Ding Shijie began advancing toward Jiang Shuijue as he spoke, his right hand slowly turning blood-red, as if about to seep crimson liquid. The members of the Golden Eagle Alliance stepped back, seemingly clearing enough space for Ding Shijie.
"Bluffing!" Gu Mingfeng hefted his massive iron hammer and stepped forward, rock-like patterns emerging on his skin as his spiritual source technique, "Rock Skin," activated. Ling Yi gripped a longsword in his right hand, crystalline substance spreading from his arm onto the blade and extending back toward his limb. Jiang Shuijue revealed a pair of foot-long blades, her delicate brows furrowing as she said, "Are you determined to fight us? It will end in mutual destruction."
Ding Shijie smiled faintly and shook his head. "No mutual destruction. I can see you three are the leaders here. I believe if I kill you, the others will obediently join the Golden Eagle Alliance. Anyone who refuses will be killed too. Even if I slay five or seven today, the vast majority will still join."
Su Li had been silently observing, but at this, he couldn't help frowning. Ding Shijie's intentions might be good—uniting everyone to find a way out—but his methods were too extreme. Forcing everyone to join through violence, killing those who refused, would undoubtedly provoke resistance.
Seeing Ding Shijie advance alone while the others retreated, Gu Mingfeng glared, his eyes wide. "You think you can take all three of us by yourself? That's arrogant."
"Arrogant?" Ding Shijie suddenly laughed, stomped his foot, and in a blur, appeared before Gu Mingfeng. His speed was terrifying. Gu Mingfeng barely managed a roar before Ding Shijie's blood-red right fist slammed into his chest.
*Bam!* An irresistible force erupted. Gu Mingfeng grunted, flew backward, and crashed heavily onto a raft behind him. The raft couldn't withstand the immense power and splintered apart with a crack.
The punch's momentum was shocking. Though Gu Mingfeng's Rock Skin protected him from having his chest caved in, leaving no visible wound, the terrifying force still injured his internal organs. As he fell, blood seeped from the corner of his mouth, his face a mix of shock and fury.
Ling Yi's crystalline sword stabbed silently. He was a man of few words, always quiet, but his strength surpassed Gu Mingfeng's. Now, his eyes showed unprecedented gravity. He understood why this man dared to be so arrogant, to fight three alone—being the leader of the Golden Eagle Alliance meant he had extraordinary skills.
Ling Yi thrust three times in an instant, all blocked by Ding Shijie's right arm. The crystalline sword hissed against the scorching arm but couldn't wound it. Jiang Shuijue struck simultaneously, her blades aimed at Ding Shijie's throat and abdomen.
The six Golden Eagle Alliance members watched, their expressions relaxed, clearly confident in Ding Shijie. "Boss, kill the two men, but spare the woman for the brothers to enjoy..." the injured Old Zhang chuckled, his eyes fixed on Jiang Shuijue with ill intent.
Before he finished, Gu Mingfeng, enraged, scrambled up from the broken raft, ready to roar, but a furious shout cut through: "Shut up!" A flash of movement followed as Ding Shijie, who had just closed in on Ling Yi and Jiang Shuijue, shot backward at incredible speed. Old Zhang saw a blur, then heard the crack of breaking bones in his chest. He opened his mouth, blood spraying, and flew several meters before crashing into the water.
Everyone was stunned. Even Jiang Shuijue and Ling Yi paused. Gu Mingfeng, about to bellow, gaped speechlessly. Had the Golden Eagle Alliance leader gone mad? Why had he suddenly struck down his own man?
The punch was devastating. Several ribs in Old Zhang's chest were broken, his mouth full of blood. Worse, the high heat from Ding Shijie's right fist had melted the skin and flesh on Old Zhang's chest, leaving a gaping hole where internal organs fused together, with water pouring in. He struggled in the water, unwilling to sink, each movement spewing more blood. His eyes, fixed on Ding Shijie, were filled with terror, his face twisted.
Everyone knew he was in his death throes. Such a severe injury meant he likely wouldn't survive. The others stood in stunned silence, afraid to speak.
Ding Shijie coldly watched Old Zhang thrashing. "I want to kill them because they hinder my vision. Sacrificing them is necessary for the majority to have a way out. But what you just said? A beast like you doesn't deserve to live." Old Zhang's eyes rolled back, bubbles rising from his mouth as he lost strength and slowly sank. The others, who had just been calling him brother, dared not dive in to save him, watching silently.
Gu Mingfeng suddenly gave a thumbs-up. "Good. You may be a madman, but those words were human. A beast who disrespects women deserves to die." Ding Shijie grinned. "A madman? Maybe. For my vision, I can become an misunderstood madman. So today, you three will die."
He took a deep breath, his right hand growing even redder. The sleeve had vanished, his arm slightly swollen, veins bulging grotesquely. This time, Jiang Shuijue and Ling Yi turned grim, and Gu Mingfeng quickly joined them. Though three against one, they felt no ease. In that brief exchange, they realized the man's power. Even outnumbering him, they lacked full confidence.
"Jue, if things go wrong, remember to escape. My Rock Skin can hold him off a bit," Gu Mingfeng murmured to Jiang Shuijue. She stared at the advancing Ding Shijie, sweat beading on her pale forehead. "Don't be foolish. Didn't we promise to survive together?" Gu Mingfeng smiled bitterly. That single punch had shown him the terrifying strength—his Rock Skin had nearly failed.
Ding Shijie's right arm reached its limit. With a low growl like a beast's roar, the three before him felt their minds tremble, instinctively stepping back. Su Li, watching silently, sighed inwardly. He saw that Jiang Shuijue's group had been mentally shaken, their momentum crushed. They might only muster seventy to eighty percent of their strength, and in the next clash, casualties could occur.
Thinking this, Su Li finally moved. He stepped forward, inserting himself between Ding Shijie and the three. "Brother Ding—" His call and sudden appearance startled Ding Shijie, who had been at full power. Forced to halt, Ding Shijie's face flushed red as he struggled to speak. Su Li didn't seize the chance to attack. He respected Ding Shijie as a man, albeit stubborn and extreme, and hoped to persuade him to change his mind. A peaceful resolution would be best.
Jiang Shuijue's group, tense and ready to fight, were surprised by Su Li's intervention. They all looked at him. "Brother Su, what are you doing?" Ding Shijie asked, catching his breath with some displeasure. Su Li replied, "I feel an instant kinship with you, Brother Ding, but Miss Jiang and her companions have shown me great kindness. I hope you can let this matter go for my sake."
Ding Shijie was taken aback. "They've shown you kindness?" Jiang Shuijue's group, who had thought Su Li an ungrateful turncoat, now saw him step forward, and their opinion of him shifted dramatically. Jiang Shuijue's eyes lit up as she looked at him, feeling she hadn't misjudged him after all and regretting her earlier misunderstanding.
Su Li said, "Yes, a great debt I must repay. You're a man of passion, Brother Ding; you understand." Ding Shijie nodded. "Debts must be repaid. For your sake, Brother Su..." He paused, then declared, "Fine. For you, if you can persuade them to join the Golden Eagle Alliance, today's matter is settled. And if you bring the people of Zifeng Tower into the alliance, the second leader's position is yours. From now on, we brothers run this alliance."
Su Li hesitated, surprised by Ding Shijie's high regard, offering him the second-in-command spot, just below Ding Shijie himself. He showed a flicker of uncertainty, then looked at Jiang Shuijue, seeking her opinion.