"How could it be you?" Hong Luàn asked in disbelief.
Although he had previously heard that Hong Yu had defeated Hong Lin, Hong Luàn hadn't asked for too many details. In his eyes, Hong Lin was only at the Seventh Layer of the Essence Realm, so Hong Yu's strength couldn't be that impressive.
Furthermore, Hong Lin was unwilling to speak of his humiliating experience, and Hong Tiande seemed to have his own reservations, suppressing all news of that battle. Thus, in Hong Luàn's mind, Hong Yu's strength was at the Peak of the Seventh Level of the Essence Realm at most.
He hadn't given Hong Yu a second thought.
But now...
Looking at the Hong Yu who had appeared before him, Hong Luàn, for the first time, felt a sense of panic and trepidation before a peer—a feeling he had only ever experienced when facing those five particular people in the clan.
'How could it be Hong Yu? He's just a disciple from a side branch. Even if Tiger Steward holds him in high regard, how could he possess such immense strength?' Hong Luàn's mind was in chaos.
When he was Hong Yu's age, he had just barely stepped into the Seventh Layer of the Essence Realm. But now, at that same age, Hong Yu had accomplished something he himself was only capable of now. How could this not shock him?
Unconsciously, another of the young man's identities surfaced in his mind!
Luoo, the youngest Silver Hunter in Shishui City's Underground Alliance in a hundred years!
The Underground Alliance was different from the Hong Family. It was a dark and brutal organization. To carve out a place for oneself there, one could only rely on absolute strength, with no room for luck or fluke.
Even with Hong Luàn's status, his promotion to Silver Hunter had been built upon one mission after another, an accumulation of life-and-death battles.
For Hong Yu to reach the rank of Silver Hunter at such a young age, there was absolutely no chance it was a fluke.
And he was only fifteen years old!
In contrast, he himself had been a full seventeen years old when he became a Silver Hunter, and even that had tied a record that had stood for nearly thirty years. Because of this achievement, Hong Luàn's status among the young masters of the Hong Family had steadily risen, placing him second only to those five dazzlingly brilliant individuals among the disciples of his generation.
Yet Hong Yu had reached this level at only fifteen, and he was countless times stronger than Hong Luàn had been at the same age.
'Perhaps only those five could have suppressed him at the same age?' Though unwilling, Hong Luàn had to admit that among the Hong Family disciples of their generation, only those five Celestial Pride Sons he looked up to could compare to Hong Yu.
At this thought, the shock in Hong Luàn's heart vanished, replaced by a blood-red glint of venomous hatred in his eyes as he looked at Hong Yu.
'With his talent, strength, and the resilience he's shown by holding back all these years, if I let him continue to grow, he'll become an existence just like those five. When that happens, I'll be ruthlessly crushed under his foot with no hope of ever recovering. Today, even if I have to sacrifice the entire Demon Blood Squad, I must eliminate him.' Hong Luàn swore viciously in his heart.
In scholarship, there is no first; in martial arts, there is no second!
The Hong Family distributed resources based solely on strength and talent.
But the total amount of resources was fixed. If a new genius emerged, more resources would naturally be diverted to them, affecting the status and power of others.
Right now, there were only five people of his generation in the Hong Family who stood above Hong Luàn. But if Hong Yu was allowed to mature, that number would become six, severely impacting Hong Luàn's position and development within the family.
Whether out of jealousy or fear, Hong Luàn had already branded Hong Yu with one absolute imperative in his mind: "Must be killed."
"Kill him! No matter the cost!"
Hong Luàn roared.
The members of the Demon Blood Squad felt their captain's chilling killing intent and raging fury. Their hearts grew cold, but they didn't hesitate, launching their most frenzied attacks.
The moment he revealed his identity, Hong Yu had anticipated this scene. He sighed. 'As expected, they won't allow an anomaly like me to exist. However...' A sharp glint flashed in Hong Yu's eyes. 'I've endured enough over the years. Today, I'll use your blood, Hong Luàn, to begin my path of reversal!'
Why had Hong Yu hidden his identity as Luoo?
Wasn't it precisely because he feared that being too conspicuous would attract the jealousy and suppression of the other high-status members of the Direct Lineage?
But recent events had made him understand that forbearance alone could not ward off trouble. The only way to solve the problem once and for all was to display sufficient strength—strength shocking enough to shatter the spirits of those who lurked in the shadows and to gain the attention of the clan's upper echelons.
If he didn't possess enough talent, how could he have earned Tiger Instructor's high regard?
If Tiger Instructor hadn't valued him, he would have died from a casual strike by the Seventh Elder, Hong Tiande, in the previous battle!
Hong Yu would endure it no longer!
He would stage a comeback. A powerful comeback, where he would viciously stomp on those who looked down on him from their lofty positions!
And the only way to achieve this was through slaughter!
This path of reversal would begin with Hong Luàn!
"Little Thunderbolt Palm!"
Hong Yu struck out with a palm.
The Palm Wind was fierce, carrying the faint, rolling sound of thunder. The roaring Palm Force howled forward, striking an expert at the Seventh Layer of the Essence Realm who had drawn near. Having now reached the Realm of Perfection, the Little Thunderbolt Palm was even more powerful. The moment it landed, the dense Palm Force exploded.
"WAH!" The expert at the Seventh Layer of the Essence Realm was sent flying backward, spitting blood as he collapsed, unable to get up.
With the first strike a success, Hong Yu didn't linger, immediately retreating to the side.
Just then, an expert at the Eighth Layer of the Essence Realm launched a sneak attack at the spot where Hong Yu had just been standing, but he missed. Seizing the opportunity created by the missed attack, Hong Yu shot forward, this time using the Basic Boxing Technique. As he threw a punch, the man, rich in combat experience, raised his arm to block.
A glint flashed in Hong Yu's eyes. He calmly changed his move, shifting from a fist to a claw and grabbing the man's arm.
"Get lost!"
Hong Yu spun around, his back to the expert from the Eighth Layer of the Essence Realm. He kicked off with both legs, and as his waist twisted, immense power erupted. With an incredibly sharp shoulder throw, he violently flung the man through the air. Hong Yu never let go. He felt not a shred of mercy for the experts of the Demon Blood Squad who had tried to kill him again and again.
BANG!
The man was smashed heavily onto the ground. Dazed and confused, he was once again thrown into the air by Hong Yu, crashing directly into another expert at the Seventh Layer.
A crisp CRACKING sound rang out as the two men collided, the number of broken bones unknown.
"I'll take your lives while you're weak!"
Hong Yu lunged forward, executing two consecutive Sweeping Thousand Soldiers strikes, both landing squarely on the two men's heads.
CRACK! CRACK!
With two sharp cracks, the men's heads lolled to the side, all signs of life gone!
WHOOSH!
A light breeze blew past, carrying the smell of blood and a heavy atmosphere.
The breeze swirled, lifting a few withered yellow leaves from the ground, creating an indescribably bleak scene.
Inside the Valley of the Dead, amidst the white bones, two cold, lifeless corpses, and two dying experts from the Demon Blood Squad, only the handsome young man and Hong Luàn remained.
"Now, only you are left!" Hong Yu slightly raised his arm, pointing at Hong Luàn from a distance.
Hong Luàn narrowed his eyes, never having imagined that the Demon Blood Squad he had worked so hard to build would be defeated so quickly. He slowly walked toward the heavily injured Da Xiong and the other man, his cold face unchanging. Slowly, he lifted his leg. "Useless trash."
As his leg came down, two living souls were extinguished.
After killing two of his own men in succession, Hong Luàn's expression remained unchanged. He slowly untied his upper garment, revealing a muscular torso covered in countless scars as he took it off. His flat voice was devoid of any emotion. "I am Hong Luàn, nineteen years old. I began cultivating at ten, was promoted to Silver Hunter at seventeen, and broke through to the Peak of the Ninth Layer of the Essence Realm at nineteen."
"In the past ten-plus years, I have fought in no fewer than a hundred major battles."
"In my eyes, among all the peers in the vast Hong Family, there are only five people worthy of my serious consideration. But today, I must add another name to that list." He tossed the clothing aside, casting off his arrogant demeanor. His expression became as cold and fierce as a Fierce Beast's. "Hong Yu, you should be proud to die by my hands!"
"Oh? We haven't even fought, yet you're so certain you can kill me?" Hong Yu licked the corner of his lip, a bloodthirsty battle intent showing in his eyes.
Hong Luàn nodded. "I admit, you are very strong. For a mere member of a side branch to be able to cultivate to such a realm, you are truly an anomaly. It's just a pity that your status has doomed your future to darkness. Even if I don't act, other members of the Direct Lineage will still come to kill you."
"If we're going to fight, then let's get to it! Last time, you defeated me in three moves and took the Snow Fox I worked so hard to hunt. Today, we'll settle all our scores, new and old!" Hong Yu said.
"I respect your talent. Therefore, I will now use my strongest technique to execute you!"
Hong Luàn took a deep breath, and a terrifying aura surged from within his body.
A faint red light enveloped his body. His voice, filled with the pride of a genius, rang out, "The Martial Skill I cultivate is called Blazing Fire Dragon. It is a Top-Level Martial Skill. Today, I'll let you be buried by it!"
"First Technique, Heaven-Burning Flames!"
Hong Luàn moved.
His speed was as fast as wind and lightning. Moreover, his Martial Skill, Blazing Fire Dragon, carried a scorching, incinerating effect. Even an ordinary cultivator at the Peak of the Ninth Layer of the Essence Realm would be unwilling to face such an attack.
Watching Hong Luàn charge at him like a flaming meteor, Hong Yu's Essence, Qi, and Spirit focused as never before. Facing an expert like Hong Luàn, the slightest lapse in concentration could cost him his life.
"Rising Dragon Fist!"
One was scorching like a flame, the other as ferocious as a Flood Dragon.
Both were determined to kill the other. There was no maneuvering or evasion, just a head-on clash.
BOOM!
A scorching whirlwind erupted, sending sand and stones flying within a radius of dozens of meters.
BANG!
Both were thrown backward by the impact.
"Excellent, excellent! To have practiced the Rising Dragon Fist to the Realm of Perfection, such talent is truly enviable. However, you won't escape my grasp today!" Hong Luàn sneered repeatedly and attacked again, this time with his famous Absolute Skill. "Suffer my wrath! Second Technique—Fire Dragon's Fury!"
The might of a Top-Level Martial Skill was extraordinary.
Watching the vast Flaming Long Dragon envelop him, Hong Yu realized he had no way to dodge. But to take the full-force blow of a Top-Level Martial Skill unleashed by a cultivator at the Peak of the Ninth Layer of the Essence Realm head-on would surely lead to a tragic end.
Unable to dodge, unable to block, a thread of despair clouded his mind.
In his pupils, the Fire Dragon grew larger and larger, on the verge of swallowing him whole.
'What should I do?'
Hong Yu's heart filled with helplessness and despair...
'Am I... going to die?'