Chapter 567 - 563: True Intent

Chapter 567: Chapter 563: True Intent

"Do you yield?"

With overwhelming force, Hong Yu struck down the two Unparalleled Geniuses, Long Qingfeng and Emperor Xiahuang Wudi, and pinned them firmly under his feet.

It was a display of absolute confidence and power.

His Divine Power was immense, his dominance absolute.

The scene left all the experts dumbfounded. Even the powerhouse from the Single-horned War Clan narrowed his eyes, a strange glint appearing within them.

However, the old man was incredibly shrewd and inscrutable, giving no hint as to what he was truly thinking.

Xuantian Du’s eyes widened in surprise as he stared intently at Hong Yu. He couldn’t help but sigh in admiration. ’What an incredible guy. Good thing I was smart enough not to make an enemy of him. Otherwise, I’d be the one on the ground right now. Hahaha, your pal Fatty is a true genius!’

Beyond his shock, Young Master Yeban was perhaps the most deeply moved person on the battlefield.

He had met Hong Yu in the Profound Ice Secret Realm and had fought alongside him, so he had a very clear understanding of Hong Yu’s combat prowess.

Back then, although Hong Yu was strong, Young Master Yeban was still confident he could compete with him.

But now...

"What a monster!"

Young Master Yeban muttered, a trace of envy in his voice.

Of course, his eyes held even more excitement and joy.

"H-Hong Yu, how dare you humiliate us like this? You’re courting death..."

"I’ll make you pay for this!"

Emperor Xiahuang Wudi and Long Qingfeng couldn’t accept the reality of their crushing defeat, letting out a series of low snarls.

They were resentful and indignant, refusing to admit they had been so utterly routed.

Completely powerless to retaliate!

Hong Yu smiled wryly. "Still not convinced, you two? Fine. In that case, I’ll just have to beat you until you are."

"Fuck! Hong Yu, don’t take this too far! I am a disciple of the Xiahuang Ancient Kingdom’s Imperial Family! My status is noble! You worthless peasant, if you dare harm me..."

Emperor Xiahuang Wudi blustered.

Before he could finish, Hong Yu’s fist had already smashed down.

The punch landed squarely on Emperor Xiahuang Wudi’s mouth.

BAM!

Emperor Xiahuang Wudi’s lips split open, and his mouth filled with a torrent of thick blood. More than half his teeth were shattered.

SPIT!

Emperor Xiahuang Wudi’s eyes were bloodshot with rage. Spitting blood, his gaze was utterly venomous. "You... you dare? Hong Yu, I’ll kill you! I’ll hunt you to the highest heavens and the lowest depths of the Yellow Springs! You won’t escape alive!"

"So noisy."

As he spoke, Hong Yu’s fist smashed down again.

This time, he aimed for Emperor Xiahuang Wudi’s right arm.

The punch shattered his arm instantly. Shards of bone pierced through the skin, painting the area crimson.

"ARGH! My arm..."

Emperor Xiahuang Wudi shrieked in agony.

Hong Yu asked coldly, "Now, do you yield?"

"Fuck you—"

"Damn it, you’re just asking for it!"

Hong Yu spat on the ground.

He switched between punches, slaps, and savage kicks.

Every strike was viciously precise, calculated to inflict the greatest possible pain and make his victim look utterly pathetic, yet Hong Yu held back just enough not to cause any permanent, foundational damage to Emperor Xiahuang Wudi.

After all, he had a decent relationship with Xiahuang Shang.

And since Emperor Xiahuang Wudi was one of Xiahuang Shang’s trusted followers, it wouldn’t be right to actually cripple him.

Even so, Emperor Xiahuang Wudi had all the fight beaten out of him. He was on the verge of passing out; with every ragged breath, blood gushed from his nose and mouth.

"My dear Emperor Xiahuang Wudi, have you yielded this time?"

Hong Yu asked calmly.

A wry smile played on his lips, as bright and brilliant as the sun.

But in Emperor Xiahuang Wudi’s eyes, that smile was the smile of a Demon.

He nodded frantically, mumbling indistinctly, "I yee... I yee... yielded..."

Hong Yu crouched down and gently patted Emperor Xiahuang Wudi’s now-unrecognizable face. "Now, that’s a good boy," he said mildly. "If you’d just yielded earlier, you could have avoided all this suffering, couldn’t you?"

Then, Hong Yu turned his gaze to Long Qingfeng, who was pinned under his other foot.

He’d never had any direct conflict with Long Qingfeng.

But the man had targeted him at every turn, repeatedly fanning the flames and turning others against him.

He had even proposed that the powerhouses of the War Race join forces with them to wipe out the Hong Alliance. How could Hong Yu possibly tolerate that?

"Now, it’s your turn,"

Hong Yu said with a grin.

A shiver ran down Long Qingfeng’s spine. He had just witnessed firsthand how brutally Hong Yu had beaten Emperor Xiahuang Wudi.

If even someone from the Xiahuang Family could be beaten to such a state, he didn’t think he possessed anything that could make Hong Yu hesitate.

He quickly plastered a sycophantic smile on his face. Long Qingfeng chuckled obsequiously, "Brother Hong, Master Hong, Boss Hong... Hong Yu, you’re practically my ancestor! I misspoke just now! This Blazing Flame Pure Gold Vein was definitely discovered by the Hong Alliance first, so of course it belongs to you. As for how to divide it, that’s completely up to your discretion. We’ll be happy with whatever scraps you’re willing to give us, really..."

Hong Yu: "..."

Young Master Yeban: "..."

Xuantian Du: "..."

Even Emperor Xiahuang Wudi, who had just been beaten senseless, rolled his eyes, so angry he nearly coughed up more blood. ’Damn you! If I’d known you were this spineless, why the hell would I have taken such a beating just to look tough?’

Hong Yu looked at Long Qingfeng with amusement. "Weren’t you acting all high and mighty just now? Saying you were going to destroy our Hong Alliance?"

"N-No, that definitely never happened!"

Long Qingfeng shook his head so fast it was a blur. "How could that be possible? With Master Hong presiding over the Hong Alliance, we wouldn’t dare provoke you, not even if you gave us ten thousand times the courage!"

A torrent of flattery poured out of him like a raging river.

It was enough to make Hong Yu’s head spin.

He had to admit it.

The kid was a true prodigy of ass-kissing.

He could take a single sentiment and rephrase it a dozen different ways, each version praising how incredible and badass Hong Yu was.

Hong Yu rubbed his nose, a smile in his eyes. "So, you’re convinced by my earlier statement as well?"

"Convinced, absolutely convinced! Whatever you decide to do with the Blazing Flame Pure Gold Vein is how it should be done!" Long Qingfeng nodded his head furiously, like he was pounding garlic.

Hong Yu laughed and crouched down, sizing up Long Qingfeng. "Long Qingfeng, I’m starting to realize I underestimated you. For a so-called Unparalleled Genius to be this patient and calculating... that quality alone proves you won’t be a simple character in the future."

"Haha, haha... Master Hong, you jest,"

Long Qingfeng replied, his face a mask of embarrassment.

Hong Yu snorted coldly and fell into thought.

’On the way here, I was fully prepared to strike with overwhelming force, drive away the people from Divine Venerable City and the City of Sorrow, and claim this Blazing Flame Pure Gold Vein for myself.’

’As for the War Race Tribe?’

’I hadn’t even considered their feelings. After all, hadn’t the True Dragon War God himself said that the threat the War Race Tribes posed to us was no less than that of the True Dragons of previous generations?’

’Those who are not our kin are bound to have different allegiances.’

’I can’t trust these bizarre-looking folk.’

’But now...’

’After arriving at the Blazing Flame Pure Gold Vein, I used the Profound Celestial Tower to conduct a preliminary survey and discovered a huge secret.’

’Beneath this vein, there’s likely something far more significant than just Blazing Flame Pure Gold.’

’The Hong Alliance alone doesn’t have the power to claim this secret for itself.’

’That’s why I struck with overwhelming force the moment I arrived, beating Long Qingfeng and Emperor Xiahuang Wudi into submission. It was all to seize the upper hand and gain the initiative, paving the way for my next move.’

It seemed his show of force had been sufficient.

Hong Yu narrowed his eyes. He smiled as he helped Emperor Xiahuang Wudi and Long Qingfeng to their feet. Under their terrified and apprehensive gazes, he said with another smile, "Actually, I’m not a domineering person. We may have discovered this Blazing Flame Pure Gold Vein first, but I believe true wealth is wealth that’s shared. Therefore, I’ve decided: this vein will be explored by our four factions working together!"

"Huh?"

"You can’t be serious."

"Did I hear that right?"

The others all stared at Hong Yu, shocked and confused.

Only the powerhouse from the Single-horned War Clan narrowed his eyes, seemingly displeased by Hong Yu’s decision.

Though Hong Yu wasn’t looking at the old man, he was still keeping a close, wary eye on him. Noticing this barely perceptible shift in expression, he narrowed his own eyes. ’It seems this old fellow knows something about the Blazing Flame Pure Gold Vein. He might even know about the dangers that come with the great secret hidden below.’

The thought only strengthened Hong Yu’s conviction that his judgment was correct.

’Otherwise, with the War Race having lived and prospered in this land for thousands, even tens of thousands of years, how could they have failed to discover this vein?’

"Brother Hong, what..." Yeban began, clearly displeased.

Hong Yu gave him a look and shook his head slightly.

Though Yeban was filled with doubt, he didn’t press the issue, simply nodding to show that he would follow Hong Yu’s lead.

This was true brotherhood—a single nod was worth a thousand words.

Long Qingfeng asked tentatively, "Boss Hong, you... you mean you’re willing to share this vein with us?"

Hong Yu nodded. "Of course. The vein is too large for my Hong Alliance to handle alone. If our four factions work together, with rewards based on contribution, wouldn’t that be for the best?"

"Is this a new idea you just came up with?"

Long Qingfeng asked.

Emperor Xiahuang Wudi also pricked up his ears.

Hong Yu shook his head. "I decided this on my way here. It’s just that you were all speaking so arrogantly that I couldn’t resist teaching you a lesson."

"For fuck’s sake..."

Emperor Xiahuang Wudi’s eyes rolled back in his head, and he passed out cold.

Long Qingfeng’s mouth twitched. ’So, the two of us got the crap beaten out of us just because we ran our mouths?!’

Hong Yu then turned to the powerhouse from the Single-horned War Clan. "May I ask for Senior’s name?"

"This old man is Mang Kun, leader of the Du Mang Tribe of the War Race," Mang Kun said with a kindly chuckle, looking like a benevolent elder.

But Hong Yu knew that behind that kind smile lay a wicked and vicious heart.

He immediately asked, "I wonder if Senior Mang Kun is satisfied with this junior’s proposed arrangement?"

"Rewards based on contribution? Hehe, that is an excellent method indeed!"

Mang Kun agreed with a hearty laugh.

But deep within his profound eyes, a flicker of coldness and ecstasy went unnoticed.

Hong Yu nodded and said no more. He looked toward Long Qingfeng and Emperor Xiahuang Wudi. "Since the arrangement is settled, let’s make our preparations. Each faction will assemble a ten-person team for the initial exploration. We will advance into the mine precisely at noon. How does that sound?"

"Good!"

"No problem!"

Who among them would dare object?

With that, they each dispersed.

Once the outsiders had left, Yeban couldn’t hold back his questions, but Hong Yu spoke first. "Yeban, I need you to select ten people right away. At noon, we’ll lead the team into the mine. Whether the appearance of this Blazing Flame Pure Gold Vein is a blessing or a curse remains to be seen. We must be cautious."

"A blessing or a curse? You don’t mean there’s more to this mine than meets the eye?" Yeban’s eyes widened.

Hong Yu nodded, his gaze growing distant. "I have a bad feeling about this. But at the same time... I have this strange sense that something deep within is calling to me. It’s hard to say whether this mine is a den of peril or a land of opportunity. We’ll know the truth once we’re inside."

"Alright!"

Yeban immediately stopped asking questions and withdrew.

Hong Yu’s eyes narrowed as if he could see right through the mountain itself. He muttered to himself...

"Blazing Flame Pure Gold Vein, what secrets are you hiding?"