps.

Shi Wanli’s jaw hung wide open as he stared in disbelief at the scene before him, his bulging eyes nearly tumbling from their sockets.

You've got to be kidding me!

He had laid down traps in advance, mobilized the entire sect, and even invited a helper like Yuan Yang—yet they still couldn't defeat Li Chao?

Was this fellow truly that monstrous?

Furthermore, where had he pulled that sharp sword from?

Could he possibly possess a spatial storage treasure?

Such items were exceedingly rare within the Hidden Realm; even masters who had reached the Earth Realm Grandmaster level might not necessarily possess one.

How on earth had he acquired it?

Yet now was not the time to ponder such things.

With all his methods exhausted and left entirely on his own, he stood no chance against Li Chao.

Watching the blood-stained Li Chao draw closer step by step like a Shura emerging from the underworld, Shi Wanli seemed to recall something suddenly. He spun around and bolted toward the second floor with stumbling, frantic strides.

Li Chao had initially intended to finish him off right there.

Helplessly, the consumption from wielding the sword had momentarily drained him, causing a brief lapse in concentration. By the time he recovered, Shi Wanli had already vanished from his sight.

Composing himself and drawing a deep breath, Li Chao gripped his sword and pursued him straight up to the second floor.

The moment he appeared, he saw Shi Wanli holding a short sword pressed against the neck of a woman.

It was none other than Liu Hongmei!

"Li Chao, let me go! Or I'll kill her first!"

Shi Wanli roared at the top of his lungs, his voice sharp and piercing due to extreme terror.

Because of his panic, even the hand holding the short sword trembled visibly!

He knew that Li Chao's relationship with Liu Hongmei was likely strained, but with no other options left, he had to gamble that Li Chao still cared even a fraction for family ties.

Feeling the chill against her neck, Liu Hongmei felt every hair on her body stand on end, each strand conveying her inner terror.

Staring at Li Chao, she screamed in fright, "Li Chao! Don't do anything rash!"

"Put down your weapon! Let him go!"

"Otherwise, he... he really will kill me!"

"I don't want to die!"

Liu Hongmei shrieked hysterically, her voice piercing the air, her eyes filled entirely with the dread of death as if terror were overflowing from them.

Hearing her cries, Li Chao did not even lift an eyelid, his expression cold as he replied, "Do you really think I would let him go?"

His voice was bone-chillingly cold, devoid of emotional fluctuation, like the freezing wind of a winter night.

Liu Hongmei screamed, "Why won't you let him go?!"

"This man is a madman, he'll actually kill me!"

"Li Chao, I'm your aunt!"

"You can't just stand by and watch me die!"

Her voice grew increasingly wretched, her emotions teetering on the brink of collapse as she plunged into an abyss of despair.

Li Chao remained unmoved. "If I let him walk today, he'll only return to cause trouble later on."

His gaze was resolute, burning like a torch, completely unaffected by her words as if his mind had long since been made up.

Hearing this, Shi Wanli hurriedly interjected, "President Li, I know I was wrong!"

"I was blind this once! As long as you let me leave, I swear I'll never set foot in Huaxi City again!"

He pleaded frantically, his speech so rapid it was barely intelligible, desperate to alter Li Chao's mind.

Liu Hongmei chimed in frantically, "Did you hear that?!"

"He promised!"

"Besides, even if he comes back for trouble later, you can just arrest him again!"

Having lost her reason in the panic, her chaotic thoughts focused entirely on escaping immediate danger, completely disregarding everything else.

Pausing briefly, she screamed, "I'm your aunt!"

"If I'm killed right in front of you, you'll feel guilty for the rest of your life!"

Pleading filled her eyes like a drowning person clutching a straw. Right now, she only wanted to survive; she didn't care in the slightest whether Li Chao faced trouble in the future!

Narrowing his eyes at her, Li Chao sneered, "Guilt?"

His smile was mocking, the arc of his lips stinging her heart. "Do you truly think that's possible?"

"If you hadn't used my name to scam people and eat for free all over Huaxi City this time, would you ever have been captured by them?"

His tone was laden with blame and anger, burning like a blazing fire.

"You brought this upon yourself!"

"You reap what you sow!"

Every word Li Chao uttered was merciless, striking Liu Hongmei like a sharp blade.

With that, he turned his gaze back to Shi Wanli. "Nothing you say matters!"

"I don't believe a single word of your promises."

A person like Shi Wanli was greedy and treacherous; sparing him would undoubtedly invite endless trouble.

In reality, Shi Wanli was indeed planning precisely that.

So long as he could preserve his life, he would recover and eventually find others to deal with Li Chao.

Setting aside the peerless divine weapon, the mere existence of a spatial storage treasure was enough to drive anyone in the Hidden Realm mad.

Therefore, he had to struggle a bit longer.

Squinting at Li Chao, a trace of madness flashed in Shi Wanli's eyes. With a flick of his wrist, he drove the short sword into Liu Hongmei's lower abdomen.

When he pulled it out, blood spurted everywhere like a gushing spring, staining a vast area red.

"Ah! I'm dying! I'm dying!"

Gazing at the blood flowing from her body, Liu Hongmei completely lost her mind, shrieking in despair and terror, convinced her final moment had arrived.

Smack!

Shi Wanli struck Liu Hongmei across the face with the flat of the short blade to quiet her down, then glared at Li Chao and roared, "Don't push me!"

"Or I really will kill her!"

His expression twisted like a raving lunatic, resembling a malicious ghost from hell.

Glancing at him, Li Chao shrugged. "I said it before—her life or death has nothing to do with me!"

"If you like, feel free to stab her a few more times!"

His words were glacial, devoid of human warmth, treating Liu Hongmei's survival as utterly inconsequential.

At this point, Liu Hongmei was convulsing all over.

Her facial expression shifted continuously: terror distorted her features beyond recognition; fright caused her eyes to lose focus; bewilderment rendered her entirely sluggish, before finally mutating into rage.

"Li Chao, you bastard!"

Her voice was hoarse and choked with hatred, as though every word was a curse squeezed from between her teeth.

"You refuse to save me!"

"I won't let you off even as a ghost!"

Her curses echoed through the empty room, shrill and piercing like invisible blades attempting to lacerate Li Chao's heart.

Yet he remained expressionless, his face carved from cold stone without the slightest fluctuation.

Truly, pitiful people always had hateful qualities!

Had it been Yuxin, Li Dan, Liu Lele, or even Liu Zhenhua threatened like this, Li Chao would never have remained so indifferent.

But Liu Hongmei was different.

The moment she had used the lives of Yuxin and the others to coerce him over the phone, Li Chao had completely discarded whatever shred of family affection remained.

If you show no righteousness, don't blame me for lacking sentiment!

Gritting his teeth, Shi Wanli still harbored unwillingness in his heart.

With a wave of his hand, he brought the blade down to stab Liu Hongmei's arm.

Once more, she let out a blood-curdling shriek like a butchered pig, deafening and hair-raising.

Yet looking at Li Chao, his gaze remained calm as water, entirely unresponsive.

Shi Wanli's hopes were thoroughly dashed!

He realized his clever scheme had completely failed.

This so-called hostage was utterly useless.

Sighing heavily, he cast the short sword aside and dropped to his knees with a dull thud.

Kowtowing repeatedly, he wailed aloud for mercy, "President Li! I will never dare do this again!"

His forehead struck the floor continuously, his trembling voice steeped in terror of death. "Please spare my life!"

"From this day forth, I will be your beast of burden, your slave!"

"As long as I can live, I am willing to do anything!"

His pleas were wretched and servile, pathetic yet detestable. His earnest kowtows produced loud thumping sounds, and within moments his forehead was battered and bleeding, staining the floor before him red.

Li Chao walked forward slowly, looking down at him from above.