Li Jun's body exploded with a violent shockwave, along with the bodies of the two young women, scattering blood and debris across the area. Everyone was thrown back, not from the blast force but from the poison released from their bodies. Xiu Ning tried to push through the poisonous miasma to reach her son, but seeing the shattered remains and blood on the ground, her heart shattered instantly.
A painful scream escaped her lips. "No… Jun'er!"
Ling Se and Bai Gu Wang both looked on, stunned, their expressions a mix of shock and caution. The situation had taken an unexpected and disturbing turn.
Xiu Ning rose, her eyes filled with vengeance, though her heart was clouded with pain and confusion. She fixed her gaze on Ling Se and Bai Gu Wang, her eyes blazing with wrath. "You will pay for this…"
Ling Se dusted off his clothes with a cold indifference. "I only did my job. If you want revenge, you're welcome to try, though I doubt you're capable. A Saint Emperor who can't kill a Saint King—what a disgrace."
Bai Gu Wang chuckled softly as his body began to glow green. "I'd love to see how you plan to take my life."
As the fierce argument between Ling Se, Bai Gu Wang, and Xiu Ning continued, the atmosphere shifted suddenly. Out of nowhere, everyone present—including the remaining leaders of the Moon Commerce Guild and nearby townsfolk—began to cough up blood without understanding why. Their cultivation levels dropped rapidly.
Xiu Ning noticed her own cultivation plummeting to Saint King level 9 in an instant. Her eyes reflected a mix of shock and fury, tears spilling down her face as her voice trembled.
"Poison? You vile Council of Deities scum! You dared to plant poison in my son's body? Such a vile and insidious plan… I truly fell into your trap."
Bai Gu Wang Feeling his own strength waning, Bai Gu Wang replied coldly, "Perhaps you should look on the ground for your brain, Xiu Ning. If you find it in time, it might raise your intelligence just enough to notice I'm poisoned too. Fool!"
Xiu Ning gritted her teeth and growled, "I knew I couldn't trust you vile snakes and rats, lurking in the shadows. You've been scheming against the Moon Commerce Guild from the start, haven't you?"
Bai Gu Wang interjected, "Are you an idiot? Do you think I'd poison myself too? Maybe that idiot snake would do it and poison himself in the process… Hey… Ling Se! Did you set this up to kill me and claim all the credit? I… I… thought we were friends."
Ling Se sighed lightly, casting a mocking glance at Bai Gu Wang. "You call others fools, yet you're no wiser than Xiu Ning herself. I swear, if I survive this, I'll let a dog chew on your bones."
Bai Gu Wang sneered, his voice barely above a whisper. "So, I was right… You want to replace me, huh? Did you have to go this far?"
Xiu Ning looked at them both in disgust and spat angrily. "You both have to be the stupidest to get yourselves poisoned in your own plot!"
Ling Se laughed derisively. "A lot of talk from someone who's the reason her son's so thick-headed. He must've inherited all his foolishness from you."
Xiu Ning trembled with rage, glaring at Ling Se with murderous intent. "Every insult, 'fool this, fool that.' Can't you come up with anything better?"
Before she could finish speaking, the sound of slicing air rushed past her ears, and in an instant, Xiu Ning's head was severed from her body. Her headless form fell to the ground, blood splattering across the surrounding earth amid the rubble and wreckage of the ruined city. Ling Se and Bai Gu Wang flinched at the sight before them, as did the remaining leaders of the Moon Commerce Guild who had survived.
Ling Se quickly steadied himself, his mouth opening as he summoned forth a massive white serpent from within, which rapidly devoured Bai Gu Wang and fled from the city at full speed, hoping to escape. However, before he could get far, a massive fireball descended from the heavens with blinding speed, emanating an immense pressure that enveloped the entire area.
Boom!!!
The explosion resounded across the city, and flames surged, consuming the entire area. Only ash floated in the air, and half the city was obliterated, leaving no trace of buildings. Although Ling Se narrowly escaped death, he was severely injured, his body scorched from the flames. Gasping for breath, his eyes still held a spark of exhilaration and thrill.
Ling Se gathered the remaining energy he had, closed his eyes, and focused. The massive white serpent split into hundreds of thousands of smaller snakes, scattering in every direction, each one fleeing with incredible speed. But as they dispersed, countless fiery spears rained down from the sky, blanketing the heavens. The spears pierced through each white snake scattered across the area, eliminating them until not a single one remained.
High in the vast sky, Li Huang floated above the clouds, scrutinizing the system notifications. Yet there was no trace of Ling Se or Bai Gu Wang's names, leading Li Huang to believe the two might have escaped once again.
At that moment, Qing Ying emerged from the clouds, bowing respectfully as she reported to Li Huang.
"Your Majesty, the Dark Shadow Secret Unit has taken control of more than half of the Moon Commerce Guild, and within a day, the remaining branches will be fully secured."
Li Huang nodded thoughtfully before calmly issuing his orders. "Lead the Dark Shadow Secret Unit to gather all valuables and treasures from the city. You have five minutes."
Qing Ying acknowledged the command and swiftly descended toward the city to execute the task. Meanwhile, Li Huang used his vision to scan the city, searching for anyone with a unique or valuable physique who might be of interest. Yet despite his thorough examination, he found no one noteworthy or useful remaining.
After five minutes, Qing Ying returned, her hands full of resources and treasures gathered from the city. Li Huang glanced over the collection before gathering his spiritual power again. Instantly, a massive fireball formed in midair, its blazing heat causing the ground below to tremble. Li Huang released the fireball, allowing it to fall toward the city below.
Boom!!!
The explosion shook the entire city, and everything in its path was engulfed in flames within moments. Rubble and ash rose into the air like a thick mist. Li Huang gazed down with an expression devoid of emotion before speaking.
"Qing Ying, lead the Dark Shadow Secret Unit to sweep the area within a hundred thousand kilometers. I want nothing left alive."
Qing Ying bowed in acknowledgment, immediately guiding the Dark Shadow Secret Unit to scour the surrounding area, eliminating anything that moved, regardless of whether it was human or spirit beast. Meanwhile, Li Huang's system chimed with a new notification.
[Congratulations to the host for the extensive kills. Kill Points earned: 45,451,111,000.]
[Total Kill Points: 46,292,346,810.]