Chapter 28: He Who Kills Shall Be Killed

“Cough, cough.” Zhu Jian struggled to rise from the ground. Suddenly, he spat out a mouthful of fresh blood, which trickled down his pale lips. The man beside him rushed over to help him up, confused—just moments ago Zhu Jian had held the advantage, so how had he been beaten so badly all of a sudden?

“Cough… Minglang, hurry, fire the signal flare. This kid is hiding his strength. Let’s keep him occupied until the captain arrives.” Zhu Jian felt that the force behind that palm strike was stronger than any he’d ever encountered from someone at the Eighth Layer of the Postnatal Realm.

“Could it be that this kid has already reached the Eighth Layer?” He shook his head—no, the aura wouldn’t lie. Lu Han looked like he’d just broken through to the Seventh Layer and nothing more.

A sharp hiss, followed by the crackle of the flare. Minglang drew out the signal tube from his breast, yanked the cord, and shot the flare heavenward. It burst with several loud pops, sending a plume of smoke into the sky.

“Kid, I admit you’re strong. But our captain will arrive any moment now. All we need to do is stall you, and it’ll be a great merit for us.” Minglang drew his long blade and dashed behind Lu Han, the two men now sandwiching him between them.

“Captain? If I recall, your Iron Maniacs and Li Hu met their end in a cave… Or did someone survive?” Lu Han was startled. If any of them had made it out alive, his chances of escaping would plummet. Against someone at the Innate Realm, he wouldn’t stand a chance.

“Hmph. If you know so much, then it must have been you who killed the two captains. Now our two groups have merged under Zheng Qi’s command, and his first order is to capture you.” Zhu Jian steadied himself on his blade, slowly rising. Though wounded, he wasn’t mortally so.

“Zheng Qi? I remember now.” Lu Han, recently captured, had learned a bit—Zheng Qi was the former vice-captain of the Iron Maniacs, deeply trusted by the group.

“He took command because he possesses the strength of the Ninth Layer of the Postnatal Realm,” Lu Han mused.

“Foolish boy, they’re just stalling for time! I can’t believe you’re my disciple—how could you be so dense?” Old Ling’s voice suddenly rang out, brimming with exasperation.

“Sorry, but I’m suddenly not in the mood for stories.” Lu Han grinned, launching himself at Zhu Jian.

Zhu Jian was already injured; dealing with him first was the best option. Without hesitation, Lu Han unleashed his full aura and swept his leg towards Zhu Jian.

Zhu Jian hadn’t expected Lu Han to ignore his words. He’d hoped to stall just a bit longer. In a hurried defense, he was overwhelmed by Lu Han’s fierce energy, his face blanching as he staggered back several meters, blood again trickling from his lips.

Lu Han pressed his advantage, charging once more. Zhu Jian barely steadied himself, his expression shifting.

“Shattering Star Palm!” Lu Han uttered softly.

He channeled the power of the “Heavenly Frost Qi,” focusing it into his palm.

Zhu Jian felt a chill on his cheek, despite it being June.

Lu Han’s palm struck Zhu Jian’s chest.

With a resounding crash, Zhu Jian was sent flying, landing motionless and uncertainly alive, a faint layer of frost covering his body.

Lu Han had moved so swiftly that, from the moment he dashed forward to when Zhu Jian was dispatched, only a few heartbeats passed. Minglang behind hadn’t even reacted before Zhu Jian collapsed.

Within the sapphire ring, Old Ling sat cross-legged, sensing the situation outside and smiling faintly. “Not bad, this lad—he knows to swiftly solve one problem.”

Lu Han clenched his fist, hardly believing how powerful the combination of “Heavenly Frost Qi” and “Shattering Star Palm” had proven to be.

“Zhu Jian only cultivated a mid-tier Yellow-grade technique. You two are at the same realm, but your attributes and skills surpass his—defeating him is only natural,” Old Ling’s voice sounded again in Lu Han’s ear.

“Zhu Jian… Zhu Jian! You! I’ll kill you!” Minglang roared.

He’d known Zhu Jian for years; their bond within the group was deep. Now Zhu Jian lay on the ground, his fate uncertain.

Minglang gripped his blade, hatred fueling his internal energy as it surged violently, finally channeling into the long blade.

“All I need to do is hold you off. Reinforcements will arrive soon, and then you’ll wish you were dead!” Minglang growled through clenched teeth.

Lu Han didn’t hesitate and rushed forward. He knew he had to end this quickly. Two opponents were manageable, but what if three, ten, or dozens arrived—and Zheng Qi, at the Ninth Layer, would be among them.

The advantage of high-grade techniques meant his internal energy was abundant. In the past, after two uses of “Shattering Star Palm,” his energy would have been depleted, but now it remained plentiful.

Lu Han’s internal force grew fiercer, channeling into his fist as he struck at Minglang.

With a thunderous impact, both men were blasted backward. Minglang’s feet clawed at the ground, retreating several meters before he could halt.

“This Minglang is stronger than Zhu Jian—he’s at the peak of the Seventh Layer, on the verge of breaking through to the Eighth,” Lu Han sensed Minglang’s energy.

Minglang scraped his toe across the earth and charged at Lu Han again, his blade glowing red with infused energy.

Lu Han sidestepped, the blade slicing past his ear.

A gust of wind swept by, a few strands of hair drifting to the ground.

“Minglang’s strikes are ruthless—each one meant to kill! Damn it, if only I had a weapon, things wouldn’t be like this!” Lu Han cursed inwardly.

Distracted, he sensed a surge of fierce energy from above and his expression changed. He pushed off with his toes, retreating explosively.

“Trying to escape?”

“Flame Blade!”

“Flame Blade” was a common mid-tier Yellow-grade martial technique on the Sky Continent, possessed by most small clans and widely practiced.

Lu Han watched the blade’s fiery glow arc toward him, but his expression remained steady. He stepped aside, evading its path.

A thick tree behind him was cleaved cleanly in two.

Lu Han’s internal energy surged, pushing him instantly into peak condition, his speed increasing dramatically as his energy gathered beneath his feet.

He darted behind Minglang.

“A perfect opening.”

“Heavenly Frost Shattering Star Palm!”

This was a palm strike infused with a massive amount of frost energy into the “Shattering Star Palm.”

“Flame Blade,” Minglang responded swiftly.

Red blade and white frost collided.

A tremendous explosion sounded.

One figure was sent flying.

Lu Han was forced back several steps by the blast.

“I didn’t expect fire and ice attributes to explode upon impact—almost got hurt myself.” Lu Han glanced at the sizable crater on the ground. Thankfully, Old Ling had warned him to step back beforehand; otherwise, he’d have been injured.

Lu Han slowly approached Minglang.

Blood gushed from Minglang’s mouth, mixed with shattered organs. He hadn’t retreated from the blast in time and had taken another palm from Lu Han. He tried to speak, but blood erupted again, and he collapsed, lifeless.

“Kid, let me tell you—one of the greatest taboos for a warrior is failing to check the battlefield. Did you really think Zhu Jian was dead?” Old Ling’s words stopped Lu Han in his tracks just as he was about to leave.

He walked slowly over to Zhu Jian. “Stop pretending—I know you’re still alive.”

Zhu Jian lay motionless.

Lu Han picked up his long blade, its edge gleaming.

“Don’t—please don’t kill me! I have an eighty-year-old mother and a newborn daughter. Spare me, I beg you!”

Seeing Lu Han with the blade, Zhu Jian knew his act wouldn’t hold any longer and pleaded desperately.

“You’ve been a mercenary for years—you should know that if you kill, you must be prepared to be killed. Those who take lives must expect their own to be taken,” Lu Han replied coldly.

Blood splattered…

Lu Han departed, leaving two corpses sprawled in the forest. A gentle breeze stirred a few leaves, which drifted down upon them.

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