"Where are your clansmen? Take me to them quickly!" Xiao Chen urged, seeing the fear and despair in the young boy's eyes, which reminded him of his own helplessness in the past.
"Thank you! Thank you!" The boy repeatedly thanked him excitedly and then led Xiao Chen to the Nei Gu Clan.
On the way, Xiao Chen asked, "What's your name?"
The boy replied, "My name is Tian Mo."
The journey was not far, and within a few minutes, Tian Mo brought Xiao Chen to a small village, surrounded by mountains. It was a valley full of flowers and grass, but the wooden houses in the village were destroyed, and many corpses lay on the ground, including men, women, the elderly, and children. The scene was tragic and unbearable to watch. The black-clad assailants were extremely ruthless. Around twenty of them were slaughtering the villagers indiscriminately.
"Ahhh!"
The village was filled with screams of agony as the black-clad men killed without mercy, and wherever they went, the clansmen fell into pools of blood.
"No! Grandpa! Grandpa!" Tian Mo cried out in grief as he ran to an old man with white hair who had fallen.
"Tian Mo, run quickly!" the old man said with a mouth full of blood before passing away.
Witnessing this tragic scene and the pain of losing loved ones, Xiao Chen's face instantly turned furious. A cold killing intent spread out as he drew his divine sword and charged towards the black-clad men.
"Little White Tiger! Kill them for me! Tian Mo, quickly take your clansmen and hide behind!" Xiao Chen's eyes were filled with bloodshot anger as he moved swiftly to a black-clad man and slashed out with his sword. Blood sprayed out as the black-clad man was sent flying.
"Roar!"
The Little White Tiger emerged from the storage ring, letting out a thunderous roar that echoed throughout the village. It pounced on the black-clad men at great speed, its sharp claws tearing through them mercilessly.
"Shhh!"
The ancient White Tiger's strikes were extremely fierce, leaving three deep scars on each black-clad man it attacked, with flesh torn away, exposing white bones.
"What... What is that monster?" one of the black-clad men exclaimed in fear.
"Is that a demon beast? How can a demon beast appear in the Nei Gu Clan?" another black-clad man was shocked.
"Leader! A kid is killing our men!" a black-clad man reported to a man wearing a black mask and cloak.
"A kid?" The leader's eyes scanned Xiao Chen, who was slaughtering the black-clad men, and then glanced at the ancient White Tiger. He said in a deep voice, "That demon beast must be following the kid. Kill the kid."
"Shhh! Shhh! Shhh!"
Enraged, Xiao Chen wielded his divine sword and executed the Ghost Shadow Divine Art. His figure flickered like a phantom, and each strike was lethal, spraying blood. Xiao Chen's face was splattered with enemy blood. The black-clad men only saw a black shadow passing by before they fell, not knowing what hit them.
"What a strange sword!" the leader muttered, his cold eyes fixed on the frenzied Xiao Chen.
"Leader, this kid is ruthless and powerful! But that demon beast is truly strange," a black-clad man in the Qi Refining stage said to the leader.
"Hmph! Just a kid and a demon beast. How can they overturn the sky? We have the formula; we can leave now. No matter who he is, just kill him," the leader snorted coldly, his eyes flashing with disdain.
"Yes! I'll kill him now!" the black-clad man in the Qi Refining stage nodded, charging at Xiao Chen with a machete.
"Everyone, get out of my way!" the charging black-clad man shouted, "Kid, you're living too long!"
"Hmph! It's you who's living too long! A mere Qi Refining stage dares to be so arrogant here! Little White Tiger, leave the other trash to you! Kill them all and avenge these dead clansmen!" Xiao Chen snorted coldly, slashing down with his sword, killing a man. He then quickly charged forward, his feet pounding the ground.
"Roar!"
The ancient White Tiger roared, indicating it understood, and its huge body swiftly turned into a white streak, pouncing madly at the black-clad men.
"Kid, dare to look down on me! You'll die a terrible death!" the black-clad man in the Qi Refining stage shouted coldly.
"Ding!"
Xiao Chen's figure flashed by, his powerful divine sword slashing down with a crisp "ding" sound, splitting the black-clad man's machete in two.
"The one who'll die terribly is you!" Xiao Chen said coldly, flicking his divine sword to shake off the blood. The black-clad man in the Qi Refining stage fell.
"Oh? You can kill a Qi Refining stage with one sword. Kid, your strength is indeed not simple," the leader said, somewhat surprised.
"Who are you? Why are you attacking the Nei Gu Clan?" Xiao Chen's cold eyes swept towards the leader, asking coldly.
"Shadow!" the leader said coldly, showing no fear. He continued, "All towns within a hundred miles are under our Shadow's control. Anyone who opposes us will die. Kid, seeing your impressive skills, if you agree to join Shadow, I'll overlook the people you've killed. How about it?"
"If you have the ability to defeat me, I'll consider it," Xiao Chen said coldly, exuding a wild aura.
"Haha! Kid, you are indeed arrogant! But I like arrogant kids like you because only with such training can one become a real killing weapon! Shadow needs talents like you!" the leader laughed heartily.
"Buzz!"
As he laughed, the leader activated the true essence within him, unleashing a powerful force that made the ground buzz and tremble. A strong wind swept out, destroying the flowers and grass on the ground.
"Golden Core stage!" Xiao Chen thought to himself, but his face remained calm, his eyes unwavering and unflustered.
"Earth Immortal Technique! Bind!" the leader chanted, forming a seal with one hand. Suddenly, several tree branches like pythons emerged from the ground, binding Xiao Chen's hands and feet.
"Brat! I'll end you with one strike!" the leader said arrogantly, charging forward.
"Hmph! Do you think such a weak wood attribute power can bind me? Hah!" Xiao Chen snorted coldly, activating his true essence. With a loud shout, he shattered the branches and quickly charged forward.
"Oh? You're also at the Golden Core stage! Kid, you really are a genius! No wonder you could kill a Qi Refining stage with one strike," the leader exclaimed again, not expecting Xiao Chen, a young boy, to be a Golden Core expert.
"Ding!"
The two fiercely clashed with their swords, producing a crisp "ding" sound as sparks flew. Xiao Chen's powerful force pushed the leader back several meters.
"What incredible brute force! Unbelievable," the leader was once again shocked.
"What are you thinking?" As the leader was stunned, Xiao Chen's figure appeared behind him with a cold voice, making the leader shudder.
"How is this possible?" the leader was horrified, unable to believe Xiao Chen had moved behind him in the blink of an eye.
"Shhh!"
Without hesitation, Xiao Chen struck, never showing mercy to enemies. A slash cut across the leader's back, and blood quickly seeped out.
"Amazing! Brother Xiao Chen's strength is incredible!" Tian Mo, hiding with the clansmen under an undamaged wooden house, exclaimed in shock, his eyes filled with admiration and awe.
"With your level of strength, you want me to join Shadow? To me, you are nothing but a bunch of rabble!" Xiao Chen said coldly.
"Rabble? Kid, what's your name?" the leader asked coldly, his eyes full of anger.
Xiao Chen replied coldly, "Xiao Chen."
"Xiao Chen, huh? You call our Shadow a rabble? Kid, you are too naive. On the Tian Yue Continent, without a powerful force of your own, no matter how strong you are, you'll never stand your ground! How can one person withstand the might of thousands? The weak have no right to survive on the Tian Yue Continent. In this world where strength reigns supreme, the strong need countless followers! You understand nothing yet dare to call us rabble?" the leader roared at Xiao Chen in anger.
"The strong need countless followers!" The leader's words stirred something within Xiao Chen.
"Crimson Blood Saber Technique! Red Lotus Slash!" the leader activated his true essence, and a strong power emanated from his saber, which glowed faintly red. As he slashed down, a red saber light shot towards Xiao Chen like a bamboo splitting apart.
"The strong don't need countless followers! As long as you are strong enough! One person is equally qualified to survive on the Tian Yue Continent! Your words show that you have bowed to fate. Your fate is in someone else's hands. I will never bow to fate; I control my own destiny!" Xiao Chen said coldly, his eyes full of determination.
"Buzz! Buzz!"
As he spoke, Xiao Chen fiercely activated his true essence, infusing it into his divine sword. The blade glowed with white light, and a powerful sword aura spread out, making the ground tremble.
"Xiao Chen, you are too naive and ignorant! You don't understand the Tian Yue Continent at all, which is why you're so arrogant and boastful!" the leader roared angrily.
"Boom!"
"Poof!"
The sword aura and saber light collided fiercely, exploding with a thunderous roar. The powerful blast of energy rebounded wildly, shattering the leader's mask. A mouthful of blood spurted out as his body was sent flying.
"What kind of sword aura is this?" The leader was full of shock, unable to believe that Xiao Chen's sword aura had severely injured him.
"You are wrong! My arrogance is not due to ignorance, nor naivety, but simply because I am Xiao Chen!" Xiao Chen said coldly, unscathed. He walked towards the leader step by step, exuding a dominating aura.
Seeing the unwavering determination in Xiao Chen's eyes and the domineering aura emanating from his entire being, the leader was momentarily stunned.
"Haha! Arrogant kid! You will pay for your arrogance. Xiao Chen, I admit defeat, but I have recorded all your information in this jade slip. Shadow will never let you go!" the leader laughed heartily. Then, forming a seal with one hand, he grasped a jade slip. After a moment, he threw the jade slip, and it disappeared in the blink of an eye.
"Shhh!"
Xiao Chen slashed with his sword, and blood quickly seeped from the leader's throat. With a hiss, a stream of blood spurted out, and the leader fell.
Xiao Chen said coldly, "Since you won't let me go, I will personally destroy Shadow!"