125: I'm so frustrated! Someone, do something about this cheater!

Central Martial Arena.

The crowd was buzzing, and the heat wave roared.

The tournament matches were still in full swing.

The duels between the geniuses were dazzling, eliciting bursts of cheers from the audience.

However, in one corner of the arena, the atmosphere seemed somewhat strange.

Li Qing sat alone on a stone bench in the contestant preparation area, resting with his eyes closed.

Within a ten-meter radius around him, there was not a soul.

Every contestant passing by seemed to have made an agreement to detour far away, not even daring to take an extra glance.

It was as if he wasn't sitting on a stone bench, but on a volcano ready to erupt at any moment.

Li Qing was completely indifferent to all of this.

He was taking stock of last night's gains.

The three assassins contributed nearly a thousand taels in gold notes, several bottles of healing and Qi-enhancing Medicinal Pills, and a few Profound Rank Martial Skill manuals that looked quite decent.

Although they weren't of much use to him personally, exchanging them for Spirit Stones could add a significant amount of evolution value to his Clone.

"Killing and pillaging really do make money fast."

Li Qing sighed inwardly.

It seems he should find a few more organizations like the 'Shadow Kill Organization' in the future to 'foster some connections'.

Just as he was plotting how to uproot the 'Shadow Kill' organization and turn it into a 'fodder base' for his Clone...

A series of hurried footsteps approached from afar.

It was Zhang Long.

He jogged over, his face unable to conceal a trace of panic and fear.

"Yo-Young Master Li!"

He ran up to Li Qing, panting heavily, his voice trembling.

Li Qing slowly opened his eyes and glanced at him.

"What is it?"

"A, a major incident has occurred!"

Zhang Long lowered his voice, his face covered in cold sweat.

"Just now, the City Guard discovered dozens of corpses on Vermilion Bird Avenue!"

"Among them, three were Meridian Opening Realm assassins from 'Shadow Kill'!"

"All dead! Not a single one left!"

As he spoke, he secretly observed Li Qing's expression, trying to glean something from it.

However, Li Qing's face remained as calm and unreadable as ever, as if he had just heard some trivial matter.

"Oh."

He merely responded with a faint acknowledgment.

Just... just an "oh"?

Zhang Long was dumbfounded.

Those were three top-tier Meridian Opening Realm assassins!

They just died like that, and you're not the least bit surprised?

Or perhaps... a terrifying thought began to wildly sprout in Zhang Long's mind.

He recalled yesterday, Li Qing's unfathomable methods on the arena.

He recalled yesterday, Li Qing's cold, merciless back as he left.

He then connected it to today's tragedy on Vermilion Bird Avenue... "Gulp."

Zhang Long swallowed hard with difficulty, feeling a chill shoot straight from the soles of his feet to the top of his head.

He dared not think any further.

He feared that if he thought for one more second, he would end up like those corpses on Vermilion Bird Avenue, a cold, lifeless body.

"Yo-Young Master Li, a-are you alright?"

He put on a concerned expression and asked cautiously.

"Do I look like I'm not alright?"

Li Qing retorted.

"N-no, you don't! You don't!"

Zhang Long hurriedly shook his head, his smile uglier than a grimace.

He was now one hundred percent certain that the bloody incident on Vermilion Bird Avenue was the work of this young demon god before him!

My heavens!

What kind of existence is this?!

"Alright, if there's nothing else, you may leave."

"Don't disturb my peace here."

Li Qing waved his hand as if shooing away a fly.

"Yes, yes, this subordinate takes his leave, takes his leave..."

Zhang Long felt as if granted a pardon, scrambling away in a panic, not daring to stay a moment longer... At the same time, the Imperial Temporary Palace.

Inside the bedchamber of Grand Princess Xia Qingyue.

The atmosphere was like an ice cellar.

Xia Qingyue sat before her dressing table, her body trembling slightly.

Just moments ago, she had received a secret report from Elder Chen.

The mission had failed.

The three assassins dispatched by 'Shadow Kill', along with their meticulously laid trap, were completely annihilated!

Their deaths were utterly gruesome!

At the scene, only a single, enormous footprint remained!

Finally, the more she thought about it, the angrier she became.

She could no longer suppress the fury in her heart!

"Bang!"

She slammed her palm onto the dressing table, instantly shattering the precious rosewood table into pieces.

"Trash! A bunch of trash!"

She cursed angrily, her voice filled with frustration at their incompetence.

She had paid an astronomical price, and this is what the Shadow Kill Organization sent? Trash!

And they had sworn up and down that they would absolutely complete the mission flawlessly!

She had thought Li Qing was surely dead this time!

But what was the result?

Is this what you call flawless??

The target was completely unscathed!

Meanwhile, the people Shadow Kill sent didn't even manage to make a splash before being wiped out cleanly!

This wasn't just a slap in the face anymore.

This was grinding her face into the dirt and stomping on it!

"Your Highness, please calm your anger!"

Elder Chen stood to the side, softly trying to console her.

He too was utterly stunned by this news.

Crushing the 'Seven Star Soul Locking Array' with a single stomp?

Is that something a human could do?

One must know that the Seven Star Soul Locking Array could trap even a Late-stage Spirit Transformation Realm expert.

Even he would need to expend some effort to deal with it!

What kind of monster is that Li Qing?!

"Calm my anger? How can I calm my anger!"

Xia Qingyue whirled around, her phoenix eyes bloodshot, glaring fixedly at Elder Chen.

"I have now become the laughingstock of the entire Royal Capital!"

"Everyone knows I sent people to assassinate him, only for him to turn around and kill them all!"

"My face, the royal Family's face, have been utterly humiliated by this country bumpkin!"

She grew more agitated as she spoke, her chest heaving violently, almost gasping for breath.

Fear, humiliation, rage, resentment... all sorts of emotions gnawed at her heart like venomous snakes.

For the first time, she felt regret.

Why on earth did she want to provoke that iron-headed brat!

"Your Highness, we..."

Elder Chen's voice carried a hint of inquiry.

"That Li Qing, his strength is unfathomable, his methods ruthless, and moreover, he has no taboos."

"If we send people again, I fear..."

"Perhaps... it should be this old servant who goes!"

"No!"

Xia Qingyue sharply cut him off.

"There is still a way!"

Old Chen was her trusted confidant from her maternal Family.

Many political enemies were watching him closely.

Having him act was not cost-effective!

But, she was unwilling!

She, the esteemed Grand Princess of Great Xia, when had she ever suffered such a loss?

She abruptly stood up, pacing back and forth in the room, her mind racing.

A direct confrontation was definitely out of the question.

That monster was simply not something ordinary assassins could handle.

She must, change her approach!

Suddenly, her steps halted, and a glint of sinister and resolute light flashed in her eyes.

"Elder Chen."

She slowly spoke, her voice icy and devoid of any emotion.

"Go, fetch my 'Shadow Guard Token'."

"What?!"

Elder Chen jerked his head up, his face filled with horror.

"Your Highness, you must not!"

"The Shadow Guards were bestowed upon you by the Imperial Noble Consort as your final trump card for personal protection!"

"Each Shadow Guard has crawled out from piles of corpses; they are true killing machines, powerhouses among the Spirit Transformation Realm!"

"You, you want to deploy the Shadow Guards to deal with a tournament contestant?"

"If His Majesty were to find out..."

The Imperial Noble Consort Elder Chen mentioned was the princess's birth mother.

Although not the Empress, her status within the inner palace was not low.

This, of course, was thanks to the power of her backing Family.

The Family was that of a Great General guarding the borders.

"I, can't care about that anymore!"

Xia Qingyue's voice gradually lost its composure.

"All I want now, is for him to die!"

"Didn't you say he's a monster?"

"Then I, will send a group of real monsters to meet him!"

"Go! Fetch it!"

Elder Chen looked at the nearly deranged Xia Qingyue, opened his mouth, but in the end, could only let out a long sigh.

He knew that Her Highness's vision had been completely clouded by hatred.

He slowly stood up, hunched his back, and walked out of the bedchamber.

Perhaps... he should inform the Great General?