Chapter 88: Annihilating the Sect
"Alright, I've said my piece. I've already given some of you a chance, but unfortunately, you didn't know how to cherish it. Since that's the case, then..."
Duan Tianlang paused slightly at this point, raising his arm.
With his movement, the sound of bowstrings being drawn rang out in perfect unison, the killing intent growing even denser.
"They're about to make a move."
The crowd thought to themselves, and then they saw Duan Tianlang's arm swing down, a single word lightly escaping his lips.
"Annihilate."
This word 'annihilate' was like a death knell, echoing in the hearts of the crowd.
"Swish, swish, swish..."
Terrifying sharp howls filled heaven and earth. Endless arrows tore through the air, blotting out the sky and covering the sun. Above the canyon, ten thousand arrows rained down. Except for the Life and Death Platform where Duan Tianlang and his men stood, the sky over every other place was covered by arrows that pierced the firmament, boundless and inexhaustible.
Within the Cloud Sea Sect, the crowd looked up at the pitch-black arrows above their heads, which blocked out even the sky. Their eyes were filled with confusion and despair.
So many arrows, impossible to dodge. And each one was as swift as a meteor, incredibly fast. The Crimson Blood Iron Cavalry had not a single mediocre soldier among them.
Moments later, screams echoed through the space. Arrows pierced the heads, chests, shoulders, and arms of the Cloud Sea Sect disciples. Fresh blood dyed the canyon red.
Only those with considerable strength could resist the power of these arrows and survive, but this was merely the first wave of the attack.
On the viewing platform, Nan Gong Ling crushed the arrows flying towards him above his head into powder, but his eyes closed in pain. He dared not look. The fallen bodies were all disciples of the sect, who had once bowed to him and revered him. Yet he, Nan Gong Ling, as the Sect Leader of Cloud Sea Sect, could only watch this massacre unfold before his eyes, powerless to do anything.
The elders of Cloud Sea Sect also had eyes wide with fury, their pupils bloodshot. They had never dreamed that the sect's grand competition, the most important day for Cloud Sea Sect, would become the day of its destruction.
The first wave of arrows finally all fell. The blood of the Cloud Sea Sect disciples gathered into a river of blood, flowing quietly through the canyon.
On the Life and Death Platform, Lin Feng quietly watched the river formed by fresh blood. The dazzling sunlight poured down, shining on Lin Feng, but he felt not a trace of warmth, only endless desolation and cold.
In the canyon, some disciples had closed their eyes forever, some were still struggling in their death throes, crying out to the heavens, and others had gone mad, roaring recklessly.
If this were his previous life, given their ages, they would still be in school.
They had their own parents, their own brothers. Their futures were full of infinite possibilities.
They came to Cloud Sea Sect to pursue strength, to live better on the continent and be respected by others.
But with Duan Tianlang's single command, infinite possibilities turned into the death knell. One by one, living lives fell into a sea of blood.
Lin Feng's heart had never been so cold, so bitingly cold. Those people, not long ago, were just like him, with flesh and blood.
"Huff..."
Lifting his head, Lin Feng heavily exhaled a mouthful of turbid air, mixing with the bloody atmosphere. His pupils were a gray color, emotionless, desireless, deep and boundless, like a bottomless abyss.
In the face of overwhelming power, human life was like a sheet of waste paper. Tear it carelessly, and it shatters, scattering with the wind, vanishing without a trace.
This was reality, a bloody and cruel reality. Without powerful strength, you were an ant, your life as insignificant as a blade of grass.
"Release..."
Duan Tianlang's voice rang out again, trembling through the space. Those sharp arrows once again emitted the death knell, falling from the sky.
Screams and frantic shouts rang out, but all to no avail. Under these two volleys of arrows, countless from Cloud Sea Sect died, especially the young outer disciples, who were almost completely wiped out.
"Ah..."
A sharp cry rang out, filled with endless guilt and sorrow.
Liu Fei crouched on the ground, staring at the corpses, clutching her long hair with both hands. Her beautiful face had no trace of color, only paleness.
The ones doing the killing were the Crimson Blood Iron Cavalry, her father's subordinates.
The ones being killed were the disciples of Cloud Sea Sect, her fellow sect members, and also her father's fellow clan disciples.
But like countless others, she could only watch this scene, her heart torn apart, unable to stop this horrific massacre from happening.
"Duan Han, bring her over."
Duan Tianlang glanced at Liu Fei and spoke indifferently.
Duan Han nodded slightly, lifted his foot, and walked towards Liu Fei.
But at that moment, a figure flashed and came before him, blocking Liu Fei's body behind him. It was Lin Feng.
"Get lost. If you want to die, there's no need to rush."
Duan Han's tone was indifferent, his expression blank.
But Lin Feng acted as if he hadn't heard him, just staring at him with those cold, emotionless gray pupils, quietly watching this father and son.
Slaughtering tens of thousands of people, as calmly and casually as if nothing had happened—how cold-blooded must one be to remain so composed?
"Hm?"
Duan Han frowned, then saw Lin Feng's pupils, those emotionless gray pupils, carrying an eerie aura.
Seeing such pupils, Duan Han couldn't help but feel a chill creep over him.
"Since you're looking for death, I'll grant your wish."
Duan Han shouted coldly, his face ugly. He actually felt a chill from looking into Lin Feng's eyes—this was a disgrace.
In his eyes, although Lin Feng had decent talent, that was all. Lin Feng didn't even have the qualifications to compare with him.
Especially seeing Liu Fei care about Lin Feng made him want to trample Lin Feng underfoot, to let Liu Fei see that before him, Lin Feng was nothing.
Powerful sword energy burst fiercely from Duan Han's body. He was a Sword Martial Soul possessor, having cultivated sword techniques and sword martial skills since childhood, extremely proficient with the sword. Now, even without a sword, he could use his hand as a sword. In his eyes, anything could be used as a sword.
His palm chopped down, forming a powerful sword aura, like a solid sword, casually slashing towards Lin Feng.
This slash didn't even use any martial skill. Liu Fei said he had only won against Lin Feng by relying on powerful martial skills, so he would easily kill Lin Feng to show Liu Fei.
"Break."
Lin Feng's body moved, like the wind, like a shadow, light and ethereal. The sword in his hand slashed diagonally upward, cutting into the weakest point of the sword aura.
With his current powerful perception, the sword Duan Han slashed at him was completely materialized in his eyes. Where the sword aura was strong, where it was weak, was perfectly clear.
"Crack!"
A light sound rang out. The sword aura suddenly dissipated. The sword Duan Han had slashed returned to illusion, vanishing into nothingness.
But the sword in Lin Feng's hand was filled with an emotionless aura, an aura of death, continuing upward towards Duan Han.
This scene made Duan Han's expression freeze. His right palm trembled slightly, fierce sword aura howling in his palm, pressing down towards Lin Feng's longsword.
But the sword's momentum didn't pause for even a moment, cutting through that sword aura. The Sword of Death was filled with the intent of death, annihilating everything.
Duan Han frowned deeply. His strength was at the Fourth Layer of Spirit Martial Realm, two layers higher than Lin Feng's Second Layer of Spirit Martial Realm. But at this moment, Lin Feng's single sword strike actually made him feel the threat of death.
His palms trembled again, blocking the momentum of the Sword of Death. Duan Han's toes touched the ground, his body stepping back, dodging Lin Feng's powerful strike.
"Death."
Lin Feng's lips moved slightly, a sound escaping his mouth. The longsword followed the momentum of the sword. The lingering power of the previous strike had not yet dissipated when the aura of death burst forth again, born from the sword.
This sword strike followed the momentum, natural and seamless. The sword aura was even fiercer, the sword momentum even more vast.
"How is this possible?"
Duan Han looked at this sword strike with an expression of disbelief. This strike was too perfect. Even he might not be able to unleash such a flawless sword technique.
The lightning-fast sword carried a fierce aura of death. He didn't even have time to use his powerful strength to resist, only to dodge, to avoid its edge.
"To be able to apply the second strike of the Extinction Sword Art, the Sword of Death, to such a degree, Lin Feng's talent in martial skills is too terrifying. He absolutely cannot die today."
Old Man Bei's attention was always on Lin Feng. Anyone in Cloud Sea Sect could die, but Lin Feng absolutely could not.
It wasn't that Old Man Bei was cruel or heartless, but Lin Feng was the hope of the sect. If there was only one person from Cloud Sea Sect who could escape, it had to be Lin Feng. Even he himself, despite his considerable strength, could still die.
"Shadow Step."
Duan Han shouted lightly, his feet moving, incredibly fast. His body was like a shadow, erratic and unpredictable, instantly drifting away, distancing himself from the Sword of Death.
His body stopped. A tearing sound rang out. Duan Han lowered his head, looking at the torn clothes on his body, a ferocious look flashing in his eyes.
Lin Feng had almost injured him, even tearing his clothes.
If he had been a step slower, that sword strike would have directly slashed across his chest.
A great humiliation. He, with his Fourth Layer of Spirit Martial Realm cultivation, had his clothes torn by Lin Feng, who was at the Second Layer of Spirit Martial Realm. And this was the same Lin Feng he had just insulted as unworthy of being compared to him.
"You got lucky. But next time, I won't keep playing with you."
Duan Han restrained his anger, speaking calmly. He naturally wouldn't admit that someone unworthy of being compared to him had almost injured him, instead saying Lin Feng was just lucky.
"With your Fourth Layer of Spirit Martial Realm cultivation, dealing with my Second Layer of Spirit Martial Realm cultivation, if you win, it's because your strength is great, and I'm not even qualified to compare with you. But now that you've had your clothes torn by me, it becomes 'I got lucky' and 'you weren't serious.' Duan Han, don't you think you're too shameless?"
A hint of a mocking smile curled at the corner of Lin Feng's mouth. His gray pupils were filled with cold, sarcastic meaning. These words were like a thorn, directly stabbing into Duan Han.