Chapter 453 - 314: Annihilate All

Chapter 453: Chapter 314: Annihilate All

Feng Ling’s brow was deeply furrowed as she paced back and forth in the courtyard, unable to stand still. The night air seemed thick with killing intent. Tonight, Penzes New City was silent. Even the common folk knew a great upheaval was at hand.

Yisha knelt reverently in the middle of the courtyard, hands clasped as she prayed to the heavens. Watching her, Feng Ling felt her own agitation swell. She strode over and stood beside Yisha, looming over her without a word.

Though Yisha’s eyes were closed, she could feel Feng Ling’s gaze. She slowly opened them but remained kneeling, her voice soft. "What’s wrong? Do you want to pray for Ling Xiao with me?"

"What good will praying do! Forget it... Just get up and talk to me, alright?"

Not taking no for an answer, Feng Ling grabbed Yisha’s arm and pulled her to her feet. She led her under the courtyard’s dense grapevines, where two simple wicker chairs sat. This small courtyard had been prepared specifically for the two of them.

When the city was being built, it was Huangpu Yue who had proposed constructing an underground network. A series of intricate secret passages would allow Ling Xiao’s loved ones and confidantes to escape safely should danger ever befall them.

Evidently, Miss Huangpu had shown great foresight in this matter.

Yisha’s gaze was as gentle as tranquil water as she looked at Feng Ling. It had been a long time since her school days. The once-shy little girl was now a capable young woman in the eyes of the world, but her soft tone of voice remained. "Feng Ling, I know you’re anxious. More than that, you hate that you can’t help, don’t you? Look at ol— I mean, Sister Shangguan. Didn’t he send her away, too? You’ve seen the power of the Array. I think we should trust Ling Xiao. He never does anything he’s not confident he can win!"

The look on Feng Ling’s face softened slightly. She thought back to her history with Ling Xiao. ’That jerk... he’s infuriating and acts like he couldn’t care less about anything, but thinking about it, he’s never really been on the losing end. Even when my own sect tried to assassinate him, he stayed perfectly calm, struck at the most critical moment, and even managed to capture me—a hostage who was far stronger than he was.’

The memory of Ling Xiao pressing his sword to her throat made Feng Ling’s cheeks flush. She scoffed, "Right. Good people die young, but a scourge lives for a thousand years. He’ll be fine!"

"..."

Yisha stared dumbfounded at Feng Ling, unsure whether to agree with her or argue.

Meanwhile, Ling Tianxiao was gathered with Qiu Chen, Uncle Fu, Tiger, Quefeng, and the others. Tiger and Ling Tianxiao already knew each other well. The beast-man wasn’t acting overly aggressive, but the anxiety in his eyes and the low growls rumbling in his throat betrayed his true feelings.

He was worried!

But Ling Xiao had given Tiger a strict order: he was not to leave his family’s side, not even for a single step!

Ling Xiao had reasoned that even after moving his family to the slums, they would still be in danger if the Zhe Family went on a rampage and decided to massacre the entire city. That was why Ling Xiao had gathered all of his subordinates at or above the Sword Sect realm and concentrated them in this one area. At the very least, he could now face the Zhe Family—the biggest fish—without any lingering worries.

Right now, Zhe Wanqian felt as if a monster had ripped out his heart, kneaded it over and over, pierced it with a sharp skewer, and was now roasting it over red-hot coals.

Words could no longer describe his fury. He had completely miscalculated!

’How could a mere Sword Emperor possibly contend with this brat’s Divine Power?’ Then he recalled the late Zhe Shixun’s assessment of Ling Xiao: "Besieged by several High-level Demon Swordmasters... Ling Xiao was thoroughly outmatched, ultimately making a lucky escape...’

"Screw your ’outmatched’! Screw your ’lucky escape’! Zhe Shixun, you bastard, you’ve royally screwed me over!"

Rage had already burned away most of Zhe Wanqian’s sanity. He was far too gone to consider the implications of his own insults—if Zhe Shixun was a bastard, what did that say about their shared ancestry?

His hair flew about wildly with every movement. His robes were in tatters, and blood flowed endlessly from countless wounds covering his body. Even his baby-soft face now bore more than a dozen gashes, making him look utterly savage and terrifying.

Ordinarily, Zhe Wanqian wouldn’t have given such minor injuries a second thought. But now, it felt as though these tiny cuts were endlessly draining away his very life force.

"Ling Xiao! I’ll self-detonate! You think you can trap me here to die? Not a chance! It’s just an Illusion Array! In my hundreds of years of life, what haven’t I been through?! I’m telling you, Ling Xiao, if I get out of here, I swear I will exterminate every single person on this continent with the surname Ling! Every last one!"

Zhe Wanqian roared in a frenzy. The one attacking him was no longer Song Xi, but the countless people he had killed throughout his life. They were all expressionless, yet they moved like vengeful wraiths come to claim his soul. Somehow, on their blank, rigid faces, Zhe Wanqian could see it all: their mockery, their loathing, their hatred... He saw their madness, and he saw their burning desire to kill him and finally be at peace.

"HAHAHAHAHA! Illusion Array, illusions, it’s all just an illusion! I’m not afraid! Who can possibly kill me? Not even you, Ling Xiao!" Zhe Wanqian shrieked, his voice now ragged and hoarse, as he fought for his life against the attacks of his enemies, both living and long dead.