Chapter 94: Cao Li, Utter Humiliation

Blood streamed endlessly down the machete. Zhang Xiaofan suddenly swung another slash, sending the blood flying from the blade, only for it to be instantly stained once more with a man's lifeblood.

It was right after this slash that a beam of sword light came cleaving toward him like lightning.

Zhang Xiaofan spun around abruptly, two sharp gleams shooting from his eyes. The machete in his hand whirled back around and met the attack head-on.

"A mundane weapon dares to clash with a treasured artifact? You're asking for death!"

Long Hao's eyes gleamed with contempt and bloodlust as he pressed down with his sword, pouring even more strength into the blow.

In that instant, the long blade in Zhang Xiaofan's hand snapped with a sharp crack. The ancient treasured sword cut through unimpeded, descending straight toward Zhang Xiaofan's head.

But at that very moment, Zhang Xiaofan's other hand whipped out, and a silver needle shot forth, laden with his vast spiritual power. Though it was but a single needle, it let out a tremendous piercing whine.

The needle flew straight for Long Hao's brow. Without a doubt, even if Long Hao's sword struck down and killed Zhang Xiaofan, he himself would die as well. He had no doubt about the needle's power.

Because he could sense an immense threat from it—one no less than that of his treasured artifact, perhaps even greater!

This silver needle was no ordinary object!

"Madman!"

Long Hao cursed under his breath. He did not dare trade his life for another's, so he dodged in that instant. And because of that dodge, the treasured ancient sword in his hand lost all threat to Zhang Xiaofan.

Zhang Xiaofan sneered coldly. With guts like that, you want to kill me?

The moment Long Hao dodged, Zhang Xiaofan moved—practically sliding past the ancient treasured sword as he lunged forward. The blade sliced through a few strands of his hair, a perilously close call.

At the same time, he suddenly drove out a fist. This punch drew upon nearly all of his strength, spiritual power flooding into it wildly. There was no technique, no form—just this simple, savage, explosive blow!

"Boom!"

Long Hao could not evade in time. His chest took the full force of the punch, and he immediately spat out a mouthful of blood, his face turning deathly pale in an instant. His body flew backward uncontrollably.

Crashing to the ground, Long Hao could no longer rise. That single punch had gravely wounded him.

Zhang Xiaofan casually lashed out a few more punches to send the men who rushed at him flying, then slowly walked over to Long Hao. He picked up the long sword that had fallen to the ground.

Pressing the blade against Long Hao's throat, his eyes bloodshot and brimming with cold, murderous intent, he said icily, "A wretch like you thinks you can kill me? Die."

With that, he moved to thrust the sword into Long Hao's throat.

"You can't kill me! If you kill me, you'll die too—I guarantee it!" Long Hao cried out in terror.

"Stop your blabbering. Go meet your old man. Sending you two father and son to reunite counts as me doing a good deed." Zhang Xiaofan had no intention of stopping. The sword continued forward, already breaking Long Hao's skin.

"Hold it!"

At that moment, a figure came rushing over at incredible speed, arriving in the blink of an eye.

A palm wind came slashing toward Zhang Xiaofan, its power immense!

"He dies today, no matter what!"

Zhang Xiaofan's heart turned cold, and he viciously thrust the sword forward in that same instant, driving it straight into Long Hao's throat. Long Hao's eyes bulged wide as the life in him rapidly faded.

At the same time, Zhang Xiaofan took the palm strike head-on. A torrent of blood burst from his mouth as he suffered severe injury.

"How dare you! A mere member of the Mystery Group dares to defy my orders!"

A figure landed, looking at Long Hao, who clutched his throat with both hands, his expression dark and grim. Clearly, Long Hao could not be saved.

Then he stared coldly at Zhang Xiaofan. "Do you know who it is you've killed?"

Zhang Xiaofan wiped the blood from the corner of his mouth and said coldly, "He wanted to kill me. I don't care who he was—he had to die."

Zhang Xiaofan stared coldly and fiercely at the man who had wounded him. How could he not recognize him? Cao Li of the Dragon Soul Heaven Group, a late-stage Spirit Opening cultivator, one of Qin Tianyu's people. Three years ago, it was this same man whose actions had led that woman to betray him and follow Qin Tianyu.

Three years ago, Cao Li had struck him with the same kind of palm. If not for Old Man Qingyun exerting every ounce of his strength, Zhang Xiaofan would have died then.

And it was precisely because of that incident that Qingyun had taken Xiaofan and left the Dragon Soul.

Cao Li was right—when he left the Dragon Soul three years ago, Zhang Xiaofan had only been a member of the Mystery Group.

The Dragon Soul comprised four groups: Heaven, Earth, Mystery, and Yellow. Most of the Yellow Group were body-tempering martial artists at the early Transcendent Realm, while the Mystery Group consisted of cultivators who had stepped into the Transcendent Realm.

The Earth Group held martial artists at the early Spirit Opening Realm. As for those at the mid-Spirit Opening Realm or above—or young cultivators of the early Spirit Opening Realm with considerable talent—they were qualified to enter the Heaven Group.

As for the Dragon Soul Hall, only the cream of the cream among geniuses could enter, and their strength absolutely had to be at the Void-Breaking Realm!

Indeed, it was precisely because of the Dragon Soul's existence that it could intimidate all the hidden powers of the world, and the Dragon Soul Hall was its true core!

Cao Li's expression was extremely ugly. He had not thought much of it before, assuming that with the treasured artifact in hand, even if Long Hao could not kill Zhang Xiaofan, he would not fall so quickly that Cao Li couldn't even intervene in time to save him.

Moreover, this piece of trash who once couldn't even withstand a single palm from him now dared to speak to him in such a tone. Cao Li felt his authority being challenged.

He strode forward and delivered a kick. Zhang Xiaofan had just been through a great battle, and Cao Li's strength far surpassed his—how could he possibly be a match?

Staring at Cao Li, the hatred in Zhang Xiaofan's heart was beyond measure, but at this moment, he was clearly no match for him.

He could only grit his teeth and take the kick, his body stumbling backward before falling again. But he immediately climbed back to his feet.

Three years ago, that humiliation had driven Zhang Xiaofan's strength to soar. And now, the same was true. Once again, Zhang Xiaofan yearned desperately for greater power.

"Trash will always be trash." Cao Li looked at Zhang Xiaofan with disdain. "Young Master Qin asked me to pass along a message: Shanshan's body is quite exquisite. How about it? Feeling angry? Ha ha ha ha..."

"There's no need to flaunt your arrogance before me. That Xiang Shanshan has nothing to do with me anymore. As for that Qin Tianyu, the humiliation he inflicted on me, I will repay him tenfold, a hundredfold." Zhang Xiaofan's face was as cold as ice. Cao Li's taunts did not break his spirit—they only steeled his resolve to grow stronger.

This disgrace, he had to face it. This disgrace, he had to wash it away!

"Oh? Still pretty cocky, are we? You can't even beat me, and you want to go after Young Master Qin? The Void-Breaking Realm is a power you can't even begin to imagine. Young Master Qin could crush you with a single finger."

Cao Li looked at Zhang Xiaofan with contempt. "A man who's sunk to your level—there's no one else like you. Your woman was stolen, you were cuckolded, and your strength is still this pathetic. Tell me, what's the point of you even living?"

"That so-called Xiang Shanshan is just a pair of worn-out shoes my man discarded. That so-called Young Master Qin just picked up a pair of discarded shoes. What's there to be proud of?"

At some point, Lin Siyu had already appeared at his side, glaring furiously at Cao Li.

"This has nothing to do with you. Get in the car." Zhang Xiaofan's voice was low and heavy.

"How is it none of my business? You're my man, so it's my business." Lin Siyu's tone was resolute.

Hearing Lin Siyu's words, immense relief flooded Zhang Xiaofan's heart. But he didn't want Lin Siyu dragged into his grudges. Although Lin Siyu was Lin Haonan's granddaughter, whether it was Qin Tianyu or Xiang Shanshan, both of their statuses far exceeded Lin Siyu's.

Cao Li, meanwhile, was equally disgusted by Lin Siyu's words. Three years ago, Zhang Xiaofan had said the very same kind of thing—standing in front of so many people and declaring that Xiang Shanshan was a pair of discarded shoes he didn't want. That was what had gnawed at Qin Tianyu all this time.

Looking at Lin Siyu—in terms of appearance, figure, and bearing, she was in no way inferior to Xiang Shanshan—Cao Li also knew from Long Hao that she was the granddaughter of Lin Haonan, the garrison commander of Jinghai. That identity meant he did not dare do anything to her.

Then he turned his gaze to Zhang Xiaofan. "Boy, I can't be bothered to waste words on trash like you. You've killed Long Hao. Let me make it clear to you—he was already a member of the Dragon Soul Heaven Group. You killed him. You know the rules of the Dragon Soul well enough."

"Heh, of course I know the rules of the Dragon Soul. Long Hao hadn't officially joined yet, had he? And besides, he was the one trying to kill me. What do I have to fear?" Zhang Xiaofan said coldly.

The Dragon Soul abhorred internal bloodshed above all. Anyone who turned their blade on a comrade would inevitably be expelled from the Dragon Soul and executed without mercy.

If Long Hao had dared to try and kill him, it was clearly because he had not yet officially joined the Dragon Soul.

And three years ago, the reason Qin Tianyu had not dared to kill him was the same.

Cao Li's expression darkened. Zhang Xiaofan was right—Long Hao had not yet officially joined. He had come to Jinghai precisely to escort Long Hao to the Dragon Soul headquarters. At the same time, he had been acting on Qin Tianyu's orders, exploiting the loophole of Long Hao's unofficial status to kill Zhang Xiaofan.