97: Chapter 97 Kill!

"A demonic Cultivator! You're a demonic Cultivator!!"

Zhao Wuji watched the hellish scene before him and let out a heart-wrenching roar.

"Retribution will come for you! The Righteous Path won't let you get away with this!!"

"Noisy."

Wang Ming frowned slightly, and a blade of Divine Sense directly severed Zhao Wuji's vocal cords.

Zhao Wuji opened his mouth wide, but he could no longer make a sound; he could only watch helplessly as his descendants turned into walking corpses one by one.

That kind of despair was more terrifying than death.

Wang Ming turned a deaf ear and continued to activate the God Devouring Art.

A moment later, the entire forest returned to a deathly silence.

The thirty-odd members of the Zhao Family were now all kneeling on the ground, their eyes vacant and their breath gone, like soulless puppets.

Wang Ming slowly withdrew his technique, feeling his Divine Sense grow stronger within him.

The feeling of fullness gave him a sense of satisfaction, but soon, he frowned again.

"Still not enough."

He shook his head, somewhat disappointed.

Although he had devoured so many Core Formation Stage and Foundation Establishment Stage Cultivators, and his Divine Sense had indeed improved by a large margin, he was still far from a Breakthrough to the Late Nascent Soul Stage.

"It seems a small Family like this simply cannot satisfy my appetite."

Wang Ming glanced at the members of the Zhao Family on the ground, a cold light flashing in his eyes.

"To be safe, it's better if you all disappear completely."

He flicked his finger, and an invisible force of Divine Sense instantly erupted.

Bang! Bang! Bang!

A series of muffled explosions rang out as the bodies of the Zhao Family members instantly burst apart, turning into a mist of blood that filled the air; not even a single intact bone remained.

Destroying the corpses and wiping out all evidence—this was the basic professionalism of a villain.

Having finished this, Wang Ming clapped his hands and looked up toward the distant Huadu City.

The lights there were bright, and it was still a scene of prosperity, with no one knowing that a massacre had just occurred outside the city.

"Huadu..."

The corners of Wang Ming's mouth curled into an evil smile as he stepped toward the city.

...

The night in Huadu had never been so long.

Wang Ming's figure was like a phantom, flickering through the darkness.

Since he had decided to pull up the weeds by their roots, he would do it thoroughly.

Without stopping for a moment, he headed straight for the Zhao Family estate.

The vast Zhao Family was currently still immersed in dreams of the upcoming king artifact, completely unaware that total destruction had already arrived.

Wang Ming didn't use any flashy Moves; he simply released his Divine Sense pressure.

The entire Zhao Family estate instantly fell into a deathly silence.

The guards dozing at the gate went limp and collapsed before they could even open their eyes.

The Elders still practicing in the inner courtyard died instantly as their bodies exploded.

Even the dogs kept in the courtyard stopped breathing in their sleep.

There were no screams, no struggles, only a suffocating silence.

Wang Ming walked through, and wherever he passed, all life was severed.

Half an hour later, he stood on the highest pavilion of the Zhao Family, overlooking the deathly quiet estate below.

Not a chicken or dog remained; not a blade of grass was left standing.

This was what it truly meant to pull up the weeds by their roots.

After completing this, Wang Ming left without the slightest hesitation, his figure flashing and disappearing into the vast night.

...

The next morning, Huadu City was in an uproar.

"Have you heard? The Zhao Family... the Zhao Family is all dead!"

"What?! All dead? How is that possible? Patriarch Zhao is a Middle Stage Core Formation expert!"

"It's absolutely true! I have a relative who works at the City Lord's Mansion; they said that of the three hundred-plus members of the Zhao Family, not even a dog survived! And... and the bodies were all shattered; the scene was too gruesome to look at!"

The news spread through the streets and alleys of Huadu as if it had grown wings.

Panic spread through the city like a plague.

Those heads of great families who usually considered themselves noble were now even more restless.

"It wasn't us... Could it be the Li Family? Or the Qian Family?"

"Impossible! The Li Family Patriarch was drinking with me last night, and the Qian Family doesn't have the strength to wipe out the Zhao Family so silently."

"Then who is it? Could it be a powerful expert from outside?"

Once the chain of suspicion was formed, it could no longer be broken.

Several great families grew suspicious of each other and stepped up their guard, even sending out spies to watch each other's every Move.

The atmosphere in Huadu City became tense and hostile.

However, the nightmare had only just begun.

Over the next few days, similar tragedies occurred one after another.

First, an Elder of the Qian Family "happened" to meet a wealthy merchant carrying a great treasure outside the city; consumed by greed, he led men to intercept him, only to be completely wiped out.

Next, a Young Lord of the Li Family, also outside the city, disappeared without a trace along with his protectors while trying to seize a longsword suspected to be a king artifact.

In just a few days, the great families that were originally deeply entrenched in Huadu City had lost half of their combat power.

This strange and terrifying method of killing finally alarmed the highest authority in Huadu City—the City Lord's Mansion.

Inside the main hall of the City Lord's Mansion.

The atmosphere was so heavy it felt as if it could drip water.

The City Lord of Huadu, Lei Wanjun—a burly man with a face full of scars and an Early Stage Nascent Soul expert—was currently sitting in the main seat with a dark expression.

"Enough!"

He slammed the table, making the teacups rattle.

"Listen well! No matter who is causing trouble behind the scenes, stop immediately! If I find anyone acting out again, don't blame me for being heartless and wiping out your entire clan!"

This forceful warning quickly reached the ears of all major forces through spies.

For a time, Huadu City was on edge, and everyone felt in danger.

Those families that were about to make a Move immediately ceased their activities, fearing they would be used as an example by the City Lord's Mansion.

When only he and his trusted advisor remained in the hall, Lei Wanjun let out a long sigh and slumped into his chair.

"Advisor, what do you think?"

The advisor was a thin, small old man; he also had a solemn expression and a furrowed brow.

"City Lord, this matter... I'm afraid it's not infighting between the great families."

"Oh? What makes you say that?" Lei Wanjun asked.

"The methods," the advisor said deeply. "Three hundred members of the Zhao Family, their bodies completely shattered—what kind of method is that? It requires extremely powerful strength! Furthermore, those from the Qian and Li families who died outside the city disappeared silently, without even a ripple of spiritual energy being detected."

"You mean..." A glint flashed in Lei Wanjun's eyes.

"The opponent's strength is definitely above ours," the advisor whispered, voicing the suspicion that terrified them both. "Perhaps... even above yours, City Lord!"

Lei Wanjun fell silent.

Although he was at the Early Stage Nascent Soul, he knew very well that someone who could kill so cleanly and even hide their aura perfectly was no ordinary character.

"If that's the case, then this isn't something we can solve."

The advisor looked up, his eyes full of worry. "When an expert of this level acts, they must have a motive. If he starts a commotion, all of Huadu will suffer."

"Then in your opinion?"

"Seek help," the advisor said decisively. "Immediately request reinforcements from the neighboring subsidiary Sects belonging to the Liuyun Sect! Only by joining forces with them will we have a chance to suppress him!"

Lei Wanjun nodded, a look of determination flashing in his eyes.

"Fine. Prepare the letters immediately. I will personally go to the Lingjian Pavilion!"