The Silent Execution & The Relentless Climb

Chapter 7: The Silent Execution & The Relentless Climb

Long Bai had vanished completely from the mountain peak. He still had unfinished business.

He flew like an arrow through the night, arriving atop one of the elder's residences.

Only those in the same realm as him could sense his presence floating above their heads. No one on the ground below had the slightest idea that, among them, one was about to lose his life.

"You dared to indiscriminately attack a once-in-a-generation genius."

Long Bai didn't need to use any techniques. His sheer Qi was enough to overload those in a lower realm, causing instant Qi deviation—a death so common among the weak that few dared to question it. Those who understood what was happening kept their silence, afraid that the next to die this way might be them.

Meanwhile, a benevolent-looking elder was giving guidance to his female disciple.

Ironically, even death itself might have been unaware that someone thirsted for this elder's demise more than it did.

Heh~

Long Bai couldn't suppress a sarcastic chuckle as he observed the scene inside the elder's residence through his divine sense.

"People like you... are better off dead."

And just like that, there was no after. The elder's breathing ceased. But as a cultivator, his life would not end so easily. Even after his breath was cut off, he struggled, desperately trying to pull air into his lungs. It was futile. His veins suddenly bulged, and one by one, they ruptured.

"Aaahhh!!"

A hideous scream tore through the room, but Long Bai had already enclosed the elder's residence within his divine domain. No sound could escape. No plea for help would be heard.

The elder began to vomit blood. His female disciple, who had been watching in horror, fainted as soon as she saw his grotesque transformation.

The once bright light in the elder's eyes had dimmed considerably, flickering like a candle about to be snuffed out.

He collapsed onto the floor, convulsing as he continued to vomit blood. His disheveled hair clung to his sweat-soaked face. If anyone saw him now, they would never associate this wretched figure with the esteemed elder they once knew.

His veins ruptured completely, and his skin swelled grotesquely from internal bleeding. His heart spasmed violently, struggling against the devastating purity of Long Bai's Qi rampaging through his body. It held on for mere moments before it burst out of his chest. Bloody fragments of his heart splattered across the room—some even landed inside the open mouth of his unconscious disciple.

In his final moments, his soul attempted to escape, but Long Bai had long sealed the area.

Floating in the air, Long Bai clenched his fist. Within the elder's residence, the struggling soul was instantly crushed and dispersed into countless tiny golden particles, invisible to mortal eyes, drifting away into the unknown.

...

Meanwhile…

Under the cover of night, instead of resting, Xu Mo was climbing once more.

"Who said life would be easy after getting into an immortal sect?"

He thought back to how his parents had motivated him to become a cultivator when they were alive. He never believed their words. Now, he knew—he had been right, and they had been wrong.

While the other disciples enjoyed themselves, made friends, and discussed various myths, he, supposedly the luckiest and most talented of them all, was still working hard— even when night had fallen.

Yawn~

Xu Mo was getting sleepy. He had always been an early sleeper, unaccustomed to staying up late.

Pant! Pant!

Xu Mo pressed forward, head lowered, eyes fixed on the stone steps before him.

The silence of the night was unsettling. The distant hoot of an owl, the rustling of unseen creatures in the trees, and the faint whispers of the wind played tricks on his mind. The shadows seemed to shift, watching him… waiting.

His foot slipped. His body lurched forward, his heart leaping to his throat. At the last moment, his fingers scraped against the rough stone, catching himself just in time. He exhaled, steadying his breath. He couldn't stop now. He had already come too far.

With clenched teeth, Xu Mo pushed onward, his lone figure swallowed by the endless stairway stretching toward the heavens.

A shiver ran down his spine as the temperature dropped. Coincidentally, he had brought a cotton cape with him, a habit from his past struggles—back when he feared he would fail the talent stone test and be forced to sleep outside. Fortunately, he had never needed it for that.

Xu Mo's cotton cape was a simple, rough-spun garment—nothing like the flowing silks and embroidered robes of the sect disciples. Made from coarse, handwoven cotton, it was thick enough to shield him from the biting mountain winds but heavy and stiff from years of wear. The fabric, once white, had long since faded to a dull gray, stained by dust and travel.

Its edges were frayed, some parts crudely stitched where the fabric had torn—a testament to the countless journeys it had endured. The inner lining was padded with dried grass and wool scraps, providing just enough warmth for cold nights. A simple rope served as a fastener at the front, loosely tying it around his shoulders.

In this cultivation world, such a cape was common among wandering mortals, travelers, and those without wealth or status. It wasn't elegant, nor did it carry any spiritual enchantments, but for Xu Mo, it was his only protection against the elements—a reminder of his humble beginnings.

As he continued his climb, Xu Mo suddenly stopped. His sharp eyes caught sight of an old man curled up at the base of a tree, shivering under the biting cold with nothing to cover himself. The man's frail frame trembled, his breath visible in the frigid air. His clothes were nothing more than tattered rags, unable to provide him any warmth.

Xu Mo hesitated for a moment before sighing. Without a word, he untied his cotton cape and draped it over the old man's shoulders. The man stirred slightly, his eyes fluttering open for a brief moment before closing again, as if too exhausted to acknowledge the small act of kindness.

Xu Mo said nothing. He simply adjusted the cape to ensure it covered the man properly before continuing his ascent, his steps firm yet silent against the cold stone.

The wind howled around him, but he felt strangely warmer than before.

Wait?! what is an old man doing on this part of the mountain peak? Where access is restricted? It couldn't be a ghost, right?