“Ignorant child, you seek death, allow me to send you off!”
The elderly man on the other side roared, completely disregarding Billy’s move. As he spoke, instead of retreating, he advanced, facing the blood-red curtain of blades coming towards him.
Luis Long vaguely sensed a hint of danger in this move, furrowing his brows slightly before choosing not to directly clash.
Swiftly, he dodged to the side, creating some distance and sending out several gusts of wind towards the curtain of blades.
Boom!
A loud sound reverberated as the blades fell, revealing a deep trench on the ground.
The elderly man didn’t even comprehend what had happened before he was cleaved in half, flesh and blood mixing.
And due to Luis Long’s distance from the blades, although he was sent flying several hundred meters by the shock-wave, his injuries were not severe.
Billy, currently a Third-rank Saint, had no difficulty in slaying a Fifth-rank Saint with the activation of the Domineering Blade Art.
“How is this possible?” Luis Long couldn’t help but exclaim after getting up from the ground.
With this in mind, without any hesitation, he turned and rushed towards the exit flying in the air.
He knew very well that today’s mission was a complete failure, and if he stayed any longer, he would surely lose his life.
“Are you leaving just like that?” Billy’s voice resounded as he pursued him through the air.
Immediately, he wielded the Bloodshadow Fury Blade, sending a swift arc of blade energy towards Luis Long.
“Get lost!” Luis Long’s voice was cold as he spun and unleashed a palm strike towards Billy.
The clash between their attacks exploded in the void, creating a large crater on the mountainside.
After the deafening noise subsided, both of them retreated a hundred meters from each other.
With Billy refraining from using his trump cards, he could still contend evenly with Luis Long using the Bloodshadow Blade Technique.
After stabilizing his stance, Luis Long showed no intention of prolonging the battle, fleeing again.
Just as he was about to escape, a ripple of psychic energy vibrated from Billy’s forehead.
In the next moment, Luis Long’s eyes flickered for a moment, his body freezing before plummeting downwards.
Already injured, under the full force of Billy’s psychic attack, he found it difficult to resist.
Although he was not critically wounded, disrupting his nervous system for a moment was not an issue.
Shortly after falling to the ground, Luis Long faltered again, coming back to his senses.
Yet, just as he was about to stand up, a curved blade energy swiftly slashed past his knees.
“Have mercy!” At this moment, he had no chance to evade and could only plead in despair.
Swoosh!
The blade energy flashed past his legs, causing Luis Long to collapse, blood gushing out from his severed legs.
“Ah–” Luis Long screamed hysterically, his eyes rolling back before losing consciousness.
“I told you, you can’t escape!” Billy walked up to him.
Then, he took out several silver needles and inserted them into Luis Long’s body, sealing his powers and stopping the bleeding from his legs.
He clearly intended to let Luis Long live, as the previous strike would have taken his life if not for his intervention.
Afterwards, Billy dashed towards Brett Charleston’s battle ground two kilometers away.
The other Fifth-rank Saint from the enemy side was already locked in a desperate battle with Brett Charleston, both of them significantly weakened. Two minutes later, he was cleaved into two by Billy’s blade.
“You rest for a bit, I’ll handle the others!” Billy then turned to Brett Charleston.
The subsequent fighting held no suspense. With Billy’s participation, the enemy forces could not hold out for five minutes, falling to the ground, none left alive.
“Boss!” Casey soon returned with Azure Dragon and others to Billy’s side.
Each of them had minor injuries, but nothing serious, just some superficial wounds.
“Are you all okay?” Billy roughly checked them and asked.
“It’s nothing!” Casey and the others replied simultaneously.
“Yeah!” Billy nodded.
“I, Nathan Cline, thank you for your graciousness.” Nathan Cline, accompanied by Wynne Cline and Brett Charleston, appeared before Billy and the others. As he spoke, he knelt down in gratitude towards Billy and the others.
He sincerely thanked them. Today, if it weren’t for Billy and the others, Hundred Herbs Valley would have been doomed! With his understanding of Luis Long, anyone who refused to submit would certainly not escape alive.
“It was just a small favor, you need not be so polite, Mr Cline!” Billy smiled faintly, then used a gust of wind to lift Nathan Cline up.
“Thank you for saving our lives!” Then, Brett Charleston and Wynne Cline deeply bowed to Billy and the others.
“What’s your name, sir?” Nathan Cline asked Billy once again, his gaze fixed upon him.
“My surname is Gardner!” Billy replied, pointing towards Luis Long, who was lying motionless on the ground nearby. “So, what’s the deal?”
“My apologies for the misfortune that has befallen our sect, Mr Gardner,” Nathan Cline took a deep breath and proceeded to recount the whole story to Billy and his companions.
Nathan Cline, Brett Charleston, and Luis Long were the three disciples of the previous Valley Master, and they had been in the valley for several decades. Twenty years ago, after the previous Valley Master passed away, he passed on the mantle to Nathan Cline.
However, the seeds of trouble were sown back then, as Luis Long harbored discontentment towards Nathan Cline inheriting the position of Valley Master.
Yet, over the years, although harboring resentment, Luis Long hadn’t shown it openly. However, he had never given up on his plan to seize the position of Valley Master.
And thus, the scene today unfolded. Luis Long had first poisoned Nathan Cline, rendering him unable to utilize his Chi energy, and then led the forces of Frigid Fortress and Polar Trading Guild to invade Hundred Herbs Valley.
For these two organizations, Hundred Herbs Valley held an irresistible allure. The resources found within could exponentially enhance their power, making them eager to collaborate with Luis Long.
“Mr Cline, if I understand correctly, Frigid Fortress and Polar Trading Guild are preparing to attack Skydragon City?” Casey furrowed her brow slightly as she finished speaking, seeking confirmation.
“That’s what I just learned from Luis Long, but I don’t have all the details,” Nathan Cline nodded in response before asking, “Are you guys all from Skydragon City?”
“Yes!” Stout replied. Then, turning to Billy, he said, “Boss, I can wake him up and ask him!”
“No rush, we’ll talk later,” Billy replied.
“Alright!” Stout nodded in agreement. Then, he turned back to Nathan Cline and clicked his tongue disapprovingly. “Mr Cline, since you’re the master of Hundred Herbs Valley, I assume you’re skilled in medicine and poisons, right? How did you end up getting poisoned?”
“I apologize for that.” Nathan Cline’s lips twitched slightly. “On one hand, it was indeed my carelessness and lack of vigilance towards that scoundrel Luis Long.”
“On the other hand, I have no idea where Luis Long obtained such a potent poison. It was extremely potent, and I was only slightly poisoned after taking a sip of tea laced with it. As soon as I sensed something was amiss, I took measures, but it was still too late.”
“That scoundrel didn’t intend to kill me directly, so the dosage was mild enough for me to barely suppress the toxins.”
“Otherwise, I would have perished long ago.”
“Mr Cline, if you don’t mind, may I check your body?” Billy offered, looking at Nathan Cline.