It could be said that, with Leo’s cultivation level at that time, slaying lower or mid-tier Martial Lords was no difficult task. Among the group led by Darcy Bush, the strongest were only mid-tier Martial Generals.
Although there was just one word’s difference between spiritual cultivators and martial cultivators, the abilities and techniques of cultivators were beyond the imagination of martial artists.
There were five remaining Purple Radiance attacks, targeting Ellis Marner, Montague Marner, Marine, Forrest, and Woods.
With their companions successively defeated, the five were now in extreme terror.
“Mr. Marner, quick, use it!” Montague Marner, the elder, shouted.
Startled from fear, Ellis Marner suddenly woke up. With a determined bite, he swung his right sleeve, and a black, rune-like object flew out from the cuff.
“Black Fire God Talisman!” In a critical moment, Ellis Marner shouted, and at the same time, he dripped a drop of blood from his left hand onto the black talisman.
The talisman instantly turned into a mass of black flames, spreading out. Centered around Ellis Marner, it protected him and the other four elders.
On the surface of the black flames, mysterious and captivating red runes appeared intermittently.
The next second, the five Purple Radiance attacks simultaneously hit the black flames.
After a buzzing muffled sound, the Purple Radiance turned into purple light and disappeared.
Looking at the surface of the black flames, there were only ripples, and as the runes lit up, the ripples gradually faded away.
This scene made Leo, hovering in mid-air, furrow his brows involuntarily.
He squinted at the black flames protecting Ellis Marner and the others. With his keen perception, he could clearly sense the unique energy radiating from the black flames.
Leo was somewhat surprised this time. He never expected that a third-rate martial sect like the Flying Dragon Gang would possess talismans created by cultivators.
Presumably, this strange black talisman was obtained by the Flying Dragon Gang from some secret realm.
This incident revealed to Leo that, besides him, there were other cultivators in this world.
After resisting Leo’s terrifying attacks, Ellis Marner breathed a sigh of relief and muttered to himself, “Thank goodness for this life-saving thing; otherwise…”
Unfortunately, Ellis Marner failed to realize a serious problem. His life-saving talisman was only one, and Leo’s lethal attacks were not just once.
After a brief amazement, Leo once again formed hand seals, and numerous ice spikes started condensing above Ellis Marner and the others.
Pressing his hands together, Leo sent the ice spikes, carrying a sharp aura, continuously crashing onto the black flames protecting Ellis Marner.
The black flames started to ripple, and the peculiar red runic lines on the surface slowly faded away.
Every time the ice spikes attacked, Ellis Marner’s eye twitched involuntarily. He knew well that the protective shield created by the Black Fire God Talisman wouldn’t hold for much longer. Once the red runes disappeared, their impending doom would return.
Ellis Marner had no desire to die, so he looked up at Leo, resembling a celestial being, and performed a respectful gesture between martial artists. He then pleaded, “Mr. Bloomer, we were misled by Darcy Bush. We harbor no ill intentions towards you and the Seven Stars Sword Sect. Please, spare us.”
Leo temporarily halted his assault, sneering, “No ill intentions, that sounds better than it sings. If it weren’t for my strength today, I’m afraid you would have dismantled me already.”
Leo’s words caused a slight change in Ellis Marner’s expression. Deep down, he knew that if Leo weren’t so powerful today, he would have been captured alive. Even if Leo revealed the secrets of cultivation, his friends and family would likely suffer.
Of course, even if Leo disclosed the secrets, the outcome would only be one – death.
“Mr. Bloomer, the Flying Dragon Gang has never clashed with the Seven Stars Sword Sect. We are truly innocent. Please, spare us. We will never dare again, and from now on, we will look up to the Seven Stars Sword Sect,” Ellis Marner pleaded again.
Leo didn’t want to waste time talking with him. He changed his hand seals and commanded, “Fire Dragon, arise!”
After the ice spikes vanished, a mighty and terrifying fire dragon, formed from condensed spiritual power, emerged in the sky. It roared and attacked the black flames on the ground.
“Boom!”
The fire dragon, like a blazing meteor, ruthlessly struck the black flames. The bizarre runes on the surface of the black flames trembled, first glowing brightly and then completely dimming.
“Bang!”
With a muffled sound, the protective shield of black flames shattered completely, and the faint black radiance disappeared.
Now, at the brink of life and death, fear gripped Ellis Marner and his companions from the depths of their souls.
Seeing Leo about to unleash another unpredictable technique, Ellis Marner hastily spoke, “Mr. Bloomer, as long as you spare our lives, the Flying Dragon Gang is willing to make any compensation. We will do our best to satisfy you.”
Leo stopped his actions this time. His gaze wandered over Ellis Marner and the four elders of the Flying Dragon Gang, and after a moment of contemplation, he said, “In consideration of your sincerity, I will spare your lives.”
After Leo spoke, he descended from the mid-air.
Floating in mid-air had limited utility, mostly for depleting spiritual power and intimidating enemies.
Ellis Marner and the four elders behind him breathed a sigh of relief, expressing gratitude, “Thank you, Mr. Bloomer, for sparing us.”
Leo remained silent. Ellis Marner had no choice but to lower his posture and inquire, “Mr. Bloomer, regarding compensation, please feel free to bring it up. The Flying Dragon Gang will do everything in our power to meet your demands.”
Leo swept his gaze over the five individuals once again, finally locking eyes with Ellis Marner. “I don’t need compensation. Right now, you only have two options. The first option is for you and the entire Flying Dragon Gang to submit to me and serve me from now on.”
Ellis Marner’s expression immediately turned extremely unpleasant. Being the leader of a martial arts sect, submitting to someone, working for them-it was nothing short of humiliation for him.
If his life weren’t at someone else’s mercy, Ellis Marner might have retorted Leo already.
“Mr. Bloomer, may I ask what the second option is?” Ellis Marner could only suppress all his emotions, look at Leo, and ask in a hoarse voice.
Leo’s gaze grew colder, and he enunciated each word, “The second option is a dead end!”
Although Ellis Marner was mentally prepared, hearing the phrase “dead end” still made his heart skip a beat uncontrollably. The expression on his face was more bitter than if he had tasted gall.
This wasn’t a choice; it was outright torture, a painful psychological torment.
Endless regret filled Ellis Marner’s entire chest. If he had known it would be like this, he wouldn’t have agreed to collaborate with Darcy Bush, who had turned into a ghost, to deal with Leo and the Seven Stars Sword Sect.
Seeing Ellis Marner remain silent for a while, Leo raised his right hand, “Don’t waste my time. Make a choice quickly.”
Watching the strange glow on Leo’s fingertips, Ellis Marner couldn’t remain silent.
As the saying goes, it’s better to live a dog’s life than to die a hero. Ellis Marner hurriedly said, “Mr. Bloomer, I choose the first option.”
Leo’s gaze turned towards the four elders behind Ellis Marner, and he asked, “Your leader has chosen the path of survival. What path do you wish to take?”
“We, like our leader, choose the first option,” the four elders of the Flying Dragon Gang hastily responded.
Among ordinary people, those with the aptitude for martial arts and becoming cultivators were extremely rare. Moreover, once someone became a cultivator, they not only gained unique abilities but also had a longer lifespan than ordinary people.
The average lifespan of a cultivator was over a hundred years, so cultivators cherished life more and understood the value of it.
In fact, even if Ellis Marner hadn’t chosen the first option, the four elders wouldn’t have chosen to die with him.
Leo took out a small gray bottle from his body and poured out five pills emitting a strange odor.
“One for each of you, take it.” Leo handed the pills to Ellis Marner and the others.
The five people exchanged glances, afraid that it might be poison, and didn’t move.
“Mr. Bloomer, what is this?” Ellis Marner asked nervously.
“Stop the nonsense. If you don’t take it, I might change my mind!” Leo said coldly.
They were well aware of the consequences of provoking Leo, so Ellis Marner and the others quickly took the pills and swallowed them.
After confirming that all five had ingested the pills, Leo spoke slowly, “I know what you’re thinking. Yes, you’ve just taken a carefully formulated poison from me called the Three-Month Heartbreak Pill.”
“The Three-Month Heartbreak Pill?” Sweat appeared on the foreheads of Ellis Marner and the others. “Mr. Bloomer, didn’t you spare our lives?”
Leo continued, “Don’t rush. I haven’t finished speaking. This Three-Month Heartbreak Pill, as the name suggests, if there is no antidote after three months, the intestines of the person who took it will begin to rot. After experiencing seven days of excruciating pain, death will follow.”
Hearing this, Ellis Marner and the others understood. Leo was afraid they wouldn’t sincerely submit, so he used this method to control them.
In fact, what Ellis Marner was trying to convey earlier was just a show of submission to Leo, with the intention of going back on his word after leaving. Little did he know that Leo had outplayed him, completely thwarting any thoughts of betrayal.
Leo glanced coldly at Ellis Marner and the others, saying, “I advise you not to harbor any illusions. Since you’ve chosen to align with me, you must do so sincerely, or I’ll make your lives worse than death! Now, I’ll let you experience the taste of the Three-Month Heartbreak Pill.”
While it was true that only dead people kept secrets permanently, Leo didn’t want to create unnecessary bloodshed. Therefore, he decided to subdue these five members of the Flying Dragon Gang.
The most effective way to completely subdue someone wasn’t through bribery but by making them understand that their lives were in his hands.
Leo formed a seal with his right hand, mobilizing spiritual power, and targeted a point on the abdomen of each of the five individuals.
“Ah…!”
The faces of Ellis Marner and the others changed dramatically as an intense and piercing pain surged in their abdomens. It truly felt as if they were in unbearable agony.
Ellis Marner and the four elders turned red, fell to the ground, writhing, constantly tearing at their clothes in an attempt to alleviate the excruciating pain within them.