Chapter 54 - Chopping Heads!

It was already noon. Although it was autumn, the sun was burning hot.

A group of people were trekking on a forest trail southeast of Baiyang Town. A few large but simple carriages carrying luggage were being pulled alongside them. Most of the people in the group were elderly, children, or women, and all of them looked pale. “Mother, why are we leaving Baiyang Town?”

“I don’t want to go to Grandmother’s house ... Sob ...”

A few kids were throwing tantrums, but the adults dragged them on and they continued walking begrudgingly.

Then, the group stopped suddenly. The two middle-aged men with bloodshot eyes leading the group in front turned around. They were Yang Qingxuan and Yang Yuntian.

Behind them were Yang Wu, Yang Lingyue, and Yang Lingqing.

They were still on guard against the Bai family, so they hadn’t made a sound since leaving Baiyang Town.

Yang Qingxuan and Yang Yuntian looked at the three of them. Yang Yuntian clenched his teeth and said, “All three of you listen up. If you fail to keep the Yang blood alive, I will haunt you when I become a ghost!”

Yang Wu was maintaining his composure, but Yang Lingyue and Lingqing were crying uncontrollably. The two girls looked into their fathers’ bloodshot eyes, thinking about all the things they had said. They knew the two men were heading towards their deaths.

When they thought about the Yang family’s future and the responsibilities on their shoulders, their hearts instantly filled with bitterness and sorrow.

They had lived carefree lives in the Yang family since young. No one had expected such a huge misfortune to befall them all of a sudden. These three young men and women had no choice but to lead their family to escape.

All of the strongest family members had to go fight the enemy, even if it meant certain death. How could the teenagers bear such a pitiful farewell when they knew what the outcome was going to be?

Although Yang Qingxuan hadn’t said anything, the women already had some inkling about the fight between the Bai and Yang families. Many were sobbing softly as they thought about all the grave end to the conflict, though it quickly turned into heavy crying. “Why are you crying? I’ll kill you if you don’t stop!”

When Yang Yuntian saw how pitiful their morale was, his solemn gaze swept across the group. Although he was not very powerful, he was a dignified man. The women and children were very afraid of him. After this outburst, they dared not cry anymore, but they knew in their hearts that the Yang family was done for.

Compared to the Bai family, who had always been the strongest in Baiyang Town, the truth was that they were weaker.

When Yang Qingxuan saw that everyone had quietened down, he said flatly, “Don’t overthink it. We moved you all out of Baiyang Town so that you will be safer, which will allow us to fully focus on the fight. It doesn’t mean we have lost! We will come to find you as soon as we have defeated that psychotic bastard!

“You will all listen to Yang Wu, Yang Lingqing, and Lingyue. If you do not listen to their instructions and cause any delays, you will face my wrath! I need to go now. Second Brother, let’s go!” After giving his instructions, Yang Qingxuan looked at the three siblings and nodded. He then said softly, “Wu’er, Yue’er, Qing’er, the future of the Yang family is in your hands. But I believe you will do well because you are children of the Yang family and you were all raised well!”

Yang Wu nodded tearfully. “Father, don’t worry about us. I will do my best, even if it costs me my life. But you must promise me you’ll come back alive ...”

“Father, I can’t live without you ...” Yang Lingyue was pale with grief.

Yang Lingqing looked at Yang Yuntian, then at Yang Qingxuan. Although she felt great sorrow, there was still deep confidence in her eyes. Because there was one person she knew who would never let the Yang family suffer.

Although she had no proof, she had faith. That teenager had surprised her many times, doing things she never thought possible.

As they were leaving, Yang Qingxuan suddenly turned to Yang Wu. “If Long Chen returns, listen to his instructions. But if he gets impulsive, you must stop him even if it costs you your life!”

Before Yang Wu could respond, Yang Qingxuan and Yang Yuntian disappeared. Yang Wu, Yang Lingyue, and Yang Lingqing looked at each other bitterly, feeling great fear and helplessness inside. “Let’s go. We must live on.”

Regaining his composure, Yang Wu clenched his teeth and commanded the group to proceed. Yang Lingyue and Lingqing could only clench their teeth and hold on too, despite the helplessness and pain they felt. “O heavens, please protect the Yang family. Please watch over my grandfather, my father, and my uncle. Please watch over ... him ...”

The Yang family traveled in an orderly fashion under the leadership of the three young Yangs. When they were gone, two shadows leaped down from the trees and smirked. “Is the Yang family letting their young escape? So that’s why the Bai family hired more than ten of us to guard Baiyang Town. Come, let’s report this to the Bai family. When Bai Zhanlong and the rest arrive, these people will be wiped out!”

“I heard that the Bai patriarch gave Bai Shichen and Bai Shiji the only two advanced spiritual medicines in the family inventory so Bai Shichen could fully recover and become a man again. He’s also almost at the Eighth Draconic Stage. Even Bai Shiji’s extremely severe injuries have healed ...”

“Do you see that? That’s Yang Lingqing walking with the group. Young master Bai Shichen was interested in her, I think ...”

“I wonder if he still likes her ...”

***

When he saw Yang Xueqing, Long Chen forcefully suppressed his boiling temper and did his best to return his breathing to normal. He could only fully utilize his abilities in this calm state.

Both Long Chen and the Yang patriarch were facing Bai Sheng and Bai Li directly as both sides approached each other. “Chen’er, why do you think they captured Xueqing but did not hurt her? And they’re still not using her to threaten us, why?”

Long Chen had the same thought too, but he grinned when he came up with the answer. “I guess they’re just very confident in themselves. They will probably only use my mother if they lose. But with her so near, would I even give them the chance to?”

“Chen’er, can you take on Bai Li?”

Long Chen looked at the old man slowly approaching with blazing eyes. He was obviously a man who had weathered thousands of battles. Long Chen finally found an outlet for his hatred and rage in the Bai patriarch’s younger brother, Bai Li. When the Yang patriarch asked the question, Long Chen suddenly charged at Bai Li without a word!

When they saw Long Chen make the first move, the tension in the air exploded into violence. Long Chen led Bai Li away while the Yang patriarch and Bai Sheng, the lifelong-brothers-turned-sworn-enemies duo, engaged in an intense battle once more!

Long Chen had only taken one hit from Bai Li, but he felt completely suppressed by his opponent’s powerful Qi and stumbled backwards from the force. Bai Shi was first shocked by Long Chen’s reaction, then he burst into laughter. “How dare you act like you’re my equal when your cultivation level is so low! You must be dreaming. I’ve got to stop you from spreading the lies that you’re some sort of prodigy, so I have no choice but to kill you today!”

The Yang patriarch lost confidence too when he saw how easily Long Chen was thrown backwards by Bai Li’s attack. But after Long Chen was forced back, he suddenly looked up and smirked. “It was just one good punch. What’s there to be so smug about? Looks like the cultivators of the Bai family are only as strong as common peasants. As for killing, let’s see whose head gets chopped off first!”

As he spoke, Long Chen started his Dragon Soul Transformation. They were shocked when they saw him do this at the Yang residence, but the effect was much more intense at close range. When the Bai patriarch saw the red dragon scales and bony spines on Long Chen’s body, it triggered the memory of his son’s death and the fire of rage erupted within him! “Second Brother, remember this: you must avenge my son!”

Bai Li eyed the blood-red scales that covered Long Chen’s body, first in shock, then in excitement as he licked his lips. “So it’s true that you’re a Beast Warrior. But even the most powerful Beast Warriors only get a boost of one stage after transformation. I have broken through the Heavenly Dragon Vein; you won’t believe how powerful I am ...

“Don’t worry, Big Brother! This kid is a piece of cake to me! He may have transformed, but it looks like his Beast Soul Transformation isn’t complete. I can’t even tell what beast he cultivated. If he isn’t even up to par with a true Beast Warrior, how could he escape me?”

Although the Yang patriarch still had questions about Long Chen’s transformation, he was locked in an intense battle with Bai Sheng. Bai Li laughed coldly. He moved his foot, and a powerful gust of wind rushed at Long Chen. When he pointed a finger, the wind turned into a liquid vortex and attacked Long Chen like the Yellow River had materialized before his very eyes! “Kid, you can’t even imagine what the Ninth Draconic Stage holds!

“Abyssal Heaven Finger, Nine Yellow Rivers! Spin, spin, spin!”

Nine Yellow Rivers. Long Chen was all too familiar with this technique. He’d seen Bai Shichen use it, then Bai Zhanxiong, and now Bai Li. Bai Li’s version was several times more violent than Bai Zhanxiong’s, but Long Chen was obviously not the same person who had faced Bai Zhanxiong anymore. He remained calm in the face of this surging attack.

The infinite power in his body, along with the blood-red Qi that was ten times stronger than regular Qi, gave him unwavering confidence!

This was the first time Long Chen would be using all his power in a fight to the death after reaching the Seventh Draconic Stage, and his opponent was going to be a powerful cultivator like Bai Li! “I once used the Primordial Dragon Seal to defeat Bai Zhanxiong’s Nine Yellow Rivers of the Abyssal Heaven Finger. This time, I’ll use the Vast Dragon Seal to defeat yours. If not, how will I show that I’ve improved ...”