The Liu Family.

Ever since Liu Yuehong married Chen Xuan, the strongest expert in Stone Mountain City, the Liu Family's status had risen dramatically.

However, the death of the patriarch's son, Liu Rufeng, had dealt them a heavy blow. The once lively Liu Rufeng had become nothing more than cold cultivation resources.

The Liu Family patriarch had gone into seclusion and reached the peak of the Spirit Vein realm, only a step away from the Spirit Sea. Then disaster struck the Liu Family.

"It's you!"

The Liu Family members stared in shock as a familiar figure strode openly into their territory.

"Dongfang… Yunxing!"

Dongfang Yunxing gripped a blood-stained black sword. Alone with his blade, he had slaughtered his way into the Liu Family estate. The entire compound had already turned into a river of blood without a sound.

"Dongfang Yunxing, you have some nerve! You were lucky enough to escape last time, yet you dare come back to die!"

"Killing you will surely please Lord Chen Xuan!"

"..."

Inside the Heaven's Mandate Pearl, Su Chen: "..."

Did these people really think they could stop him from taking Dongfang Yunxing away?

Outside, Dongfang Yunxing looked at the Liu Family members' ugly expressions and felt only sorrow in his heart.

Back when the Dongfang still stood, these people had never acted this way. The direct enemies were hateful, but these backstabbers were even more despicable.

The Liu Family elders charged at him like wolves and tigers, hoping to capture Dongfang Yunxing and curry favor with Chen Xuan.

They were wrong.

Dongfang Yunxing faced their techniques without dodging or retreating. His physical body was so strong that he withstood their combined attack with only a single step backward. His bronze-colored skin glowed with a smooth luster.

Before the Liu Family elders could react, Dongfang Yunxing swung his pitch-black sword and sliced one elder clean in half at the waist. He moved through the crowd like a ghost. The Liu Family elders were no match for him at all.

Flesh and blood flew everywhere. Like a god of slaughter incarnate, Dongfang Yunxing showed no mercy and refused to let anyone escape.

"His mentality is quite good," Su Chen thought with satisfaction.

Once a grudge was formed, one must eradicate the roots completely. That was the true principle.

Dongfang Yunxing showed not a shred of compassion. He killed every member of the Liu Family with ruthless efficiency. He slaughtered until the Liu Family trembled in terror, weeping, begging for mercy, and fleeing in panic.

"No… this is an array!"

The fleeing Liu Family members fell into despair.

At some point, the entire estate had been trapped by a terrifying formation. No one could escape.

The array was naturally Su Chen's work. After destroying the Purple Clothes Hunting Party, he had spent a large amount of the plundered resources and even some of his own energy to set up a fourth-grade formation, ensuring the complete annihilation of the Liu Family. Even a Spirit Sea realm expert would need considerable time to break a fourth-grade array, let alone one crafted by Su Chen.

The commotion alerted the Liu Family patriarch, who had been preparing to break through to the Spirit Sea realm. Sensing something wrong, he immediately emerged from seclusion.

What greeted him was a scene of utter horror. The entire Liu Family—his clansmen and relatives—lay dead in pools of blood.

A handsome youth, clothes drenched in blood and a black sword in hand, had just beheaded a Liu Family woman.

This story has been unlawfully obtained without the author's consent. Report any appearances on Amazon.

When the youth turned toward the patriarch, a bright smile appeared on his face.

"Dongfang Yunxing…"

The Liu Family patriarch ground his teeth in fury.

The tragic sight of his family ignited his killing intent to the limit and clouded his judgment.

"I will kill you!"

The patriarch attacked. As a peak ninth-layer Spirit Vein realm expert, his strike shook the ground. A majestic lion phantom roared, radiating kingly authority.

Dongfang Yunxing had crossed seven minor realms, yet he showed no fear. His black sword sang like a dragon.

The lion formed from the patriarch's qi actually showed a trace of fear in its eyes.

The two forces collided. Dongfang Yunxing staggered back three steps, while the Liu Family patriarch was forced back one.

Shock filled the patriarch's eyes. In such a short time, the boy he once could have crushed with ease was now capable of exchanging blows with him.

Dongfang Yunxing showed no fear. In a single swift step, he closed the distance and unleashed several consecutive sword strikes.

Through countless brushes with death, he had learned one truth: against a stronger opponent, charging forward without regard for life was sometimes the only way to seize a slim chance of survival.

Shock filled the Liu Family patriarch's eyes, but it quickly turned to greed. For Dongfang Yunxing to grow so powerful in such a short time, he must possess some enormous opportunity or secret.

Blades clashed and swords flashed. The longer they fought, the more alarmed the patriarch became. This youth fought as if he had completely abandoned any thought of survival, trading injury for injury in a frenzied style. If this continued, he might actually die.

He grew afraid. No matter how great the opportunity, one needed to be alive to enjoy it.

Dongfang Yunxing seized the moment. His black sword trembled as a dragon rune condensed along its blade.

The instant the patriarch hesitated and tried to force Dongfang Yunxing back, the youth struck. A black beam of light erupted.

Incredulity filled the patriarch's eyes. This boy still had a hidden card!

Dongfang Yunxing was covered in wounds. The intense pain made him draw a sharp breath, but his final sword strike had pierced straight through the patriarch and severed his life force.

The Liu Family had been annihilated by Dongfang Yunxing's hand.

Yet Liu Yuehong was not among them. With Chen Xuan's help, she had joined a major sect.

Because of this, the energy the Heaven's Mandate Pearl gained from destroying the Liu Family was even less than what it had absorbed from the Purple Clothes Hunting Party.

Not a single member of the Liu Family survived.

After crushing the patriarch's bones to powder and scattering his ashes, Dongfang Yunxing's vision darkened. He had pushed himself to the absolute limit, sustaining his body through sheer willpower alone.

Su Chen emerged from the pearl.

This little fellow had surprised him. He sensed a ruthless determination in Dongfang Yunxing—the willingness to pay any price for cultivation. Su Chen found himself somewhat impressed.

"Lucky little guy. Let me see just how far you can go in the end."

Su Chen watched with interest. Over endless years, he had experienced too much and grown numb to most things. Very few matters could still pique his curiosity.

A small character who had offended a child of destiny had somehow obtained the Heaven's Mandate Pearl's inheritance through a twist of fate.

Su Chen refined the Liu Family's resources into a single pill and fed it to the unconscious youth. Its energy slowly merged into his body.

...

Stone Mountain City was shaken.

Following the destruction of the Purple Clothes Hunting Party, the entire Liu Family had now been wiped out.

"Someone actually dared to attack Lord Chen Xuan's relatives!"

Chen Xuan was a legend in Stone Mountain City. Even after he left, no one dared defy him. Now, two forces closely tied to him had been destroyed. Anyone with eyes could see that someone was taking revenge on Chen Xuan.

A bloody storm was inevitable.

...

When Dongfang Yunxing woke up, he discovered that most of his injuries had already healed. He groped around his body until his fingers found the familiar round pearl. Only then did he breathe a sigh of relief.

Su Chen floated out of the Heaven's Mandate Pearl, calm and ethereal, every bit the image of a transcendent expert.

"Master," Dongfang Yunxing said excitedly. He knew his master must have acted again to heal his wounds so quickly. The debt of gratitude he owed was deeper than any river.

Su Chen nodded. "I saw everything you did. Your performance satisfied me."

The praise filled Dongfang Yunxing with excitement. It was his master's recognition.

"Master, I have destroyed both the Purple Clothes Hunting Party and the Liu Family," he said. "Should we target the Chen Family next?"

This was the step-by-step approach Su Chen had taught him.

Su Chen shook his head. "I scanned Stone Mountain City. The Chen Family has a Spirit Sea realm expert. With your current strength, you are still far from being his match."

Dongfang Yunxing was surprised. The Spirit Sea realm was a height only his Dongfang ancestor had once reached. After the ancestor was gravely injured, Chen Xuan seized the chance to kill him and destroy the family.

The Chen Family's ancestor was merely at the peak of Spirit Vein and nearing the end of his lifespan.

Dongfang Yunxing fell silent. He desperately wanted to slaughter every one of Chen Xuan's relatives, but Su Chen had taught him that only the living had hope. Attacking the Chen Family now would be suicide.

"You have already destroyed two forces close to Chen Xuan," Su Chen continued. "The Chen Family is not foolish. They will be on high alert and have set up layers of defenses. Everyone now believes your next target will be the Chen Family."

"At a time like this, you should…" Su Chen narrowed his eyes and said calmly, "Go kill that girl from the Liu Family. She has joined a nearby sect. No one will expect your next target to be her instead of the Chen Family. This will be your opportunity."

Dongfang Yunxing looked at his master with admiration. He was so transcendent and upright. Yet a trace of doubt lingered in his heart. His master was clearly an unrivaled powerhouse, so why did his methods feel so…

In the end, the means did not matter to Dongfang Yunxing. All that mattered was avenging the ninety-nine members of his Dongfang. Even if he had to become a great demon returned from hell, he would not hesitate.