Chapter 30 - "I Will Send You to Hell"
In front of the waterfall, two teams of warriors faced off against each other.
Upon hearing Xie Shu's lewd tone, Nangong Ya and Nangong Lan immediately understood something. Their faces turned pale.
"You... aren't you afraid of the Nangong family's revenge? I am the daughter of the head of the Nangong family!" Nangong Ya shouted, trying to assert her position.
"Heh, we're all people who keep our lives on the line. Carpe diem is our motto. There are many who chase us, and your Nangong family isn't the only one." Xie Hu replied disdainfully, his voice dripping with indifference.
This group of people had been living on the wilds for years, constantly chased by enemies. If they were afraid, they wouldn't have survived this long.
"Brother Hu, why waste words on them? Kill all the men. I can't wait any longer." Xie Shu grinned lecherously, his eyes full of malice as they lingered on Nangong Xiuqin, Nangong Lan, and especially Nangong Ya. The latter's beauty had caught his attention, and he couldn't help but lust after her.
Yang Xie, who had been silently observing the situation, felt his mood grow darker. He had just been ambushed by the Alien God Cult the previous night, and now, this group of vile people had appeared before him. He couldn't believe his luck.
He glanced at Nangong Xiuqin and Nangong Qing and could tell neither of them were saints. His team had already been severely weakened, and it was unclear how strong the opposing group was. If the man wearing the yellow pig face mask hadn't underestimated him earlier, he might not have survived that encounter.
With five strong opponents in front of them now, Yang Xie couldn't risk exposing himself, but he needed to gather more information about their strength. He quickly turned to Nangong Xiuqin and asked, "Sister Xiuqin, how strong are they? Are any of them martial arts masters?"
"Why do you ask?" Nangong Xiuqin glanced at Yang Xie, a bit confused, but still answered.
"Five of them are all martial arts masters. Among them, Xie Hu is an eighth-level martial artist, Xie Shu is a fourth-level martial artist, and the other three are early-stage martial arts masters. This information was released a month ago on the black list, but I don't know if their strengths have changed since then."
After hearing this, Yang Xie immediately understood the situation better. He wasn't worried about exposing his identity; the real issue was how to act without revealing his capabilities. He estimated that anyone below the Wuzong level would be no match for him, and he could handle those at the Wuzong level as well.
As he formulated a plan, his eyes landed on the pool beneath the waterfall. An idea quickly formed in his mind.
He decided to force the giant python from the pool to disrupt the situation. If he could create chaos, he might be able to kill them all in the confusion.
"Yang Yi, go to the pond and provoke the giant python. Bring it out," Yang Xie ordered, his mind already set on the course of action.
Yang Yi and the others, now black shadows darting across the area, immediately moved toward the pool.
Just as Yang Xie gave the command, Xie Hu and his team finally reached the group. Nangong Qing, despite her injuries, stood ready with her weapon. The others also brandished their weapons, preparing for battle. Only Nangong Wei, still severely injured, was unable to fight, though he was in better shape thanks to Nangong Lan's treatment.
Suddenly, a loud roar filled the air. The giant python, enraged and in pain, leaped out of the pool.
"Nice!" Yang Yi had succeeded in provoking the giant python and forcing it out.
Xie Hu and his team were now face-to-face with the massive creature.
"Brother Hu, be careful!" Xie Shu warned, instinctively raising his weapon to strike the python.
With swift coordination, the five warriors began attacking the python, their weapons cutting into its massive body.
Nangong Qing and the others watched in stunned silence. The battle they had feared would be a messy bloodbath had suddenly taken a different turn.
"No, this Xie Hu has actually reached the peak of martial arts. His swordplay contains a hint of artistic conception. The black list was wrong," Nangong Qing realized with wide eyes. Understanding artistic conception was the key to advancing past the Wuzong level, but Xie Hu's skill was beyond what the black list had reported.
Though the giant python had fought fiercely, with the combined strength of Xie Hu and his team, they managed to slay the beast.
"Damn it! I should have taken the opportunity to attack Xie Hu when the battle started," Nangong Xiuqin cursed under her breath, regretting that she hadn't acted when the situation was more chaotic.
Yang Xie watched the scene unfold, surprised that they had managed to kill the python. However, he didn't plan to let the opportunity go to waste.
"The giant python is an unexpected surprise," Xie Hu said with a grin, eyeing the fallen beast. "Its skin and gallbladder are valuable, and the meat is a good resource. I wonder if there are crystal stones inside."
"Shu Zi, go check if there are any crystal stones in the python's body," Xie Hu commanded, not wanting to do the tedious task himself.
Xie Shu, uninterested in the snake's other parts, was only focused on the possibility of crystal stones.
But as Xie Shu approached the corpse, he noticed something strange. The python's body was shrinking rapidly.
"Brother, what's happening?" Xie Shu asked, startled, as he quickly stepped back.
Xie Hu's expression darkened as he too observed the abnormality. "Everyone, step back. There's something strange going on with this python."
Soon, the giant python's body had shrunk to the size of only its skin.
"What the hell is going on?" Xie Hu muttered under his breath, clearly alarmed.
"I don't know, but something about this creature is definitely not normal. We shouldn't touch it," he advised, stepping away from the python's corpse.
The group decided to abandon their interest in the giant python, sensing danger, and turned back to face Nangong Qing and her group.
At that moment, just as they were preparing for another attack, a figure in black appeared between them and the Nangong group.
"Who are you?" Xie Hu and his team halted, confused by the sudden appearance of this mysterious person.
The man in black, his face hidden by a headscarf and mask, stood ominously between the two groups.
"The one who will send you to hell," Yang Yi's cold voice echoed from behind the mask.
Xie Hu and his team were taken aback. The battle had taken yet another unexpected turn.