CHAPTER 421: CHAPTER 234 FORMIDABLE KANG TAI_2

"Heh, I was wondering what the matter was. Junior Brother Gu, there’s no need to be so tense. Now that Lu Shu is dead, even if the entire Governor Mansion comes, it won’t make a difference—let alone anyone else. Relax, we’ll just persuade them to leave in a bit."

Gu Sheng didn’t say much in response, but his expression grew noticeably serious.

Gu Sheng sensed that two people had entered. One of them wasn’t bad, but neither posed a real threat to him or Lin Tianhao. However, the other one’s aura gave him an incredibly eerie feeling. Although it wasn’t as solid as Lin Tianhao’s, it radiated a sense of extreme danger to Gu Sheng.

"Haha! Who would’ve guessed the spiritual energy in this valley would be so dense? This must be the location of a rich Spirit Stone vein! No wonder Lin Tianhao and his people have stayed here so long. Our luck is phenomenal—not only can we reclaim the Demon Suppression Golden Scroll and the Vajra Demon Suppression Bell, but we can also gain a fortune in Spirit Stones. Wonderful, wonderful! Hahaha..."

Kang Tai let out hearty laughter, his hand sweeping out jets of force that dissipated much of the valley’s mist.

"Kang Tai?"

Lin Tianhao immediately recognized the voice; the two had been old rivals in the Scarlet Cloud Secret Realm.

As the mist scattered, Kang Tai’s figure came into view for both Gu Sheng and Lin Tianhao.

When Kang Tai saw Lin Tianhao, a faint smile appeared on his face. "It’s me."

At this moment, a touch of arrogance flashed across Kang Tai’s face, causing Lin Tianhao to frown slightly.

Kang Tai had never shown him such an attitude before.

Lin Tianhao’s brows furrowed further, a trace of displeasure in his expression. "Kang Tai, this place now belongs to my Haoyang Sect. Leave immediately, or don’t blame me for being merciless!"

In the past, such words would’ve sent Kang Tai groveling with polite apologies before scurrying off. However, since activating the Demon Seed, Kang Tai’s confidence had soared. He sneered coldly, "Merciless, is it? I’d like to see exactly how merciless you can be today!"

Kang Tai’s sudden defiance momentarily stunned Lin Tianhao.

After a brief pause, Lin Tianhao stepped forward, opened his storage pouch, and summoned his spear into his hand. His aura erupted like a torrent.

"Kang Tai, for the sake of our brief alliance with Haoyang Sect not long ago, I’ll overlook this and let it slide if you leave now! Don’t force me to discipline you!"

Over the years, Lin Tianhao and Lu Shu had always successfully suppressed Kang Tai, Zhu Hong, and their group. But such suppression had silently bred years of resentment in Kang Tai’s heart.

"Ha! How arrogant! Do I look like I need your mercy? Hand over the Vajra Demon Suppression Bell, the Demon Suppression Golden Scroll, and all the Spirit Stones you’ve mined. Otherwise—death!"

As Kang Tai spoke, his expression turned progressively maniacal, and a powerful, distinct aura emanated from him.

This impact caused Lin Tianhao’s aura to recede at an alarming pace, and in the end, they leveled out evenly.

Seeing Kang Tai’s disrespect, Lin Tianhao’s face darkened with anger.

"Junior Brother Gu, step back. Let me handle him before we continue our discussion."

Gu Sheng had earlier detected an eerie and familiar but faintly fleeting evil aura emanating from Kang Tai.

Frowning deeply, Gu Sheng warned in a low voice, "Senior Brother Lin, there’s something strange about him. Be cautious!"

Lin Tianhao responded with a confident smile. "Relax. He and I know each other too well—I’d hardly call him comparable to someone as monstrous as you!"

With that, Lin Tianhao burst into laughter and stepped forward with renewed determination.

"Kang Tai, who gave you the nerve to provoke me like this? Since you clearly can’t recognize your own limits, I’ll gladly educate you!"

Lin Tianhao began to whirl his spear, creating blurs of spear shadows and unleashing waves of force, exuding a commanding aura.

Watching Lin Tianhao fight seriously, a sudden wave of concern swept over Lan Liu. "Brother Kang, be careful!"

"Hahaha! Don’t worry. Step back and watch—today, I’ll show you I’m no longer the man I once was!"

Facing Lin Tianhao’s relentless approach, Kang Tai didn’t even draw a weapon. Instead, he clenched his fists and smashed forward with brute force.

Though Zhao Honglie had sealed the Demonic Qi within Kang Tai’s Dantian, the enhancements to his physical strength brought by the Demon Seed couldn’t be restrained.

As his fist descended, ominous black radiance flickered beneath Kang Tai’s skin. Strange, intricate runes surfaced one by one.

"Clang! Clang! Clang!"

The two exchanged blows at lightning speed, clashing dozens of times in just ten seconds.

Remarkably, Kang Tai relied solely on his bare fists to counter Lin Tianhao’s Dark-Level spear. Shockingly, his fists, exhibiting an absurd level of durability, produced metallic ringing sounds upon impact with the spear. Moreover, under the faint, eerie black light, he wasn’t at a disadvantage at all. There wasn’t even a scratch on his fists, making them seem akin to Mystical-level Treasures themselves.

This astonishing display left Gu Sheng and Lin Tianhao secretly alarmed.

As the direct participant, Lin Tianhao was utterly stunned.

During their exchanges, though he hadn’t utilized martial arts or his full power, Lin Tianhao had fought at more than sixty percent of his strength.

In the past, even if he couldn’t outright defeat Kang Tai, this level of power would’ve at least forced Kang Tai to go all out, leaving him in a sorry state. But now, Kang Tai didn’t appear remotely pressured. He hadn’t even drawn a weapon or used any martial techniques, relying solely on raw strength to match Lin Tianhao blow for blow. His relaxed demeanor betrayed the troubling fact that he wasn’t even exerting his full power.

"What on earth did this man encounter to gain such a terrifying boost in power?" Lin Tianhao’s gaze grew heavy as he scrutinized Kang Tai.

Noticing Lin Tianhao’s wariness, Kang Tai couldn’t help but burst into laughter.

"Lin Tianhao, you’re finished! After years of enduring your oppression, today, I’ll repay all the humiliation and lowliness you’ve forced upon me!"

Kang Tai’s eyes blazed with madness. Suddenly, an even greater surge of strength erupted from within him as he swung his fists furiously at Lin Tianhao.

Each punch carried titanic force, generating fierce gusts of wind.

Feeling the potency of these attacks, Lin Tianhao no longer dared take Kang Tai lightly. The energy in his Dantian surged like a flood, cascading outward as his spear danced rapidly. Countless spear phantoms appeared as he unleashed his strongest martial art—the Yellow Dragon Breaking Formation Spear!

"The Yellow Dragon Breaking Formation Spear? Its aura is decent, but it’s clear you haven’t mastered it fully. You’ve failed to unleash its true power. Today, you’re doomed to lose!"

Kang Tai leaped high into the air, pouring every ounce of strength into his fists as he smashed down on Lin Tianhao with unparalleled ferocity.

"Hmph!"

Lin Tianhao snorted coldly, his spear’s energy coalescing into a faint yellow dragon that slashed out with a flick of the spear’s tail.

At the moment of collision, a flash of black light enveloped Kang Tai’s fists, transforming them completely black. A strange, overwhelming force burst forth.

When the fists met the spear’s energy, the spectral yellow dragon was instantly tainted by the dark energy.

"Shatter!"

Kang Tai roared, an unstoppable force erupting as the spear’s energy completely disintegrated. Even the Low-Grade Mystical-Level Yellow Dragon Breaking Formation Spear shattered mercilessly!

"What?!"

Lin Tianhao hastily spun his spear to deflect the backlash, stabilizing himself with great difficulty. Yet, he remained shocked beyond words.

He couldn’t believe that the Kang Tai he once subdued with merely seventy percent of his strength could now effortlessly obliterate even his full-power attack.

"Such terrifying strength! What kind of power is this? Where does it come from?"

Gu Sheng, watching nearby, immediately recognized that the power emanating from Kang Tai was identical to that which Zhao Honglie had wielded before.

Much like now, Zhao Honglie had once used this power to defeat Bai Yuqi and Qian Jin.

Gu Sheng had been a hidden witness to that harrowing scene, and the memory of that force had haunted him ever since.

This marked the third time Gu Sheng had encountered it.

The first was during Zhao Honglie’s ascension. The second, at the Demonic Suppression Sect’s ruins. And now, the third—here.

"What... What kind of luck did Brother Kang encounter to grow so strong?"

Watching nervously from afar, ready to flee if needed, Lan Liu froze at the sight of Kang Tai’s newfound power.

When the realization finally hit her, a look of pure elation replaced her initial shock.