Chapter 1171: Blood Blade

From Xu Yang's assessment, setting aside the other dozen swordsmen, the leader's strength was undeniably on par with someone like Shi Tiandao. Even among the Glory Dragon Riders, this old man was certainly a top-tier master.

"It's truly astonishing that someone could break out of the central area of Lover's City Dungeon and even shatter the sealing array there. What I can't quite grasp, however, is that I detected no energy fluctuations from the array itself. This suggests you didn't completely dismantle all of its barriers, but rather used a unique method to create an opening and enter its core. Quite impressive! I'd like to know who among you is the primary individual responsible? The one who activated the array's passage."

Seeing the man's arrogant expression, the members of the Eight Gates team all wore looks of disdain. Bloodblade, the female assassin, even let out a cold snort.

"Don't give me that arrogant look, you fool! Kicking up such a fuss in the middle of the night, you nearly gave me a heart attack! Want to know who our leader is? Kneel down and call me 'Grandma,' and I might just tell you!"

Old Crow, standing nearby, chuckled obscenely and quipped, "If you call me 'Grandpa,' I can tell you as well!"

Bloodblade promptly shot Old Crow a meaningful glare. In truth, Old Crow and Bloodblade had known each other for a long time, having fought side-by-side on more than one occasion. Old Crow had also secretly harbored feelings for Bloodblade.

Though ruthless in killing, the woman was undeniably stunningly beautiful. While slightly less so than Xiao Hua, she possessed a faint knife scar on her face.

Yet, her unique allure, like a blood-stained rose—thorny yet exquisitely cold—was undeniably captivating. Their playful banter, however, seemed to leave the swordsman leader feeling rather ignored.

The killing intent in the opponent's eyes intensified. "It seems you are truly seeking death. If your leader refuses to reveal themselves, then I shall begin eliminating you one by one. For me, it is merely a matter of sooner or later anyway."

No sooner had the old man's words fallen than they ignited a furious uproar among everyone present! His tone showed an utter disregard for the Eight Gates team. A-Wen was the first to let out a cold snort, gripping two throwing knives as he stepped forward, ready to confront the assassin leader before him.

However, in that very instant, the white-haired swordsman leader vanished without a trace. Simultaneously, A-Wen's presence had been completely locked onto by the old man at some unknown moment. A chilling glint of steel sliced through the air, transforming into the sharpest blade from the depths of the dark night, aimed directly at A-Wen's brow.

"Brother, be careful!" Arno, seeing this, immediately realized his brother A-Wen was in grave danger. The opponent's strength was far greater than it had appeared initially; even a slight misstep could cost A-Wen his life.

Especially since the silver-glowing sword, now gleaming in the air, had firmly locked onto A-Wen's brow. In a flash, it was clear Arno would not be able to intervene in time. Without hesitation, Xiao Hua flung out a burst of purple light.

A personal artifact, a silver needle, shot out, striking the surface of the silver sword precisely and forcing the swordsman leader's lethal attack back.

"Oh, it seems this pretty young girl must be the true leader of your team. Her strength is not to be underestimated; more importantly, she managed to elude my perception. Quite interesting! As the head of this entire team, are you interested in a contest with me? If you aren't killed by me, I might consider sparing one of your team members."

"Indeed, these monotonous days require some form of game as a reward for ourselves. Leader, would you consider letting me have this opportunity? It's been a long time since I've had a chance to properly stretch my limbs."

The speaker was a tall, young swordsman, who seemed to be quite sharp within the team. However, the white-haired leader calmly shook his head.

"You witnessed the moment that woman made her move. If it had been you, you might not have been able to withstand that attack. If my assessment is correct, her strength is superior to yours."

Clearly, having finally encountered a worthy group of opponents, these top-tier swordsmen were eager to showcase their abilities. Yet, their leader instantly seized this opportunity for himself, leaving no room for anyone else to contend for it.

"Hahaha, from my perspective, why don't each of us simply choose an opponent? After all, the numerical difference between our two groups isn't significant. If everyone is so eager for a fight, then I believe this approach is perfectly viable."

Crab suddenly stepped forward and offered a fair proposal. As expected, even before the other members of the Eight Gates could respond, the opposing swordsmen each appeared exceptionally excited.

"Hahaha, it's rare to encounter such fearlessness! Since you are willing to offer your lives as our whetstone, we could not be more delighted!"

Among the dozen or so elite swordsmen on the opposing side, the younger ones also sported mocking smiles. It seemed that in their eyes, the team led by Xu Yang was destined to be nothing more than casualties beneath their blades.

Xu Yang, who had remained silent for some time, finally nodded calmly at this moment. Upon receiving his unspoken approval, the other members of the Eight Gates team exchanged knowing glances and, without revealing Xu Yang's true leadership, began to stir, actively choosing their opponents.

Only the young scout remained motionless for a long while, looking utterly bewildered as he glanced around, as if this gamble had nothing to do with him.

Just then, the largest swordsman among the opponents revealed a grim smile and walked directly over, pointing at the small scout.

"It's hard to believe, you little runt, that even a tiny thing like you is a prisoner of the Eight Gates Death Prison. Do you possess any extraordinary abilities? Dare you come here and show this old man a trick or two?"

The young scout had no intention of confronting the opponent. Instead, he simply flipped him off, made a goofy face, and even wriggled his somewhat swollen backside at the large man for a good while. How could the opponent possibly tolerate such mockery and teasing? He immediately let out a furious roar, stomped his foot, and launched himself into the air, charging directly towards the scout's position.

In desperation, the young scout instinctively bolted towards Xu Yang's side. However, this time, Xu Yang offered him no reprieve. Grabbing the scout by the collar, he flung him directly into the center of the battlefield. "Don't be a coward. You'll have to face it sooner or later. You need to cultivate some courage, little one."