"Heh—"
With Yan Xie's defeat all but certain, many onlookers sighed in succession, shaking their heads ceaselessly, some even unwilling to raise their eyes to watch.
True, this was only a clash between Yan Xie and Zhan Qiankun — it had nothing to do with them. But who Zhan Qiankun was, everyone knew well enough.
In terms of talent, Zhan Qiankun was unquestionably a rare genius. But in terms of character, he was an absolute scourge. A man like that, alive, was a threat to everyone — dead, he would be best for all.
Yan Xie, on the other hand, was the Flame Emperor's successor. From his earlier actions, they could tell that Yan Xie was a righteous man. At the very least, he was willing to put his life on the line for a friend, and he would not bow to his enemy even in the face of death — a man of true backbone.
Although Yan Xie had no blood ties to any of them, deep down, none of them wished to see him lose.
But… when it came to the outcome of their battle, all they could do was hope. There was nothing they could do to change it.
"Yan Xie isn't dead!!!"
"Look — Yan Xie isn't dead!!" Suddenly, someone pointed toward the sky and cried out in alarm.
"Yan Xie isn't dead?"
"Heavens — Yan Xie really isn't dead!"
After that, every gaze turned skyward. And when they saw what was unfolding at that moment, every person present was overjoyed — and then, right after, utterly astonished.
Yan Xie was indeed not dead. Not only was he alive, but he was completely unharmed.
Yet the reason for everyone's shock went beyond that alone — it was because, standing before Yan Xie, there was actually another person.
But no matter who this person was, the fact that they could appear before Yan Xie at a moment like this proved, beyond any doubt, that this was no ordinary individual.
"Heavens — has he lost his mind? What is he doing out there?!" But at this moment, unlike the others, Chili, Big Radish, and Little Radish were downright terrified.
Their reaction was different from the rest — it wasn't curiosity that gripped them, but worry.
Because the person standing before Yan Xie at this very moment was none other than Chu Feng, wearing his bamboo hat.
Only — in their eyes, this man was not Chu Feng. He was simply an unknown stranger in a bamboo hat.
"If you want to kill him, you're not qualified." Chu Feng spoke slowly, his tone neither loud nor soft, yet every word carried weight.
"Oh? Could it be another one of Chu Feng's friends? It seems Chu Feng has quite the collection of friends."
"But no matter — one to kill is the same as two. I've decided. Today, aside from my three junior brothers and the people from the Heavenly Dao Palace, everyone else here will die." Zhan Qiankun let out a cold laugh, a vicious gleam flickering through his eyes.
It was a ruthlessness that ran bone-deep — the kind that killed without blinking, the kind that regarded human life as nothing more than grass.
The moment those words left his lips, every nerve in the crowd went taut, and then their faces drained of color. Zhan Qiankun was going on a massacre? He intended to slaughter them — mere bystanders?
They were innocent! They were all innocent bystanders! No matter what, he had no right to kill them.
Wait — something wasn't right. Jin Wei'e and the others were Zhan Qiankun's junior brothers. After all, they shared the same master. Even if they weren't close, it made sense that he wouldn't kill them.
But why would he also spare the people from the Heavenly Dao Palace? Could it be that the Heavenly Dao Palace had some connection to Zhan Qiankun?
In truth, this was exactly what the Heavenly Dao Palace members were wondering at that very moment. They knew full well that the Heavenly Dao Palace had no connection to the villains whatsoever, and therefore certainly none with Zhan Qiankun.
So they, too, could not fathom why Zhan Qiankun wouldn't kill them.
Could it be — because they hadn't attacked him earlier, and Zhan Qiankun was feeling grateful? That was the only possible explanation they could think of.