But Chen Xiao would never let her get away with it. The spatial disruption from Eight-Directions Annihilation shredded the black-hole style gateway apart in an instant. The portal was torn to fragments—no one dared step inside for fear of being killed the moment they crossed the threshold.
The Gate-Carrying Divine General frowned. "Mad Ghost Butcher — I'll take you on!"
He grabbed an iron gate and charged.
Chen Xiao casually drew a water long-saber into his hand. The blade spun, cold and bright.
"Gate-Carrying Divine General — that is the strike Chen Xiao used to kill Li Taixuan," An Xinning muttered, voice trembling; she had heard the stories but never pictured it so plainly.
The Divine General roared and combined the four gates on his back with three more nearby into a seven-gate defensive array—an impregnable formation, or so everyone thought.
"Even if the Mad Ghost Butcher is strong… with the Divine General's gifted physique and seven refined gates, he should be able to hold," someone murmured.
An Xinning knew the man's two talents: SSS-rank Black Insect Carapace, which could shrug off most firearms, and S-rank Insect Power Amplification, which granted terrifying strength. She prayed inwardly—this was their last hope.
Chen Xiao advanced anyway. He raised the cyan halberd made of water and struck.
Crack—crack—crack. The iron gates sheared like paper. The halberd pierced the Gate-Carrying Divine General as if he were nothing but wind; a geyser of blood sprayed. He collapsed to his knees, breath ebbing away.
"How… how is this possible?" An Xinning's composure shattered. One of Huaxia's Divine Generals—sent to protect the region—had fallen to a single strike. Where had such obscene power come from?
Rumors rippled through the crowd: "After wiping out the top three families, is he going to batter his way into the military region too? This is beyond terrifying…"
People began to whisper about defecting, about finding safety under Jiangbei. The atmosphere turned to ice.
Chen Xiao flicked the blood from his hand as if it were nothing. He looked at An Xinning with a cold, placid gaze.
"You're the only one left."
He closed distance in a blink—space folding, intent concentrated. In his right hand flashed the Green Snake Jasper Sword; its edge rested against An Xinning's throat. The aura of death pressed in.
An Xinning did not cower. She stared straight into Chen Xiao's eyes, unbowed. That stubbornness made Chen Xiao pause; something in her caught his interest.
"You think I won't kill you?" he asked.
"You killed Yuan Zheng," she replied.
"So you think I spare women out of mercy?" Chen Xiao's sneer cut through.
"You spared creation-type talent holders when you wiped out the top three families," An Xinning said, voice calm but edged with steel.
Chen Xiao tossed the sword into the Mountain-and-River Map, then stepped closer. He leaned in until their faces were inches apart. At the last breath, An Xinning slapped him—but Chen Xiao caught her wrist.
"Three days," he said flatly. "I want an explanation from the Military Region in three days."
With those words his expression went cold. An Xinning's talent was dangerous; if she developed further it could become catastrophic. He called for Ouyang Shao and strode toward the Star-Moon Base—he intended to take its supplies. That was a debt he decided must be repaid. As for the auction attendees… they could fend for themselves.
An Xinning watched his departing back, her chest tight. He'd burned her entire foundation, and then demanded answers—how dare he? Still, she knew what this meant: Pei Tianyuan would rend her to pieces.
A black hole opened behind her. She stepped through and instantly the surroundings changed. In a blink she was in a familiar study—the Military Region office.
Pei Tianyuan sat there, tea cup in hand. When he saw An Xinning return alone he nearly spat out his tea.
"Xinning, where are the others? What happened?" he demanded.
An Xinning stood silent for a moment, eyes hollow. When she finally spoke, the words came out thin and dreadful: "They're dead. All of them. It's my fault. I shouldn't have entered the teleportation so blindly—I trusted the region's strength too much. The result taught me that there's always someone stronger…"
Pei Tianyuan's pupils dilated. "What!" he barked. "Are you serious?"
He knew exactly who she'd brought—among them the Huaxia Gate-Carrying Divine General. All dead? That was unthinkable.
"Xinning," Pei Tianyuan said gravely, "this isn't a joke. Tell me every detail. Casualties like this… you've caused a disaster unprecedented since the apocalypse."
An Xinning forced herself to meet his gaze. "We encountered… that man."
Pei Tianyuan's face went rigid as recognition struck. He slammed his fist on his thigh and pointed at the portrait on the wall.
"Foolish! You've been foolish!"