Xiang Ning stared at Zhao Youlong. Zhao Youlong stared back, unyielding. A minute passed. 

“Have you made your decision?” 

“Do you think your life is worth just one sweetsop?” Xiang Ning looked at him solemnly. He had just spent fifty seconds determining his next move, and in the last ten seconds, he’d picked the most dangerous—but effective—option. 

“What’d you say? Could you repeat that?” Zhao Youlong gasped, then dramatically put his hand by his ear. 

Thirty Mk. 4 knives flew out of their sheaths, but instead of heading for Zhao Youlong, they orbited around Xiang Ning and Ye Lingling while a Mk. 5 knife flew toward Zhao Youlong. Zhao Youlong was startled, though he quickly recovered and smirked. “I know you’re a spiritual cultivator, and you look like a really good one, too. But will you be able to break through my shield?” When the blade was three meters away from Zhao Youlong, it touched something soft and became lodged in it, unable to advance. 

“I spent seventy million dollars on this magnetic force shield, it’s strong enough to withstand Mk. 6 blades. Did you think you could touch me with a weak Mk. 5 knife?” Zhao Youlong smiled. “If you touch me, I, Zhao Youlong, swear to—wait… how is that possible?” 

Ye Lingling clutched her mouth. The magnetic field around the knife started weakening, appearing blue. It looked like it was about to be compromised soon. If Zhao Youlong had known that what he’d thought was a Mk. 5 knife was actually Mk. 7, he wouldn’t have opened his mouth in the first place.

“FIRE! FIRE NOW!” he roared in rage. 

Tens of machine guns fired and a shower of bullets charged right at Xiang Ning. But.… 

“I don’t have as much fancy stuff as you do, but if you hurt me, I’ll embarrass my hometown!” 

“I don’t care where you’re from!” is what Zhao Youlong wanted to say, but his men had fired tens of thousands of bullets and not a single one of them even touched the corner of Xiang Ning’s sleeve. He was controlling the thirty knives too well! 

“You… you’re definitely not just a tier three spiritual cultivator!” 

“Tsk, when did I say I was?” Xiang Ning smirked. Since Zhao Youlong had said that his shield could withstand a Mk. 6 knife, of course he had to try a Mk. 7. “Now, I’m going to ask you again. Is your life worth one measly sweetsop?”

Zhao Youlong was drenched in cold sweat, but he forced himself to remain calm. “Do… do you know the consequences of this? You’re not just offending me, but Jerry Constructions, too!” 

“Hehe, what’s that got to do with me? That’s your Daddy, not mine. Let me ask you again: is your life, worth one, measly, sweetsop?!” The blade pressed several millimeters into his skin and Zhao Youlong shrieked. He was utterly humiliated. He was a powerful tier five, seven-star martial artist! How could he be humiliated like this?! 

“Alright, if that’s what you want. Bring them out!” 

A minute later, the Ye brothers emerged, supporting their mother. When they saw Ye Lingling, they shouted, “Big sister!” 

“Come here!” Ye Lingling grew worried for her family. 

“Leave now,” Xiang Ning said to the family. 

“But what about you?” Ye Lingling asked, concerned. She was the one who had led Xiang Ning into the trap; if she left, how could she live with herself? 

Xiang Ning looked around at the other fighters closing in on him and the snipers hiding in the shadows and shook his head. “No, you need to go. Don’t worry, they can’t hurt me. If you guys stay here, this fight will turn into a stalemate.” 

“But—” 

“Go.” Xiang Ning felt like it was time to do something drastic or this would never end. If he wanted them to give up on him, he must show them that they had no ability to even touch him! He knew people like that well. They would harass you countless times, and the more you tried to swallow it, the bolder they would get. This time, although it was because of Ye Lingling, Xiang Ning also shared the burden. He was the one who had taken the sweetsop, and although he paid her, it’d still caused her trouble. 

Ye Lingling clenched her teeth, then led her family out of there. 

“They’re gone. So can you hand the fruit over now?” asked Zhao Youlong. 

Xiang Ning didn’t speak, retracting his Mk. 7 knife. Zhao Youlong was astonished. What? That was completely out of expectations. He took back his knife just like that?

He really didn’t know if Xiang Ning was really that dumb. But what happened next made him choke. 

“I promise not to kill you guys.” Xiang Ning grinned and took out the Devourer from his dimensional ring. The oppressive aura of the weapon spread across the space. 

“You… you’re a dual cultivator? Who the hell are you?” 

“Not your father.” 

Zhao Youlong paused, then a green vein popped on his forehead. “You punk, do you really think I can’t hurt you?” A suit of battle armor instantly unfolded across his body. He was now holding a sword, emitting the aura of a tier five, seven-star martial artist. “Wang Kong! Kill him!” 

“Yes, boss!” 

An average-looking man walked out, though he emitted a lethality that didn’t match his looks. Xiang Ning sensed that he was a tier five, five-star martial artist. 

Xiang Ning's previous ambush happened too quickly, so Wang Kong hadn’t had a chance to show off his abilities before his boss had been knocked out. Now, with his battle armor on, Zhao Youlong was no longer afraid of Xiang Ning's knives! Thus, it was time for Wang Kong to show off. He had a lot of battle experience and despite being two stars weaker than Zhao Youlong, in a true fight, he would beat him! 

“You have a lot of good things on you, kid.” Wang Kong licked his lips. 

Xiang Ning looked at the man, lightly shaking his head. 

“What’s that supposed to mean?” 

“Too weak. Can’t even withstand one hit. I don’t feel like killing anyone.” 

“Hehe, you’re too arrogant!” Wang Kong stomped into the ground and leaped forward, slashing his sword before him. The air exploded around him as he aimed for Xiang Ning's neck, but in Xiang Ning’s eyes, his speed was mediocre. He was covered in flaws! He could kill Wang Kong in seventeen different ways in three seconds. 

But as he had mentioned, he didn’t want to kill anyone. So he turned his weapon to its back. “Dancing Peacock!” 

“Clang!” There was the sound of a metallic impact as Wang Kong was tossed out like a pile of rags, and Xiang Ning hit him in the waist with the back of his weapon. 

Wang Kong screamed in agony while the rest of them clutched their waist. Would the guy ever be able to walk again? 

MC is op, don't you know that?