Chapter 271: The Example Of What Happens To Those Who Break That Rule
"He's dead?"
"Wasn't Xiao Zhan at the peak of the Life and Death Realm? How could he have lost so quickly—and not just lost, but actually been killed by the Ancient Immortal Sacred Physique user?!"
"Incredible! Unbelievable!"
"Xiao Zhan's strength ranked second among the younger generation of the Xiao Clan, didn't it? Yet he died just like that…"
"The Ancient Immortal Sacred Physique truly lives up to its name. Even if the bloodline has declined, it's not something anyone can casually provoke."
The crowd erupted into shocked murmurs.
It took quite a while before the members of the Xiao Clan standing off to the side recovered from the devastating blow.
"You little beast! You are courting death!"
Xiao Ming barked coldly.
He couldn't believe that Xiao Zhan had been slain so easily. But no matter how much he refused to accept it, Xiao Zhan's death was already an undeniable fact.
Xiao Zhan had been brought here by him personally. The duel against Lu Qingxian had also been approved by him. Now that Xiao Zhan had perished, once he returned to the Xiao Clan, there would be no escaping punishment.
After all, the branch of the clan Xiao Zhan belonged to was extremely powerful. If his ancestors sought accountability, even Xiao Ming himself might not be able to withstand it.
Without any hesitation, Xiao Ming's five fingers curved into claws, gathering vast divine radiance that surged across the sky as he reached toward Lu Qingxian.
Since Xiao Zhan had fallen, he needed to give Xiao Zhan's lineage an explanation. And clearly, Lu Qingxian was the most fitting "explanation."
If he could seize the Dao Source Immortal Metal from her hands, perhaps upon returning home, not only would he avoid punishment—he might even be praised.
Rumble!
A massive black hand spread out, covering an area hundreds of miles wide. The instant it appeared, it sealed heaven and earth alike, forming an immense cage that locked Lu Qingxian inside.
The sudden turn of events happened too fast—no one had time to react.
"Die!"
With a low shout, Xiao Ming's five fingers fell like five divine mountains, carrying an annihilating force that could grind anything into dust.
Just as he thought he could kill Lu Qingxian, a clear, resonant voice reached his ears.
"Fellow Daoist Xiao—by doing this, are you saying you hold no regard for me at all?"
"Hm?"
At those words, Xiao Ming's body trembled violently. A wave of dread surged up from the depths of his soul, spreading through every inch of his body in an instant.
He felt as though he had fallen into an icy abyss—his entire being frozen stiff.
Buzz!
Li Xun appeared bathed in divine radiance, towering and majestic like a war god. In his hand, a massive halberd swept upward before crashing down through the air, as though the heavens themselves were collapsing.
In that instant, a destructive aura filled the world, evoking the very chaos before the dawn of creation. Under that strike, everything seemed destined to return to nothingness.
"Li Xun—you—!"
Xiao Ming's head snapped up in terror, only to see that terrifying halberd rapidly expanding in his pupils. He had no time to dodge—no chance to react—just as Lu Qingxian hadn't when he struck at her.
The only difference was that this time, Li Xun was the one striking.
Boom!
The halberd descended.
The void twisted violently, erupting with waves of pure destruction.
Below, the earth shattered and collapsed, transforming instantly into a vast ocean. From within it, titanic waves surged upward, reaching into the heavens and scattering the clouds across the sky.
It was as if an apocalypse had come—an all-consuming catastrophe sweeping across hundreds of miles. Mountains crumbled one after another, boulders tore through the clouds, and everything was left in ruin—scorched, broken, and lifeless.
Nothing remained.
The powerful cultivators nearby were all thrown back at blinding speed. Even when they were six or seven hundred miles away, they could still feel the razor-sharp gales cutting across their skin like blades.
"So this… is Li Xun's strength?"
Someone muttered in disbelief.
They could hardly comprehend what they were seeing. With just one strike, the land within hundreds of miles had been obliterated—every tangible thing reduced to dust.
Before such an attack, none of the Divine Palace Realm experts present had even the slightest confidence they could withstand it.
And what's more, Li Xun's strike had been launched so suddenly that it caught his opponent completely off guard.
At this point, there was no doubt that Xiao Ming had been utterly annihilated, not even ashes left behind.
"At this rate, forget the younger generation—even the elders would have to lower their heads before Li Xun."
"Right now, the only ones who could stand on equal footing with him would be true giants among cultivators."
A Holy Land elder spoke bitterly, a wry smile tugging at his lips.
He didn't want to admit it, but it was undeniable—what Li Xun had revealed today was only a glimpse of his true power, and even that glimpse had already surpassed far too many people.
And yet, Li Xun's cultivation was only at the mid stage of the Divine Palace Realm.
If he were to reach the peak of that realm…?
By then, even first-tribulation or second-tribulation Saints might not be able to stop him.
And those very Saints—those who could survive one or two heavenly tribulations—made up the vast majority of Saints in the cultivation world.
"…Sometimes," murmured Fang Yin as he looked at Li Xun's back, "I almost envy the Profound Sun Holy Land."
Though the Northern Yu Imperial Dynasty was a powerful imperial force, they too occasionally nurtured peerless geniuses. Unfortunately, someone like Li Xun had not emerged under their banner.
. . .
Time passed.
Roughly half a quarter of an hour later, amid the devastated wasteland, a divine light suddenly shot skyward—fleeing desperately toward the horizon.
"He's still alive?"
Li Xun's gaze flickered. He raised his hand, and the escaping light was instantly drawn back into his grasp.
"Li Xun! What are you doing?!"
Xiao Ming's voice roared in fury.
His physical body had already been destroyed—nothing but ash—and the weak wisp of soul that remained barely held together. If not for the protective treasure he had carried, he would've been completely dead long ago.
"What am I doing? Isn't it obvious?"
Li Xun's fingers closed slightly. A shrill, agonized scream echoed from within his grasp, sharp enough to make everyone's scalp tingle.
"Li Xun!" the patriarch of the Spirit Clan said solemnly. "Xiao Ming is a member of the Xiao Clan! If you kill him, you must be ready to face the consequences!"
"…Are you threatening me?"
Li Xun slowly turned his head. His robes fluttered, his bearing ethereal and immaculate, as though untouched by dust—yet the faint smile at his lips was colder than ice.
"Perhaps you've forgotten what I said before."
"I don't wish to see the strong bullying the weak."
"And he…"
Li Xun's eyes swept over Xiao Ming's trembling soul. His fingers clenched tightly—
The fragile spirit was instantly crushed into nothingness, dissipating like smoke.
"…is the example of what happens to those who break that rule."
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