65: Upon arriving in Zhongzhou, the eldest disciple demolished a city.

“Kneel?”

Before Xiao Chen could speak, Shi Tian, who was beside him, became displeased.

He had just bought a string of Candied Hawthorns from a nearby snack stall and was eating it messily. Hearing the demand, he mumbled vaguely:

“Why should we?”

“My Revered Master said that no one, above or below the heavens, can make us kneel.”

“Who do you think you are?”

The richly dressed young man shaking the fan was named Zhao Wuji, the only son of Tianyong City's City Lord.

Accustomed to running rampant in the city, when had he ever suffered such defiance?

His face darkened, his fan snapped shut with a 'snap,' and he pointed at Shi Tian's nose, cursing:

“Where did this little fatty come from? Have you eaten the guts of a bear and a leopard?”

“How dare you speak to this Young Master like that?”

“Guards!”

Behind Zhao Wuji, the guards, who looked like lackeys, immediately stepped forward, each one looking fierce and malicious.

“Break the legs of these bumpkins for this Young Master!”

“Throw the men to the dogs, and the women... hehe, bring them back to the manor to be this Young Master's Foot-Washing Maids!”

The surrounding passersby shook their heads and sighed at the sight, but no one dared to step forward and intervene.

“Sigh, these outsiders are going to suffer.”

“Exactly, why provoke anyone but Zhao Wuji, that Little Tyrant.”

“It’s a pity about those young girls; they look quite delicate.”

Just as those Late Stage Qi Condensation guards were about to make a move.

Xiao Chen sighed.

He hadn't wanted to cause trouble.

Revered Master had said that when traveling, they must be low-key and endure.

But Revered Master also said that while we don't cause trouble, we are absolutely not afraid of it!

“Junior Brothers and Junior Sisters, step back.”

Xiao Chen stepped forward, shielding the others behind him.

He looked at the arrogant Zhao Wuji, his eyes calm.

“Young Master, we are just passing through and have no intention of clashing with you.”

“My Junior Brother's words were offensive just now, and I apologize to you on his behalf.”

“Please, Young Master, be lenient and allow us to leave.”

Zhao Wuji looked at Xiao Chen's "weak and easily bullied" appearance and grew even more smug.

“Apologize?”

“It's too late!”

“Even if you kneel down now and lick this Young Master's shoe soles, don't even think about...”

He didn't finish his sentence.

Xiao Chen moved.

“Since reason cannot prevail.”

“Then we can only... use our fists.”

Xiao Chen shook his head, and his right hand slowly pressed against the immortal slaying sword wrapped in ragged cloth on his back.

He kept Revered Master's teaching in mind—slapping a face should be loud, but one should not kill easily, unless the opponent deserves ten thousand deaths.

Although this Profligate Son had a foul mouth, his crime wasn't worthy of death.

In that case... a quick spanking would serve as a minor punishment.

Xiao Chen had already planned the scenario in his mind.

In a moment, he would draw the sword, and, using the broad flat of the sword like Revered Master, smack this guy's butt “pa pa pa” a few times, just enough to teach him a lesson.

The force must be controlled precisely.

He absolutely couldn't cause too much commotion.

Must be steady.

However.

Ideals are plump, but reality is bony.

He forgot.

The one in his hand was no longer the rusty iron sword from before.

It was the one bestowed by Revered Master, the one with the first layer of Seal unlocked... the [True Immortal Slaying Sword]!

“Clang—”

A clear, resonant sword cry echoed through the sky.

Xiao Chen drew his sword.

The movement was elegant and graceful.

He even deliberately turned his body, preparing to use the flat of the blade to strike the person.

The result was... “Boom!!!”

An indescribably terrifying power instantly erupted from the sword in his hand!

That wasn't Spiritual Energy.

That was Emperors Might! That was the Law of Slaughter!

Xiao Chen felt as if he wasn't holding a sword, but an awakened Primordial Vicious Beast!

That terrifying power flowed backward up his arm, making the web between his thumb and forefinger numb, and he nearly dropped the sword.

“Holy crap?! I used too much force!”

Xiao Chen's expression changed drastically.

He tried to retract the power, but it was already too late.

A streak of pitch-black Sword Qi, almost imperceptible to the naked eye, swept out from the ancient sword body.

There was no earth-shattering explosion.

It didn't even stir up the wind.

But the sheer sharpness, capable of cutting through anything, made the Souls of everyone present tremble.

“Pfft! Pfft! Pfft!”

The movements of the guards who were rushing forward with ferocious smiles suddenly froze.

Immediately after.

Their armor, the weapons in their hands, and their bodies were cleanly sliced open down the middle, as if by an invisible blade, turning into a mist of blood that scattered everywhere.

They didn't even have time to let out a scream.

And Zhao Wuji, who was standing at the very back with an arrogant look, bore the brunt of it.

He watched helplessly as the black Sword Qi sliced past him.

Then.

He felt his body... seemed to have become lighter.

He looked down.

His lower body... was gone.

The cut was smooth as a mirror.

“Ah... huh?”

Zhao Wuji froze for half a second before letting out a mournful, distorted scream, rolling his eyes back and falling straight down.

Instant kill!

The entire scene was instantly wiped out!

The surrounding onlookers all stood with their mouths wide open, completely dumbfounded, as if they had been hit by a Body Immobilization Technique.

What did they just witness?

The youth who looked like a bumpkin merely drew his sword once.

Zhao Family's elite guards, along with that arrogant Little Tyrant, were just... gone?

Is this the kind of damage someone in the Foundation Establishment Stage can inflict?!

You call this a bumpkin?!

However.

It wasn't over yet.

After “clearing” the immediate area, the black Sword Qi continued to whistle forward with undiminished power.

Its target.

Was Tianyong City's city wall, which stood hundreds of feet tall, was built of hard obsidian, and was covered in Defensive Formations.

“Rumble—!!!”

A tremendous sound, as if the sky was falling and the earth was splitting.

The ground trembled violently, countless buildings collapsed, and smoke and dust shot up into the sky.

Under the horrified gaze of everyone present.

That majestic city wall, which had stood for thousands of years and survived countless Beast Tides without falling.

From the middle section.

A massive, bottomless gap, a thousand zhang long, appeared!

It was as if... a giant eraser had forcibly wiped a section off the map!

Sunlight streamed in unobstructed from outside the gap, illuminating the stunned and terrified eyes on the plaza.

“Hiss—”

Sounds of people gasping in cold air rose and fell.

One sword strike.

Not only instantly killed the City Lord's son and his guards.

But also incidentally... tore down the city wall?!

Is this something a person does?!

This must be a demolition crew?!

On the plaza.

Xiao Chen held the humming immortal slaying sword, looking at the apocalyptic scene before him, utterly stunned.

Only one thought remained in his mind.

“I'm finished.”

“I messed up big time.”

“We were supposed to pretend to be a pig to eat the tiger, but I accidentally demolished the pigpen.”

“This city wall... how much compensation will that cost?”

Just at this moment.

“Woo—woo—woo—!!!”

A piercing alarm sounded, echoing throughout Tianyong City.

Countless powerful auras shot up from the direction of the City Lord's Manor, rushing toward the plaza with towering fury.

“Oh no! The City Lord is coming!”

“Run!”

The surrounding spectators instantly scattered like birds and beasts.

Xiao Chen shuddered and finally snapped back to reality.

He glanced at Zhao Wuji, who was still bleeding on the ground, then looked at the massive gap in the city wall, and cold sweat instantly drenched him.

He hurriedly put his sword away on his back, scratched his head awkwardly at his equally stunned Junior Brothers and Junior Sisters, and forced out a smile uglier than a cry.

“Well... um...”

“Junior Brothers and Junior Sisters...”

“Revered Master seemed to say... call for backup if you can't win...”

“But he didn't seem to say... what to do if you demolish their city?”

He looked at the powerful auras getting closer and made an immediate decision.

“Run fast!”

“We can't afford to pay for this city wall!”

Before his voice faded.

Five streams of light shot into the sky, fleeing maniacally toward the city gates, moving at least ten times faster than when they arrived.

In the wind.

Only Shi Tian's wailing cry was left behind:

“My Candied Hawthorns—!!”