Chapter 4

"Big Brother Stone!"

Just as the three burly men were still somewhat dazed, a clear and joyful voice suddenly rang out.

The little girl had somehow already flipped herself up and hugged the tall young man who had suddenly emerged from the boulder.

The little girl was petite and delicate, her head only reaching the waist of the tall young man. At that moment, her small, tender hands were tightly gripping the young man's thighs, her body mostly turned to hide behind him. Her watery eyes gazed at the tall young man, twinkling continuously.

The three burly men were taken aback again upon hearing this, exchanging glances. Their eyes fell on the tall young man once more. Seeing that he showed no expression after hearing the little girl's call and continued to stare blankly ahead, their faces instantly turned suspicious.

The little girl's heart tightened, and her small hands, which were gripping the young man's thighs, shook continuously. With a quavering voice, she called out again:

"Big Brother Stone, Le'er has finally found you!... These bad people want to catch Le'er, Big Brother Stone, help me beat them!"

This time, the tall young man seemed to have heard the little girl's cries, as his head slowly lowered a bit.

The little girl looked up to meet the tall young man's gaze, only to see his eyes were vacant, causing her heart to sink again.

However, this scene made the three burly men's hearts race.

They had already used their divine senses to scan the tall young man, but found no trace of magical power. There were two possible explanations for this: either he was just an ordinary person with no cultivation, or he had a special technique or magical artifact to conceal his powers.

The strange circumstances of the young man's appearance, combined with the little girl's repeated calls of "Big Brother Stone," made the three men suspect that the young man was likely the latter and might even be a demon.

The Daoist named Qi draped his拂尘 (fly whisk) over his arm, his eyes darting back and forth between the tall young man and the little girl, his mind racing with thoughts.

The long-faced man had already retracted his right hand and, without realizing it, stepped back to stand beside the burly man and the Daoist named Qi. His left hand, hidden in his sleeve, clutched something, his eyes fixed on the little girl.

"May I ask for your name? I am Yan Cheng of the Blood Blade Society. I am working with these two fellow Daoists to capture this demon fox. If you are not involved, please leave," the burly man said to the tall young man, his tone probing.

The little girl, hearing this, became extremely anxious, her eyes pleading as she looked at the tall young man.

The tall young man slowly raised his head, glanced at the burly man with a blank expression, and said nothing.

A hint of anger flashed in the burly man's eyes, but he did not lose his temper. He repeated his words, this time with a louder voice.

The little girl's mouth opened slightly, but she said nothing. Her small hands, gripping the young man's pants, were sweating profusely, making her palms damp.

The tall young man still showed no reaction.

"This person is so suspicious; it seems there is indeed a problem. Instead of wasting time here, we should..." The long-faced man leaned slightly to the side, whispering to the other two.

"In this vast area, anyone who can remain so calm upon hearing the name of the Blood Blade Society is either a supreme cultivator or a complete fool. Regardless, he has already protected a demon. Killing him would not draw any criticism. How we proceed is up to you, Fellow Daoist Yan," the Daoist named Qi narrowed his eyes and whispered to the other two.

The burly man nodded slightly, his eyes growing colder. He weighed the broadsword in his hand and suddenly roared.

The roar was loud, echoing across the wilderness, causing the nearby air to hum.

The little girl, hearing this, her small face showed fear. She unconsciously let go of the young man's pants and tightly clutched the rattle in her hand.

The tall young man, as if deaf, still showed no reaction to the burly man's words.

"Fine, since you insist on siding with that demoness, then... attack!" The burly man's eyes flashed with a fierce light. The broadsword in his hand suddenly emitted a blinding white light, making it impossible to look directly at it. His other hand waved sharply.

A black light flashed and disappeared, only to reappear in the air, transforming into a large black net that descended.

The little girl, startled, took a few steps back, but the distance was too short, and she couldn't escape in time.

The black net, like a dark cloud, descended and closed in, instantly enveloping both the little girl and the tall young man. The net then shimmered with a cold light, and each knot on the net transformed into a sharp, silver hook, gleaming and razor-sharp.

The little girl screamed, spitting a cloud of blood mist onto the rattle in her hand and twisting her wrist.

Dong!

The clear sound of the rattle rang out, and a green light flashed around the little girl. Her figure blurred and dissipated, transforming into a withered branch.

Plop!

Over a dozen feet away, the little girl's figure reappeared, then fell to the ground. Her hands and feet were injured by the black net's thorns, with dozens of cuts bleeding profusely.

She managed to roll to her feet, but after taking one step, she collapsed again, her face pale and breathing heavily.

At this moment, the burly man did not spare a glance for the little girl, who could only await her fate. Instead, he made a hand seal, and the black net around the tall young man tightened.

At the same time, a whistling sound came from the side. The Daoist named Qi leaped into the air, his wrist flicking to release over a dozen green rays, which were actually crystal needles, shooting toward the young man's body at lightning speed.

"Be careful!"

The little girl, unable to stand, could only scream again at the sight.

Clang! Clang! Clang!

A series of metallic sounds rang out. The green needles, upon touching the tall young man's body, were all deflected as if they had hit a rock.

"How is this possible?" The Daoist named Qi, landing lightly, exclaimed in disbelief.

Even if the young man were truly a rock, the needles should have easily pierced through.

"Whoosh!"

A golden light suddenly shot out from the Daoist's side, flashing and embedding itself firmly in the young man's throat.

"Heh heh, hit by my Golden Bee Spike, you won't survive..." The long-faced man slowly lowered his raised arm, a cold smile on his face.

But before he could finish his sentence, there was a loud "Boom," and the golden spike embedded in the young man's throat exploded, the fragments turning into golden specks and falling to the ground.

"Impossible!"

The long-faced man's face was as if he had seen a ghost.

The burly man also stared at the tall young man, his face full of disbelief.

Inside the black net, the sharp hooks that could tear through iron were hanging on the young man's body, unable to pierce his skin at all.

Just as the three men were stunned, the young man, after enduring the attacks, finally showed some reaction.

He slowly lowered his head, looked at the things hanging on his body, and seemed to find them bothersome. He moved his arm, and his ten fingers simultaneously grabbed the black net wrapped around him.

Rip!

The black net, which had been emitting spiritual light, tore like paper, splitting into two pieces and lightly falling to the ground.

The long-faced man and the Daoist named Qi, seeing this, nearly bulged their eyes out.

Not far away, the little girl's mouth was wide open, completely oblivious to the intense pain in her body.

"You... You dare to destroy my magical artifact!" The burly man, witnessing this, roared, his heart bleeding.

This black net was a precious treasure he had borrowed from a good friend in the society at great cost. Its destruction today left him both shocked and furious.

The burly man, gritting his teeth, pinched his fingers, and a purple talisman appeared in his hand. He threw it, recited a spell, and the talisman flew to the young man's head.

With a "Puff," the talisman shattered, transforming into a thick black cloud.

With a thunderous sound, a silver lightning bolt as thick as a bowl shot down from the black cloud.

A loud "Boom" echoed.

The thick lightning bolt struck the tall young man directly, scattering countless lightning arcs that shattered the ground, creating several large, black craters.

The little girl, frightened by the thunder, closed her eyes. Somehow, she found the strength to push herself back a few steps, narrowly avoiding the lightning's aftermath.

When she opened her eyes, her mouth opened and closed, nearly biting her tongue.

The tall young man stood on the pockmarked ground, completely unharmed.

Although the burly man was shocked, he did not stop his actions. He quickly recited a spell and made a hand seal.

"Seal!"

Another silver lightning bolt fell from the sky, suddenly transforming into lightning chains that wrapped around the tall young man, binding him tightly.

"Comrades, now is the time to act!"

The burly man growled, holding his broadsword in front of him. A red light enveloped the sword, and he lunged forward, slashing at the young man's face with all his might.

The long-faced man, surprised that the lightning had not harmed the young man, was overjoyed at this scene. He made a hand seal, and his body transformed into a gust of wind, disappearing from the spot.

In the next moment, a gust of wind swirled around the young man, and the long-faced man appeared, holding a black iron ruler with white runes on its surface. He swung it with a fierce wind, aiming for the young man's shoulder.

The Daoist named Qi, his eyes flickering, did not rush forward with the others. Instead, he took a few steps back, waved his hand, and a blood-red light shot out from his sleeve, circling in the air and silently striking the young man's head.

Although the three men attacked at different times, their coordination was flawless, clearly not their first time working together.

The tall young man, with a blank expression, stood still, seemingly unaware of the attacks.

The burly man, seeing this, his eyes gleaming with joy, added more force to his slash.

But in the next moment, he suddenly felt his wrist tighten, grabbed by a hand as strong as steel. The broadsword could not move an inch, and his entire body was halted, unable to advance any further.

The tall young man had extended an arm, his fingers like hooks, grabbing the burly man's wrist with a speed that was almost impossible to see.

The burly man, using all his strength, tried to pull back, but it was as if his arm was rooted to the ground, unable to budge. His heart sank, but then a cruel smile appeared on his face.

"Bang"

"Thud"

The long-faced man's iron ruler and the Daoist named Qi's blood-red light ball struck the young man's shoulder and head almost simultaneously. One emitted a blinding black light, and the other shattered like porcelain, turning into a thick cloud of blood that enveloped the young man's head, emitting a nauseating, pungent smell.

"Ha ha"

The long-faced man laughed maniacally, but in the next moment, he felt a burning sensation in his fingers. An indescribable, tidal wave of force erupted from the young man's body, traveling up the iron ruler and into his own body.

"No!"

The long-faced man's face turned to one of terror. He only managed to say one word before his body was thrown backward, landing far away. The sound of bones breaking echoed inside him, and blood mixed with internal organs spewed from his mouth.

His body, like a tattered sack, was completely lifeless.

"Impossible, you... ah..."

The burly man was shocked, but before he could react, the fingers holding his wrist trembled, sending a series of strange vibrations through his body. His bones shattered instantly, the pain like being cut into a thousand pieces, causing him to scream in agony.

"Whoosh"

The burly man was involuntarily lifted into the air and thrown toward a nearby boulder.

"Boom"

Amidst his screams, his entire body exploded on the boulder, turning into a splatter of flesh.

This series of actions happened in an instant, like a flash of lightning.

The Daoist named Qi, witnessing everything, his face turned ashen. He suddenly turned and, while slapping several talismans onto his body, ran back the way he came.

But he only managed a few steps before feeling the air around him tighten. The protective lights on his body flickered and vanished, and his body was crushed like a toy, turning into a spray of blood and flesh.

"Whoosh"

The thick cloud of blood enveloping the young man's head transformed into threads of blood, which were absorbed into his mouth, revealing his blank face once more.

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