173: Only one left.

"Greetings, Valley Master!"

Inside Qixuan Pavilion, all the staff except for Su Mengyao immediately knelt down to pay respects to Du Bingyan.

Du Bingyan was momentarily flustered, unsure how to respond to the salutations.

Having such a huge responsibility suddenly dropped onto her lap would leave anyone uncertain of how to proceed.

Just then, Shen Lian's voice rang out: "bitch, why aren't you bowing? Bow to the new Valley Master!"

Shen Lian was seen lifting his foot and pressing Mu Yaoguang's head down onto the ground, forcing her to bow toward where Du Bingyan was seated.

"Hahaha, Du Bingyan, you have this day too. When you and those six bitches oppressed me back then, you probably never imagined things would turn out like this, did you?"

Mu Yaoguang gritted her teeth and said, "I've done as you asked. Can you let me go now?"

Shen Lian continued, "Do you know why I didn't immediately destroy your cultivation?

It was so you could properly feel the humiliation of having the woman sitting across from you,

the woman who stole your Valley Master position, being merely in the Qi Gathering Realm.

Someone as arrogant as you is actually kneeling beneath a person in the Qi Gathering Realm.

Hahaha, Mu Yaoguang, how does it feel to be pressed down by an ant?"

"What? Qi Gathering Realm? Impossible!"

Upon hearing this, Mu Yaoguang immediately used Spiritual Pressure to investigate.

After this probe, her emotions surged even more violently.

"Shen Lian! Why must you humiliate me in this manner!"

Mu Yaoguang screamed, nearly collapsing.

"Why must you use an ant in the Qi Gathering Realm to humiliate me? Why!"

"Even if you found someone with slightly lower cultivation than me, I would accept it, but you chose an ant!"

"Shen Lian, I curse you to die a horrible death, a horrible death!"

Listening to Mu Yaoguang's heart-wrenching roar, everyone's expressions were tense.

"This is reality!"

Shen Lian grabbed her hair and forcefully lifted Mu Yaoguang's face.

"I must deal with a bitch like you in this way. I want not only your Physical Body to suffer, but also your spiritual faith to be destroyed.

Who says an ant cannot shake the heavens? Who says a mayfly cannot shake a tree? Now, I will let you personally experience the sight of an ant crawling onto your head and flaunting its power."

After speaking, he stared directly at Du Bingyan.

Du Bingyan was so startled by Shen Lian's fierce gaze that she nearly fell off her seat.

"This person is extremely defiant about you becoming the new Valley Master. According to the lightest punishment of Medicine King Valley, she should be slapped twenty times. Come, slap her for me!"

Du Bingyan's pupils instantly contracted, feeling as if the entire world had gone completely mad.

A Qi Gathering Realm cultivator slapping a Primordial Chaos Realm cultivator?

This was something she wouldn't dare dream of.

"bitch, how dare you! If you touch me, I won't let you off!"

Mu Yaoguang used the last of her remaining strength to threaten Du Bingyan.

"Revered Master, I..."

"If you can't do it, then kill yourself!"

Shen Lian gave Du Bingyan no room for choice, blocking all her avenues of retreat with a single sentence.

Du Bingyan took a deep breath, thinking: This Mu Yaoguang must be one of the fellow Disciples who framed and oppressed Revered Master back then. Since Revered Master hates her to the bone, if I don't obey Revered Master and follow his instructions, I fear I won't be able to follow Shu Zun anymore. There is no need to offend Revered Master for an outsider like her.

"Alright!"

In an instant, Du Bingyan agreed firmly. She stood up, walked directly in front of Mu Yaoguang, and without a word, raised her hand and slapped her across the face.

Clap—

The moment the crisp sound of the slap rang out, alarm bells went off in the hearts of everyone in Qixuan Pavilion.

Such a fantastical event—a Qi Gathering Realm cultivator slapping a Primordial Chaos Realm cultivator—was happening right before their eyes.

"bitch, how dare you hit me!"

Feeling the burning sensation on her face, Mu Yaoguang was utterly incredulous.

In her lifetime, she had actually been struck by a Qi Gathering Realm cultivator?

"I'm hitting you, you disrespectful wretch!"

Initially, Du Bingyan was worried about the consequences of doing this, but after the first slap landed, an inexplicable sense of satisfaction rushed into her heart.

Since she had started, she might as well see it through. Even if she were to die, she would die feeling satisfied.

And so... Clap~

"Daring to disrespect the Valley Master deserves a beating!"

Clap~

"Causing a public disturbance and shaming Medicine King Valley deserves a beating."

Clap~

"Subordinate defying a superior deserves an even harder beating."

The more Du Bingyan struck, the more exhilarated she felt. She had been hesitant at first.

But after seven or eight slaps, her blows grew heavier and heavier, and by the end, she was truly administering family law to Mu Yaoguang with the posture of a superior.

Only after the final slap landed did Du Bingyan shake her slightly sore hand, glance at the deathly pale Mu Yaoguang whose eyes were bleeding, and then turn back to sit in her seat.

"Ah ah ah ah—"

After a brief circuit failure, Mu Yaoguang regained her senses and went completely insane.

"You bitch, how dare you hit me! I swear I will hack you into ten thousand pieces~"

"You won't have that chance!"

Just as the Spiritual Qi surged wildly within Mu Yaoguang, Shen Lian raised his hand and struck her skull.

Instantly, a stream of Yin and Yang Qi rushed from her mind straight into her dantian sea, completely crippling her life's cultivation in an instant.

"Pfft~"

Mu Yaoguang spat out a mouthful of fresh blood, completely reduced to a cripple.

Shen Lian curled his lip: "Now, it is time for you to fulfill your karmic retribution, Mu Yaoguang. I will separate your flesh and skin from your bones, ensuring you can never reincarnate."

With that, Shen Lian slowly lowered his palm toward the top of Mu Yaoguang's head.

"No, Senior Brother, spare me! I'm already a cripple, just let me live for a few more days."

Knowing that death was imminent, Mu Yaoguang began to beg instinctively.

However, Shen Lian's cold face remained utterly ruthless.

Puchi—

Just as Shen Lian was about to inflict cruel torture upon Mu Yaoguang and slowly torment her to death, a streak of Sword Qi suddenly pierced her throat, instantly killing her.

"Hmm?"

Seeing Mu Yaoguang's life essence vanish, Shen Lian's pupils contracted. He dropped the corpse and let out a cold, deep hum.

"Su Mengyao! What are you doing!"

Su Mengyao immediately knelt before Shen Lian, her eyes filled with tears.

"Revered Master, this Disciple accepts punishment."

The next moment, Su Mengyao's neck was tightly gripped by Shen Lian's iron hand.

"Su Mengyao, who permitted you to interfere!"

Su Mengyao shook her head: "Revered Master, it was enough. She had suffered enough punishment..."

Shen Lian's eyes were icy cold: "Are you pitying her?"

"No, this Disciple is not pitying her; she deserves death. I am only worried for Revered Master, afraid that if Revered Master continues like this,

you will suffer a backlash from your Heart Demon! Revered Master, you don't need to make yourself this cruel for such a rotten person. She is not worth it!"

"Hmph!"

Shen Lian snorted and finally released his grip.

Walking to Mu Yaoguang's corpse, he shook his head: "Dying like this is letting you off too easily."

As his words fell, the human emperor cauldron flashed in his palm, sucking Mu Yaoguang's Divine Soul into it.

"That's the sixth one..."

He muttered to himself, then walked toward the Inner Court.

Su Mengyao tried to call out to him: "Revered Master..."

"Get lost. Don't bother me."

Shen Lian's cold and heartless reply was all Mu Yaoguang received.

"Senior Sister, did I do something wrong? I just didn't want to see Revered Master become like that."

"Junior Sister, don't cry. I think Revered Master won't blame you."

"But..."

"Alright, first help me clean up here. We'll look for Revered Master once his anger subsides."

Su Mengyao sighed helplessly, wiped her tears, and nodded in agreement.