Amid the chaos
Ye Chen walked calmly into Kang Hao's chamber. His gaze settled upon the man lying on the bed, his breathing faint, a sword still embedded in his chest as blood continued to seep without end.
Ye Chen stopped before him and spoke in an icy voice.
"I respect you, City Lord Kang Hao."
He spoke slowly.
"As a man with no special body, no sacred bloodline, and no blessing of heavenly fortune, yet still forced his way against fate and reached the Saint realm by his own strength."
A trace of admiration flickered briefly within his eyes before turning cold once more.
"If you had never taken Kang Jin in…"
"Your life could have gone much farther."
Kang Hao tried to laugh softly. Blood flowed from the corner of his mouth, yet he was still smiling.
He attempted to move again, but his muscles refused to respond at all. The poison had devoured every trace of spiritual power within his body. The cultivation he had trained for his entire life could not be summoned even in the slightest.
His eyes drifted toward the cracked ceiling.
"At least… I was able to witness his end with my own eyes…"
Those final words lingered within his heart, yet no sound could escape his lips.
"Farewell…"
Ye Chen raised his fist as he spoke. Dark red energy ignited around his knuckles. The flames twisted violently, like boiling blood.
At that same moment
As Ye Xin prepared to leave the City Lord's manor, her expression cold and devoid of even the slightest pity
Her body suddenly froze.
Every hair on her body stood on end in an instant. Her heart pounded wildly beyond control.
Ye Xin steadied her breathing and slowly lifted her gaze forward.
The sight before her caused the blood in her veins to turn icy cold.
A man stood not far away.
He wore plain white robes without a single pattern. A pitch black mask covered his entire face. There were no cracks, no openings, not even eyes visible beneath it.
The aura emanating from his body was empty.
There was no spiritual energy. No pressure. No fluctuation of power at all.
He was like an ordinary mortal.
Yet the fear surging within Ye Xin was absolute.
It was not terror born from power, but the most primal instinct etched into all living beings.
At that moment, she felt like a tiny ant staring up at a colossal giant.
Her breathing trembled. Her hands turned ice cold. Chilled sweat slid slowly down her back.
The eyes that had once been cold and arrogant were now wide open with undisguised terror.
She did not know who he was. She did not know his cultivation level. She did not even know whether he was looking at her at all.
Both of her legs felt as heavy as if dozens of mountains were pressing down upon them. She did not dare to move. She did not dare to speak. She did not even dare to breathe, because her instincts were screaming at the top of their lungs.
Do not move.Do not speak.Do not breathe.
At this moment, only a single desperate wish echoed endlessly within her mind.
Please do not notice me.
The masked man slowly walked past her.
His footsteps were light, so faint that there was almost no sound at all. Yet every step struck Ye Xin's mind like the tolling of a death bell.
Only after that shadow vanished completely into the darkness did Ye Xin collapse weakly onto the ground. Her heart continued to pound violently, her body trembling without any sign of stopping. Her clothes were soaked through with cold sweat, and moments later, she lost consciousness.
At the same time, a violent sound erupted within the City Lord's private chamber.
Boom!
Ye Chen's body was blasted backward by an overwhelming force. His back slammed into the stone wall, cracking it apart as the sharp sound of breaking bones rang out. Blood sprayed from his mouth instantly.
"Aaaah!"
A shrill scream echoed throughout the room. Half his face twisted grotesquely, his eyes burning red with pain and fury.
"You old bastard… you dare punch my face?!"
He clenched his teeth as blood seeped from the corner of his mouth.
"Kill him!"
At that very moment, a figure slowly emerged from the shadows within the chamber.
It was Kang Hao.
The one who had just driven his fist straight into Ye Chen's face.
His body was drenched in blood. His clothes were torn and ruined. A sword still pierced through his chest. Yet he remained standing, even though his steps wavered heavily.
His cultivation was gone completely.
He could no longer sense spiritual energy. He could no longer activate formations or laws of any kind.
But his body… was still the body of a Saint cultivator.
Even as poison devoured his meridians and each movement felt like stepping upon blades, he continued to move forward.
Kang Hao raised his hand and grasped the hilt of the black sword that had pierced through his chest.
The grating sound of metal scraping against bone pierced the ears.
Shhk!
He pulled it out slowly. Blood erupted outward at once, yet not a single cry of pain escaped his lips.
"A fine sword…"
His hoarse voice rang out as he gave a faint smile, then lifted his gaze toward the outside of the chamber.
The scene before him caused that smile to widen further.
Twenty one Saints floated in formation across the sky.
Six from the Ye family.
Five from the Mu family.
And the remaining ten were his own people.
Former guards, advisors, and officials who had stood beside him as they built Sword Heaven City together.
Kang Hao let out a soft laugh. The sound was raspy and filled with bitterness.
"Are you all leaving… without even saying farewell?"
One of the Saints stepped forward. He was once Kang Hao's most trusted advisor.
"City Lord."
His voice was calm.
"You have ruled this city for far too long. It is time—"
Before the words could finish, Kang Hao charged forward without hesitation. His body shot toward Ye Chen, who was struggling to rise. Madness burned within the former City Lord's eyes.
However… the poison within his body dragged him down.
The speed that should have surged like lightning slowed to a pitiful crawl.
Shk!
A golden spear pierced straight through his shoulder.
Shk! Shk!
Blades, swords, halberds, and countless weapons struck simultaneously.
Every attack… came from his former subordinates.
The Ye family and the Mu family merely stood by and watched.
They did not even need to act.
Blood burst forth from Kang Hao's body like a torrent. His flesh was pierced through from all directions.
Limbs were severed. His torso was torn apart.
In the end, his head crashed heavily onto the ground.
Amid the gore of blood and shattered flesh, Kang Hao's eyes remained wide open. His lips trembled.
"You… damn bastards…"
Blood continued to pour from his mouth.
"If I could go back… I would slaughter every last one of you…"
Yet those words could not produce any sound. Only he himself could hear them.
Then suddenly, a voice echoed from the void.
It had no direction. No source. It was impossible to tell whether it came from above, below, or deep within the listener's own mind.
One could not discern whether it was male or female.
One could not even be certain… that it belonged to a human.
"You are quite interesting. Would you like to work for me?"
The voice spoke slowly.
"But if you work for me…"
"Your entire existence will belong to me. Whether you live or die will depend solely on my will."
Kang Hao's consciousness trembled violently.
Scenes from the past surged forth without end.
Sword Heaven City, built by his own hands.
The people who once bowed before him.
The companions he once called brothers.
And the blades of those very people, piercing his body without hesitation.
The pain of his flesh was nothing compared to the bitterness in his heart.
If this was the end, he refused to let it end like this.
His blood stained lips quivered. His breathing fractured.
At last, the answer forced its way out with immense effort.
"…I… I agree."
The moment those words fell
The sky above Sword Heaven City changed violently.
Thick black clouds churned as if dragged by an unseen force. Gale winds howled wildly. Thunder roared across the heavens before torrential rain poured down, as though the sky itself were collapsing.