Chapter 338: Heavenly Demon Eye
Zi Yinyang's skull split open, his handsome and arrogant face torn apart by a powerful force, turning into a bloody mess, and finally into blood powder.
Seeing this, Zi Qian's Qi Sea violently trembled, her true energy flowing in reverse, her vision darkening as she nearly fainted.
"Brother!"
She cried out loudly, her heart filled with immense grief, tears streaming like a spring, as she immediately rushed toward Di Yi.
Chen Xi'er was also somewhat startled. After all, Zi Yinyang was quite famous among the younger generation of the Demon Ridge, considered a talent of extraordinary aptitude. Yet she never expected Di Yi to suddenly kill Zi Yinyang.
It was precisely because of her brief distraction that Zi Qian managed to break free from her grasp.
Zhang Ruochen frowned and immediately reached out, grabbing Zi Qian's shoulder to hold her back, preventing her from throwing away her life in a moment of impulse.
"Zhang Ruochen, let me go! I want to avenge my brother!"
Zi Qian's eyes were bloodshot, filled with red veins. In her mind, she kept replaying memories of her brother's affection for her when they were young.
Although, after they were trained as assassins, her brother was no longer as gentle as before, she could still feel his care for her.
Now, her brother had died because of her. Her emotions were on the verge of collapse. How could she still fear the strength of Di Yi and the Black Market martial artists? She only wanted to rush forward and fight Di Yi to the death.
"Your true energy is flowing in reverse. Immediately circulate your energy to control it. Otherwise, before you even touch Di Yi, you'll already be a dead person."
Zhang Ruochen sent a stream of true energy into the meridians of her back, helping her control the energy within her body.
Gradually, Zi Qian's true energy was brought under control. A cold light flashed in her eyes as she said, "Zhang Ruochen, let me go. I want to kill Di Yi and avenge my brother."
"You are no match for Di Yi. Don't act impulsively."
Zhang Ruochen shook his head and said, "Leave it to me. I can help you."
Hearing this, Zi Qian was momentarily stunned. She looked up and stared deeply at Zhang Ruochen. She saw that his face was calm, as if he were talking about something very ordinary.
Only Huang Yanchen, standing not far away, looked annoyed, pouting angrily as she stared at Zhang Ruochen, hating how he seemed to want to meddle in every woman's affairs.
Below the hill, Di Yi withdrew his palm and coldly stared at Zi Yinyang's corpse, saying, "Just an assassin, daring to defy my will. Did he really think he was someone important?"
Seeing this, the surrounding Black Market martial artists all fell silent, their hearts icy cold, their reverence for Di Yi growing even stronger.
They couldn't help but lower their heads, not daring to meet Di Yi's gaze, afraid that if they accidentally angered him, they would meet a violent end.
Even the son of the Underworld Gate's master, the top genius of the Demon Ridge, Zi Yinyang, had been killed by Di Yi with a single slap. In Di Yi's eyes, they were even more insignificant.
Then, Di Yi's gaze swept over the Black Market martial artists, a cold, mocking smile on his lips: "See that? This is what happens when you don't obey. Don't make the same mistake."
Yan Siming was also greatly startled. Di Yi had killed Zi Yinyang without any warning. This young master was indeed hard to serve.
But he was clever. He immediately knelt on one knee and bowed respectfully to Di Yi, saying, "Zi Yinyang offended his superior and deserved to die. The young master is wise."
The other Black Market martial artists also knelt on the ground, as if worshiping a god, not daring to harbor any thought of defying Di Yi.
Di Yi nodded in satisfaction and raised his hand, saying, "Rise! As long as you are loyal to the Black Market and loyal to me, your rewards will naturally come in the future."
The other Black Market martial artists breathed a sigh of relief and nodded to themselves. This time, entering the Dragon Palace, they had indeed gained many benefits. Some of them had found spiritual medicines in the Dragon Palace and had broken through to the Heavenly Extreme Realm, becoming major figures in the martial arts world.
Thinking of this, they felt immense gratitude toward Di Yi.
It had to be said that Di Yi indeed had the qualities of a leader. He had both a ruthless hand and the means to win people's hearts, making those under him both respect and fear him.
Yan Siming glanced toward the hill and sneered, "Zhang Ruochen and that female assassin from the Underworld Gate seem to have a very close relationship. It seems the Underworld Gate is not entirely loyal to the Black Market. Zi Yinyang deserved to die. The young master did well in killing him."
Yan Siming was a clever man who knew how to read the situation. Clearly, the best way to show loyalty to Di Yi was to trample on the Underworld Gate, making the other Black Market martial artists feel that Zi Yinyang deserved death and that the Underworld Gate should be punished.
"Yan Siming, don't slander us! The Underworld Gate has never been disloyal to the Black Market," Zi Qian said coldly.
Yan Siming sneered, "You and Zhang Ruochen are all lovey-dovey, and you still dare to claim loyalty to the young master and the Black Market? If you truly have no second thoughts, then kill Zhang Ruochen right now and let the young master see where your loyalty lies!"
Zi Qian gritted her teeth and said angrily, "We are loyal to the Black Market, not to Di Yi. Di Yi and I are enemies. The enmity of killing my brother is irreconcilable."
Hearing this, Di Yi's pupils contracted, and he sneered, "Well said. The Underworld Gate master has indeed raised a good daughter. Unfortunately, in the Demon Ridge, the various major forces of the Black Market are under my control, and the lives of their martial artists are also in my hands. Whoever dares to disobey my orders is opposing the Black Market and deserves... death."
Zhang Ruochen said, "Di Yi, you think too highly of yourself. If you don't restrain your temper, you might die before you even grow up, letting someone else take your place as the young master of the Black Market's First-Class Hall."
"Oh? Is that so?"
Di Yi wore a metal mask with a fierce pattern, and he laughed, "How long I can live is indeed unknown. But I do know that you won't live past today."
"Really?" Zhang Ruochen said.
Di Yi changed his tone, "Of course, if you hand over the Dragon Relic and pledge allegiance to me, becoming my shadow, I might consider sparing your life."
A natural saintly body, success at a young age, unmatched among his peers—Di Yi was naturally domineering. Anyone who opposed him could only die.
Chang Qiqi said, "We never found the Dragon Relic. Di Yi, give up that hope!"
"Whether you found it or not is not for you to decide."
Di Yi coldly glared at Chang Qiqi, his eyes shooting out two sharp beams, like two sharp needles piercing into Chang Qiqi's pupils.
Chang Qiqi felt his vision go black, a sharp pain in his brain, as if his head were about to explode. He immediately closed his eyes and stepped back two steps.
Fortunately, he had dragon blood in his body. Otherwise, Di Yi's gaze alone could have blinded him or even turned him into an idiot.
"Such a terrifying gaze! My eyes hurt so much!"
Chang Qiqi immediately mobilized the dragon blood energy in his body, channeling it to his eyes, using dragon power to dissolve the power of Di Yi's gaze.
Zhang Ruochen warned, "Di Yi should be practicing one of the six great strange books of the world, the 'Heavenly Demon Stone Inscription.' It is said that the 'Heavenly Demon Stone Inscription' has thirty-six engraved diagrams, left behind by an ancient great god. Each diagram can cultivate a world-shaking divine skill. The Black Market has obtained nine of those diagrams. Cultivating any one of them to a certain level can develop the 'Heavenly Demon Eye.' So, try not to look into Di Yi's eyes, or you might easily be attacked by the 'Heavenly Demon Eye.'"
Zhang Ruochen had fought Di Yi before and had roughly discerned that Di Yi's martial arts path was somewhat similar to the 'Heavenly Demon Stone Inscription.'
Back then, the Ming Emperor's Palace also had two stone inscriptions, and Zhang Ruochen had once studied them for a while. However, he felt the martial arts on the inscriptions were too sinister, so he didn't practice them.
Di Yi smiled, "You have some insight. That's right, I am indeed practicing one of the diagrams from the 'Heavenly Demon Stone Inscription,' the 'Demon Extreme Primordial Diagram.'"
Suddenly, Di Yi let out a soft exclamation, staring at Chang Qiqi, who was neutralizing the power of the Heavenly Demon Eye. He saw a faint golden dragon power emanating from Chang Qiqi, forcing out strands of black Heavenly Demon power.
"The aura of a golden dragon!"
Di Yi was overjoyed.
That hill was indeed a dragon tomb, burying the golden dragon from eight hundred years ago.
Since the golden dragon's power appeared on Chang Qiqi, the Dragon Relic must have been obtained by one of them.
"Swish!"
Di Yi executed a spirit-grade top-tier movement technique, "Flowing Light Flying Cloud." With a single step, he shot forward like a black arrow of light. When he was still dozens of zhang away from Chang Qiqi, he extended an arm, condensing a massive true energy hand, and reached out to grab Chang Qiqi.
That true energy hand was dozens of zhang long, each finger like a pillar, carrying a powerful Heavenly Demon power, as if it could crush a mountain with one grab.
Having broken through to the Heavenly Extreme Realm, Di Yi's cultivation had reached a terrifying level.
At that moment, Zhang Ruochen pinched his fingers, extended his little finger, and shot out a sword wave.
"Less Condensing Pulse Sword Wave."
Zhang Ruochen's movements were fluid and seamless. Light flashed at his fingertips, and the heaven and earth spiritual energy within a hundred zhang seemed to converge at a single point.
In an instant, a freezing cold aura enveloped the dragon tomb.
"Whoosh!"
Where the sword wave passed, the surrounding water completely froze into ice, forming an ice dragon five meters in diameter.
The true energy hand collided with the sword wave, making a "crack" sound, shattering like porcelain.
The power of the sword wave was unstoppable. It pierced through the true energy hand and flew straight toward Di Yi.
From the ground, it looked like a meteor streaking across the sky, carrying a freezing, terrifying power, striking at Di Yi.
"Break for me!"
Di Yi poured endless true energy into the Black Dragon Ghost Claws on his hands. The inscriptions on those tenth-rank True Martial Treasure-level fist gloves were almost fully activated.
Small scales emitted black light, fully unleashing the power of the tenth-rank True Martial Treasure.