Tyrannical Slaughter

Tyrannical Slaughter...

A hushed stillness settled over the battle stage. Xie Yu, though considered a chosen representative from one of Xuan King City's major powers, hadn't been the most prominent figure. However, even so, his death captivated the attention of everyone present.

It was simply because the spear attack that had ended him was profoundly brilliant.

But what they had just witnessed left them mystified and horrified. A formidable fifth-level Heavenly Dipper expert hadn't even had the opportunity to unleash his full power before falling to a throat-piercing strike by an ordinary cultivator?

It was precisely because they couldn't comprehend what they'd seen that terror crept over them.

The black-robed youth's long spear remained a seemingly unremarkable weapon, still dripping with blood—blood that belonged to a demon-level genius from a prominent power in Xuan King City.

In the midst of the crowd, Yun Rou felt her heart pounding with disbelief. When Qin Wentian had surged forward earlier, her heart had brimmed with anticipation. But when that spear pierced through Xie Yu's throat, she'd been left breathless, a sense of disbelief consuming her. Even now, moments later, she hadn't fully recovered. Her heartbeat still resounded loudly in her chest.

The impact brought by this young man, who had piqued her curiosity, was simply overwhelming.

The two individuals standing beside her remained in a dazed state. They had initially believed that Qin Wentian would wield a top-tier fourth-ranked divine weapon, but he had opted for a simple spear instead.

From the spectator stands, several figures abruptly rose to their feet. Their expressions were icy, their eyes gleaming with a fierce intent to kill.

Clearly, they were experts from the Ecliptic Sect. Xie Yu had been their chosen representative, and his brazen killing in front of the entire audience had ignited their fury.

Only now did they fully grasp the implications of Qin Wentian's earlier question.

"I only have one question. Can we kill on this stage?"

The representatives from the royal clan and the nine great sects all turned their attention to Qin Wentian. The young man in black stood there composedly, the plain spear still stained with fresh blood.

Yet, his gaze had now shifted to Jin Yan. A single glance from him felt like a piercing blade, rousing Jin Yan from his stunned state, caused by witnessing Xie Yu's instantaneous demise.

Xie Yu wasn't the only one blocking Qin Wentian's path. Jin Yan was in the same predicament.

Realizing this, Jin Yan's aura surged explosively, as blazing flames erupted around him. The power of his bloodline activated, and the surrounding temperature skyrocketed.

A swift "bzzz!" accompanied the thrust of Qin Wentian's long spear. It was as quiet as before, but its speed was incredible, so swift that the sound of its strike failed to reach the ears of the spectators.

This time, the experts present focused intently on the unfolding attack. The spear strikes appeared deceptively simple or, more accurately, they were so extraordinary that nobody could find words to describe them, rendering them impossible to assess.

They, too, couldn't fathom what Jin Yan was going through. Confronting this seemingly unremarkable spear attack, Jin Yan felt as if he was hearing the summons of a death god. His mind plunged into utter chaos as he entered a realm of nightmares. In this dark and blood-drenched world, the sole existence was a long spear relentlessly closing in. Lost and disoriented, he couldn't seem to dodge, as though, regardless of his efforts, the spear would unfailingly find its mark.

A soft "pu!" resonated. It was at this moment that Jin Yan finally comprehended the same despair Xie Yu had faced. He grasped why Xie Yu had been unable to resist this spear attack. It was only when confronting this spear that he realized the true extent of its terror.

He racked his memory, but for the life of him, he couldn't recall any offenses he might have committed. Why would someone want to kill him?

"Jin Yan, you're number two," a voice that sounded hauntingly familiar reverberated in his mind. Then, the image of a white-robed young man who had stolen the Constellation Fruits resurfaced in his memory. The six chosen had confronted him, but he had slipped away. Subsequently, they had brought reinforcements from their clans and sects, attempting to encircle him, yet they had still failed to apprehend him. The vermilion bird had valiantly shielded him, seemingly indifferent to its own safety.

The notion darted through Jin Yan's mind, his last conscious thought before he collapsed to the ground, lifeless.

"Jin Yan!" A hoarse roar erupted from the spectator stand where the Golden Fire Aristocrat Clan was seated. Jin Yan's clan's experts all rose to their feet, their faces drained of color as they stared at his lifeless body.

Jin Yan had met the same fate as Xie Yu, both killed with a spear thrust to their throats.

Two demon-level geniuses meeting their end at the hands of the same man, by the same method—slain by a single spear strike without a chance to resist.

At present, all of Qin Wentian's Mandates had reached the Transformation Boundary of the second level. Moreover, after practicing his halberd arts extensively, each of his halberd strikes could conjure a dreamlike will, drawing his opponents into a dreamscape of his own creation. Even when wielding a spear, the effect remained unchanged. With his Mandate of Dreams having reached the second level Transformation Boundary, his opponents found themselves unable to resist the dreamscape, despite knowing they were trapped within it. That's why, despite being an entire level above Qin Wentian in terms of cultivation, they had met their demise at his hands.

Back when Qin Wentian had harnessed the power of his bloodline, he could already hold his own against all six chosen simultaneously. Now that he had advanced to the fourth level of Heavenly Dipper, eliminating the chosen took as much effort as flipping his palms. This showcased the suppression effect stemming from the disparity in Mandate boundaries.

Whispered discussions rippled through the crowd—two geniuses from Xuan King City's major powers had been slain, one after the other, with a single strike. Gazing at the still-warm corpses sent a shiver through those present.

How merciless was this black-clad young man? And how awe-inspiring?

"Are trash like this even qualified to partake in the tests set by the nine great sects?" Qin Wentian flourished his spear, his gaze sweeping over the experts on the stage as he continued. "Despite being so useless, Xie Yu and Jin Yan bear the title of chosen from Xuan King City's major powers? Could it be that the chosen from the Yin Clan, Wind Roc Aristocrat Clan, and Heaven Shocking Sword Sect are also as feeble as them? If that's the case, do yourselves a favor and leave the stage voluntarily, rather than lingering here and subjecting yourselves to further humiliation."

With a single statement, Qin Wentian had thoroughly offended all of Xuan King City's major powers.

Feng Yunhe, the chosen from the Wind Roc Aristocrat Clan.

Yin Ting, representing the Yin Clan.

Jian Jingtian, from the Heaven Shocking Sword Sect.

At this moment, the chosen remained on the stage, and the young man in black seemed entirely unrestrained, unafraid to make enemies.

"Sir, don't your words sound a bit too arrogant?" Yin Ting took a few steps forward, his body enveloped in crackling arcs of lightning. Unaware of what Xie Yu and Jin Yan had experienced, he wouldn't act so audaciously if he did. Right now, his goal was to join the Violet Thunder Sect, and he couldn't afford to lose face in front of them.

"Do you truly believe your spear arts are invincible?" Feng Yunhe scoffed coldly. He was well aware that among the chosen, his speed was unmatched. Even if Xie Yu and Jin Yan couldn't evade that spear attack, it didn't mean he couldn't either.

Jian Jingtian, from the Heaven Shocking Sword Sect, remained silent, but a potent sword intent emanated from him. His sword techniques were as fast as lightning and had the potential to shock the heavens. He had no doubt that his sword arts could rival Qin Wentian's spear techniques.

Qin Wentian chuckled coldly, brandishing his spear as he moved to the center of the platform. "The three of you can come at me together."

As his words echoed, a gentle breeze swept by, causing his black robes to flutter. On the vast stage, many geniuses stood out far more than the chosen from Xuan King City's major powers. Some among them had already passed the tests set by the nine great sects. Yet, in this moment, all eyes were fixed on the young man with the spear, the center of their collective attention.

Feng Yunhe, Jian Jingtian, and Yin Ting were all at the fifth level of Heavenly Dipper. Being humiliated by someone with a fourth level Heavenly Dipper cultivation base in such a public setting left them with no excuses to avoid a confrontation. If they lacked the courage to face a lower-cultivated opponent, how could they still maintain their dignity on this stage? How could they qualify to become core disciples of any of the nine great sects?

If they didn't dare to fight, despite their exceptional talents and even if they passed the sects' tests, the nine great sects might not accept them.

"You needn't hesitate; come at me together. Otherwise, you won't even get a chance to showcase your strength." The young man's audacious words compelled the three chosen to act. While three against one wasn't a particularly glorious scenario, Qin Wentian's extermination of Xie Yu and Jin Yan had been undeniably domineering. Indeed, if he had challenged them to one-on-one duels, they probably wouldn't have dared to accept.

Jian Jingtian unleashed his Astral Novas, slashing a probing sword strike. The violent sword qi resembled ocean waves, surging towards Qin Wentian.

Meanwhile, Yin Ting took his chance to attack. He soared into the sky, locking his gaze onto Qin Wentian, and with a thunderous roar, he materialized a formidable lightning palm imprint, sending it crashing down.

Qin Wentian, however, ascended into the heavens, his spear thrusting out with quiet intensity. His presence was like that of a generation's tyrant, exuding overwhelming power.

As his spear extended, the void ruptured. The lightning palm imprint disintegrated into fragments, and Qin Wentian used the momentum to propel himself towards Yin Ting.

The speed was astonishingly swift. While Qin Wentian shattered the palm imprint with his spear, he simultaneously evaded Jian Jingtian's sword attack.

Just as this occurred, Feng Yunhe joined the fray, capitalizing on the instant both Jian Jingtian and Yin Ting made their moves. He moved like a great roc, swiftly closing the distance to Qin Wentian. His golden talons were capable of shattering anything, and he aimed directly for Qin Wentian.

Qin Wentian's left palm struck with the force of a mountain. His movements remained unhindered as he continued ascending, exuding an overpowering aura. Despite Yin Ting's Mandate of Great Earth intensifying gravity, it wasn't enough to extinguish Qin Wentian's determination to kill him.

"Stop him!" Jian Jingtian flickered, dashing over hurriedly. An immense surge of lightning energy erupted from Yin Ting, forming a colossal thunder sword infused with his Mandates.

Qin Wentian's blood surged, and the Mandates of Force and Demon simultaneously channeled into his spear, granting it the strength to cut through anything in its path. His spear cleaved through the void, heading straight for the gigantic thunder sword.

This was a spear that would slay gods and annihilate Buddhas if they stood in its way.

"Peng!" The thunder sword shattered; nothing could withstand the killing intent infused within the long spear. Yin Ting's head exploded into pieces, and blood rained down from the sky.

"The third," Qin Wentian's voice murmured softly, sending shivers down the spines of the remaining two.

With Yin Ting's fall, this was the third chosen from Xuan King City to meet his demise.

"Die!" Jian Jingtian felt an overwhelming sense of despair upon witnessing Yin Ting's death. It was as if Yin Ting's demise heralded his own impending end.

A sword that shook the heavens, its intent was to exterminate even the heavens themselves.

The moment Qin Wentian killed Yin Ting, he adjusted his spear's angle and swung it horizontally, striking Feng Yunhe's golden talons. He moved gracefully with the wind, continuing his ascent to avoid Jian Jingtian's torrent of sword qi.

"How fast!"

Having previously cultivated Roc Flash and possessing demonic blood, Qin Wentian's speed was unmatched. Suspended in the air, he gazed down at his two adversaries. Swapping the long spear for the ordinary great axe strapped to his back, he cleaved it down towards Jian Jingtian.

"I don't believe it," Jian Jingtian muttered coldly. His sword Astral Nova rent through the sky, erupting with formidable force. Instead of evading, Qin Wentian met his power head-on, wielding his axe to strike back.

An axe that could rend the heavens — when it descended, the void trembled. As it collided with Jian Jingtian's sword nova, the latter let out a miserable groan. His Astral Nova appeared on the verge of being obliterated. Qin Wentian raised his arms again and struck down once more. This time, Jian Jingtian trembled involuntarily and opted to retreat. The sheer strength behind these axe blows filled him with terror.

"Cleaver!"

Qin Wentian bellowed in fury as the axe in his hands emitted a glimmer of axe light, slashing down with immense force. Despite Feng Yunhe's retreat, he was still wounded. A crimson line appeared between his brows, blood trickling out.

"This is a form of swordplay!" Jian Jingtian's eyes widened in disbelief before his body plummeted from the sky.