The bloody figure staggered forward, finally collapsing at the entrance of a bar.
Ning Fan's eyes flickered with a pale blue glow, he coldly gazed ahead. Behind him lay a long trail of corpses, a street drenched in blood, with numerous Crossbow Arrows and broken weapons embedded in the ground or in bodies.
The disgusting stench of blood permeated the air, with round heads rolling about on the ground.
"Did I say you were flies? Buzzing around, so annoying!"
A red light flashed in Ning Fan's eyes as he turned and coldly faced the incoming figures.
He swiftly bent down and sprinted, grabbing two sharp knives from the ground. The deadly Red Lotus bloomed once again, unstained by any blood, yet countless Divine Spirits vanished in his hands.
The vivid Red Lotus bloomed exquisitely, warm blood serving as the best fertilizer. The twin knives in Ning Fan's hands clinked and broke, yet in the blink of an eye, he replaced them with new weapons.
A bloody performance, a dance of death. As the dancer of this dance of death, called Asura, Ning Fan wore no expression, his face dotted with specks of blood, leaving barren soil wherever he went.
"Stop him, don't let him inside!"
The warriors of the Fang Guild shouted, sweat covering their faces. Apollo had given them a deadly order to keep this guest outside; if they failed, they had only the path of death awaiting them.
Ning Fan's gaze grew colder, his dismissive look implying that to him, they were nothing more than a bunch of ants to be crushed.
The slaughter gradually subsided, and at Ning Fan's feet now piled a mountain of corpses.
Tossing aside the battered long sword, Ning Fan wiped the blood off his face, then turned without a trace of regret and entered the bar.
At the bar, a double-wide door parted from where the liquor cabinet was located, as if welcoming Ning Fan. Numerous selectable weapons were even displayed on either side.
Ning Fan ignored his surroundings and walked in. Just as he entered, the door behind him clicked shut with a series of sounds—it turned out to be a hidden door closing.
Bare-handed, he walked down the steel corridor until he reached the end where the space expanded. In front of Ning Fan were two elevators.
Ning Fan stepped into one of the elevators, and without him pressing the button, the elevator started to descend on its own.
With his arms crossed in front of his chest, Ning Fan leaned against the wall, then suddenly looked up at the hidden camera above him.
Realizing someone was spying on him, Ning Fan faced the camera and flashed a chilling cold smile.
About a minute later, the elevator stopped, and the doors opened. A barrage of hidden weapons flew like a torrential rain.
Countless sharp darts hit the wall, creating a crisp sound. Outside, the warriors of the Fang Guild were blocking the way, but they looked astounded.
The elevator was unexpectedly empty, apart from the walls filled with Crossbow Arrows and Darts, and the scattered hidden weapons on the floor.
"Were you looking for me?"
Ning Fan's voice suddenly came from behind the crowd. The crowd turned in shock, only to see Ning Fan, who should have been in the elevator, had somehow reached their rear without their notice.
The mighty True Qi condensed into a whirlwind in Ning Fan's hand, and with a push of his palm, a figure was sent flying like a cannonball, knocking down everyone in its path, until the flying person burst into a cloud of blood mist with a loud bang.
With just one move, Ning Fan had halved the combat power of the elite assassins of Fang Guild who had been waiting here for a long time. These people, insensible to pain, now felt a rising tide of fear in their hearts.
A cold fear spread through the corridor. Ning Fan grasped a curved blade, its cold light flickering like a full moon within the already narrow space.
Thud thud, heads rolled on the ground, and the slaughter wrought by Ning Fan turned the silvery hallway into a expanse of red.
After dealing with this wave of ambush, Ning Fan moved forward again, having now penetrated deep into the underground base of the Fang Guild.
Walking through the headquarters of Fang Guild, Ning Fan was unimpeded. The ambushes prepared for him were treated as nothing, offering no real obstacle, merely a waste of some time.
The headquarters of Fang Guild, this underground base, was grandiose and spectacular, seemingly endless, like a world of steel, as vast as half a city. Reaching what seemed to be the central area, Ning Fan had already lost count of the carnage he had caused along the way.
Dense figures emerged from both sides. They did not block Ning Fan's progress, but rather seemed to welcome his arrival like lining a procession.
Up ahead on the road, a group of figures was faintly visible. Ning Fan squinted his eyes, and his pace unconsciously quickened.
"Asura, you've finally come!"
Apollo, holding Xu Ruolan, stepped forward, his hand stopping the excited Xu Ruolan who tried to run toward Ning Fan. The elegant smile on his face gradually turned sinister.
"Do you like the welcome ceremony I've arranged for you?"
"Sending people to their deaths, is this your idea of a welcome ceremony?"
"Hahaha, this just proves they're nothing but trash. You've cleared the trash for me — I can't thank you enough!"
Indeed, Apollo had sent those men to their deaths, knowing they could never stop Ning Fan. But still, he had prepared this cannon fodder for Ning Fan.
However, losing so many people didn't pain Apollo. In his view, their deaths were inconsequential — if they were not strong enough to survive against Ning Fan, then they didn't deserve to live. This world was meant for ambitious and strong individuals.
And others were merely stepping stones for people like Apollo, expendable however numerous.
"Look, this is the infamous Phantom Asura. You wanted to be a hero, didn't you? Now I'll give you a chance: surrender now, or I'll let your beloved woman die before your eyes!"
Apollo tightened his grip on Xu Ruolan's neck, his hand slowly beginning to squeeze harder.
Xu Ruolan's eyes widened. With her neck gripped, she could no longer breathe and could only struggle feebly.
Ning Fan's eyes widened in anger as he stared at Apollo. He bellowed, "Don't lay a finger on her!"
"Of course, I don't really want to harm her. Bring out the special gift I've prepared for Lord Asura!"
Apollo laughed loudly, releasing his hand, and Xu Ruolan gasped for air. Just as she was about to speak, she was dragged away by Apollo's trusted aide.
Meanwhile, the crowd parted, and two people carried a sinister instrument of torture forward, and Apollo also walked towards Ning Fan.
His intentions were quite clear.