74: Chapter 74 One Sword Slays Evil

An invisible, terrifying will that seemed capable of ending all things and returning everything to ruin, like an ancient behemoth awakening from slumber, descended upon the massive Dao Discussion Peak jade platform from within Lin Wan's body!

This will was cold, desolate, yet possessed a supreme majesty, as if the "Dao" itself had opened its eyes and cast a cold, indifferent glance.

Wherever this will passed, space seemed to freeze and dim. The golden Sanskrit characters, heavenly flowers, and golden lotuses that filled the sky, summoned by Master Liaoyin's Buddhist Dharma, encountered a nemesis and immediately stagnated, dimmed, and finally dissipated in silence.

The rolling phantoms of skeletons and vengeful souls surrounding Old Monster Jiuyou, which exuded thick Death Qi, corpse Qi, and evil Qi, reacted the moment they touched this will like snow meeting a scorching sun. They emitted a "hissing" sound, as if being corroded, and rapidly became transparent and distorted. The resentment and evil power contained within them were forcibly stripped away, purified, and returned to nothingness by that will!

"What?!" The sinister grin on Old Monster Jiuyou's face froze instantly, the ghostly green fire jumping in his eyes shaking violently, filled with incredulous horror.

He felt as if he were placed in an invisible, cold, dead zone filled with "the end" and "deathly silence." The "Nine Nether Yin Fiend" and "Myriad Soul Corpse Qi," which he had relied on for over a thousand years to make his name, were uncontrollably disintegrating and dissolving!

This was not a Divine Ability attack, but a suppression of "Dao" and "Logic" at a higher, more essential level! It was as if the opponent's very existence was the natural nemesis and absolute predator of his evil path!

He had only vaguely felt this sensation once before, when facing those Soul Transformation Old Ancestors in his Sect who were hidden deep and almost never appeared.

Could it be that Lin Wan's "Dao" Realm had already touched the threshold of Soul Transformation?! No, that was impossible! How old was he? His cultivation was only at the Nascent Soul Great Perfection!

However, reality left him no time to think.

Because, at the moment he was shocked by that terrifying will and lost his composure, Lin Wan moved.

He still did not draw his sword, nor did he cast any flashy Divine Ability or Spell. He simply raised his right index finger slowly and calmly toward Old Monster Jiuyou, who was revealing horror and whose aura was in Chaos.

At the fingertip, a point of Chaos brilliance condensed, containing the supreme Dao rhythm of nebulae birth and death, the rotation of the Five Elements, and the stillness of returning to ruins.

"Five Elements Returning to Ruins, all techniques are empty, no evil filth shall remain—"

Lin Wan's calm and indifferent voice, like the sound of the Great Dao, clearly reached everyone's ears, and also acted like a death sentence, striking deep into the Divine Soul of Old Monster Jiuyou.

"—Extinguish."

The moment the words fell, Lin Wan's finger, condensed with Chaos brilliance, lightly pointed at Old Monster Jiuyou.

"Hum—!"

A Chaos finger beam, only the thickness of a thumb, presenting the original color of Chaos, seemingly capable of piercing through everything, with scenes of countless miniature Universes being born and dying flowing within, leisurely shot out from Lin Wan's fingertip.

The finger beam was not fast, perhaps even slow, like a leisurely stroll. But under the lock of that invisible will, and covered by the "Five Elements Returning to Ruins" Dao rhythm, Old Monster Jiuyou felt as if he had fallen into the thickest quagmire.

The surrounding space and time became sluggish and heavy. He wanted to dodge, wanted to perform life-saving secret techniques, wanted to summon his Lifebound Treasure, but discovered that his body, Nascent Soul, and Divine Soul seemed frozen. Even moving a finger or turning a thought became incomparably difficult!

He could only watch helplessly as that slow, yet absolute death-bearing Chaos finger beam flew leisurely toward his brow, like a judgment of fate.

"No! No! Nine Nether Profound Fiend, Myriad Souls protect the body! Block it for this seat!"

At the critical moment of life and death, Old Monster Jiuyou let out a desperate roar, recklessly burning his Nascent Soul Origin, and spat out a mouthful of pitch-black essence blood that flickered with bizarre runes.

That essence blood instantly transformed into a thick "Nine Nether Soul Shield," covered in hideous ghost faces and constantly wailing, blocking in front of him. At the same time, a pitch-black banner flew out from his body, growing in the wind to become a "Myriad Soul Banner" several feet high, entwined with countless fierce ghosts and vengeful souls.

The banner fluttered, emitting monstrous Yin Qi and ghost wails, blocking behind the shield. Both of these were his Lifebound Treasures, refined for many years, possessing immense power, and were his last-resort life-saving means.

However, in front of that Chaos finger beam, all these defenses appeared so ridiculous and fragile.

"Shhh—!"

A slight sound, like a red-hot iron rod piercing into accumulated snow.

That seemingly sturdy "Nine Nether Soul Shield," which could withstand a full-force blow from a Nascent Soul Late Stage Cultivator, was easily pierced the moment it touched the Chaos finger beam, like paper. The wailing ghost faces on the shield were completely annihilated before they could even scream. The finger beam's momentum remained undiminished as it continued forward.

"Pfft—!"

The "Myriad Soul Banner," entwined with countless fierce ghosts and vengeful souls and exuding monstrous Yin Qi, had a smooth hole pierced through its face. Immediately, the entire banner, as if splashed with strong acid, rapidly dimmed, withered, and disintegrated.

The countless fierce ghosts and vengeful souls contained within, like encountering a natural nemesis, instantly vanished into smoke. This Demonic Path weapon, which had accompanied Old Monster Jiuyou for nearly a thousand years and helped him slay countless strong enemies, was completely destroyed, losing all spirituality.

The finger beam, still unhurried, pointed leisurely toward Old Monster Jiuyou's brow, which was filled with terror, despair, and disbelief.

"Save me! Old Ancestor, save me! Emperor Yan, save me!!" Old Monster Jiuyou let out his final, hysterical scream, his eyes filled with fear of death and pleading. He looked toward the depths of the Northern Region, toward the direction of Emperor Yan of the Eastern Wasteland.

However, in the depths of the Northern Region, those few cold auras were now silent, like ducks whose necks had been strangled, with no reaction. Flames jumped around Emperor Yan, but he also made no move, as if watching a dead person unrelated to him.

What a joke! Who would dare to catch that terrifying "Returning to Ruins" Dao rhythm contained in that Chaos finger beam, which made even them feel palpitations? Who would dare to openly break the rules and intervene to save someone during this "Demonstration and Dao Discussion" segment? That would invite joint punishment from the five major forces!

Moreover, they had intended to use Old Monster Jiuyou as a knife to test Lin Wan; now that the knife was broken and the person was dead, what did it have to do with them?

"No—!"

Amidst Old Monster Jiuyou's final scream filled with unwillingness, resentment, and despair, that Chaos finger beam gently pointed at his brow.

"Pfft."

A soft sound, like a ripe watermelon being poked through.

All of Old Monster Jiuyou's movements, roars, and expressions froze abruptly. At his brow, that point of Chaos brilliance flashed slightly, then sank into his skull.

There was no earth-shattering explosion, no gruesome scene of flying flesh and blood.

Only to see Old Monster Jiuyou's withered, skeleton-like body shake violently. Then, with that point at his brow as the center, a strange, Chaos-colored gray that seemed capable of devouring all light spread rapidly, instantly covering his entire body.

Immediately after, under the gaze of everyone's horror, shock, and disbelief, Old Monster Jiuyou's body, which was at the Nascent Soul Great Perfection and had practiced countless evil Cultivation Techniques, along with his Nascent Soul and Divine Soul inside, were forcibly "erased" from the level of "existence" by an invisible giant hand.

Silently, inch by inch, they disintegrated, collapsed, and turned into the finest dust flickering with Chaos luster. Then, even that dust rapidly dimmed, dissipated, and returned completely to nothingness, as if it had never existed in this world.

In place, only a faint, palpitating Dao rhythm belonging to the "Five Elements Returning to Ruins" slowly rippled out, then quietly dissipated.

The entire Dao Discussion Peak fell into a deathly silence.

Hundreds of thousands of Cultivators were now dumbfounded, like clay sculptures and wood carvings, having even forgotten to breathe.

A ghost-path giant at the Peak of Nascent Soul Great Perfection, with a fierce reputation and possessing several powerful Demonic treasures, the Grand Elder of the Northern Region's Nine Nether Sect, Old Monster Jiuyou, was actually... "erased" by "True Monarch Guixu" Lin Wan with a casual finger beam?

From beginning to end, Lin Wan hadn't even moved half a step, hadn't drawn his sword, just raised his hand and pointed a finger.

One finger to slay evil! And it was such a thorough erasure, body and soul destroyed, not even leaving a residue!

This... was this really something a Nascent Soul Cultivator could do? If a Soul Transformation Old Ancestor took action, would it be any different?!

Endless shock, fear, and awe, like a cold tide, drowned everyone's minds. Those Cultivators who had originally held doubts, hostility, or disdain for Lin Wan now looked at that figure in green robes with hands behind his back and a calm expression, their eyes filled only with the deepest fear and reverence.

This could no longer be described as "Nascent Soul invincible"; this was simply... a god walking on earth! An unfathomable taboo existence!

In the Eastern Wasteland area, the flames jumping around Emperor Yan suddenly froze for a moment. Although his expression could not be seen, the rage and killing intent seemed to have been doused by a basin of ice water, cooling down significantly.

Replacing it was a hint of indescribable... dread, and even... a trace of fear he was unwilling to admit. He asked himself, even if he took action personally, it would be absolutely impossible to kill Old Monster Jiuyou so cleanly!

This Lin Wan's strength had already exceeded his estimation, and perhaps... was not weaker than his own Soul Transformation Early Stage! How could this be?!

Deep in the Northern Region area, those few cold auras also completely settled down, as if fearing to attract the attention of that figure in green robes.

In the Western Desert area, Master Liaoyin put his hands together and chanted a Buddhist name, a flash of complexity in his eyes. He had long known Lin Wan was strong, but he didn't expect him to be strong to this extent. This level of strength was enough to sit on equal footing with a Soul Transformation True Monarch, or even... in some aspects, more terrifying.

The giants of the five major forces in the Central Plains also could no longer maintain their complete expressionlessness.

Emperor Yan's blurry face, shrouded in imperial Dragon Qi, seemed to turn slightly toward Lin Wan's direction, emitting an almost imperceptible "Eh." Venerable Dan, Fairy Yaoxi, Jian Wuya, and Elder Xingshu all had flashes of imperceptible sharp light and gravity in their eyes.

The "Five Elements Returning to Ruins" Dao rhythm contained in Lin Wan's finger just now, and that absolute, near-"Law" level control of power, made even these Void Refining giants feel surprised and interested.

"This child's Dao has approached 'True One'." Fairy Yaoxi spoke softly, her voice carrying a hint of surprise.

"Five Elements Returning to Ruins... it lives up to its reputation. It's just, too overbearing, too... extreme." Venerable Dan stroked his long beard, thoughtful.

"Such a strong sword of slaughter, hidden within that finger." Jian Wuya's eyes flashed with sword light, as if seeing something that excited him.

Elder Xingshu's eyes were deep, starlight shadows flowing, as if quickly deducing something. He whispered: "Variable... a greater variable... the entanglement with 'the end' seems deeper..."

On the high platform, after a brief silence, Fairy Yaoxi's cold voice sounded again, breaking the suffocating silence:

"The Demonstration and Dao Discussion aims for exchange, stopping at the point. However, Fellow Daoist Jiuyou insisted on challenging, and being inferior in skill, he met his end, which is also his own Karma.

Fellow Daoist Lin Wan has astonishing Divine Abilities and profound Dao Laws, which is breathtaking. However, I hope that in the future, Fellow Daoist will exercise some restraint and not cause too much loss of life among fellow practitioners."

Her words, seemingly a warning to Lin Wan, actually set the tone. Old Monster Jiuyou provoked first, was inferior in skill, and deserved to die. Lin Wan's strength was tyrannical, and there was nothing to criticize.

This not only gave Lin Wan a step down but also signaled to everyone present that the five major forces of the Central Plains recognized Lin Wan's strength and status and would not pursue the matter because he killed a Demonic Path giant.

"Lin will remember the Fairy's words." Lin Wan slightly cupped his hands toward the main seat, his tone still calm, as if he had just done a trivial thing.

"It is just that evil paths collude with 'the end' to harm the common people. When encountered, they must be cut down. This is Lin's Dao, and it is also the principle of the Southern Region Anti-Calamity Alliance. I hope all Fellow Daoists will discern this clearly."

He mentioned "the end" again and pointed out that Old Monster Jiuyou might be colluding with it, which was both an explanation for his ruthless action and a reiteration of the existence of "the end" threat to everyone.

Once these words were spoken, many Cultivators felt a chill. Could it be that Old Monster Jiuyou was really involved with the terrifying "Extraterrestrial Devil"? If that were true, Lin Wan killing him was indeed eliminating harm for the people.

Fairy Yaoxi looked deeply at Lin Wan and said no more, announcing: "Today's 'Demonstration and Dao Discussion' ends here. Tomorrow, the 'Dao Questioning Contest' segment will be held. Fellow Daoists, please return to your residences to rest."

As her voice fell, the invisible Restriction covering the Dao Discussion Peak loosened slightly, and the atmosphere relaxed a little.

But in everyone's hearts, the shock and awe brought about by Lin Wan's one-finger slaying of Old Monster Jiuyou could not dissipate for a long time.

After today, the fame of "True Monarch Guixu" Lin Wan would truly resound throughout the Five Regions, and no one would dare to have any doubts or disdain.

Lin Wan's expression was calm. He nodded to Liu Ruyan, Chu Qingyao, and Lin Jingyun, took a step, and had already returned to the East Wing seats.

Liu Ruyan and Chu Qingyao hurriedly stepped forward, looking at him with concern. Although they had absolute confidence in Lin Wan, the power just now had truly shocked them. Lin Jingyun was flushed, excited to the point of almost jumping up, his eyes looking at his father with admiration beyond measure.

"Father! You are too amazing! You destroyed that old devil with one finger!" Lin Jingyun said excitedly in a low voice.

"They are just some crooked ways, not worth mentioning." Lin Wan patted his son's head and said gently, "Remember, those who Cultivate must uphold justice and guard their hearts.

For evil paths, especially those who collude with 'the end', there is no need for mercy, but one must not kill the innocent or bully the weak."

"Child will remember!" Lin Jingyun nodded heavily.

The family, under the gaze of countless awe-filled eyes, calmly left the Dao Discussion Peak and returned to the Jade Lake Peak guesthouse.

Along the way, the Cultivators they encountered, regardless of their cultivation level or which region they came from, involuntarily gave way, lowering their heads and eyes, not daring to look directly. Some even bowed and saluted from afar, calling him "True Monarch."

After this battle, Lin Wan had completely established his prestige at Tiandu Mountain. No one dared to regard him as an ordinary "Southern Region Alliance Leader" anymore, but truly placed him on an equal footing with Soul Transformation True Monarchs, or even higher-level existences.

In the quiet room of the guesthouse, Lin Wan sat cross-legged, closing his eyes to regulate his breath. That "Five Elements Returning to Ruins Extinguish" finger just now, while looking easy, was actually quite demanding on his mental state and the triggering of the "the end" Law.

He needed to recover as soon as possible to deal with the "Dao Questioning Contest" that would start tomorrow and might be even more intense.

He knew that killing Old Monster Jiuyou today, while establishing prestige, also completely pushed the Eastern Wasteland, Northern Region, and even some forces in the Central Plains that secretly held hostility toward him, to the opposite side.

The challenges and conspiracies against him, against the Southern Region, and against Lin Jingyun in tomorrow's "Dao Questioning Contest" would likely follow one after another.

However, he did not care.

Soldiers come, generals block; water comes, earth covers.

At the Peak of Tiandu, he would use the sword in his hand and the Dao in his heart to meet all the heroes of the world, sweep away all demons and monsters, and for the Southern Region, for the Anti-Calamity Alliance, and for countering the final enemy of "the end," fight out a bright and clear Universe!

Night slowly descended, covering the towering Tiandu Mountain.

But the undercurrents in the mountain became even more surging and intense because of that earth-shattering finger during the day.