8: Chapter 8 You ants, do you even deserve to...

Outside the mountain gate, the wind stopped.

The originally thunderous and murderous Iron Fist Sect army seemed to have been silenced by an invisible giant hand pressing the mute button at this instant.

In its place was a scalp-numbing sound of dense bone cracking and the dull thud of heavy objects slamming into the mud.

"Bang! Bang! Bang! Bang..."

Over two hundred elite Disciples, while maintaining their forward-charging posture, knelt on both knees in unison.

The moment their kneecaps shattered, the massive inertia slammed their upper bodies hard onto the tough mountain path.

Like a wave of harvested wheat, it was orderly, spectacular, and tragic.

Sect Head Zhao Tiequan, at the front of the line, was currently experiencing the greatest terror of his life.

As a great Cultivator of the Early Foundation Establishment Stage, his Physical Body far surpassed ordinary people, and he wore the Low Grade Spiritual Artifact "Black Iron Spiritual Armor" that he was so proud of.

But before that power of laws descending from the sky, this heavy armor was like a thin sheet of paper.

"Crack—"

Accompanied by a piercing sound of metal twisting, the thick shoulder plates caved in directly, embedding deeply into his collarbones.

"Ugh... Ah...!!"

Zhao Tiequan wanted to scream in agony, but the terrifying gravity pressed against his lungs, making even breathing a luxury; he could only squeeze a deathbed hiss from the depths of his throat.

He discovered in horror that his proud sea of spiritual power was now like a pool of stagnant water; no matter how frantically he tried to circulate it, he couldn't mobilize even a single shred.

Cultivation base sealed!

Physical Body suppressed!

He struggled to roll his eyes, catching a glimpse of the black-clad youth standing with hands behind his back, robes fluttering in the air.

At this moment, Wang Yang was no longer that pretty-boy Sect Master in his eyes, but a prehistoric behemoth in human skin, a Yama who held the power over life and death!

"Golden... Golden Core... No, this is a Nascent Soul Old Ancestor's ‘Domain’..."

This thought flashed through Zhao Tiequan's mind, and tears of regret instantly mixed with the blood overflowing from his mouth and nose, smearing across his face.

What does it mean to court death? This is exactly what courting death looks like!

In mid-air.

Wang Yang was in no hurry to act. Like a patient hunter, he appreciated the final struggles of his prey.

He slowly descended, but did not land, instead hovering three feet above the ground in front of Zhao Tiequan—this was his privilege within the Domain: flight.

But in Zhao Tiequan's eyes, this was the legendary hallmark of a high-level Cultivator: "Void Trekking"!

"Sect Head Zhao."

Wang Yang's voice was cold and detached, "Just now you said you would cut off my water? Cut off my food? And even capture my Disciple to have a taste?"

Every word was like a heavy hammer, smashing ruthlessly into Zhao Tiequan's fragile mental defenses.

"Mmph... Mmph!!"

Zhao Tiequan desperately wanted to kowtow, but because the gravity was too intense, his head was pinned firmly into the mud; he could only blink frantically, his eyes filled with supplication.

Wang Yang seemed to understand his meaning and snapped his fingers.

Snap.

The gravity applied to Zhao Tiequan's mouth loosened slightly.

"Old Ancestor, spare my life! Old Ancestor, spare me!!!"

In that instant, Zhao Tiequan erupted with an astounding will to live, his wails shrill and piercing, "It was this lowly one who was blind! This lowly one's heart was blinded by greed! I beg the Old Ancestor to treat me like a fart and let me go!"

"This lowly one is willing to offer up the hundred-year savings of the Iron Fist Sect! Spirit Stones, Medicinal Pills, Cultivation Techniques... all of them are yours! I beg you to stay your hand and spare this lowly one's dog life; I am willing to serve you as an ox or a horse, to watch your gates and protect your courtyard!"

Watching this local tyrant, who usually acted like a king in Qingshi Town, now begging for mercy like a dog with a broken spine, Lin Dahai felt as if he were dreaming.

Just half a month ago, to protect his daughter, he was still bowing and scraping to these people.

Just ten days ago, he had been beaten like a dead dog by these people over a single Medicinal Pill.

And now...

Lin Dahai took a deep breath, feeling the stagnant air that had been suppressed in his chest for years swept away completely.

He strode up to Zhao Tiequan, pointing at that head which was usually beyond reach, spit flying everywhere:

"Zhao Tiequan! Where's that arrogance from just now?! Huh?"

"Didn't you say the cultivation world is where the strong prey on the weak? Didn't you say being weak is a sin?"

"Why aren't you arrogant now? Why aren't you barking? Stand up and hit me then!"

Lin Dahai grew more exhilarated as he cursed, even feeling the urge to kick him a few times, but out of respect for the Sect Master's "prey," he could only spit a thick glob of phlegm on the ground, "Bah! What a piece of work! Turns out you're just this pathetic; when death is near, you're more of a coward than a Mortal!"

Lin Xiaowan also walked over.

The Fine Steel Long Staff in her hand still carried the lingering Spiritual Qi from her Breakthrough.

Looking at the wailing Iron Fist Sect members covering the ground, there was no pity in the young girl's eyes, only disgust.

"Revered Master."

Lin Xiaowan bowed to Wang Yang, then looked coldly at Zhao Tiequan, "You surrounded the mountain and shouted insults, your foul language never-ending. It's fine to insult me, but you should never, ever have insulted my Revered Master, or the sacred Hehuan Sect!"

"In your eyes, the Hehuan Sect is a place of filth. Little do you know, people like you, with minds full of lewd and predatory thoughts, are the truly filthy ones!"

"Revered Master!" Lin Xiaowan looked up sharply, her eyes full of resolve, "People like this are a menace if left alive! If we let them go today, they will surely bully other innocent people in the future! Your Disciple implores Revered Master... to eradicate this evil entirely!"

Hearing this, Zhao Tiequan's Soul Flying Away and Spirit Scattering in fear.

"No! My little ancestor! Fairy Lin! I'll change! I really will! I'll become a vegetarian and pray to Buddha from now on, I won't dare do it again!"

He looked desperately at Wang Yang, making one last struggle: "Old Ancestor! I am at the Foundation Establishment Stage! I am useful! I can do things for you, I can be your enforcer! Killing me is a waste!"

Listening to this farce, Wang Yang finally dug his ear impatiently.

"Do things?"

Wang Yang gave a light chuckle, his eyes showing a heart-chilling indifference, "Although my Hehuan Sect is currently short on people, we haven't degenerated to the point of collecting trash."

"Is the Foundation Establishment Stage very strong? In my eyes, it's no different from the ants on the ground."

"And..."

Wang Yang slowly raised his right hand, his slender fingers appearing exceptionally pale in the sunlight.

"I am a person who has a bit of an obsession with cleanliness."

"The words you just said were too filthy. They dirtied my ears, and they dirtied the air of this Hehuan Sect."

"Therefore, the best way to clean is a thorough... purification."

Zhao Tiequan watched that slowly rising hand, his pupils shrinking to the size of needlepoints, a chill of death rushing straight to the top of his skull.

"No!!!"

Accompanied by his final desperate roar, Wang Yang's palm suddenly clenched shut.

He softly uttered the truth:

"Ashes to ashes, dust to dust."

"Disperse."

Buzz—!!!

This time, there was no earth-shattering explosion, nor was there any bloody gore.

A more high-end, more terrifying erasure of laws had descended.

Under the shocked and speechless gaze of the Lin father and daughter, Zhao Tiequan's iron-hard Foundation Establishment Stage body, along with his armor, hair, and even the tears in the corners of his eyes, suddenly lost their original form at this moment.

Like a pencil drawing being erased by an eraser.

Starting from the soles of his feet, it crumbled inch by inch, turning into the finest grayish-white powder.

Next were those two hundred Iron Fist Sect Disciples.

A breeze blew.

The originally dense black crowd instantly turned into a sky full of gray mist, then dissipated into the world, merging with the great mountain.

No corpses, no bloodstains, not even a single wail of a soul was left behind.

Truly—reduced to ashes.

"Clink, clank..."

A series of crisp metallic clatters broke the dead silence.

Those were the Magical Artifacts, Storage Pouches, and Zhao Tiequan's massive Mountain-Splitting Axe, which, having lost their owner's support, fell onto the bluestone slabs like rain.

Wang Yang slowly landed and patted the non-existent dust off his hands, his expression as calm as if he had just swept away a pile of fallen leaves.

"Hall Master Lin."

Wang Yang's voice gave Lin Dahai a jolt; he snapped back from his extreme shock, looking at Wang Yang with eyes that were no longer just filled with awe, but as if he were looking at a god.

"Th-this lowly one is here! What are the Sect Master's orders!" Lin Dahai's waist was bent like a cooked shrimp.

Wang Yang pointed to the scrap metal (spoils of war) covering the ground.

"Even though the people were trash, this money is innocent."

"Go down the mountain immediately and call all the brothers from your martial arts hall whom you trust. Collect everything on the ground and put it into the storehouse, without leaving a single item behind."

Speaking of this, Wang Yang paused, his gaze turning toward the direction of Qingshi Town, where the Iron Fist Sect's base was located.

A smile belonging to a "frugal and house-keeping" Sect Master curled on the corner of his mouth.

"Furthermore, since the Iron Fist Sect mobilized everyone to come and court death, their old nest should be an empty shell now."

"Take some people there."

"Empty out the Iron Fist Sect's warehouse. Spirit Stones, medicinal herbs, weapons... even the copper nails on the main gate, as long as they can be exchanged for money, bring them all back."

"My Hehuan Sect has a hundred things waiting to be done, and we just happen to lack this 'startup capital'."

Lin Dahai's blood boiled as he listened.

Raiding a home!

This was raiding the home of a Sect that had dominated the area around Qingshi Town for decades!

"Sect Master is wise! Sect Master is mighty!" Lin Dahai shouted excitedly, his face flushed red, "This lowly one will go do it right away! I guarantee I won't even leave a single mouse for them!"

"Go on."

Wang Yang waved his hand and turned to walk toward the main hall.

Looking at the Sect Prestige Points on the System panel, which had risen slightly due to this "total annihilation," as well as the Storage Pouches on the ground, Wang Yang was in a great mood.

"How is this coming for revenge?"

"This is clearly a delivery service."

"Thanks to Sect Head Zhao's whole family for the gift. This time next year... oh wait, you don't even have a grave, so I won't bother burning paper for you."