Chapter 50: Kill Them One by One!

While Duan Lingxiao was in the middle of executing He Cailian and Fan Xingguo, the wealthy tycoons and elite figures of Jiangbei City gathered at the scene had already begun utilizing their personal networks to investigate Duan Lingxiao's background.

Before long, intelligence reports flooded in.

"The Lu family of Jiangnan City has been completely eradicated, and their three major criminal syndicates have been thoroughly annihilated!"

"Even Sun Guixing, the head of the Cherry Blossom Society—who commanded the most formidable backing among the three syndicates—was publicly tortured and executed!"

"The two vice presidents of the Eastern Island Chamber of Commerce, Koichi Tsunoda and Kazuma Kiyohara, have both been put to the sword!"

"Ouyang Fengri, young master of the Ouyang family of Jinling, has been slain!"

"The Black and White Impermanence duo, ranked 274th on the Kirin Roll, have been killed!"

"..."

Message after message flashed rapidly across the screens of everyone's mobile phones.

For a moment, the wealthy elites of Jiangbei froze as if struck by a paralyzing spell.

Every face was etched with horror, and not a single person uttered a sound.

In ancient times, Jiangnan and Jiangbei were a single municipality known as Cangjiang City. In modern times, the two prefecture-level cities were divided by the great river, each governed independently. Consequently, intelligence did not always flow freely between them. Had Duan Lingxiao not acted with such resolute ruthlessness when dealing with He Cailian and Fan Xingguo, these Jiangbei elites would never have bothered to investigate his identity.

However, once investigated, everyone's jaws dropped in disbelief.

As it turned out, the ruthless powerhouse who had caused such a massive upheaval in Jiangnan City was none other than the young man standing right before them!

"No wonder... It all makes sense now. This young man is truly extraordinary!"

"To have caused such a colossal uproar in Jiangnan City and still remain completely unscathed... From this day forward, whether in Jiangnan or Jiangbei, this young man will surely shine like a crimson sun illuminating the heavens, his radiance completely unblockable!"

Everyone gazed at Duan Lingxiao with profound awe.

A true powerhouse!

At any given time and in any era, people instinctively revere genuine might. This is determined by the fundamental genetic makeup of humanity.

"Is there anyone else who wishes to block my path?"

"If so, step forward quickly. I don't have the time to slaughter you one by one!"

Just then, Duan Lingxiao's indifferent voice rang out, echoing clearly in the ears of everyone present.

It was deafening!

It shook their souls and made their hearts tremble, leaving them scarcely able to believe their own ears.

Slaughter them one by one?

So many martial artists—many of them genuine masters—were spoken of by Duan Lingxiao as though they were mere cabbages to be casually chopped down?

Kan Mingzhi's expression turned unsightly in the extreme. He opened his mouth as if to say something, but ultimately held his tongue.

As for the others, they dared not utter a single word. They didn't even dare to meet Duan Lingxiao's gaze.

"Let's go," Duan Lingxiao said to Cao Mengchen.

"Yes, Master Ling!"

Cao Mengchen snapped back to reality and hurriedly opened the car door. Once Duan Lingxiao took his seat, Cao Mengchen sprinted to the driver's side, started the engine, and sped away, leaving dust in their wake.

The crowd could only watch helplessly as Duan Lingxiao departed.

This was the power of sheer strength!

Without strength, one was reduced to a lamb for the slaughter. With strength, one commanded universal fear!

Everyone knew that stepping forward at that moment was tantamount to seeking death. Naturally, no one was foolish enough to throw their life away.

"Damn it!"

"This little bastard is far too arrogant!"

"Here in Jiangbei City, an outsider from Jiangnan dares to slaughter without restraint and run amok? This is a direct slap to the face of the Jiangbei Martial Arts Association!"

"This is an outright insult to every single martial artist in Jiangbei!"

"I, Kan Mingzhi, will certainly make him pay the ultimate price!"

It was not until Duan Lingxiao's vehicle had traveled a long distance away that Kan Mingzhi could no longer suppress the raging fury within him, letting out a harsh, furious roar. His face was twisted in a ferocious grimace, his features distorted with rage. As the vice president of the Jiangbei Martial Arts Association, this was the first time he had ever been so utterly humiliated and ignored! He vowed to report this incident immediately to the association president, to the provincial capital, and even to the He family of Hong Kong!

Hearing Kan Mingzhi's hysterical roar, the surrounding crowd cast strange, sideways glances at him. They found his post-incident bluster thoroughly incomprehensible and, frankly, utterly contemptuous.

Sensing the strange looks directed at him by the crowd, Kan Mingzhi gave a cold, dismissive wave of his hand and swiftly departed with his contingent from the Jiangbei Martial Arts Association.

...

Inside the car.

"Master Ling, you were simply magnificent! Those people in Jiangbei are far too arrogant. Giving them a lesson lets them know there is always someone better, and that mountains tower beyond mountains!" Cao Mengchen remarked enthusiastically.

"Jiangbei and Jiangnan?" Duan Lingxiao said indifferently. "Mere specks of dust."

Five years ago, he had already fought across overseas battlefields and earned great honors, so his perspective was naturally extraordinary. Furthermore, his five years of imprisonment in Zero Prison under the tutelage of the Seven Wicked Fiends had vastly broadened his horizons. He understood that beyond the secular world lay the Martial Arts World—a realm encompassing all martial practitioners that operated under its own distinct set of rules, entirely separate from ordinary society. The depths of the Martial Arts World ran far deeper than what appeared on the surface.

"Mere specks of dust?" Cao Mengchen was startled, but immediately understood. In the vast expanse of Master Ling's mind, everything naturally embraced all rivers, making Jiangnan and Jiangbei indeed appear infinitesimal. His gaze was undoubtedly fixed upon the imperial capital of Dragon City, upon the entire world... upon a vastly broader stage.

The rest of the journey passed in silence.

Jiangbei City was only a three-to-four-hour drive from Jiangnan. Before long, the two arrived at the Jiangbei Expressway toll plaza. Exiting the highway, they quickly entered the outskirts of Jiangnan City.

"Master Ling, in another half-hour, we will reach the villa," Cao Mengchen said, glancing at the satellite navigation system.

"Good," Duan Lingxiao nodded.

Right at that moment, a convoy of more than ten black Hummers suddenly surged forth from the front, forcing their car to a screeching halt. From these vehicles emerged roughly twenty men. The man leading them was a middle-aged individual dressed in a sharp business suit, exuding a distinct bureaucratic aura.

"Master Ling, someone is blocking our way!" Cao Mengchen frowned.

"Get out of the car," Duan Lingxiao said, his gaze turning slightly cold.

"Yes!"

As the two stepped out of the vehicle, the group on the opposing side quickly approached them.

When Cao Mengchen looked at the leader, he was momentarily stunned, for he recognized the man.

"Principal Yang! What brings you out here?"

The middle-aged leader was Yang Desheng, president of Jiangnan Medical University. Because Cao Mengchen was the master of the Shennong Workshop and operated within the medical sphere, the two were quite familiar with each other. Yang Desheng had even invited Cao Mengchen to deliver several lectures at Jiangnan Medical University, where he had been warmly received by the students.

"Workshop Director Cao, apologies. I am here today at another's behest, arriving uninvited!" Yang Desheng offered a polite, formal greeting before turning his gaze toward Duan Lingxiao. "A very prominent figure wishes to see Mr. Ling."

His tone was laden with deep curiosity. Evidently, for such an important personage to repeatedly instruct him to intercept this young man here for an urgent discussion meant that the young man before him possessed truly extraordinary qualities.

"Who?" Duan Lingxiao asked.

"He will be here shortly." Yang Desheng glanced down at his wristwatch, then looked past Duan Lingxiao.

At that exact moment, a roaring sound echoed through the air as several Mercedes-Benz and BMW vehicles with distinct license plates came speeding toward them. Several bodyguards dressed in black stepped out and promptly opened the rear door of the second car.

From within stepped an elderly man dressed in a white Tang suit. Leaning heavily on a dragon-headed cane, the old man had hair as white as snow, yet his eyes shone with vibrant health and piercing brilliance.

He walked slowly toward Duan Lingxiao, studied him for a brief moment, and then spoke directly:

"I am Yao Xuanchen. Young man, what relation do you bear to the Supreme Medical Saint?"