Chapter 061: Imperial Fire Sweeps the Plains

“Ah!” Tang Nianchen cried out in alarm, instinctively hiding in Lin Le’s arms.

As the swarm of venomous insects surged like a flood, Lin Le picked up Tang Nianchen and leapt straight out the window.

The moment Lin Le landed, a thunderous crash rang out. The glass above shattered as the horde of insects burst through, descending upon them in a black torrent, pouring down like a celestial river.

Along with the tidal wave of insects came Zuo Tianlang.

At this moment, Zuo Tianlang stood atop the writhing mass, borne aloft by countless insects, descending from the sky to strike at Lin Le below.

“Let’s see where you run now!” Zuo Tianlang’s face was vicious as he shouted coldly.

This time, with the swarm descending from above, Lin Le did not flee.

“You… you’re mad!” Tang Nianchen exclaimed in panic from Lin Le’s embrace.

In the next instant, with a deafening roar, the massive wave of insects crashed to the ground, surging toward Lin Le and Tang Nianchen.

Tang Nianchen felt certain she would perish beneath that wave.

“Command Fire to Scorch the Plains!” Lin Le uttered each word distinctly.

At the same time, Lin Le struck the ground with his palm.

Boom! A ferocious blaze erupted from beneath Lin Le’s feet, spreading outward like an immense burst of sparks.

Tang Nianchen, cradled in Lin Le’s arms, witnessed the entire spectacle. She had never seen such an astonishing phenomenon in her life.

The fire expanded rapidly, and in the blink of an eye, it spanned several meters.

Then, the flames collided with the wave of insects. In the next moment, the swarm ignited instantly, as if a spark had fallen into gasoline.

In an instant, the entire wave became a raging sea of fire, consuming all the venomous insects.

Command Fire to Scorch the Plains—indeed, it was as if wildfire could spread from a single spark!

The entire courtyard of the Tang family estate was instantly transformed into a blazing inferno.

Yet, the fire came swiftly and died just as quickly. As soon as the insects were consumed, it was as if all the air had been snatched away, and the sea of flames vanished in an instant, leaving only scattered embers on the corpses of the insects.

“Ah!” As the flames faded, a figure badly burned by the fire fell heavily to the ground—it was Zuo Tianlang!

By now, Zuo Tianlang’s clothes were charred, his skin ulcerated, and he lay powerless on the ground.

Zuo Tianlang had miscalculated. He never imagined he would be defeated by a mere youth.

But the most rudimentary Command Fire Spell, in this young man’s hands, could unleash such immense power—it was truly astonishing!

How could a practitioner of the Outer School possess such formidable cultivation?

Was he perhaps of the Inner School?

No matter how powerful Zuo Tianlang’s venomous arts were, they belonged only to the heretical ways of the Outer School—limited to controlling insects, far inferior to the true Inner School.

The main difference between Outer and Inner School lies in whether one can “enter the Way.”

To enter the Way is to cultivate the true path, build a foundation for innate abilities, and break free from the bonds of birth, aging, sickness, and death.

Outer School practitioners may possess some skill and can use talismans and formations, but they have not found the method to enter the Way. Unable to build a foundation, no matter how strong, they remain outside the gates of the Dao, unable to transcend their mortal bodies. Even the most formidable Outer School cultivators, after their prime, must face death.

Once one enters the Way, builds a foundation, and becomes a true Inner School practitioner, the body is transformed and life extended. At the innate stage, one can live for centuries, almost like an immortal.

This is beyond the limits of ordinary mortals!

True Inner School practitioners stand at the pinnacle of the pyramid. On Earth, they are like gods—any one of them appearing among ordinary people would cause shock far beyond imagination!

However, the Inner School has its own rules. Generally, they seldom appear before the public, preferring seclusion in mountains and blessed lands, rarely interacting with the world. Thus, few know of their existence.

In truth, those of the Inner School value cultivation and longevity above all. Worldly wealth and material things rarely catch their eye.

But there are exceptions—some Inner School practitioners, tired of a life of seclusion, blend into urban society.

According to Zuo Tianlang, only three people in the entire Dark List hail from the Inner School, and all three rank among its top ten, terrifying figures!

Zuo Tianlang never expected to encounter a true Inner School practitioner in this small Haizhou.

“Tell me, why did you target the Tang family? I’ll spare your life!” Lin Le stood before Zuo Tianlang, his expression cold.

Before Zuo Tianlang could reply, a gunshot rang out, and beams of light flooded into the courtyard. Sirens blared.

Earlier, when Tang Nianchen was upstairs, she had called the police. Now they finally arrived.

“Don’t move!” someone shouted angrily.

Lin Le froze and looked outside, seeing dozens of guns aimed at him, clearly mistaken for a criminal.

In this moment of hesitation, Zuo Tianlang suddenly darted into the shadows, trying to escape.

“Stop!” someone shouted, and several gunshots followed, but Zuo Tianlang was too swift. In a few moves, he was out of the courtyard.

“You won’t escape so easily!” Lin Le moved like a leopard, pushing off with his foot and leaping out after him.

Zuo Tianlang, badly wounded by the Command Fire, was much slower. After fleeing several hundred meters, Lin Le caught up and kicked him to the ground.

“Speak! Who sent you?” Lin Le demanded coldly.

“In our profession, there are rules. If I tell you, I’ll die anyway. To fall at the hands of an Inner School practitioner—I accept it. Kill me if you wish!” Zuo Tianlang was stubborn.

Better to die at Lin Le’s hands than be hunted by the assassins on the Dark List.

“You’re tough, but death is one thing. A fate worse than death is another.”

As he spoke, Lin Le conjured a ball of Command Fire, grabbing Zuo Tianlang’s arm.

Zuo Tianlang’s arm was instantly burned to a bloody mess. He felt the fire’s power penetrating every corner of his body, his bones wracked with excruciating pain.

“Ah!” Zuo Tianlang screamed in agony.

“I’ll talk, I’ll talk…” Zuo Tianlang finally broke. “Hou Jinlong! The man who sent me is Hou Jinlong of Wanli Group!”

“Hou Jinlong?” Lin Le was momentarily stunned, then released Zuo Tianlang’s arm.

Zuo Tianlang fell to his knees, black smoke rising from his ruined arm, moaning pitifully.

Why did Hou Jinlong want to destroy the Tang family? Was it really over that piece of land? Lin Le wondered.

As Lin Le pondered, Zuo Tianlang’s face suddenly twisted with malice in the darkness.

“Die!”

The black cloth wrapped around Zuo Tianlang’s head suddenly burst open, and a jet-black venomous snake shot out, lunging at Lin Le.

This snake was Zuo Tianlang’s last defense, refined with venom—its poison was deadly, a single drop fatal.

Lin Le hadn’t expected this, but his reaction was lightning fast. He seized the snake’s head in his hand.

At that moment, Zuo Tianlang drew a dagger from his breast and tried to stab Lin Le.

But before the blade could reach him, Lin Le grabbed the snake’s tail and lashed it, its fangs slicing across Zuo Tianlang’s neck.

The sharp fangs cut open Zuo Tianlang’s throat, and Lin Le kicked him away.

“Ah…!” Zuo Tianlang fell, clutching his neck in agony.

Then, a shocking scene unfolded. The wound on Zuo Tianlang’s neck began to rapidly corrode his body, emitting clouds of white smoke.

The potency of this venom was a hundred times more terrifying than the strongest sulfuric acid!

In moments, Zuo Tianlang’s entire body was devoured by the poison, not even his clothes remained, and the ground itself was scorched black.

Zuo Tianlang, ranked among the top fifty venom masters on the Dark List, had perished by his own venom.

“Hou Jinlong!” Lin Le growled coldly.

“Stop right there!” As Lin Le pondered, several police officers rushed over, surrounding him.

When Lin Le had chased Zuo Tianlang out of the estate, a dozen police officers had followed, but their speed paled in comparison. Only now did they catch up.

Lin Le offered no resistance, allowing them to take him back to the Tang family estate.

As Lin Le departed, other officers entered the estate.

Leading them was a burly middle-aged man, none other than the director of Haizhou Public Security Bureau, Xue Beichuan, known as the Living King of Hell! Having received word, he came straight from home.

Xue Beichuan was not only a former special forces soldier, but also a martial arts expert. Coupled with his formidable physique, he exuded an intimidating presence.

Stepping into the courtyard, Xue Beichuan was stunned by the scene before him.

Everywhere lay charred ashes, the bodies of bodyguards scattered across the ground.

It looked like the aftermath of a battlefield.