Chapter Thirty: Utter Annihilation

Ji Xuanyu and Ai Shuo, upon hearing the commotion, exchanged a glance and, with remarkable tacit understanding, withdrew from the barrier. Before the others could react, they were already standing side by side with the two figures atop the valley. Ai Shuo and Muye were even holding hands.

Ji Xuanyu smiled gratefully at his brother who had arrived just in time, then turned and glared angrily at the black-clad figures in the valley.

“Kill them all! Leave none alive!” Yin Su’s fury flared. Especially after seeing Gu Xinyu, the phoenix behind her let out a piercing cry, then began to fiercely beat its wings, helping her ascend while scattering its feathers in a dazzling display.

The black-clad men immediately discarded their long swords, drawing a variety of weapons—morning stars, twin axes, iron chains, and even dual swords.

“Traitor!” Black Eagle led three others in a charge towards Gu Xinyu.

Gu Xinyu, agile and deft, maneuvered defensively, drawing his sword but refraining from attacking too aggressively—for after all, they had once been brothers who faced death together.

Clearly, Ji Xuanyu and Ai Shuo were bewildered by the word “traitor.” They truly did not understand. They tried to ask, but Muye’s warning—“Be careful”—and the relentless assaults from black-clad attackers forced them to set the question aside for now.

Yin Su did not rush to act. She stood quietly at the rear, watching the battle unfold.

Ji Xuanyu, Muye, and Ai Shuo aided each other, while Gu Xinyu single-handedly fended off four skilled adversaries, showing no sign of strain—he seemed to handle them with ease.

Meeting Yin Su’s expressionless face and those deathly still eyes, Gu Xinyu’s anger intensified:

He was furious! Yin Su’s cold cruelty proved her worthy as the second-in-command of the Shadows, surpassed only by himself. He was angry at himself, too—for his mercy in the past. Why had he spared her, though she had brought harm to his brothers time and again?

Gu Xinyu tightened his grip on his sword, unwilling to waste any more time. He shifted from defense to offense, each strike ruthless and deadly.

Black Eagle and the others now saw the full extent of Gu Xinyu’s strength—without resorting to mystical powers, he could still face all four of them alone.

With one thrust, his blade pierced the throat of a black-clad man, who fell from midair to the ground. Gu Xinyu’s eyes burned red at the sight of blood flowing from the man’s neck, his gaze bloodthirsty as he fixed it on the remaining three.

“Black Eagle, you were the one who carried out the order to slaughter the Ji family, weren’t you?” Gu Xinyu’s eyes locked onto Black Eagle, the tip of his sword slowly turning toward him.

“So what if I did?” Black Eagle lifted his chin in disdain. He wanted nothing more than to kill this “traitor” and collect his reward—nothing else mattered to him.

“Traitor! You’ve betrayed the Master!” Before Gu Xinyu could reply, another black-clad man raised his twin axes and swung them at him.

Gu Xinyu ducked low, bent his waist, and with a swift thrust, stabbed the man in the chest, completing the series of movements in just seconds. As the man stared in shock, Gu Xinyu charged power into his left hand and struck, sending another opponent plummeting into the valley below.

“Brave and strong, but too slow to react,” Gu Xinyu said slowly—eight words of honest assessment, a true critique. It was his way, as their former team captain, of expressing his understanding of them.

Elsewhere, Ji Xuanyu wielded the blazing sword, battling a black-clad man armed with dual blades, all the while keeping wary of hidden poison weapons flying from the shadows.

The black-clad man’s dual swords attacked Ji Xuanyu from above and below, but when they met the blazing sword, they did not melt—only grew hot. Clearly, these blades were made specifically to counter Ji Xuanyu.

Ji Xuanyu gripped his sword hilt in his right hand, reversed the blade to block the incoming swords. The enemy moved his hands, sliding the swords past the flames, stabbing toward Ji Xuanyu with eyes full of murderous intent.

Ji Xuanyu quickly parried the lower sword with the tip of his blazing sword. As the upper sword was about to strike his right arm, he suddenly dropped down, then with a flash, appeared behind the black-clad man and stabbed at him.

The enemy crossed his swords behind his back to block the attack, then turned, trapping the blazing blade between his own. Raising his right foot, he kicked, sending a sharp blade flying toward Ji Xuanyu. Ji Xuanyu twisted his wrist, giving extra support to his sword, spinning backward to avoid the flying weapon. Yet again, he heard the hiss of poison weapons slicing through the air.

Behind Ji Xuanyu, the phantom dragon roared, its tail lashing out. Though only an apparition, it blocked and swept up the poison weapons, then hurled them back.

Ji Xuanyu then rose swiftly, gazing coldly and mercilessly at the dual-bladed enemy. With a fierce slash of the blazing sword, a head flew off; in contact with the flames, all moisture instantly evaporated, leaving only leathery skin wrapped around the skull. The lifeless eyes stared at Ji Xuanyu, grotesque and grim.

Ai Shuo’s fiery red robe was striking, his short sword joined with Muye’s as they fought together.

One black-clad man, ignorant of his own peril, dared to use poison against them—did he not know both were immune to all toxins?

Ai Shuo, focused on close combat, failed to notice the danger around him. The enemy’s silver needles, coated in corpse poison, were flung at Ai Shuo as he fought.

Muye would never let Ai Shuo be harmed.

With one hand holding Ai Shuo and the other fending off a sneaky attacker, Muye spotted the shining needles in the moonlight and sniffed the scent of corpse poison. Seeing they were aimed at Ai Shuo, he instantly switched places with her, guiding her out of harm’s way without her noticing.

Muye used his jade fan to block the attacks aimed at Ai Shuo, then, with a graceful flick, sent the needles clattering harmlessly aside.

Muye cast a fierce glance at the would-be attacker, then flicked his fan, sending three plum-blossom-shaped blades mixed with gold dust straight at him. The blades struck throat, abdomen, and chest—none spared.

Moments later, flames ignited midair, consuming the man completely. A gust of wind scattered his ashes.

Ai Shuo gave Muye a grateful look, then suddenly pulled Muye’s hand, flipping in the air to stand side by side with him. Her short sword flashed, and blood splattered onto her fiery robe, the color indistinguishable.

The enemy had dared to strike while Muye was distracted—how foolish! Ai Shuo’s eyes filled with bloodshot rage as she glared at him, delivering a vicious kick, sprinkling gold dust on his wound, and summoning another burst of flame.

Muye and Ai Shuo exchanged smiles, then moved back to back, hand in hand. With a wave to the left and right, a dense white mist rose, followed by the sounds of burning and explosions—many black-clad men were scorched.

Yin Su watched all this impassively, feeling her strength fully restored. She saw her brothers die one after another, some without even bodies left—Ghost Doctor, Poison Enchantress, you are ruthless!

The remaining black-clad men continued to resist, though now they were at a disadvantage. At least among the four, only Gu Xinyu still had the strength to challenge her; the other three were clearly exhausted.

Seeing her brothers grow weaker and weaker, Yin Su decided not to wait any longer. She was certain that the spiritual power of Cold Spirit Valley would aid her.

—Extra Chapter—

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