245: Chapter 245 Slaughter

The blade had not yet arrived, but the killing intent already had.

Blood Eagle's pupils suddenly constricted, and the hairs on his body stood on end.

Driven almost entirely by instinct, he lunged forward violently.

Swish.

The blade's light grazed his back, the powerful wind tearing through his robes and leaving a deep, bloody gash across his back.

Blood Eagle rolled several times on the ground, then sprang to his feet, gazing vigilantly behind him.

"Someone is attacking!"

Under the moonlight, a slender figure stood silently on the rooftop.

The person was dressed in a dark robe, his face obscured by the night, and he held a black longblade that shimmered with cold light.

The blade reflected a chilling luster under the moon.

Blood Eagle's expression turned stern, and he shouted sharply: "Who are you!"

But the man did not answer.

He merely raised the blade in his hand slowly, flicked it in a flourish, and finally pointed it forward.

The blade was pointed directly at Blood Eagle's throat.

Blood Eagle's heart sank.

He could clearly feel the sharp killing intent radiating from the opponent, pressing down on him like a physical force.

He had been cultivating in the Return to Truth Realm for a long time and could be considered a powerhouse in his own right, but in his perception, this person was definitely not an ordinary expert of the Jianghu.

This was a... true killer.

Blood Eagle took a deep breath, his True Qi surging wildly within him, and he formed hand seals, shouting sternly:

"Good, good, good! Since you dare to come and attack me, let's see just how capable you really are!"

His voice echoed in the night sky like some ancient incantation.

In an instant.

A rustling sound came from the surrounding dark alleys.

Countless rats, wild cats, and even a few wild dogs rushed out from every corner, charging madly toward Chen Ran.

The eyes of these beasts glowed with an eerie red light, clearly having been forcibly controlled by Blood Eagle's Cultivation Technique.

However.

Chen Ran merely glanced indifferently at the beasts.

The next moment.

An invisible Mental Energy swept out like a tidal wave, instantly enveloping the entire area.

The beasts that were charging froze in place the moment they touched this Mental Energy.

The red light in their eyes quickly dissipated, replaced by deep fear.

Immediately after.

These beasts seemed to have been greatly frightened, turning around one after another and fleeing in all directions.

In the blink of an eye, they disappeared without a trace.

Blood Eagle's pupils suddenly constricted.

"This... how is this possible!"

He had been cultivating the "Hundred Beasts Mastery" for over ten years and had never encountered such a situation.

The beasts he controlled had actually all fled under a single glance from his opponent?

"Manipulating beasts... an interesting Cultivation Technique. It seems it was also passed down from ancient times."

The man in the dark robe spoke softly, finally showing a bit of interest.

Blood Eagle was terrified, but he knew this was not the time to be stunned.

He gritted his teeth violently, his figure retreating rapidly, while simultaneously pulling a short blade from his embrace and throwing it at Chen Ran.

Bang!

The air suddenly exploded with a ripple of energy, and the short blade spun in mid-air, splitting into hundreds of silver needles that broke through the air like streaks of cold light.

Blood Eagle clapped his hands together, his True Qi vibrating outward, and the speed of that cold light increased several times over.

This was a hidden weapon he had specially crafted, named the Soul-Severing Pear Blossom Rain.

In its normal state, it was a short blade, but if driven by True Qi, it would transform into thousands of silver needles. Once it locked onto a Qi signature, it would pursue relentlessly, and those struck would almost certainly die. However, its weakness was that its starting speed was too slow; as long as it had not reached the second stage, Martial Artists of the same Realm could avoid it by pulling away in advance.

But if the "Pear Blossoms" spread out, even a Martial Artist at the Peak of the Return to Truth Realm would be seriously injured if they were careless.

Therefore, from the moment the hidden weapon was thrown, Blood Eagle was extremely nervous.

It wasn't until his True Qi locked on that he felt relieved.

"Although I don't know who sent you, after you die, we will definitely find out your identity."

Blood Eagle's expression was cold and grim; he covered his wound with one hand, forcibly using his Internal Energy to stop the bleeding.

If he hadn't reacted quickly just now, he likely would have already become a ghost under the opponent's blade.

Blood Eagle stared fixedly ahead, wanting to see the man riddled with holes by the Soul-Severing Pear Blossom needles.

But the scene he anticipated did not happen.

Clang, clang, clang!

Several silver blade flashes swept out, knocking away most of the silver needles in one move.

But there were still remaining silver needles that flew to the opponent, piercing through his sleeve.

Yet, there was no sound of them piercing flesh; instead, there was a series of metallic clanging sounds.

Chen Ran narrowed his eyes and looked at the long string of silver needles stuck to his body; these silver needles were extraordinarily powerful.

They could actually penetrate the defense of [Copper Skin] and pierce his skin.

However, the power was still a bit lacking.

Chen Ran's lips curled up, his muscles tensed, and his body expanded slightly; those silver needles were forcibly squeezed out and fell down with a clack.

They finally landed on the ground with a tinkling sound.

"Little mouse, you have quite a few toys on you."

Accompanying his words, a terrifying Aura pressed down on the middle-aged man opposite him like a coiling python.

Blood Eagle felt a chill run through his entire body.

He had completely realized that he had encountered a powerhouse far superior to himself.

He stomped his foot on the ground, his figure turning into an afterimage as he turned to flee.

But how could Chen Ran give him this opportunity? He utilized Treading Snow Without a Trace, his whole body turning into a wisp of white thread as he flew behind Blood Eagle.

Then, he gripped the hilt of his blade with one hand and mobilized the True Qi within his body.

He slashed down with his blade.

The cold blade light was reflected in Blood Eagle's pupils.

He didn't even have time to make a sound.

The blade light flashed past.

Blood Eagle's head flew high into the air, tracing an arc under the moonlight before crashing heavily onto the ground.

Blood gushed out like a fountain, staining the bluestone slabs red.

Chen Ran sheathed his blade and stood there, looking calmly at Blood Eagle's corpse.

"One."

He said indifferently.

Then he turned around, his figure flashing as he dashed toward the direction of the residence.

...

Inside the residence.

Hyena was waiting in the courtyard for Blood Eagle to return.

He paced back and forth, his brows furrowed tightly.

For some reason, he always had an uneasy feeling in his heart.

It was as if something bad was about to happen.

Just then.

A faint sound of footsteps came from outside the courtyard gate.

Hyena turned around violently and gazed vigilantly at the courtyard gate: "Blood Eagle?"

There was no response.

The footsteps grew closer and closer.

Hyena's expression darkened, his True Qi surging within his body as he took a defensive stance.

The next moment.

The courtyard gate was pushed open slowly.

A slender figure walked in from outside the gate.

The moonlight shone from behind the person, casting his shadow extremely long.

Hyena's pupils contracted.

That was not Blood Eagle.

It was a stranger.

Hyena's complexion changed abruptly; he pushed his True Qi forward with his palms and shouted sharply: "Who are you? Where is Blood Eagle!"

Chen Ran slightly flicked his sleeve, blocking the True Qi, and then spoke indifferently:

"Dead."

Two words, stated nonchalantly.

Yet they exploded in Hyena's mind like a thunderclap.

"What?!"

Hyena's face turned pale, followed immediately by a surge of monstrous rage in his heart.

"You are courting death!"

He roared, his True Qi surging wildly within him, and he charged toward Chen Ran like a cannonball.

At the same time, he pushed his True Qi to the limit, his eyes glowing with a blood-red light.

He threw a punch, the fist wind carrying a dense Aura of blood and malevolence, as if the air itself were being torn apart.

Chen Ran merely raised his blade indifferently and flipped his wrist.

The blade light and the fist shadow collided in mid-air.

The two stalemated for a few breaths, then finally, with a boom.

A loud noise.

Hyena's fist force was instantly shattered, and he was sent flying backward by this terrifying power, crashing heavily into the courtyard wall.

The wall collapsed in response, gravel splashing everywhere.

Hyena spat out a large mouthful of blood, his face as pale as paper.

He struggled to stand up, only to find that his internal organs felt as if they had been displaced, and his entire body was in excruciating pain.

"You... who exactly are you..."

Hyena raised his head with difficulty, looking at the figure walking slowly toward him.

Under the moonlight, he could only see a youth with long hair dancing in the wind, and a pair of pitch-black eyes.

Chen Ran did not answer.

He walked up to Hyena and looked down at him.

"Where is Cao Yong?"

Upon hearing this, a flash of terror crossed Hyena's eyes.

"You... how do you know..."

Chen Ran said indifferently: "Yan Feng told me."

Hyena's pupils suddenly constricted.

Yan Feng...

He remembered that companion who had been missing for a long time.

So, he had long since died at this person's hands.

Hyena gave a miserable laugh, blood flowing down the corner of his mouth: "You... even if you kill me, it's useless..."

"Lord Cao... will not let you off..."

A hint of coldness flashed in Chen Ran's eyes, and he swung his blade downward.

Crack.

Hyena's voice came to an abrupt end.

Chen Ran sheathed his blade and stood there, his gaze sweeping over the corpses covering the ground.

Cao Yong's three capable subordinates had now all died at his hands.

However, this was far from enough.

Chen Ran looked up, gazing toward the depths of the capital.