Kill

Xiao Ruobai and Fang Hanyu did not act immediately, but waited for them to venture deeper.

As the Great Yan Dynasty's group stepped into the middle section of the valley, they suddenly saw a figure slowly walking out in front of them.

Xiao Ruobai grasped the Nine Heavens Dragon Soul Halberd, its tip dragging against the valley's rocks, sparking with fine embers.

His face was cold and stern, dark gold battle tattoos faintly visible around his body, like a dormant fierce beast brewing a fatal strike.

"Hmm?"

The leading Third Prince of Great Yan paused his steps. The hem of his brocade robe swept over the spirit herbs at his feet, a trace of impatience flashing in his eyes.

"Where did this rogue cultivator come from, daring to block this prince's path? If you know what's good for you, roll away immediately, lest this prince takes action and claims your worthless life."

Behind him, four Cave Heaven Realm elders also cast sidelong glances, their eyes carrying their habitual arrogance as they swept over Xiao Ruobai.

In their eyes, this was merely an ignorant rogue cultivator who didn't know the immensity of heaven and earth. Perhaps he wanted to feign an incident to beg for some spirit herbs, someone they could easily dismiss with a wave of a hand.

Xiao Ruobai slowly raised his head. His falling hair was lifted by his battle qi, revealing a pair of eyes burning with scarlet killing intent.

That gaze swept past the brocade robes of the royal descendants, past the "Yan" totems on the elders' chests, like a blade tempered in ice, scraping against everyone's skin until it tightened.

The hand gripping his halberd shaft tightened slightly. The imperial patterns on the Nine Heavens Dragon Soul Halberd suddenly lit up, its pale gold halo diffusing in the spiritual mist, actually suppressing the surrounding spiritual energy until it became somewhat stagnant.

"You are exactly who I have been waiting for."

His voice was not loud, but it pierced into their hearts like an extreme cold ice awl. The Third Prince subconsciously shivered.

"Hmph, you are courting death."

A Purple Mansion Realm cultivator at the front of the Great Yan Dynasty's group charged toward Xiao Ruobai, wanting to swiftly end the life of the person before him.

Seeing this person actually take the initiative to attack him, Xiao Ruobai stomped heavily on the ground. Dark gold battle qi surged along the halberd's tip. He shot toward the opponent like an arrow released from its bowstring, so fast that he only left behind an afterimage.

That Purple Mansion Realm expert grinned malevolently and threw a punch, his spiritual energy condensing into a pale red fist light, wanting to blast away this ignorant brat.

But the moment the fist light touched the battle aura of the Nine Heavens Dragon Soul Halberd, it melted instantly like ice and snow meeting a raging fire.

In the next second, the halberd tip had pierced through his chest, and the dark gold battle qi explosively detonated within his body.

Flesh, bones, and spiritual energy shattered in the intense light. Before he could even let out a scream, he was reduced to a mist of blood filling the sky, splattering and dyeing the surrounding spirit herbs a dark red.

Xiao Ruobai raised a hand to wipe away the blood beads splattered on his cheek, the killing intent in his eyes growing even denser. The Nine Heavens Dragon Soul Halberd pointed diagonally at the ground, the blood dripping from the tip hitting the bluestone slabs with a steady ticking sound, as if counting down to the annihilation of the Great Yan Dynasty.

"Who exactly are you?!"

The Third Prince's face was as pale as paper. Stumbling back half a step, he misstepped and almost fell to the ground.

"The one who will kill you."

"Kill him!"

The Third Prince screamed as he retreated, hiding behind the elders. "He is only one person! Let us join forces and kill him!"

A Cave Heaven Realm elder took a deep breath, forcefully suppressing the fear in his heart, his spiritual energy condensing into a shield in his palm.

"Brat, this is a secret realm, everyone's cultivation base is suppressed to the Purple Mansion Realm! Even if your talent is monstrous, you might not win against the four of us! If you know what's good for you, retreat, otherwise..."

"Kill!!!"

Xiao Ruobai spat out only one word, and his figure moved again.

This time, he charged straight at the elder who had just spoken. The Nine Heavens Dragon Soul Halberd carved out a circular arc, a ten-foot-long battle aura cleaving out like a crescent moon, carrying a sharp whistle that tore through the air.

The elder hastily raised his shield to block, but the moment the shield touched the battle aura, it was instantly cleaved in half. The battle aura continued with unabated momentum, smashing ruthlessly into the elder's chest.

The crisp sound of shattering bones echoed clearly. The elder sprayed out a large mouthful of blood, flying backward to crash into the rock wall. By the time he slid to the ground, he had only half a breath left.

Xiao Ruobai slowly stepped forward and planted a foot on the elder's chest. Dark gold battle qi surged through the sole of his foot, thoroughly crushing the elder's remaining spiritual energy.

"Too weak."

He looked down at the elder, his tone full of mockery.

"I only used three-tenths of my strength at the early stage of the Purple Mansion Realm, and you couldn't even take it. Are these the experts of the Great Yan Dynasty?"

As his words fell, he raised the tip of his halberd and viciously stabbed it into the center of the elder's brow. Blood splattered, and the elder completely lost his breath.

The remaining three Cave Heaven Realm elders and the dozen or so royal descendants were already frightened out of their wits.

Looking at Xiao Ruobai's grim reaper-like figure, they retreated continuously, their backs hitting the cold rock wall, almost losing even the strength to flee.

"Go! Hurry and take the prince away!"

An elder reacted, violently grabbing the Third Prince and the Fourth Prince beside him, turning and running toward the outside of the valley. Pushing his spiritual energy to the absolute limit, he only wanted to escape this nightmare-like place as quickly as possible.

But after taking only two steps, a cold voice suddenly sounded from behind, accompanied by the soft ring of a sword being drawn from its sheath.

"Go back!"

Fang Hanyu had appeared behind them at some unknown time. The Taichu Sword pointed diagonally at the ground, chaotic sword qi wandering along its blade. As his gaze swept over the two elders, it held not a shred of warmth.

Before his words even faded, Fang Hanyu flicked his wrist. The Taichu Sword drew a stream of light, slashing toward the several Cave Heaven Realm elders.

The few men only felt a massive force hit them, their bodies flying backward uncontrollably. The Third and Fourth Princes in their hands also crashed to the ground, screaming continuously in pain.

Xiao Ruobai carrying the Nine Heavens Dragon Soul Halberd, and Fang Hanyu gripping the Taichu Sword, stood facing each other, trapping the Great Yan Dynasty's group between them.

Step by step, they walked toward the trembling members of the Great Yan Dynasty.

Spiritual mist swirled around them, dark gold battle qi and azure-gold sword qi intertwining to form a suffocating aura.

Only the trembling sounds of the Third Prince and the others remained in the valley, along with the echoes of the two men's footsteps falling on the bluestone slabs.

That sound, like a death knell, struck at everyone's heart, announcing that this blood debt's revenge had only just begun.

"Who exactly are you people?!"

Among the remaining Cave Heaven Realm elders, the slightly hunched Yan Xuli spoke with a trembling voice, the hand gripping his weapon shaking incessantly.

Looking at the unyielding killing intent in the depths of Xiao Ruobai's eyes, he only felt that beneath this dark, rough, and unfamiliar face hid a coercion that made his soul shudder.

Xiao Ruobai stopped his steps. The tip of the Nine Heavens Dragon Soul Halberd tapped lightly on the ground. The moment sparks flew, he stared at Yan Xuli, his voice as cold as ice.

"Yan Xuli, I remember you."

"How do you know my name?!"

Yan Xuli's entire body stiffened, his pupils violently shrinking as he subconsciously took a half-step back.

He carefully scrutinized Xiao Ruobai's face. The rough skin and square jaw clearly belonged to a rogue cultivator he had never seen before. Yet, the tone in which the other party called out his name sounded like he was reciting the name of a foe etched into his very bones.

"Back when you hunted down my father and me, the face, name, and even the sword posture of every single one of you were carved into my heart. I remembered them day and night, just waiting for today's reckoning."

"You are Xiao Zhan's son? Xiao Ruobai?!"

Yan Xuli looked as though he had been struck by lightning. He staggered backward, bumping into the royal descendants behind him.

He looked at Xiao Ruobai's face and then shook his head violently, his tone carrying an unbelievable madness.

"Impossible! Back then, Xiao Zhan's son was clearly only a teenager, how could he possess such a cultivation base? Furthermore, your appearance..."

"You have too many questions. Go down and ask the King of Hell."

Before the sound of his voice could even fade, Xiao Ruobai's figure darted forward like a phantom.

Yan Xuli hastily swung his weapon to defend himself, but under the radiant strike of the Nine Heavens Dragon Soul Halberd, his defense was as fragile as a piece of paper, shattering into fine powder with a sharp crack.

The tip of the halberd pierced straight through Yan Xuli's heart, and dark gold battle aura exploded within his body. The old man did not even have the chance to let out a scream before he was reduced to a mist of blood that rained down upon the trembling royal disciples behind him.

"Mercy! Young Master Xiao, have mercy!"

The remaining Cave Heaven Realm elders and the dozen or so royal disciples completely broke down. They dropped to their knees, kowtowing and begging for their lives. Even as their foreheads struck the bluestone slabs and began to bleed, they dared not stop.

Xiao Ruobai stood wielding the bloodstained Nine Heavens Dragon Soul Halberd. His gaze swept over those kneeling at his feet, his eyes completely devoid of pity.

"Every inch of the Great Yan Dynasty's soil is soaked with the blood of my Xiao family. Today, not a single one of you will leave alive!"

The moment his halberd's radiance descended, Fang Hanyu also made his move.

The Absolute Beginning Sword carved out a cyan-gold arc in the air, and chaotic sword qi surged outward like a tidal wave, completely enveloping the royal disciples who were attempting to flee.

Screams and desperate pleas for mercy echoed endlessly throughout the valley, but they were quickly drowned out by the deafening roar of the surging battle aura and sword qi.