Chapter 94: A Severe Blow

A series of more than ten vampire grenades detonated in a continuous chain, their cumulative power earth-shattering. The small building at the center of the blast was instantly flattened, and within dozens of meters, no structure remained intact. The rear part of the estate was reduced to nothing.

Amidst the violent aftermath of the explosion, a cluster of orange-red primal force light floated up and down, enveloping a figure that hung in mid-air. However, the protective aura around him flickered, like a candle in the wind, on the verge of extinguishing. It was clear that though Nan Gong Xiaofeng had managed to shield himself from the primal force grenades, his defense was severely depleted and teetering on the brink of collapse.

Finally enduring the explosions, Nan Gong Xiaofeng heaved a sigh of relief, but suddenly felt a strong sense of foreboding. Lifting his head, he saw an exceptionally handsome youth standing on a broken stone wall nearby, swinging a sword at him from a distance.

That guy is crazy! This was Nan Gong Xiaofeng’s first thought.

The youth was also within the range of the primal force grenade explosion, and there were still remnants of the primal storm swirling around. His body was covered in wounds, indicating he had also suffered greatly.

Qian Ye seemed entirely unaffected by his injuries, holding the Eastern Peak sword with both hands as steady as a rock, and slashing down.

Despite the sword being more than ten meters away, Nan Gong Xiaofeng inexplicably felt a strong sense of fear. Without thinking, he tried to summon primal force to stabilize his defense. However, he then saw the orange-red primal force light stop fluctuating, as if space itself had momentarily frozen, before shattering like glass!

The sword qi tore through his primal force barrier, and after a brief pause, a bone-chilling coldness cut into Nan Gong Xiaofeng’s body. He realized that the remaining force of the sword had managed to slice through him despite his protective aura.

As the long wound on his body deepened and widened, Nan Gong Xiaofeng let out a bizarre scream. A burst of radiant light enveloped him, and primal force surged out like a tidal wave, finally shattering the remaining sword qi.

But this all-out effort came at a great cost. Blood spewed from Nan Gong Xiaofeng’s wound, and it even reopened old injuries, revealing pulsating organs beneath the fresh tears.

Nan Gong Xiaofeng, shocked and enraged, screamed, “Who are you?!”

The power of that sword strike was extraordinary, having tapped into the void primal force. Otherwise, even with his injuries, Nan Gong Xiaofeng’s defenses would not have been so easily breached, and he would not have been injured. Such a technique was rare even among the elite warriors of the top families.

Nan Gong Xiaofeng reached for his weapon, noting that the youth had not even formed a vortex of primal force when he swung his sword, seeming less than a warrior. Yet, he dared to lurk within the range of the primal force explosion, withstand the shockwave, and then launch a sudden attack. Clearly, this youth must be from a powerful family, likely a top assassin sent specifically to target him.

Qian Ye had no intention of speaking. The Eastern Peak sword stirred the surrounding primal force, causing the unsettled storm to surge once more.

He stood as firm as a mountain, calmly sheathing his heavy sword. In his hands, the Phantom Manjushaka and Bloody Mandala flashed, and the two guns merged. Then, a pair of light wings unfurled behind him, and two primal force bullets roared out of the barrels, entwining like fated twins, spinning and heading towards Nan Gong Xiaofeng.

Black Titanium Annihilation Rounds!

At the sight, Nan Gong Xiaofeng let out a hysterical scream. At this distance, there was no room for evasion. Nan Gong Xiaofeng balled up again, the orange-red primal force radiance blazing intensely, squeezing out every last bit of potential. At the same time, he desperately twisted his body, trying to shift his front just slightly.

Two plumes of black mist exploded in the air, dark enough to devour anything, even in the deep night. Then, a ball of orange-red fire rose from the mist, lingering for a long time.

This was primal force fire, which could not be extinguished unless it burned out completely. Even Qian Ye dared not enter rashly.

After the fire had burned out, Nan Gong Xiaofeng was nowhere to be seen, but faint cries of pain could be heard, quickly fading into the distance.

Qian Ye sighed, knowing that by the sound, he wouldn’t catch up. Nan Gong Xiaofeng was indeed formidable, surviving even that. However, two charred limbs—a hand and half a leg—were falling from the sky, showing the price he paid to block the two Black Titanium Annihilation Rounds.

As a high-ranking family, they had secret techniques to reconnect severed limbs, but the cost was enormous, and even if successful, the new limbs would be extremely fragile compared to the well-trained original ones.

Nan Gong Xiaofeng would need at least half a year to recover, and even then, his strength would significantly diminish, possibly affecting his future achievements. The first genius of the Nan Gong family was now severely damaged.

Just as Qian Ye was feeling frustrated, a roar echoed from behind, “Who the hell are you, daring to run amok in the domain of the Nan Gong family in Yi River?”

By now, the remnants of the explosion had finally dissipated, and the Nan Gong warriors who had been pinned down by the primal force storm began to emerge from their hiding places. Most of them had not seen the brief exchange between Qian Ye and Nan Gong Xiaofeng and were unaware of the situation outside.

With this roar, a partially collapsed building nearby suddenly exploded, and a man emerged. He was in his fifties, with condensed yet undispersed primal force fluctuations, clearly another warrior.

Facing such an opponent, Qian Ye immediately threw three primal force grenades. The Nan Gong warrior was startled, screaming as he plummeted to the ground. Though these were human grenades, the man, while experienced, was only a newly minted warrior and not a particularly strong one. Enduring the blasts would be no easy task.

The man, however, had considerable combat experience and reacted quickly, dodging the worst of the impact. But as he landed and looked up, he saw Qian Ye charging straight through the fiery explosion, already above him!

Shocked, the man barely believed his eyes. As the Eastern Peak sword descended, he hastily raised his blade to block.

A soft crack, and the Eastern Peak sliced through the short blade and the man’s arms, sending his head flying.

Having killed this warrior, no one else in the estate could stand against Qian Ye.

The estate was now in chaos. While the initial primal force tremors had subsided, the fires had just begun. Qian Ye now held a backpack filled with grenades, suitable for destroying buildings and dealing with ordinary soldiers.

Explosions continued, and soon the entire base, which the Nan Gong family had painstakingly built over years, was engulfed in flames. Hundreds of elite private soldiers, along with the collapsing structures, perished in the inferno.

The Nan Gong family’s influence in the northwest region of the Evernight was thus eradicated. Rebuilding such a base would be costly and difficult, finding both a suitable location and manpower.

Qian Ye turned and left, a blazing inferno lighting up the night behind him.

Not long after, Qian Ye climbed a nearby mountain. Checking his pocket watch, he found he had some time before his rendezvous. He sat down, took out a cigarette, lit it, and took a deep drag.

It was a pity that Nan Gong Xiaofeng had escaped. With Qian Ye’s current strength, it was almost impossible to keep him. If he hadn’t risked staying near the primal force explosion, this would not have been so easy.

There might be survivors in the base, but Qian Ye had no interest in hunting them down. Having faced Nan Gong Xiaofeng, the Nan Gong family would soon know it was him, and retaliation was inevitable.

Yet, Qian Ye felt no fear, only a burning resolve.

In the night sky, the faint hum of engines grew closer. A small floating boat appeared, gliding like a fish, hovering above the mountain.

The cabin door opened, and a long rope was thrown out. Qian Ye leaped, grabbed the rope, and quickly climbed aboard.

In the cockpit, Nan Gong Xiaonian, covering her mouth, stared in shock at the distant flames.

Qian Ye entered, plopped into a seat, and pulled out a bottle of hard liquor, gulping it down. Only then did he exhale a long breath. All his wounds, large and small, flared up in pain. He finished the rest of the liquor in one go, feeling a little better.

Nan Gong Xiaonian, trembling, asked, “What happened? Who did you try to kill?”

Qian Ye exhaled, saying, “Nan Gong Xiaofeng. Pity he got away, but he left a hand and a foot. The title of the Nan Gong family’s top genius will soon change.”

“Those flames…”

“That was a Nan Gong family base. I torched it on my way out.”

Nan Gong Xiaonian fell silent, whispering, “I’m sorry, I brought this trouble upon us.”

Qian Ye looked at her and said, “Trouble always finds its way. It’s just a matter of how much.”

“But…”

Qian Ye sat up, pulling her close and ruffling her hair, “No buts. Let’s get going! I still need to grab a late-night snack.”

“Yes, sir!” Nan Gong Xiaonian snapped to attention, almost giving a military salute.

Qian Ye leaned back, smiling and shaking his head. It seemed only a commanding tone would make her obey.

The floating boat turned, its multiple exhaust ports flaring blue flames, accelerating and vanishing into the night.

During the journey, Nan Gong Xiaonian said, “The Nan Gong family will send more people.”

Qian Ye leaned against the window, watching the landscape rush by below, and smiled, “I’ll kill as many as they send. If I can’t today, I will tomorrow. At most, I’ll abandon this base, but I’ll keep killing until Nan Gong Yuanbo backs off.”

In a mansion in Black Flow City, Lord Yu Yang’s eyes narrowed slightly, feigning sleep, but the incessant rotation of his teacup betrayed his agitation.

Zhao Fenglei walked in, sitting opposite him. “Sixth Uncle, Sister Yuying is badly injured. This is troublesome. Before we left, Grandfather said that this bloodbath was not just for show, but to establish our might in the Empire.”

Pausing, Zhao Fenglei added, “Though I don’t understand who we’re showing off to.”

Lord Yu Yang slowly opened his eyes, looking at Zhao Fenglei. “Your elder brother values you highly, and it’s time you learned more. This isn’t just the Zhao family; the other three major families and some upper-class families share the same goal. This display is for the Emperor.”

“Emperor?!” Zhao Fenglei was shocked. He never imagined such a motive.

Lord Yu Yang’s expression remained calm, as if he had merely mentioned a trivial detail. “Since ascending the throne, the Emperor has favored promoting young talents. Over the years, many capable individuals have emerged. Add to that the flourishing of the clans allied with the Imperial House, and it’s natural for ambitions to rise.”

Zhao Fenglei’s face changed. The young elites Lord Yu Yang referred to were not ordinary; the so-called new nobles, like Lin Xitang, came from lower-ranked families but held significant status.

Lord Yu Yang continued, “With the Empire showing signs of revival, the Emperor naturally wants to emulate the Martial Emperor and lead a resurgence. However, the world is divided, with two-thirds in the hands of the noble families. These new nobles, despite their lofty aspirations, lack the power to act, and they are not content with this.”

Zhao Fenglei, now calmer, carefully considered Lord Yu Yang’s words and cautiously asked, “Do you mean… to curtail the feudal lords?”