KOF: Rise of the King of Fighters

Night fell, and three members of the Flying Thieves Sect moved like ghosts, using their lightness skills to quickly return to the village. Hundreds of meters behind them, Tang Fulu, carrying Yan Yue on his back, silently pursued them. Although Yan Yue was blind, his mental domain was fully activated, allowing him to clearly perceive everything within a mile radius. Even the air currents caused by their lightness skills were keenly detected by Yan Yue.

"Grandpa, head southeast." Yan Yue focused intently on sensing the flying thief, guiding Tang Fulu in the right direction.

Although Tang Fulu was nearly a hundred years old, his lightness skill was exceptional, to the point that he worried that running too fast would alert the thieves ahead.

While sensing her surroundings, Yan Yue asked curiously, "Grandpa, why is your lightness skill so amazing?"

Tang Fulu smiled smugly and replied, "Are you kidding? I'm a grandmaster from Wudang Mountain! I was incredibly skilled when I was young! This is Wudang Mountain's unique lightness skill, called 'Ladder Cloud Leap.' You can learn it once your bones recover."

"The Cloud Ladder Leap?" At this moment, Yan Yue recalled the martial arts movies from her previous life. So this world really does have such a thing.

Suddenly, Yan Yue's spirits lifted. "We're here! We've found the village!"

Tang Fulu put Yan Yue down, and after Yan Yue sensed it again and confirmed it, she confidently said, "The Flying Thief Sect's village stronghold is one kilometer ahead at Huangshiku Ridge. The village is all around."

Yan Yue touched the pager on her body again, wiped the sweat from her forehead, and said, "It hasn't rung yet, looks like I made it..."

Tang Fulu breathed a sigh of relief: "Then let's hide first and wait for the old drunkard and the others to arrive before we talk about it."

After the two of them determined the route of the Flying Thief Sect, Yan Yue prepared the carrier pigeons she had bought in Cangzhou City, took out a pen and wrote the direction of the village on Tang Fulu's back, and then launched the carrier pigeons. The carrier pigeons were flying towards the designated location.

……

At this moment, Zhen Yuanzhai and two other masters gathered in Cangzhou City, Hebei Province, anxiously awaiting Yan Yue's carrier pigeon.

Zhen Yuanzhai gazed at the familiar face beside him and said with deep emotion, "This situation is urgent, and I lack connections, so I have no choice but to ask for your help again. Thank you so much, Chai Zhou..."

Kusanagi Shizuru quickly replied politely, "Grandpa Zhen, you flatter me. This is what I should do. Fortunately, En Yue discovered it in time. This matter concerns the Three Divine Treasures, and among our three major families, only my Kusanagi clan is paying close attention to this matter..."

After a moment of silence, Kusanagi Shizuru continued, "It's a pity that Takuma is still missing, but this time I've brought another old friend who is also very concerned and willing to assist in the investigation."

The third expert stood quietly in the shadows, offering no opinion.

Looking out the window, Zhen Yuanzhai said worriedly, "I hope Yan Yue and Old Gourd will be safe and sound and get through this crisis..."

"The carrier pigeon has arrived!"

……

The blood mist in the territory of the Flying Thief Sect is getting thicker and thicker.

As the dragon reveled in the carnage, he saw the three Heavenly Kings arrive and a slight smirk appeared on his lips: "You three think you can stop me? How utterly laughable." His eyes revealed a mixture of disdain and confidence.

One of the Heavenly Kings, looking at the hellish scene before him, felt a chill run down his spine at the sight of severed limbs, heads, and entrails scattered everywhere. He took a step forward and asked in bewilderment, "Dragon, why did you slaughter these innocent villagers? They did nothing to offend you."

Long sneered dismissively, "They are all remnants of the Flying Thieves Sect, and they deserve to die. Their existence is a threat to me, and they must be eliminated." His tone was cold and ruthless, as if these people's lives were worthless.

"You've gone too far!" another Heavenly King roared. "They are members of the Flying Thieves Sect, your people, and they shouldn't suffer such a tragedy. Many of them are elderly people and children. How could you be so cruel?" His voice was filled with anger and condemnation.

"Enough with the nonsense!" the dragon roared. "None of you will leave here alive today." His gaze grew even fiercer, filled with murderous intent.

Having said that, the dragon unleashed the [Demon Cry Netherworld Slash Fist], its immense power erupting instantly into a black whirlwind that attacked the Three Heavenly Kings. The Three Heavenly Kings dared not be careless and immediately joined forces to resist. They sensed that the dragon's power was completely different from before its seclusion; they could only do their best to defend it. Furthermore, they discovered that the dragon's appearance had become somewhat inhuman.

Just then, a booming sound suddenly came from the cave in the forbidden area, and a figure could be vaguely seen flying from the direction of the forbidden area, exuding a powerful aura.

"Hahaha..." It was the middle-aged man who had appeared in the cave. "I'd like to test the strength of the Three Kings too! Hehehahaha..." The middle-aged man's arrogant and sinister laughter echoed throughout the entire Thief Sect.

"Who!" one of the Three Kings exclaimed in surprise!

The middle-aged man was incredibly fast, instantly rushing in front of the Heavenly King and delivering a powerful punch.

"Boom!" Before anyone could react, one of the Heavenly Kings was sent flying by a punch from the middle-aged man, crashing into a building with a loud bang. A huge hole was punched through the building, the beams were warped, dust flew everywhere, and the building slowly tilted and collapsed.

As the dust settled, the Heavenly King's chest was caved in, his left hand was smashed off, and his head was severely injured, his face covered in blood. Yet, the Heavenly King endured the pain and slowly stood up. Only then could the middle-aged man's appearance be clearly seen.

The middle-aged man had short white hair and wore a black and purple overcoat with a skirt-like hem. The modern style of the overcoat seemed out of place among the classic attire of the Flying Thieves Sect. The man was extremely strong and burly, and his face was contorted with rage, filled with a thirst for battle.

"Truly pathetic, hahaha... Is this all the Heavenly King of the Flying Thieves Sect is capable of? Hahahaha..." The middle-aged man looked mockingly at the Heavenly King, whose head was bleeding profusely.

The other two Heavenly Kings were still fighting the dragon. Originally, with three against one, they had a chance to put up a fight, but now, with one less opponent, the dragon was completely dominating. The dragon moved with ghostly speed, using a clone technique to distract the two Heavenly Kings, then flashed behind them, delivering a deadly blow with both its clone and main body.

[Demon's Cry Dark Slash Fist - Bursting with Poisonous Tentacles]

The poison severely injured the other two Heavenly Kings, who slowly half-squatted on the ground. The poison took effect rapidly, and their bodies began to tremble uncontrollably. They struggled in pain, and then began to cough and vomit.

"So slow, dragon," the middle-aged man said half-jokingly.

"It's over, isn't it?" Long ignored the middle-aged man and said calmly.

"Then I'll clean up the mess! Hahaha..." The man's maniacal laughter shattered the spirits of all the thieves present. Despair swept over them.

The man raised his right hand high.

[NESTS Convection Fist - White Luo Annihilates Essence]

A large amount of energy gathered in his right hand, forming a dazzling purple sphere of light. The sphere continued to expand, and the surrounding air crackled due to the compression of the energy.

With a powerful swing from the middle-aged man, the ball of light hurtled towards the remaining thieves like a cannonball. Wherever the ball passed, space seemed to be torn apart, leaving a black trail.

The two Heavenly Kings stared wide-eyed, sensing the terrifying power emanating from the object. They tried their best to dodge, but it was too late. The sphere of light struck them instantly, the explosive energy engulfing them completely.

A moment later, the smoke and dust cleared, revealing a huge crater in the ground. The three Heavenly Kings and the other thieves had vanished without a trace, leaving only a pile of blood, flesh, and bones. The middle-aged man looked at the destruction he had caused and nodded in satisfaction.

"They're all ants! Haha..." He laughed heartily, his eyes filled with confidence and pride.

Then the dragon took a torch and set the surrounding houses on fire. The fire spread rapidly, illuminating the entire village. The remaining villagers fled in panic, their cries and wails echoing through the night.

The dragon stood amidst the firelight, coldly observing everything. He felt no pity, only satisfaction at having completed his mission.

Hiding in a corner of the village, Xiaolong watched the raging fire, her heart filled with despair. She knew the village was about to be destroyed, and the Flying Thieves Sect she cherished would cease to exist. She recalled her memories of the sect. Although Xiaolong, being the daughter of Long's concubine, had always been disliked by the villagers, especially by Long's principal wife (the mistress), she vaguely remembered her father's gentle care, her brother Duolong's protection, and Lin's patience during his teaching. But now, none of that mattered; she was about to die.

She remembered her master Lin's teachings and looked at her younger siblings who were crying softly behind her. Xiaolong took a deep breath, picked up his youngest sister, grabbed a dagger in his other hand, and led his two younger siblings carefully toward the only exit of the village.

"When you get to the exit... just run! I'll protect you at the back door..." Xiaolong's trembling voice revealed her sorrow and fear, but also her kind farewell...

As Xiaolong approached the village exit and saw no one else around, his hope surged. Overjoyed, he led the two children and ran forward with all his might. Just then, a blonde woman in white approached from behind. Tall and shapely, she wore a white mink coat, exuding elegance and nobility. Her long silver hair cascaded over her shoulders, revealing her fair skin. Her features were sharply defined, beautiful yet with a hint of coldness, icy and mysterious. A slight smile played on her lips as she looked at Xiaolong and the others.

Xiaolong suddenly sensed something, a chill ran down her spine, and the hairs on her back stood on end. She instinctively looked back and saw a silver-haired woman staring at her with a strange expression. Xiaolong didn't have time to be afraid; she decisively put down the child she was holding and let her continue running. Xiaolong turned to face the silver-haired woman directly.

"You are not allowed to hurt them!" Xiaolong said firmly, gripping his dagger.

The woman looked at Xiaolong's exquisitely beautiful face and felt a surge of disgust. Without saying a word, she raised her hand and unleashed a sonic energy wave that sent him flying several meters.

"Pfft!" Xiaolong coughed up blood and flew out of the air. The dagger was knocked to the ground, and he himself fell heavily to the ground, rolling several meters. The 10-year-old Xiaolong's body could not withstand such an injury. His body trembled slightly, and his breathing became weaker and weaker.

The woman's expression relaxed considerably. She was about to walk forward when she suddenly froze. She saw Xiaolong slowly stand up. She was too weak to speak, but she still stood up just like Yan Yue had that day.

Xiaolong's long, silvery-white hair fluttered wildly in the wind, a strand of hair brushing past the corner of her mouth, stained crimson with blood, making her appear exceptionally forlorn. Weakened, Xiaolong could barely open her eyes, but as she recalled the scene from that day, she couldn't help but sigh:

Yan Yue, you protected me from the innocent bystander caught in the battle with your body back then. You were so kind and gentle. I really want to see you again... I fell asleep on you that night, you won't be angry with me, will you...? I should have told you all the questions you asked me that day... I still remember what Athena said to you that day... I was so happy eating steamed buns with you that day... But now I have to protect the innocent children behind me... I may never see you again... Yan Yue...

The silver-haired woman once again aimed the NESTS energy wave at Xiaolong...