Just as the townspeople cried out with the fragile hope that had only just been lit, the shadow beneath Kang Hao's feet suddenly twisted unnaturally before swelling like a living thing awakening from slumber.
Whoosh! Whoosh! Whoosh! Whoosh!
Four strands of shadow shot out in an instant, taking form as four Saint Kings.
Stab! Stab! Stab! Stab!
Blades pierced through Kang Hao's body from all four directions, blood spraying into the falling rain.
All the townspeople gasped without realizing it.
Kang Hao coughed up blood, yet the light in his eyes had not faded before he erupted with power.
Boom!!
The shockwave forced all four back.
His body was riddled with piercing wounds, yet black and white energy swirled around him like madness, the laws of life and death operating at full force as torn flesh slowly began to mend.
One of the men in black smiled with delight.
"Just surrender… Even if you're a Level 7 Saint King, with the poison inside you right now, even those ten Saints earlier nearly killed you."
Another added,
"If you surrender now… my young master is willing to offer you something beyond value."
The townspeople trembled when they heard this. Some were filled with fear that Kang Hao might accept, while others believed with all their hearts that he never would.
Kang Hao let out a soft laugh before speaking.
"I don't care…."
All four charged at once, and the battle erupted instantly.
Kang Hao dodged a blade that sliced past his eye before countering with a right punch to another's ribs, shattering bones with a loud crack, but another sword pierced straight through the joint of his right shoulder.
He slammed his left elbow into an enemy's face until it caved in, then spun to kick another flying.
But two waves of sword light slashed across his back.
Slash! Slash!
Long gashes opened across his back, yet life force burst out to heal while death energy surged in retaliation, corroding the arms of both enemies until flesh peeled away.
The battle grew so violent that the ground collapsed, houses shattered into fragments. Nearby townspeople were all injured, yet not a single one died.
Now drenched in blood, Kang Hao's regeneration began to slow. Every blade of the four men in black was incredibly hard to evade or counter. If he dodged one, the other three would strike, and no matter how badly they were injured, none of them showed the slightest sign of weakening.
The four Saint Kings gave him no chance to think for even a second. The first rushed in with a blade. Kang Hao raised his arm to block, the impact exploding the air outward as both bodies slid back dozens of meters.
The second warped behind him and thrust toward his torso, but Kang Hao spun and countered with a savage elbow. The sound of bone colliding with steel thundered, shaking the ground. Flesh and blood sprayed with every clash. Neither side retreated.
The third and fourth closed in from both sides, impacts ringing out like a storm of iron. Kang Hao was struck spinning through the air, yet he still forced counterattacks at every moment. His fist smashed into an enemy's face, bones collapsing as blood burst into a fine mist.
Suddenly, one of the men in black seized an opening and kicked Kang Hao violently under the chin. The crack of bone breaking rang out clearly as Kang Hao's body shot upward into the sky like a reversed shooting star.
Boom!!
In the next instant, the other three had already warped into the air to intercept him. Three swords thrust forward at the same time.
Stab! Stab! Stab!
All three blades pierced straight through Kang Hao's body from top to bottom, each striking a fatal point his head, his heart, his dantian before they forced the blades down and drove his body crashing into the ground.
Boommmmm!
The earth shattered into a massive crater as dust and smoke billowed up, covering everything.
Crying broke out.
"Lord City …"
"Please don't die…"
The boy he had saved sobbed uncontrollably.
"Please…"
As the dust slowly cleared, Kang Hao lay in the crater, the three swords still embedded in his body. Blood poured out, pooling beneath him. His breathing was faint as his body slowly regenerated under the law of life.
The four Saint Kings landed and surrounded him, drawing new blades from their spatial rings as they prepared to end everything. One of them spoke coldly.
"Like a cockroach… Even after all that, you're still not dead. But I have to admit, that law of yours is truly powerful."
But then, Kang Hao's finger twitched. Black and white energy began to swirl once more. The eyes that should have faded suddenly blazed again as he spoke in a hoarse whisper.
"I… can't lose yet…"
Boommmmm!!!!
The power of life and death erupted from his body like a black and white sun. He slowly raised his hand, his gaze filled with unshakable resolve.
The townspeople's eyes widened.
"Lord City Lord…!"
"Lord City Lord!"
The four Saint Kings froze as death energy surged from Kang Hao's hand like black flames.
"…Disperse."
One of them instantly dissolved into ash.
The remaining three charged forward, but Kang Hao roared as life and death power spun together into a storm. The moment they entered his radius, the black energy devoured them, their bodies disintegrating completely.
Silence fell over everything.
Kang Hao lay still once more amid the shattered ruins of the city, his body drenched in blood, the three swords still embedded in him.
His body slowly began to recover again. With his last remaining strength, he pulled the three blades out to allow the regeneration to proceed more easily.
The townspeople looked at him with eyes filled with faith and admiration.
Then a shout rang out.
"Lord City … Lord City has won!!!"
"Lord City has won!!!"
Crying, laughter, and cheers echoed throughout the city.
Amid the falling rain, Kang Hao lay breathing heavily in exhaustion.
…
The cheers of hope had not yet faded.
Suddenly, the air twisted without warning. A shadow tore through the rain at a speed that even a Saint King would struggle to follow.
Stab!
A blade pierced straight through Kang Hao's chest into his heart with brutal force.
The sound of steel tearing through flesh rang out clearly. Bright red blood sprayed outward, splattering the ground, the walls, and the faces of those standing nearby.
The entire city seemed to freeze once more. Thousands of eyes widened in shock.
"Lo… Lord City !!!"
The crowd could barely speak when they saw Wang Qiang standing over Kang Hao's body. His smile was twisted, filled with madness, his hand gripping the hilt of the sword still embedded in Kang Hao's chest.
"A hero? He's just a fool."
Blood slid down the blade, dripping onto the ground one drop at a time.
But Kang Hao's eyes had not gone out. He reached up and seized Wang Qiang's wrist with crushing force, muscles tensing as veins bulged. Then he yanked the arm toward himself and threw a full-force punch, sending Wang Qiang flying back into the nearby buildings.
As Kang Hao struggled to stand and pulled the sword from his chest, the soft sound of tearing flesh followed, blood surging out again. Without hesitation, he lunged toward Wang Qiang.
But in that split second, Wang Qiang grabbed a young girl nearby and dragged her in front of him like a shield.
Kang Hao froze instantly. His palm, about to strike, stopped just inches from the girl's face.
The girl trembled, tears streaming down her cheeks.
The townspeople erupted in fury.
"You bastard! How dare you use a child as a shield!"
"You're worse than an animal, Wang Qiang!"
Curses and shouts filled the air.
Wang Qiang burst into laughter.
"Hahaha! So what? What can any of you do to me?"
His eyes burned with insanity as he drew another sword, its blade reflecting the cold rain.
"Die."
The blade thrust forward again.
Stab!
Kang Hao caught the sword with his bare hand. Wang Qiang's face twisted as he released the weapon, then shoved the girl toward Kang Hao while pulling yet another blade from his spatial ring, preparing to pierce through both of them at once.
But at that exact moment
Kang Hao's fist shot forward.
Boom!!
A simple punch, stripped of any remaining power, slammed squarely into Wang Qiang's face.
The crack of bone echoed as Wang Qiang's body flew back into a wall, collapsing it into rubble as dust spread everywhere.
At the same time, Kang Hao caught the girl gently with his other arm, as if he were a completely different person from the warrior moments ago.
He dropped to one knee and carefully set her down, his breathing heavy and broken, yet his eyes warm.
"It's alright… You're safe now."
The girl burst into tears and threw her arms around him tightly, not caring about the blood soaking his body.
Many of the townspeople found tears streaming down their own faces.
The dust slowly settled.
A faint laugh came from the pile of rubble.
Wang Qiang rose to his feet, his face covered in blood and cracks, yet his gaze still filled with hatred.
He stared at Kang Hao with a cold smile.
"You filthy lowlifes…"
Suddenly, the talisman in his hand flashed. Spatial light twisted around his body.
Whoosh!
Wang Qiang vanished in an instant.
Silence fell once more.
The rain continued to fall.
Kang Hao stood motionless for a moment, the life force within him trembling, before his body slowly gave way.
Thud.
He collapsed into a pool of blood.
The townspeople screamed in shock.
Many wanted to rush to him, but their bodies refused to move, the poison in the rain still coursing through them.