Yehan's roar, though seemingly inconsequential to most, struck a chord with Lans. Spurred by this, Lans's movements became even more fierce and swift.
"To him" and "to them" might not usually carry special significance, but coming from Yehan, who was generally aloof to everyone, the distinction was profound. If Yehan had said "to her," it would mean he only cared for Xiaoya's safety, neglecting others. However, he specifically said "to them," emphasizing a broader concern.
Even Yehan himself knew why he felt such unhesitant anger upon seeing Lans and the others in danger. It's strange how some people strive for others' approval, yet fail to even earn a smile, while others, through simple gestures, gain immense recognition. As a zombie, Yehan was no exception.
Every move made by Lans was under Yehan's watchful eye. To protect his sister and Xiaoya, Lans, with just the strength of the eighth rank, bravely faced over a dozen other eighth-rankers alone. Even when ninth-rankers joined the fray, he didn't falter, preferring to sustain injuries himself rather than letting Sherry and Xiaoya get hurt. Despite being attacked, he bit back his pain, refusing to let out a sound that might hinder his fight.
At that moment, Lans was fiercely resisting. The bodies of several eighth-rankers lay around him, each pierced through the chest by a sharp weapon, almost all in the same spot. Onlookers gazed in horror towards the epicenter of the explosion.
"Incapacitate the three of them," bellowed Xiseduo, prompting several more to join the pursuit of Lans and his companions.
"I want you all dead," Yehan roared, his anger shooting up into the azure sky, filling the air with a thick scent of blood. A wave of blood surged from the explosion's center, rapidly engulfing everything in its path. Everything it touched instantly corroded. Everyone hastily enveloped themselves in fighting energy to shield their bodies. Some, unable to react in time, were devoured by the blood wave, their screams never escaping their lips.
Strangely, when the blood wave reached Lans and the others, it veered around them, targeting instead the assailants attacking Lans. Several of them were also swallowed by the blood wave. The rest, halting their attack on Lans and his companions, focused solely on resisting the corrosive force of the blood wave.
The survivors hastily retreated, fleeing the range of the blood wave. They watched in terror as it engulfed everything in its path. It was horrifying; those below the eighth rank, despite shielding themselves with fighting energy, couldn't escape the blood wave's range and were mercilessly devoured without a trace. The faces of the eighth-rankers were pale, while the ninth-rankers fared slightly better. All of this occurred in the blink of an eye.
No one expected that in such a short time, of the hundreds around, now less than fifty remained alive. Their fear of Yehan intensified.
"Die," Yehan declared coldly as the blood wave surged. Blood-colored afterimages emerged within the wave. Yehan's white hair, reflected in the blood wave, was no longer white but a blood-red, as vivid as the blood itself.
With his sword in hand, Yehan mercilessly swung it, each motion claiming a life from the blood wave. Everyone was too preoccupied with resisting the corrosive blood wave to engage in combat. Yehan's ghostly speed left them unable to react. The slaughter continued, unstoppable.
Meanwhile, Raditz and his companions watched in shock. They had never anticipated Yehan possessing such a move. They hastily retreated, aiming to escape the area. But Yehan had no intention of letting them go.
Yehan, moving even faster, charged towards the trio. His eyes, now a stark grey, still radiated a murderous intent. His figure grew larger in their sight, his killing aura intensifying. "Die," Yehan suddenly leaped forward, sending a powerful sword qi cutting through the blood wave towards the trio. They were still about three zhang from the edge of the blood wave, with no time to escape.
"Just as the sword qi was about to reach them, a powerful energy from afar sliced through the space, shielding the trio. Several formidable presences pressed down on Yehan, causing him to withdraw the blood wave and stand before Lans and the others, facing the direction of these presences.
Eight middle-aged men, exuding immense presence, appeared swiftly before everyone. They emitted no energy, yet their mere presence made everyone tremble, except for Yehan, who stood proudly, unafraid to meet the gaze of these eight strong men.
Saints. All eight were saints, and not just ordinary ones, but mid-stage saints with fully developed domains. Effortlessly standing in the void, they seemed perfectly integrated with the surrounding space, drawing awe and envy from those on the ground.
"Elders,"
"Ministers,"
Raditz and his companions immediately greeted the eight newcomers with respect.
"Ha ha, very good," Yehan's wild laughter broke the silence, challenging the shock brought by the saint-level strong men.
Hearing Yehan's words, the faces of the eight saints and Raditz's group changed. They weren't fools and could read between Yehan's lines, glaring angrily at him.
"How dare you, madman!" one of the middle-aged strong men shouted, causing everyone to reel from the mental impact. "Boy, you're seeking death."
"Death? Ha ha, since my debut, many have sought to kill me, yet here I am, alive and well," Yehan laughed disdainfully, not regarding his opponent as one of the continent's top beings.
The saint-level strong man's eyes shot out two beams of light, aiming straight at Yehan. Yehan, aware of the potency of a saint-level mental attack, and his own soul's vulnerability, swung his sword. A powerful sword qi clashed with the light beams in the void, causing a deafening sound. Buildings around were destroyed.
The saint-level man's face fell as Yehan robustly blocked his attack, embarrassing him in front of everyone. Yehan, too, wasn't unscathed. Though his sword qi blocked most of the attack, a part still struck him, causing internal turmoil and slight organ displacement. To hide his injury, Yehan swallowed the blood in his mouth.
As everyone marveled at Yehan's strength, his next words incited frenzy, "Without using domains, dare you fight me?" Yehan challenged loudly.
The saint-level strong man, not one to underestimate himself, responded coldly, "In my presence, you are but an ant, why would I hesitate?" Stepping forward in the void, his aura intensified.
"No, have you forgotten the mainland's decree?" another from his group urgently interjected, his eyes still filled with murderous intent towards Yehan. Clearly, if not for the decree, he would have been the first to rush forward to kill Yehan.
Yehan's ruthless methods had been sensed by all, causing the loss of so many men. Everyone was angered, particularly as Yehan's demeanor was clearly provocative, challenging the dignity of the saint-level strong men.
"Shall we just let him go? You've seen it. They're no match for him," the crowd angrily looked at Raditz and his companions, deeply disappointed. Despite their combined efforts, they had allowed the enemy to kill so many from their side. It was a disgrace, a slap in the face of their power.
"Three days later, outside the city, let's settle this," Yehan proposed, considering the safety of Lans and the others. He set the time for three days later, outside of Miyat City.
"I will kill you," Yehan's renewed provocation infuriated the middle-aged saint-level strong man even more, making him disregard any rules at that moment.
"How dare you!" Just as the middle-aged man prepared to strike, a world-shattering aura emerged from the south of Miyat City, resonating through every soul with its thunderous sound.
"A mere ninth-rank swordsman openly challenges the authority of a saint-level. Is this to be tolerated?" the middle-aged man shouted towards the south, but with a face full of reverence. Yehan, puzzled, looked towards the south. Sensing the strength of this presence, his expression changed, "A god-level."
"Do you really intend to fight him?" The unseen voice clearly reached Yehan's ears.
"Yes. Life or death," Yehan confidently replied.
"Good. Three days later, ten li west of the city." The rule was that older generations should not strike the younger, but the younger generation could challenge their seniors.
"He cannot use his domain."
"Agreed." A challenge between unequal strengths allowed the weaker party to make a reasonable request. After saying this, the god-like aura vanished instantaneously. If not for the lingering echoes, one might think it was all a dream.
With the god-level strong man's approval, Yehan no longer paid attention to the others and began to leave with Lans and his companions. "They can't be allowed to leave," Xiseduo hastily spoke. Yehan turned, giving him a cold stare.
"You can go, but these three must stay to prevent your escape," Xiseduo quickly explained his reasoning and looked towards the minister of the Light Church.
"That's impossible."
"It's not up to you," the minister of the Light Church quickly approached Yehan's group, but just as Yehan was about to react, Lans grabbed him, shaking his head in a gesture.
As Yehan looked puzzled, Lans took out a token from his space ring. Yehan glanced at it without recognition. Lans then threw the token directly at the approaching saint-level minister.
"Look carefully. You know what to do," Lans spoke coldly for the first time.
The minister caught the token, his expression drastically changing upon inspection. He looked at Lans, then threw the token back and returned to his original position.
"Let's go," Lans said to the several saint-level strong men, with none of the arrogance from before.