His gaze, sharp and cold, surveyed the crowd as if an ice city had descended from the sky, enveloping them all.
A chilling coldness intensified with each passing moment, seeping into the very depths of their hearts.
Mo Qi met their murderous gazes, piercing them until each person lowered their head.
"Who else is from the Li family?" Mo Qi asked icily.
Every word was like a shard of ice, frigid and sharp.
Li Xinghe lowered his head, his entire body trembling.
At that moment, Mo Qi spotted a familiar face: Li Chunyu.
He had been present when Li Xingyuan went to cause trouble at the Murong family.
Li Chunyu, unfazed, met Mo Qi's gaze directly and replied, "I am!"
As soon as the words left his mouth, a flash of golden light split Li Chunyu in half from the middle, his body falling to either side.
The ground was a gruesome mess, a sight too horrific to behold!
A chilling killing intent spread endlessly!
A sinister atmosphere expanded without limit!
Li Xinghe's father had been killed, yet he was too terrified to make a sound, his body quivering uncontrollably!
Mo Qi's cold voice echoed in everyone's ears, "Do you feel despair? I imagine the Murong family felt the same way. Do you feel it now?"
Every heart was stretched to its absolute limit, fearing that Mo Qi's blade would turn towards them.
Even those who were not Li family members felt a bone-chilling coldness penetrate their very marrow!
"Who else is from the Li family?" the soul-crushing voice rang out again.
Gou Andong, standing not far away, subtly pointed at Li Xinghe.
Mo Qi didn't see it, but Li Xinghe did. He was so terrified that he collapsed to his knees, tears streaming down his face. He cried out with a choked voice, "Don't kill me! My brother forced me into this position as sect leader. I never wanted to be the leader, and I didn't participate in the massacre of the Murong family."
Mo Qi slightly raised his hand. Just then, a desperate, furious voice tore through the air, "Scoundrel, today I will make you pay for your blood debt with blood!"
Simultaneously, a beam of light descended from the sky, striking towards Mo Qi and Cang Shan.
Cang Shan dodged the attack, but Mo Qi remained still. "Eternal Heavenly Thunder Art!"
A bolt of lightning met the incoming beam. With a deafening roar, the two forces collided, and the energy shattered in all directions from the point of impact, like breaking glass.
Both beams of light dispersed towards their respective sides from the collision point.
Mo Qi and Li Xingyuan were both forced back.
Li Xingyuan somersaulted in mid-air before landing steadily on the ground.
Mo Qi, however, was thrown back several yards before he fell, and it took him a while to get up.
In this initial exchange, Li Xingyuan seemed to have the upper hand.
This greatly boosted the morale of Li Xinghe and the sect members!
Especially Li Xinghe, who sprang up and shouted hoarsely towards Li Xingyuan from afar, "Brother, why are you only arriving now? He killed Father!"
Having gained the advantage with one move, Li Xingyuan's confidence soared.
His face contorted with grief and anger as he looked at Mo Qi, "I almost forgot, Murong family actually had someone like you. But it doesn't matter. You coming here to die is better than us traveling thousands of miles to find you. Today, this will be your burial ground."
"I'm just the vanguard. There are thousands of troops behind me, but honestly, they're not needed. I alone am enough to deal with you," Li Xingyuan said coldly.
Thousands of troops?
The disciples of the Lingdu Sect were greatly invigorated. It seemed these two were doomed today!
They truly had no idea of their own limitations, thinking they could take on the entire Lingdu Sect with just two people.
They were unaware that behind the Lingdu Sect stood two powerful families, as well as a mysterious force.
This force often appeared in the newly established Lingdu Sect.
However, at this moment, Gou Andong felt a pang of despair!
If the Li family wasn't wiped out today, he would surely meet a terrible end!
Who knew he had been so foolish earlier?
He resolved to find an opportunity to slip away, unable to wait for death here.
Li Xinghe kept casting friendly glances at him from time to time, sending shivers down his spine.
It was as if he was saying, "Don't even think about escaping, I'm watching you."
This made Gou Andong's heart ache with bitterness.
Mo Qi let out a cold snort, "For someone like you, I'll kill as many as come."
Such arrogance!
Not only Li Xingyuan, but everyone around them felt that Mo Qi was bragging!
He had already revealed his true colors in the previous exchange, yet he dared to speak so boldly. It was truly the height of shamelessness.
Li Xingyuan's eyes seemed to spew fire, "Last time at the Murong family, you ambushed me and injured me. I've never forgotten that grudge. Today, we'll settle both old and new scores. My intention is to scatter your soul to the winds, never to be reincarnated!"
These were harsh words that caused the surrounding onlookers to tremble.
Mo Qi chuckled, "Originally, I only intended to kill you. But seeing as you wish for it, I suppose I must oblige."
As he spoke, Mo Qi drew his Xuanyuan Sword.
Even without spiritual energy, the sword exuded a chilling coldness.
Li Xingyuan's lips curved slightly as he also drew a treasured sword. The sword was a deep crimson, appearing as if blood was flowing through it when held upright.
"This sword is called the Blood Drinker Sword," Li Xingyuan said coldly, gazing at the blade. "Once unsheathed, it shall not be sheathed until it has drunk blood."
Just then, more figures flickered in the sky.
Five figures descended gracefully: Nangong Zhendong, Nangong Zhenbei, and three emaciated old men.
Nangong Zhendong's appearance had returned to normal, and his spirit had regained its former radiance, carrying an air of arrogance.
Mo Qi, who was about to make a move, saw Nangong Zhendong arrive and couldn't resist a sarcastic remark, "Hall Master Tianquan, you've grown taller in a year. Quite the development!"
Nangong Zhendong was so enraged he almost spat blood, "You can mock me with your words now, but later, I will ensure not even your bones remain."
"Alas," Mo Qi sighed, "Seeing you reminds me of a saying: 'A Zhongshan wolf, once successful, becomes even more rampant.'"
Nangong Zhendong could no longer tolerate it. He pointed his hand, and the Sky Curtain Sword shot out, a black curtain sweeping downwards.
Mo Qi said to Cang Shan, "Leave this to you."
Cang Shan responded with a nod. He pointed his hand, and a surge of black energy erupted, sweeping forward like a raging tide, meeting the descending black curtain.
The black energy churned, tearing the black curtain apart layer by layer and penetrating it.
The black curtain trembled, advancing as a whole, curling and compressing the black energy.
A rumbling explosion sounded from the center.
Both men exerted their full power, and for a time, they were evenly matched.
Seeing that Cang Shan had engaged, Mo Qi no longer hesitated. He brandished the Xuanyuan Sword and attacked Li Xingyuan.
Li Xingyuan met him unflinchingly, wielding the Blood Drinker Sword.
They unleashed their sword techniques. Initially, their figures flashed apart and together, moving back and forth, sword light swirling around them, sometimes separating, sometimes clashing.
Later, their movements became increasingly rapid, their sword light gradually merging into a single line, then forming a plane that enveloped their bodies.
Two blurs of light darted through the air, soaring up and down, sometimes colliding, sometimes separating.
At times, sparks flew, at times, it was a dazzling display.
Occasionally, sword energy suddenly erupted, striking the surroundings with crackling sounds, leaving deep gouges in the ground.
At other times, the light flared intensely, creating a gust of wind that sent the surrounding people tumbling.
The onlookers retreated further and further, seemingly unable to escape the range of their sword energy.
It seemed that as their sword techniques unfolded, the spiritual energy of both men surged like great rivers, rolling towards the endless distance.
Meanwhile, at Tianjie Academy, after countless love letters had gone unanswered, Dugu Wudi decided to visit Murong Yanran in person.
Dugu Wudi knocked incessantly on the door, but Murong Yanran refused to open it.
"Miss Yanran, please open the door. I just have something I need to clarify with you in person."
"After I explain, I will accept whatever decision you make."
However, Murong Yanran remained unmoved. Trembling, she told Xiao Yin at the door, "Whatever you do, don't open the door for him. I'm afraid he might be an assassin too."
Xiao Yin smiled faintly, "How could he be an assassin? He's a teacher at the academy. But if you have such concerns, I will follow your instructions and not let him in."
Then, standing behind the door, she said to Dugu Wudi, "Teacher Dugu, please return. She is unwilling, and I dare not let you in."
Dugu Wudi stood there, stunned. A moment later, someone from the Dugu family rushed over, "The family head wants you to return."
"What's so urgent?" Dugu Wudi asked.
"Remnants of the Murong family have suddenly appeared and are threatening to seek retribution from the Li and Nangong families. They are currently slaughtering people at the Lingdu Sect," the person said urgently.
Dugu Wudi shushed him, signaling him to stop speaking.
Then, the sound of the two of them leaving could be heard.
Murong Yanran's heart was filled with a torrent of thoughts and mixed emotions: Remnants of the Murong family? Who could it be?
"I want to go and see," Murong Yanran said to Xiao Yin after a long period of contemplation.
"It's too dangerous. What was said earlier could very well be a trap," Xiao Yin said calmly.
Murong Yanran smiled faintly, "Didn't you say that Teacher Dugu is a good person?"
Xiao Yin's cheeks flushed slightly as she said solemnly, "It's better to be cautious in matters like this!"
Mo Qi and Li Xingyuan's battle had reached a stalemate. Beams of energy flowed, and explosions erupted one after another.
There were many collisions, many separations.
People seemed to see blood splashing, but their vision was already blurred, and who knew if it was an illusion.
They assumed the duel between these two would continue indefinitely.
But after a moment, the two blurs of light separated, each landing on the ground.
Both appeared poised and confident, like noble figures.
Li Xingyuan laughed maniacally, "You little brat, you can only win by ambushing me. In a fair fight, you're just a punching bag. You're still too green to fight me."
Mo Qi chuckled, "I was merely hit, but you were killed! Stop wasting your breath with your words and save your strength to fall."
A look of terror flashed across Li Xingyuan's face. He looked at Mo Qi, then at himself, and then let out a great cry. Blood erupted from various parts of his body like a rain of arrows.
Then, his body instantly disintegrated, shattering into a pile on the ground, a bloody mess.
A terrifying atmosphere permeated the air once more!
The surrounding people felt an icy dread!
They had thought reinforcements had arrived, only to find they were also going to their deaths.
Just how powerful was this cold-faced killer?
Some people felt their courage falter, wanting to make a hasty retreat.