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Chapter 59: Chapter 59: No Room for Error

"Hiss~~~"

A tear appeared in Zhongshan's robe where Qian Lao's sword pierced through. His eyes flashed with intense coldness, realizing time was running out—it had already been an incense stick's worth of time; he couldn't afford to delay any longer.

The Demon Refinement Body Technique, the second level.

Triple the strength.

Zhongshan raised his sword from bottom to top.

To cut down all obstacles!

With one upward stroke, a huge burst of malevolent energy accompanied the blade, releasing a formidable aura.

"Clang~~~"

Qian Lao's longsword was knocked back by this powerful strike, barely avoiding a close shave. Qian Lao looked at Zhongshan incredulously. How could Zhongshan's cultivation have increased so rapidly? Wasn't he just at the innate realm for over a year? Previously, the head of the Qian family had mentioned that Zhongshan's talent was poor, and his progress slow. Could this still be considered slow?

"Roar~~~"

Slicing through the heavens!

With a vertical downward slash, Qian Lao met the blade, but the force was too strong. Zhongshan put all his strength into the strike—how could it be easily blocked?

As the blade descended, the ground below turned to dust, and Qian Lao's body sank to one knee. His face turned even more purple.

To cut down all obstacles!

"Hiss~~~"

"Ah~~~"

In Qian Lao's agonized cry, his left arm was severed by Zhongshan's blade.

"Clang~~~"

Taking advantage of his momentum, Zhongshan sent Qian Lao's longsword flying once more.

The outcome was clear.

With one final strike, Zhongshan was about to end Qian Lao's life.

"Wait~~~" Qian Lao shouted in terror. The fear of death spread throughout his body in an instant.

Death? Was it really his time to die? Despite his advanced age, in the face of death, he couldn't help but compromise in a desperate attempt to cling to life. But would Zhongshan listen?

"Hum~~~"

The great blade of nightmare halted before Qian Lao's face, on the brink of a critical moment, Zhongshan stopped his blade.

Looking at Qian Lao, a peak innate realm expert, now weakened by severe poison and missing an arm, defenseless and unarmed.

Zhongshan didn't immediately kill him but instead kept a wary eye on him. In Zhongshan's view, even a lump of dung had its uses.

"Don't kill me, don't kill me," Qian Lao trembled.

"Don't try to use your seniority to pressure me. Since you've become my enemy, there will be no peace until one of us falls. What else do you have to say?" Zhongshan's eyes narrowed.

Seeing Zhongshan pause his blade, Qian Lao breathed a sigh of relief. If Zhongshan hadn't killed him, there was still room for negotiation.

"I have the Ethereal Pearl. I offer it in exchange for my life," Qian Lao suddenly spoke up.

"Oh?" Zhongshan stared at Qian Lao with narrowed eyes.

"Hiss~~~"

In the distance, Zhao Suoxiang's spear pierced Zhao Danchen's right chest, piercing his lung, and Zhao Danchen was defeated.

"Hiss~~~"

Drawing his sword, Zhao Suoxiang pointed it directly at Zhao Danchen's throat.

"Don't kill me, don't kill me."

The longer one lived, the more one feared death. Zhao Danchen immediately cried out in fear. He hadn't expected Zhao Suoxiang to be so ferocious. A single spear had rendered him completely defenseless in a short time.

"Boom~~~"

On the other side, accompanied by a wave of heat and a loud noise, everyone looked over to see the ancestor of the Li family, charred black by Tianling'er's jade talisman, severely injured but still alive. Tianling'er swiftly bound the Li family ancestor tightly with red silk, immobilizing him completely.

"Hmph," Tianling'er snorted, a hint of satisfaction in her eyes.

With the overall situation decided, facing the three restrained individuals, fear was written all over their faces.

"I have the Ethereal Pearl. I offer it in exchange for my life," Qian Lao said immediately.

Would Zhongshan agree? Neither Zhao Danchen nor the charred Li family ancestor believed it.

But strangely, Zhongshan nodded.

As Qian Lao reached for the Ethereal Pearl, everyone watched in disbelief as Zhongshan sheathed his sword and stepped back.

Seeing this scene, everyone's expressions turned incredulous. Zhongshan was letting Qian Lao go? Even Qian Lao found it unbelievable. He picked up his severed arm, gave Zhongshan another glance, then jumped up onto the roof. He glanced down at the crowd below as if not believing his newfound freedom. But as his gaze fell on Zhongshan, a flash of resentment crossed his eyes. Then, with a shake of his head, he leaped away and escaped.

Witnessing this scene, the Li family ancestor immediately shouted, "I also have the Ethereal Pearl. I offer it in exchange for my life."

At first, the cold gaze towards Qian Lao had turned into a glimmer of hope. If Qian Lao was set free, perhaps he could gain his own freedom too.

"Linger," Zhongshan frowned and called out.

"Hmm," Tianling'er immediately released the red silk.

The Li family ancestor quickly took out an Ethereal Pearl and hastily threw it to Zhongshan before turning around, jumping onto the roof despite his severe injuries, and swiftly escaping from the Zhong mansion.

With two Ethereal Pearls collected, Zhongshan once again turned his gaze towards the last remaining Zhao Danchen.

Zhao Suoxiang looked at Zhongshan, a hint of incomprehension in his eyes. Was Zhongshan releasing this enemy for the sake of an Ethereal Pearl? Was he letting the tiger back into the mountains?

"I also have an Ethereal Pearl. Let me go," Zhao Danchen immediately called out, following the previous two examples.

In an instant, Zhao Danchen took out the Ethereal Pearl and threw it towards Zhongshan, thinking he was saved. But Zhao Suoxiang's spear was still pointed at him.

"I promise to let you go, but he didn't," Zhongshan chuckled as he caught the third Ethereal Pearl.

Seeing Zhongshan's expression, Zhao Danchen panicked. He had been too hasty just now; he shouldn't have rushed to offer the Ethereal Pearl.

"I still have something, a treasure. As long as you let me go, it's yours," Zhao Suoxiang said fearfully, clutching his chest.

"You killed my second uncle. The death of a loved one can't be compensated for by your low-grade treasures," Zhao Suoxiang's eyes narrowed, his voice cold and resolute, clearly harboring an intense hatred towards Zhao Danchen.

"No, no, I have a piece of earth-shattering news that can surely buy my life," Zhao Danchen immediately cried out in fear.

Squinting at Zhao Danchen, Zhao Suoxiang's face showed a trace of a cold smile. "News? Let's hear it. Let's see if its value can outweigh my hatred for you."

"Yes, recently, isn't it true that the leader of your Iron Sword Sect is absent from the sect?" Zhao Danchen immediately said.

Zhao Suoxiang frowned and stared at Zhao Danchen, a hint of anger flashing in his eyes.

"Recently, the Bright Sword Tower, the Demon Sect, and the Heavenly Gorge Sect are preparing to raid the Iron Spear Sect to seize their Spirit Stone mine," Zhao Danchen immediately exclaimed.

"Hmph, the Bright Sword Tower and my Iron Spear Sect have always been allied against the demonic sects. Why would they collude with the Demon Sect?" Zhao Suoxiang's eyes narrowed angrily.

"I speak the truth. I am indeed from the Demon Sect. My master gave me secret orders to rush to the Iron Spear Sect within twenty days," Zhao Danchen said immediately, taking out a piece of brocade and throwing it to Zhao Suoxiang.

Zhao Suoxiang took the brocade with suspicion, and upon closer inspection, found it to be true as Zhao Danchen had claimed.

His brows furrowed tightly.

"How about it? Can this news buy my life?" Zhao Danchen immediately asked.

Zhao Suoxiang frowned, but he retracted his spear.

As Zhao Danchen got up, he glanced at Zhongshan, Zhao Suoxiang, and Tianling'er once more without saying a word. With a leap, he jumped onto the roof. As he leaped, he was about to jump onto another roof.

"Fire~~~"

Once again, a crisp voice echoed from the distant courtyard.

Hearing this voice, Zhao Danchen's hairs stood on end. Although the voice sounded sweet, to Zhao Danchen, it was like a call of death.

"Bang, bang..."

Another forty large arrows, eight of them heavily, struck Zhao Danchen.

In the depths of the sky, with no leverage, even the former head of the Sun family at his peak was pinned to the wall, let alone the severely injured Zhao Danchen, who was struck by even more large arrows.

"Bang~~~"

Zhao Danchen was pinned to another wall. The two who had escaped earlier, the ancestor of the Li family, suffered the most severe injuries from Tianling'er's jade talisman. Not long after fleeing, as he ran with a heart full of resentment, a purple sword suddenly appeared beside him. His injuries and the excitement of escaping slowed his reaction, so he only noticed the purple sword when it was almost upon him.

He quickly dodged, but still had one arm severed. When he looked back, he saw a figure in black clothes, wielding the purple sword, engaging with him.

Despite his severe injuries, the Li family ancestor was a formidable opponent. Even with one arm severed, he resisted the Dark Emperor. Soon, the sounds of their fight attracted the city guards, who had been briefed by the Zhong mansion. Each guard carried a bow and arrow, and upon seeing the fight, they shot without hesitation.

"Bang, bang, bang...."

The Dark Emperor entangled the injured Li family ancestor, preventing his escape. Despite being hit by two arrows himself, the Li family ancestor was shot dead on the spot.

The Dark Emperor quickly fled into the darkness.

Elsewhere, after escaping from the Zhong mansion, Qian Lao ran frantically. When he reached the city wall and realized no one was behind him, he breathed a sigh of relief. It was in this moment of relaxation that something eerie happened—within his own shadow, a sword suddenly emerged.

"Hiss"

Qian Lao was pierced through the heart by this terrifying sword. In his final moments, he had only one thought: he had encountered a ghost.

A dark figure separated from Qian Lao's shadow, took his storage bracelet, and swiftly headed towards the Zhong mansion like a ghost.