54: The Holy Mother of Yaochi: This child is not to be defeated by force!

Lin Chen's seemingly understated words, filled with endless murderous intent, were like the most biting cold wind, instantly dispelling the triumphant sneers on the faces of the Myriad Sword Pavilion disciples.

After a brief, deathly silence.

"Pfft—!"

A piercing, undisguised scoff broke the quiet.

The leading woman with a stern face, Sword Unparalleled, seemed to have heard the funniest joke in the world and couldn't help but burst out laughing.

"Giggle, giggle, giggle..."

Immediately after, all the Myriad Sword Pavilion disciples behind her also erupted into a crazy laughter filled with disdain and pity!

"Hahahaha! I... I didn't mishear, did I?!" A female disciple named Li Hanyue laughed so hard she was shaking, tears almost streaming down her face. "This 'Vase,' this man said... he wants to kill us?!"

"Could it be that he stayed in that women's den, the Purple Cloud Holy Land, for too long, and his brain went bad too?" Another disciple, Zhao Qian, exaggeratedly clutched her stomach. "Does he think this is still their sect, a place where he can act spoiled and throw tantrums?!"

"So ridiculous! This is simply the funniest joke I've heard all year!"

They laughed, bending over backwards, as if Lin Chen was an ignorant... idiot, talking in his sleep.

And Sword Unparalleled finally stopped laughing.

Her sharp, hawk-like eyes once again fell upon Lin Chen.

Only this time, even the last trace of 'scrutiny' in her gaze had vanished.

All that remained was the pity one would have when looking at... a hopelessly insane 'wretch.'

"Kid,"

Her voice was cold yet full of 'benevolence.'

"Seeing as you managed to make this Venerable One laugh."

"This Venerable One can give you another chance."

She even actively extended her snow-white neck forward.

A playful, cruel smile hung on her face.

"Come."

"My neck is right here."

"Didn't you want to kill me?"

"Come on."

"Let this Venerable One see how you, this 'Vase,' will... 'release' me?"

Provocation!

Extreme, undisguised, deathly provocation!

She intended to use this method to thoroughly trample Lin Chen, along with the last shred of the entire Purple Cloud Holy Land's ridiculous dignity, into the mud!

However.

Facing this humiliation, which would enrage anyone.

Lin Chen's face remained as calm as ever.

He simply looked at the group of 'fools' in front of him, still laughing wildly, believing they controlled everything.

He slowly shook his head.

Then he let out a soft sigh.

The sigh was filled with endless... disappointment.

As if mourning their foolishness.

"So be it."

He said softly.

"Since you are so sincerely... seeking death."

"Then this Holy Son will be merciful today."

"And grant your wish."

As his words fell.

He no longer wasted any breath.

He simply raised his right hand slowly towards the group of women in front of him, still laughing maniacally, oblivious to death.

Then, he spread his five fingers and gently sliced downwards through the void.

"Swish—!!!"

A moon-white spatial blade, whose sharpness and brilliance were beyond description, instantly tore through the air!

The blade looked so 'slender,' so 'gentle.'

Without a hint of killing intent.

Without a trace of pressure.

However!

The moment it sliced through the void!

Time seemed to completely stop.

The playful, cruel smile on the face of the leading, arrogant peak Golden Core stage prodigy, Sword Unparalleled, completely froze.

Immediately after.

Under the horrified, desperate gaze of Li Hanyue, Zhao Qian, and all the Myriad Sword Pavilion disciples, whose pupils had shrunk to pinpricks.

A neat, slender, bloody line.

Silently appeared... on Sword Unparalleled's snow-white neck!

Pfft—!!!

The next second!

A beautiful head, still bearing that 'deathly provocative' expression.

Shot into the sky!

Bringing with it a dazzling and eerie... fountain of blood!

Instant kill!

Only the leader was killed!

After precisely severing Sword Unparalleled's head, the spatial blade, as if alive, transformed into specks of starlight and dissipated into nothingness.

As if it had never appeared.

And Sword Unparalleled's headless corpse remained standing.

The indestructible 'Sky-Shattering Sword Boat' behind her was silently and cleanly split in two by the residual power of that spatial blade!

The cut was as smooth as a mirror!

Silence.

The entire world fell into a deathly, absolute silence.

Only the sound of the head falling remained.

And the 'pitter-patter' of the blood rain falling from the sky.

Li Hanyue, Zhao Qian, and all the surviving Myriad Sword Pavilion disciples.

Were all stunned.

Completely stunned.

Their wild laughter had long since frozen, replaced by endless, bone-deep... fear and disbelief!

They stared blankly at the bloody scene before them, which resembled a purgatory yet was filled with a sense of 'art.'

Their minds were blank.

Meanwhile, Lin Chen acted as if he had done something insignificant.

He slowly retracted his hand, even using a handkerchief to wipe away non-existent dust.

He looked at the 'survivors' who were already terrified out of their wits.

He slowly shook his head.

Then, with a tone full of 'regret,' he softly said:

"Alas..."

"I forgot to remind you all."

"This 'Vase' of mine..."

"Can kill people, you know."

These words, like a devil's whisper, finally pulled Li Hanyue and the others back to a sliver of consciousness from their endless terror!

"Ah—!"

They finally let out heart-wrenching screams!

"He... he killed someone! He... he killed Senior Sister!"

"Devil! You demon!"

After a brief moment of terror, what surged into their hearts was an extremely absurd, twisted... anger!

"You... you actually dared to bully the weak! You ambushed Senior Sister with your unknown evil art!"

Li Hanyue pointed at Lin Chen, screaming with a fierce but inwardly weak demeanor!

"That's right!" Zhao Qian also emboldened herself and angrily rebuked, "Our Senior Sister merely wanted to 'teach' you useless people a lesson! You... you actually resorted to such a vicious attack! You... you're simply insane! Inhuman!"

Double standards!

The most shameless double standards!

Their collision was justified!

Their injury of others was justified!

Their humiliation of others was even more justified!

But once Lin Chen resisted, once he killed someone, it was... 'bullying the weak'! It was 'insane'!

"You... you Purple Cloud Holy Land, just wait!"

Lin Chen's action did not deter anyone.

Instead, it completely ignited the long-suppressed madness and arrogance of sword cultivators within them!

"Form the array!"

She shrieked, her voice filled with venom and madness!

"He's just one person! Let's all attack together! Use the Myriad Swords Returning to Origin Formation to crush him and this broken boat into dust!"

They knew that one person was definitely no match for Lin Chen.

But they were disciples of the Myriad Sword Pavilion!

They would never allow themselves to flee in disarray before a 'man'!

"Buzz—!!!"

Dozens of Myriad Sword Pavilion disciples instantly spread out, their spirit swords simultaneously unsheathed!

Streaks of soaring sword intent instantly connected, forming a terrifying sword array filled with endless slaughter and destructive aura!

The chilling sword qi even cut the surrounding sea of clouds into fragmented pieces!

On the Purple Cloud Holy Land's side, the female disciples, led by Luo Bingli and Lin Ziyan, also had their expressions darken upon seeing this scene!

Although they still harbored various complex emotions towards Lin Chen, this 'male Holy Son.'

At this moment, they represented the face of the Purple Cloud Holy Land!

"Form the Purple Cloud Heavenly Gang Array!"

Luo Bingli decisively issued the command!

Hundreds of female disciples from the Purple Cloud Holy Land immediately sprang into action. Patches of purple auspicious clouds rose from beneath their feet, forming a grand defensive array filled with peace and majesty!

As the hundred-person battle between the two major sects was about to erupt!

Just then!

Li Hanyue of the Myriad Sword Pavilion suddenly shouted loudly towards the Purple Cloud Holy Land's array!

Her voice was full of 'seduction'!

"Sisters of the Purple Cloud Holy Land! You must think this through!"

"Our Myriad Sword Pavilion and your Purple Cloud Holy Land have always kept to ourselves, not interfering with each other!"

"Today, we are only targeting this ignorant man who cruelly murdered our Senior Sister!"

"Are you truly going to completely fall out with our Myriad Sword Pavilion for the sake of such an 'accessory,' a 'Vase'?!"

"As long as you hand him over now!"

"We are still good sisters! In Qianlong City, we can even join forces and advance together!"

Division!

Naked, overt division!

Her words, like a demonic sound, clearly entered the ears of every female disciple of the Purple Cloud Holy Land.

Many disciples showed a hint of hesitation and wavering on their faces.

Indeed... was it really worth it to go to war with the powerful Myriad Sword Pavilion for a man?

However, at this critical moment of wavering morale!

Luo Bingli suddenly let out a cold, sharp cry!

"All disciples, heed my command!"

"The Ancestor has decreed!"

"To see the Holy Son is to see this Venerable One! Anyone who disrespects the Holy Son..."

"Shall be killed without mercy!"

She directly brought out the greatest backer, one that no one could resist!

Sure enough!

As soon as the words "the Ancestor" were uttered, the hesitation on the faces of all the Purple Cloud Holy Land female disciples instantly vanished!

Replaced by determination and resolve!

Seeing this, a hint of exasperated ferocity flashed across Li Hanyue's face!

"Good! What a Purple Cloud Holy Land!"

"Since you are so stubbornly misguided, then... don't blame us for being ruthless!"

"Junior Sisters! Attack!"

However!

Just as the countless sword qi, capable of destroying heaven and earth, were about to strike!

Another anomaly occurred!

"Why are you two sisters so angry?"

A pleasant female voice, filled with sanctity and gentleness, slowly drifted from another sea of clouds without warning.

Immediately after!

A holy flying boat, entirely crafted from ten-thousand-year ice jade, shaped like a blooming snow lotus, accompanied by ethereal music and a rain of flower petals, slowly sailed out.

On the flying boat stood a group of exquisite women, dressed in white ethereal robes, with an otherworldly aura like celestial maidens from the Moon Palace.

"It's... it's people from the Yaochi Holy Land!" Someone recognized the origin of this flying boat!

A beautiful white-robed woman, also at the peak Golden Core stage, who appeared to be around thirty and still possessed great charm, slowly flew out from the flying boat, positioning herself between the two major sects.

She was Elder Yuheng, the leading elder of the Yaochi Holy Land for this expedition.

As sects from the Eastern Desolation, they often crossed paths, and the reputation of the Sword Pavilion's sword seeds was well-known to everyone.

Thinking of this, Elder Yuheng couldn't help but sigh softly. Encountering that bunch of sword seeds from the Sword Pavilion was indeed unfortunate for the Purple Cloud Holy Land.

Never mind, I'll help them out. It might also create some good karma for the upcoming trial.

"Junior Niece Li, please give this Junior Martial Uncle some face. How about we let this matter rest?" She looked at Li Hanyue with a 'benevolent' smile that made one feel as if bathed in a spring breeze.

However, Li Hanyue didn't fall for it at all!

"Elder Yuheng!" Her voice was cold and filled with resentment. "This matter has nothing to do with your Yaochi Holy Land! You'd best not meddle!"

"Otherwise, you will be making an enemy of my entire Myriad Sword Pavilion!"

She paused, and a extremely malicious... scheme suddenly flashed in her resentful eyes!

She looked at Elder Yuheng, then at the Yaochi disciples behind her who were also curiously observing Lin Chen, and sneered:

"Or are you saying..."

"Elder Yuheng, you, too, like those fools from the Purple Cloud Holy Land, would disregard the sect's interests for a man?"

"Are you also going to... shield this good-for-nothing who only hides behind women?!"

Boom!

These words, like the most venomous dagger, instantly dragged the Yaochi Holy Land into the fray!

Indeed!

When Elder Yuheng heard these words, the smile on her 'benevolent' face instantly stiffened!

The gazes of the Yaochi Holy Land female disciples behind her also instantly changed when they looked at Lin Chen!

They became filled with scrutiny, disdain, and a hint of... ill intent!

This was the most twisted 'political correctness' in this world!

—Women can make mistakes.

But men must die!