Besides, even if they believed him, it would be useless. The Purple Sun Sect had set this trap to lure out the Blood Lotus Sect, not for them to run at the first sight of an enemy.
He didn’t dare to truly fall asleep, so he leaned against the stone wall, pretending to rest.
As dawn broke, a tremendous crash echoed from the mountains several hundred meters away. Trees splintered and fell, as if a giant beast was rampaging through the woods, sending birds scattering into the air.
"Fire the signal! The Blood Lotus Sect is here!"
"My hands are full!"
"BOOM! BOOM!"
Along with the violent crashes came two furious roars.
In an instant, the tranquil valley was thrown into chaos. The Outer Disciples resting in the stone houses were all jolted awake and rushed outside.
Xu Yang snapped awake from his feigned sleep as if zapped by electricity. Zhuang Tao, who had been sitting at the mouth of the cave, had already flashed out of the Fire Cave.
"They’ve made their move!"
Xu Yang rushed out of the cave as well. He saw Zhuang Tao standing in the valley, face alight with excitement, staring at the battle hundreds of meters away. He hadn’t fired the signal flare.
’At a time like this, you’re still thinking about grabbing credit?’
Xu Yang cursed Zhuang Tao’s ancestors. To not fire the signal immediately... Did he really think the Blood Lotus Sect members who dared to make a move were just here to die? Couldn’t he hear the desperation in the roars of the two hidden senior disciples?
Without hesitation, he pulled the cord on the signal flare in his hand.
"BOOM!"
A massive firework exploded in the sky. Its brilliant light illuminated the still-dim valley, bathing everyone’s faces in a crimson glow and revealing the bewildered expressions on Qiao Yong and the others.
These pieces of bait still hadn’t realized what was happening; they had no idea the big fish was about to bite.
"Kill them all! Leave no one alive!"
A roar filled with rage and killing intent erupted from outside the valley. Immediately after, a dozen or so figures shot out like fierce tigers, pouncing on the people in the valley.
The two figures in the lead unleashed the oppressive aura of the Marrow Cleansing Minor Achievement realm. It swept over them like a tidal wave, aimed directly at Xu Yang and Zhuang Tao.
"You Demons have finally shown yourselves! Now, die!"
Zhuang Tao bellowed. His aura erupted like a volcano as his entire body glowed with a crimson light.
He stomped his right foot, and his figure vanished, his aura whipping up a furious wind.
"These are Demons from the Blood Lotus Sect! Be careful not to let their Gang Qi invade your bodies!" Xu Yang kindly warned the other Outer Disciples.
’I can’t hide it any longer!’
He knew that once he made his move, his Marrow Cleansing Minor Achievement cultivation would be exposed. But right now, he couldn’t worry about that.
"Xu Yang! Today, I will take your head as an offering for my brother!"
Beneath his black mask, killing intent raged in Li Shao’s eyes. His body exuded a bloody aura, and his crimson Gang Qi was faintly tinged with a soul-chilling black.
He had suppressed his killing intent for Xu Yang for over two years. Now, in this sudden eruption, it felt as if it could freeze the very air around them.
The pressure of his Marrow Cleansing Minor Achievement cultivation cracked the earth. With a staggering aura, he thrust his palm toward Xu Yang’s chest.
"BOOM!"
The air boomed, creating visible ripples. The incoming energy crashed against Xu Yang like a tidal wave, and the gale from the Gang Qi whipped his hair wildly.
Before the palm even arrived, its tyrannical Palm Force had already shattered the ground beneath Xu Yang’s feet, kicking up a terrifying cloud of dust.
A few Outer Disciples standing near Xu Yang felt as if a boulder was crushing their chests. Gasping for breath, they scrambled backward, their faces etched with horror.
"BOOM!"
"CRACK! CRACK! CRACK!"
At this moment, Xu Yang moved.
A boundless aura erupted from his body, as if a slumbering Fierce Dragon had awakened. Its monstrous might radiated in all directions.
The oppressive aura bearing down from Li Shao was instantly blasted back by Xu Yang’s own tyrannical energy. The ground shook, spiderwebbing with countless cracks.
At the same time, his body erupted in a dazzling golden light. His bones and sinews crackled like popping beans. The "great dragon" of his spine aligned, becoming as taut as a drawn bow.
Fresh blood surged like a dragon, and Force poured into his arm like a river bursting its banks. His bicep swelled, muscles bulging like a mountain peak.
Fuyue Bear King’s Palm!
He didn’t probe or hold back. He opened with his strongest Attack Martial Technique, holding back only his Martial Dao Imagery.
An incomparably ferocious aura swept out. Like a great bear rearing up on its hind legs, Xu Yang stepped forward the instant Li Shao’s palm was about to land and unleashed a strike of his own.
Mountain-Shattering and Mountain-Breaking!
"RUMBLE..."
Compared to his fight with Su Jianye two months ago, his Physique and Gang Qi were both much stronger, and the power of this palm was even more terrifying.
An earth-shattering roar vibrated the eardrums. His palm seemed to punch a tunnel through the air, blasting out a white shockwave. The entire valley seemed to tremble from the force of this one palm.
Li Shao was aghast. In his eyes, Xu Yang had become like a golden War God, radiating a peerless aura.
The approaching palm was like a great mountain crashing down, unstoppable.
Marrow Cleansing Minor Achievement!
’This bastard! Just like when he got my brother killed, he was hiding his cultivation! He’s already at Gang Qi Minor Achievement!’
Li Shao’s pupils contracted violently as a storm raged in his heart. A chill shot through his body as if from an electric shock. He wanted to pull his palm back, but it was too late.
Xu Yang’s palm, moving like lightning and carrying the force of Mountain-Shattering and Mountain-Breaking, had already slammed into his.
"BANG!"
"CRACK!"
As their palms met, Vigorous Energy exploded outward. Li Shao’s Gang Qi, powerful enough to pierce gold and shatter stone, was battered by the terrifying Force and sent surging back into him like a reversed river.
His Protective Gang Qi was torn apart in an instant, as if it were made of paper. The energy exploded behind him, and a Blood Lotus Sect disciple running behind him was instantly killed by the shockwave, bleeding from all seven orifices.
Li Shao felt as if he’d been struck by lightning. His body trembled, and the black cloth masking his face disintegrated, revealing his contorted features.
With a series of cracks, his arm was shattered into several pieces. A shard of bone jutted out from his shoulder, followed by a spray of blood.
"SPURT!"
He felt as if a raging bull had slammed into his chest. He involuntarily spat out a mouthful of blood as his body flew backward, coughing up another spray in midair.
"AAAAHH..."
Li Shao’s pain was gut-wrenching. His agonizing scream echoed through the Fire Valley.
It wasn’t just a broken arm. Xu Yang’s unyielding and ferocious Golden Gang Qi had invaded his body, cracking his internal organs and shattering countless meridians.
One Palm!
With a single palm, Xu Yang had nearly killed the Blood Lotus Sect’s Blood Envoy, leaving him clinging to life by a thread.
"Li Shao!"
Zhang Sai, who was fighting Zhuang Tao, turned pale with horror and let out a sky-shaking roar.
Li Shao had been dead set on killing Xu Yang to avenge his brother, yet in a single exchange, he was the one nearly killed, sent flying dozens of feet by Xu Yang’s palm.
"Xu Yang has already reached Marrow Cleansing Minor Achievement." Zhuang Tao was also completely shocked.
This junior brother, whom he had arrogantly ordered around every day, leveraging his own superior cultivation, was actually a slumbering Fierce Dragon.
That domineering aura, that ferocious killing intent... just sensing it made his own heart pound with fear.
Boosted by the Golden Gang Qi, his combat strength was nearly on par with a master at the Marrow Cleansing Great Success realm.
"BANG!"
The ground beneath Xu Yang’s feet exploded as he shot after the recoiling Li Shao. In mid-air, he unleashed a sharp burst of Finger Force.
’I remember this guy. He was one of the attackers at the Fire Valley last time. Since he’s yelling about avenging his brother, I can’t let him live.’
"SPURT!"
The golden Finger Force shot out like a sharp blade and landed on Li Shao’s forehead.
The scream cut off abruptly. Li Shao’s limbs trembled as his head exploded in a spray of red and white.
"THUD!"
By the time Li Shao’s body hit the ground, the top half of his head above the eyebrows was gone. He landed with a thud, all motion ceasing save for the unconscious twitching of his limbs.
Zhuang Tao’s scalp went numb!
Two moves!
In just two moves, a Blood Lotus Sect expert whose strength was comparable to his own had been killed on the spot. And to think, for the past few days, he had been ordering such a formidable person around.