"Ungrateful wretch?"
Seeing Yin Tianzi's furious expression now, Xiao Changlin burst into laughter.
"Hahahaha!"
"Yin Tianzi, did you ever imagine you'd face such a day?"
"You accuse me of being ungrateful?"
"Do you even deserve to utter those words?"
"Do you truly believe I knew nothing of your past deeds?"
At these words, Yin Tianzi's expression shifted. He knew? Impossible—he couldn't possibly know.
Though arrogant, Yin Tianzi was self-aware. He understood the Yin family couldn't remain prosperous forever and that he had made many enemies.
Thus, he devised a plan: secretly hide and nurture talented descendants of the Yin family.
But the fewer who knew of this, the better. After much deliberation, Yin Tianzi chose Xiao Changlin.
He avoided selecting Yin family members, fearing they might harbor ulterior motives over time.
To this end, Yin Tianzi slaughtered Xiao Changlin's entire family, then appeared as his savior.
He took Xiao Changlin under his wing, personally mentoring him. The entire Fengtian Imperial Dynasty envied Xiao Changlin, who naturally felt immense gratitude toward Yin Tianzi.
Xiao Changlin followed Yin Tianzi's plans meticulously, rising step by step to the position of King Bingjian.
As the only non-imperial-surnamed prince in the Fengtian Imperial Dynasty, his status was unparalleled.
Yin Tianzi had chosen Xiao Changlin for his talent but kept him in check—cultivating him while simultaneously suppressing him.
He confined Xiao Changlin to the imperial capital, under constant surveillance by the Yin family.
For years, Xiao Changlin served Yin Tianzi without complaint. Yet Yin Tianzi never realized that Xiao Changlin had known from the very beginning—the massacre of the Xiao family was his doing.
He bided his time, waiting for the right moment.
The arrival of Chen Chang'an presented that opportunity. At the auction house, Chen Chang'an also took notice of King Bingjian, Xiao Changlin.
Before Da Huang and the others arrived, Chen Chang'an sought out Xiao Changlin and learned from him of Yin Tianzi's secret plan to hide Yin descendants.
This was to ensure that, should disaster befall the Yin family, their bloodline could rise again.
"Yin Tianzi, today, not a single living member of the Yin family remains—except you."
"Just as you once slaughtered my Xiao family, sparing only me."
"Do you regret it?"
"Do you wish you had killed me too?" Xiao Changlin sneered.
"You… when did you learn of this?" Yin Tianzi demanded furiously.
"I knew from the moment you 'saved' me."
"Yin Tianzi, did you truly think an eight-year-old boy would understand nothing?"
"You were too deliberate, too fake."
"You were never a skilled schemer—because you don’t know how to disguise yourself."
Xiao Changlin's words filled Yin Tianzi with rage. Nothing infuriated him more than being doubted or belittled.
"I'll kill you!"
Yin Tianzi's face darkened as he moved to strike.
But the moment he acted, an overwhelming soul force enveloped him.
"You won’t."
Chen Chang'an smirked. "How does it feel now?"
"Your Fengtian Imperial Dynasty, painstakingly built by the Yin family for generations, will soon be overthrown."
"And your bloodline—wiped from this world forever."
"Happy?"
Yin Tianzi's eyes burned with fury, yet he found himself unable to control his own body.
"What have you done to me?"
"Chen Chang'an, your crimes are unforgivable!"
"If you have grievances with me, why involve the Yin family?" he roared.
"Unforgivable?"
Chen Chang'an had heard this before—it meant little to him.
"You speak of involving the Yin family?"
"Then why did you target Wu Mingdao when you sought me?"
"Wu Mingdao!"
"Come here!"
At this, Yin Tianzi's face paled. Wu Mingdao? He was alive?
Wu Mingdao flashed into the imperial city, landing beside Chen Chang'an.
When Yin Tianzi saw him, disbelief gripped him.
"You're not dead?"
"No—you're not him. Your age, your cultivation…"
"You… reincarnated?"
"You actually reincarnated?"
In that moment, a plan formed in Yin Tianzi's mind.
If Wu Mingdao could do it, why not him?
"Mingdao, you understand now."
"In your past life, you died because of him."
"This life, it's your turn to kill him," Chen Chang'an said.
"Good." Wu Mingdao replied simply.
"Hahaha!"
"Chen Chang'an, you want him to take revenge?"
"Do you think it's possible?"
"I am at the peak of the Immortal Realm—my body tempered by heavenly tribulations."
"He’s merely in the Divine Ability Realm. How could he kill me?"
"Dream on!"
Yin Tianzi laughed wildly, no longer fearing death—not with his new plan.
Besides, he refused to believe a Divine Ability Realm cultivator like Wu Mingdao could harm him.
Ignoring his taunts, Wu Mingdao drew his blade, Hanlong, and advanced step by step.
"Try it, boy. See if you can even scratch me," Yin Tianzi scoffed.
"Good. I will."
Without another word, Wu Mingdao swung Hanlong with full force—
A deep gash split Yin Tianzi's flesh.
"Impossible!"
"How… how did you wound me?"
"Even if I—"
Yin Tianzi was stunned. Despite his restricted state, his Immortal Realm physique should have been impervious.
Yet Wu Mingdao had left a gaping wound.
"This blade is called Hanlong."
"A top-tier imperial-grade weapon," Chen Chang'an explained calmly.
"Imperial-grade? Nonsense!"
"Even the finest weapon is only as strong as its wielder!"
"Wu Mingdao doesn’t possess such power!"
"True. But Hanlong has a unique trait."
"It ignores defense."
"Had you resisted with cultivation, Hanlong couldn’t harm you. But relying on your flesh alone? Futile."
Hanlong's ability to ignore defenses refers to physical bodies.
Unless the enemy uses formidable cultivation to block Hanlong's strikes from landing on their body, anyone below the Great Emperor realm would inevitably be left with wounds by Hanlong.
One slash, two slashes, three slashes…
As Wu Mingdao swung his blade relentlessly, Yin Tianzi had now become a bloodied figure.
His entire body was covered in wounds, drenched in blood.
Yet, the formidable vitality of the Immortal Realm prevented him from dying quickly, leaving him to endure the torment as Wu Mingdao methodically carved into his flesh.
"Wu Mingdao, you insignificant nobody!"
"If you have the guts, just kill me outright!"
"You’re nothing but a coward relying on a sharp blade—what kind of man are you?"
Unable to bear such torture and humiliation, Yin Tianzi could only lash out with words, hoping to provoke Wu Mingdao into granting him a swift death.
No matter what Yin Tianzi said, Wu Mingdao paid no heed. He continued wielding Hanlong without pause.
As Yin Tianzi’s aura grew fainter, the deep-seated hatred in Wu Mingdao’s eyes seemed to gradually fade away.
Once Yin Tianzi’s last breath vanished, Wu Mingdao felt something within him shift—his soul had changed.
An inexplicable emotion dissipated from his very being, leaving him with a newfound clarity.
In the next moment, Wu Mingdao realized his cultivation had broken through directly to the first level of the Divine Transformation Realm.
"Is this how you die?" Wu Mingdao gazed at Yin Tianzi’s corpse, suddenly feeling a strange emptiness.
"Of course not."
Hm?
Not dead?