The once intact jade pendant suddenly developed a crack, as if it might shatter at any moment.
"A defensive artifact?" Du Long murmured.
Then, his body trembled: "This is truly a defensive artifact! Chen Jie didn't lie to me!"
He could hardly conceal his shock. After Chen Jie gave him the jade pendant, he had casually stuffed it into his pocket and forgotten about it.
He never expected it to save him twice at such a critical moment.
Du Long looked up at Lin Mengjiao and said, "Who exactly are you? I've killed many people, but none as strong as you!"
"Didn't I already tell you who I am? Let me say it again, I am Lin Mengjiao, and my father is Lin Tian! Back then, you coveted my Lin family's wealth and found an excuse to destroy my family!"
"Thirty years in the east, thirty years in the west. Now that my cultivation has matured, I've returned to avenge myself!"
Saying this, Lin Mengjiao raised her soft sword again, poised to attack Du Long: "I don't believe you can block me twice and then block ten times, or a hundred times!"
Du Long's expression changed drastically.
Despair gleamed in his eyes.
Suddenly, he looked at Chen Jie urgently and said, "Young Master Chen, I still want to buy your defensive artifacts. I'll buy as many as you have! I'll give you fifteen million for each, no... I'll give you thirty million!"
"Young Master Chen, please sell me two more!"
If he had just two more defensive artifacts on him, he could fight Lin Mengjiao by sacrificing his life for hers.
Then, it wouldn't be certain who would win or lose.
However, Chen Jie said indifferently, "There are none left. The defensive artifact you have is my last one."
Du Long didn't believe it. Chen Jie wouldn't keep so many good things for himself.
He thought Chen Jie was simply unwilling to sell them to him.
He instantly regretted his past actions.
He hated himself for not choosing to believe Chen Jie, treating the protective artifact as trash, and even thinking Chen Jie had conned him and secretly worked against Chen Jie.
Thinking about how Chen Jie could make such defensive artifacts, if he had befriended Chen Jie properly, wouldn't Chen Jie have been generous to him?
But now, it was too late.
Zhou Wei, standing beside them, also stared blankly at everything.
Chen Jie actually possessed defensive artifacts.
This was beyond ordinary people's comprehension.
In an instant, Chen Jie's image in his mind soared infinitely.
He no longer had any thought of opposing Chen Jie.
"Since heaven wants me dead, I will not sit idly by! I'll fight you to the death!" Du Long gritted his teeth, hefted his great saber again, and charged at Lin Mengjiao.
"With your amateur skills, you dare to fight me to the death? Die!"
Lin Mengjiao no longer held back, her soft sword flashing repeatedly.
With two swift slashes, Du Long didn't even have a chance to block.
It was then he realized that Lin Mengjiao hadn't used her full strength before. Without the defensive artifact, he would have died in the first exchange.
But now, he discovered the defensive artifact had shattered completely, offering no further protection.
*Puff!*
A flash of cold light, and Du Long let out a despairing scream.
Both of his arms were instantly crippled.
Then, Lin Mengjiao continued her attack with two more swift slashes, severing the tendons in Du Long's legs.
Finally, Lin Mengjiao directly plunged her sword into Du Long's heart.
Du Long managed a bitter smile: "It seems I am destined to die today. Lin Mengjiao, I have only one request! Spare my subordinates!"
Lin Mengjiao said coldly, "Spare my subordinates? When you destroyed my Lin family back then, you didn't consider sparing the lives of my Lin family's servants!"
"Today, I will kill all of your subordinates!"
Du Long said resentfully, "Those who followed me and participated in destroying your Lin family are either dead or scattered. They are no longer by my side. These people are innocent!"
"I don't believe they are all innocent. Today, I will go on a killing spree and slaughter all your subordinates right before your eyes!"
Lin Mengjiao directly pulled out her soft sword, and without killing Du Long immediately, she turned towards his subordinates.
"Ah! We'll fight her to the death!" Everyone in the bar cried out in grief.
They knew perfectly well they had no chance of survival under Lin Mengjiao's blade, but they still wanted to resist.
"Stop!" Zhang De suddenly shouted, rushing in front of Lin Mengjiao to block her: "Mengjiao, that's enough! You've already avenged yourself. Don't slaughter innocent people!"
"Grandpa, get out of the way! I want Du Long to die with regret!" Lin Mengjiao roared.
Zhang De said nervously, "Stop! You're just a child. Don't become the demon you despise!"
"Get lost!"
Lin Mengjiao let out a fierce cry and kicked Zhang De.
Zhang De's body flew away like a cannonball.
Chen Jie frowned and flashed forward, catching Zhang De's body.
"Master, please stop Mengjiao! She's killed so much she's gone mad. If this continues, she'll become a ruthless killer who disregards life!" Zhang De said, spitting blood, begging Chen Jie.
From afar, Du Long also said with difficulty to Chen Jie, "Young Master Chen, I know you're punishing me by deliberately not saving me. If you have the ability, please stop her! I'm willing to give you my position!"
Unexpectedly, at the last moment, Du Long was still thinking of his subordinates.
Chen Jie was somewhat surprised.
However, he had never intended to indulge Lin Mengjiao's indiscriminate killing.
So, he directly blocked Lin Mengjiao's path.
"You dare to stop me?" Lin Mengjiao glared at Chen Jie: "Move aside!"
She had initially thought this man was somewhat handsome and had a good relationship with her grandfather, so she wouldn't mind bestowing him an unimaginable fortune.
But since he dared to block her, she dismissed that thought.
Chen Jie said, "The wronged will find their retribution. You've already avenged yourself. There's no need to harm innocent people."
Chen Jie had originally intended to use Du Long's influence to strengthen himself.
Now that Du Long was dying, Chen Jie considered taking over Du Long's forces, so he absolutely couldn't let Lin Mengjiao wipe out Du Long's faction.
"You dare to stop me, then I'll kill you!"
Lin Mengjiao's delicate face was filled with coldness, and she unhesitatingly raised her sword to attack Chen Jie.
However, Chen Jie's expression remained unchanged. He reached out with his bare hands.
With a swish, the soft sword was wrapped around Chen Jie's hand like a rope and firmly grasped.
Lin Mengjiao's pretty face changed. Just as she was about to pull back with force, she found her own strength inferior to Chen Jie's.
What?
Lin Mengjiao's face showed shock. Her sword was incredibly sharp, yet this fellow held it firmly in his hand without even drawing blood!
Only then did she realize that Chen Jie was also extraordinary.
The next moment, Chen Jie opened his five fingers and slapped Lin Mengjiao's chest.
*Puff!*
Lin Mengjiao's face turned pale. Clutching her soft sword, she was sent flying backward.
Her body slammed into a pillar before she could stop.
When she stood up again, blood was trickling from the corner of her mouth, and her face was extremely pale.
Chen Jie, however, stood calmly in place, having not moved at all. The hand that had grasped the soft sword showed no trace of blood.