Kong Wenbin knelt on the ground, one hand gripping his spear for support, coughing up blood.
A flicker of unwillingness crossed his eyes. Had he been discovered?
Two Emperor-level assassins approached Kong Wenbin from either side, their icy killing intent palpable.
"Heh heh, you little bastard. Got lucky, didn't you? By rights, everyone from Qin should die tonight, but you were born into a good family."
One of them sneered, stepping before Kong Wenbin and using his long sword to disarm him of his spear.
With a "bang!" Kong Wenbin lost his support and toppled forward.
"Finish him off, and let's get out of here."
The other picked up the spear, his tone chilling as he spoke, a vague sense of unease stirring within him.
"Buzz!" The sword hummed, on the verge of severing Kong Wenbin's limbs.
Kong Wenbin tried to struggle, but he was utterly drained, his internal energy depleted.
"Qin? Hah, just a bunch of commoners, daring to pit themselves against us ancient great powers? Overestimating yourselves."
An Emperor-level assassin scoffed as he swung his sword, intending to chop off Kong Wenbin's limbs, his words dripping with mockery.
Just then, a streak of light suddenly appeared in the distant sky, approaching at extreme speed.
"You... you're courting death!!!"
A voice filled with intense rage and killing intent echoed through the heavens. Li Xiaotian had arrived!
"Kill!!!" Li Xiaotian roared, his long saber slashing forward.
"Not good!" The two Emperor-level assassins panicked. Before they could react, the saber light flashed, and their legs were instantly severed.
"Ahhh! My legs! My legs!!!"
They screamed in terror, the speed of Li Xiaotian's blade giving them no chance to defend themselves.
"Boom!" Li Xiaotian appeared before them, his eyes bloodshot. He cast a cold glance at them like a wild beast, then surveyed the desolate surroundings.
"Brother Li, Brother Long Yi he..." Kong Wenbin struggled to speak, his words cut short as tears welled up.
"Ahhh! Long Yi!!!"
Li Xiaotian let out a sky-piercing howl, a terrifying wave of energy engulfing the entire area. His eyes were bloodshot, tears of blood streaming down his face as he stared in disbelief.
Long Yi was dead!
Long Yi was dead!!!
"Why didn't you hold on longer?! Why?! It's all my fault! It's all my fault!!!"
"Ahhh!!!!"
Li Xiaotian's expression contorted, his entire being consumed by madness. Long Yi's death was a devastating blow.
With a "puff!" Li Xiaotian coughed up a mouthful of blood, his body trembling violently, his face etched with grief. His brother of over a decade, his closest brother, was gone!
The pained cries of the two Emperor-level assassins reached his ears. Li Xiaotian slowly turned, his gaze dark, his entire being like a demon risen from hell, capable of instilling terror with a single glance.
"No! Li Xiaotian, you can't kill us! We sixteen sects have joined forces to attack Qin. If you know what's good for you, you'll spare us and surrender. Otherwise, Qin will be annihilated!"
One Emperor-level assassin spoke, his face pale and filled with fear. Li Xiaotian's current state terrified him.
"Spare you?"
Li Xiaotian spoke word by word, then swung his saber, splitting into four streaks of light. Instantly, screams erupted.
"Ahhh!!!" The two Emperor-level assassins shrieked in agony. Their hands were severed!
"You killed my brother and you expect me to spare you?"
Li Xiaotian continued, walking up to the two assassins. He looked at one of them, then swung his saber, cleanly slicing off a layer of skin from his body.
Then, as if possessed, Li Xiaotian grabbed the man and slowly, deliberately, drew his saber.
With each stroke, a piece of flesh was removed from the man's body. The excruciating pain forced him to cry out incessantly.
Witnessing his companion's fate, the other Emperor-level assassin grew desperate, his face a mask of terror. He gritted his teeth, intending to commit suicide on the spot, but Li Xiaotian was prepared. He controlled the man's body, rendering him immobile, forced to watch his comrade endure torture.
The screams continued throughout the silent night, a brutal chorus that would chill anyone to the bone.
Li Xiaotian could have ended their lives swiftly, but he refused. Doing so would have been too easy for them!
Not just them, but he vowed that all Emperor-level assassins from the sixteen sects would suffer endless torment in the future.
The screams lasted for a full hour, until their flesh was completely stripped away, yet they still hadn't died.
They were left like mere skeletons.
Logically, Li Xiaotian should have rushed to Zhengcheng to resolve the crisis there. But he refused. In his eyes, torturing the two assassins before him was more important than anything else.
"Buzz!"
In the end, Li Xiaotian did not grant them a quick death. Instead, he circulated his demonic arts, slowly absorbing all their energy.
At this moment, the screams of the two Emperor-level assassins became even more horrific. They could clearly feel their bodies being torn apart by countless ants, their essence being devoured bit by bit.
After more than ten minutes, the screams ceased. The bodies of the two had vanished, completely absorbed by Li Xiaotian's demonic arts.
"Sixteen sects! Desolate Palace! Liu Neng!!!"
Li Xiaotian gritted his teeth. After absorbing them, he gained fragments of their memories, becoming aware of the situation with the sixteen sects.
"Brother, Brother Li."
Kong Wenbin spoke weakly, a hint of fear in his eyes as he looked at Li Xiaotian. Although he knew Li Xiaotian wouldn't harm him, witnessing the brutal torture and death of the two assassins had terrified him.
Li Xiaotian cast a silent glance at Kong Wenbin. His eyes were still bloodshot, his aura of fierce hostility undiminished.
"Brother Li, Brother Long Yi cannot have died in vain. The sixteen sects must pay for Brother Long Yi's death!"
Kong Wenbin gritted his teeth, his eyes filled with infinite hatred.
With a "boom," as if a reminder had struck him, Li Xiaotian instantly flew towards Zhengcheng, his dark aura growing increasingly dense. Wherever he passed, all vegetation was drained of its essence and withered rapidly.
Shortly after Li Xiaotian's departure, reinforcements from the capital found Kong Wenbin. They were stunned pale upon seeing the ravaged scene.
The Dragon King was enraged!
The soldiers of the Dragon King Hall were particularly shocked. The last time their Dragon King had been this furious was when he heard his wife and daughter's cries for help from the war zone.
On that occasion, all the soldiers of the Dragon King Hall had gathered in Jiangcheng, Qin. That night, the Wang family of Jiangcheng was annihilated, and countless major families in Jiangcheng suffered heavy casualties!