Inside, Xia Liuqing was already cursing Shen Chong and the others a thousand times over.
He remembered how, during the mission assignment, they had all looked so righteous—volunteering to go stall the Old Celestial Master.
Back then, he'd even admired them, thinking, So there are people in Quan Xing who value loyalty and sacrifice.
But now?
That so-called "loyalty" was a damn joke. His group was the one thrown into a death trap.
A bitter taste rose in his throat. This mission… it might be his last. He didn't even know if he'd ever see his beloved Jin Feng again.
Faced with Hikaru Uchiha's calm questioning, the two didn't respond.
Hikaru's tone was casual, but carried undeniable weight.
"If you won't say it, then I'll say it for you. Hand over the Six Vaulted Immortal Bandits, and I might let you live."
Those words hit like a thunderclap.
Baron's pupils constricted.
He knew the number of people aware of his connection to the Six Vaulted Immortal Bandits was extremely limited.
Yet somehow, Hikaru had found out.
And Hikaru's power… was far beyond what Baron could comprehend.
There was no way to win.
Escape became his only option.
Baron immediately turned and bolted.
But how could anyone run from Hikaru?
With a simple wave of his hand, Baron was yanked back mid-sprint—dragged through the air—and collapsed unconscious at Hikaru's feet, limp and powerless.
Hikaru placed a hand on Baron's forehead, flipping through his memories as easily as turning pages in a book.
This technique—fluid and terrifying—shattered what little hope remained in Xia Liuqing's heart.
He knew now: not only could he not win, he couldn't even escape.
There was no point in completing the mission anymore.
He just hoped that once Hikaru was done digging through Baron's mind… he'd show mercy.
Meanwhile, the chaos on the field was swiftly dying down.
Thanks to Hikaru's intervention, all of the frenzied attackers had collapsed, and the others finally turned their attention toward his side of the battlefield.
But Hikaru had acted so fast, only those close by had any idea what happened.
To the rest, it just looked like the chaos ended because the puppet master had been defeated, or maybe the technique's duration simply expired.
Still, it was Hikaru's final words—Six Vaulted Immortal Bandits—that stirred a ripple through the crowd.
The name struck like a gong in the minds of the ambitious.
And none reacted more intensely than Wang Bing.
Among the younger generation of the Wang Clan, Wang Bing was known for his arrogance and self-importance.
He believed himself a chosen one—destined to inherit the world.
Even though the earlier chaos had left him a bit disheveled, he hadn't suffered a scratch.
That only fed his delusions further.
Now that he knew Hikaru had captured someone tied to the Six Vaulted Immortal Bandits, Wang Bing strutted over arrogantly and barked:
"Hey. Hand him over. That kind of thing isn't for someone like you to touch."
In Wang Bing's world, he was the center of the universe. Everyone else? Side characters.
He didn't bother learning Hikaru's name. Didn't care what he'd done.
He even added:
"And that technique you used earlier… I like it. Copy it for me. Got that?"
But arrogance like his was laughable before Hikaru.
Hikaru barely glanced at him.
And that one look—was all it took.
Wang Bing fell, as if sucked into an endless void. A Genjutsu space deeper than anything he could've imagined.
There, his soul began a long descent through hell.
He started in the Tongue-Pulling Hell. Then down—layer by layer.
Each year passed in torment. And just when he thought he'd reached the end—eighteen layers in—
He was back at the beginning.
Again.
And again.
And again.
In this endless cycle, his soul slowly unraveled.
Back in reality, Wang Bing simply froze… then dropped like a puppet with cut strings.
No breath.
No sound.
Gone.
His death was silent—but louder than any threat.
The crowd fell into stunned silence.
Those who had begun to move with greed stopped mid-step.
None dared move again.
Yet there's always one more idiot.
A red-haired man—his hair and even eyebrows crimson—strode forward while still talking on the phone.
"Yeah, mom, I know. Big bro brought it on himself, but I still gotta stand up for him."
On the other end, his mother's crying was faintly audible.
"Don't cry, okay? I'm not going to fight him. You know your son—always keeps his word, never lies… okay, I gotta go."
He hung up and looked toward Hikaru.
He hadn't said it outright, but everyone could tell why he was here.
Trouble.
Hikaru, meanwhile, had just received confirmation from the system—Six Vaulted Immortal Bandits acquired.
He released Baron, then turned his gaze toward the newcomer.
"You're Jia Zhengliang, right?" Hikaru asked calmly. "Here for your brother?"
Jia Zhengliang raised a brow. "Yeah. I'm here for that. Sure, my brother tried to sneak attack you, and sure, he got what he deserved. But he was still my brother."
"I came here to ask for an explanation."
Hikaru chuckled.
"An explanation? What kind of explanation do you want?"
Snap.
At the sound of Hikaru's fingers, Jia Zhengliang was instantly wracked with pain—like he'd been dunked into boiling oil.
His body screamed in agony, and he collapsed to his knees uncontrollably.
"This is your explanation," Hikaru said coldly.
"Your brother attacked me. If I weren't strong enough, I'd be dead right now. Would you go demand justice for me?"
Jia Zhengliang couldn't speak. He could only shake his head in pain.
"In this world, it's kill or be killed," Hikaru continued.
"Your so-called 'justice' means nothing to me. And if you ever show up again—I won't just kill you."
"I'll wipe Jia Family Village off the map."