Coming to Xia Liyan's side and looking at the kneeling white fox, Dong Zhang didn't care who was right or wrong, and said coldly, "Kneel down, kowtow, and apologize to Xia Sister. If Xia Sister doesn't forgive you, I'll hand you over to the City Guard. As for the consequences, you can figure them out yourself."
A blatant threat.
Yet everyone present knew very well that Dong Zhang had the capital to make such threats, given how powerful the Dong family was in Bone City.
Apologize? Kowtow? Confess wrongdoing?
What had he done wrong? Why should he apologize to the young woman in front of him?
Su Chen's gaze gradually turned icy. He didn't want to provoke trouble, but he wasn't afraid of it either. If someone was going to humiliate him without distinguishing right from wrong, in two words: in your dreams!
By now, Su Chen had roughly guessed why the white fox had knelt to him.
Strictly speaking, the white fox hadn't been kneeling to him at all, but rather to the purple fox resting in his arms. It seemed the purple fox possessed a very high status, causing the white fox to prostrate itself directly.
He offered no explanation. If they had spoken civilly, he would have gladly clarified the reason behind it.
But the notion that someone could rely on their backing to suppress him into kneeling and apologizing was completely out of the question.
Seeing the young man ignore him, Dong Zhang assumed he had been scared out of his wits and thoroughly enjoyed the feeling. Yet he still needed to put on a show in front of Xia Liyan.
He had been pursuing Xia Liyan all this time; how could he possibly give up such a once-in-a-lifetime opportunity to impress her?
"Brat, kneel and apologize, and this young master might just give you a chance to become a dog beneath my feet."
Nodding, Su Chen walked right up to Dong Zhang and said, "You aren't worthy."
No sooner had the words left his mouth than Su Chen moved.
Only afterimages remained where he stood as his Bouldering Fist was unleashed, a sky-full of fist force enveloping Dong Zhang.
Dong Zhang was merely at Level 3 Foundation Establishment Realm, a full five ranks lower than Su Chen.
Fist after fist slammed into Dong Zhang's body. Accompanied by miserable screams, Dong Zhang was knocked heavily to the ground, and Su Chen immediately stepped down hard on his left foot.
"Brat, I am from the Dong family! How dare you touch me? You're finished! Just wait, this young master will make you regret this!"
The onlookers around them were completely dumbfounded, gasping in shock one after another.
The young man's arrogance and domineering attitude left them utterly stunned.
After all, Dong Zhang's identity spoke for itself, backed as he was by the Dong family. Within Bone City, who would dare provoke them?
"Are you threatening me?"
"Whether it's a threat or not, you know well enough in your heart. Let me give you a piece of advice: don't make a mistake you'll regret—" Dong Zhang's pale face was covered in beads of sweat as he endured the waves of pain shooting through his body. In his mind, this was Bone City, the Dong family's territory. Even if his opponent was stronger, he was still just at the Foundation Establishment Realm.
He refused to believe that the other man would dare to keep attacking.
"Look! The City Guard is here!"
Dozens of armored City Guards marched over. Seeing the scene unfolding before them, regardless of who was right or wrong, they would undoubtedly lean toward favoring the Dong family—that much was certain.
On one side was an unfamiliar young man; on the other was an established clan of Bone City. How could they possibly choose?
"Fighting is prohibited in Bone City. Take them both back to the City Lord's Mansion!"
It was just for show.
Once Dong Zhang was dragged back to the City Lord's Mansion, he'd undoubtedly be ushered right back out the front door. As for the young man, he likely wouldn't be so fortunate.
In Bone City, the City Guard had the final say on everything. If the City Guard said you were right, you were right; if the City Guard said you were wrong, then you were wrong.
*Crack!*
Before everyone's shocked eyes, Dong Zhang's leg was ruthlessly snapped in two.
Countless horrified expressions were filled with disbelief. No one had expected that even with the City Guard already arrived, this man would still be arrogant enough to directly break Dong Zhang's leg, an act of sheer provocation toward the City Guard.
Offending both the City Guard and the Dong family at the same time meant he had completely lost any desire to survive in Bone City.
"Audacious!"
"Bold! How dare you act so rampant! Take him down!"
How could Su Chen fail to see that these so-called City Guards were clearly siding with the other party? If he followed them back to the City Lord's Mansion, it would be a one-way trip with no return.
Things had already reached this point; he had no way out. Offending the Dong family and offending the City Lord's Mansion on top of that made no difference at all.
To surrender without a fight was certain death.
If he fought his way out, there was still a chance.
Su Chen knew his situation was perilous, yet he felt not a shred of regret. As a man, one could die, but one could never be humiliated.
"Hurry and notify the Tong family! Tell them to send people to save me!"
"Go!"
Tremifying shrieks made it abundantly clear that Dong Zhang was utterly terrified.
He never imagined that this man wouldn't even regard the City Guard with any respect.
He was terrified of being killed. Even if his family avenged him later, what good would that do? He'd already be dead.
There was no need to go looking.
This was Bone City; the Dong family, having received the news, had rushed over alongside the City Lord's Mansion. Looking at Dong Zhang pinned beneath the young man's foot, every single one of them was burning with fury.
Dong Xi, the head of the Dong family, suppressed the raging fire in his heart and said with a gloomy expression, "Release Dong Zhang first, Your Excellency. We can discuss this matter slowly."
"Dad! Help me kill him!"
Standing to one side, Xia Liyan was somewhat dazed. She had never expected things to escalate to this point. Seeing her father rush over and take his place beside her, she momentarily didn't know what to do.
"What is going on here?"
Not daring to conceal the slightest detail, Xia Liyan told her father everything that had happened from start to finish.
Xia Quan let out a deep internal sigh. This matter had been provoked by Liyan, and they had to give the Dong family an explanation; otherwise, the future relations between the Dong and Xia families would be completely fractured.
Offending the Dong family merely for the sake of a Foundation Establishment Realm martial artist was certainly not a wise move.
Nodding, Su Chen kept his foot planted on Dong Zhang without a trace of fear, saying indifferently, "As long as Your Excellency swears an oath not to move against me, I can let him go."
Trying to bargain with him?
Dong Xi's anger had reached its absolute limit. If not for the regard for his son's life, he would have struck long ago instead of wasting words.
"Ah!"
Before Dong Xi could speak, a slaughterhouse-like scream pierced the air. Dong Zhang's other leg had just been ruthlessly snapped in half as well, the broken bones clearly visible—a truly horrifying sight.
Hundreds of martial artists from the City Lord's Mansion and the Dong family had gathered, surrounding Su Chen tightly. City Lord Qi Shang's expression was similarly gloomy. Anyone daring to cause trouble in Bone City was simply showing utter disregard for the City Lord's Mansion.
Too rampant and arrogant; this man had to be taken down to serve as a warning to others.
"You dare!"
An enraged Dong Xi took a step forward, the killing intent erupting from his body rolling outward like a tsunami, yet it failed to faze Su Chen in the least.
Without further idle chatter, Su Chen understood that the current situation was highly unfavorable to him. He had to leave Bone City.
"Relying purely on numbers, are we?"
With undisguised contempt and mockery, everyone understood that the young man was merely at the Foundation Establishment Realm—how could he possibly resist the combined might of the Xia family, the Dong family, and the City Lord's Mansion?
Dong Xi smiled coldly and taunted, "It seems Your Excellency is quite confident in your own strength. In that case, this Family Head will grant you a chance. My Dong family has six Void Pill Realm martial artists, and the others will not interfere. As long as you can defeat these six, I will pursue this matter no further."
"Very well."
As these words fell, the entire area erupted into an uproar!
No one had expected the young man to actually agree. Fighting six opponents alone, all of whom hailed from the Dong family and were at the Void Pill Realm—how could he possibly win? The gap between their realms was simply too vast.
Kicking Dong Zhang flying with a single sweep of his foot, Su Chen's goal was a safe departure, not mere momentary gratification.
Killing the man outright would completely enrage them; if hundreds of martial artists swarmed him all at once, it really would become a massive headache.
"Kill him!"
His cold gaze surging with slaughter, Dong Xi held absolute confidence. How could six Void Pill Realm experts of his family combined fail to suppress a single Foundation Establishment Realm youth?
Violating martial Dao rules? Was that even possible?
"Trash! Today, this daddy alone is enough to tear you to pieces!"
A burly, rugged man rushed out from behind Dong Xi like a black bear. His bulky frame was unexpectedly agile, and his twin fists—resembling two iron balls—smashed fiercely toward Su Chen. He didn't even bother releasing his Blood Wheel; in his eyes, executing a mere Foundation Establishment Realm cultivator while using a Blood Wheel would only cause him to lose face.
The Dragon Elephant Seal, derived from the Nine Dragons Nine Elephants Technique, was being deployed by Su Chen for the very first time.
His hands rapidly formed seals, stacking tyrannical palm prints carrying the roars of dragons and elephants. Unyielding, he met the attack with a ferocious strike.
*Boom!*
The two offensives collided fiercely mid-air, a terrifying shockwave spreading outward. In everyone's eyes, even though the Dong family member was only at Level 1 Void Pill Realm, eliminating a Foundation Establishment Realm fighter should have been effortless.
And the result?
The fist force was instantly swallowed by the Dragon Elephant Seal. The moment the cold, domineering dragon-elephant roars washed over the burly man, the gathered power converged into a single point and smashed ruthlessly into the center of his brow.
*Bang!*
His entire head shattered, a mist of blood spraying out. A pungent, bloody stench spread through the surroundings, terrifying many into retreating instinctively, their eyes filled with shock and horror. No one had expected that a dignified Void Pill Realm expert would be instantly killed in a single move by this man.
What terrifying might!
"Next."
Those words carried supreme dominance!
A dead silence fell as everyone stared fixedly at the young man before them. No wonder he dared to be arrogant; it turned out he had something to rely on. However, that man had only been at Level 1 Void Pill Realm, and the Dong family still had five Void Pill Realm experts who hadn't made a move.
Gazing at the headless corpse on the ground, Dong Xi's expression was ashen.
"How did this guy pull that off? He didn't even release his Blood Wheel, yet he managed to instantly kill a Void Pill Realm expert. Truly a freak."
"Yeah, he's formidable alright, but among Dong Xi's remaining five Void Pill Realm fighters, there is even a Peak Void Pill Realm expert. Wanting to fight his way out of Bone City won't be so simple for this fellow."
"Dong Zhang got what was coming to him. Relying on the Dong family as his backing, he always ran amok in the city. Now that he's run into a hard obstacle, he has only himself to blame."
"Shh! Do you have a death wish? If the Dong family hears you say that, you'll be in bad luck."
"Almost forgot."
Su Chen knew very well that he had succeeded in instantly killing the man purely because the opponent had been careless; no matter who it was, nobody would have believed a Foundation Establishment Realm youth could instantly slay a Void Pill Realm expert.
"Attack together!"
Instead of going one by one, Su Chen's instant kill had deeply shaken the Dong family. An enraged and shocked Dong Xi could no longer care about saving face and directly ordered the five Void Pill Realm experts to join forces to eradicate this threat at all costs.
History is always written by the victors; any unpleasant details would soon be forgotten, and the Dong family remained a prominent clan of Bone City.
All five Void Pill Realm martial artists stepped out from behind Dong Xi, fixing icy glares upon their prey. Provoking the Dong family and bringing shame and humiliation upon them was something they simply could not accept.
"Brat, you are strong. But in front of our Dong family, you won't leave this place alive. Take my advice: surrender now, and you might still preserve your life."
"Too much nonsense."
"Courting death!"
Thoroughly provoked, the five men stopped exchanging words. With so many people watching, they had to recover the Dong family's honor. They had already lost one Void Pill Realm expert; the remaining five had to achieve an absolute execution.
A ferocious expression filled with surging intent, the five Void Pill Realm experts bolted toward their target like five leopards.
Before their bodies arrived, a terrifying killing intent preceded them.
Releasing their Blood Wheels directly, the five men cast aside any remaining pretenses of face. Their sole objective was to cleanly execute this man.
Above each of their heads, a Blood Wheel manifested, their terrifying auras intertwining like a spider's web.
A dragon's roar resonated, followed by an elephant's trumpeting.
Accompanied by the Dragon Elephant Blood Wheel condensing above his head, Su Chen immediately unleashed the Nine Dragons Nine Elephants Technique. Not daring to show the slightest negligence, he aimed for a swift victory without any hesitation or dragged-out maneuvers.
Su Chen's speed surged to its absolute limit. Afterimages flickered as the illusory figures of nine dragons and nine elephants roared madly, their massive phantom bodies lunging fiercely to engulf all four of them.
"What a domineering Blood Wheel!"
City Lord Qi Shang's gaze turned extremely icy as he muttered, "This man must be killed."
The five did not scatter; instead, they concentrated on a single point, hoping to use the overlay of their five Blood Wheels to directly suppress their foe.
The moment Su Chen clashed with the five of them, another Blood Wheel gradually emerged within the Dragon Elephant Blood Wheel—none other than the Devouring Blood Wheel. It had been completely masked by the massive Nine Dragons and Nine Elephants, so no one had noticed it at all.
Su Chen had no desire for others to discover that he possessed the Devouring Blood Wheel.
A wisp of black mist resembling a vine instantly slithered up one of the men, wrapping around him tightly as a chilling devouring aura continuously eroded his body.
"What is this thing?!"
Feeling the bone-chilling cold, the man shuddered violently, his terrified eyes brimming with panic. Before he could even react, the black mist forcefully invaded his mind, instantly devouring his soul.
Watching the Void Pill Realm martial artist topple over stiffly, everyone—including the City Lord and Dong Xi—was left completely dumbfounded.
What happened?
How did this man pull that off?
The Dong family warrior had been slaughtered in utter confusion without the slightest warning. Had they not witnessed it with their own eyes, nobody would have believed the scene unfolding before them.
Too shocking!
Su Chen's dominance struck absolute terror into everyone's hearts. Was this the kind of strength a Foundation Establishment Realm martial artist was supposed to possess?
Seeing their companion slaughtered, the remaining four were thoroughly frightened. They had already joined forces and launched an all-out assault, casting aside all shame, yet they still couldn't stop this man. To say they weren't terrified would be an outright lie.
The next second.
All four simultaneously felt a chilling aura invade their minds.
So that was how their companion had fallen—by having this strange energy invade his mind!
Realizing this, the four dared not show the slightest carelessness. They immediately channeled all their strength, poured it into their Blood Wheels, and frantically fought back against the invading devouring aura.
The chance had arrived.
With the Dragon Elephant Blood Wheel suppressing them and the Devouring Blood Wheel infiltrating their minds, Su Chen's third Blood Wheel condensed and formed right beneath the cover of the Dragon Elephant Blood Wheel.
Unleashing the Nine Tribulations Sword Art, icy and tyrannical sword qi gathered into a tempest of blades, slashing relentlessly toward the four men. Sword stacked upon sword; each strike faster than the last.
The four of them were being suppressed?
Dong Xi found it impossible to accept the reality before him. Whether he believed it or not, the scene before his eyes proved that even with the remaining four Void Pill Realm experts joining forces, they might not successfully eliminate this youth.
Desperately purging the foreign power invading their minds, the four men roared their killing intent to the heavens. They immediately unleashed their respective martial arts techniques, launching a ferocious bombardment from all four cardinal directions. The chilling, domineering onslaught completely submerged Su Chen.
Dense waves of sword qi locked onto a single target, breaking them down one by one. Su Chen was sufficiently calm and rational; taking on four opponents simultaneously would simply take too long.
With their souls locked down and suppressed by the Devouring Blood Wheel, and fierce, sharp sword qi striking alongside overwhelming force, the Dong family martial artist's body was instantly pierced through by blades, blood staining the earth red.
Another one dead.
Unnatural terror flickered across the faces of the remaining three. Yet in this battle, they could only press forward; retreat was not an option. Gritting their teeth, they renewed their encirclement.
*Boom, boom, boom!*
The violent collisions between both sides caused the ground to fracture inch by inch, terrifying the onlookers into retreating repeatedly, their eyes filled with horror.
Su Chen's frantic assault thoroughly shocked everyone present, because they noticed a startling fact: the youth only knew how to attack, never bothering to defend. Under such an onslaught, the three opponents were actually being driven back step by step.
A trace of blood appeared at the corner of Su Chen's mouth. Taking on six opponents alone and escaping completely unscathed was impossible. Still, these minor injuries meant nothing to him.
His offensive grew increasingly fierce and frantic, resembling a maddened tiger. The three men he suppressed didn't even have a chance to counterattack.
Such was the might of three stacked Blood Wheels.
Up until this moment, not a single person had realized that this young man actually possessed three Blood Wheels.
*Puff!*
Unable to hold out any longer, the three were directly suppressed by Su Chen, their bodies rendered completely immobile. Su Chen panted heavily; after all, he was only at the Foundation Establishment Realm. Being able to slaughter six Void Pill Realm experts single-handedly relied entirely on his three Blood Wheels and the heaven-defying Sword Art.
"Let them go!"
"Brat, how dare you!"
The Dong family had suffered catastrophic losses, already losing three Void Pill Realm experts. The remaining three could not be allowed to perish as well.
"Brat, if you dare touch them even slightly, my Dong family will tear you to pieces!"
"Are you threatening me?"
Without a trace of fear on his face, and before Dong Xi could waste any more breath, Su Chen stomped down ruthlessly. The heads of the three Dong family martial artists burst apart one by one, their blood staining the ground crimson.
Killing three versus killing six made no difference whatsoever. Things had already reached this point; the Dong family certainly wouldn't let the matter rest.
Su Chen knew full well that whether he slaughtered these three or not, the other side would never let him go. Since that was the case, he might as well kill a few more.
Watching helplessly as six Void Pill Realm experts were butchered, an enraged Dong Xi found it impossible to accept such a reality. It would be one thing if his opponent were also in the Void Pill Realm.
Instead, the youth was merely at the Foundation Establishment Realm!
Witnessing this scene, everyone was struck dumb, staring in shock at the young man. Never had anyone imagined that a Foundation Establishment Realm cultivator could wipe out six Void Pill Realm experts of the Dong family. It was beyond legendary.
"The Dong family has truly suffered a heavy loss this time."
"Dong Xi just promised that as long as this man defeated six Void Pill Realm experts, the matter would be written off. This fellow is an absolute freak, though I must say, I admire him."
"This matter isn't going to end so easily. This is Bone City! Even if the Dong family is forced by their own vow to spare him for now, don't forget the City Lord's Mansion is still here. Look at the City Lord's expression."
"Could it be that the City Lord is going to make a move?"
Su Chen wore a face full of cold mockery. Although he had sustained some injuries while slaughtering the six, he had emerged safely through the ordeal. Having successfully annihilated six Void Pill Realm experts in accordance with his agreement with the Dong family, today's business was concluded, and he could smoothly leave Bone City.
Without lingering or wasting words, Su Chen turned around, ready to walk out of Bone City. Under these circumstances, there was no need for him to stay any longer.