Old Master Tang, seasoned and astute, knew that Qin Hu, with the North City Gang, absolutely lacked the audacity to cause trouble under the very nose of the ruling power. At this critical juncture, it was even less likely that he would utter a lie that the Old Master could never believe. If what he said held truth, there had to be more to the story!
Seeing that the Old Master seemed to entertain his words, Qin Hu allowed a flicker of hope to ignite. Even if his own end was inevitable, at least his son might have a chance to survive. He pressed on: “The person who instigated me, I do not know their origin. I only know that this person has connections reaching to the heavens. They formulated everything—the layout of the late Marquis’s manor, the location of the hidden treasures, even the precise timing of the whole operation. I suspect they are someone from the Imperial Capital…” As Qin Hu spoke, his eyes suddenly bulged, shining with extreme dread. In his panic, he cried out, “Late Marquis, save me!”
At that precise moment, a sharp whistle tore through the air, followed by a surge of yellow light. Immense pressure descended from all directions with virtually no warning. It was as if several miniature suns had abruptly materialized in the sky, their heavy, earthy-yellow radiance thoroughly saturating the heavens!
Earth Profound realm experts!
Three agile figures dropped like lightning, charging toward Old Master Tang in a tight triangular formation. Each was masked in black, revealing only a pair of eyes glittering with brilliant yellow light.
The experts of the Tang Residence cried out in alarm, rushing forward with utter selflessness, but their current strength proved insufficient to halt the advance of these Earth Profound masters!
Old Master Tang let out a cold sneer and roared, “Insolent scurrilous wretches!” As his white beard streamed out, an even heavier, earthy-yellow light enveloped him, and he met the threat head-on, positioning himself protectively behind Qin Hu.
The intent of the attackers was terrifyingly clear: they were here for a clean kill! But Qin Hu was currently the sole conduit to recovering the Mysterious Elixir. How could the Old Master allow them to succeed? Regardless of the cost, he had to intercept them and ensure Qin Hu’s life was spared.
As long as Qin Hu lived, there was a chance to find the mastermind; finding the mastermind meant retrieving the Mysterious Elixir! Only by retrieving the Elixir could the Tang family forge a foundation that would remain unshakeable for the next century!
Old Master Tang’s eyes flushed crimson.
Boom! Boom! Boom! Tang Wanli moved with lethal grace, single-handedly blocking the three masters of the same rank. His assault was broad and overwhelming, purely offensive, resembling a maddened tiger!
Eliminating a mere Qin Hu would hardly be a major concern for these assassins. However, killing Old Master Tang here and now meant waging war against the entire Tianxiang Empire! That was a consequence few people could afford to bear! Because of this, Old Master Tang was utterly fearless! For a time, he single-handedly contained three Earth Profound experts of equal footing!
The four formed a circling vortex of combat, figures blurring in the rising dust. The two other Earth Profound experts of the Tang family, fearing for their Patriarch’s safety, swiftly joined the fray. These six giants locked into fierce duels, making it impossible for anyone below the Earth Profound level to intervene.
“Get Qin Hu out of here first!” Old Master Tang bellowed.
Just then, a faint, elegant blue light flickered into existence. A masked man in white suddenly appeared, gliding forward with the fluidity of flowing water. Against the backdrop of the night, his white attire was jarringly conspicuous. His movements were casual, like a leisurely stroll, yet his speed was absolute. Along his path, the blue light flashed several times, and four screams erupted simultaneously. The four hall masters of the North City Gang collapsed, their skulls caved in.
Initial Heaven Profound realm! A Heaven Profound master!
Two hundred Tang family experts swarmed forward, forming a dense defensive perimeter, yet the newcomer ignored them completely, moving as if through empty air. He drifted three zhang into the sky, his blue light flashing fiercely. Qin Xiaobao, lying on the ground, managed only a muffled grunt before his chest and abdomen were obliterated by an attack delivered through the air.
Patriarch Tang Wanli roared and spun back to confront the man in white. A look of disdain flashed in the eyes behind the mask. The blue light surged, and a direct clash of open palms met Tang Wanli with a deafening impact. The Old Master let out a muffled groan, his white whiskers trembling as he was forced backward repeatedly. The man in white floated away in a spinning retreat, and every Tang family expert in his wake was forcefully repelled three feet away by his potent Profound Qi. Without looking back, he swept his hand downward.
Behind him stood Qin Hu!
Qin Hu’s eyes were bloodshot with rage. He spat out a mouthful of blood and shrieked, “How… ruthless! Old Marquis Tang, he is that…” Before he could finish, he gave a final, agonizing cry and collapsed limply onto the ground; not a single bone in his entire body remained intact.
“Hehehehe…” The man in white chuckled softly, then barked, “Go!” With a flash of blue light, he charged out first. Several bang sounds followed as members of the Tang household staggered backward. In an instant, they reached the perimeter wall. Yellow and blue light flashed, and the four figures leaped over the high wall and vanished.
The man in white, however, remained standing atop the wall, his white robes fluttering gracefully. He executed a distant bow, his voice clear and refined: “Old Marquis Tang, my apologies for this offense today; it was unavoidable. Our paths may cross again on distant mountains and long rivers.” With a long laugh, he pushed off, and after a final blue flash, the sky returned to darkness.
Old Master Tang clutched his chest, coughing heavily. He could sense that this man in white possessed truly formidable strength and had, in fact, shown him considerable mercy. Otherwise, that single exchange could have easily inflicted severe internal injuries. Yet, even so, Old Master Tang trembled with fury!
Staring at the brutally mutilated corpses of Qin Hu and his son, and the horrifying sight of the four hall masters with their skulls crushed, a chilling cold spread through the Old Master’s limbs.
Such a Heaven Profound expert ought to have belonged to his own household!
The frustration was immense!
He had finally grasped a major lead, only to have the source silenced directly before his eyes at the cusp of success. Meanwhile, the two hundred strongest members of the entire Tang family were assembled here, yet could only watch, forced to accept the humiliating ‘mercy’ of the attackers!
How could this be endured?
Watching Old Master Tang gasp for breath, everyone around lowered their heads in shame.
At that moment, a heavy, dull, majestic sound began to rumble from afar, echoing to the edge of the heavens! It was like distant tidal waves, rolling closer, or the slow, relentless pounding of thunder on the horizon, bearing an unmatched momentum capable of crushing the universe and shattering the clouds as it slowly approached!
As this sound arose, the entire world seemed to instantly become steeped in infinite bleakness and killing intent! Even the pitch-black night suddenly felt overwhelmingly oppressive!
The sudden sound did not diminish with the passage of time; instead, it grew louder, until it erupted simultaneously from all four directions surrounding the entire Tianxiang City. Following the initial dull rhythm, the sound gradually matched it, coalescing into a massive torrent that roared mightily across the heavens and earth!
This was the war drum of the Thunder God! It was also the prelude to slaughter!
This earth-shattering drumbeat was the ignition fuse for large-scale war!
The Assembly Drum!
After a decade of silence, the highest military summons of the Tianxiang Kingdom resounded again tonight, without warning!
Once the Assembly Drum sounded, it had always signified mountains of corpses and seas of blood! The clash of ten thousand armies, the demise of countless lives! It also meant that a group of brave warriors would close their eyes forever, while a small fraction of the survivors would ascend to high positions by treading over mountains of the dead and seas of blood!
From all directions, countless soldiers awoke startled from their sleep, jumping up to don their gear rapidly, their eyes blazing with a crazed, bloodthirsty light!
“It is Grand Marshal Jun’s Assembly Drum!” shouted one of the Tang family’s Earth Profound masters in shock, and everyone exchanged horrified glances.