Zi Yan Plays Bandit!
"Everyone, return to Black Mark City!" Mo Erhan ordered immediately, realizing the lurking danger. Once they were back in the city, they would be safe from any threats—he knew that .
But their opponents had no intention of letting the Black Skull Tomb members escape so easily. Suddenly, a thick, bloody mist surged forward, blocking their escape route. Two Dou Masters who attempted to push through the mist were instantly reduced to skeletons, killed without even having the chance to scream.
Mo Erhan's pupils contracted in shock as he assumed a defensive stance. "This is the Blood Sect's Blood Fiend Palm! Fan Ling, show yourself!"
"Jie jie jie jie, well, well, it seems you've recognized us quickly. Not bad for a genius of Black Skull Tomb, Mo Erhan." The voice was followed by Fan Ling, the young master of the Blood Sect, stepping out of the shadows with a sly grin on his face. He toyed with his curved eagle-claw blade, clearly enjoying the tension in the air.
"Mo Erhan, I never thought we'd meet again so soon. I was under the impression that we wouldn't cross paths again, yet here you are, sneaking down a side path like a rat. How fitting the saying is—'Heaven has a path you won't take, but Hell is always open for you.'"
Fan Ling's smile widened as he continued, "Hand over the Three Thousand Lightning Movement and the Purifying Lotus Demon Flame fragment, and I might just spare your life."
Mo Erhan snorted in disdain. "Fan Ling, do you really think you can take my treasures? Don't flatter yourself. The Blood Sect is nothing compared to the Black Skull Tomb. You should turn back now before it's too late. Otherwise, when our Dou Emperor arrives, not even your father will be able to save you."
Fan Ling's face twisted with fury at the threat. He clenched his teeth and, with a vicious glare, barked out orders. "Enough talk. Kill them all—leave no one alive!"
With Fan Ling's command, the Blood Sect disciples surged forward like a tidal wave, launching a ferocious attack on the Black Skull Tomb members.
The battle was one-sided from the start. The Blood Sect's overwhelming strength, especially with the help of their peak Dou Spirit elder, easily overwhelmed the Black Skull Tomb fighters, leaving them no chance to retaliate.
Mo Erhan, in his final moments, roared, "You'll regret this! The Black Skull Tomb will hunt you down until the very end!"
Fan Ling only laughed at the threat. "Hahaha! I'm so scared! But once you're all dead, who's going to know it was us who did it?"
He stepped closer to the dying Mo Erhan and sneered, "The Black-Corner Region is a place where the strong prey on the weak. Your deaths will just be fertilizer for this land."
With those words, Fan Ling swiftly swung his blade, decapitating Mo Erhan in one clean motion. He snatched Mo Erhan's storage ring, his grin widening as he realized he had secured all of the treasures.
The Yin-Yang Mysterious Dragon Pill, the Earth-class Dou Technique, the Purifying Lotus Demon Flame fragment—so many valuable items, all acquired without spending a single gold coin. It was a triumph beyond his wildest dreams.
Fan Ling sneered, thinking how foolish his victims had been. In a place like the Black-Corner Region, where slaughter was the norm, strength was the only thing that mattered.
Suddenly, an overwhelming pressure filled the air, suffocating everyone present. Out of nowhere, a massive Dou Qi palm imprint materialized and hurtled towards them with deadly force.
Fan Ling's face turned ashen. In a desperate move, he grabbed two of his nearby Blood Sect disciples and threw them into the path of the incoming attack. The two disciples barely had time to register what was happening before they were slammed into the palm imprint and obliterated.
With a thunderous crash, the attack hit, and after the dust settled, Zi Yan emerged, a playful smile on her face. The devastating technique had clearly been her doing.
"Hehe, this killing and plundering business is actually quite fun," Zi Yan said with a grin.
"Where did this brat come from?!" Fan Ling spat out, his voice a mix of rage and shock.
Fan Ling's voice rang out in a furious shout, but as he got a closer look at Zi Yan, a twisted smile of greed curled his lips. Seeing her youthful and innocent appearance, he licked his lips lecherously and sneered, "So it's a little loli, huh? Tsk tsk tsk, I wonder how she tastes?"
Zi Yan's delicate brows furrowed in disgust at Fan Ling's lewd gaze. Without a moment's hesitation, she raised her fist and threw a powerful punch in his direction.
One of the Blood Sect elders quickly stepped in front of Fan Ling to shield him, but his strength was nowhere near enough to withstand the might of a Dou Wang like Zi Yan. The elder's body was flung through the air like a ragdoll, tracing a perfect arc before crashing to the ground with a thud. He died on the spot, unable to even comprehend his end at the hands of a seemingly innocent girl.
Fan Ling's expression turned grim. This girl just killed my peak Dou Spirit elder with a single punch—could she be a Dou King?!
He gasped in disbelief. "She's really a Dou King!"
Zi Yan dusted off her hands and smiled brightly. "Such a weak old man shouldn't show his face here. He wasn't even worth one punch."
Fan Ling's face twitched, and he tried to compose himself. Straightening up, he clasped his hands in a show of respect, "May I know who you are, esteemed one? I am Fan Ling, the young master of the Blood Sect. My father is a Dou Huang expert, ranked in the top ten of the Black-Corner Region's Black List. Offending our Blood Sect is not a wise choice!"
"Blood Sect? Do you think that makes you important?" Zi Yan replied with a smirk.
"You—!" Fan Ling's anger flared. "How dare you insult the Blood Sect! Who the hell are you?!"
"Who cares who I am?" Zi Yan retorted, her hands on her hips, clearly unfazed by Fan Ling's threats. She then kicked a nearby stone with great force, sending it flying and indirectly killing two Blood Sect disciples in the process.
Xiao Yan, who was watching from his hidden spot, swallowed hard. "Master, is that girl really this strong? She doesn't look more than ten or so, but she's already reached the Dou King level. That's terrifying!"
"This…" Yao Chen's expression was complicated. "I hadn't noticed her presence at all…"
"What? But Master, with your spiritual power, not being able to sense her is…" Xiao Yan began, astonished.
"Impossible," Yao Chen interrupted, sounding perplexed. "It's supposed to be so. But I could only sense her when she appeared. Clearly, someone has deliberately concealed her aura, and that person must be quite powerful."
Xiao Yan gulped nervously. If what his teacher said was true, then there was likely a stronger expert nearby who had already noticed their presence.
Meanwhile, Zi Yan was growing tired of the game. She grabbed Fan Ling by the neck and slammed him forcefully into the ground. With a loud thud, Fan Ling saw stars as blood spattered everywhere.
"Disgusting," Zi Yan muttered, withdrawing her hand in revulsion, clearly unwilling to touch the Blood Sect young master any longer.
Fan Ling's breathing became labored as he gasped, "How… how is this possible? I've been a Dou Spirit for years, and I've never encountered a Dou King like this…"
"That just means you haven't seen enough of the world," Zi Yan replied bluntly.
With a swift movement, she ripped the storage ring from Fan Ling's finger. Li Xiao had instructed her not to take lives unless necessary. After all, Fan Ling was still Fan Lao's most beloved son, and their goal was wealth, not murder.
However, just as Zi Yan was about to leave, Fan Ling suddenly leaped to his feet. Enraged and desperate, he charged at Zi Yan like a madman, his weapon aimed directly at her.