199: Xiao Zhuo takes action

Qiu Yun'er's pure black eyes locked onto Xiao Zhuo, and a cruel, demonic arc curved at her scarlet lips.

Her figure drifted like a ghost, ignoring the chaotic slaughter and screams in the hall, instantly crossing several zhang. Her pale palm, accompanied by a tearing shriek through the air, had five elongated bone claws that plunged straight towards Xiao Zhuo's heart!

"Hao'er!" Ning Yuanshan, being forced back repeatedly by the demonized Qiu Ling, saw this scene and his eyes nearly split open. He roared in anguish, but was utterly powerless to help.

His heart was filled with grief and indignation. Although Ning Hao had been marginalized by him all these years, he didn't truly disregard this son. It was just that his eldest son's Aptitude was ordinary, far inferior to his second son's. His intention in arranging Ning Hao's marriage with the Qiu Family this time was not without the thought of securing a lifetime of peace and prosperity for Ning Hao. But now, everything was ruined.

The bone claws, carrying a strong stench of blood and the aura of death, were about to pierce Xiao Zhuo's chest.

Just then, Xiao Zhuo moved.

He merely raised his left hand, his movement seemingly casual, yet it was so fast that it surpassed the visual limits of everyone present, as if time had been momentarily frozen at his fingertips.

There was no earth-shattering momentum, no vast True Qi leaking out.

He simply extended his index finger and, facing the sharp bone claws capable of piercing tempered steel, flicked it lightly.

"Ding—!"

A crisp sound, like the gentle tapping of jade, echoed with unusual clarity through the chaotic battlefield, reaching everyone's ears.

Time seemed to freeze at that moment.

The cruel smile on Qiu Yun'er's face instantly stiffened, replaced by extreme shock and disbelief.

She felt that her fingertips, those bone claws capable of tearing through an Innate Martial Artist's protective True Qi, had not touched flesh and blood, but an invisible barrier heavier than stars and harder than profound iron!

An irresistible, overwhelming force, like a torrent from a breached celestial river, surged backward through her fingertips!

"Crack! Crack! Crack!"

A series of ear-splitting shattering sounds exploded!

Qiu Yun'er's bone claws, harder than tempered steel, began to shatter inch by inch from the fingertips, extending all the way to her wrist, forearm, elbow... Her entire arm, like glazed glass struck by an invisible giant hammer, instantly transformed into a sky full of purplish-black bone fragments and minced flesh, exploding outwards!

"Argh—!!!"

A shriek, inhumanly shrill, erupted from Qiu Yun'er's mouth. The sound was filled with pain, terror, and a primal fear originating from the instinct of life itself.

Her pure black eyes fluctuated violently, revealing human-like panic for the first time. She stumbled backward, flying out, as viscous, foul-smelling purplish-black blood gushed from her severed arm.

This sudden, cognition-defying scene brought the entire chaotic wedding hall to a complete silence!

Qiu Ling, who was in the midst of slaughter, abruptly stopped tearing at a Ning Family guard. A look of uncertainty and alarm appeared on his ferocious demonic face, and his scarlet eyes stared intently at the "son-in-law" in the corner, whom he had always regarded as an ant.

Liu Jian and other experts, barely holding on, as well as the lucky guests who had not died, were all dumbfounded, their minds blank.

What had they seen? That Ning Family Young Master Ning Hao, rumored to have mediocre Aptitude, who had just barely saved his father, had actually used only one finger to cripple the terrifying, demonic bride who had instantly severely wounded a Ning Family Innate Elder?!

Ning Yuanshan, even more so, stood frozen as if struck by lightning, looking at his "worthless" eldest son with an expression as if he were seeing a complete stranger.

The level of power contained in that casual flick of a finger just now completely exceeded his understanding as an Innate Martial Artist!

Xiao Zhuo slowly stood up, dusting off non-existent specks of dust, as if he had merely flicked away a fly.

His face remained expressionless, showing only a faint impatience at having his enjoyment of the show disturbed.

"Noisy." His voice was not loud, yet it clearly penetrated all the clamor, carrying a chilling coldness and indifference that made hearts palpitate, like a high-and-mighty deity looking down on the struggles of ants.

Qiu Ling recovered from his immense shock, replaced by an even deeper rage and greed.

He shrieked, "Good! Good! I never imagined the Ning Family hid such blood food as you! If I devour you, I will surely Breakthrough my limits completely! Die for me!"

His massive demonic body erupted with even more terrifying speed, abandoning Ning Yuanshan. Like a moving mountain of flesh, enveloped in a foul demonic wind, his giant claws tore through the air, carrying immense force as they slammed down on Xiao Zhuo's head!

He intended to utterly crush this threat!

The strong wind rushed at him, making Xiao Zhuo's robes flap wildly.

Facing this terrifying blow, capable of smashing a Late Stage Innate Martial Artist into a pulp, Xiao Zhuo didn't even bat an eyelid.

He merely casually raised his right hand, spread his five fingers, and, facing the charging Qiu Ling, made a grasping motion in the Void Realm.

There was no earth-shattering collision.

Qiu Ling's massive demonic body, in its furious charge, suddenly froze as if it had slammed into an invisible, absolutely unmovable iron wall!

Immediately after, an indescribable, terrifying pressure descended out of nowhere!

"Pfft—!"

Qiu Ling's swollen purplish-red demonic body suddenly collapsed inward! His bones emitted a dense, crackling sound, like popping beans, unable to bear the weight!

The ferocity on his face was completely replaced by boundless terror. His scarlet eyes bulged, filled with extreme pain and incomprehension.

"Uh... H-h-h..." He couldn't even let out a scream, only managing a gasping hiss from his throat.

Xiao Zhuo's five fingers slowly tightened.

"Bang!!!"

A dull explosion, so profound it made hearts stop!

The once arrogant demonized Qiu Ling, like a rotten tomato squeezed by an invisible giant hand, exploded with a roar before the horrified eyes of everyone present!

Flesh, shattered bones, and internal organs, mixed with dense purplish-black Devilish Qi, transformed into a foul-smelling rain of blood, splattering across the ground for several zhang, covering the stunned guests and the remaining demonic assassins.

The terrifying demon that had been rampaging a second ago was now a pile of filthy debris.

Absolute silence!

Time seemed frozen. Everyone's breathing stopped, their brains completely crashed, leaving only the splattered blood and the pungent stench, silently narrating the terrifying scene that had just occurred, exceeding the limits of their imagination.

The demonized black-clad assassins on the walls, as if choked by an invisible force, had only primal fear left on their twisted faces, and their hands gripping crossbows trembled violently.

Xiao Zhuo retracted his hand, as if merely dusting it off. His cold gaze swept over the demonized assassins frozen on the walls and in the courtyard, as well as the twitching demonic remnants on the ground.

"A bunch of filthy scum." He spoke calmly, his voice devoid of any emotion, yet it was more chilling than any roar. "Disturbing my peace, you deserve to die."

The instant his words fell, he lightly tapped his finger, and golden finger-rays pierced the air, covering the entire wedding hall courtyard like mercury spreading across the ground.

They precisely locked onto every target emitting a demonic aura.

"Thump... Thump... Thump..."

Like wheat being cut down, all the demonized black-clad assassins, whether on the walls or in the courtyard, regardless of their strength, froze in their movements. The scarlet light in their eyes instantly extinguished, their glabella pierced, and they fell straight down, hitting the ground with dull thuds, utterly lifeless.

With a single thought, all demons were annihilated!

The entire Ning Residence wedding hall, apart from the heavy breathing and uncontrollable fearful sobs of the survivors, was utterly silent.

The strong smell of blood mixed with Devilish Qi was nauseating.

The ground was a mess of corpses, broken cups and plates, overturned tables and chairs, and that large puddle of Qiu Ling's foul minced meat in the center, forming a scene straight out of Hell.

Xiao Zhuo stood in place, his neat groom's robes looking out of place in this slaughterhouse, spotless.

He tilted his head slightly, his gaze falling upon Qiu Yun'er, who was curled up in a corner, trembling, due to the intense pain of her severed arm and extreme fear.

In her pure black eyes, only boundless fear and despair remained.

Xiao Zhuo's gaze remained calm, as if he had merely casually cleaned up a group of annoying insects.

He slowly took a step, walking towards Qiu Yun'er.

His footsteps were clearly audible in the silent courtyard, each step like treading on the fragile hearts of the survivors.

He walked in front of Qiu Yun'er, looking down at this demonic bride who had been so arrogant and domineering just moments ago.

The intense pain of her severed arm and the pressure from the depths of her Divine Soul prevented Qiu Yun'er from even screaming, only allowing her to emit intermittent whimpers, like a dying small beast.

Xiao Zhuo squatted down, extended two fingers, and lifted Qiu Yun'er's pale, delicate chin.

His movement seemed gentle, yet it carried an irresistible force.

Qiu Yun'er was forced to look up, meeting those unfathomably deep eyes that seemed to contain an endless starry sky.

There was no anger, no hatred in those eyes, only a pure, indifferent scrutiny, like observing some curious insect.

"Tell me," Xiao Zhuo began, his voice calm and unruffled, yet like a cold steel needle, it pierced into Qiu Yun'er's chaotic Divine Soul, "What is this 'Sacred Clan' you speak of? What is this farce ultimately for?"

However, before Qiu Yun'er could answer, the strange roars from outside sounded again, followed by a series of dying screams.

Xiao Zhuo frowned, and his Divine Sense extended!