Nangu Taichi had long been knocked unconscious by Mu Jinyu, so how could he answer his question?
Seeing this, Mu Jinyu shook his head and decided not to bother with the guy anymore.
Afterward, Mu Jinyu walked over to Zhao Yuan, Gao Yu, and a few others, calling them to wake up.
"Ugh, it hurts so much..."
As Gao Yu and the others regained consciousness, they immediately felt a sore and aching sensation in the back of their necks, as if they had been struck by something heavy.
Then they remembered their mission and how they had become unconscious, and their faces instantly changed. They sprang up from the ground, shouting, "Dragon Master..."
"I'm right here, no need to shout."
Mu Jinyu interjected to remind them.
"Uh, Dragon Master, are you alright?"
Gao Yu looked at Mu Jinyu and asked cautiously.
He had no idea when he had lost consciousness and was worried that he might have delayed Mu Jinyu's important affairs, so he was quite fearful and anxious.
"It's fine now, let's go."
Mu Jinyu didn't blame them. Their strength was indeed far less than Nangu Taichi's; it was not surprising they were knocked out without even realizing it.
Zhao Yuan did not speak but looked around vigilantly, and soon noticed the nearby traces of battle and the Nangu Taichi lying on the side.
"That person..."
Upon seeing him, Zhao Yuan could not help but ask Mu Jinyu for details.
Mu Jinyu replied casually, "Hmm, he's the one who knocked you out. Some Dongying Sword Saint, Nangu Taichi. Don't worry about him, just let him work it out on his own."
"Sword Saint Nangu Taichi?!"
Zhao Yuan and Chen Sheng heard Mu Jinyu's reply, their pupils contracting sharply, and they couldn't help exclaiming, "It's actually him?!"
"What? Is he well-known or something?" Mu Jinyu asked curiously.
"Of course!" Zhao Yuan looked at Mu Jinyu with a complex expression and explained, "Nangu Taichi started learning swordsmanship at the age of eight, became a master at fifteen, and his swordsmanship reached a state of perfection. Then he began challenging known sword masters in Dongying. Within three years, he defeated all the top practitioners from various major schools, winning seventy-six battles without a single defeat. His name shook Dongying, and afterward, he went to other countries to challenge others. When he came to Huaxia, he also defeated many martial arts grandmasters from different sects. If it were not for the Old Dragon King who finally acted, perhaps the martial reputation of Huaxia that year would have been trampled under his feet."
Hearing this, Mu Jinyu touched his chin, his eyes reflecting thought as he murmured, "Sounds pretty impressive, but why did he seem so weak when I fought him?"
Gao Yu: "..."
Chen Sheng: "..."
Zhao Yuan: "..."
The three of them were at a loss for words. Was this supposed to be weak? They were top-grade experts in Dragon King Hall, but they were knocked unconscious by Nangu Taichi without even knowing it, and this was considered weak?
It was simply because the Dragon King was too strong, okay?
Mu Jinyu said, "No wonder he came to ambush you all. It turns out it's because he was defeated by the Old Dragon King long ago, and that grudge has lasted till today. He thought he could restore his reputation by coming after me?"
As he spoke, Mu Jinyu snorted, then his gaze shifted, looking at the paralyzed Nangu Taichi and said, "Should we kill him to avoid future trouble?"
Upon hearing this, Zhao Yuan showed a tempted look, but after contemplating, he shook his head and said, "Maybe no? This guy is just a sword fanatic, not really malevolent. Otherwise, the Old Dragon King wouldn't have spared his life back then."
"And most importantly, his master behind him, the former Dongying Sword Saint, Miyamoto Musashi, although he hasn't acted for many years, who knows whether his strength has declined or not?!"
"Kill him, acquiring a formidable enemy out of nothing makes no sense."
Zhao Yuan said.
After hearing this, Gao Yu and Chen Sheng also agreed, attempting to persuade Mu Jinyu.
"Alright then." Mu Jinyu actually hadn't truly intended to kill, it was more of a careless remark, and even if Zhao Yuan and the others had agreed, he might not have really acted on it.
Afterward, Mu Jinyu left the secluded small town with Zhao Yuan and the others, then boarded a private jet, and flew to Huaxia overnight.
Not long after Mu Jinyu and his companions had departed,
within the dilapidated church littered with corpses and rivers of blood,
strands of purplish-red blood qi continuously steamed and diffused in the void, weaving into a sinister and mysterious hexagram pattern...
"Humming..."
As this purplish-red hexagram appeared, the hexagram in the pattern started flickering uncertainly, casting a demonic glow.
It was as if it connected to a series of mysterious codes; then the hexagram revolved slowly, gradually revealing a crevice!
With the opening of the hexagram, an elegant figure stepped out of it with a leisurely gait.
This was an extremely handsome young man with sharp, clear-cut facial features, as though he was a perfect creation by the Creator. Even the most popular and beautiful female stars of the era would lose their luster and feel ashamed in his presence.
He wore a fitted purple-black tailcoat and held a wine glass in his hand, gently swirling the wine within, which was as crimson as blood. Then he brought it to his lips and took a small sip.
"Hmm, the new Dragon King of Dragon King Hall? Repeatedly striking at the branches of my Fallen Splendor, do you think that after Cain's death, my Fallen Splendor no longer has anyone left?"
The handsome man murmured softly, and the thick blood on the ground immediately began to evaporate faster, turning into waves of terrifying blood qi that rushed into his body.
As these waves of blood qi infused into him, the handsome man's presence continued to climb.
Mysterious dark runes started to appear on his perfect face, finally intertwining into a pattern resembling bat wings.
"Hiss!"
The clothes on his back tore, and a pair of purple-black bat wings, exuding an intensely evil and terrifying aura, slowly stretched out.
"Hmm..."
After a while, the terrible scene in the church began to subside, and the runes on the handsome man's face disappeared, with the bat wings on his back also retracting.
He took another sip from his wine glass and then smiled faintly, whispering, "I really do have to thank this new Dragon King. If he hadn't destroyed so many of my branches, my strength wouldn't have progressed so quickly. After all, if it were up to me to kill my own people, I truly wouldn't be able to do it."
Having said that, his ears twitched slightly, as if sensing something, and his wine-red eyes revealed a smirk.
Then, the handsome man stepped out of the decrepit church, out of the town, and arrived beside the unconscious Nangu Taichi.
He crouched down, looked closely at Nangu Taichi, and said softly, "A fine human, a pity that he's already ruined and can't be my First Hug. Well, seeing you in such pain, I'll give you a send-off."
After speaking, the handsome man extended one of his fingers, and his sharp, sword-like fingernail sliced across Nangu Taichi's throat, severing his windpipe instantly.
Time slowly passed, and Nangu Taichi ultimately met a pitiful end, breathless.
The handsome man stood up, licked a drop of Blood Bead from his fingernail, revealed an intoxicated smile, then let out a light chuckle. He unfurled the bat wings on his back, flapped them with force, and shot up into the sky!
"I, Lucifer, on behalf of..."
"Fallen Splendor!"