Chapter 52: Battle against the Wolf Sky Mercenaries (Part-2)

In their eyes, this was more than enough.

Ryan, however, merely smiled.

He didn’t retreat. He didn’t tense up.

Instead, he casually raised his hand.

Three wind blades condensed instantly in midair.

Then—

He flicked his wrist.

Boom!

The wind blades flashed past like lightning.

And in the next second, three heads flew into the air and blood sprayed over the place.

Before the three silver-robed warriors could even reach Ryan, their bodies collapsed to the ground, headless.

Instant kill.

Absolute silence fell over the ancient road.

“What—?”

Chang Bo’s eyes bulged, his face drained of all color. A wave of heat surged from his lower body as terror overwhelmed him.

Impossible.

Absolutely impossible.

Half a month ago, even when Ryan was strong, Chang Bo and Zhang Yuxi could still exchange a few moves with him. Ryan had been powerful, yes—but not to this extent.

Now?

Three Exalts… slaughtered like chickens without even being able to provide resistance at all.

Chang Bo’s legs trembled uncontrollably.

Fear crushed his heart.

“How… how could he be this strong…” Chang Bo muttered, his mind in chaos.

Song Fengxi’s expression also changed.

For the first time, solemnity appeared in his eyes.

He could tell—Ryan was indeed only at the Exalt level.

But the power he had just displayed was far beyond ordinary Exalts.

Even Song Fengxi himself felt a faint chill just thinking about facing those three wind blades head-on.

This boy was dangerous.

Extremely dangerous.

At the same time, Song Fengxi became even more convinced.

Ryan definitely possessed a shocking secret.

After a brief moment of thought, Song Fengxi’s eyes hardened.

“Everyone!” he shouted. “This kid is strange. Don’t hold back anymore. Kill him if you must!”

As soon as his words fell, Song Fengxi drew his longsword and charged forward himself.

The remaining silver-robed warriors snapped out of their shock, brandishing weapons as they followed behind him, murderous intent boiling over.

A Upper Exalt.

More than a dozen Exalts.

Such a lineup, unleashed against a single nine-star Exalt.

Even geniuses would despair.

Ryan, however, laughed.

His eyes burned with excitement.

“I’ve been meaning to test this,” he said lightly. “Since you want to gang up on me, I’ll let you experience something special.”

He spread his hand.

Purple flames suddenly bloomed in his palm.

One flame.

Ten flames.

Dozens of flames.

The strange violet fire flickered like living creatures, radiating an aura that made one’s soul tremble.

“Three Thousand Flames.”

With a casual toss, Ryan flung the flames forward.

In an instant, the ancient Yangsha Road was bathed in eerie purple light.

The silver-robed warriors’ faces changed drastically at those flames.

They dodged instinctively, retreating at full speed.

But the flames moved.

They chased like tarsal maggots, like ghostly will-o’-wisps, wherever the warriors fled, the purple fire followed.

One warrior was brushed by a flame.

That was all it took.

In the blink of an eye, the purple fire surged over his body, devouring him completely. Not even a scream escaped before he turned into ashes.

Another tried rolling on the ground to extinguish the fire.

But it was useless. Three Thousand Flames was no ordinary fire.

It could not be put out.

It could not be escaped.

Unless Ryan recalled it, the flame would burn until nothing remained.

One by one, silver-robed warriors fell.

Ash scattered across the ancient road.

The air grew scorching hot, filled with the nauseating stench of burning flesh.

“This fire… avoid it!” Song Fengxi roared, panic flashing through his eyes.

But it was already too late.

Purple flames danced wildly across the battlefield.

Silver-robed warriors screamed, fled, and perished, making only the death reign on the Ancient Yangsha Road.

And Ryan stood calmly amid the chaos, violet fire reflected in his eyes like the judgment of a god.

In less than a few breaths, a dozen figures vanished as if erased by an invisible hand. All that remained was a stretch of scorched ground and drifting ash, scattered by the wind like the remnants of a nightmare.

Song Fengxi stood amid the devastation with his teeth clenched so hard they nearly shattered.

He was in a miserable state.

Though he had not been reduced to ashes like his subordinates, his body was streaked with scorched purple marks. His robes were half-burnt, his skin blistered, and the pungent stench of charred flesh clung to him.

If not for his cultivation as an Upper Exalt and the protective battle qi surrounding his body, he would have long since shared the same fate as the others.

“How… how is this possible…”

Song Fengxi stared at Ryan as if he were looking at a demon.

Fear flooded his eyes.

That small cluster of purple flames in Ryan’s hand was like fire drawn from the depths of hell itself, harvesting lives with merciless ease. In all his years, Song Fengxi had never encountered such a terrifying flame.

“It’s just a flame,” Ryan said calmly, withdrawing the Three Thousand Flames back into his palm. He glanced at it with clear satisfaction. “Didn’t expect it to be this effective.”

Usually, Ryan would only use the flames to burn the corpse. He never used it in combat.

This was his first time using the different fire in real combat, and even he was surprised by the result.

Aside from Song Fengxi, who relied on Upper Exalt–level battle qi to barely resist, every other cultivator had been wiped out without the slightest chance to fight back.

“Flame…” Song Fengxi muttered hoarsely, lowering his gaze as dread gnawed at his heart.

He understood now.

This mission was a complete failure.

Ryan possessed power far beyond his imagination. With that strange flame alone, he was nearly untouchable. Anyone who dared approach would simply be burned to nothing.

Song Fengxi’s fighting spirit collapsed.

He knew he had to retreat.

Even if fleeing meant facing punishment from the Wolf Sky Mercenary Corps, surviving was more important. Who knew what other terrifying methods Ryan still had hidden?

This was no longer something he could handle alone.

Ryan’s secret… was not something a mere Upper Exalt like him was qualified to covet.

“I’ll report this to the organization,” Song Fengxi decided instantly. “Let the higher-ups deal with him.”

As for Shen Yu, who was still lurking in the City, waiting for Ryan?

He could only pray for his own luck.

Without another word, Song Fengxi turned and fled, bolting toward the desert at full speed, his figure streaking away like a startled bird.

“Hm? Trying to run?”

Ryan raised an eyebrow, genuinely surprised.

An Upper Exalt, turning tail and fleeing without even a token struggle?

The contempt in his eyes was unmistakable.

But he had no intention of letting Song Fengxi escape.

If this man got away, who knew what kind of trouble he would bring next time? Ryan disliked unfinished business.

He glanced down at the little tiger beside him and spoke lightly, “Xiao Hei, this is your first battle as my partner. Go. Bite his head off for me.”

“Meow!”

Xiao Hei let out a short cry, nodded obediently, and shot forward on his stubby legs, chasing Song Fengxi without hesitation.

Obedient?

Not exactly.

Xiao Hei was terrified.

That purple flame had frightened him just as badly as it had Song Fengxi. He knew very well that if Ryan ever turned that fire on him, speed alone would not save him.

Listening was survival.

And… perhaps obedience would earn rewards.

Despite his small size, Xiao Hei was a Golden-Blood Blue Tiger, a descendant of an eighth-rank beast. Even in infancy, he possessed Upper Exalt–level strength and terrifying speed. Those short legs were deceptively powerful, carrying him forward in a blur.

Whoosh!

In just an instant, Xiao Hei caught up to Song Fengxi.

“What?”

Source: Webnovel.com, updated by NovelKeep