"You don't seriously think that a crawling lizard like this could kill me, do you?" Xu Ming looked at Mo Zhuer, his expression calm, even tinged with mockery.
Faced with Xu Ming's derision, Mo Zhuer was utterly indifferent. After all, the disdain wasn't directed at her. Instead, her charming eyes glanced at Yellow Sand Dragon King beside her, silently repeating the word "lizard" in her mind. She found it surprisingly fitting.
Having been insulted, Yellow Sand Dragon King's face turned incredibly grim—far worse than if he'd swallowed something vile.
Sensing the tension between the two, Mo Zhuer's lips curled into a sly smile.
This was perfect.
She no longer needed to fan the flames; the situation was already combustible enough.
"Does the prince consort dare repeat that?" Yellow Sand Dragon King stared coldly at Xu Ming, his gaze deadly. To the Yellow Sand Dragon King, Xu Ming was as good as a dead man.
The other villagers kneeling on the ground trembled uncontrollably as they listened to the sharp exchange between the dragon king and this immortal master.
For most of the villagers, they had no idea that the village chief had already resolved to sever ties with this vile flood dragon, nor did they know that the immortal master was here to eliminate the dragon king.
All they knew was that someone claiming to be a righteous hero had stepped in to protect Luo Sanniang's family, seemingly trying to save her daughter. But the village chief ultimately announced, "We will continue to worship the dragon king, and not only that, we will host a grand temple festival for him. As for the girl to be sacrificed, it will still be Luo Sanniang's daughter."
Thus, most villagers believed that this so-called "hero" had chickened out in the face of the dragon king, deciding to stay in the village only to freeload.
Who could have expected that today, this hero would directly confront the dragon king?
The villagers were so frightened they didn't dare lift their heads.
If this escalated, their own lives might be at risk!
Xu Ming glanced at the village chief, still kneeling in the distance. The chief, catching Xu Ming's gaze, instantly understood his intent.
The village chief quickly got to his feet and patted the shoulder of a nearby man. The man immediately grasped the message and began calling others to leave, ushering them out.
Yellow Sand Dragon King didn't care at all about the villagers' departure. His face was flushed with humiliation, his eyes fixed solely on Xu Ming.
After all, where could these villagers possibly escape to?
Xu Ming cast a clear glance at Luo Sanniang, indicating the distant path. His meaning was clear: "Go."
Luo Sanniang shook her head.
"The children aren't here," Xu Ming said plainly.
Luo Sanniang froze, then looked toward the temple. Her eyes flickered with uncertainty.
She bit her lip gently, torn between her desire to stay and her fear of burdening Xu Ming. In the end, she bowed deeply and reluctantly left.
"My, my~ Is Young Master Xu clearing the area to avoid collateral damage?" Mo Zhuer's bewitching eyes blinked playfully. "Could it be that Young Master Xu was actually waiting for us to arrive?"
"That's right," Xu Ming replied with a smile, sitting back down. "Now that you're here, you might as well stay, especially this noisy little lizard."
"Courting death!" Yellow Sand Dragon King roared, slamming his palm toward Xu Ming's head.
Yuan Yu, who had been standing by Xu Ming's side, was just about to intervene when Xu Ming preemptively grabbed Yellow Sand Dragon King's wrist.
Yellow Sand Dragon King's hand couldn't move an inch further.
The creatures accompanying Yellow Sand Dragon King stared in disbelief.
Flood dragons were part of the dragon clan, renowned for their immense physical strength and resilience. Yet here was Yellow Sand Dragon King, utterly overpowered.
But Yellow Sand Dragon King's hand couldn't move an inch further!
"Boom!"
Xu Ming didn't hold back. Rising to his feet, he kicked Yellow Sand Dragon King square in the chest. The flood dragon was sent flying backward like a kite with its string cut.
Seeing the fight break out, Yuan Yu immediately activated the Dragon-Trapping Formation.
Flags emerged from the ground, and the surrounding spiritual energy began to flow rhythmically. Threads of energy intertwined to form a cage, enclosing the entire clearing.
"Damn it! We've fallen into a trap!"
The other demons were struck with panic.
"I'll handle this myself. You just watch from the side," Xu Ming said to Yuan Yu.
Before Yuan Yu could respond, Xu Ming was already charging forward.
Thick, robust martial energy surrounded Xu Ming, and his punches carried the force of a mountain, aimed straight at the vile flood dragon.
Many of the demons were torn.
If they didn't help Yellow Sand Dragon King, he would surely come after them for revenge later. But if they did help, could they survive this man's terrifying fists?
As for escaping? The formation had already sealed the area. Where could they run in such a short time?
While the demons hesitated, Xu Ming's fist arrived.
"Boom!"
With one punch, a bear demon at the Sea Observation Realm was reduced to a mist of blood.
"Assist me in killing him, and I'll reward you handsomely! Otherwise—" Yellow Sand Dragon King ruthlessly killed another demon, silencing the rest.
The gathered demons felt their resolve harden.
If retreating meant death at the hands of this vile flood dragon, they might as well fight. Besides, Yellow Sand Dragon King was a Golden Core Realm cultivator, and the Black Lotus Sect's Saintess was present. The odds were in their favor.
Their choice was made.
The demons surged toward Xu Ming.
Wherever Xu Ming's fists landed, blood sprayed, and bodies exploded.
Yellow Sand Dragon King formed hand seals, conjuring a sword of water from his mouth and launching it at Xu Ming.
Xu Ming leapt into the air, snatched the water sword, and closed the distance in an instant.
When Yellow Sand Dragon King locked eyes with Xu Ming, an uncontrollable shudder ran through his body.
Those eyes!
They were terrifying, as if they could pierce directly into his soul and lay him bare. What kind of eyes are these?
"Boom!"
Xu Ming spun in mid-air, landing a powerful roundhouse kick to Yellow Sand Dragon King's head.
The flood dragon crashed to the ground like a sandbag.
Xu Ming followed up immediately, diving down with both feet, stomping repeatedly on Yellow Sand Dragon King's abdomen like an eagle striking its prey.
Yellow Sand Dragon King finally found an opening, grabbing Xu Ming's ankle and flinging him outward.
As Xu Ming flew through the air, a tiger demon opened its massive jaws, intending to swallow him whole.
A martial artist with such rich blood and qi would be an incredible supplement. Perhaps consuming him would allow the tiger demon to break through to the Golden Core Realm.
But before Xu Ming could enter the tiger demon's mouth, a cold flash of light appeared.
The tiger demon's eyes dimmed as its massive head rolled off its neck and onto the ground.
Even in death, the tiger demon likely never imagined that this man was also a sword cultivator.
"A dual cultivator of body and sword? The prince consort is indeed ambitious," someone remarked grimly.