Li Family "War Criminals" Scout the Path
The person gripping Li Hongtao's throat was none other than Zhang Lingxiao.
Zhang Lingxiao's gaze was indifferent and cold, his eyes completely devoid of emotion.
When the others saw his face, they were shocked.
"Zhang Lingxiao! What are you doing? Stop right now!"
Many of the Li Family's martial artists became agitated.
Zhang Lingxiao was quite famous in Qingyun Town. Although it wasn't a good reputation—he was known as a useless young master who supposedly couldn't cultivate—he was still well known. Naturally, everyone present recognized him.
At the moment, Li Zhan could not be contacted, and many in the Li Family suspected that he had already met with an accident.
This meant Li Hongtao was currently the strongest combatant left in the Li Family. If he died, the Li Family would become leaderless, surrounded by rival forces, and they would lose any chance of competing for the Ancient Tomb's inheritance.
Thus, when they saw Li Hongtao captured instantly by Zhang Lingxiao, panic spread among the Li Family martial artists.
"Let him go!"
"Release Young Master Li!"
Zhang Lingxiao sneered.
"Let him go? Fine. I'll listen to you."
His figure suddenly moved. His steps shifted like lightning, and in the blink of an eye he returned to the edge of the sinkhole.
"Zhang Lingxiao! What are you doing? Don't be insane!"
Li Hongtao's eyes filled with terror.
Looking down, he realized he was suspended above the opening of the sinkhole. Beneath him lay a dark abyss whose depth could not be seen.
The unknown was the most terrifying.
Earlier, the Ma Family martial artist he had kicked into the hole had died almost instantly. Li Hongtao did not want to share the same fate.
"Insane?" Zhang Lingxiao laughed coldly.
"You go down first and scout the path for us."
The moment he finished speaking, he loosened his grip.
Li Hongtao plunged straight into the sinkhole.
Thud.
The dull sound echoed from below, sending chills down everyone's spine.
"Zhang Lingxiao! You're courting death! Brothers of the Li Family, follow me and kill this fiend!"
A Li Family martial artist shouted angrily.
Immediately, the Li Family's fighters surged forward like a tide.
"Brothers of the Zhang Family, attack! How dare these Li Family bastards offend our Young Master!"
Zhang Yuyang roared as he charged forward.
"Ma Family members, move!" Ma Yinger said with a frown, unwilling to be left out.
Seeing this, Dragon Spring Tooth merely raised his hand slightly, signaling the martial artists from the City Lord's Mansion to quietly retreat to the side and clear an area.
Zhang Lingxiao watched the battle calmly.
Zhang Yuyang's attacks were ruthless. In just a few exchanges, a Li Family martial artist screamed and collapsed, dead.
"Leave a few alive," Zhang Lingxiao shouted coldly.
"We'll need them to scout the way later."
In an instant, the previously quiet Dark Forest descended into chaos.
But before long, silence returned.
The battle ended.
With their overwhelming advantage, the Zhang and Ma Families subdued all the Li Family martial artists and restrained them.
Among the captives was a young man wearing half a mask, kneeling quietly within the group and blending into the crowd.
Suddenly, laughter echoed from within the sinkhole.
"Hahaha! I'm not dead! Zhang Lingxiao, thank you! This inheritance will belong to me!"
Li Hongtao's voice was filled with excitement and triumph.
Zhang Lingxiao frowned. Zhang Yuyang immediately prepared to chase after him, but Zhang Lingxiao stopped him with a gesture.
A few breaths later, Li Hongtao's laughter suddenly stopped.
A shrill scream followed from deep within the sinkhole.
Li Hongtao had met the same fate as the Ma Family martial artist before him.
Zhang Lingxiao's eyes turned cold as he glanced toward the martial artists of the City Lord's Mansion, who had remained uninvolved the entire time. Killing intent flickered in his gaze.
Dragon Spring Tooth scoffed.
"Brother Zhang Lingxiao, I advise you not to entertain any ideas about us. We are not merely members of the City Lord's Mansion."
The meaning behind his words was obvious.
Killing the City Lord's Mansion's people would not only provoke Dragon Qingyun, the City Lord, but also challenge the authority of the Tianhuo Kingdom.
Zhang Lingxiao sneered dismissively.
Once, the Tianhuo Kingdom had been an existence far beyond his reach.
But now things were different.
Even Su Qing, whose strength rivaled the Human Emperor of Tianhuo, was his ally. And inside the ring rested the mysterious Gu Yue Ningbing, Su Qing's master—whose strength was surely even greater.
What could a mere Tianhuo Kingdom do to him?
Moreover, the Ancient Tomb space was sealed off from the outside world. Even if someone were held accountable later, they would need evidence.
Still, Zhang Lingxiao had no intention of acting now.
Laughing, he said, "Brother, you misunderstand. I have no hostility toward the City Lord's Mansion. Let's enter together. Whoever obtains opportunities inside will depend entirely on their own ability."
Dragon Spring Tooth cupped his fists politely.
Whether he believed it or not, he led the City Lord's Mansion's group into the sinkhole alongside the Zhang and Ma Families.
The Li Family captives walked in front as unwilling scouts.
On the ground below lay the corpses of the earlier Ma Family martial artist and Li Hongtao, their bodies stiff and lifeless.
Zhang Lingxiao inspected their wounds.
Both had identical fatal injuries: two bloody puncture holes at the back of their necks.
He quickly concluded they had been killed by a yao beast, and the tension in his heart eased slightly.
If it was a yao beast, it would be easier to handle.
But if it were a hidden mechanism within the tomb, that would be far more troublesome.
Ma Yinger took out a talisman from her storage pouch and tossed it into the air.
The talisman transformed into a bright floating lamp, illuminating the surrounding darkness.
Zhang Lingxiao glanced at it and complained jokingly.
"You had something like that and didn't use it earlier?"
Talismans were crafted from special paper and materials by skilled cultivators.
Powerful cultivators who mastered alchemy, artifact refinement, and talisman crafting were often the wealthiest individuals across the Nine Provinces. They were highly respected by powerful families.
Although this was only a simple illumination talisman, it was still valuable. Zhang Lingxiao didn't know the exact price, but it certainly wasn't cheap.
Ma Yinger rolled her eyes.
"You think this is cheap? It's a consumable item. One talisman costs dozens of spirit stones. I only bought a single one. I wouldn't waste it unless it was absolutely necessary."
Suddenly, her voice stopped.
At the very front of the group, a Li Family captive screamed.
A moment later, he collapsed with a thud.
Dead.
"Did anyone see what attacked him?" Zhang Yuyang asked, frowning.
"I didn't see anything," someone replied.
Zhang Lingxiao shook his head.
The yao beast was extremely skilled at ambushes. It struck silently and vanished without a trace.
"Keep moving," Zhang Lingxiao ordered coldly.
The Li Family captives trembled but dared not disobey. One by one, they continued scouting the path ahead.
Suddenly—
Another scream.
Another Li Family captive fell.
Then a female captive shrieked and tried to run back toward the entrance.
Bang!
A dull sound echoed.
Before Zhang Lingxiao could react, someone else moved faster.
A spear pierced straight through the woman's chest.
Zhang Lingxiao looked over sharply.
The one who had struck was none other than Dragon Spring Tooth.
His lips curved into a cold smile as he revealed his white teeth.
"Anyone who tries to retreat will be killed."
Zhang Lingxiao glanced at him thoughtfully.
This man was even more ruthless than he had expected.
Without another word, Zhang Lingxiao urged the remaining captives forward.
This time, he remained completely alert, ready to capture the creature that had been silently hunting them.
If this continued, they might all be wiped out before even reaching the inheritance of the ancient expert within the tomb.
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