926 Violence

Up to 90% of the passengers on this train had already alighted at the previous stop. This piece of news was spreading like wildfire as everyone communicated through their Skylinks. Someone even revealed the train number of the train Wang Zhong was on. Everyone on that particular armored train was aware of what was happening. Though this sort of sensational battle of the century only occurred once in a blue moon, the commoners valued their lives more. When they were on the train, they could already see the various traps and layers of defense that the Zhao Family had set up in the Heavenly Dragon City Station from their Skylinks. If a fight really broke out and they were struck by a stray bullet, they would be part of a tragedy instead of just being a casual onlooker.

Of course, there were people on the train who weren’t scared too. Other than Arnold, Anlor, and the others from Mad Beast Battle Squadron, some ordinary passengers wanted to witness this Federation drama for themselves too even if there was a risk that they might get killed. Nonetheless, there weren’t many passengers with this mindset. Among the dozens of train cabins on the long railway, only a handful of passengers remained in a few cabins. Most of these passengers probably didn’t believe that a fight would really break out.

The train was reaching the Heavenly Dragon City Station. The passengers could already see the station from the window.

The Heavenly Dragon City Station appeared to be rather quiet now, the opposite of what a big city’s train station should be like under normal circumstances. There should have been more than a dozen armored trains running around the clock, but there weren’t any trains entering or leaving the quiet and enormous train station. Even the traffic lights on the railroad tracks were a glaring red. It was evident that this station had been closed in advance, and Wang Zhong’s train was the last one for the day.

Clang clang clang clang!

The armored train gradually slowed down. Many heads were squeezed together at the windows as the passengers peered out. They looked nervous and excited at the same time. Of course, no one dared to stick their heads out of the window. The train station was extremely quiet, in tandem with the sound of the train slowing down. However, there were many people standing on both platforms surrounding the train.

In the hundred meters from the outermost area of the train station to the area where the train stopped, one could see squads of Casted Soul Stage warriors armed to the teeth. All of them were wearing Heavenly Dragon Guard uniforms and standing in a neat formation, packed like sardines on the platforms. Other than these Heavenly Dragon Guards on the platforms, Wang Zhong could clearly sense a dozen sniper scopes targeting him. There were snipers positioned at various hidden locations. They might be carrying Barrett M82 rifles, which possessed powerful destructive power in a single attack, or heavy military weapons like artillery…

Coming from an assassin family, Ma Dong and Emily knew too well that the enemies which could be seen weren’t scary. Rather, those who were lurking in the shadows and waiting for the chance for a lethal attack were much more terrifying. Both of them wore grave expressions.

Wang Zhong slightly smiled to put their minds at rest. The difference between the enemy and his level of power was too vast. He didn’t care about the snipers or thousands of Heavenly Dragon Guards. However, for thousands of people to remain silent and make no noise at all in this space, this spoke volumes about their exceptional discipline. Previously, he had heard that the Heavenly Dragon Guards were the only valuable asset that the Zhao Family possessed, and they were on par with the most elite mobile forces in the Federation. It appeared that this was true indeed.

Nonetheless, Wang Zhong’s attention was mostly focused on a group of people in the middle of the platform. He could clearly sense that a powerful lifeform was there. The other party had identified his location in the train immediately too. That person’s perception was not any weaker than his. Was it Zhao Ba from the Zhao Family? Wait, no…

The corners of Wang Zhong’s mouth slightly curled upward. He could sense a second force that was equally powerful. It seems like the Zhao Family had found a helper. Which force did the helper belong to? There weren’t many people who were willing to help the Zhao Family now. Could it be the Gui Family? That would give him another reason to start a war with them.

Clang… Rumble…

After some whistling and rumbling sounds, the train came to a stop.

Rumble…

All of the train doors had opened. The Heavenly Dragon Guards that gathered on the platform took a step back naturally as numerous pairs of eyes stared at the open train doors. However, other than some heads peering out of the train window occasionally, no one came out from the train. They already knew the situation out there when they looked at their Skylinks earlier. Nonetheless, experiencing this situation first-hand made the passengers feel a sense of dread. They originally looked forward to witnessing an exciting battle, but they were trembling in fear now.

Despite there being thousands of people in the station, there was complete silence.

Tap, tap, tap… Leisurely footsteps broke the eerie silence. The footsteps weren’t loud but they were unusually steady and seemed to have a peculiar devilish charm to them. It was as if every step had its unique rhythm that could control the rhythm and speed of one’s heartbeat. This actually caused these Heavenly Dragon Guards who prided themselves on being an elite force to feel nervous even before they saw the owner of the footsteps. Cold sweat dripped down their foreheads.

Everyone in the station concentrated their gazes on the place where the footsteps came from. A young figure appeared at a train door located in the middle of the train.

Wang Zhong!

Anyone in the Federation who used a Skylink knew who Wang Zhong was. His performance in the CHF was already outstanding. After the video of his brutal execution of Zhao Wuji in Tianjing circulated around, his reputation was unparalleled. Now, there was no dazzling gold light surrounding him that was similar to when he attacked in Tianjing. He didn’t deliberately exude a powerful aura either. Nonetheless, just showing his face at the train door made countless Heavenly Dragon Guards extremely tense. Numerous gun barrels had changed their directions to target Wang Zhong, who was walking out of the train. Even so, he didn’t care at all. He glanced at a large spacious platform in the middle of the station that was specially vacated just for him. Dozens of people stood there as their eyes fixated on Wang Zhong.

Wang Zhong’s gaze swept over them one by one, yet he didn’t see the two Heavenly Soul experts that he sensed earlier on. A middle-aged man with a goatee stood in the middle of the crowd. It was Zhao Wuxin, the Head of the Zhao Family. He was a significant figure in the Federation. Even Wang Zhong probably didn’t expect that he would have to confront this man one day.

There was a flash of killing intent in Zhao Wuxin’s eyes before he put on a sincere smile. “Wang Zhong, I have been waiting for you.”

“Waiting for me to decapitate you?” Wang Zhong’s peculiar footsteps stopped. Around him, numerous Heavenly Dragon Guards sensed the odd rhythm come to a sudden stop, and their hearts were no longer beating to that rhythm. After a short pause, their hearts palpitated wildly out of control. Several Heavenly Dragon Guards almost lost control of their bodies and fell down.

“Young people often have an exaggerated opinion of their abilities. I won’t take that comment to heart.” Zhao Wuxin laughed heartily. Even though he was just at the Heroic Soul Stage, he had occupied a high-ranking position for a long time and interacted with many Heavenly Soul experts before. Wang Zhong’s imposing aura wasn’t enough to scare or affect him.

His gaze turned keen and fierce after he laughed. “I have something to say.”

Wang Zhong looked at him but didn’t respond, waiting for him to continue speaking.

“Ever since the rise of the Dark Ages, humans have abided by the ‘survival of the fittest’ principle, which is the foundation of the human race. No matter the reasons behind the Assassins’ downfall, you took revenge for them in the Tianjing battle and didn’t let your friend Ma Dong down. Nonetheless, you need to plan for the future, young man! You are doing well in the Holy Land, but you still have a long way to go. You need an ally to protect and look out for you in order to reach greater heights. No discord, no concord. The Zhao Family is willing to be your ally. You may state your terms!” Zhao Wuxin said slowly.

Zhao Wuxin had thought about this speech for a long time. It would be best if Wang Zhong agreed to this proposal. Someone with this level of power would serve as a great help to the Zhao Family.

Wang Zhong looked at Zhao Wuxin with a spurious smile. “According to your ‘survival of the fittest’ logic, there is no need for the Zhao Family to exist anymore.”

Zhao Wuxin didn’t seem angry. Ever since Wang Zhong killed Zhao Wuji in Tianjing, there was absolutely no way of salvaging the relationship between Wang Zhong and the Zhao Family. Nonetheless, Zhao Wuxin had to make this speech so that it would be recorded and saved. This way, even if they killed Wang Zhong in the future, which would anger some people in the Holy City, there would be evidence that the Zhao Family gave Wang Zhong a second chance. This would minimize the negative consequences of killing Wang Zhong.

Even though Wang Zhong had identity protection, the Zhao Family had that too since they were one of the Holy Land’s spokespersons on Earth. It didn’t make sense if Wang Zhong attacked the Zhao Family, and the latter couldn’t defend themselves and fight back.

“You are very confident. Indeed, you are entitled to be confident as it is a great feat to be able to attain your current achievements at such a young age,” Zhao Wuxin said. “However, this blind confidence will only make you die faster. There have been many ignorant people who go to the Holy Land to broaden their outlook and think that they are invincible when they return to Earth. In the past hundreds of years, it is mostly this sort of people who dare to challenge the authority of the 10 Great Families. You are not the first. Neither will you be the last!”

“Are you done speaking?” Wang Zhong looked at Zhao Wuxin. “Then it’s time for you to die!”

Wang Zhong raised his right foot again and paused it in mid-air. The sense of cohesion and traction grew stronger. It was as if the entire world froze. Everyone there, including Zhao Wuxin who thought that he wasn’t affected before, felt their hearts rise up their throats as Wang Zhong suddenly lifted his right foot up. This made Zhao Wuxin breathless as his face was flushed red. He was on the verge of suffocating!

A blast wave rushed out of Wang Zhong’s mouth, just like a terrifying fuel-air explosive bomb. It followed a visible trajectory in mid-air and instantly struck Zhao Wuxin squarely in the chest.

Boom!

It was a pity. Although the Head of the Zhao Family was at the peak Heroic Soul Stage and was once an all-powerful figure in the Federation, he couldn’t withstand this blast-wave attack. He didn’t even have time to react before a huge dent appeared on his chest. His ribcage sunk in, and he was flung into mid-air. Blood spurted out of his mouth as he collided into dozens of people behind him!

“How dare a mere junior do this!”

“The Head of the Zhao Family was offering kind advice. You’re digging your own grave!”

Two voices shouted from the shadows. Two figures had zoomed past in a flash before everyone heard their voices.

Wang Zhong had already sensed the existence of these two Heavenly Soul experts when the train arrived at the station. The Zhao Family’s intention was obvious. Since they had two Heavenly Soul experts on their side, they didn’t need to hide in the shadows to play dirty tricks on Wang Zhong. However, they wanted to kill Wang Zhong too badly and were afraid that Wang Zhong would be terrified once he saw the two Heavenly Soul experts and agree to their proposal of joining them. If so, that would make it harder for them to deal with the big shots in the Holy City that were on Wang Zhong’s side.

In the end, the Zhao Family achieved their objective. Wang Zhong, being a youngster that had an exaggerated opinion of his ability, rejected Zhao Wuxin’s proposal to make peace. However, no one expected him to attack so quickly and decisively, actually succeeding in his attack even under the supervision of two Heavenly Soul experts who weren’t able to stop it in time.

The two Heavenly Soul experts moved together. A golden glow on the left headed for Wang Zhong while a white glow on the right caught Zhao Wuxin.

Zhao Ba was the one who caught Zhao Wuxin. He used his Soul Power to examine Zhao Wuxin’s body the moment he caught him, protecting his heart and ensuring he didn’t die. Otherwise, for a little Heroic Soul to kill Zhao Wuxin in the presence of two Heavenly Soul experts, not only would their reputations be tarnished, the Zhao Family would also be thrown into chaos as many would fight for the Head of the Zhao Family position. The Zhao Family was already going through a hard time, and it definitely wouldn’t be good to add fuel to the fire.

Luckily, Zhao Ba could sense that Zhao Wuxin’s vital life force was still there. His chest injuries were serious but not fatal. Zhao Ba heaved a sigh of relief. Wang Zhong was a typical Holy Disciple indeed, focusing too much on flashiness rather than actual power. The blast-wave attack looked powerful but wasn’t enough to instantly kill Zhao Wuxin who was in the Heroic Soul Stage. It seemed that though Wang Zhong had a few tricks up his sleeve, he wasn’t much of a threat.

The golden glow on the other side suddenly exploded at where Wang Zhong was standing.

Bam!

With a crisp loud bang, Wang Zhong was sent flying like a cannonball, making a wide and long pit in the ground. The mineral density of the ground on Earth couldn’t compare to that of the Holy Land and the Mizobudapi World. The ground on Earth was too fragile.

At the same time, horrifying aftermath shock waves spread out in all directions. It was as if a violent earthquake was happening. Not only did it cause a massive uproar and kept Wang Zhong hidden from view, the strong impact also caused the armored trains on the tracks to shake constantly, making rattling sounds.

A strange golden sword had been plunged into the ground where Wang Zhong was standing previously. That sword had an extremely long hilt but no crossguard. It was just like a long and straight sharpened blade. Half of the sword was lodged into the ground, and the long hilt was swaying back and forth. It was vibrating and making a buzzing sound.

Before everyone came back to their senses, the buzzing sound suddenly stopped, and the golden sword no longer swung back and forth. A figure appeared, grasping the sword hilt.

That person had dark skin, but golden Soul Power surrounded him like waves spreading out into the surroundings. Regardless of whether it was those Zhao Family dignitaries and others standing near the sword, or the elite Heavenly Dragon Guards that stood afar, all of them felt like they were looking at a god under the terrifying gold Soul Power waves. Everyone was scared out of their wits and couldn’t help but want to kneel down in front of this power.

It was a Heavenly Soul expert!