Lying on the ground, feigning death, Xiao Longyang saw that his opponent was not fooled and had even seen through his defensive martial arts, causing his heart to sink to the bottom.
He had underestimated Zhao Yunhai.
How could he be so strong?
He had been venturing out for so long and had never encountered such a difficult enemy.
The opponent seemed to understand his learned martial arts perfectly, as if the previous battle was a mirror image.
Even his understanding of martial arts was far inferior to the opponent's deeper comprehension.
He was repeatedly put on the defensive, making him extremely passive.
This was the most devastating reality for Xiao Longyang.
Was he truly inferior to this scion of a noble family?
"No!!!"
Xiao Longyang cried out in his heart.
He would not admit defeat.
Zhao Yunhai, a pampered scion of a noble family, must have achieved his strength through resources.
How could it be compared to his own strength, painstakingly forged through battles?
The belief in revenge had been his sole support.
"Crack!"
Zhao Yunhai saw the opponent directly grab his foot with one hand, his face showing no surprise.
"Young Master Yun, there's still one person alive. I've brought her."
At this moment, Si Jinyan, panting, ran over with his subordinates from a distance.
"Oh? Who is so lucky?"
Zhao Yunhai raised his calm eyes in surprise to look at Si Jinyan.
Si Jinyan, intimidated by Young Master Yun's direct gaze, instinctively swallowed. "Young Master Yun, it's that woman from Vermilion Bird."
"She was severely injured in the explosion and has passed out."
"And Xuanwu, who was fiercely protecting her, died on the spot."
Upon hearing that Vermilion Bird was not dead, Xiao Longyang tried to raise his head, trembling with excitement.
However, Xuanwu's death added another crack to his already shattered heart.
Zhao Yunhai firmly stepped on Xiao Longyang's head, preventing him from looking up.
"You saved her?" Zhao Yunhai asked, staring directly at Si Jinyan.
Si Jinyan's heart skipped a beat. He had a bad premonition. Did Young Master Yun not need Vermilion Bird to threaten Xuanwu?
Wouldn't that make Xuanwu more likely to obey him?
Had he misunderstood?
"Young Master Yun, she might have been dead... I think."
Si Jinyan cautiously stole a glance at Young Master Yun's expression.
"No—she's not dead. Zhao Yunhai, let her go. She's just a woman, she poses no threat to you."
Hearing this, Xiao Longyang's heart lurched, as if his heartbeat had stopped. He quickly shouted to stop him.
Vermilion Bird was alive, and a flicker of hope ignited in Xiao Longyang's heart.
But Zhao Yunhai wanted Vermilion Bird dead, which Xiao Longyang could not accept. He absolutely could not watch Vermilion Bird die before his eyes.
"Hmm, if she's dead, bury her on the spot. It'll be a fitting end for us at Asura."
As if not hearing Xiao Longyang's words, Zhao Yunhai smiled with satisfaction at Si Jinyan.
Si Jinyan was quite smart. If he were any duller, Zhao Yunhai would have replaced him.
"Yes, Young Master Yun." Si Jinyan breathed a sigh of relief and quickly waved to his subordinates to dig a grave.
As for Vermilion Bird, she was unceremoniously tossed to the ground by two obedient subordinates.
The piercing pain caused Vermilion Bird to let out a soft moan.
"Vermilion Bird, wake up quickly."
Xiao Longyang heard Vermilion Bird's voice and struggled to shout.
He tried to crawl forward, his hands digging into the ground, scooping up handfuls of dirt, leaving two claw marks on the ground as he struggled to move forward.
"Want to watch your woman being buried?"
Zhao Yunhai mused, a Huayang Needle appearing in his hand.
The protagonist's "Super Multiply" ability had never disappeared; it was just that Zhao Yunhai preferred to use the same abilities against the same protagonists.
The Huayang Needle was one of Zhao Yunhai's preferred martial arts.
The Huayang Needle could make the opponent's internal energy disappear, or it could restore it.
Xiao Longyang becoming a mere mortal was just a thought away for Zhao Yunhai.
Using the protagonist's methods against the protagonist—he wondered if the protagonist could still resist.
"Zhao Yunhai, you dare! If I don't die today, I will destroy your Zhao clan."
Xiao Longyang, still face down in the dirt, did not forget to threaten Zhao Yunhai.
But Xiao Longyang had no idea that his threat only intensified Zhao Yunhai's killing intent.
Initially, Zhao Yunhai had no intention of killing Xiao Longyang, preferring to keep him as a pawn for his own use.
But Xiao Longyang's words had touched Zhao Yunhai's murderous intent.
Destroy my Zhao clan?
Do you think I'll give you that chance?
Zhao Yunhai immediately used the Huayang Needle, causing Xiao Longyang to lose his internal energy.
Simultaneously, two needles were pricked into Xiao Longyang's legs, rendering him immobile.
"Crawl, your woman is right in front of you."
With his internal energy gone and his legs temporarily crippled, Xiao Longyang heard Zhao Yunhai's demonic whisper.
Tears blurred his vision, but Xiao Longyang's gaze was fixed on the motionless figure lying ahead.
He crawled forward, dragging his useless legs inch by inch.
Zhao Yunhai knew how to stimulate the protagonist to unleash their full potential and upgrade.
He also knew that for a protagonist like Xiao Longyang, who could endure humiliation, this was still not enough.
Just a little more seasoning was needed to make him explode with power and upgrade.
However, Zhao Yunhai carefully controlled this point, keeping Xiao Longyang in a state of limbo, unable to explode with power, and only able to be toyed with in his palm.
Si Jinyan watched Asura crawl closer and gestured to his subordinates to dig faster.
Just as Xiao Longyang reached Vermilion Bird, the pit was dug. Both Vermilion Bird and Xiao Longyang were in the pit.
After all, Xiao Longyang had crawled in himself; Zhao Yunhai had not forced him.
"Vermilion Bird, I have failed you for three years. I'm sorry."
Xiao Longyang held Vermilion Bird, feeling her shallow breathing, his heart bleeding.
The protagonist's luck was inexhaustible. Without Zhao Yunhai, a twist of fate would have occurred by now, rescuing Xiao Longyang.
But the protagonist's halo was useless against Zhao Yunhai, for Zhao Yunhai was not from this world. He was the unique, true villain.
"Give it here." Zhao Yunhai snatched the weapon from Si Jinyan's hand.
Xiao Longyang's eyes were filled with hatred as he looked up at Zhao Yunhai above the pit, roaring with unwillingness.
"Those who do evil will eventually be punished. It's not that retribution doesn't come, it's just that the time hasn't arrived."
"Your Zhao clan will, one day, be overthrown and exterminated."
Zhao Yunhai sneered, disengaged the safety of the weapon, aimed it at the two in the pit, and calmly pulled the trigger.
"Tatatat!!!"
The first magazine of bullets was quickly emptied.
Zhao Yunhai discarded the empty magazine and reached out to Si Jinyan, who quickly handed him a new one.
"Tatatat!!!"
Three times in a row, all three magazines of bullets were emptied into their bodies.
Zhao Yunhai threw the weapon to Si Jinyan and extended his hand, saying, "Fire."
A subordinate behind Si Jinyan quickly handed him a lighter, while two other subordinates poured the prepared oil barrels into the pit.
Si Jinyan had been prepared. After all, Young Master Yun always came prepared with oil barrels.
The lighter clicked crisply. Zhao Yunhai tossed it forward, spoke a parting sentence, and turned to leave in the direction Yang Hui was waiting.
"As usual, scatter the ashes here."
The lighter, accompanied by a flame, landed on the two bodies, instantly igniting into a raging inferno that surged out of the pit, burning fiercely.