197: I'll set your rules.

Three days later.

Southern Region, Baicao Mountain Range.

Unlike the gloom of the Black Wind Mountain Range, this place was wreathed in Immortal Qi, and the fragrance of medicine greeted the nose.

Spirit cranes soared among the mountains, and waterfalls cascaded like white silk.

Exquisite pavilions were hidden among the green trees. Countless Disciples in azure alchemist robes were gathering herbs in the mountains or providing free medical consultations for Mortals in the villages at the foot of the mountains.

It was a scene of immortal elegance.

Ye Wushang's figure appeared before the mountain gate of the Hundred Herbs Sect.

He looked at the plaque inscribed with "Suspending a Pot to Help the World," his dark eyes devoid of any emotion.

The smell in the air was very clean.

So clean that it felt as if the richest spices were being used to mask the scent of rotting corpses.

"Fellow Daoist, please wait."

Two mountain-guarding Disciples stepped forward, their attitude humble and polite.

"This is the mountain gate of the Hundred Herbs Sect. If you seek medical treatment or medicine, please go to the Free Clinic Hall at the foot of the mountain."

Their cultivation was merely at the Earth Immortal stage.

But their speech and behavior were more refreshing than those of Disciples from major Sects.

Ye Wushang said nothing.

He simply raised his eyes and looked toward the mountain peak.

There, the medicinal aura was strongest.

And also the "cleanest."

"I'm looking for someone."

He spoke hoarsely.

"May I ask whom Your Excellency is looking for?" one of the Disciples asked with a smile.

Ye Wushang extended a finger and pointed toward the summit.

"Your Sect Master."

The smiles on the two Disciples' faces stiffened slightly.

"Apologies, the Sect Master is currently in seclusion for Alchemy and is not receiving guests."

"Is that so?"

Ye Wushang wasted no more words.

He stepped forward and walked straight up the mountain.

"Fellow Daoist! You cannot trespass!"

The two Disciples' expressions changed, and they immediately moved to block him.

But their hands couldn't even touch the corner of Ye Wushang's clothes.

Two black shadows lunged from beneath Ye Wushang's feet, instantly entangling them.

There were no screams.

No struggling.

The shock on the two Disciples' faces froze into eternal terror.

Their life essence was instantly drained by the two black shadows.

Turning into two desiccated corpses that had lost all moisture.

Ye Wushang's pace did not falter in the slightest.

He walked past the dried corpses as if walking past two stones by the roadside.

A piercing alarm bell resounded through the Baicao Mountain Range.

Countless azure figures swarmed from all directions.

"Bold scoundrel! You dare kill my Hundred Herbs Sect's Disciples!"

"Form the array! Baicao Spring Return Array!"

Hundreds of Disciples performed hand seals in unison.

Boundless life force gathered, turning into emerald chains that covered the sky and earth.

These chains held no killing intent.

Yet they could lock immortal essence and erode life force, trapping a person to death.

Looking at those chains, for the first time, a light named "hunger" flashed in Ye Wushang's dark eyes.

"Good nourishment."

He spread his arms.

Behind him, the gate of ten thousand demons slammed open!

This time, it was no longer deathly silence within the gate.

Instead, there came the most primitive, greedy longing for life from billions of demon gods!

Those emerald chains seemed to have met their natural enemy.

Uncontrollably, they were all swallowed by that gate!

"No! My life force!"

"What Demonic Technique is this!"

The faces of the hundreds of Disciples instantly turned pale as paper, their auras withering.

More than half of their Origin life force was forcibly drained!

Ye Wushang's figure passed through the crowd and appeared on the square at the mountain peak.

In the center of the square stood a hundred-zhang-tall bronze Medicine Cauldron.

An old man with an immortal air, white hair, and a youthful complexion stood before the cauldron, looking at him with a grim expression.

Late-stage Golden Immortal.

"Who exactly are you, Your Excellency?"

The Hundred Herbs Sect Master's voice was like cold ice.

"Why must you fight my Hundred Herbs Sect to the death?"

Myriad Dao Divine Sect.

Ye Wushang announced his Sect.

He looked at the massive Medicine Cauldron and sniffed the rich medicinal fragrance wafting from it.

"How many people are buried under this cauldron?"

The Hundred Herbs Sect Master's pupils constricted sharply.

But the expression on his face instantly became one of compassion for the world.

"Your Excellency must be joking."

"My Hundred Herbs Sect takes saving the dying and helping the injured as its duty. How could we do such atrocious things?"

"What is being refined in this cauldron is the 'Nine Revolutions Resurrection Pill' that can bring the dead back to life!"

"Is that so?"

Ye Wushang slowly raised his hand.

"Unfortunately, I don't believe it."

"Ten Thousand Demons Prison Suppression, Swallow!"

Boom!

The gate of ten thousand demons opened once more!

This time, the target was that massive Medicine Cauldron!

"You brat, how dare you!"

The Hundred Herbs Sect Master was furious.

"Ten Thousand Trees Returning Spring! Suppress!"

He slammed both hands downward.

The entire Baicao Mountain Range shook violently at that moment.

Countless thick tree roots burst from the ground, like awakened ancient dragons, coiling toward Ye Wushang.

These tree roots seemed similar to Gongsun Yan's vines.

But Ye Wushang could clearly perceive it.

Their roots were buried deep within the skeletons and resentment of countless Mortals.

"Your Dao is too filthy."

Ye Wushang shook his head.

From the gate of ten thousand demons, a demon god's hand, constructed from the purest Law of the End, reached out.

That hand gently clenched.

All the tree roots shattered instantly!

Then, without stopping, that hand directly grabbed the massive Medicine Cauldron and flipped it upward!

Boom—

The Medicine Cauldron was flipped away entirely!

Revealing a bottomless, massive pit of flesh and blood beneath!

Inside the pit were tens of thousands of Mortals whose internal organs had been hollowed out, yet their life force was maintained by secret methods, planted in the ground like "flower pots"!

On top of their heads grew translucent, Human-shaped Spirit Medicines emitting a vast aura of life!

"My medicine!"

The Hundred Herbs Sect Master let out a shrill roar.

The hypocrisy and immortal air in his eyes completely vanished.

Replaced by endless madness and resentment!

"Bastard! You destroyed my life's work! I will refine you into the main ingredient for this furnace of pills!"

His entire being turned into a green light, merging with the resentment spread across the mountains.

His aura surged upward!

He even faintly touched the threshold of an Immortal Lord!

However.

Ye Wushang did not look at him.

His gaze fell upon the tens of thousands of numb and despairing eyes in that pit.

He was silent for a moment.

Then, he slowly closed his eyes.

When he opened his eyes again.

Only a cold, deathly stillness remained in his dark eyes.

"Your art is too ugly."

He spoke softly to the Hundred Herbs Sect Master, who had already transformed into a ten-thousand-foot-tall tree man.

The gate of ten thousand demons opened completely.

This time, what walked out of the gate was no longer a demon god's hand.

But Ye Wushang's own demonic shadow.

That demonic shadow towered between heaven and earth, as if condensed from all the darkness and endings in the Universe.

The demonic shadow opened its mouth.

The entire Baicao Mountain Range, along with that arrogant Sect Master, those tens of thousands of Human-shaped Spirit Medicines, and the endless resentment and life force... were all swallowed in one bite by that mouth.

The world became quiet.

Ye Wushang's body trembled violently in the void.

The barrier of the Golden Immortal stage, under the impact of a torrent of energy vast enough to burst an Immortal Lord.

Shattered inch by inch.

Boom!

A terrifying demonic might, far exceeding before, erupted from him!

Early Stage Golden Immortal!

Ye Wushang slowly opened his eyes, feeling the Demonic Essence flowing endlessly through his body, and exhaled a breath of turbid air.

He took out his disciple token and crossed out the name "Hundred Herbs Sect."

Turning around, he merged into the shadows... Central Region, Blade Sword City.

This place was a mixture of dragons and snakes, lawless and chaotic.

There were no laws in the city; the only rule was whose blade was sharper and whose fist was harder.

Inside an old study.

Bai Jinnian held an ancient book, absorbed in reading.

He wore a scholar's robe that had been washed until it was white, looking out of place among the surrounding Cultivators filled with Evil Qi.

"Hey! You bookworm over there!"

A coarse shout broke the silence of the study.

A burly man with a bare chest and a Ghost-Head Blade walked in arrogantly with several subordinates.

Mid-stage Profound Immortal.

"Our Hegemon Blade Sect has taken a liking to this study."

"If you know what's good for you, take your trashy books and get out!"

The burly man's gaze fell on the cloth-wrapped spring and autumn brush beside Bai Jinnian, a hint of disdain flashing in his eyes.

Bai Jinnian slowly raised his head, his clear eyes showing no fear.

"In all things, one must be reasonable."

"Reasonable?"

The burly man seemed to have heard the biggest joke in the world.

"In Blade Sword City, my blade is the reason!"

He suddenly drew his Ghost-Head Blade, and a blood-colored blade light capable of splitting mountains slashed down!

"Now, do you understand my reason!"

Bai Jinnian did not move.

He simply put down his book and picked up that brush.

He did not dip it in ink.

Using his finger as the tip and the air as the paper, he slowly wrote a single word.

"Still."

As the word was spoken, the brush tip stopped.

That arrogant blood-colored blade light, along with the ferocious smile on the burly man's face, froze in mid-air.

The entire study became so quiet that a dropped needle could be heard.