"Scream! Go ahead and scream, even if you scream until your lung collapses, no one will come save you!"

In the shadowy alley, Du Fei pressed his right hand to his chest to prevent the blood that was frothing in his throat from spilling out. However, his gaze coldly settled on the white-clothed young man not far in front of him, his expression showed a complicated mixture of emotions.

At this moment, the white-clothed young man clearly didn't put Du Fei in high regards. And those words weren't even directed at him. The youth's slightly lecherous gaze teasingly lingered on the graceful figure standing in front of Du Fei.

This figure seemed to be around fifteen or sixteen years old. Even though only her back was visible, one could tell she was undoubtedly a beauty. Yet, what marred the scene was the large sword she held, which seemed even bigger than her petite frame, emanating a faintly sharp murderous aura.

"Little Ai..."

Gazing at the young girl's figure, Du Fei unconsciously murmured. After a moment, he sighed softly, saying, "Little Ai, just go. If this is my fate, so be it. You are not of the Du Family, why risk your life for a useless person like me..."

Hearing Du Fei speak, the girl's silhouette slightly trembled. After a brief pause, she slowly shook her head and whispered, "Young Master, since Old Master instructed me before his death to escort you back to our home, even if I lose my life, I will definitely do it. You can rest assured, Young Master."

Although her voice was soft, it was filled with an undeniable determination.

Hearing her words, Du Fei's pupils involuntarily contracted, a fleeting trace of pain evident in his eyes.

That day was the fortieth birthday of Du Fei's father, Du Tian.

Although Du Fei's family wasn't large, in that small town, they were akin to overlords. However, on that day, right when the hall was filled with joyous guests, a strange man in black suddenly burst in!

Just one move!

Only one move!

Without asking for any reasons or wasting any words, the black-clothed stranger simply extended his hand with a sinister grasp amidst his eerie laughter...

In that single grip, all, including the eight Senior Elders fostered by the Du Family, the well-trained guardians, and the guests who came to offer birthday wishes, a few hundred of them, vomited blood and died on the spot! Aside from a small number who had a chance to react, many of them were sprawled on the ground like dead dogs the moment the man in black appeared.

At that time, thanks to Du Tian's protection, both Du Fei and Little Ai were spared from the calamity inside the hall.

However, upon reflection, it might not have been because of Du Tian's protection that the two were spared. Rather, it might have been the black-clothed stranger's deliberate restraint...

"Go! Bring the young master back to our home, it's the only way to survive!" After leaving behind these words, both Du Fei and Little Ai were thrown out of the hall by Du Tian in shock, followed by the sound of an explosion from within the hall.

Faced with such a sudden disaster, the two couldn't react in time. Fortunately, even in that almost desperate situation, Little Ai strictly followed Du Tian's orders. Ignoring Du Fei's resistance, she forcibly took him away. Du Fei, who from childhood was diagnosed with a blocked meridian and couldn't practice martial arts, naturally couldn't resist the martial practicing Little Ai.

Later on, when the two stealthily returned to the Du Family, they found that not only was the entire Du Family eradicated, there was not even a single survivor present in the entire town. There weren't even any corpses left. It was as if that town had already been deserted long ago.

Du Tian, who had long been an Eighth-grade Martial Artist, obviously didn't survive the situation. After all, the eight guardians revered by the Du Family might have been slightly weaker than Du Tian, but they all possessed the strength of middle-stage Eighth-grade Martial Artists. If even those eight had no power to resist, Du Tian probably wouldn't fare much better!

To be able to treat an Eighth-grade Martial Artist like an ant, casually taking countless lives with a wave of his hand, the strength of that man in black must be comparable to a fifth-grade Martial Master!

On the Xuanwu Continent, all martial practitioners are divided into nine ranks across three levels. Seventh to ninth rank are termed Martial Artists, fourth to sixth rank are Martial Masters, and first to third rank are Martial Saints.

Within the nine ranks, each rank is further divided into upper, middle, and lower tiers. The power difference between each tier is vast, and the disparity between each rank is like the difference between heaven and earth!

There weren't many of the fifth-grade Martial Masters even in the entire Da'an Dynasty! Although Du Fei couldn't practice martial arts, having been exposed to the martial world since childhood, he had a clear understanding of the strength divisions among martial artists. When he realized the strength of the man in black, a profound sense of helplessness washed over him. In this lifetime, he feared he might never have a chance at revenge!

Regardless of the intention of why the man in black targeted the Du Family, or what the outcome for Du Tian was, Du Fei probably wouldn't have another chance to find out.

It's a world where the law of the jungle prevails, where might is right! Power is the only rule of this world, the standard by which everything is judged. Without strength, one can't achieve anything...

…...

Slightly clenching his fists, in the alleyway, Du Fei pursed his lips a little, a hint of determination flashing in his eyes.

......

"Clap, clap, clap..."

Gently clapping his hands, the young man in white seemed to notice Du Fei for the first time. A slightly lascivious gaze slowly moved from Little Ai to Du Fei, revealing a peculiar interest.

"Indeed worthy of being a member of the Du Family, one of Yunshui's Five Families. Although you, Young Master Du Fei, are just a distant branch of the family, having survived a blow from me, Long Aotian, is already an achievement. Just by this, you're not the good-for-nothing that people make you out to be." Long Aotian's slender lips curled up slightly, speaking with a faint tone of appreciation.

"Considering that," Long Aotian said with a faint smile, "hand over the Du Family's Ice Heart Technique, and I'll spare your life."

"Du Family, Ice Heart Technique..." These words spilled from Du Fei's mouth as his right hand subconsciously gripped a jade amulet hanging on his chest.

This object had been hung around his neck since he was ten years old. Aside from himself and Du Tian, no one else knew that he, deemed a wastrel incapable of martial arts, actually carried the Du Family's heritage cultivation method with him.

The Du Family was originally a powerful family within the Da'an Dynasty. Although it was unclear why Du Tian had limited contact to the main family, being a descendant, he still knew some of the Du Family's cultivation methods. The Ice Heart Technique was considered a profound method within the Du Family. It wasn't surprising that someone would covet it. However, how did this Long Aotian know that the Ice Heart Technique was in his possession? Why was he so certain?

Without giving Du Fei a chance to react, Long Aotian didn't seem to care about Du Fei's response. His indifferent gaze swept over Du Fei, murmuring to himself, "If you don't appreciate kindness, I'll send you on your way. As for this charming servant of yours, I'll take her for myself."

His words were cold, treating Du Fei as if he were already dead.

Having spoken, Long Aotian's figure soared, and his right hand fiercely clenched mid-air. Suddenly, a turbulent flow in the air was generated, pulling Du Fei towards his palm.

"How dare you!"

From the side, Little Ai shouted, swinging her large sword. With a forceful stomp of her feet, she charged straight at Long Aotian.

"Overestimating your capabilities... seeking your own death..." Long Aotian sneered coldly, forming a peculiar finger gesture with his left hand, while his right hand made another grabbing motion in the air...

"Splat..."

Little Ai's figure in mid-air violently shook. She spat out a mouthful of blood and crashed to the ground, her face pale, it was uncertain whether she was dead or alive.

Almost simultaneously, Du Fei, who had been prepared to meet his end, had a flash of realization in his eyes!

He had seen this move before!

Although there was a vast difference in power, the move that Long Aotian used was 80% similar to the one used by that man in black that day!

"So, that's how it is!" Hatred filled Du Fei's eyes. Even though he had been pulled mid-air by the wind from Long Aotian's palm, his teeth were gritting loudly, "Long Aotian, if I, Du Fei, survive today, I'll train in the greatest martial arts! I won't be satisfied until I exterminate your entire family and punish all your kin! No matter what lies ahead, I'll find the person behind you and avenge my family's massacre! If a god stands behind you, I'll kill that god. If it's a Buddha, I'll kill that Buddha. If it's the heavens, I, Du Fei, will devour those heavens!"

Long Aotian slightly trembled, but a fleeting cold expression passed over his face, "Young Master Du Fei, sharp eyes! Such spirit! With that, I can't possibly let you live!"

As his voice trailed off, Long Aotian's right palm curled like a claw. Several gray streams of energy seeped between his fingers, and he aimed a clawed strike straight at Du Fei's chest...

"Is this how I die? What a pity, my blood feud remains unavenged! If only I, Du Fei, knew martial arts! If only I, Du Fei, knew martial arts!"

As Long Aotian's claw descended, this thought flashed across Du Fei's mind in an instant, followed by all his hatred turning into helplessness.

He never thought that in two lifetimes as a human, he achieved nothing in his previous life, and the same in this one...

"Beep... Level three crisis detected, threat level one hundred percent, system auto-activating."

"Warning, do you wish to activate automatic defense function? Activate? Activate......"

"Beep! Automatic defense activated!"

A cold electronic sound instantly resounded in Du Fei's mind. Before he could react, some decisions seemed to have already been made.

Subsequently, Du Fei distinctly felt an icy cold current emerge from his lower abdomen, rushing instantly to the palm of his right hand. At the moment this cold current emerged, his figure in mid-air fiercely spun, and immediately, he forcefully slapped towards Long Aotian's descending claw.