Can a Scholar Be Called a Villain

Chapter 99: Slaughtering three rocs

Han Tang’s swiftness, honed by his deadly profession, allowed him to make the first move. He leapt into action, flying toward Tu Da Roc’s exposed back, wielding a sword that lacked a scabbard.

Tu Da Roc, however, displayed impressive reflexes and swiftly turned to confront Han Tang.

Meanwhile, the remaining trio of assailants set their sights on Murong Lin.

Despite his reputation, Murong Lin was only a second-layer Sky Reaching realm cultivator, and the three attackers, all third-layer Sky Reaching realm experts, believed they could easily overpower him.

As they descended upon him, forming the shape of the character “品”, each attacker executed their unique technique:

Luo Jin Roc charged with a heavy blade, bringing the force of a mountain’s weight in his attack;

Xiao Jin Roc’s metallic arms clashed together, creating a sharp sound reminiscent of clashing metals;

Yuan Nu Roc’s anger fueled his assault, causing his hair to stand and his body to turn red, transforming him into what seemed like a raging flame demon.

Their coordinated attacks came from three directions, aiming to surround Murong Lin.

Murong Lin silently raised his weapon as his gaze remained calm, and with a calm expression, Murong Lin raised his weapon and swung his blade.

“Sky Net Style!”

With a single swing of his blade, countless invisible blade Qi erupted, forming an expansive net that hung in the air, momentarily immobilizing the three attackers.

Forced to change their trajectories mid-air, each of them dodged in different directions.

The hint of a smile on Murong Lin’s lips grew slightly as he executed a swift swing of his blade, causing the invisible net to constrict rapidly towards Yuan Nu Roc, who was approaching from that direction.

The thousands of blade Qi strands forming the Sky Net condensed instantaneously into a tiny wisp of blade Qi, compressed to its limits.

Yuan Nu Roc’s complexion turned deathly pale as he hurriedly summoned a large shield to defend against this impending attack. Simultaneously, an enraged eagle manifested behind him, its wings flapping furiously.

Yuan Nu Roc’s face became even redder, almost as if it were about to burst with rage. His fury was palpable, but it was incapable of transforming into a protective force.

The blade Qi struck his Manifestation transformation, slicing through it as if it were paper. Even with the mighty eagle’s wings shielding him, it proved futile against the condensed power of the blade Qi.

The blade Qi collided with the shield with a resounding “Ping”, instantly shattering it into countless fragments that scattered in all directions.

The expression of rage on Yuan Nu Roc’s face dissipated, replaced by a stark paleness that drained all colour from his complexion. His once fiery complexion turned ashen, devoid of any trace of blood.

As his body was fragmented into a gory display in midair, the spurts of blood from his body resembled a gruesome spectacle of blossoming fireworks against the sky.

Beside them, Luo Jin Roc and Xiao Yin Roc, who had managed to evade the attack, were both stunned and infuriated.

They hadn’t anticipated that as three third-layer Sky Reaching realm experts confronting a mere second-layer Sky Reaching realm opponent, they would lose one of their own so swiftly.

Discarding any pretense of hiding their trump cards, they unleashed their ultimate techniques and charged toward Murong Lin. Behind them, their respective Manifestation transformations manifested—a golden roc and a silver roc.

Luo Jin Roc, holding his long sword, radiated a golden aura as he locked his fierce gaze onto Murong Lin. With resolute determination, he unleashed his ultimate technique, the “Golden Roc Moon Crashing Strike”.

Xiao Yin Roc, on the other hand, illuminated his two fists with a brilliant silver glow as he charged toward Murong Lin. All ten of his fingers emitted a silvery light, representing his ultimate technique, the “Silver Roc Heart Gouging Claw”.

Murong Lin, their intended target, shifted his body and swung his blade once more, creating an attack so potent that it caused his hands to tremble.

“Catastrophe Style!”

This strike did not produce any visible blade Qi, instead, it was eerily silent.

While Luo Jin Roc appeared undeterred, Xiao Yin Roc’s complexion underwent an immediate change.

Streaks of light emerged on his body as it shimmered with a silver radiance.

The lines of light continued to intensify, forming a rift that exploded Xiao Yin Roc’s body into dust in a blinding flash.

With a resounding ‘Ping’, Xiao Yin Roc’s form vanished, as if he had been utterly erased by a catastrophe.

Simultaneously, his impending attack was reduced to nothingness, never reaching its intended target.

Luo Jin Roc, who had witnessed his own brother’s dreadful demise in his peripheral vision, wore a horrified expression that slowly transformed into relief as he realized the attack wasn’t aimed at him. He relaxed somewhat and observed as his strike cleaved Murong Lin in half, a triumphant smile playing on his lips.

Who cared about the supposed “Thin Bladed Demon” or the notions of a “demonically talented blade Daoist”?

In the end, he still perished by Luo Jin Roc’s hands.

Hah!

Luo Jin Roc retrieved his longsword, a sense of relief washing over him as he turned his attention towards Murong Lin’s supposed lifeless form. However, his relief was short-lived as he witnessed Murong Lin’s body gradually dissolve into nothingness.

What!

Luo Jin Roc’s countenance underwent a swift and drastic change. His pupils dilated as he stared in disbelief at the spot where Murong Lin had been lying.

No.

That was Murong Lin’s afterimage.

An afterimage that was left due to his unfathomable speed.

Realization dawned upon Luo Jin Roc in an instant.

He should have realised it sooner, considering that not a single drop of blood had been spilled.

Luo Jin Roc was now acutely aware that the speed required to leave behind such a convincing afterimage was something he had witnessed before in another person.

It was their gang leader, the Wan Roc King.

He knew it now, but it was far too late.

A dreadful ‘Pu’ sound appeared from his chest.

He instinctively lowered his gaze to discover the source—a paring knife’s blade tip protruding through his flesh. It pierced through his Manifestation transformation and penetrated into his back, tearing apart both his blood and soul with its presence.

Catastrophe, it was a fitting name.

Murong Lin smoothly sheathed his blade, its edge untainted by a single drop of blood.

His technique, the ‘Catastrophe Style’, didn’t target just one person; it had the precision to hit a second target in succession.

It was a technique with rapid speed, and it was his second blade, the ‘Catastrophe Style.’

Luo Jin Roc’s lifeless form crumpled to the ground, amidst the blood mists that erupted from his brothers’ corpses that had yet to fully disperse in the air.

With a casual glance at Meng Xing Hun, who was transfixed by the ongoing battle between Han Tang and himself, Murong Lin turned his attention to Han Tang.

As the strongest sword under Sun Yu Bo’s command, Han Tang faced off against the fiercest dog under Wan Roc King’s command. The battle between the two of them promised to be an exciting and intense spectacle.

Tu Da Roc’s Manifestation transformation was a bald eagle with barely any feathers, working in perfect synchrony with Tu Da Roc as they jointly attacked Han Tang.

Curiously, Murong Lin couldn’t fathom why Han Tang hadn’t released his own manifestation transformation, yet he instinctively sensed that Han Tang didn’t need it.

In just a few brief exchanges, Han Tang seized the opportunity to grasp Tu Da Roc’s left shoulder and, with a terrifying ruthlessness, tore it off to wield it as a makeshift weapon.

For both Murong Lin and Meng Xing Hun, this was a level of brutality they had never before encountered. Nor had they witnessed such a savage method of killing.

While Han Tang maintained a composed expression, his eyes drifted elsewhere.

Tu Da Roc, on the other hand, had a growing sense that he had been laid bare and vulnerable.

In the next instant, Han Tang impaled Tu Da Roc’s chest with his own arm, extinguishing his life without delay.

Now, the four Sky Reaching realm experts who had arrived with the intent to kill Han Tang were dead.

Murong Lin couldn’t help himself from feeling a sense of admiration.

Han Tang’s approach to murder was unconventional, he used almost anything as a weapon, even his enemies’ own limbs. Then, he also had a chilling composure in the act of killing. His strikes were surgical in their precision, eliminating foes with a single deadly blow.

On the other hand, Murong Lin’s blade art leaned toward erasing any trace of his enemies, ensuring there was no escape, even in death.

Han Tang’s method, however, rested on an unwavering self-assurance, a belief that his chosen target would undoubtedly meet their end at the hands of his single, decisive attack.

Meng Xing Hun held his ground, cold beads of sweat tracing a path down his forehead, a trait valuable for a seasoned assassin.

Murong Lin cast a fleeting glance in his direction, yet found no reason to concern himself with Meng Xing Hun further. The current Meng Xing Hun had yet to earn the moniker of the ‘Comet’, and as such, Murong Lin saw no cause to deal with him.

Han Tang soared to the space between Meng Xing Hun and Murong Lin, then turned to address the latter with gratitude, “I am grateful for your assistance, Your Eminence.”

Murong Lin brushed off the gratitude with a casual wave of his arm, “I am at your service for any further guidance.”

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