N-A-A Page 33
Page 33
He looked up at Shi Kuan on the roof. The man was as tall and imposing as a mountain, with a terrifying aura, as if he could kill them with a flick of his finger.
He quickly glanced at his companions—aside from Qinghan, the highest level among them was only the peak of the Demon King realm, not even close to the threshold of the Great Demon King.
But the Shi Kuan before them was the Northern Mountain Demon Emperor, a true being standing at the pinnacle of power. The difference between the two was like that between an ant and an eagle.
Mu Shenqi gritted his teeth. If only they could have five more years, no, even just three!
With their talent, they are sure to reach the Great Demon King realm. When they join forces, even a Demon Emperor might not be without a fighting chance.
Shi Kuan's gaze slowly swept across the courtyard, and each time it landed on a person, that person's hand holding the weapon trembled slightly.
The wind swirled fallen leaves around his feet, and in the silence, only the rapid heartbeats of the crowd were particularly clear.
Yang Yitan gripped the sword at his waist, but he didn't even have the courage to draw it.
He knew that if there was the slightest disturbance at this moment, they would all perish here.
Now... what should we do...?
"pat...pat..."
Footsteps sounded.
With his eyes lowered and blood dripping from the tip of his sword, Mu Qinghan walked straight past Mu Shenqi's stiff body and headed towards the stone door on the roof.
Qinghan! What are you trying to do?!
Everyone was startled. The next second, that overwhelming killing intent suddenly emanated from Mu Qinghan once again.
Everyone turned deathly pale, forgetting even to breathe.
He was facing the Demon Emperor of the Northern Mountains!
Xiao Qinghan actually made no attempt to hide her killing intent in front of the Demon Emperor!
Has Xiao Qinghan gone mad?!
On the rooftop, Shi Kuan raised an eyebrow. "Facing me, instead of backing down, you've revealed murderous intent. You really are a little monster..."
"We came here only to kill this demon." Mu Qinghan stopped and slowly raised his head.
The moonlight fell on his face, highlighting the boy's taut jawline, but his voice remained unusually calm.
“He does not belong to Beishan, and you have no obligation to protect him.”
Before he finished speaking, a gust of cold wind suddenly swept around him!
His figure blurred into a fleeting afterimage, vanishing from the spot in the next second.
"Hmm?" Shi Kuan's eyes narrowed slightly, and he subconsciously gathered demonic power at his fingertips.
He only felt a flash of cold light before his eyes, and the boy had already appeared in front of him, several meters apart.
The Northern Mountain Demon Emperor was slightly surprised; this speed... was not much different from that of the Demon Emperor.
"You don't care about his death." Mu Qinghan's voice rang out in the night wind. "Otherwise, you, who have been following us all this time, should have taken action long ago."
Upon hearing this, Shi Kuan suddenly chuckled softly, the sound of his chest vibrating like muffled thunder.
"Heh...you did find me after all."
“If you’re doing this to kill us,” Mu Qinghan raised his eyes slightly, meeting Shi Kuan’s gaze directly without the slightest fear.
"Then you wouldn't choose to stand here calmly now."
"What if I just want to toy with you and then kill you?"
Shi Kuan's voice suddenly turned cold, all traces of his previous interest vanished.
He leaned forward slightly, and his aura surged again, as if he could crush everyone in the courtyard in the next second if he wanted to.
"Then I will make you lose 30% of your combat power for life."
Mu Qinghan showed no sign of backing down, and instead took another step forward.
The two were already very close, and with this step, they were only a meter apart.
He tilted his head slightly, his face unusually serious, his words clear, and his eyes firm.
"Ignorant child, do you know what you're saying?"
Shi Kuan's eyes darkened completely. "At this distance, I can take your life at any moment."
"You...you might as well give it a try."
Mu Qinghan's voice remained calm.
He didn't use any magic, yet he was like a cold sword that had been sheathed; though it was not drawn, its piercing sharpness was already palpable.
Everyone stared at the scene on the rooftop, their minds blank, speechless with shock.
Mu Qinghan is actually threatening the Demon Emperor of Beishan!
What's even more unbelievable to them is that the usually ruthless and decisive Northern Mountain Demon Emperor actually didn't make a move immediately.
His eyes were fixed on Mu Qinghan, a complex mix of emotions swirling within them—a mixture of scrutiny, doubt, and even a hint of fear.
A deathly silence lingered on the eaves for a long time, so long that Mu Shenqi and the others below could barely withstand the heavy burden brought by the Demon Emperor's pressure. Suddenly, the Demon Emperor of Beishan threw his head back and laughed.
"Hahaha--"
The laughter was as loud as thunder, and the tense killing intent and oppressive aura just moments before vanished instantly, replaced by a frank and cheerful laugh.
He raised his hand and patted Mu Qinghan's shoulder heavily. The force was enough to shatter the bones of an ordinary demon king, but Mu Qinghan only swayed slightly and took the hit steadily.
"Boy, what's your name?"
Shi Kuan's gaze fell on Mu Qinghan's face, the coldness in his eyes had completely faded, leaving only undisguised admiration.
"Mu Qinghan".
"Mu Qinghan?"
Shi Kuan repeated it, then his eyes suddenly lit up, “The number one genius of the human race? Hahaha—interesting, truly interesting!”
He leaned closer, his tone tinged with reminiscence, "You're just like a boy from back then. Like you, he had a light in his eyes, and he shone brightly wherever he went."
"I hope you won't end up like him, dying prematurely at the height of your career."
As he finished speaking, he lowered his head slightly, his forehead almost touching Mu Qinghan's.
The two were very close, and Shi Kuan's voice deepened: "I can let all of you leave, but you, Mu Qinghan, owe me a favor."
Mu Qinghan nodded slightly without the slightest hesitation: "Okay."
He looked up to meet Shi Kuan's gaze, his tone firm, "As long as it's not something immoral or against the natural order, I can grant you this favor."
"Great! That's satisfying!"
Shi Kuan suddenly sat up straight, laughed again, and patted Mu Qinghan on the back.
"Mu Qinghan, I look forward to seeing you in the future. If you ever grow to the point where you can shake the heavens and the earth, don't forget the promise you made today."
Mu Qinghan didn't say much, but simply nodded slightly to Shi Kuan, which was considered as agreeing to the agreement.
He turned and leaped off the roof, landing lightly in the courtyard, his gaze sweeping over the shocked Wang Quanba Ye and his entourage.
“Let’s go back.” He paused, a complex light flashing in his eyes. “Since no one dares to do it, and no one is willing to do it, then I’ll start it.”
"Isn't that what they want to see?"
“Little Qinghan…you…”
Chapter 43 Killing
Lead-gray clouds hung over the Dao Alliance.
The gale whipped up large raindrops that pelted the bluestone pavement with a crackling sound, forming muddy streams that enveloped the entire city in a damp chill.
The masked group returned to their respective residences, except for Mu Qinghan.
Upon arriving at Wangquan Villa, the lanterns under the eaves were swaying violently in the wind.
The dim light illuminated Wang Quan Shouzhuo's smiling face.
Those "maggots" that entrenched themselves in the foundation of the Dao Alliance and sucked the interests of all parties, those scoundrels who used their family power to do evil and treated life as worthless, should have been completely eliminated.
The "bug" he let slip out in a moment of weakness back then has now become the catalyst for this great transformation, a happy accident indeed.
The Taoist priest who sliced off half of the monster's face with his sword was him. And he was also the one who informed Wang Quanba Ye that a monster was slaughtering innocent girls.
He picked up the tea that had long since gone cold from the table, took a small sip, and his smile deepened.
The game of chess is finally unfolding in the direction he hoped for.
Looking at Mu Qinghan, whose eyes were cold, Wang Quan Shouzhuo smiled slightly.
"Qinghan, you...have come..."
The two sat facing each other in the main hall, the candlelight flickering, without exchanging any pleasantries.
In the dead of night, before the first rays of dawn had pierced the darkness, Mu Qinghan walked out of the manor with a stack of yellowed papers in his hand. The edges of the papers were wet with rain, but the densely packed names on them were still clear.
Like marks of destiny already etched in the past.
And their destiny is... to die tonight.
That night, all the major families of the Dao Alliance fell into an eerie silence.
The heads of the household received a sealed letter one after another. No one knew the contents of the letter. All that was known was that each person who opened the letter remained silent for a long time under the candlelight, their fingertips crumpling the letter.
Just past midnight, a snow-white sword light suddenly pierced through the rain and exploded in the sky above the headquarters of the Celestial Academy.
That was Mu Qinghan's sword, so fast that its trajectory was impossible to see. The cultivators who approached him didn't even have time to utter a cry of alarm before their bodies were reduced to countless fragments.
Blood mixed with rainwater, instantly staining the bluestone bricks in the courtyard red.
Cries and the sounds of clashing weapons suddenly rang out, carried by the wind and rain.
Cultivators from various families rushed over upon hearing the news, but stopped at the entrance of the Heavenly Immortal Academy.
Their patriarchs, those who were usually the strongest in the region, all tacitly remained in the family mansion, and none of them showed their faces.
The cultivators who rushed in to stop him couldn't even withstand a single exchange against Mu Qinghan's sword.
As the sword flashed, they were all sent flying backward, but they only suffered minor injuries. They were quickly carried away by their families to receive treatment, and no one dared to linger for even a moment longer.