Chapter 82

Bodies littered the ground, blood pooling everywhere.

The old lair, resembling a castle, was burned to a mere shell, a scene of utter devastation.

Lu Laohu strode forward, his heart aching as if cut by a knife at the shocking sight. These were his subordinates, the fruits of his labor!

Now, they had been destroyed in a single night. How could Lu Laohu not be enraged?

His face was ashen, his eyes bloodshot, and he exuded a terrifying aura, as if ready to devour anyone in his path. He soon entered the main hall.

His subordinates had already begun searching for the enemy's trail, but Lu Laohu was more concerned with something else.

Not long after, he reached the end of the hall.

There, a stone wall that had once stood now bore a massive hole, revealing a hidden space within. A spiral staircase led underground.

"Damn it!"

Lu Laohu's face twitched violently. He waved his hand and gritted his teeth, saying, "All of you stay here and wait!"

With that, he rushed into the hole, disappearing down the spiral staircase.

The Black Tiger Gang subordinates who had followed him exchanged uneasy glances, their faces filled with uncertainty.

"This seems to be the boss's treasure chamber?"

Someone whispered.

"Not just a treasure chamber, but where the boss has accumulated his wealth over the years, as well as all the loot the gang has gathered!"

"But from the looks of it... it seems the enemy has already discovered it."

Whispers of concern spread, and their faces darkened. If not for Lu Laohu's order, they would have rushed in to investigate.

However, they all knew that regardless of whether the treasure chamber had been looted, given Lu Laohu's nature of valuing wealth over life, he would never allow them to approach.

"Alas, we clearly returned too late. That scoundrel must have already fled."

Someone sighed, making the others' faces even more grim.

...

At the bottom of the spiral staircase was an underground chamber. The walls were embedded with moonlight stones, their soft glow dispelling the darkness.

This was the Black Tiger Gang's treasure chamber!

But when Lu Laohu stepped into it and saw the scene, he felt as if the world had gone dark, and he nearly spat blood in rage.

The vast space, once filled with dozens of large bronze chests brimming with gold, silver, jewels, and spiritual medicines, now lay in disarray. The locks on the chests were broken, and the insides were empty, not a single coin left!

These were the treasures Lu Laohu had spent decades amassing. Now, they had been plundered, leaving him feeling stifled, furious, and on the verge of madness. His face twisted in a grotesque manner, veins bulging on his forehead, and he let out a roar: "Damn it—!"

The sound was like a thunderclap, shaking the walls.

Boom!

Suddenly, a corner of the far wall collapsed, revealing a bronze door. The door, however, had been forcibly broken, creating a crack just wide enough for a person to squeeze through.

Seeing this, Lu Laohu trembled with rage, his eyes bloodshot, nearly bleeding.

This was the escape door he had personally constructed, a secret exit to ensure his safety in case of unforeseen danger. He could carry his wealth and escape safely.

To build this door, Lu Laohu had even hired a spirit pattern master to inscribe a spirit lock on it. In the end, he had killed the master himself to prevent the secret from leaking. Who would have thought that this escape door would also be discovered and destroyed?

Lu Laohu's hair stood on end, his aura vicious and his face terrifyingly pale. Seeing this, he knew the enemy had taken his wealth and escaped through the very door he had built.

Decades of effort, all for nothing. Lu Laohu was driven to madness, his heart filled with indescribable fury.

"Damn scoundrels! If I catch you, I'll flay you alive!!" Lu Laohu roared.

Swish!

At that moment, a blade of light flashed from a corner, like a sudden lightning bolt, striking Lu Laohu from behind.

Huh?

Lu Laohu, immersed in his rage, still retained his combat instincts. He immediately sensed the danger but did not dodge. Instead, he turned and struck with his palm, delivering a powerful blow.

Boom!

In an instant, terrifying spirit energy materialized, like a raging sea, shattering the air.

The blade of light, like a small boat in a storm, was violently thrown away.

Thud!

A black figure crashed into the far wall, groaning in pain. It was Lin Xun.

His face was pale, his pupils constricted, and his heart raced. This was the power of a Spirit Aura Realm expert?

In that moment, he had thought the timing was perfect, believing that even if he couldn't kill Lu Laohu, he could at least severely wound him.

But when he truly clashed with the opponent, Lin Xun realized he was wrong, terribly wrong!

As a Spirit Aura Realm expert, Lu Laohu was surrounded by a force field of spirit energy, making it impossible to even approach him, let alone break through this barrier!

It was like Lin Xun had been a fish thrown into the ocean, unable to react before being slammed by a massive wave, unable to resist or counter.

This was the terrifying power of a Spirit Aura Realm expert.

At this realm, the practitioner's body was enveloped in dense spirit energy, like an impenetrable wall, filled with lethal force. True Martial Realm experts could not even get close!

Despite the small gap between True Martial and Spirit Aura realms, the difference in power was vast, like ants trying to shake a mountain.

"Little brat! You didn't run! Hahaha!"

Lu Laohu was not alarmed but delighted. If Lin Xun hadn't fled, it meant there was still a chance to recover his wealth.

At this moment, Lu Laohu's emotions were a rollercoaster, from deep sorrow to intense joy, almost beyond his control.

As he spoke, he lunged forward, his large hand forming a claw, grabbing at Lin Xun from a distance.

Boom!

Blinding black spirit energy formed a tangible claw, enveloping the air.

This was the power of a Spirit Aura Realm expert, able to release spirit energy externally to kill from a distance. True Martial Realm experts could not achieve this.

However, as Lu Laohu was in mid-air, he sensed something and his face changed. Relying on his years of combat experience, he instinctively twisted his body, like a coiling snake, abandoning Lin Xun and striking to the side.

At the same time, a white bone spear suddenly appeared, its smooth surface shimmering with silver starlight, ethereal and mysterious.

It seemed slow, but by the time Lu Laohu noticed, the spear tip was already at his forehead!

Boom!

A loud explosion, terrifying energy spreading like a storm, the dozen bronze chests flying and smashing into the walls with a dull thud.

Lin Xun's face changed. In his vision, Lu Laohu had grabbed the bone spear, and with it, Xia Zhi, lifting her into the air!

"Of course there's someone else. I knew it. That boy couldn't have infiltrated my territory alone. Clearly, the mastermind behind this disaster is you, little girl!"

Lu Laohu laughed, his face twisted and cruel, his light brown eyes filled with cunning. He had ruled this area for decades, standing unshaken. Those who underestimated him were now mere corpses.

Lin Xun's poor performance had made Lu Laohu immediately suspect that the boy had an accomplice. Indeed, it was revealed in just one move!

At this moment, Lu Laohu felt a surge of vengeful satisfaction.

Lin Xun felt an uncontrollable chill. Lu Laohu was too cunning; he and Xia Zhi had underestimated him!

Without hesitation, Lin Xun instinctively rushed to save Xia Zhi.

But at that moment, Xia Zhi suddenly lifted her head, revealing her face hidden under her hat. In that instant, the entire basement seemed to dim, her beauty beyond description, almost otherworldly.

Lin Xun was momentarily dazed. He felt that Xia Zhi's beauty today was even more captivating, with a charm that seemed to draw the soul.

Lu Laohu's breath caught, his face showing a moment of confusion.

Thud!

A dull sound, followed by Lu Laohu's thunderous roar, which snapped Lin Xun back to reality.

He looked up to see the bone spear, which Lu Laohu had grabbed, now piercing his chest.

At the same time, Xia Zhi was thrown away by a palm strike.

"Damn you!"

Lin Xun's eyes turned bloodshot, his heart filled with uncontrollable rage. He rushed forward, slashing at Lu Laohu with his blade.

Xia Zhi being thrown away felt like a knife in his heart, the sensation so intense that it drove Lin Xun into a frenzy.

Unaware, in his state of rage and loss of reason, his pupils reflected a pair of blood-red whirlpools, beneath which lay an endless abyss.

Thud!

With one slash, Lu Laohu's head was severed, flying away with ease.

It was because Xia Zhi's strike had already crushed Lu Laohu's heart, cutting off his life force.

Lin Xun's follow-up strike merely completed the process of his death.

But Lin Xun was now like a madman, ignoring everything, continuing to slash at Lu Laohu's body with his Flame Spirit Blade, reducing it to a bloody mess.

"Lin Xun, we need to go."

Xia Zhi's voice, though weak, immediately snapped Lin Xun out of his rage. He panted heavily, rushing to her side.

The little girl was curled up on the ground, her face unusually pale and weak, her moon-shaped black eyes dull and lifeless.

This made Lin Xun's heart ache again. Without hesitation, he picked up Xia Zhi, pulled the bone spear from Lu Laohu's body, and rushed toward the broken bronze door.

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