73: Surrender or die, the choice is yours.

The mountain peak was as silent as death.

Feng Ziyan and Uncle Fu stood frozen in place like two statues under a binding spell, their brains having completely stopped functioning.

What did they just hear?

That man actually said the enlightenment willow was only fit to be a toy for his son?

He said the heart of heaven and earth, which could control a Small World, was too low in grade?

He even threw away the Mystery Transformation Canon—a manual countless Nascent Soul Cultivators dreamed of, something enough to trigger a war of Sect extermination—like it was trash? He even evaluated it as "utter nonsense, full of holes"?

Crazy!

The world had gone crazy! Or was this man crazy?!

Feng Ziyan felt her perception being refreshed over and over, then ruthlessly crushed, reorganized, and crushed again... Her proud background, talent, and knowledge seemed so childish and laughable before this man.

She was like a country girl entering the imperial palace for the first time, stunned by its magnificence, while that man was the master of this palace, looking down at her with the gaze one would give a bumpkin.

This feeling gave her a sense of defeat and powerlessness even greater than the previous threat of death.

Chu He paid no attention to the two people behind him who had begun to doubt their very existence.

His gaze landed on the branch of enlightenment willow floating above the pool.

"This thing is actually somewhat useful."

He muttered to himself.

Although the Dao Rhyme contained within this enlightenment willow was no longer of much use to someone at his level, it was a rare treasure for children who were still building their foundation.

Especially for his daughter, Chu Yuning, who possessed the SSS-grade Innate Dao Body. If she grew up under the Dao Rhyme of this enlightenment willow from a young age, it would provide immeasurable benefits for her future comprehension of the Heavenly Dao.

There was also his newborn son, Chu Ce, who possessed the Innate Killing Array Dao Fetus; this could be used for his enlightenment as well.

Thinking of this, Chu He's mood improved significantly.

With a casual wave of his hand, the branch of enlightenment willow transformed into a streak of green light and flew into his palm.

It felt warm and moist in his hand, and a cool aura instantly spread through his body, clearing his mind.

Chu He nodded with satisfaction and was just about to put it into his Storage Ring.

Just then, a voice filled with greed and killing intent came from down the mountain.

"Kid! Put down that branch of enlightenment willow! Otherwise, die!"

Along with the voice, three streaks of light shot up from the foot of the mountain, instantly landing on the peak and surrounding Chu He's group of three.

They were three Cultivators dressed in black robes, their bodies exuding a cold, ghostly Qi.

The leader was a withered old man with sunken eyes whose cultivation had actually reached the Middle Stage Nascent Soul!

The other two were both at the Early Nascent Soul Stage.

"It's people from the Ten Thousand Ghosts Sect!" Uncle Fu's expression changed as he whispered to Feng Ziyan.

Feng Ziyan's brow also furrowed tightly.

The Ten Thousand Ghosts Sect was one of the three major Demonic Path Sects in the Northern Barrens. They were notorious for their ruthless actions and cruel methods, increasing their cultivation by refining ghosts and devouring the Divine Souls of Cultivators.

Back outside the tower, these three had tried to cause trouble for Chu He, but Blazing Sun Elder had disrupted them.

Unexpectedly, they had also broken through the Restriction and followed them in!

"Jie jie jie..."

The leading Middle Stage Nascent Soul old man, Ghost Three, let out a piercing, strange laugh. His eyes, like ghost fires, stared fixedly at the enlightenment willow in Chu He's hand, filled with undisguised greed.

"Kid, you ignored the path to heaven and barged into the gates of Hell! Outside, that fool Blazing Sun Elder stood up for you, so consider yourself lucky. Now, let's see who else can save you!"

Ghost Three's gaze was incredibly cold.

He had naturally seen the scene where Chu He broke the Restriction with a single finger. Though he was shocked, he was more so ecstatic.

In his view, Chu He must be a Formation Grandmaster proficient in arrays, which was why he could break the Formation so easily. However, Formation Masters were often not good at direct combat!

Moreover, Chu He looked so young; his cultivation was at most at the Early Nascent Soul Stage. Even if he had some trump cards, he could never be a match for a Middle Stage Nascent Soul like himself!

Furthermore, he had two Junior Brothers at the Early Nascent Soul Stage on his side!

Three against one—the advantage was his!

The enlightenment willow, the heart of heaven and earth, the Mystery Transformation Canon... all these divine items would be mine!

At the thought of this, Ghost Three trembled with excitement.

"Kid, I'll give you one last chance!" Ghost Three extended a withered claw and pointed at Chu He, shouting harshly, "Kneel immediately, offer up the enlightenment willow and your Storage Ring, then cripple your own cultivation. I might consider leaving you an intact corpse and letting you die quickly!"

The other two Ten Thousand Ghosts Sect Cultivators also grinned hideously, their bodies wreathed in ghostly Qi. They released several green-faced, fanged Nascent Soul-level Ghost Kings, sealing off the surroundings completely.

In their eyes, Chu He was already a turtle in a jar, unable to escape even with wings.

Surrounded in the center, Chu He did not show the slightest hint of panic.

He didn't even spare a glance at the three clamoring fools. Instead, he turned his head and looked at the pale-faced Feng Ziyan.

"Are you afraid?" he asked.

Feng Ziyan was stunned for a moment, then stubbornly shook her head.

Although the opponents were three Nascent Soul demonic Cultivators, for some reason, standing beside this man, she didn't feel the slightest fear. Instead, she felt a strange sense of peace.

"Very good."

Chu He nodded, then said in a flat tone, "Watch closely. This is what I meant by your other values besides bearing children."

Feng Ziyan was startled, not understanding what he meant.

"My enemies will only become more numerous and stronger in the future. My backyard does not need vases that only know how to dress up."

Chu He's gaze finally fell upon the three impatient Ten Thousand Ghosts Sect Cultivators, his eyes carrying a trace of cold indifference.

"The first thing my woman needs to learn is how to kill."

The moment his words fell.

Chu He moved.

He did not perform any earth-shattering Divine Ability, nor did he erupt with that world-dominating Dragon Might.

His figure simply vanished from where he stood.

"Not good! Watch out!"

A great sense of alarm rose in Ghost Three's heart. His Divine Sense frantically swept the surroundings, but he couldn't catch a trace of Chu He at all.

Just then, one of his Early Nascent Soul Stage Junior Brothers behind him suddenly let out a shrill scream.

Ghost Three whipped his head around, his pupils shrinking abruptly!

He saw Chu He's figure appearing behind his Junior Brother at some unknown point.

Chu He's hand, as if reaching for something in a bag, easily pierced through the Junior Brother's Protective Aura and demonic defense, stabbing directly into his back. Then... he slowly pulled out a still-beating Nascent Soul that exuded a cold ghostly Qi!

The Nascent Soul struggled frantically in Chu He's hand, letting out a silent shriek, its face filled with extreme terror.

"No!!"

The other Ten Thousand Ghosts Sect Cultivator's eyes nearly split from rage. He roared and drove his life-bound Ghost King, which turned into a streak of black Qi, to pounce toward Chu He.

Chu He didn't even look at him.

His fingers tightened slightly on the Nascent Soul.

"Pop~"

A soft sound rang out, like crushing a ripe grape.

That Nascent Soul, which countless Cultivators yearned for, along with the Divine Soul within it, was crushed on the spot. It turned into the purest energy and dissipated into the air.

The Early Nascent Soul Stage Ten Thousand Ghosts Sect Cultivator's body stiffened, the light in his eyes quickly dimmed, and he fell straight down, becoming a cold corpse.

An instant kill!

Another instant kill!

And this time, it was even more shocking than the punch that killed Blazing Sun Elder!

Because what he killed was a Nascent Soul!

He had actually crushed a Nascent Soul alive, as if he were squashing an ant!

"Aaaah! I'll kill you!"

The remaining Ten Thousand Ghosts Sect Cultivator went completely insane. He burned his essence blood and Divine Soul, merging with his life-bound Ghost King to become a terrifying demonic god a hundred zhang tall with an aura comparable to a Middle Stage Nascent Soul. He swung a massive ghostly claw, slamming it down toward Chu He.

This strike gathered all of his life force; its power was enough to level this entire mountain peak!

However, facing this world-destroying blow.

Chu He simply looked up and gave a faint glance.

Then, he extended his other empty hand and flicked a finger toward the massive demonic god.

"Buzz—"

A slender golden streak of light shot out from his fingertip.

That golden light looked unremarkable and wasn't fast, but it contained a sharp Law that could pierce through all things and sever everything.

Before that golden light, the massive demonic god was like it was made of paper.

The golden light easily pierced through its indestructible ghostly body, passing right through its brow.

"Boom!"

The hundred-zhang-tall demonic god's movements came to an abrupt halt. Its massive body exploded, turning into a sky full of black Qi that vanished without a trace.

Another Early Nascent Soul Stage Cultivator had fallen!

From the moment Chu He acted to the death of the two Nascent Soul Cultivators, the entire process took only two or three short breaths.

It was so fast that people couldn't even react!

On the mountain peak, only Ghost Three remained, standing there alone, trembling like a leaf.

His face was filled with endless fear and despair.

Escape!

He had to escape!

This thought instantly occupied his entire brain.

He no longer cared about the enlightenment willow or the Mystery Transformation Canon; he only wanted to live!

Ghost Three shrieked and unhesitatingly performed the Ten Thousand Ghosts Sect's top-tier Blood Escape Technique. His entire being turned into a streak of bloody light, fleeing down the mountain at a speed faster than lightning.

However, he had barely flown a hundred zhang.

An indifferent voice echoed leisurely in his ear.

"Did I let you leave?"

Ghost Three's body stiffened. He felt an irresistible force coming from all directions, pinning him firmly in mid-air, unable to move.

He looked back in horror to see Chu He's figure had already appeared behind him at some point, looking at him calmly with the eyes one would use for a dead man.

"No... don't kill me! Senior, have mercy! I was wrong! I was truly wrong!"

Ghost Three's psychological defenses completely collapsed, and he began to beg for mercy with tears and snot streaming down his face.

"I am willing to offer all my treasures! I am willing to be your dog! I only ask you to spare my life!"

Chu He didn't speak. He simply reached out, grabbed the man's neck, and brought him before Feng Ziyan.

With a "thud," Ghost Three was thrown at Feng Ziyan's feet like a dead dog.

Feng Ziyan was startled by this sudden development and subconsciously took a step back.

"Senior... Senior, have mercy..." Ghost Three crawled on the ground, kowtowing frantically to Chu He until his forehead bled against the ground.

Chu He looked down at him, then turned to Feng Ziyan and said:

"He is yours to deal with."

"Kill him."

Feng Ziyan's pupils shrank sharply.

"You... you want me to kill him?"

"Yes." Chu He's tone brooked no argument. "Use your Bloodline Divine Ability to burn him to ash."

Feng Ziyan's heart pounded violently.

It wasn't that she had never killed before. As a Phoenix Clan Prodigy, she had experienced countless life-and-death battles.

But she had never killed a defenseless Middle Stage Nascent Soul Cultivator who was kneeling on the ground begging for mercy.

Her Dao Heart and her pride made it difficult for her to strike.

"What? You don't dare?" Chu He saw her hesitation and frowned slightly.

"Remember, being kind to your enemy is being cruel to yourself. Today he kneels here begging you, but if you had fallen into his hands today, your end would be a hundred times worse than death."

"The cultivation world is just this cruel."

"Either kill or be killed."

Chu He's voice was like a heavy hammer, striking hard against Feng Ziyan's heart.

She looked at the crying, pathetic demonic Cultivator on the ground, then thought back to his previous greedy and vicious face. The bit of reluctance in her heart was gradually replaced by cold killing intent.

Indeed, if she had fallen into his hands today, she would probably have been refined into a ghost, her Divine Soul never to be reincarnated.

The cultivation world was inherently a matter of life and death.

At this thought, Feng Ziyan's gaze gradually became firm and cold.

She raised her right hand, and a cluster of gold-red flames emitting terrifyingly high temperatures rose from her palm.

Nanming Li Fire!

"No! Don't! Goddess, have mercy! Ah—"

Ghost Three on the ground let out the last shrill scream of his life.

The flames fell, instantly consuming him.

There was no struggle, no resistance.

A Middle Stage Nascent Soul demonic giant was burned alive into fly ash within those raging flames, without even a sliver of his Divine Soul managing to escape.

Having done all this, Feng Ziyan's face was somewhat pale, and her breathing was a bit ragged.

She looked up at Chu He.

A satisfied smile appeared on Chu He's face.

"Very good."

He walked up to her, reached out, and gently wiped away a bead of sweat from her forehead.

"From today on, you are my, Chu He's, woman."

"Surrender, or die. Now, tell me your choice."