Chapter 112: Annihilating the Three Bandit Butchers

More than ten days had passed since the duel between the Samsara Battle Team and Tang Luoxiang’s group, and the turmoil had gradually subsided. However, undercurrents continued to flow within the Imperial Capital. The fragment of the Ten-Thousand-Year Wind Spirit Wood Core in Yi Tian’s possession had aroused the greed of various factions and powerful individuals.

On this day, Yi Tian and his companions emerged from their estate. The moment they left, they were spotted by those with ulterior motives, who immediately sent messages to the forces they served. Shortly after leaving the capital, the group soared into the sky, striding through the air. Covering hundreds of feet with every step, they vanished into the distance in the blink of an eye.

Huangqin City was located deep within the Fulong Mountain Range, a distance of ten thousand miles from the Imperial Capital of the Tianfeng Empire. Yi Tian had learned the direction and route from Yan Youcai of the Four Seas Trading Company. Generally, the powerhouses of the Tianfeng Empire would stop at Gulan City, the city closest to the Fulong Mountain Range; once there, one could easily determine the location of Huangqin City.

Less than a day after leaving the capital, having traveled over seven thousand miles, their path was blocked by three Human-Realm experts. These three exuded a powerful aura, accompanied by a sharp, murderous intent that locked onto Yi Tian’s group. The leader, a middle-aged man with a thick beard, stared at them with eyes full of ferocious greed, as if he intended to devour them whole.

"Listen up, you brats. If you’re smart, hand over that Ten-Thousand-Year Wind Spirit Wood Core, and we might let you live. Otherwise, the 'Three Bandits of Human Slaughter' will send you to your graves."

The bearded man swept his gaze over them, his killing intent tightening around the group. To him, seizing the treasure seemed far too simple; they were merely youths at the Yuan-Gang level, far too green to challenge the Three Bandits of Human Slaughter, who had roamed the world for decades. To prevent any desperate counterattack, the leader decided to break their will to resist, allowing for an easy slaughter to eliminate all witnesses and avoid the risks associated with leaked information.

Yi Tian and his team remained calm, showing no signs of panic. Yi Feng said to Yi Shan and Yi Li beside him, "Has the brain of this 'Three Bandits' fellow rotted? He actually expects us to surrender and hand over our treasure. Do we look like such idiots? Even a three-year-old wouldn't fall for that." The rest of the Samsara Battle Team agreed, looking at the bandits with strange expressions.

Yi Tian ignored the bandits' words. He said to his team, "Deal with the other two; leave the fierce-looking one to me. Let’s make this quick." Yi Tian knew there were likely others lurking in the shadows waiting for an opportunity, and he intended to end the fight swiftly to deter anyone else with malicious intent. These bandits would serve as the chicken slaughtered to warn the monkeys.

In an instant, Yi Feng, Yi Shan, and the other four split into two groups and charged at the second and third bandits.

"You're courting death!" The leader of the Three Bandits was incensed. He could not believe these youths dared to strike first; it was sheer arrogance. "Today, I'll show you the true power of the Three Bandits of Human Slaughter!"

The leader’s copper-bell-sized eyes blazed with ferocity as he drew a heavy, massive blade. A terrifying blade aura surged, chilling the surrounding void. "Die!"

The Samsara Battle Team clashed with the second and third bandits. Yuan-Gang energy collided, and massive palms and fists condensed from true essence shattered in the air. Fortunately, the two bandits lacked magical artifacts, or Yi Feng and the others would have been in grave danger.

The battle between Yi Tian and the leader also broke out. The leader’s "Mountain-River Blade" was formidable, unleashing terrifying flame-bladed energy that seemed capable of tearing the firmament apart. Yi Tian dared not meet the attacks head-on. The leader, being at the Yuan-Fa level and wielding a low-grade magical artifact, imbued his skills into the blade with devastating effect—the power of his flame-bladed energy was enough to overwhelm even ordinary Yuan-Fa level experts.

Yi Tian continuously employed his "God-Shift" secret technique, his phantom images being shredded one after another by the flame-bladed energy. Several times, Yi Tian teleported in front of his opponent to launch powerful attacks, but the leader was a seasoned Yuan-Fa expert and held his own in every exchange. It was only because Yi Tian had mastered two great celestial techniques—making his true essence incredibly condensed and powerful—that he could even engage the man. After a few exchanges, he was forced back by the Mountain-River Blade, as its sharpness could easily slice through his Yuan-Gang defense.

"Ah!" A cry rang out from the other side of the battlefield. Yi Feng, Yi Shan, and Yi Li had slain the second bandit. The leader, seeing his comrade killed before he could even attempt a rescue, roared in a blind rage.

"Wind-Fire Blade Technique!" He unleashed a terrifying skill. Flames surged from his body, and the Mountain-River Blade transformed into ten thousand blade shadows. A whirlwind of fire and wind erupted, swallowing the surrounding space—even Yi Tian was caught within it.

Boom! A figure wreathed in flames burst out of the lethal zone. It was Yi Tian, looking somewhat disheveled. His Yuan-Gang had nearly been shattered by the residual power of the technique, but his defense was exceptionally resilient, comparable to that of a Yuan-Fa level expert, and it possessed a natural resistance to flame, which saved him from severe injury.

Yi Tian teleported ten thousand feet away. He sensed the leader’s madness; the man’s power had surged, and he had abandoned his focus on Yi Tian to charge toward Yi Feng and the others. Suddenly, another scream echoed. The third bandit had been killed by the combined efforts of Yi Kuang and Yi Hong.

"Die!" The leader arrived in the air and swung his blade at Yi Feng and the others, unleashing a terrifying flame-bladed glow hundreds of feet long. The team dodged using the God-Shift technique, but the shockwaves sent their Yuan-Gang into constant tremors. They were like sailors in a massive storm; although they avoided direct hits, they were buffeted by the rampant power. Even with the miracle of the God-Shift technique, they could only blink a few hundred feet at a time, unable to fully escape the range of the leader’s attacks.

However, the leader found he could not land a killing blow. His area-of-effect attacks drained the team's true essence, but the youths dodged the lethal strikes time and again. Suddenly, the frenzied leader felt a terrifying sense of mortal danger approaching from behind, as if he had fallen into an ice cellar.

Roar! As a veteran of decades of combat, the leader spun around by instinct and swung his Mountain-River Blade with all his might.

Boom! It sounded like the roar of nine heavens of thunder. The collision produced a blinding white light. The leader’s blade had struck a terrifying attack, and the immense counter-shock force vibrated through the blade ten thousand times in an instant. The leader’s hands were torn and bloodied, unable to maintain his grip, and the blade flew away as a streak of light.

The next moment, the leader’s eyes shrank in horror. A stunning divine ray sliced through the void and appeared before his eyes. Then, he sank into endless darkness.

On the other side, Yi Tian put away his "Void-Piercing Bow." With only two arrows, he had slain a Yuan-Fa level expert wielding a magical artifact. He was satisfied with the result. When he retrieved the Mountain-River Blade, he noticed a small nick on the edge from his arrow. Even so, the damage was negligible to its power. Yi Tian handed the blade to Yi Shan.

After disposing of the Three Bandits of Human Slaughter, the team immediately resumed their journey toward Huangqin City.