Chapter 20: Mindless Killer

As soon as these words were spoken, the cultivators in the stands fell silent, their expressions a mix of shock and anxiety. Among those in danger at the hands of the Third Divine Son of the Yu Clan was one of his own direct disciples! The disciple's face turned pale; his expression uncertain.

But the Third Divine Son only grew more ferocious, his murderous intent surging like a tidal wave. His fists struck like mountains; his palms slashed like heavenly swords. Wherever he passed, the three opponents before him faltered, retreating in panic. Even the Cave Heaven Realm cultivators among them were injured, one after another.

On the other side, Huo Yun'er remained motionless, yet her four opponents were equally miserable. Hundreds of magical and spiritual weapons glowed brightly, bombarding her enemies indiscriminately. The four could only defend in desperation, with no chance to counterattack.

Seeing this scene, the 'fools' expression changed drastically. He clutched his alchemy furnace and scurried to the edge of the arena, muttering repeatedly, "I'm going to die, I'm going to die, I'm going to die…"

Xiao Ling'er couldn't help but feel a pang of surprise. 'The leader of the Five Virtues Sect is the daughter of a wealthy woman. Is this the power of wealth? She doesn't wield a single spiritual weapon herself, yet she has hundreds at her disposal—and this might not even be her limit. She probably has more in her storage bag! This is what it means to have a solid foundation.'

It was a pity that the Moon Embracing Sect had declined so sharply over the years, leaving it with little foundation to speak of.

She sighed inwardly, but soon her eyes brightened again. 'However, as long as the Earth Core Demon Fire remains, there's still hope for a resurgence. And as long as I'm here, the Moon Embracing Sect will never lack elixirs. If we can recruit a junior disciple with exceptional talent in weapon refining…'

Before her, an intense battle raged. Though these were alchemists, their combat prowess was no weaker than their peers. Yet, Xiao Ling'er found herself less interested in the fight and more focused on her plans.

'For cultivators, wealth is undoubtedly a top priority—and this 'wealth' includes elixirs and equipment. I can handle the elixirs, but we'll need a skilled refiner for the equipment. It's a shame Huo Yun'er doesn't fit the sect's recruitment rules.'

She carefully recalled the sect's regulations and realized that Huo Yun'er didn't meet any of the criteria. Otherwise, she might have tried to recruit her—though the success rate would have been low.

If others knew her thoughts, they'd surely be speechless. How could she look down on the esteemed Miss Huo Yun'er?

…..

At that moment, Liang Danxia couldn't help but remark, "I'm starting to think your master is anything but ordinary. The sect rules he set, especially the ones for recruiting disciples, seem designed to avoid all kinds of surface-level geniuses."

"Huh?"

Xiao Ling'er was taken aback. After a moment of thought, she realized it was true. The rules were indeed peculiar, prioritizing admission for those with unconventional backgrounds and avoiding those with obvious talents. Those with long-established reputations, achievements in their fields, or even innate spiritual, divine, or holy bodies were not given any special consideration.

"It's impossible that he doesn't know the power of those geniuses. Yet he dismisses them outright, never even mentioning them. This is highly unusual—unless he believes that the disciples recruited under these strange rules are more powerful than even the Holy Bodies!" Liang Danxia's words shocked Xiao Ling'er—and herself.

"If that's really the case…" Xiao Ling'er muttered, breaking into a cold sweat. "Does Master believe I can rival or even surpass a Holy Body?"

The pressure suddenly felt overwhelming.

"He probably does," Liang Danxia whispered. "But you don't need to worry about divine or holy bodies. With time, the sect's resources, and my guidance, you might just be able to compete with—or even defeat—a contemporary Holy Body."

Her words left even herself stunned. 'Doesn't this prove the reliability of Lin Fan's sect rules?'

…..

Before the two could ponder further, another of the three opponents fighting the Third Divine Son of the Yu Clan met a grim fate. This time, it was a Cave Heaven Realm alchemist. He was punched several miles into the ground, his breath cut off. The pill fire he controlled went wild, his alchemy furnace exploded, and Xiao Ling'er was forced to retreat.

The remaining two opponents stood no chance. In mere seconds, the last one was also killed.

Just as the Third Divine Son sneered and prepared to deliver the final blow, a faint voice echoed from the stands. "Can you spare a life? Don't kill them all. I'll owe you a favor."

"Who's there?!" Everyone turned, searching for the source of the voice.

The Third Divine Son showed no hesitation or mercy.

Splat!

Blood sprayed as a hand blade descended, cutting the last opponent into countless pieces.

"I, the Divine Son, act as I please. Who dares to interfere?"

The voice from the stands merely snorted coldly and fell silent. "An old fool who doesn't know his place, talking about favors with me? I stand here—do you dare to kill me?"

With a disdainful smile, the Third Divine Son turned his gaze to Huo Yun'er and her opponents, his eyes gleaming with malice.

'Does he really intend to kill all his competitors?' Xiao Ling'er thought, her heart racing.

'He's just an arrogant fool who's gained power.' Liang Danxia said, 'Without the backing of the Yu Clan, he wouldn't dare act so recklessly. At the very least, he wouldn't dare touch Huo Yun'er. The Five Virtues Sect is a top-tier second-rate sect. Though the Yu Clan is a Holy Land-level force, he's only the Third Divine Son. If it were the First Divine Son, it might be a different story.'

"Teacher, what exactly is the Yu Clan?" Xiao Ling'er asked.

"To put it nicely, they're one of the ancient immortal clans among the demon race," Liang Danxia replied. "To put it bluntly, they're a bunch of bird-like demons."

Xiao Ling'er blinked in confusion. "So… they're a feathered demon clan?"

…..

As they spoke, the Third Divine Son struck again, killing Huo Yun'er's four opponents. Yet Huo Yun'er remained unmoved. The two exchanged a glance, both frowning slightly.

Then, his eyes swept toward Xiao Ling'er and the 'fool'.

The 'fools' face was a mask of fear and vigilance. He clung to his alchemy furnace like a frightened bird, ready to flee at any moment.

Xiao Ling'er frowned, her guard up.

"Forget it," the Third Divine Son sneered. "I won't let the world think I'm a mindless killer. Two ants like you aren't worth my time."

They were only in the Condensing Yuan Realm, after all, and had only refined third-grade elixirs. He lost interest in them but glanced at the 'fool' once more. "If I decided to kill you, do you think you could escape?"

"Ah, I'm going to die, I'm going to die!" He cried, scampering away. The crowd burst into laughter.

Xiao Ling'er let out a sigh of relief. 'It seems I won't have to fight so hard, and the risk to you, Teacher, will be lower. Keeping a low profile really is the best strategy… Next time there's an alchemy conference like this, I won't participate unless absolutely necessary.'