Chapter 70: Inciting Conflict

Chen Ling watched from the side as Yan Xicai stripped the killing intent from the enforcer, his eyes gradually lighting up like torches.

“He can do that?” Chen Ling was utterly astonished. This was his first time witnessing a skill from the Book God Path. With just one word, it could immobilize a person and even plunder killing intent. While he didn't know if this 'Swallow' character could take other things, the effects displayed so far were just as abnormal as those of the Faceless. He also wondered what rank Pu Wen was. As everyone focused on Yan Xicai, Chen Ling quietly transformed into a spider and crept out of the gully while watching the unfolding drama.

Having drained the killing intent from one enforcer in a single go, Yan Xicai distinctly felt his own state improve. It was an exhilarating feeling of satisfaction and confidence he had never experienced before. He immediately moved to the second enforcer and began absorbing again.

Ten streams of killing intent; twenty-two streams of killing intent; thirty-five streams of killing intent… As one enforcer after another lost their killing intent and collapsed limply, Yan Xicai's eyes visibly reddened, and an indescribable ferocity surged from within him. The killing intent accumulating inside him grew, but the Weapon God Path remained unresponsive, and a strong sense of irritation welled up in his heart.

“Not enough, still not enough!” Yan Xicai absorbed another sixteen streams of killing intent, roughly pushing the newly drained enforcer to the ground before violently grabbing the next one by the shoulder. “How many do you have left?”

“Ten… fifteen,” the enforcer stammered, clearly intimidated by Yan Xicai.

Without a word, Yan Xicai pressed a hand to his chest, and the killing intent surged madly into his body through the vortex in his palm.

Xiao Jian, whose cheek was cut by a blade, had the least killing intent and was at the very end of the line. He watched as Yan Xicai gradually approached, his heart pounding in his throat.

“Still not enough! There’s only one left… just one more!” After consuming the killing intent of the seventh enforcer, the Weapon God Path still showed no reaction. Yan Xicai lowered his head, his eyes blood-red, and rushed up to Xiao Jian. “How many do you have?!”

“Se… seven.”

“Only seven?! You only have seven?” Yan Xicai’s twisted face was almost touching Xiao Jian’s. “Useless!!” He kicked out, sending Xiao Jian sprawling. The latter then felt a hand firmly pressed against his chest, and a suction force emanated from the palm.

“It won’t absorb,” Pu Wen’s voice suddenly cut in. “He hasn’t opened his mind and consented to the ‘Swallow’ character.”

Yan Xicai’s pupils slightly contracted. He stomped heavily on Xiao Jian’s chest and roared, “What are you doing?! Spit out that killing intent, now!”

Xiao Jian was left dazed by Yan Xicai’s kicks, his mind a blank for a moment.

“Do you really not want to be an enforcer anymore? Do you believe me when I say one word from me can get your whole family killed?” Yan Xicai’s roar came again, like a beast growling in Xiao Jian’s ear.

At these words, Xiao Jian’s pupils constricted. A flicker of struggle crossed his face, but he ultimately relaxed his body, allowing the ‘Swallow’ character to drain the killing intent from within him. As the killing intent rapidly vanished, so did his confidence and dignity. An unprecedented emptiness washed over him, leaving him unable to move even a finger, and he slumped weakly to the ground.

After absorbing the last of the killing intent, Yan Xicai’s eyes were blood-red. At that moment, he resembled a butcher fresh from a sea of blood and gore, his mere gaze enough to terrify a crying infant into silence. He spat viciously at the corpse-like Xiao Jian, his eyes filled with brutality and malevolence.

After using the ‘Swallow’ character so many times in a row, Pu Wen was visibly exhausted. He looked at Yan Xicai, whose demeanor had drastically changed, and his brow furrowed in a deep frown.

“He’s absorbed so much killing intent, yet it still hasn’t drawn the Weapon God Path?” Through this method of plunder, Yan Xicai’s accumulated killing intent was undoubtedly the most in the entire Weapon Path Ancient Treasury. Even among previous enforcers, few could have accumulated nearly a hundred streams of killing intent within 24 hours. Yet, despite all this, the foundation of the Weapon God Path remained completely unresponsive. It hung high above the clouds, like a proud and discerning emperor of slaughter, and Yan Xicai had never once entered its gaze.

“Yan Xicai, are you feeling alright?” Pu Wen asked.

“Me? I feel great!” Yan Xicai’s eyes were bloodshot. He took a deep breath, his gaze fixed on the dark red gem above the clouds. “But I’ve accumulated nearly a hundred streams of killing intent! Why hasn’t it triggered the Weapon God Path?!”

“Perhaps… it’s still not enough killing intent,” Pu Wen paused. “Or perhaps, you truly aren’t suited for the Weapon God Path.”

“Nonsense!” Yan Xicai’s eyes widened. “I’m the one chosen by the Weapon God Path! How could I not be suited for it? It must be that the Weapon God Path has too high expectations for me! That’s why it hasn’t descended yet…”

His voice abruptly cut off. He stared blankly at the empty ground,愣 for several seconds before snapping back to reality. “Wait, where’s my Bai Qi Token?!!” Yan Xicai distinctly remembered carefully placing the token on the ground before he started absorbing the killing intent… How could it have vanished in an instant?

“Someone’s there!” someone shouted, and everyone looked up. On a nearby hill, a familiar figure was holding the Bai Qi Token. He glanced back at Yan Xicai, a sneer playing on his lips… It was Usurper Number 8. The next moment, his figure vanished from the spot. No one noticed that behind him, in the void, a paper-thin skin silently drifted to the ground.

Yan Xicai’s breathing immediately grew ragged! “Usurpers?!!!” he roared through clenched teeth. “You’re asking for death!!”

Yan Xicai had absorbed nearly a hundred streams of killing intent, yet still hadn’t gained the Weapon God Path’s attention, which already infuriated him. But at least he still had the Bai Qi Token. Even if he couldn’t embark on the Weapon God Path this time, he could use his identity as “the one chosen by the Weapon God Path” to return to Aurora City and reclaim everything he had… Now, however, his only chance to turn the tide had been stolen by the Usurpers, right before his eyes. What difference was there between this and directly stealing his life?

“Damn it, when did they start targeting us?” Pu Wen wondered, thoughtfully. “Could their goal be the Bai Qi Token?”

“To hell with the Usurpers!!” Yan Xicai exploded like a fully ignited powder keg, raging. “Do they really think I’m afraid of them? Chase them!”

“Calm down. We’re no match for them.”

“We weren’t before, but that might not be the case now. There are so many enforcers in this ancient treasury who have embarked on the Weapon God Path; can’t I command them?!” Yan Xicai snarled fiercely. “Money makes the world go round… If the Usurpers dare to covet my Bai Qi Token, I’ll take their lives!”