The Ethereal Domains

Chapter 416: Awe-inspiring!

Awe-inspiring! . . .

For Cha Eun Xiao, Zhao Pingtian had become the most crucial figure in his life at that very moment. He was willing to endure harm himself, but not a hair on Cha Eun Xiao's head should be harmed.

Cha Eun Xiao had successfully gathered all the information he sought about her.

A frigid gust of wind swept in swiftly, leaving Zhao Pingtian with a shoulder wound from which blood flowed. Today marked the first time he had sustained an injury.

The limitations of manpower were evident. Zhao Pingtian had been confronting multiple adversaries singlehandedly. Moreover, he had the responsibility of ensuring Cha Eun Xiao's safety. Striking a balance between his own protection and hers was proving challenging. This was the reason for his eventual injury.

However, it appeared that he was oblivious to his own wounds. His sword moved with remarkable speed, and the Sky Origin Stage cultivator who had inflicted the injury had no opportunity to retreat before being cleaved in two. The decapitated head soared into the sky and spun before descending to the ground. By the time it hit the floor, Zhao Pingtian was already sixty meters away.

In that moment, Zhao Pingtian resembled a spectral, unstoppable monstrosity. He was invincible.

Cha Eun Xiao stood in awe at the spectacle before him.

[Zhao Pingtian's true strength cannot be this. He may be the world's third-ranked assassin, the King of Assassins, but his current prowess is astonishing!]

[If he possessed such power, he would have long since vanquished Ning Biluo, not to mention the second-ranked Boundless Saint!]

After his initial shock, Cha Eun Xiao experienced a revelation.

Zhao Pingtian's extraordinary strength in that instant could be attributed to his entry into a selfless state, enabling him to maintain a supreme condition. In this state, he resembled a monster, unleashing energy from his instincts at an extreme level. Even if Ning Biluo were present, he would be defeated if he were to confront Zhao Pingtian now.

This had been Zhao Pingtian's lifelong pursuit.

If everything went according to plan, this would likely be his only opportunity to access such a state.

The sole opportunity, and Ji Mengzhan had just happened to cross his path...

Was it Cha Eun Xiao's good fortune or Ji Mengzhan's misfortune?

Behind Zhao Pingtian and Cha Eun Xiao, the floor was littered with severed heads and maimed limbs.

"Since we have collaborated for some time, I will offer you one final piece of advice: depart, or I will exterminate you all," Zhao Pingtian's voice resounded as he fixed a cold gaze upon Ji Mengzhan.

Ji Mengzhan's face paled, his emotions a turbulent mix of terror and anger. "Zhao Pingtian, you have broken your word! You shameless, dishonorable swindler! Do not forget that you accepted a hundred thousand from me! You have violated the assassin's code of ethics! You have transgressed the rules of assassination! There will be no place for you in the world of assassins!"

Cha Eun Xiao was met with an unyielding resolve as Zhao Pingtian paid no heed to his pleas and continued his relentless advance. With each stride, his longsword emitted a mesmerizing azure glow, creating an intricate dance of light in the vicinity, akin to a rainstorm. He spoke with an unwavering demeanor, "A hundred thousand? I will repay you, and I am fully prepared to bear the consequences of violating the assassin's code. But today, I must do what I believe to be right."

"In comparison to my current objective, the entire world standing in my way means nothing!"

"If you do not step aside, I will not hesitate to end you!"

Zhao Pingtian's resounding shout gave birth to a sword light, manifesting as an elongated dragon in the air. It was aimed squarely at Ji Mengzhan as Zhao Pingtian commanded, "Issue the order, and vacate this place!"

Within seconds of Zhao Pingtian's approach, the ground was littered with broken corpses and spilled blood. At least thirty cultivators had lost their lives, becoming grim statistics in this blood-soaked alley.

This bloodied path was the gateway to hell.

And nobody could deter him.

"Retreat!" Ji Mengzhan's hand signaled his reluctant acquiescence, knowing he had no other viable option. His subordinates felt a wave of relief wash over them, as if their lives had been spared, and they hastily distanced themselves. All the while, their eyes remained fixated on Zhao Pingtian, the man they now regarded as a hellish monstrosity. Fear coursed through each of them.

Two elderly individuals, both of whom had achieved the eighth level of the Sky Origin Stage, scuttled back to Ji Mengzhan. Their hair was disheveled, and they gasped for breath, their faces drained of color, the embodiment of sheer terror.

"What in the world is this?" they pondered.

They were utterly baffled.

Previously, when Zhao Pingtian had faced off against the cultivators of the God Slayer Team, he had used them as practice dummies. On that day, the seven leaders of the team had joined forces, yet they had only managed to hold their own against Zhao Pingtian!

He had left everyone present in a state of shock, as he had not lost in a fight against seven Sky Origin Stage cultivators at the eighth level. This alone established the God Slayer Team as one of the world's most formidable forces.

The title of King of Assassins was not one earned lightly.

That day, there had been no doubt that Zhao Pingtian had not concealed his true abilities. If he had fought the seven leaders of the Sky Origin Stage while still concealing his full potential, the outcome would have been unimaginably terrifying!

Even the likes of Ning Biluo would have been hard-pressed to match such a feat.

However, now, as they bore witness to this incredible display...

The entire might of the God Slayer Team working together was a force far more potent than the seven leaders could ever hope to be.

The sheer force displayed by Zhao Pingtian was equivalent to twenty of those formidable leaders battling collectively, yet he stood alone, decisively conquering them. This was a confrontation fought head-on, devoid of any underhanded tactics.

[What in the world is happening?]

[Could it be that his strength has multiplied threefold since the first time we crossed paths?]

[At the very least, it's a threefold increase!]

"Let's depart," Ji Mengzhan declared, his visage contorted in a mixture of rage and frustration, his quivering mouth betraying his inner turmoil. "I assure you, you will rue the day! You will."

Ji Mengzhan was profoundly distressed by the profoundly disheartening turn of events.

It had been a golden opportunity for him to amass a fortune, with the Feng Monarch in dire straits and the six billion in close reach. However, the unexpected turn of events had jolted him to his core.

And the crux of the issue lay within his own ranks.

[Zhao Pingtian must have lost his mind. That enigmatic Feng Zhiling uttered some nonsensical words to him, and he inexplicably bought into them! It's unfathomable that such a gullible assassin exists in the world!]

[He believes in ghosts...]

The very thought of it made Ji Mengzhan feel as though he might spew forth blood.

[Curse it all...]

[Had I known he possessed such a vulnerability, I could have woven a web of tales to secure his unwavering loyalty!]

[Now, here I stand, helplessly watching him decimate my team, unable to intervene!]