Crushing Defeat!

A brilliant flash of white light illuminated the inky darkness of the sinkhole, and the ground trembled as dust billowed out in every direction like a volley of arrows.

Whoosh! Whoosh! Whoosh!

The very dust alone took down many of the Blood Poison Gang’s elite warriors on the spot. In a split second, the white light, like a rainbow in the dark, targeted the heart of the Blood Poison Gang. An overwhelming force surrounded them, akin to a mighty wave crashing from the heavens.

Bang! Bang! Bang! Bang!

With a series of sickening thuds, the bone pattern realm experts burst into a crimson mist.

“Enemies!” Huang Qiguang bellowed.

But the attack was too swift and too sudden. This devastating ambush unfolded in mere moments. By the time Huang Qiguang had sounded the alarm, only Wen Zonghao and his two adopted sons, including Huang Qiguang, remained from the Blood Poison Gang.

One after another, torches toppled to the ground, casting eerie shadows and amplifying the fear etched on the trio’s faces.

Wen Zonghao squinted at the figure who emerged from the darkness, his pupils narrowing in surprise.

“Zhou Cunzhong?” He paused, correcting himself, “No, you’re Qin Huai!” he roared as the memory of Qin Huai, who had been absent for more than half a year, suddenly flashed across his mind. “Qin Huai? You’re still alive?”

Huang Qiguang was equally shocked, turning to his ashen-faced leader. Just a few months ago, Qin Huai was supposedly executed by his foster father for conspiring with their enemies.

But now… he had an ominous feeling about this situation.

With a stern voice, Wen Zonghao spoke, “So, the mystery indeed has something to do with the emperor of Qingzhou?” He then proposed, “Tell me what happened and I may let you live.” But he scoffed the next second and said, “Never mind. Once I capture you, I’ll surely find a way to make you talk.”

Instead of initiating an attack, Wen Zonghao glanced at the Sacred Heart sect’s disciple and Huang Qiguang next to him, instructing, “You two go first.”

They hadn’t seen Qin Huai for over half a year, and if he dared to reveal himself now, he must have something up his sleeve.

“Understood!” Both the muscular man and Huang Qiguang bowed respectfully, although the latter was inwardly cursing Wen Zonghao.

The burly disciple charged at Qin Huai like a bull in a china shop, while Huang Qiguang held back.

“I heard Foster Father mention your incredible strength?” The burly man growled, his muscles swelling and veins protruding. His body expanded slightly, radiating an intimidating aura. “Let me test it!” he roared, his bone patterns lighting up as his power surged, heating up the entire sinkhole.

This was the all-out attack of a five-full-pattern physical combat expert. A sudden gust of wind picked up, carrying a sharp whistle through the air.

Whoosh!

Qin Huai’s figure instantly blocked the burly man’s path, his eyes glowing white. His fist, like the scythe of the grim reaper, swung out.

With a horrific crash, the burly man’s face imploded, and the back of his head swelled momentarily before bursting in a gruesome explosion. Red and white remnants splattered everywhere, forming a macabre abstract painting on the ground.

The fight was over in a blink of an eye.

Huang Qiguang, who was already behind, came to a halt, his scalp prickling as he stared at Qin Huai’s face, dimly lit in the darkness. This man… was he some sort of beast? Did he really just kill a five-pattern expert with a single punch?

Huang Qiguang wiped the sweat off his forehead, stuttering, “Fifth Brother, you know me. I have always cared for you…”

But before he could finish, the familiar yet alien face was already in front of him. “Thank you, Third Brother, for your care,” Qin Huai’s voice was frosty as he threw a punch, striking straight through Huang Qiguang’s heart.

Bang! Huang Qiguang gaped at Qin Huai as if he wanted to say something, but all that came out was a mouthful of blood. His eyes fixated on Qin Huai’s pair of snow-white wings in his final moments, dying with a lingering sense of injustice.

With a dull thud, the corpses of the once fierce Blood Poison Gang littered the ground, blood flowing freely. Only their leader, Wen Zonghao, was left facing Qin Huai.

“Foster Father, we meet again,” Qin Huai said slowly, his words carrying a chilling hint of murderous intent.

“Your physical strength seems to have grown yet again. Is this what gives you confidence?” Wen Zonghao’s face twisted with deadly intent. “I’ll show you the gap between the visceral prefecture realm and bone pattern realm!”

As soon as he finished speaking, he lifted his hand and a giant phantom of a venomous snake emerged, lunging at Qin Huai. But the next instant, the white light barrier enveloping Qin Huai expanded, covering the entire vicinity, including Wen Zonghao.

The massive phantom of the poisonous snake weakened as Wen Zonghao felt as if his energy had been siphoned away, replaced with an immense pressure weighing down on him. His feet sank into the ground from the overwhelming force.

“What is this?” Wen Zonghao was taken aback, unable to discern what technique Qin Huai had used.

“You don’t need to know!” Qin Huai retorted, flapping his wings and whipping up a fierce gale that collided with the poison snake in the air.

The venomous fog swirled around, whistling within a two-meter radius before it began to dissipate. “You seem to be much weaker than I imagined,” Qin Huai assessed, looking at the elderly man.

Although both were visceral prefecture realm experts teetering on the brink of death, Wen Zonghao’s combat prowess was vastly inferior to the old man from Wuji Mountain.

“Right, you didn’t reach the visceral prefecture realm with five full patterns, nor do you possess the king’s force,” Qin Huai continued. “Your guardian spirit item is probably not worth much, and… you’re too old.”

Qin Huai’s words, though merely an analysis, felt like a knife stabbing into Wen Zonghao’s heart. The latter’s veins popped out as his eyes seethed with murderous intent. “Qin Huai!” he roared, and in a split second, vanished from his spot, charging straight at Qin Huai.

Boom!

Venomous snakes materialized from his fists and countless snake phantoms surged from the ground towards Qin Huai. action

Qin Huai stood his ground, watching as Wen Zonghao barreled toward him. With a flap of his wings, more than half of the encroaching viper phantoms shattered.

The remaining snakes lunged at Qin Huai, but he seemed unfazed. Pulling back his fist, ten rays of white light gathered beneath his skin. “Forbidden technique, ten dragons crush!”

They were just two meters apart when the fists flew. A rumbling echoed through the air as it split, the ten dragon’s roars creating a gust of wind similar to surging waves.

In an instant, Wen Zonghao was swallowed up by the onslaught.