WHAT! I Have To Kill Heaven's Son To Live!

'Is he… up to something?'

Reon's eyes narrowed as he caught a flicker of confidence in Rin Gong's battered expression.

Suddenly—

Rin Gong hurled his spear away and drew his fist back.

A faint sky-blue aura began to ripple around it as he slowly muttered:

"Azura Dragon Secret Fist Art...

First Form—Azure Wave Punch!"

With a roar, he launched a devastating punch, its sky-blue energy tearing through the air straight toward Reon's face.

"Did you really think I only specialized in spear techniques…?" Rin Gong growled.

Reon's eyes widened for a heartbeat—then curved into a calm smile.

'So this was his trump card… But if this is all, then I have nothing to fear.'

In response, Reon threw away his sword.

Leaning slightly backward, he raised his right palm and spoke with measured calm:

"Crimson Howl Technique…

Second Form—Scarlet Wild Palm!"

BOOOM!!

The two techniques collided with a thunderous shockwave, sending dust and debris spiraling through the air.

The ground beneath them cracked and cratered as the force of the impact surged outward.

Rin Gong's eyes widened in disbelief.

'W-What?!'

'He… He can use palm techniques?!'

His mind reeled.

'Isn't he supposed to be a swordsman?!'

'Damn it… I only perfected that one fist form for emergencies… and he neutralized it so easily…'

Panic set in.

His gaze darted wildly around.

'My spear… where's my spear?! I need it—!'

"Hehe… you won't find it," Reon said calmly, a sly smile curving his lips. "Your spear, I mean."

"W-Why…?" Rin Gong gasped.

"I don't know," Reon shrugged.

'Because I've already flung it far away... with my Shadow Thread.' he thought inwardly.

Reon's eyes gleamed with a cold light as he whispered:

"Now… Die."

A chill ran down Rin Gong's spine.

WHOOOOSH!

In a blur, Reon vanished and appeared past him, faster than the eye could follow.

The wind howled around them.

"J-Just how many tricks... does this bastard have?!" Rin Gong muttered weakly, blood dripping from his mouth in the final moments.

And then—

Thud!

His vision spun.

His head, severed cleanly, hit the ground a moment later.

Reon had used his Shadow Threads—the first strand had been blocked by Rin Gong's aura-covered hand.

But the second?

The second sliced through his neck with lethal precision.

And all of it happened in that blinding instant when Reon flashed past him.

FWOOSH!

Blood burst like a fountain from the stump of his neck, splashing onto Reon's face.

Thud!

And then the lifeless body collapsed beside the severed head.

Reon gazed down at the corpse, silent for a moment.

'What a fool… He fought so fiercely for over twenty minutes, and then died just like this—all because of one mistake.'

'One arrogant assumption.'

'He thought he was the only one who had mastered a fist technique to perfection, and assumed I couldn't counter it. So he threw away his weapon.'

'That's why every weapon master says: never throw your weapon mid-battle… unless you have another to replace it.'

Reon exhaled, blood still dripping from his cheek.

'Well, whatever. It was a good fight. I got to test my limits, and I learned something valuable today.'

'No matter how well you fight… a single mistake, even in the final moment, can cost you everything.'

He turned away from the corpse.

"So never rest in battle… until your enemy lies completely dead."

Flexing his fingers, Reon looked down at his gloved hand with satisfaction.

'Anyway… that Shadowflow Blade Synchrony ability from my Shadow Gloves was nothing short of extraordinary.'

'It increased my hand movement speed by 30% for five minutes—and greatly enhanced both the precision and fluidity of my sword techniques.'

A faint smile touched his lips.

'Without it… I might not have been able to keep up with him, let alone kill him in the end.'

Then—

Ding!

A familiar chime echoed in Reon's mind as translucent blue panels began appearing one after another in the air before him.

[The Host has successfully eliminated all Inner Disciple spies from the Azura Dragon Sect—before the Son of Destiny, Yang Lie, could. A valuable opportunity has been seized.]

[Yang Lie has lost 3,000 Destiny Points, and 300 points of his Heavenly Luck have been stolen.]

[Congratulations, Host. You have gained 30,000 Villain Points.]

'Hah… Good.'

'Finally, I can rest…'

Reon dismissed all the panels with a lazy swipe of his hand and collapsed onto the ground, his breath ragged from exhaustion.

'I've only taken out the spies planted among the inner disciples by the Azura Dragon Sect… There could still be more.'

'And with how much the story's changed… I can't even estimate how many remain.'

He stared up at the swirling sky of the secret realm, expression unreadable.

'Sure, I know a few big shot traitors and spies within the sect. But to deal with them, I'll need a solid plan.'

Reon sighed, brushing the blood off his cheek.

'For now, I've earned enough Villain Points. Time to buy that item I bookmarked.'

Reon opened the System Interface and navigated to the Villain Store.

From there, he entered the Artifacts & Weapons section and scrolled down to a specific item.

…

[Name:] Nightpiercer Dagger

[Grade:] Peak-Tier Unique

[Description:] A finely-crafted stealth weapon that increases Agility by 30% and bypasses all spiritual defenses below the Element Refining Realm, delivering a single fatal strike—usable once every 24 hours.

[Price:] 48,000 VP

❖ Do you wish to purchase Flawless Foundation Pill?

[ Yes ✅ ]  [ No ✖️ ]

…

Reon smirked.

'Perfect. This will pair beautifully with my Cloak of Eternal Night and the Shadow Gloves…'

'Now I just need to upgrade my boots—the current pair is practically trash.'

"Yes. Purchase it," he said, tapping the confirmation button.

Ding!

[Item "Nightpiercer Dagger" has been purchased.]

Whooosh!

A faint ripple of spatial light swirled before Reon, and a sleek, curved dagger materialized in his hand.

Its obsidian blade shimmered with a deep, dark luster, elegant silver veins weaving through it, complemented by a shadowy hilt.

'Damn… this is exquisite.'

Swoosh!

Swoooosh!

He gave it a few test swings, admiring how effortlessly it sliced through the air.

'So light… like slicing air with a feather. This is perfect.'

'Mei Lin would do great with this, thanks to her Heavenly Talent in Assassination Arts… but I'll keep it for now. I need to master the Dagger Aura myself before passing it on to her.'

'She was still using that rusty dagger from the bandits during the beast tide... and even then, she fought like a true killer.'

Reon pulled out another weapon from his spatial ring—a fine dagger with a crimson hilt.

'For now, I'll give her this Peak-Tier Rare-Grade dagger belonging to Meng Sing… she'll definitely love it.'

Just as he admired the Nightpiercer Dagger one last time—

BOOOOOOM!

A thunderous crack shattered the silence.

A brilliant surge of lightning split the sky and smashed into the ground just a few kilometers away.

The earth trembled. A shockwave rippled outward. Reon's eyes snapped wide.

'…What the hell was that?!'