"What a shame. I was just a hair's breadth from killing this kid!"
A voice filled with regret came from behind.
Hong Yu's body shuddered. He recognized the speaker's identity—Hong Luàn!
He slowly turned around. Beneath his cold mask, his dark eyes flashed with cold fury as he stared at the young man behind him. The man, far from being concerned about his failed assassination, looked disappointed, as if lamenting the missed opportunity to kill him. "Demon Blood Squad. It's you again."
The scene was remarkably similar to a past memory.
Just like before, after he had painstakingly hunted his target and was about to claim the fruits of his victory, this group of people had stabbed him in the back, stealing the prize he had fought and bled for.
Last time, he had been too weak and had no choice. The prey he had finally killed after crouching in wait for five days and five nights was snatched away by Hong Luàn and his Demon Blood Squad.
'Is the Demon Blood Squad trying to pull the same trick again?'
Rage cast a faint, bloody sheen over Hong Yu's eyes.
Hong Luàn, brimming with arrogant confidence, crossed his arms and stared at Hong Yu, sneering, "Well, well, if it isn't the famous Luoo? Look at him, boys. That look in his eyes... seems like he wants to kill us!"
"Hahaha, I remember he had the same expression when we took that Snow Fox from him during the last mission!"
"Too bad some people are just destined to be losers. Didn't that Snow Fox end up in our hands in the end?"
"I heard someone waited by that freezing Cold Pool for five whole days just to hunt that Snow Fox!"
"How pathetic!"
The other four remaining members of the Demon Blood Squad chimed in with their taunts.
Faced with their mockery, Hong Yu gradually regained his composure and sneered back, "Hasn't the Demon Blood Squad always had six members? Why are there only five of you now?"
His words were like a fly buzzing into their throats, and the smug looks on their faces instantly froze.
Why were there only five of them left?
Did he even need to ask? Hadn't Hong Yu killed the missing member just a few days ago?
This was an immense humiliation for the Demon Blood Squad, a topic they had deliberately avoided. But now that Hong Yu had brought it up, it was like an invisible slap across their faces. They flushed red with shame and anger. In particular, the giant man at the Ninth Layer of the Essence Realm, who had previously suffered a loss at Hong Yu's hands, looked especially grim, his face as dark as still water. The twitching corner of his eye betrayed the chilling killing intent in his heart.
Hong Luàn narrowed his eyes as well. Since its formation, the Demon Blood Squad had never lost a single member.
This was partly due to their strength, but more importantly, in a city as large as Shishui City, who didn't know the name of Hong Luàn? Who dared not give the Hong Family face?
Yet this boy before him had repeatedly caused him to lose face…
First, the boy became a Silver Hunter at the age of fifteen, breaking the record Hong Luàn himself had set at seventeen. Then, at the Underground Alliance auction house, he had set a trap, causing him to waste three hundred thousand Gold Coins on a Yunyuan Pill worth only about one hundred thousand.
And now, he had shattered the undefeated record his squad had worked so hard to build.
For Hong Luàn, who pursued perfection, these incidents were the greatest stains on his life, stains that could only be washed away with Hong Yu's blood!
He wasted no more words. With a wave of his hand, he commanded, "Demon Blood Squad, listen up! Annihilate the Silver Hunter, Luoo! To the death!"
"Yes, sir!"
"Heh heh heh, I've been wanting to kill this arrogant little brat for a long time."
"With the Captain commanding the Array Hub, if we still can't take his pathetic life, I'll be damned!"
"Die!"
The four experts formed a battle formation and charged toward Hong Yu.
This time, with Hong Luàn guarding the Array Hub and controlling the entire situation, the Demon Blood Squad's combat power more than doubled compared to their encounter a few days ago on the outskirts of the Dead Soul Mountain Range!
"Rolling Stone Fist—Earth-Shattering!"
The giant attacked with a killing move right from the start.
Rolling Stone Fist. Just as its name suggested, the punch came crashing down like a thousand-pound boulder falling from the sky, its momentum immense. The Fist Force had yet to arrive, but the violent, heavy pressure of the strike already assaulted him. The WHOOSHING wind stung Hong Yu's cheeks as if they were being sliced by blades.
Hong Yu's gaze was calm; he had already regained his composure. While keeping an eye on the shifting positions of the Demon Blood Squad's battle formation, he chose the correct path. Instead of retreating, he advanced, meeting the giant's fist with his own.
"That idiot. Big Bear's Rolling Stone Fist has reached the Realm of Perfection. Even experts of the same realm would have to retreat before that punch, yet he dares to meet it head-on. He's simply courting death!" From within the Array Hub, Hong Luàn remained calm and arrogant, his gaze toward Hong Yu filled with disdain and contempt.
He was well aware of the giant, Big Bear's, strength and believed Hong Yu was seeking his own doom.
The same thought was on the minds of everyone in the Demon Blood Squad.
However…
This time, they were destined for disappointment.
When Big Bear's usually unstoppable Rolling Stone Fist collided with Hong Yu's punch, the expected scene of Hong Yu's arm being shattered by the immense force did not occur. The large and small fists clashed, sharp as a needle against a wheat awn. The two powerful forces made both fighters shudder violently. They were evenly matched!
"H-How is this possible?"
"Damn it, how is this kid so strong?"
Just moments ago, they had been certain of Hong Yu's defeat. Now, they were all dumbfounded, speechless, and unable to accept this outcome.
The giant, Big Bear, was overcome with shame and rage. The same boy who once couldn't even withstand a casual punch from him was now repeatedly causing him to lose face. It was an utter humiliation. He let out a low roar, "Rolling Stone Fist, Second Technique—Stone Movement of the Eight Desolates!"
Rolling Stone Fist was an Advanced Martial Skill with three techniques, each more powerful than the last!
If the first technique, Earth-Shattering, was a clash of Mountain-Breaking Stone Shattering power, then the second technique, Stone Movement of the Eight Desolates, was a confrontation of Dark Force. As Big Bear executed this move, the muscles on his arm writhed. His biceps and triceps swelled abruptly, and three successive waves of Dark Force surged through their connected fists and into Hong Yu's body.
What was Dark Force?
Just as the name implied, it was a force unleashed covertly, designed to destroy an enemy from the inside. It was almost impossible to defend against!
Countless experts had been defeated by this move of Big Bear's!
Even experts of a higher realm could pay a heavy price if caught unaware.
'Such terrifying Dark Force…'
Hong Yu's expression changed slightly.
He clearly felt a powerful and destructive Dark Force seep into his arm. The bones in his joints made a cracking sound. If he let this Dark Force continue to rampage, his arm would be crippled in moments.
'I can't hold back anymore.'
Hong Yu took a deep breath.
He took a slight half-step back, his body leaning back an inch, and then suddenly surged forward, unleashing his power. As this move unfolded, Hong Luàn, positioned at the Array Hub behind the Demon Blood Squad, felt a sense of déjà vu. He muttered in confusion, "Is that the Rising Dragon Fist? How could he know a Martial Skill of my Hong Family?"
While he was still puzzled, Hong Yu had already activated the Dharma Gate of the Rising Dragon Fist. He cleverly redirected the Dark Force that had penetrated his body, guiding it back out along the powerful path of the Rising Dragon Fist.
"Rising Dragon, tear the sky! Roar across the void!"
Hong Yu let out a low roar.
His Fist Technique was like a dragon, his stance like a towering mountain peak. The powerful Fist Force directly sent the giant, Big Bear, flying. Big Bear's massive body was thrown high into the air. Hong Yu bent his knees slightly, then pushed off the ground, spinning as he caught up to Big Bear again and smashed an even more ferocious punch into the stunned giant.
BAM!
The huge giant flew backward like a kite with its string cut.
Hong Yu's punch had struck his chin. The giant's entire lower jaw was twisted, the bones completely shattered. He crashed heavily to the ground, unable to get back up.
HISS!
Seeing this, the members of the Demon Blood Squad all hesitated, their movements faltering, expressions of horror on their faces.
HUFF, HUFF.
Hong Yu landed back on the ground, gasping for breath. That desperate counterattack had been an immense test of both his body and mind, consuming a massive amount of his stamina.
Among the onlookers, if one had to say who was the most shocked, it was undoubtedly Hong Luàn.
His brows were tightly furrowed, his gloomy gaze sweeping over Hong Yu. "Who on earth are you? Why do you know a Martial Skill of my Hong Family?"
Beneath his mask, Hong Yu's eyes flashed, and he replied slowly, his tone mocking, "Haven't you already guessed?"
"Stop playing mysterious! I don't care who you are. You're not leaving the Valley of the Dead alive today!" Hong Luàn said, infuriated.
If Hong Yu had directly revealed his identity or tried to hide it, he could have accepted it. But Hong Yu's noncommittal remark made him feel as uncomfortable as if he had swallowed a fly. His face darkened. Wasting no more words, he ordered the remaining three members to surround and attack Hong Yu.
Even Hong Luàn, who usually commanded from the rear, personally joined the fray!
Hong Luàn's personal entry into the battle greatly increased the pressure on Hong Yu.
With the other three being experienced Hunters, all at the Seventh Layer of the Essence Realm or higher, Hong Yu found himself struggling to fend off their combined assault.
"The kid's about to break!"
"Put your backs into it! I'm gonna kick his balls 'til they burst."
The members of the Demon Blood Squad revealed their bloodthirsty madness.
'The Demon Blood Squad's formidable reputation is well-earned. Dragging this fight on will only put me at a disadvantage. I have to find a way to end this quickly.' As Hong Yu fought, his mind raced, and he began to strategize a way to deal with the Demon Blood Squad.
In the midst of battle, Hong Yu inadvertently glanced at the lifeless Red Yin Poison Scorpion, and a sharp glint flashed in his eyes.
He fought as he retreated, moving toward the corpse of the Red Yin Poison Scorpion.
His movements were so subtle that even the experienced experts of the Demon Blood Squad failed to notice.
'Almost there.'
Hong Yu rejoiced internally, about to reach his destination.
However…
Just at that moment of distraction, he failed to defend against a Sky-breaking Palm Power strike from Hong Luàn. It hit him in the face. With a CRACK-CRACK sound, his hard mask split in two. A handsome, youthful face was exposed to the Demon Blood Squad. When Hong Luàn saw the face hidden behind the mask, his expression changed drastically…
"Hong Yu, it's you?"