They never expected this. It was one thing for Xu Ke to instantly kill Peng Hetong, but to do the same to Chang Yi even after being hit by Sun Luo's Poison Dart? That was too terrifying!

Chang Yi found it even more unbelievable. A few days ago, when Xu Ke badly injured me in the alley, I remember he had to use some kind of secret technique to possess that much power. But now, he hasn't done anything special, yet he can still incapacitate me with a single punch? This is just too horrifying!

In reality, two factors led to Chang Yi's incapacitation. First, while Xu Ke could ignore the poison on Sun Luo's Poison Dart, Chang Yi could not. As soon as the dart pierced him, his True Qi was shattered. Second, although Xu Ke had been severely injured from forcefully enhancing his strength by over-absorbing Dragon Essence, it wasn't entirely without benefit. His power had definitely increased. With these two factors combined, it was no surprise that he could now send Chang Yi flying with a single punch.

「...」

"Xu Ke, you're courting death!" Lin Zhongtian gritted his teeth, his voice ferocious.

He was finally, truly afraid. Previously, he feared Xu Ke making a move only because Tang Yingchang was present to back him up. A master at the peak of the Innate Great Perfection realm could kill them all without a shred of doubt. So, he feared Tang Yingchang, not Xu Ke. But now, Xu Ke had taken down two of them all on his own, and without a scratch... That was more than enough to fill him with dread!

"If you back down now, there's still room to salvage this. Otherwise, not even the Jade Emperor himself could save you from facing punishment at the Alliance Headquarters!" Lin Zhongtian threatened, forced to invoke the rules to pressure him.

But Xu Ke just laughed. "When you kidnapped my sister, did you ever consider that you'd have to face punishment from the Martial Alliance for your actions?"

"Nonsense! Who kidnapped your sister?!" Lin Zhongtian roared.

"Heh," Xu Ke scoffed, saying no more as he charged straight at him. He then flung out the last of his Hidden Weapons: two throwing knives, both aimed at Lin Zhongtian.

Lin Zhongtian, who had been pampered for years, was scared witless by Xu Ke's display of power and instinctively moved to dodge the knives. But his evasive maneuver left Sun Luo completely isolated and without support.

Twisting his waist and swinging his arm, Xu Ke landed a punch on Sun Luo. Sun Luo raised his hand, attempting to block the punch directly. But having already been seriously injured by the black-robed elder in the alley, how could he possibly be a match for Xu Ke?

SPURT!

With a miserable shriek, Sun Luo sprayed a mouthful of blood. His injuries were now even more severe.

Xu Ke then turned his gaze toward Lin Zhongtian. Having easily deflected the two knives, Lin Zhongtian looked utterly exasperated. I can't believe those knives were so weak! Seeing Sun Luo crippled right after he'd deflected the attack, how could he not understand Xu Ke's plan? The two throwing knives were just a feint to scare me away from Sun Luo's side. That left him completely vulnerable!

"You bastard," Lin Zhongtian growled, flushed with shame and anger, preparing to face Xu Ke directly.

Xu Ke simply bent down, plucked several Poison Darts from Sun Luo's waist, and threw them at Lin Zhongtian. Learning his lesson, Lin Zhongtian methodically knocked them away. But Xu Ke's kick followed close behind, fast as a heat-seeking missile...

Lin Zhongtian threw a punch to counter it.

But just then—BOOM!

A viciously powerful blast of emitted True Qi shot out from Tang Yingchang's direction.

BANG!

Lin Zhongtian was struck instantly, a spray of blood erupting from his mouth. SPURT! His aura immediately withered. Unable to block Xu Ke's kick, he was sent flying into a load-bearing column. The distinct CRACK of breaking bones echoed through the room.

"Argh!" Lin Zhongtian screamed. His body convulsed in agony, but what he felt most was furious indignation. He glared at Xu Ke, his voice strained. "Wasn't this supposed to be a one-on-one fight?!" You're playing dirty? And I was actually planning to have a proper fight with him... But Tang Yingchang just interfered?! How despicable can you get?!

"Who said it was?" Xu Ke sneered, looking down at him. "You're allowed to play dirty, but I'm not?"

Although he hadn't wanted to involve Tang Yingchang, he certainly didn't mind that the man had taken the initiative.

A sweet, metallic taste filled Lin Zhongtian's throat, and he was overwhelmed with indignation. Xu Ke is utterly despicable!

Xu Ke then pulled the phone from Lin Zhongtian's pocket and held it up to his face. Lin Zhongtian squeezed his eyes shut, denying him the chance to use facial recognition. In response, Xu Ke delivered another powerful kick to his stomach.

"Argh!" the old man shrieked. "How dare you torture me?"

Without a word, Xu Ke kicked him again, this time with brutal force.

"ARGH!" Lin Zhongtian screamed once more. Completely drained of strength, he could only stare helplessly at the phone as Xu Ke unlocked it.

Xu Ke had never been so ruthless with anyone before. He made an exception for Lin Zhongtian. Because he had touched Xu Yi.

The conscious Sun Luo and Chang Yi watched in heart-pounding terror. Thank goodness that's not us...

After getting the address from the phone, Xu Ke began to impersonate Lin Zhongtian, intending to message Li Lang that Sun Luo and Chang Yi had left and he should release the girl.

But Tang Yingchang stopped him. "Mister Xu, you mustn't do that."

"If they believe Sun Luo and Chang Yi are safe, they'll know you have no more leverage. I'm afraid Miss Xu Yi would then face even more brutal treatment."

Xu Ke froze, the realization dawning on him. He's right. If they think I've failed and their men are free, they have no reason to keep my sister alive... They'd kill her immediately... I was too impulsive!

Taking a deep breath to calm himself, Xu Ke looked at Sun Luo and Chang Yi. "Let's go. We'll take these two and make the exchange."

"Yes!" Tang Yingchang nodded. He stepped forward and lifted the two men as if they were a pair of chickens, carrying them away.

Before leaving, Xu Ke patted himself down and took out a poison needle, identical to the one he had planted in Li Lang. Lin Zhongtian was so close he could smell the thick, foul stench coming from it. His face instantly turned ashen. That's not a Hidden Weapon... it's a time bomb!

Avoiding the surveillance cameras, Xu Ke plunged it directly into Lin Zhongtian's body. To ensure the poison took full effect, he specifically aimed for a blood vessel. Only after the toxin had completely dispersed into the bloodstream did Xu Ke withdraw the Silver Needle.

With that done, Xu Ke looked down at the horrified Elder Lin and smiled. "Elder Lin, this is a poison needle laced with Shitian Elixir."

"Starting tomorrow, your body will begin to fester, and your True Qi will dissipate. If you don't have the antidote in ten days, the Martial Alliance can come and collect your corpse. Think about it carefully."

The Shitian Elixir came from an ancient formula whose origins were unknown even to Ren Gu, and it was ferociously potent. However, administering it was extremely difficult. First, its foul stench made it easy to detect. Second, the toxin needed to be fully absorbed by the body, which was why Xu Ke had injected it directly into a blood vessel. Third, it was so corrosive that only special Silver Needles and a unique pouch could contain it. Hitting a nobody like Li Lang with a needle was as easy as flipping one's hand. But against a master like Lin Zhongtian, even getting close was a challenge, let alone hitting him. Xu Ke could only poison him so easily because he had been completely incapacitated.

Hearing this, Lin Zhongtian's face went deathly pale. Despair filled his eyes and his bloody lips trembled. "You... you despicable, shameless..."

But Xu Ke cut him off with another kick.

"Argh!" Lin Zhongtian cried out in pain as the kick knocked him unconscious.

The last thing he heard before darkness claimed him was Xu Ke's voice. "Elder Tang, let's go."

"Yes!"

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