Chapter 4605 — Long Time No See!

He certainly did not dare offend Ma Dangfeng, but Lu Bianren and his companions were hardly nobodies either. He was only a minor guild steward; if he truly dared to openly make things difficult for Lu Bianren and the others over a matter like this, it would not only destroy the reputation of the North Island Cultivators' Guild, but also ruin his own bright prospects!

"The road to heaven lies open before you, yet you refuse to walk it; the gates of hell stand shut, yet you insist on barging in. Idiots as foolish as you lot—I really am seeing them for the first time." Ma Dangfeng suddenly spoke up with a cold laugh. "Originally, I was in a rather good mood today and even thought about graciously letting you off the hook. Unfortunately, you're all so blind you have to deliver yourselves right to my door. What am I supposed to say? Since you're so eager to seek death, I can only reluctantly lend you a hand."

"With everyone watching, do you really have the guts?" Lu Bianren shot him a cold glance. Though his strength fell short, his bearing was not the least bit diminished. In a crowded place like this, he was certain the other man would not dare start a brawl, much less strike to kill in public—unless Ma Dangfeng wanted to be buried alongside them.

"What? Is Ma Dangfeng's courage really so small in the eyes of you few cowards? Hahahaha, there's a limit to self-deception, you know. Killing you outright would indeed be a bit troublesome, but just crippling you into useless wrecks—that shouldn't be much of a problem, should it? You really think yourselves something special?" Ma Dangfeng's face twisted into a vicious sneer as he jerked his chin toward the two lackeys guarding the door. "Close the door!"

The mission collection office was a separate, walled-off room. Though it was divided from the bustling mission hall by only a single wall, closing the door would still provide a fair measure of cover.

Of course, expecting a single wall to keep outsiders from learning what happened was pure fantasy. But Ma Dangfeng was only going through the motions; as long as the process was not too blatant, it would not be much of a problem.

Bang! The two lackeys hurried to shut the door at his command, their eyes brimming with mockery as they looked at Lu Bianren and the others. Ma Dangfeng clearly meant to shut the door and beat the dog. Now there would be a show to watch.

Lu Bianren and the others' expressions shifted slightly at the sight. They had not expected Ma Dangfeng to actually be so brazen. But recalling their last two encounters, this fellow had acted without the slightest scruple every time. If not for Jia Mufan and Shangguan Lan'er stepping in one after the other to save the day, the group could never have stood here intact—so there was nothing surprising about it.

Surprising or not, they knew full well their strength was no match for the opponent's, yet not a single one of them was afraid. A man willing to risk flaying himself will drag the emperor from his horse—and their opponent was, after all, merely a Nascent Soul cultivator. Death was the worst that could happen. What was there to fear?!

"Everyone... everyone, let's talk this over calmly. Don't give in to a moment's anger—it's no good for anyone..." Seeing this, the guild steward hurried out to smooth things over. He did not care in the least whether Lu Bianren and the others lived or died, but if the two sides came to blows here, the North Island Cultivators' Guild would inevitably suffer disaster. If the higher-ups came down to hold someone accountable, who would he turn to for justice?

Unfortunately, neither Ma Dangfeng nor Lu Bianren and the others would give a thought to his feelings at this moment—especially Ma Dangfeng, who was now nursing a bellyful of vicious anger. To think a pack of cowards with no real strength had actually leapt up to dance on his head! With his brutal temper, there was no way he would swallow it!

"From today on, every last one of you will be a cripple. Enjoy your lives as cripples in utter darkness, hahahaha!" Amid Ma Dangfeng's arrogant, triumphant laughter, the floorboards beneath him suddenly split open without warning into five fissures. With a sharp, ear-piercing shriek, they spread toward the feet of Lu Bianren and the others.

Though the five fissures ran in the same direction, each pointed toward a different person. Lu Bianren and the other four instantly turned pale, as if facing a great enemy. Last time they fought Ma Dangfeng, it was this move that had cost them dearly. Once the knife was out of the sheath and the sharp spikes burst forth, they would be finished!

None of them knew exactly what this move was called, but Ma Dangfeng's technique was truly formidable—even a Golden Core expert could not withstand such an attack, let alone the rest of them, who aside from Lu Bianren were all merely Foundation Establishment. The gap in strength was too vast. Even if they wanted to defend, there was simply no way.

Ma Dangfeng watched the scene with a savage grin. The backbone and daring of Lu Bianren and the others were truly no small thing—but before absolute power, it was all just a joke. Let him turn these fools into cripples first, and see whether they would still be so stubborn with their dead-duck beaks!

The fissures spread with incredible speed. Before Lu Bianren and the others could react in any way, the five fissures—each a path to lethal danger—had already reached their feet. What followed would be a repeat of last time: once struck by the sharp spikes that came after, even those lucky enough to survive would be left half-crippled. The wound on Poor Senior Brother's thigh still throbbed faintly to this day!

At a moment like this, whoever stood in Lu Bianren and the others' shoes would be lying if they said they were not nervous. After all, their lives were at stake. If they could successfully dodge, they would still have a chance to face the opponent's next assault; but if they failed, this life would end here.

Poor Senior Brother's face went deathly pale in an instant, his mind a complete blank. All he could do now was squeeze his eyes shut. He had already prepared himself to meet death with dignity—yet after waiting a moment, that sharp spike that had appeared in his nightmares countless times still did not come.

"How can this be..." Poor Senior Brother opened his eyes, half startled and half doubtful, only to find that although the fissure in the ground was still there, it now carried not the slightest ripple of true qi, nor any terrifying killing intent or attack.

It was not just him—Lu Bianren and the others all wore expressions of astonishment. Following their incredulous gazes, they saw that three paces ahead, a figure had appeared out of nowhere. It was a back that looked very familiar. Ever since this person suddenly appeared, Ma Dangfeng's ferocious sharp spikes had somehow dissipated into thin air, as if they had never existed at all.

"A year and a half, and everyone is still in good health, I hope?" When the figure smiled and turned around, the eyes of Lu Bianren and the whole group instantly went red. This person was none other than Wei Zhao.

Everyone was struck dumb on the spot, unable to speak a word for a long while. They had risked their lives to tear off all pretenses with Ma Dangfeng, set aside everything on the North Island, and resolved to travel thousands of miles to the South Island to brave its dangers—all to find Wei Zhao. Yet they had never imagined that Wei Zhao would suddenly appear at this very moment! (To be continued.)