Wang Yan's voice remained steady.
"We attack them secretly."
Liu Ming and Zhao Qing looked toward him as he continued.
"The Bloodscale Clan still has four Soul Saints. As long as they remain, any direct confrontation will turn into a difficult battle."
His gaze hardened slightly. "So the first thing we must do is eliminate those four Soul Saints."
The room fell silent for a moment as the meaning of his words settled.
Zhao Qing slowly nodded. "That's the most dangerous part of their strength now."
Liu Ming also understood immediately what Wang Yan meant. "And if we can reduce their Soul Emperors before the real battle begins," Liu Ming added thoughtfully, "then the pressure on us later will be much smaller."
Wang Yan nodded. "Exactly, It will greatly weaken the Bloodscale Clan."
Zhao Qing leaned slightly forward. "But if we want to do that," he said, "we cannot move openly."
Liu Ming gave a faint nod. "During the daytime, the clan will be too alert. With so many people inside their headquarters, it would be impossible to move without being discovered."
Wang Yan's eyes grew colder. "Which is why we move in the night. The darkness will be our cover."
He looked at the two of them. "If this plan is to succeed, then we must act under the protection of the night itself."
Zhao Qing slowly exhaled. "So tonight…"
Wang Yan finished the sentence calmly. "Tonight, we begin hunting them."
.....
Deep inside the Bloodscale Clan estate in Shenwu City, hidden beneath layers of stone corridors and sealed passages, there was a secret chamber.
The room was dark.
Only a few dim spirit lamps burned along the walls, their weak light barely illuminating the horrifying scene inside.
An old man sat cross-legged at the center of the chamber. It was Xu Yuan, the patriarch of the Bloodscale Clan.
Around him lay nine corpses.
Their bodies were shriveled, their skin pale and lifeless. Not a trace of vitality remained in them. It was as if every drop of blood and every strand of spirit energy inside their bodies had been completely drained away.
Their faces were frozen in silent terror. Not far from Xu Yuan, the ground was covered with piles of skeletons.
Bones stacked upon bones. Skulls scattered across the stone floor.
The sight was chilling—countless bodies that had long ago been reduced to nothing but white bones. The entire chamber carried the faint smell of dried blood and death.
Xu Yuan slowly opened his eyes. A faint crimson glow flickered within them. Yet his expression was still dark.
Even after absorbing the blood and spirit essence of the nine bodies around him, the injuries inside his body had not recovered.
His fingers slowly clenched. "This is all because of that bastard… Wang Yan." His voice echoed coldly in the silent chamber. "I will make him suffer." The hatred in his eyes deepened. "I will make him suffer to the point that he will regret ever being born."
Standing beside him were two figures.
One of them was the Soul Saint who had helped him escape from the battlefield. The other was an elderly man whose aura was just as deep and powerful. Another Soul Saint.
Both of them stood silently, watching the patriarch.
After a moment, the Soul Saint who had escaped with him spoke.
"Patriarch… if that is the case, why don't we strike first?" His eyes flashed with killing intent. "We could attack their base."
Xu Yuan let out a cold laugh. "They are in Tiandou City. We cannot attack them directly there."
His gaze turned colder. "But that does not mean I will remain silent."
He slowly stood up. The faint crimson aura around him seemed to grow darker. "I will make them suffer. Every mission they undertake… every person connected to their Iron Guards…"
His voice became colder with every word."I will slaughter them all. I will tear apart everything they care about."
His eyes burned with hatred. "And when the time comes…I will personally crush Wang Yan. I will make him fear even hearing my name."
.....
The night had completely swallowed Shenwu City.
Darkness covered the streets and rooftops, leaving only scattered lantern lights flickering in the distance. The massive territory of the Bloodscale Clan stood quietly in the northern part of the city, its walls tall and silent, like a sleeping beast.
But within that darkness, three shadows moved. Wang Yan, Liu Ming, Zhao Qing.
The three figures moved swiftly along the outer wall before slipping silently over it. Their movements were precise, controlled, and almost impossible to detect. No unnecessary sound escaped their steps.
They had already decided.
Tonight… the Bloodscale Clan would bleed.
Wang Yan walked at the front. His senses were spread outward like an invisible net. His domain was not fully released, but a thin layer of spiritual pressure surrounded them, suppressing fluctuations of spirit power so that no one inside the clan could sense their presence.
The three moved deeper into the compound.
Before long, several figures appeared ahead.
Three guards were walking slowly along the stone pathway, their armor reflecting faint lantern light. Their cultivation was not low — all three were Soul Kings.
But to Wang Yan and the others… They were nothing.
Without speaking, Wang Yan raised two fingers slightly.
Liu Ming and Zhao Qing understood instantly.
The next moment— Three shadows flashed forward.
Shhk.
Before the guards could even react, their eyes widened in shock. One of them tried to open his mouth to shout, but no sound came out.
Their bodies collapsed silently to the ground.
Dead.
The three friends immediately dragged the bodies into the nearby shadows, hiding them behind stacked stone crates and trees. No blood was left exposed, no trace obvious enough to alert patrols.
Everything was done with practiced efficiency.
Wang Yan gave a brief glance around. "Move."
They continued deeper inside the clan.
The buildings grew larger the further they went. Elite members of the Bloodscale Clan resided here. The spiritual fluctuations in the air also became stronger.
Soon, voices reached their ears.
The three slowed their steps and stopped beside a stone wall.
Ahead, inside an open courtyard, a middle-aged man stood with his hands behind his back. His aura was powerful and heavy — clearly that of a Soul Saint.
Around him stood several others. Five Soul Emperors and one Soul King.
The Soul Saint was speaking coldly, clearly giving instructions.
".... The patriarch has ordered—" His words suddenly stopped.
A cold chill ran down his spine. Before he could understand what had happened—
A terrifying sword light flashed through the darkness.
Wang Yan had already moved.
The Soul Saint barely had time to turn his head before the sword pierced straight through his chest.
His eyes widened. Shock and Disbelief.
A Soul Saint… killed in a single strike.
His body collapsed before a single alarm could be raised.
At the same moment—
Liu Ming and Zhao Qing erupted into action.
Their spirit power surged violently as they attacked the surrounding enemies.
The five Soul Emperors reacted instantly, but it was already too late. Wang Yan's domain spread out in that instant, silently sealing the entire courtyard.
Inside the domain, the pressure became suffocating.
Their movements slowed. Their voices could not escape.
One Soul Emperor tried to release his spirit ring ability—
A spear attack from Liu Ming pierced his throat.
Another rushed forward desperately, only to be intercepted by Zhao Qing's lightning.
Within moments, the courtyard was filled with collapsing bodies.
All dead.
The battle had lasted less than a minute. Wang Yan slowly withdrew his sword.
The three immediately dragged the bodies away and concealed them within nearby storage rooms and dark corners. Every trace was erased as quickly as possible.
When everything was finished, Wang Yan spoke quietly.
"One Soul Saint down."
Zhao Qing nodded grimly. "Three more."
Without wasting another second, the three shadows disappeared once again into the darkness of the Bloodscale Clan compound.
The hunt had only just begun.
End of chapter.