19: Chapter 19 The Angry Elder of the Li Family!

"Ah——!"

"Devil! You're a devil!"

Inside the gorge, shrill screams and desperate wails intertwined.

The remaining few Li Family retainers had completely collapsed.

They watched helplessly as that figure in blue robes moved through the dense, impenetrable storm of blades and sword glints as if strolling through his own backyard.

Every flicker of his figure was accompanied by the fall of another companion.

There were no fierce clashes, no deafening roars.

Only silent, imperceptibly passing sword glints, and corpses with faces frozen in shock and confusion, slowly toppling over.

This silent slaughter was far more devastating to one's spirit than a grand, spectacular battle.

They couldn't even see how he made his Move.

They only knew the shadow of death had already enveloped each and every one of them.

"The drill ends here."

Chu Xiao's figure, after a series of ghostly flickers, reappeared at the center of the clearing.

The Hundred-Tempered Fine Steel Sword in his hand bore not a single drop of blood, still gleaming coldly.

After this real combat trial, the Flying Cloud Flash movement technique had been completely integrated into his bones, becoming his combat instinct.

His gaze swept over the last five remaining Li Family Cultivators, and that Li Wei, who had long been scared out of his wits, trembling like a leaf in a storm.

He decided to stop toying with them.

"Hum——!"

Accompanied by a clear, melodious sword hum, Chu Xiao gave his wrist a slight flick.

The sharp, domineering Sword Intent belonging to the Wind and Cloud Xun Thunder Sword Technique, which he had been deliberately suppressing, erupted violently!

"Crackle——!"

Blinding purple lightning, like an awakened thunder dragon, surged wildly from the sword's body, coiling and intertwining!

He didn't even use a Move from the sword technique. He simply, straightforwardly, channeled that vast, domineering thunder Spiritual Qi into the sword and casually swung it forward!

A crescent-shaped purple thunder sword beam, several *zhang* long and thick as a water bucket, shot forth from the blade!

Wherever the sword beam passed, the air emitted a piercing shriek, and the ground was plowed into a deep, charred trench!

That berserk thunder power seemed intent on tearing this very space apart!

The expressions of fear and despair on the faces of the last five Li Family retainers instantly froze.

They had no time to react at all, not even managing to utter a single scream.

They were instantly swallowed by that heaven-and-earth-destroying thunder sword beam!

There was no resistance whatsoever. Their protective Spiritual Qi, their Magical Artifacts and weapons, their flesh and blood bodies—before that domineering thunder power, they were as fragile as ice and snow under the scorching sun.

Instantly vaporized, evaporated!

Not even a wisp of ash remained.

One sword strike cleared the field!

The entire gorge instantly fell into a deathly silence.

Only that richly dressed youth, Li Wei, remained standing alone, his legs trembling violently, a stream of foul-smelling liquid flowing down his trouser legs and pooling on the ground.

He had actually been scared into wetting himself!

Li Wei's eyes widened, staring fixedly at the slowly dissipating purple thunder radiance.

His gaze was filled with boundless terror and disbelief.

He racked his brains but couldn't comprehend how a Cultivator who seemed to be only at the first level of the Foundation Establishment Realm could unleash such terrifying power?

The might of that sword strike—forget him, a third-level Foundation Establishment Cultivator—even an ordinary expert at the eighth or ninth level of the Foundation Establishment Realm might not be able to withstand it!

This was no longer a Genius, not even a Prodigy!

This was a monster! A complete and utter monster!

The fear of death, like seawater, completely He was overwhelmed by all his reason and pride..

He finally realized what a terrifying existence he had provoked!

"Quick! Quick, fire the signal flare!"

As if grasping at his last lifeline, Li Wei shouted an order towards the empty space beside him.

However, there was no one left beside him.

This order received no response whatsoever.

Instead, it was like a slap across his own face.

It jolted him awake from his extreme terror for a fleeting moment.

He frantically pulled out a crimson jade talisman from his bosom. This was the highest-level distress signal of the Li Family, only qualified for direct descendants.

Using all his strength, he madly channeled the meager Spiritual Qi left in his body into it, then crushed it viciously!

"Whoosh——!"

A blinding red fiery light shot skyward from his hand, exploding violently in the sky above the gorge, transforming into a massive, lingering character for 'Li'.

Visible for a hundred *li* in all directions!

After doing this, Li Wei seemed drained of all strength, collapsing onto the ground, gasping for breath in great heaves.

The signal was sent!

The closest Family member to this location was the Second Elder overseeing this mountain sealing operation!

That was a Golden Core Stage powerhouse!

As long as the Second Elder arrived, this brat was surely dead!

Thinking this, a sense of relief at having survived a catastrophe crept back onto his face.

He forced himself up, squeezed out a smile uglier than crying towards Chu Xiao not far away, and blustered with false bravado, "Friend! Friend! Let's talk this through! Just now... it was all a misunderstanding!"

"As long as you hand over that Spirit Medicine now, I can swear to the heavens, I'll pretend today's events never happened! I'll let you leave safely immediately! No pursuit!"

He feigned surrender with his words, attempting to use the imminent reinforcements to stabilize Chu Xiao and buy time.

But his heart was already filled with the most malicious thoughts.

'You little bastard! Just you wait! Once the Second Elder arrives, I'll make sure you beg for death but find it unattainable! I'll personally sever the tendons in your hands and feet, turn you into a human swine, then use the most sinister flames to scorch your Divine Soul for seven days and seven nights!'

However, how could his petty schemes escape Chu Xiao's notice?

Watching Li Wei's Poor performance, a flicker of mockery and pity passed through Chu Xiao's eyes.

"Idiot."

He slowly uttered the two words, his figure instantly vanishing from his spot.

Li Wei's pupils contracted sharply.

He only felt a lethal sense of crisis rushing towards him!

Without thinking, he roared, bringing out his life-saving Magical Artifact—a gleaming cyan Low Grade Spiritual Artifact broadsword—and held it horizontally before him!

"Azure Dragon Emerges from the Sea!"

He stirred all the Spiritual Qi in his body. The broadsword blazed with cyan light, vaguely transforming into the phantom of a ferocious flood dragon as he slashed fiercely towards the approaching figure!

This was his strongest attack, capable of splitting stone!

However, in the next instant, Chu Xiao's figure appeared before him like a ghost.

Again, it was a simple thrust of the sword.

Except, this time, a wisp of pale golden, pure Spiritual Qi, activated by the Golden Cauldron Jade Art, was attached to the sword's tip.

*Ding——!*

A crisp sound of metal clashing rang out.

The moment Li Wei's proud Spiritual Artifact broadsword made contact with that seemingly ordinary fine steel sword, the so-called flood dragon phantom shattered instantly!

An utterly irresistible, terrifying force transmitted madly from the sword's tip!

*Crack!*

Li Wei felt a sharp pain in his tiger's mouth, the bones in his entire arm groaning. That Low Grade Spiritual Artifact broadsword was actually It jolted and slipped from his hand., flying backwards!

He himself was sent staggering back by this immense force, his blood and Qi churning uncontrollably.

How is this possible?!

He was at the third level of Foundation Establishment!

The other party was only at the first level of Foundation Establishment!

Why was the gap in strength so vast?!

A tidal wave of shock surged in Li Wei's heart!

However, Chu Xiao gave him no chance for further shock or thought.

The instant that cyan broadsword left his hand, the long sword in Chu Xiao's hand shot out like a dragon emerging from its cave, tracing an arc as it flashed past Li Wei's neck!

*Thud!*

A fine head, its face filled with terror and unwillingness, soared into the air.

Scalding blood gushed like a fountain from the headless torso, staining the ground red.

Li Wei, dead!

Thus, within the gorge, all Li Family Cultivators were annihilated.

Chu Xiao slowly sheathed his sword, his gaze calmly sweeping over the corpses littering the ground.

He was just about to thoroughly loot these people's Storage Pouches.

To truly eradicate the roots.

But at that very moment, his expression suddenly shifted. He abruptly looked up towards the sky outside the gorge.

His powerful Divine Sense, far exceeding his peers, clearly sensed it.

A terrifyingly powerful aura, strong enough to make his heart palpitate, was rushing towards this place from the distant horizon at an unimaginable speed!

That aura was vast as an abyss, Vast as the sea. Just sensing it from afar made him feel as if all the Spiritual Qi in his body was about to solidify, suffocating him!

Golden Core Stage!

This was definitely a Golden Core Stage powerhouse!

Moreover, judging from the undisguised violence and anger in that aura, the newcomer meant no good!

Chu Xiao's mind instantly made the calmest judgment.

With his current strength, he could easily crush Foundation Establishment Realm Cultivators.

But facing a true Golden Core Stage powerhouse, he had not the slightest chance of victory!

The gap between them was a chasm in life's hierarchy, not something that could be easily bridged by Cultivation Techniques or sword techniques.

A direct fight meant certain death!

"Go!"

Without the slightest hesitation, Chu Xiao made a decisive decision, abandoning the thought of looting the battlefield.

His figure flickered. He pushed the Flying Cloud Flash to its limits, his entire body transforming into a faint wisp of blue smoke as he instantly vanished into the vast forest behind him. After a few more flickers, he disappeared without a trace.

Merely a few breaths after his departure...

*Boom——!*

A berserk身影, like a meteor from the heavens, descended from the sky, landing heavily in the center of the gorge, smashing a massive crater into the hard ground.

The newcomer was a middle-aged man wearing luxurious brocade robes, his face gloomy.

Spiritual Qi surged around him, the terrifying pressure he emitted causing the very air in the gorge to solidify.

It was the Li Family's Second Elder, Second Elder Li Qingcang!

When his gaze swept over this gorge resembling a Hell of slaughter, seeing the corpses littering the ground, especially the headless body belonging to his most favored junior, Li Wei...

His gloomy的脸 instantly twisted, becoming hideously contorted!

A heaven-scorching killing intent erupted from within him like a volcano!

"Ah——!!!"

A roar brimming with boundless fury and killing intent erupted from his mouth, transforming into visible sound waves that swept through the entire gorge!

Mountain rocks cracked, ancient trees turned to dust!

"No matter who you are! Daring to kill a direct descendant of my Li Family! This old man will definitely refine your soul, making you suffer for all eternity without hope of reincarnation!"