Ian Song smiled at Sean Shen, whose face was frozen in shock. "What I mean is, dealing with trash like you guys is a piece of cake for me. Why would I need any helpers?"
Sean Shen's cheeks darkened as he sneered, "Kid, you're about to die and you still dare to brag? Do you seriously think I don't have the guts to kill you?"
"You can't kill me," Ian replied, his voice calm and unhurried as he shook his head.
Sean Shen couldn't help but laugh out loud, "Looks like you've really lost your mind. Do you even know what realm you're in, and what realm we're in?"
Before Ian could answer, Sean Shen kept sneering, "We're all at the Core Formation stage. And you? You're just a peak Qi-Refining ant. Without anyone to help you, I could crush you with one finger!"
Hahaha!
The four men surrounding Ian burst out laughing at their young master's words.
One of them couldn't help but mock, "Kid, do you even know what a Core Formation expert is?"
Another nodded, playing along, "Exactly! Some little Qi-Refining punk dares to go against our young master—does he even know what death means?"
"Enough talk. Let's kill this kid before he causes any more trouble!" Sean Shen waved his hand.
The four men exchanged glances. One of them said, "I'll do it."
He stepped forward, crossing several meters in an instant, and swung his palm at Ian Song with a cruel grin, aiming to smash his head.
Ian Song calmly spat out, "First one."
"What does this kid mean?"
Sean Shen was puzzled by those words, but in the next moment, he understood. As his subordinate's palm was about to hit Ian Song's head, Ian suddenly struck.
With a crisp crack, the man's head twisted, his arm dropped, and before Ian Song even let go of his neck, the body collapsed to the ground.
"Wh-what just happened?"
Sean Shen and his three remaining men stared in disbelief. How could Wang Xiu, a Core Formation cultivator, be killed by a mere Qi-Refining junior?
While they were still stunned, Ian Song flashed in front of another man and reached out.
"Second one."
Crack!
Another crisp snap sounded, and the next man's body hit the ground.
Seeing his second subordinate killed instantly, even Sean Shen realized he'd messed with a hidden expert. Panic-stricken, he shouted at his last two men, "Quick! Kill him!"
As he shouted, Sean Shen spun around and dashed back the way he'd come.
The two remaining Core Formation cultivators weren't happy. As Ian Song killed their second companion, they both summoned their magic treasures—one drew a flying sword, a fourth-grade artifact.
The other summoned a pair of flying hammers, also fourth-grade artifacts.
Whoosh whoosh!
Both artifacts shot toward Ian Song from left and right.
"Third one."
Ian Song ignored the incoming artifacts and stepped in front of the third man.
"Ah! Get away from me!"
As Ian Song appeared in front of him, the Core Formation cultivator was scared out of his wits. He swung his fist at Ian with all his strength.
But he was too slow—his fist had barely moved a third of the way when he heard a sharp crack, his vision went black, and he lost consciousness.
Seeing his three companions drop dead, the last Core Formation subordinate lost all courage. He didn't even bother to retrieve his artifact, just turned and ran.
"Fourth one."
Ian Song softly uttered the words, then vanished from sight.
Thud!
A moment later, the fourth Core Formation cultivator suddenly crashed to the ground mid-run, completely silent.
Sean Shen had already run several hundred meters, but when he looked back and saw this, he couldn't help but scream in terror. He poured zhenyuan into his body and fled even faster.
But in the next moment, Sean Shen's eyes went wide—almost popping out of his skull—as he saw someone up ahead, smiling at him from just a few dozen meters away.
In that instant, despair washed over him.
Thud!
Suddenly, he dropped to his knees and pleaded, "Please, sir, spare me! I can give you spirit crystals and magic treasures!"
Ian Song strolled over at a leisurely pace, while Sean Shen trembled and crawled on the ground, kowtowing nonstop and begging for mercy, not daring to make a single move.
"Raise your head!" Ian Song ordered in a cold voice.
"Sir, I was wrong! Please spare my life! I'll do anything you want, just don't kill me!"
Sean Shen kept sobbing and begging for mercy.
"Shut up!"
Ian Song's face turned cold. Instantly, Sean Shen clamped his mouth shut.
Ian Song didn't bother with any more words. He tapped Sean Shen's brow, sending a Puppet Mastery Divine Art sigil straight into his sea of consciousness. As a direct heir of the Shen Family in You Prefecture, Sean was more useful alive than dead—at least, since Ian had the Puppet Mastery Divine Art. Otherwise, he wouldn't have spared him.
"Greetings, Master!"
A moment later, Sean Shen kowtowed respectfully.
"Get up."
"Thank you, Master!"
After a few quick questions, Ian Song gestured for Sean Shen to leave, then walked into a patch of woods.
When he emerged from the forest, he had already transformed into an ordinary-looking young man.
Meanwhile...
Warren Tang, his aura fading, was frantically fleeing while clutching Lila Li.
Suddenly, he staggered and nearly collapsed.
He let out a bitter laugh. He knew his time was almost up—at most, he had thirty breaths left before his soul would completely collapse, and he would disappear from this world forever.
"Senior Brother, let me down."
Li Tianluo said weakly.
Warren Tang didn't insist and gently set Lila Li down.
Seeing Warren Tang's failing aura, flickering like a candle in the wind, Lila Li was overcome with sorrow. She took out a bottle of pills, picked one out, and brought it to his lips. "Senior Brother, take this pill quickly!"
But Warren Tang pushed her hand away and shook his head. "Junior Sister, it's no use. My primordial spirit is about to collapse—even an immortal pill can't save me now. My only regret is that I never got to become your Dao-companion."
As he spoke, deep regret filled Warren Tang's face.
Hearing this, tears streamed down Lila Li's cheeks. She bit her lip and said, "No, Senior Brother. From now on, I'm your Dao-companion!"
"Junior Sister!"
Hearing Lila Li's words, a flush of color appeared on Warren Tang's pale face. He reached out to caress her cheek. "With those words, Junior Sister, I can die without regret..."
Unfortunately, before Warren Tang could finish his last word, his hand slipped from Lila Li's face and his body toppled backward.
"Senior Brother!"
Lila Li cried out in anguish. When she caught Warren Tang's body, she realized his life had already slipped away.