.....

The power of heaven and earth gathered, the wind sounds abruptly ceased, transforming into a massive slash attack that annihilated heaven and earth!!!

Chen Yan pushed forward with both palms at full strength.

The slash erupted.

Black clouds shattered, the ground cracked open.

The imposing force was truly extraordinary.

Unfortunately, it was flashy but insubstantial, with too long a wind-up.

It made Lu Ding wait for a moment.

If killing him now wouldn't risk startling the Rat Demon's true form, causing it to flee at the slightest provocation,

Lu Ding would have interrupted his wind-up move and finished him off long ago.

Normally, since the other party had made the first move and issued the challenge, Lu Ding should have responded with [Way of the Jinche].

But he was afraid he might accidentally kill this Chen Yan.

So he could only use the [Qi of the Ticket Wind] that hadn't yet been paired with petals.

Raising his hand, the [Qi of the Ticket Wind] mixed with flesh evil energy surged forth, converging into a ferocious face resembling a one-horned ghost king, blocking out the sky and sun.

With one bite, it swallowed Chen Yan's Wind Calamity Absolute Annihilation Slash.

"What!!!!?"

Having his ultimate killing move broken so effortlessly shattered Chen Yan's pride completely.

From Lu Ding's movements earlier, he had also discerned Lu Ding's cultivation level - early Third Restrictions stage.

Although higher than his own!!

But!!!

Chen Yan believed that fighting across levels was as simple as eating and drinking for him.

Not to mention this trump card move of his that drained his energy and spirit, the Wind Calamity Absolute Annihilation Slash.

Some time ago, he had used this very Wind Calamity Absolute Annihilation Slash to kill a mid Third Restrictions stage Qi Refiner at the Path of Dry Bones, rescuing Shen Qixue from her exhausted state.

That was why Shen Qixue had so strongly invited him to join the Path of Dry Bones 749!!!

He was a genius!!!

Even if the person before him was also a genius, he shouldn't have broken his trump card move so easily.

Chen Yan couldn't accept this.

This was his ultimate technique, released without even making a sound!

This was exactly what Lu Ding wanted - for him to be unable to accept it.

Trying to fight across levels against him? If Chen Yan's cultivation heart didn't shatter today, Lu Ding would write his name upside down.

His figure flashed and disappeared from his original position.

When he reappeared, he was already before Chen Yan.

His silhouette floated in the air, blocking the light like the arrival of night.

Lu Ding raised his leg and brought it down in a chop, pulling a curved white arc, a solitary shadow of the waning moon.

Splat!!!!!

[Month Arc Kick] enhanced the downward chop, the crescent moon cutting from Chen Yan's left shoulder down to his right rib.

The swift, precise, and ruthless move resulted in blood spraying out like a fountain.

Chen Yan, severely injured, immediately knelt down, making Lu Ding appear even more imposing.

A condescending, contemptuous gaze fell upon him.

"Like father, like son - both worthless trash."

These words completely shattered Chen Yan's already cracked cultivation heart, along with his self-respect.

Crack...

But this was exactly the effect Lu Ding wanted.

With such severe injuries, the Rat Demon would definitely need to appear in its true form to heal him later.

Then Lu Ding could seize the opportunity to finish it off and gain a new skill.

But he couldn't injure him too severely - what if the Rat Demon saw he couldn't be saved and simply abandoned him?

So the margin of error in the force applied was, admittedly, quite difficult to control.

Being troubled because the enemy was too weak made Lu Ding want to laugh himself.

"Why hasn't the Rat Demon come out yet...."

As this thought arose in his mind,

He had expected that with Chen Yan severely injured, the Rat Demon's divine descent consciousness attached to him would appear.

But Chen Yan was almost drained of blood, and the Rat Demon's divine descent consciousness still hadn't appeared.

Lu Ding thought to himself that while rats were timid, they shouldn't be this cowardly.

Looking down at Chen Yan lying in a pool of blood, staring at him with unwilling eyes,

Lu Ding raised his foot and stepped on his face.

Applying pressure and grinding several times, hearing cracking sounds as cheekbone flesh rubbed against the ground until it was mangled.

"Unwilling? Angry? That's right. Once upon a time, when you killed Fang He's father and brothers, he felt exactly the same way."

"Now it's your turn. How does it feel? Huh!?"

Lu Ding had intended this behavior to draw out the Rat Demon, but instead of the Rat Demon appearing,

It was Shen Qixue, who had remained silent until now, who couldn't hold back anymore.

She stepped forward, the chill of heaven and earth instantly arriving, the ground beneath her feet turning into surging waves with splashing water sounds.

"Enough!!!"

"As a 749 public official, you should take files as your standard and judgments as your criterion! Even if you want to vent anger for the Fang family, shouldn't you know when to stop!!!"

Shen Qixue spoke coldly as she prepared to make her move.

She hadn't spoken earlier because she wanted to temporarily avoid conflict with Lu Ding.

Unfamiliar, powerful, fellow 749 investigator.

All these conditions forced Shen Qixue, this genius of the Path of Dry Bones, to carefully consider her position.

To avoid getting burned.

How to respond afterward would be decided after confirming Lu Ding's identity.

Although all the 749 offices in White Ridge belonged to 749, in reality, they governed by district like warlords carving up territory.

So Shen Qixue didn't know Lu Ding, who had only recently arrived, and although he was a special envoy, New City wasn't unfamiliar with special envoys.

And what did White Ridge's special envoy have to do with the Path of Dry Bones?

She also didn't know that Lu Ding was specially assigned to New City, not specifically to White Ridge.

Under such circumstances, any normal person's thinking would be to plan before acting.

But now Chen Yan was in critical condition.

And he had helped her before.

Shen Qixue truly found it difficult to stand by and do nothing!!!

Instinctively stepping forward, she wanted to use her moves to stop this farce.

Who would have thought that Lu Ding wouldn't give her any face at all.

"Trying to challenge your superior?"

Glancing sideways, his arrogant eyebrows slanting as he looked at her without giving her a proper gaze.

His move came first, words followed.

As Lu Ding spoke, with lightning speed he changed his stance, adjusted his center of gravity, shifting his support point from his right foot on the ground to his left foot stepping on Chen Yan's face.

Turning, the muscles around his waist and hips tightened like dragon sinews being drawn taut, like a bow being drawn, instantly sending his leg forward.

Roar!!!

Amid the Sin Dragon's roar, black smoke spewed, flesh evil energy surged, [Moon Arc Kick] pulling a silver comet tail trailing through the black smoke, following Lu Ding's kick,

The terrifying force created a sonic boom, stirring rolling black air waves.

One kick!!

The [Cold River Reflecting Moon] extraordinary phenomenon covering Shen Qixue immediately shattered to pieces, and the kick carrying immense force directly struck her chest.

Her entire chest cavity instantly collapsed.

Boom!!!!!

Shen Qixue flew backward, blood spraying in a long arc, pain churning thoughts in her mind.

"This kick is completely different in magnitude from the one he used on Chen Yan!!!"

Of course it was a different magnitude.

Lu Ding only wanted to force out the Rat Demon by tormenting Chen Yan, not kill him right now.

Naturally, he held back much of his power.

But Shen Qixue didn't get that treatment.

Unable to read the situation, unclear about her own position, daring to step forward even one meter - Lu Ding could send her flying back ten thousand meters with ten thousand steps!!

If no one stopped her.

Shen Qixue, carried away by the immense force, didn't know how far she would fly - by herself, she absolutely couldn't dissipate the terrifying power this side kick had imparted to her body.

Since she couldn't dissipate it,

Shen Qixue thought about using this terrifying force to fly backward, dragging her severely injured body back to the Path of Dry Bones.

But imagination was beautiful, reality was cruel.

Lu Ding's kick wasn't a stepping stone for her descent - why would he let her use it to escape?

Raising his hand, [Qi of the Ticket Wind] surged forth, enveloping the flying Shen Qixue, and pulled her back.

A neck like flawless top-grade white jade was steadily grasped by a hand with faintly bulging bluish veins, triggering a combo move.

Shen Qixue was like a ragdoll as Lu Ding grabbed her and smashed her hard onto the hard cement ground in front of the Xiankong Town 749 Office gate!!

Bang!!!!!

Stone fragments flew, dust billowed.

Cracks and fissures radiated outward in all directions.

Lu Ding looked down with his gaze.

"Files as your standard? Judgments as your criterion?"

"Whose standard? Which standard? Standards bought with money?"

These things, whether the 749 investigators present or the surrounding spectators, were all well aware of them.

New City's 749 - its main gate faces south, if you have reason but no money, don't bother coming in.

But knowing was one thing - no one had ever dared to say it out loud in public.

The nature was different.

But Lu Ding didn't care - although he was a 749 investigator, he hadn't done these things himself.

Others didn't dare to tear off this fig leaf - he dared!!!

Stepping on Shen Qixue with one foot, the tremendous force shook the ground, squeezing blood from her body to spurt uncontrollably from her mouth.

Crimson stained that exquisitely carved, refined face with its cold jade-like foundation.

"Confusing right and wrong, unclear about your position, as a public official actually daring to shield criminals, and intending to interfere with law enforcement........"

Lu Ding slowed his tone, dark red light slowly appearing in his arrogant eyes: "You...... how do you want to die?"