As the voice faded, a middle-aged man in his forties appeared before Lin Xiao and Bei Kuang. He had handsome features and carried himself with an air of heroic confidence. Moreover, his entire being exuded a righteous temperament, yet his eyes were filled with ruthless savagery.

Seeing this man, Lin Xiao sneered disdainfully. Another ignorant fool. He was nothing more than a Martial King Realm martial artist, yet he spoke with such arrogance.

Xue Chongshan still hadn't shown himself, apparently wanting this man to continue probing Bei Kuang's cultivation level. After all, in their eyes, Bei Kuang was the real threat. If they eliminated him, killing Lin Xiao would be a piece of cake. To them, Lin Xiao was nothing but an ant.

Lin Xiao's speculation was spot on. Bei Kuang's recent move had made it clear to Xue Chongshan and the experts he'd hired that Lin Xiao was nothing to fear; the real trouble was Bei Kuang.

So, Zhou Ding had volunteered to test Bei Kuang's strength. That was why, as soon as he appeared, he brazenly addressed Bei Kuang as an "old thing."

Staring at Zhou Ding, Bei Kuang scoffed. "Another one courting death."

Zhou Ding's gaze was glacial as he stared back. "Old thing, you've got a vicious mouth, daring to be so presumptuous in front of me, Zhou Ding. But don't worry, I'll make you understand the meaning of regret. And let me warn you, even if you kneel and beg for mercy later, rest assured, I will show none."

Bei Kuang paid him no mind, instead turning his gaze to Lin Xiao.

Lin Xiao knew he was waiting for an order. Presumably, Bei Kuang had already discerned that Zhou Ding wasn't from some heretical sect, so he hesitated to act rashly. It wasn't that he feared offending the power behind Zhou Ding, but rather that he feared this man's backing might have ties to Lin Xiao. Perhaps he was even one of Lin Xiao's own subordinates. After all, Lin Xiao was the Dragon Lord, possessing an awe-inspiring background. Many renowned righteous sects were his followers.

Lin Xiao smiled. "Zhou Ding, are you from the Shura Hall?"

Bei Kuang laughed too. So this piece of trash really is one of the Master's men. Good thing I held back.

A hint of surprise flickered in Zhou Ding's eyes. He replied coldly, "Kid, you've got some insight. Yes, I'm from the Shura Hall. Since you know my background, you must also understand our strength. I'll give you a chance now. If you're willing to kneel before the Xue Family's estate and atone with your death, I'll leave you a whole corpse!"

Lin Xiao was amused. He smiled amiably at Zhou Ding. The entire Shura Hall is under my command, yet this man is a mere disciple. How dare he speak such words? If his cultivation were remarkable, it might be one thing, but he's just a Martial King Realm martial artist. I could kill him with a single finger, let alone a peerless expert like Bei Kuang.

"So, you were hired by the Xue Family?" Lin Xiao asked again.

Zhou Ding assumed Lin Xiao was scared. Already arrogant, he became even more obnoxious. "That's right."

"How about this?" Lin Xiao offered. "Kneel and give me three resounding kowtows, and for the sake of your Shura Hall's Master, I'll spare your life!"

PFFT!

Zhou Ding burst into wild laughter, as if he'd just heard the greatest joke of his life. He laughed with manic intensity. Indeed, Zhou Ding felt it was the biggest joke he had ever heard. A filthy beggar dared to speak of sparing him for the sake of the Shura Hall's Master, as if the Master were his lackey. Where did he get the courage, the sheer gall, to say such a thing?

"Kid, for those words alone, rest assured—once I've dealt with this old thing, I will personally send you to the afterlife!" Zhou Ding declared.

Lin Xiao laughed. "It seems you truly don't understand the saying: you won't die if you don't seek it."

"You really are arrogant, kid. How about I send you to the afterlife first?" Zhou Ding snarled, an appalling killing intent erupting from him as he prepared to strike.

Lin Xiao, however, merely shrugged, not even deigning to glance at Zhou Ding again. Instead, he fixed his gaze on Bei Kuang. Since this trash was incorrigible, there was no need to waste any more words on him.

Though Lin Xiao hadn't said a word, Bei Kuang understood his meaning perfectly. He smiled, and in the next second, he lunged at Zhou Ding. His speed was like a bolt of lightning, a mere phantom.

Zhou Ding's laughter cut off abruptly. The mockery in his eyes instantly morphed into terror.

Yes, Bei Kuang had seized him by the neck, his grip like a deadly iron clamp. The feeling of suffocation was overwhelming. Zhou Ding's eyes widened in fear, and his face instantly turned a dark, purplish-red as his pupils dilated. The black of his irises began to vanish, replaced by vast expanses of white. A plea for mercy flickered in his eyes, but Bei Kuang ignored it.

It wasn't just Zhou Ding who was terrified. Xue Chengren was so frightened he nearly collapsed. He knew Zhou Ding's strength. When Zhou Ding had arrived at the Xue Family estate that morning, Xue Chengren had asked for a sparring match. He hadn't even lasted a single move before Zhou Ding effortlessly tossed him to the ground. Xue Chengren knew that if the man hadn't shown mercy, he would have long since gone to meet the King of Hell.

Yet this terrifying, top-tier expert was now being effortlessly held by the throat by this old geezer, completely unable to fight back. What truly horrified Xue Chengren was Bei Kuang's level of cultivation. He finally realized he had grossly underestimated the man's strength.

Bei Kuang looked at Zhou Ding's terrified, pleading eyes and sneered. "Oh, scared now? Too bad. It's too late!"

As he spoke, Bei Kuang prepared to finish off the ignorant fool.

But just then, a sharp whistle cut through the air. Bei Kuang focused his gaze and saw it was a stone, the size of a baby's fist, hurtling toward him.

He scoffed, about to strike it down, but the stone suddenly swerved and shot crazily toward Lin Xiao's head.

Lin Xiao snorted in contempt. A classic tactic: besiege Wei to rescue Zhao. Unfortunately, the attacker has underestimated my strength. He simply waved his hand, and a streak of cold light shot out from it.

DING!

A sharp clang echoed in everyone's ears, followed by a loud BANG. The stone exploded into fragments.

"Huh?!" a surprised voice reached their ears.

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