After a few seconds of standoff, a bead of cold sweat rolled down Saito Gaku's forehead amidst the suffocating murderous intent.
He gritted his teeth, his pupils trembling. The veins on his right hand bulged as he tightly gripped his blade.
Ya Lie suddenly removed his hand from the hilt of his sword. He broke into a wild smile and said, "Alright, alright, I won't tease you anymore, you little guy who's still just a Seed."
The tension in the air instantly dissipated.
Saito Gaku's face, however, flashed with a hint of anger. "Are you looking down on me?"
Ya Lie waved his hand. "Not at all. But..." He licked his lips, a greedy expression creeping onto his face. "You have the potential to reach the Instant Level. I'll wait until the Seed blossoms into a flower before I come to harvest you."
Seeing that Ya Lie had completely lost his will to fight, Saito Gaku had no choice but to drop it, no matter how unwilling he was.
"Once I reach the Instant Level, killing you will be entirely effortless," he said coldly.
Ya Lie let out a strange laugh. "That couldn't be better. My lifelong pursuit is to experience an evenly matched fight, and then die in an all-out battle to the death."
Saito Gaku looked at Ya Lie, whose excitement bordered on madness, and silently decided not to waste any more breath arguing with a lunatic.
Deep down, he knew that Ya Lie had most likely already crossed into the stage known as the Instant Level. If they truly fought, Ya Lie would probably strike him down within twenty moves.
The Instant Level was what people called the Expert Level. Most who reached it possessed a stronger physique and faster reflexes than those at the Fierce Level. More importantly, Instant Level experts had a profound understanding of Combat Essence.
Whether honed through countless battles or achieved through a sudden enlightenment, they gained an inexplicable insight into the very core of combat. In practical terms, this meant an Instant Level expert could read an opponent's attack intentions by picking up on the subtlest clues before the enemy even moved.
This ability was known as See Through in countries like Celestial Essence Country and Genroku, while the Ousu and Soviet Countries and the Angsa Alliance referred to it as Pre-read.
This was an entirely different concept from pure reaction speed. Instead, it was a miraculous ability where a Martial Artist flawlessly combined their own experience and information-processing speed to automatically determine the optimal method of combat.
A Martial Artist with this ability, even when facing an opponent with superior strength and speed, could use this borderline Superpower of Pre-read to interrupt their target's momentum ahead of time. It allowed them to essentially double the effectiveness of their exerted strength.
It was precisely for this reason that the Pan-Tianyuan Cultural Circle classified Martial Artists of this caliber as the Instant Level. When Martial Artists below the Instant Level fought against an Instant Level opponent, they would feel as if their every move and technique was perceived beforehand. Within a few exchanges, they would be completely suppressed and subsequently killed.
Thinking of this, Saito Gaku's eyes darkened slightly. He resolved to use this opportunity on the island to further elevate his Cultivation.
Nearby, Kondo Makoto and Yamanamikawa let out massive sighs of relief upon seeing that the explosive hostility between the two had finally dissipated.
Kondo Makoto immediately changed the subject. "Mr. Ya Lie, I wonder if you have accepted the commission from our Ren Sheng Group?"
Ya Lie glanced at him. "I saw the message. You want to hire me to take out those two Celestial Essence People. So, what's the payout?"
Kondo Makoto leaned in close and whispered a few words into his ear.
Ya Lie's eyes narrowed slightly as a smile touched his lips. "Heh, you guys are rather interesting. Very well, I'll tentatively accept this commission.
"I heard that the Ghost-faced Fox, Xie Yanran, is a Disciple of a famous Sword Sect in Celestial Essence Country. It's the perfect chance for me to see if their Swordsmanship is nothing but flashy tricks.
"In five days, I will chop off their heads."
Just as Ya Lie smiled and accepted the job, a man ran in from outside the plaza in a sheer panic, rushing up to Kondo Makoto. "B-bad news!"
"What are you panicking for?!" Yamanamikawa grabbed him and slapped him across the face. "Spit it out clearly!"
The slap snapped the man back to his senses. He tried to organize his words, but as if recalling something horrific, extreme terror seized his face once more. "A demon! There's an evil demon! So many people are dead!!!"
Shortly after Feng Yin left, Kondo Makoto and the others, alongside Ya Lie, hurriedly followed the messenger back to the Ren Sheng Group's base.
What greeted them was a bloody scene of severed limbs scattered everywhere.
Kondo Makoto's face turned livid. He grabbed the messenger, his previously calm demeanor replaced by the ferocity of a man-eating beast. "You're saying there was only one attacker!?"
The man, forced to look upon the Hellish scene inside the base, went so weak in the knees he was on the verge of soiling himself. His face was a mask of absolute horror as he stammered, "Y-yes! I-I ran away... that demon! Black... Armor! Fast Speed! Boundless strength!"
Kondo Makoto viciously slapped him again. "Speak clearly! What did he look like!?"
The lackey seemed to be knocked awake by the blow and hurriedly described what he had seen. This included Feng Yin's black, full-body Armor topped with a Wolf Head Helmet. Though he babbled incoherently, the group eventually managed to piece together what he meant.
"Oh my." Having tagged along for the show, Ya Lie surveyed the terrifying carnage in the courtyard and licked his lips. A look of deep intrigue crossed his face. "It seems a formidable character has appeared in Sin City..."
Yamanamikawa cursed loudly. "It must be Boss Hong and the Ghost-faced Fox! They're here for revenge!"
Kondo Makoto violently backhanded him across the face. "Idiot! Where would Hong Yuan and the Ghost-faced Fox get a set of Armor like that? Did it fall from the sky!?"
Saito Gaku stepped into the pools of blood and examined several of the mutilated corpses. He looked up and said, "Almost all of these limbs were severed in a single strike. Judging from the cuts, the weapon used wasn't exceptionally sharp; it looks like they were forcefully hacked off with terrifying brute strength. A guy capable of wielding such power..."
He looked at Ya Lie.
Ya Lie flashed a cruel grin. "Heh, while yours truly can certainly pull this off, and would love to, I was enjoying the company of beautiful women tonight. Don't go pinning this on me."
Saito Gaku then turned to Kondo Makoto. "Kondo, it's hard enough for an ordinary Fierce Level fighter to take on ten men at once, let alone butcher so many people in a base guarded by hundreds of enforcers. Even protected by Armor, their stamina couldn't possibly keep up."
Having vented his anger, Kondo Makoto was now calm. "I just sent men on a night raid against Hong Yuan's side, and the very next day we get ambushed by an unknown powerhouse. Even if they didn't do it themselves, they are absolutely connected to it."
He looked at Ya Lie. "Mr. Ya Lie, I've thought it over. No other faction in Sin City has the capability to forge such exquisite Armor. You're a highly valued Blade Master of the Zero Point Consortium. Do you know anything?"
Ya Lie tilted his head, seemingly sifting through his memories, before shaking his head with certainty. "No. None of the contracted Warriors in the Death Madness Tower on Border Prison Island have this kind of gear."
"Furthermore..." A thoughtful look appeared on his face. "On this island, the only people capable of facing a hundred men head-on and walking away victorious are myself and 'that person' stationed by the Zero Point Consortium to guard the top of the Death Madness Tower."
He turned back to Kondo Makoto, a mocking smile on his lips. "So? With this sudden turn of events, does your commission still stand?"
Kondo Makoto clenched his fists, his expression savage. "Of course!
"Even if those two didn't do it themselves, they're definitely involved.
"I want Hong Yuan and that Ghost-faced Fox surnamed Xie to be buried alongside my brothers!"
***