Chapter 1053: The King of Heaven, Lao Tzu can't Do it
The reason Xu Jingwen wanted to rescue the Cripple from Yang Haoran’s grasp wasn't out of any deep bond, but entirely due to his own face.
If Yang Haoran were to follow his command to release the man, Xu Jingwen would naturally gain immense face. Everyone, whether they knew him or not, would, upon learning of the incident, consider him formidable, greatly enhancing his reputation and satisfying his vanity.
Conversely, if Yang Haoran ignored his command, it would undoubtedly damage his prestige. If Yang Haoran were to kill the Cripple right before his eyes, in Xu Jingwen’s estimation, that wouldn’t merely be a loss of face; it would be a blatant, undeniable slap in the face—a slap delivered with a filthy shoe sole!
That’s why, when Yang Haoran prepared to kill the Cripple, Xu Jingwen reacted with such extreme fury, even attempting to stop him.
However, he ultimately failed. Not only did Yang Haoran kill the Cripple, he even dismembered him. Xu Jingwen witnessed the entire process with perfect clarity, as did representatives from the other factions present.
In that moment, both Xu Jingwen and the other onlookers fixed their gazes behind Yang Haoran, watching the dismembered pieces fall to the ground. They all wore expressions of shock, though the intensity varied from person to person.
The only person whose heart remained utterly unruffled was Yang Haoran himself, the one who had just carried out the killing blow. A faint smile still played upon his lips, radiating an air of calm composure. Even though he had just killed a man, and indeed, torn him limb from limb, his expression remained utterly unchanged, as if what he had shredded was not a living being, but merely a piece of scrap paper or a withered leaf.
Xu Jingwen stared at Yang Haoran, the anger in his heart twisting his features. From his gnashing teeth, it was clear he was on the verge of exploding.
He had watched the Cripple’s struggle against Yang Haoran from start to finish. However, he wasn't the Cripple, and he had always held a low opinion of the Cripple, even disdaining him. Therefore, when the Cripple was defeated by Yang Haoran, he was more inclined to believe that the Cripple simply lacked much inherent strength.
In his view, if he were to face Yang Haoran, he certainly wouldn't be as pathetic as the Cripple. He was confident in his own power. While Yang Haoran indeed seemed to possess some strength, Xu Jingwen didn't believe he would be his match.
But then, he had suddenly lunged at Yang Haoran, unleashing a furious punch that he’d expected to inflict considerable damage. The outcome, however, was entirely different from what he'd anticipated. Not only did his punch fail to connect, but Yang Haoran had preemptively landed a kick to his chest.
By his reckoning, such a scenario should have been impossible. Since it had occurred, it could only mean one thing: he had severely misjudged Yang Haoran’s strength. Yang Haoran’s power was far greater than he had expected, possibly even surpassing his own. This explained why Yang Haoran's attack speed was faster than his, so swift that he hadn’t even had time to react before Yang Haoran’s kick connected with his chest.
Although that kick hadn't caused him significant injury, it had sent a surge of energy through his body. If Yang Haoran’s full power could only inflict that much damage, he would naturally have no fear. However, Yang Haoran had clearly not used his full strength, as he hadn’t even opened his Heaven Soul or deployed his Soul Armament. From this, it was evident that Yang Haoran hadn’t exerted his full power at all.
He was no Underworld Official, dealing in corpses rather than Spirit Power, but he wasn’t a clueless novice. Even with his arrogance and vanity, he possessed basic knowledge and a clear understanding of the conventional methods employed by various factions. He knew that besides various Ghost Arts, a Soul Armament was also incredibly powerful for an Underworld Official. To assess an Underworld Official's strength, Ghost Arts and Soul Armaments were both among the key criteria.
During Yang Haoran’s previous fight with the Cripple, while he had used Ghost Arts, he hadn't deployed his Soul Armament. Once he opened his Heaven Soul and summoned his Soul Armament, his power would undoubtedly rise another level.
It was precisely this consideration that led him to believe Yang Haoran hadn't used his full power. Thus, he abandoned his previous contempt for Yang Haoran and had no choice but to respond cautiously, no longer daring to strike out blindly as he had just done.
“Killing a member of my Corpse Driving Sect from Gu Mo City right in front of me, even dismembering him, you've got guts, kid! ”
Xu Jingwen’s expression was grim as he spoke coldly to Yang Haoran. In his words, he not only announced his name but also invoked the Corpse Driving Sect backing him.
Bringing out the Corpse Driving Sect was naturally a reminder to Yang Haoran that the sect stood behind them. He intended for Yang Haoran to carefully consider the repercussions of his actions, implying that offending them meant offending the entire Corpse Driving Sect—a clear attempt to threaten Yang Haoran.
As for why he announced his name, it was to inform Yang Haoran that Xu Jingwen himself was highly capable, not a character to be trifled with, and a person of significant standing in Gu Mo City, thereby serving as a deterrent.
It was a pity he didn't understand Yang Haoran. If he had, he might have changed his approach, for Yang Haoran simply wasn't swayed by such tactics.
Of course, even if he did understand Yang Haoran’s temperament, it wouldn't rule out the possibility that he still wouldn't change his approach. After all, people are different: some prefer to use their brains, some their fists, and some their mouths.
Faced with Xu Jingwen’s threat, Yang Haoran’s expression remained unchanged, still his usual self, a faint smile on his face, as he calmly asked Xu Jingwen with a chuckle.
“In front of me? Heh, if you don't mind me asking, what exactly are you? ”
Yang Haoran’s words were like pouring a ladle of boiling oil onto the flames of fury in Xu Jingwen’s heart. Xu Jingwen’s face flushed crimson, his expression one of utter shame and indignation.
“You! ! ! ”
The provocation from those words was so immense that Xu Jingwen’s brain temporarily short-circuited. Pointing at Yang Haoran, he could only manage a single "You," unable to utter anything else.
“Heh, calm down. Relax. Take your time and say what you need to say. No need to rush. ”
Yang Haoran chuckled softly. The calmer he appeared, the greater the provocation he inflicted upon Xu Jingwen.
“You killed the Cripple; our Corpse Driving Sect will not let you off! You'd best prepare a coffin for yourself in advance to welcome the wrath of our Corpse Driving Sect! ”
Xu Jingwen’s words only made the smile on Yang Haoran’s face deepen slightly.
“The Corpse Driving Sect won't let me off? Welcome the wrath of your Corpse Driving Sect? Heh, I see you still haven't understood how the world works. In front of our Underworld Office, what exactly *is* your Corpse Driving Sect? ”
Yang Haoran not only gave Xu Jingwen not an inch of face, but he likewise showed no respect whatsoever to the Corpse Driving Sect itself. This barrage of rhetorical questions rendered the Corpse Driving Sect utterly worthless in his words. Xu Jingwen, already on the brink of explosion, could finally no longer suppress the fury in his heart. Although he knew Yang Haoran was not easy to provoke, Yang Haoran had humiliated him and the Corpse Driving Sect so thoroughly in front of all the assembled factions that if he didn't teach Yang Haoran a lesson now, not only would Xu Jingwen become the laughingstock of Gu Mo City, but their entire Corpse Driving Sect would suffer a considerable blow to their standing.
And so, Xu Jingwen no longer held back his inner fury; he exploded!
In that moment, he cared nothing for whether he was being reckless, or whether he could even win. Only one thought echoed in his entire mind: Kill him!
Kill him!
Kill him! ! !
“You motherf*cker! If I don't kill you today, I, Xu Jingwen, will kowtow to every person I meet from now on! ! ! ”
Xu Jingwen roared, and all the power within him erupted in that instant. A grayish-white energy enveloped his body, causing the surrounding space to subtly tremble under its powerful influence. Sand and gravel on the ground swirled up, rapidly revolving around him. In a flash, his imposing aura ascended to its peak.
Facing the astonishingly powerful Xu Jingwen, Yang Haoran didn't move a step. However, he now dropped the seemingly benevolent smile from his face, his expression turning cold, his gaze sharp as a blade.
He wasn't frightened by the immense aura Xu Jingwen had just unleashed. Rather, it was because Xu Jingwen had crossed his bottom line. If it had been anyone else cursing him in anger, he might not have reacted much, but Xu Jingwen was different—because Xu Jingwen was a member of the Corpse Driving Sect!
“It would have been fine if you hadn't mentioned my mother. But since you brought up the old lady yourself, then today you must go pay your respects to her. Even if the King of Heaven himself came, it wouldn't change your fate of Soul Transformation! ”
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