Eric Bolton, though shocked by the sudden upheaval, reacted instantly to the crisis thanks to his alert nature. Eric Bolton formed a hand seal, activating his protective talisman while simultaneously triggering a secret sword-light escape technique on his flying sword, instantly tripling its speed. Although this secret technique would severely damage his body, at this moment it was enough to save Eric Bolton's life.

Before Eric Bolton could shoot away as a streak of silver light, the slashing Cold Iron Wind-Cutting Blade suddenly flickered, its surging speed causing it to lose its original form, leaving only a sharp, piercing blade howl in the air.

The sword-light shield and the protective inner armor were as fragile as paper under the flashing cold blade, offering no protection at all. Amidst the shattered multicolored glows of various shields, Eric Bolton's head and half his shoulder were slashed off by the ferocious long blade.

Such a ruthless blade technique instantly cut off all of Eric Bolton's vitality. Blood spattered in all directions, the faint scent of blood drifting away on the wind.

Hot on Eric Bolton's heels, Little Helen arrived just in time to witness the gruesome sight of Eric Bolton being cut in two. Because the silver sword-light Eric Bolton controlled was so bright, the bloody and tragic scene was all too clear to Little Helen in the night. Brian Grant's pale, frail figure now seemed as terrifying as a demon.

"Ah..." Witnessing the horror, Little Helen screamed instinctively. Dressed in a bizarre fashion, Little Helen's shrill scream was like that of a banshee from the dark worlds of the West.

Brian Grant took a deep breath, regulating the true energy that had become somewhat chaotic from the continuous outbursts. After calmly regaining his breath, the powerful true energy of the Vajra Divine Power Art resonated with the Cold Iron Wind-Cutting Blade in his hand. In an instant, the blade seemed to merge with Brian Grant himself.

The murderous aura unleashed by the unity of man and blade sent chills through Little Helen's entire body. Little Helen suddenly realized the other party intended to kill him. "Don't kill me, please, I have money, I can give you anything you want..." Little Helen pleaded pitifully, eyes brimming with tears, trying to appear as weak and submissive as possible, hoping that his fair chest, beautiful long legs, and youthful body might change the other's mind.

Brian Grant was unmoved. Amidst Little Helen's pleas, he drove the Cold Iron Wind-Cutting Blade, turning it into a streak of cold light that shot straight out. Sensing danger, Little Helen turned to flee, riding a deep purple sword-light. But before the purple sword-light could fly more than a few meters, it was pierced by the onrushing cold light.

"Splurt..." With a muffled sound, Little Helen's purple flying sword suddenly shattered into countless glimmers, and Little Helen tumbled out from the broken sword-light. In an instant, Little Helen's beautiful, youthful body vanished from the mountaintop.

As the blade-light ceased, Brian Grant slowly revealed his form. Brian Grant was still far from achieving true unity with his blade; just now, he had only forced the blade energy to chase down Little Helen. In terms of swordsmanship, it was rather crude. But to kill a terrified Little Helen, it was all too easy.

After dealing with William Smith, Eric Bolton, and Little Helen, Brian Grant let out a long breath. Though he had forced himself to remain calm, his heart now couldn't help but pound violently.

No matter how much killing one did in the Illusion Demon Realm, it was nothing like the real world. There, there were no restraints. But in the real world, there were powerful forces of order formed over thousands of years. These were things Brian Grant could not resist. And killing his own kind, for whatever reason, placed enormous psychological pressure on the eighteen-year-old Brian Grant.

Two bright sword-lights flew up from the foot of the mountain—it was Bamboo Pole and Emily Thompson, who had just caught up. As soon as they reached the summit, they saw Eric Bolton's corpse split in two and blood flowing everywhere. The ghastly scene left them both stunned.

Awakened by the sword-lights, Brian Grant knew this was no time for sentiment. Calming his mind, he raised his long blade, and a fierce blade aura locked onto the two from afar as he charged. Having been beaten by Brian Grant before, Emily Thompson already feared him. Under the pressure of Brian Grant's blade aura, he had no desire to resist. With a cry of "Oh my god," he turned and fled on his sword.

Bamboo Pole, however, calmly put away his flying sword and drew a three-foot-long sword from his waist. With the sword in hand, his demeanor changed instantly; all his former humility and slyness vanished, replaced by a chilling sword aura that pierced straight to the heart.

Brian Grant's gaze sharpened. "Just what I was afraid of."

Chapter Six: Total Annihilation

The gruesome remains and patches of black-red blood were a shocking sight on the eternal silver-white snow. In the biting cold wind, a faint scent of blood drifted everywhere.

Under the starry sky, Guanyun Peak was a scene of devastation.

Brian Grant and Bamboo Pole stood ten paces apart, blade and sword in hand, silently facing off.

This standoff was quite disadvantageous for Brian Grant. If the panicked Emily Thompson calmed down even a little, he would naturally think to call for help. With the Enforcement Bureau's response speed, elite special agents could arrive within ten minutes.

Bamboo Pole clearly understood this as well, which was why he could remain so composed in the standoff with Brian Grant. Bamboo Pole had trained in swordsmanship since childhood and had real combat experience, allowing him to react quickly to sudden changes.

But facing the deep and cold Brian Grant, Bamboo Pole still felt uneasy. He had received special secret training and had a sharp eye; from the corpses of Eric Bolton and William Smith, he had gleaned a lot.