The people around them felt nothing unusual. In their eyes, it was merely a standard formality. However, the respectful demeanor of Fan Changtian and his associates left them sighing in amazement. Could it be that even top-tier powerhouses sometimes cower in fear and apologize to others?

But in reality, the atmosphere around Fan Changtian and his group was tense to the breaking point. The oppressive air was so heavy it nearly suffocated them, making their lungs feel as if they were burning inside their chests.

"Go back?" Chen Yang laughed. These guys actually think they can just go home for the holiday?

Why hadn't Chen Yang slaughtered Yuan Tiance earlier? Wasn't it to wait for all of them to arrive so he could deal with them at once?

There are many things that cannot be resolved with an apology alone. And indeed, some people deserve to die. If he hadn't encountered them, it would have been one thing, but now that he had, how could he let them go and harm others?

"Go back?"

Those two words struck Fan Changtian's ears like a clap of thunder. The explosive sound nearly knocked him to the ground.

GULP.

Fan Changtian swallowed hard, struggling to maintain his smile. He forced himself to speak, "Lord Chen, I don't understand what you mean."

Although they were fully prepared, they still didn't want to confront Chen Yang directly unless absolutely necessary. After all, he was a member of the Martial Department, and they were merely trying to protect themselves—not seeking revenge. The others remained silent, but their hearts were in their throats.

Chen Yang smiled and didn't directly answer his question. Instead, he gestured around them. "Lingjin City is picturesque, far more beautiful than other places. Logically, shouldn't you be satisfied with it?"

What is he talking about?

Both Fan Changtian and Yuan Tianlong were stunned, their brows furrowing in confusion. But after a moment of thought…

BOOM!

The nerve they had kept stretched taut finally snapped, and their hearts plunged into an abyss.

Does he mean to bury us all in this beautiful Lingjin City?

"This..."

HUFF… HUFF…

They began to tremble, gasping for breath. Their guess had been right. This man never intended to let them leave alive.

How ruthless!

"There's a saying: 'Where it is possible to let people off, one should spare them.' We've made enough concessions and offered satisfactory compensation. Why not show some mercy?" Fan Changlong's face turned livid. He clenched his fists so tightly his knuckles turned white, his teeth gritted and veins bulging on his forehead as he spoke in a threatening tone.

The expressions of the others changed as well, their gazes locking coldly onto Chen Yang.

Chen Yang seemed unperturbed. With his hands behind his back, he said indifferently, "Let's say I happened to be away from Lingjin City on a mission at the front lines, and you came to bully the Qin Corporation. If my wife pleaded with you for a chance, tell me, would you grant it?"

Fan Changlong was speechless.

Would they grant it? Of course not. There wasn't a chance in hell. Anyone who had climbed to their position was, without exception, ruthless. To cut the weeds, you must pull out the roots, never leaving an opponent a chance to rise from the ashes. In fact, they had already agreed from the start that after obtaining the recipe, they would wipe out the entire Qin Family, leaving no one behind.

He just never, in his wildest dreams, imagined the tables would be turned on them.

"Since you wouldn't, then what's wrong with me giving you a taste of your own medicine?" Chen Yang continued.

Fan Changlong had nothing to say.

Meanwhile, the onlookers were reeling. What does he mean? Is Chen Yang actually planning to kill these five powerhouses? This...

They felt their throats go dry, a cold dread washing over them.

Fan Changlong abruptly raised his head, looking Chen Yang square in the eye. "Lord Chen," he said coldly, "even a cornered rabbit will bite, to say nothing of a man! Let's let this matter go. From now on, we'll stay out of each other's way. How about it?"

Chen Yang shook his head.

"HUMPH!" Fan Changlong snorted heavily. "Don't you push it too far!"

"And if I do?" Chen Yang asked earnestly.

"Haha…" Fan Changtian was so furious he began to laugh. "Let it go, and we can still be friends if we meet again. Otherwise, we'll fight to the bitter end and drag you down with us!"

He was truly enraged beyond measure. He had lowered his stance again and again, so why was this man still refusing to back down? Why was he so intent on wiping them out? Does he really think we're pushovers?

"Aren't you afraid that the fish will die, but the net won't even tear?" Chen Yang asked with a smile.

"Why waste any more words on him!" Yuan Tianlong could no longer suppress his fury. He exploded with rage, sneering, "Let's attack together and kill him!"

"Right, let's fight him! Does he really think we're a bunch of weaklings?" the others chimed in, their faces fierce and their expressions cold.

Since their opponent was adamant about leaving them no way out, their only option was to fight for their lives.

"You forced our hand!" Fan Changtian said no more, waving his arm fiercely. "Everyone, come out! Attack together! I want him dead!"

What? They have reinforcements?

The crowd couldn't help but frown, their hearts pounding with trepidation.

RUSTLE!

The next second, more than a dozen figures burst out from all directions, rushing toward the center of the field. There were young men, middle-aged men, and even a few elders. Regardless of their age, they were all nimble and radiated a powerful vigor, their chilling auras soaring to the heavens. Several of the elders moved so quickly that the air itself seemed to tear apart, emitting a piercing shriek.

"Those… those are Twelfth Grade Fist Masters! So many of them at once?" someone in the crowd with a sharp eye and expert knowledge immediately recognized the elders' level.

"And the vast majority of the others are above the Tenth Grade, right?"

"Tsk, tsk. So this is the power and foundation of a top powerhouse. Truly terrifying."

"He should have quit while he was ahead, but he had to push his luck! Now he's brought a death sentence upon himself."

"His greed is like a snake trying to swallow an elephant. Chen Yang must be kicking himself right now."

A roar of discussion erupted from the crowd, with over ninety percent of the comments mocking Chen Yang for not knowing his place.

Soon, the group of experts had formed an encirclement and were closing in on Chen Yang.

"You just said the fish will die but the net won't tear?" Fan Changtian's gaze was ice-cold as he scoffed, "Come now, let's put that to the test!"

Seeing Chen Yang's silence, Fan Changtian grew even more confident. He stood ramrod straight and said proudly, "You may be a Sixth Grade Martial General with significant influence, but we're not pushovers either!"

WHAT?!

Sixth Grade Martial General?

As Fan Changtian spoke those words, Qin Qiu, Qin Mo, Luo Sulan, and all the onlookers froze, their gazes snapping toward Chen Yang. This man, whom everyone had considered worthless, was actually a Sixth Grade Martial General?

He hid it so well!

Amid their shock, they finally understood why these powerful figures had been so respectful to Chen Yang. A Sixth Grade Martial General, especially one with distinguished military achievements, wielded an influence that could not be underestimated.

Qin Qiu's expression shifted from astonishment to joy, and finally to overwhelming excitement. She covered her mouth, unable to stop the tears that began to stream down her face as a warmth spread through her heart.

So, this man is a general! Looking back, the one who has been secretly shielding me from the storm all this time… that was him, wasn't it?

Sobbing quietly, Qin Qiu was overcome with emotion.

"Director Fan, you overestimate yourself, but you also underestimate others," Chen Yang said calmly.

Fan Changtian was about to retort when a new sound arose.

THUMP. THUMP. THUMP.

A sequence of perfectly uniform, thunderous footsteps suddenly echoed, drawing closer and closer. Curious, the crowd turned to see where the sound was coming from.

They saw an orderly formation, a dense black mass, moving toward them like a looming thundercloud. With every step, a chilling, murderous aura shot straight to the heavens.

Fan Changtian was speechless.

Everyone else was speechless.

If you find any errors ( broken links, non-standard content, etc.. ), Please let us know < report chapter > so we can fix it as soon as possible.