Duan Fei took a deep breath, and his eyes suddenly turned blood-red. The vital energy and blood throughout his body surged, as if about to burst forth.

"Burning your own lifeblood? So, such a bizarre Martial Arts Method really exists. Aren’t you afraid of crippling yourself?" Yang Qi asked with a smile.

"I don’t care, as long as I can kill you!"

Like a crazed lion, Duan Fei knew he had to win. He absolutely had to. If he failed, it wouldn’t just be his own disgrace; the King of Jingnan would lose face as well. This is absolutely unacceptable. Duan Fei’s battle saber was enveloped in a red glow; he was truly prepared to sacrifice his life.

"Kill!"

With a deafening roar, Duan Fei lunged forward, an unstoppable force. He intended to use this final strike to display his power and show Yang Qi what he was up against. The Sword Radiance tore through the air, and its terrifying roar gripped everyone’s heart, causing them to tremble uncontrollably.

The strike was aimed directly at Yang Qi’s head. If it landed, he would be a dead man. An attack of this magnitude was not something Protective Spirit Energy could withstand. Even the Stone Armor Technique would likely struggle to block it.

Yang Qi watched Duan Fei’s attack with indifference, shaking his head. "Plenty of force, but no finesse. You’re just making yourself a target!"

With that, he clenched his right fist and threw a punch at Duan Fei’s chest. The immense Fist Power, wreathed in explosive flames, felt capable of piercing through anything.

However, at that exact moment, a strong killing intent flared up behind him. A figure had appeared where there should have been no one. Dressed in black with a black mask, it was as if a demon had stepped out of the shadows. The figure held a sharp and deadly dagger.

No doubt about it, this has to be one of the five experts serving the King of Jingnan, a specialist in assassination. He was in the squad just a moment ago and has now launched a sudden attack. They never intended to fight one-on-one from the start. They were just waiting for an opportunity—a chance to assassinate me.

"Despicable!" Kong Tianjian roared, but it was too late.

Yang Qi was caught in a pincer attack. If he went through with his strike on Duan Fei, the assassin behind him would surely land a fatal blow. If he aborted his attack, he would be caught between them regardless. It was an impossible situation, and Kong Tianjian began to panic. He was overwhelmed with anxiety and hatred—hating that he couldn’t help Yang Qi in the slightest and could only watch helplessly.

Yet, Yang Qi’s expression remained one of cold indifference. The next moment, he smiled. He abandoned his attack on Duan Fei and simply stood there as if he had given up all resistance.

"Kill him!" Kong Renyi shouted excitedly. As far as he was concerned, Yang Qi was already dead, with no chance of survival.

Yet, just as Duan Fei and the man in black were about to land their blows, Yang Qi vanished. His sudden disappearance meant neither of his attackers could halt their momentum. The assassin’s dagger plunged into Duan Fei’s heart. Duan Fei’s battle saber sliced into the man in black.

"You!"

They stared at each other, dumbfounded, as their consciousness faded. They collapsed heavily to the ground. Even in their final moments, they couldn’t understand how their target had simply vanished from right in front of them, causing them to kill each other.

Gazing at the two corpses on the ground, Yang Qi smiled, then turned to the remaining three. "The men from the Jingnan Royal Mansion aren’t all that impressive after all. I suppose the King of Jingnan himself isn’t much to speak of either. I don’t blame you for the sneak attack. It’s just... your execution was far too clumsy. Or did you underestimate me that much? Did you really think two Half-step Overlords could kill me? There’s an Overlord-level expert among you, isn’t there? Step forward. I’ll give you a chance. Or perhaps all three of you should just come at me at once?"

"You are indeed very strong," one of them said as he stepped forward. He was a blond man who didn’t look like he was from the Dragon Country, and he wore a pair of black gloves that were clearly custom-made from some kind of alloy, comparable to a Divine Weapon. "However, to kill members of the Jingnan Royal Mansion just because you’re strong is incredibly arrogant. I will give you one opportunity. Join the Jingnan Royal Mansion and serve the King of Jingnan. I will not only spare your life but also grant you a position of importance!"

Yang Qi smiled, his tone laced with mockery. "If the King of Jingnan were a woman, I might consider sticking around with her for a while. Unfortunately, he’s a man, and I have a natural aversion to working for other men—especially those who haven’t earned my respect. Who does the King of Jingnan think he is, to imagine he’s worthy of my service? He’s truly overestimating himself!"

"Since you’re so stubborn, then go to hell!"

As soon as the words left his mouth, the blond man made his move. He wasn’t alone. The other two—both women who were also Half-step Overlords—attacked at the same time. The blond man was a true Martial Arts Overlord, with Combat Power slightly greater than Wu Yonggui’s. He had likely reached the minor completion stage of the First Rank Martial Arts Overlord Realm. His hands pulsed with explosive power. The two women, both sword-wielders, closed in on Yang Qi from the flanks, clearly intending to coordinate with the blond man to suppress and ultimately kill him.

Yang Qi stood his ground as a golden longsword materialized in his hand, its blade crackling with leaping golden lightning. One can’t be careless when dealing with a Martial Arts Overlord, especially one stronger than Wu Yonggui.

"Boy, I don’t care who you are, but today you will die! I will use your blood to avenge my fallen comrades!"

The blond man threw a punch, his fist also wreathed in lightning, though his was blue. Clearly, Martial Arts Overlords could infuse their True Qi with an elemental attribute. These were typically one of the five elements—metal, wood, water, fire, or earth—but other attributes like lightning, darkness, light, and Cold Ice could also manifest.

"You want me dead? I’m afraid you don’t have what it takes!" Yang Qi laughed. Ignoring the two women’s attacks, he slashed his golden longsword directly at the blond man.

*Golden Thunder Slash!*

In that instant, the blond man’s expression twisted in terror, as if he were staring at his own death. Frightened, he scrambled backward, frantically throwing a flurry of punches to block Yang Qi’s attack. However, the torrent of fist-shadows was instantly annihilated by the single sword strike. The terrifying blade slashed directly at the blond man’s hands. Fortunately, he retreated just fast enough to only lose two fingers.

The man was frightened out of his wits. Those gloves... they’re forged from a special alloy! They were cut open so easily, like slicing through paper! He found this impossible to accept. The gloves had been with him for many years and had helped him kill countless opponents. But today, they had been destroyed. It was simply unbelievable.