Beneath the abandoned mansion in the west of Profound Heaven City, the atmosphere was thick enough to wring water from the air. The last several hundred elites of the Broken Sword Sect stood with blades drawn, killing intent so palpable it seemed to burn in their eyes.
Mao Shiba, standing at the forefront, spoke with a voice trembling with emotion. "Brothers! Today, heaven has sent us powerful aid! Pavilion Master Lin and Elder Ma are both supreme experts capable of slaying Refinement Void cultivators! Tonight, we will catch them off guard, raze the Profound Sword Sect's mountain gate, and demand payment for the blood debt!"
"Raze the Profound Sword Sect!"
"Demand payment for the blood debt!"
Their furious roars shook dust from the ceiling.
"Move out!" Lin Che commanded, his voice icy.
The night was as dark as ink. The Profound Sword Sect's mountain gate stood tall, a massive white jade structure with a gilded plaque reading "Profound Sword Sect" glowing coldly under the moonlight, the epitome of a millennia-old great sect's arrogance. Two gate guards dozed against the pillars, completely unaware that death was at their doorstep.
"This is the place," Lin Che said, stopping and looking up at the massive gate, killing intent shining in his eyes like a physical force.
[Ding! Host has arrived at the entrance to the epic dungeon "Profound Sword Sect Headquarters."]
[Current Scene: Profound Sword Sect Mountain Gate (A ten-thousand-year monument, comes with built-in "Pretentious Aura").]
[System Suggestion: This gate's design is overly flashy and severely damages the city's aesthetics. Recommend demolition. Demolition method recommendation: Physical Enlightenment (The greater the force, the higher the score).]
"Perfect," Lin Che sneered, a cold smile curling his lips as he communicated with the slumbering fiendish entity within him.
"ROOOOAR—!!!"
A dragon's roar shattered the clouds across the nine heavens! A bloody light shot into the sky, dyeing half the night crimson! A colossal creature, a hundred zhang long, with scales like blood crystals, a head crowned with bony spikes, and eyes like two bloody moons, tore through the void and manifested! The ancient fiendish bloodline—the Blood Fiend—had descended!
"Holy shit!" Mao Shiba and the others' legs went weak, nearly causing them to kneel en masse. The visual impact was even more terrifying than witnessing Old Ma instantly kill a Refinement Void expert.
Old Ma picked his nose, flicked the result away, and remarked with a click of his tongue, "This giant eel has put on some weight. It'd be delicious braised in soy sauce."
[Ding! The Blood Fiend makes a stunning entrance! Awe Factor +999! Enemy Morale -50%!]
[System Commentary: The entrance special effects are burning through the budget! Host, I give this act of pretentiousness 82 points. The remaining points are sent in the form of 666s.]
"Shatter!" Lin Che stood upon the Blood Fiend's head, robes billowing like a demon god descending upon the world. With a wave of his hand, his word became law.
The Blood Fiend roared at the sky, its hundred-zhang-long tail carrying the power to shatter mountains and split seas, lashing out like a crimson divine whip towards the white jade gate!
"BOOOOM—!!!"
The gate shattered in response! It didn't just crack; it disintegrated into billions of fragments, propelled by a violent shockwave that radiated into the Profound Sword Sect's interior! Dust plumed into the sky, the earth shook, and even the mountain-protecting formation flickered violently, nearly collapsing!
"Enemy attack! The mountain gate is gone!!" The two gate guards were sent flying dozens by the shockwave, tumbling head over heels in a panic, their pants soaked with fear.
[Ding! Congratulations, Host, on achieving the "Forced Demolition" accomplishment!]
[Rating: S-Rank!]
[Comment: A paragon of violent aesthetics! That single tail strike was executed with style, skill, and dealt five thousand years' worth of shame to the Profound Sword Sect!]
[Reward: Slaughter Points +10,000, Profound Heaven Realm Reputation +500 (Infamy).]
The destruction of the mountain gate was like poking a hornet's nest.
"Who dares?!" "You seek death!"
Dozens of streaks of light shot up from the various mountain peaks. Leading them was a man whose aura was as deep as an abyss—a late-stage Refinement Void expert! Dressed in a red robe with a gray crane-feather cloak, white hair, and wearing thin-soled cloud-patterned Daoist shoes, he held a gleaming ancient steel sword. He had the demeanor of an immortal but a face full of malice—the Profound Sword Sect's sole surviving Grand Elder, Wu Haotian!
"Who goes there?!" Wu Haotian roared, his eyes bulging with fury as he pointed his sword at Lin Che.
Lin Che stood proudly on the dragon's head, looking down with disdain. "Listen well, you old dog! I am Lin Che of the Slaughter God Pavilion! Weren't you searching for me all over the world? Well, I've saved you the trouble and come to you myself!"
"Lin Che?!" Wu Haotian's killing intent exploded. "You little bastard! Prepare to die!"
"Wu Haotian!" Luo Jiayin took a step forward, her beautiful eyes frosty. "Do you remember Luo Jiayin of the Emei Palace?"
Wu Haotian was taken aback for a moment before a vicious sneer spread across his face. "So it's you, the little bitch who didn't know what was good for her! Back then, I wanted to arrange a marriage alliance between you and my grandson, but your Emei Palace dared to refuse! Had I known it would come to this, I should have crushed you to death back then!"
"Shut your mouth, you old dog!" Lin Che's eyes flashed with bloody light. He had finally connected the dots—this was the same old scoundrel who had humiliated Jiayin in her memories! New grudges and old hatreds would be settled today!
"Enough of this nonsense!" Lin Che took a step forward. "Is there anyone here who can actually fight? Will you come at me one by one to die, or all at once? But given the scale of today's events, do you really think you can walk away from this unscathed? Dream on!"
"Arrogant pup!" Wu Haotian flew into a rage, unleashing the full power of his late-stage Refinement Void cultivation. A hundred-zhang-long cyan sword beam tore through the sky, aimed directly at Lin Che!
"Kill—!" The experts behind him attacked simultaneously, a rain of swords and magical treasures pouring down.
"Bring it on!" Lin Che let out a long cry, and the Blood Fiend charged into the fray with a roar! Old Ma let out a strange laugh, his figure vanishing on the spot, only to reappear behind two of the Sect's Elders. His withered hand gave a light tap.
"Pfft—!"The two Elders' chests caved in, their eyes bulging as they were sent flying like ragged cloths, dead before they even saw who had struck.
"Holy shit! Elder Ma is amazing!" Mao Shiba was boiling with excitement, raising his sword and roaring, "Brothers! Kill them all!"
Luo Jiayin formed hand seals, causing ice lotuses to bloom, their chilling aura freezing everything within a hundred meters! Lin Ying waved her small hand, tearing open a rift in space from which a tide of spirit beasts surged out, their roars shaking the heavens! The Broken Sword Sect members charged like mad tigers, cutting down anyone in their path!
The battle instantly reached a fever pitch! The Blood Fiend rampaged through the enemy ranks, leaving dismembered limbs and severed heads flying in its wake like a meat grinder! Lin Che moved with godlike grace, striking down one expert after another! Old Ma strolled through the chaos as if taking a leisurely walk, yet every time he made a move, someone died. The Profound Sword Sect Elders fled in terror at the sight of him, scattering in all directions.
[Ding! The battle has reached its climax! Host is currently in "Unstoppable Reaping" mode.]
[Current Kill Count: 47. Combo Count: 103. Combo! Excellent!]
[Old Ma's Stats: Crushed 2 early-stage Refinement Void cultivators bare-handed, scared the piss out of several Nascent Soul cultivators. Evaluation: A human-shaped, self-propelled hack.]
[Luo Jiayin: Controlling the battlefield with an Ice Domain. Lin Ying: Master of Summoning. Blood Fiend: Lead Demolition Expert.]
[System Warning: The following content is excessively graphic. Viewer discretion is advised. Readers under 18 should watch with parental guidance.]
Wu Haotian's heart surged with mounting dread. As a late-stage Void Refinement cultivator, he was actually being overpowered by Lin Che and the Blood Fiend. Multiple wounds crisscrossed his body, his Daoist robe soaked in fresh blood, leaving him in an utterly wretched state.
"Old dog! Die!" Lin Che seized an opening, knocking the ancient steel sword from Wu Haotian's grasp. The Blood Fiend's massive maw lunged for Wu Haotian's head!
Wu Haotian's soul nearly fled his body in terror. He dodged desperately but still had half his shoulder bitten off, screaming as he plummeted to the ground.
"It's over!" Lin Che's killing intent was absolute. The ancient steel sword transformed into a beam of deadly cold light, aimed straight for the center of Wu Haotian's brow!
[Ding! Detected Boss HP has dropped below 10%. Activating "Health Lock" and "Phase 2 Transformation."]
[Warning! High-energy reaction detected from the rear mountains! Energy Level: ???]
"HUMMMM—!!!"
A deafening roar erupted from the forbidden grounds in the rear mountains! A crimson light tore through the firmament, its oppressive aura pressing down on the battlefield like a hundred thousand mountains, freezing the scene solid! Even the Blood Fiend let out a low growl of unease.
The red light faded, revealing a figure. Dressed in a black dragon-patterned Daoist robe, his face was ancient and unreadable. When his eyes opened, it seemed as if the sun and moon rotated within them. His aura was several times more powerful than Wu Haotian's!
"Grand… Grand Elder!" Wu Haotian wept, tears and snot mingling as he clung to this lifeline.
Xuan Tianji's gaze swept over the mountain of corpses and sea of blood, finally settling on Lin Che. His voice was calm, yet it contained the authority of heaven and earth. "You disturb my secluded cultivation, destroy my sect's foundation… Young man, you… are quite something."
Lin Che's pupils constricted, the tip of his sword trembling slightly. This pressure… far exceeded that of a Refinement Void expert!
Old Ma, who had somehow sidled up to Lin Che, picked at his ear and muttered under his breath, "Kid, this old fella is a bit tough. Maybe… we should retreat for now and come back to finish the demolition another day?"
[Ding! The Final Boss, Xuan Tianji (Suspected Half-Step Unity Realm), has entered the battlefield!]
[Current Win Rate Recalculated: 0.01%.]
[System Suggestion: The wind is picking up, time to bail? Or… call for outside help? Like, say, that missing Sister Su?]