Chapter 155: A Sweeping Capture

Hoo-hoo!

Inside the Earth Spirit Fire Cave, Huang Wandu and the other two panted heavily, cold sweat oozing across their foreheads.

After a series of frantic, continuous attacks, they had failed to inflict even the slightest scratch on the young man before them. He remained as steady as a cast-bronze statue, as firm as a monolith, utterly unshakeable.

Taking advantage of favorable timing, terrain, and positioning, Xu Xuan blocked the entrance of the fire cave, occupying an absolute vantage point. Only by doing this could he ensure with utmost certainty that he wiped out all three of them completely, leaving no future troubles behind.

Looking at the three gasping men, the corners of Xu Xuan’s mouth curled into a playful smirk. "Are you all done fighting? Then it's my turn."

As his voice faded, the powerful wave of heat lingering in the surroundings surged in response to Xu Xuan’s remote palm strike, transforming into a waterfall-like cascade of crimson flame energy. It rushed into the Earth Spirit Fire Cave like a raging tide, accompanied by a succession of explosive roars.

Huang Wandu, being a Spirit Refining stage immortal master, was still capable of resistance. Forcing his magic power to the limit, he summoned a pale green protective barrier around his body. Under the impact of the crimson flame waves, wisps of foul-smelling gray smoke rose, and his entire body shook violently.

However, Lin Hui and Zhong Hong were driven back into the depths of the cave by this magnificent and majestic strike. They suffered severe injuries, coughed up blood, and hid behind Huang Wandu, barely clinging to life amidst terror and panic.

Xu Xuan was not surprised that his first strike had not finished them off. When a Spirit Refining stage immortal master was defending with all their might, being able to rely on one's own strength to comprehensively suppress all three of them was already an unimaginable feat.

At that moment, a wave of panic also welled up in Huang Wandu's heart. In a one-on-one fight, he might not even last ten moves against Xu Xuan. The opponent was merely a Qi Refining stage cultivator; although he was at the ninth level of Qi Refining, he had not yet reached the peak of the ninth level and still had some distance to go before the true Spirit Refining stage. Under such circumstances, being able to completely overpower a veteran Spirit Refining stage immortal master was unheard of throughout the entire Yellow Dragon City region.

If Xu Xuan's intent hadn't been to annihilate all three in one fell swoop, single-handedly assassinating any one of them would have been effortless.

"Without closing in to leverage physical force, it's difficult to break through Huang Wandu's defense layer."

Xu Xuan took a deep breath and quickly made up his mind.

Swish!

He suddenly left the cave entrance, his figure darting forward like a venomous snake, lightning-fast as he closed in on Huang Wandu, the one with the highest cultivation. A fist infused with the momentum of the environment propelled a scorching, heart-burning wave of air, fiercely slamming toward Huang Wandu.

The space inside the fire cave was narrow, leaving Huang Wandu nowhere to dodge. A fierce glint flashed in his eyes as he channeled his lifelong magic power, striking out with a layer of greenish toxic light a foot thick from the palm of his hand to meet Xu Xuan's attack head-on.

Bang! Crash!

The two collided fiercely with fist and palm. Huang Wandu immediately let out a muffled groan, his face turning pale as he staggered backward.

However, the moment Xu Xuan and Huang Wandu collided head-on, Lin Hui and Zhong Hong on the other side gritted their teeth and, braving the residual shockwaves of the energy, fled desperately toward the entrance of the Earth Spirit Fire Cave.

In this situation, how could they still fail to realize that even the combined strength of all three of them was no match for Xu Xuan? At this point, running for their lives was their only glimmer of hope.

"You two traitors—uh..." Huang Wandu was practically driven mad with fury. He was risking his life to hold off Xu Xuan while the other two seized the opportunity to escape.

A look of mockery appeared in Xu Xuan's eyes. Just as he had anticipated, the moment he abandoned the entrance and took the initiative to attack, someone would seize the chance to flee.

Swish!

Leveraging the recoil from his head-on clash with Huang Wandu, his figure shot backward through the air like an agile snake. In that instant, his entire body flattened horizontally in mid-air, his head facing backward, carrying a violent and raging heat as he instantly rushed toward the entrance.

Thud! Crash!

One tall, burly figure had his chest and internal organs crushed by Xu Xuan's head impact. Screaming miserably, his body crashed onto the ground and immediately breathed its last, leaving behind a bloody, mangled corpse.

The person who died was none other than Zhong Hong!

As for the other person, Lin Hui, who had been approaching the cave entrance, was scared out of his wits and began rolling on the ground, fleeing deeper inside along the stone steps.

Witnessing this scene, Huang Wandu felt his heart pound with extreme dread. Xu Xuan’s schemes were so formidable; on the surface, he intended to attack him, but in reality, he was deliberately exposing a flaw to intercept and kill the two weaker ones.

In truth, from the moment Xu Xuan retreated through the air, he had set a trap, forcing the three of them into a desperate dead end.

Having executed Zhong Hong in one blow, Xu Xuan had no time to pursue Lin Hui. That fellow was too cautious and cunning, slipping away into the depths of the cave in a flurry of tumbles.

If Xu Xuan let go to chase Lin Hui, Huang Wandu might also escape. Xu Xuan’s cultivation was inferior to his opponent's, and speed was not his strong suit, so he lacked absolute certainty.

Meticulous in thought, Xu Xuan blocked the cave entrance once again. The only difference was that this time, he had already slain one of them.

Inside the fire cave, the remaining two felt cold to their bones. The terror of impending death gave Xu Xuan an inexplicable thrill of pleasure.

With the advantage of favorable timing and terrain, Xu Xuan now controlled the life and death of both men. The only variable was the exact timing of their deaths.

Roar!

With a loud shout, Xu Xuan threw another punch, charging toward Huang Wandu.

This time, he deliberately left a gap again, but Lin Hui didn't dare make the same mistake twice. If he tried to escape now, it would be a dead end.

Hiding in a corner, Lin Hui maintained his guard while manipulating a magical artifact to incessantly harass and attack Xu Xuan's lower body.

As a Spirit Refining stage immortal master, Huang Wandu remained the primary combatant, but in the repeated exchanges of blows, he was thoroughly suppressed.

Every direct collision inflicted another wound upon him. If this continued, Huang Wandu definitely wouldn't last much longer.

As for Lin Hui's attacks, Xu Xuan could simply ignore them, though they did serve as a minor distraction.

Time slowly passed. Xu Xuan did not resort to secret techniques, choosing instead to steadily suppress his foes.

Realizing he had reached the end of his tether, Huang Wandu panted heavily, his injuries worsening by the moment. Not only was he defeated physically, but his psychological state had also been plunged into an abyss of despair and helplessness.

After just ten breaths, Huang Wandu let out a wretched cry, forced into a corner with a pale face and severe injuries.

Xu Xuan grew bolder with every exchange, his palms striking left and right amidst a thrilling series of fiery explosions that echoed through the cave. Wisps of flame burst from the surrounding rock walls, seemingly fueling the momentum of his assault.

Crack!

Finally, Huang Wandu's protective spiritual shield was shattered by Xu Xuan's brute force.

Just as Huang Wandu attempted to struggle, Xu Xuan closed in and delivered a precise palm strike straight to his heart. A flash of fiery light later, Huang Wandu let out a miserable scream as his heart and pulse shattered, killing him instantly.

The very moment Wang Wandu was executed, Lin Hui lunged desperately toward the exit of the Earth Spirit Fire Cave.

A mocking curve touched the corner of Xu Xuan's mouth. If two people had fled in opposite directions simultaneously, it might have been slightly troublesome, but with only one person, there was zero chance of survival.

Before Lin Hui could barely escape the entrance of the cave, Xu Xuan was already in hot pursuit.

"Save—"

Lin Hui shouted at the top of his lungs, but his voice was cut short abruptly.

His throat had already been seized in a tight grip by Xu Xuan. His body convulsed and trembled in mid-air, his eyes filled with terror and desperate pleading as he gasped, "Spare me... let me live."

Xu Xuan understood the meaning in his eyes, but completely ignored it. Dragging him like a captured chick, he hauled the fellow back into the Earth Spirit Fire Cave.

To kill a man was to destroy his corpse as well.

This Earth Spirit Fire Cave was the ideal location. The blazing fires periodically erupting from the magma along the cave walls could easily burn bones into ashes.

Xu Xuan's hatred and murderous intent toward Lin Hui ran deep. Ever since he had entered the Zhang family, this fellow had constantly made things difficult for him and never once given up on plotting against him.

Crack!

Upon returning to the interior of the fire cave, Xu Xuan snapped Lin Hui's neck without a second word.

Night brings many dreams; it was better to execute this fellow first.

Immediately afterward, dead silence enveloped the entire Earth Spirit Fire Cave, leaving only Xu Xuan behind.

Aside from him, there were three blood-stained corpses.

Frowning slightly, Xu Xuan dragged the three bodies toward the magma-covered rock wall of the cave. The licking flames ignited the corpses in mere moments.

As for the signs of battle inside the cave, Xu Xuan threw a few punches, using a wave of flame energy to evaporate the bloodstains. As for the remaining storage bags, magical artifacts, and other items—aside from spirit stones and raw materials—all suspicious objects were thrown directly into the magma wall to be destroyed.

In less than half an hour, Xu Xuan had cleared away every single trace of evidence inside the Earth Spirit Fire Cave and around its entrance.

Logically speaking, since these three had attempted to kill him in self-defense, even if the Zhang family found out, they wouldn't punish him. However, eliminating potential troubles made things much easier for Xu Xuan.

Late that very night, numerous patrolling immortal masters appeared throughout the Red Wood Forest, conducting thorough searches everywhere.

Before long, a squad of law enforcement immortal masters arrived at the Earth Spirit Fire Cave.

"Guest Elder Xu, we have been ordered to search for Lin Hui's corpse here. Half an hour ago, Deputy Commander Lin Hui's life talisman shattered within the clan, clearly indicating he was murdered. This was the last region where he went missing. We wonder if you heard any commotion or discovered any abnormalities during this time..."

The leader of the law enforcement squad inquired respectfully.

Xu Xuan couldn't help clicking his tongue inwardly. Lin Hui was, after all, a core member of the clan; he had barely been dead for half an hour before the Zhang family responded.

In major factions, core members and important figures always left behind life talismans stored in secure locations. The moment someone perished, it would immediately trigger a warning sign.

"I have been in closed-door cultivation the entire time, completely unaware of what happened outside, nor did I perceive any commotion," Xu Xuan replied with an expression as calm as stagnant water.

The squad of law enforcement immortals did not press further and soon departed.

Xu Xuan thought to himself that the corpses of the three had long since turned to ash, effectively vaporizing them from the mortal realm. Who could possibly find the true culprit?

With a clear conscience, he continued his cultivation inside the Earth Spirit Fire Cave.

However, over the next few days, a massive uproar swept through the Zhang estate.

The reason was that Lin Hui wasn't the only one who had gone missing and died; two others had vanished alongside him, including a Spirit Refining stage immortal master.

The Zhang family immediately stepped up their efforts to track down the true culprit within the estate.

Yet, not a single trace or clue could be found anywhere in the Zhang mansion, save for the fact that the three of them had met up for a gathering before their disappearance.

It wasn't until the fifth day that the Zhang family invited an extraordinary figure.

"Brother Chu, that's the situation... To be able to annihilate these three without a sound and leave not a single trace—throughout the entire Zhang estate, such people can be counted on one hand."

Zhang Feng recounted the entire incident from beginning to end.

Chu Dong stood quietly, his hands clasped behind his back, asking a few brief questions before closing his eyes and remaining silent.

After a long while, Chu Dong opened his eyes. His expression remained calm without a ripple, and after exhaling a breath of stale air, he uttered:

"The mastermind... I know who it is."