Chapter 1041 - 1037: Today, You Must Die!
Mizuno Pengyu naturally couldn’t watch these experts disperse; he didn’t possess the middle-aged man’s overwhelming power. Once he lost their protection, he would have to face the ensuing dangers alone.
This is absolutely intolerable for anyone who has long been in a position of power!
Although deep down, Mizuno Pengyu believed his life was far more precious than these people, at this moment, he had no choice but to rely on them, whether it was ironic or laughable.
In any case, maintaining the current situation was Mizuno Pengyu’s top priority.
"That person was just trying to save the Hunter, and since he’s already hit by my Ice Soul Needle, it’s impossible for him to leave, let alone come back," Mizuno Pengyu said calmly, "Everyone stay calm; perhaps it’s just another expert passing through."
After uttering these words, Mizuno Pengyu couldn’t help but bitterly smile in his heart, realizing he had reached a day where even he couldn’t believe his own words. Nonetheless, these words had to be spoken!
Soon, a burly man with a black cloth covering his face came into view and immediately released an astonishing aura.
At this moment, everyone felt the pressure, not less than when facing Kojima Minako earlier, and even exceeding it by far.
Despite the fear in their hearts towards Kojima Minako, they still dared to fight her. But when faced with this masked figure, they couldn’t muster any feelings of resistance, feeling utterly powerless!
Everyone understood this well: if the opponent’s power wasn’t vastly superior, such feelings wouldn’t arise. Now, regretting anything was clearly too late; the only thing to understand was the purpose of the opponent’s arrival.
Even holding onto a glimmer of hope, everyone was almost certain the newcomer had malicious intent, contrary to Mizuno Pengyu’s claim that he’s just passing through.
The reason was simple: have you ever seen a passing master come masked? This was clearly the guise of a bandit, and showcasing his power from the start just didn’t align with the notion of ’passing through.’
Everyone was uneasy while secretly pondering the middle-aged man’s identity.
This level of master was really limited worldwide, nearly countable on one hand, and among them were unparalleled figures whose names echoed throughout the realm. Even if they had long retired, some legends would still be passed down—they couldn’t have disappeared without a trace.
However, when matching their memories to the masked man before them, none perfectly aligned, as if he had jumped out from a crack in a rock, appearing quite abrupt.
Nonetheless, the crowd wasn’t too disappointed because once he made a move, he’d surely reveal his identity, making it obvious who had arrived.
...
This also closely tied to the middle-aged man’s modesty; otherwise, people would have immediately suspected him. Not being recognized now might count as a blessing.
But just because the crowd couldn’t recognize him didn’t mean some could, and the quickest to detect the middle-aged man’s identity naturally was Mizuno Pengyu.
"It’s you!"
The confusion in Mizuno Pengyu’s eyes gradually faded, replaced by an expression of realization, mocking, "Discarding righteousness for selfish desires, do you think you’re worthy of your identity?"
The middle-aged man was unfazed by Mizuno Pengyu recognizing him, saying in a deep voice, "I don’t want to hear your words, but you must remember what I’m about to say... today, you must die!"
"Oh?"
Mizuno Pengyu smirked disdainfully at the middle-aged man’s words, saying, "I admit I’m not your match, but if you want to kill me, be prepared to accompany me on the journey!"
These words were spoken confidently, as if he really had some backing, making them seemingly believable.
Yet, it depended on who heard them—for the crowd, they sounded genuine; but to the middle-aged man, it was like a child barely speaking challenging them, somewhat farcical.
This wasn’t about anything else; the gap between their power was as clear as day, one like heaven, one earth—who was superior, obvious!
"Haha, if you’re so confident, let me send you off," the middle-aged man chuckled, as his True Qi surged, causing his aura to escalate swiftly, quickly reaching a level the crowd could never hope to attain.
However, Mizuno Pengyu remained calm, aside from his slightly unnatural expression due to the middle-aged man’s aura, showing no fear or panic—truly appearing confident!
This left the crowd puzzled because if Mizuno Pengyu indeed had a trick up his sleeve, why hadn’t he revealed it yet? With his skills, he wouldn’t withstand even a single move from the masked man, probably not even half.
Could it be that he was bluffing?
This question occurred simultaneously to the crowd, along with a series of consequential questions.
For instance, what if Mizuno Pengyu commanded them to block the attack?
What if the opponent’s fatal move was too powerful and affected them?
What if Mizuno Pengyu ended up dead?
What if...
...
A series of questions followed, making the crowd temporarily forget their safety, only feeling anxious, their irritation rising uncontrollably to the extreme.
But this anxiety soon cooled because the murderous atmosphere in the field, guided by the middle-aged man’s True Qi circulation, reached a critical point, ready to focus on a single explosive point.
All experts felt a paramount crisis approaching, like a sword pressed against their chest, with one misstep risking a pierced heart, their lives hanging by a thread!
Feeling the growing sense of crisis, the experts’ minds hadn’t yet reacted, but their bodies instinctively retreated; even the surviving masters of the Mizuno Clan did the same!
This was an inherent reflex, regardless of internal thoughts!
However, the most terrifying thought was in their instinctive actions; the sheer terror of the masked man’s aura was palpable—astonishing if he truly attacked!
As fear deepened in everyone’s hearts, Mizuno Pengyu, undeterred by pressure, raised one hand above his head, tightly gripping a familiar object...
A purple wooden box, no bigger than a matchbox—what else could it be but the Ice Soul Needle?
Only then did the crowd awaken as if from a dream, realizing why Mizuno Pengyu was so confident and bold—he possessed a formidable weapon!