Chapter 1550: Ruthless Slaughter
Rumble... rumble...
The Cold Dew Peak trembled, and the hearts of everyone trembled with it. Chaotic gales swept through every corner. The dark sword might of Falling Sun Sword Master and the oppressive pressure of Dusk Roc Ancestor were completely annihilated by this storm, vanishing without a trace. Between heaven and earth, it was as if an ancient demon god had suddenly awoken, making everything else seem insignificant as dust.
"Th-this is..." Dusk Xiao's face was pale as paper, his voice trembling. Unlike before, this was a fear and shuddering that was directly imposed upon the very depths of the soul, impossible to stop.
Falling Sun Sword Master's pupils dilated to their maximum, even his clenched hand trembled violently. Looking at Yun Che before him, for the first time in his life, he simply could not believe his own eyes and senses, no matter how hard he tried.
That single instant of explosive surge in profound energy had nearly crushed his Divine King physique!
"You..." Falling Sun Sword Master's voice trembled. He thought of something, the only possibility his lifelong knowledge could conceive: "Forbidden... art!"
Yun Che's lips curled slightly. He extended his arm and, in Falling Sun Sword Master's abruptly contracting pupils, slowly stretched out a finger towards him... then lightly flicked it.
Crack!
The distortion of space radiated from Yun Che's finger to the area in front of Falling Sun Sword Master in an instant.
In his extreme shock, Falling Sun Sword Master's reaction was delayed by a tenth of an instant. In great alarm, he instinctively turned the Falling Sun Sword horizontally, and his briefly dormant profound energy and sword intent erupted violently in front of him.
Boom!!
A dull impact shook Falling Sun Sword Master until his vision went dark. His figure was thrown back dozens of zhang in an instant, and his right arm holding the sword went numb from the trembling...
In his once-again contracting pupils was Yun Che's terrifying face twisted in a smirk. He clearly saw that it was merely the force of Yun Che's finger flick!
At that moment, the sky darkened. Dusk Roc Ancestor, who had lived for tens of thousands of years, had his aura thrown into obvious disarray. He let out a long cry, and a hundred-mile hurricane swept across the sky. This time, the storm's roar was even more violent. As it descended, it contracted sharply, transforming into a dark wind blade that was identical to before, yet clearly more terrifying.
Riiip!
The dark wind blade tore through space, directly slashing towards Yun Che's back.
Yun Che remained facing Falling Sun Sword Master without turning around, as if he hadn't noticed the approaching dark wind blade. In an instant, the blade was right upon him, leaving no possibility of evasion.
Dusk Roc Ancestor was overjoyed at the sight. This being, usually as calm as old wood, let out a somewhat ferocious howl: "Die!"
Wherever the dark wind blade passed, space was layer by layer shattered into countless fragments. At that moment, Yun Che's arm abruptly shot backward, and he directly grabbed at the dark wind blade with his palm—the blade that had almost severed the very heavens.
Crack!!
The palm met the dark wind blade. But the blade did not pierce through, nor did any power explode. It was directly fixed in Yun Che's grasp. Then, like a pitch-black serpent seized by its throat, it twisted and struggled desperately within Yun Che's five fingers, letting out piercing screeches, but unable to break free no matter what.
Falling Sun Sword Master, who had been about to seize the opportunity to stab Yun Che, stood frozen stiff, unable to move.
Yun Che's five fingers suddenly closed.
With a soft sound, the dark wind blade, condensed from a hundred-mile storm and originating from Dusk Roc Ancestor, shattered instantly between Yun Che's closing fingers, turning into broken, pitch-black dust.
"Ah... ah..." Dusk Xiao collapsed limply to the ground. This usually awe-inspiring patriarch of the Dusk Roc Clan felt his body and soul on the verge of shattering from sheer terror.
Yun Che's figure flickered and completely vanished from where he stood... In the next instant, he appeared like a ghost above Dusk Roc Ancestor. His right arm, wreathed in dark profound energy, smashed downwards fiercely.
Boom!!
With just a single blow, Dusk Roc Ancestor gushed blood from all seven orifices. Yun Che's body spun again, landing beside his left wing. Both hands grabbed down simultaneously, and a black light instantly pierced through Dusk Roc Ancestor's left wing.
Riiip!
This was undoubtedly the most terrifying tearing sound anyone present had ever heard in their lives... At that moment, everyone felt as if their own hearts were being violently torn apart.
The most horrifying tearing sound ever heard was accompanied by the most horrifying sight ever seen.
Dusk Roc Ancestor's enormous wing, spanning fifty li, was violently ripped from his body by Yun Che's hands!
The scream at that moment was so piercingly shrill it was utterly inhuman. The scarlet blood pouring down from the sky dyed the Cold Dew Peak with a vast rain of blood.
But this wasn't the end. Yun Che's figure spun again, stepping directly onto the right wing. That pair of somewhat pale hands, to Dusk Roc Ancestor no less than hands from the underworld, cruelly tore off his enormous right wing as well in a flash of black light.
For the Dusk Roc Clan, that pair of massive wings were a symbol, and even more so, their life. Losing both wings destroyed not only his wings but also completely shattered all his will and faith. This Dusk Roc Ancestor, who had hidden for many years and was essentially the supreme existence of the Eastern Domain, let out a miserable roar that resounded for ten thousand li—a sound of indescribable pain and despair.
Boom!!!!
With the final punch, Yun Che casually blasted it onto his broken body.
Under this blow, Dusk Roc Ancestor, whose will had completely collapsed, offered no resistance or struggle. He allowed that violent dark profound energy to surge into his body, riddling his remains with thousands of holes... For him now, death was the best release.
The wings were still falling, drenched in blood. Dusk Roc Ancestor's body had burst open in tens of thousands of cavities. Rain of blood upon rain of blood crazily poured down, and the nauseating stench of gore quickly spread across the entire Cold Dew Mountain Range.
Dusk Roc Ancestor... dead!
His manner of death was more miserable than any he had seen, heard of, or enacted in his entire life.
Yun Che descended from the air. His flowing black hair and black robes were unstained by even a single drop of blood.
Boom!
Boom!
One after another, Dusk Roc Ancestor's two giant wings crashed down, stirring up blood-dust for a hundred li. Yun Che's descending body abruptly changed direction. His five fingers formed claws, reaching straight for Falling Sun Sword Master.
At this moment, Falling Sun Sword Master's state could basically be described as having his guts and gall ruptured.
Facing the suddenly approaching Yun Che, he—who had just moments ago possessed overwhelming sword might, the premier swordsman of the Eastern Domain—drew his sword with an unusually slow and labored motion. The sword intent he released was utterly chaotic.
Yun Che's spread five fingers collided with the Falling Sun Sword, but there was not even a moment's resistance. The Falling Sun Sword... the core demonic sword of the Falling Sun Sword Domain—shattered layer by layer like fragile ice crystals under Yun Che's claw, from the tip to the blade, and then to the hilt.
Crack, crack, crack, crack, crack, crack...
Wherever Yun Che's palm passed, broken blade fragments flew. As the hilt was completely destroyed, Yun Che's hawk-like fingers grasped Falling Sun Sword Master's wrist. With a dull "bang," his sleeve burst into shreds, and the color completely drained from his pupils.
"Did you really think you were worthy to be my opponent?"
Yun Che's low murmur reached his ears. Every word was the most frigid and contemptuous mockery.
Facing the power Yun Che had just displayed, he and Dusk Roc Ancestor—two peak Divine Kings—were so utterly pathetic and insignificant. Recalling his earlier words... it was the most ridiculous, shameless, and ignorant joke of his entire life.
The Falling Sun Sword shattered, and with it, the belief he had held his entire life. As Yun Che's five fingers opened, his body fell backward like a piece of rotten wood, crashing heavily to the ground. His eyes stared at the dim sky, empty and colorless.
Until his death, he did not know who Yun Che was, nor why he was so venomously ruthless.
Yun Che stamped his foot on the ground.
With a deafening "boom," the space where Falling Sun Sword Master lay was directly reduced to pitch-black powder. This man, who had dominated the Eastern Domain for a thousand years and was looked up to by countless profound practitioners as the number one, was thus so easily and utterly crushed and killed. The Falling Sun Sword was destroyed, and his body and soul were completely annihilated!
Yun Che had said he only had one chance: submit, or die!
Whoosh... whoosh...
The air currents over Cold Dew Mountain Range were in complete chaos. Storms of all sizes raged chaotically. The increasingly pungent stench of blood made even seasoned veterans of death shrink back, their stomachs churning violently.
Dongfang Hanwei mustered every ounce of willpower just to barely keep from fainting. But her face was deathly pale, devoid of any color.
Though young, as the princess of the Eastern Han Domain, she had witnessed many deaths. But she had never seen such a cruel death... He could have easily killed them, yet he tore off their wings first, then destroyed their bodies, letting the rain of blood drench the mountain. Even after they were dead, he destroyed their remains, leaving not even a trace of bone behind.
What... what kind of person is he? Is he a demon who enjoys such brutal torment?!
Two peak Divine Kings killed by a single person—this should have been earth-shattering, causing thunderous exclamations. But what filled Cold Dew Mountain Range and appeared on everyone's faces was only fear and trembling... The deaths of Dusk Roc Ancestor and Falling Sun Sword Master were not just a nightmare for the two of them, but a nightmare for everyone present who witnessed it.
At this moment, they all vaguely saw an immensely grim and terrifying shadow pressing down heavily upon the sky of the Eastern Domain.
Atop Cold Dew Peak, dyed deep red with blood, Yun Che slowly turned around. The moment his gaze swept over them, the eight sect masters and supreme elders all shuddered as if a poisonous blade had pierced their souls.
Thud!
Dusk Xiao dropped heavily to his knees. The force of his kneecaps hitting the ground was enough to almost shatter them. He slammed his head heavily against the earth, pressing his entire upper body flat against the ground stained with his ancestor's blood: "The Dusk Roc Clan swears to follow the Honored One to the death! From today onward, the Honored One's command shall be the divine decree of my Dusk Roc Clan!"
His posture was as humble as it could possibly be, actively throwing his dignity at Yun Che's feet in front of everyone. His voice trembled slightly but was ear-piercingly loud, for fear Yun Che might not hear him clearly.
A jackal might still have the heart to fight a tiger or leopard, but an ant facing a fearsome deity... resistance? That would be the most meaningless and stupid joke—especially against such a cruel and ruthless deity.
The divine kings, whose wills were already on the verge of collapse, finally had their faith completely shattered with Dusk Xiao's lead. They all knelt, prostrating themselves, trembling and shrinking as they uttered words of submission they had never spoken nor ever dreamed would come from their own mouths...
On Cold Dew Mountain Range, the figures and profound boats were utterly silent. Today, they had witnessed the emergence of two peak Divine Kings, and then watched them swiftly perish.
Black clouds churned in the sky. The Eastern Domain had changed. It had completely and utterly changed.
The eight divine kings lay prostrate before Yun Che like eight jackals whose courage had been punctured and legs broken. Without Yun Che's word, they dared not even move, let alone rise.
Even when facing a Great Realm King in person, they had never been so humble... because at least, as the ruler and rule-setter of the Eastern Ruins Realm, a Great Realm King would not suddenly and cruelly slaughter them without reason.
Yun Che looked down at them coldly, without any hint of satisfaction or pride. He said in a low voice: "Remember, your loyalty is only given once!"
"From today onward, if any of you show even the slightest disobedience or disloyalty... you will know the consequences."
His tone did not change, and he released no aura. But when his last words fell, it was as if a demon had been planted deep within everyone's hearts. A silent fear spread from the very depths of their souls throughout their entire bodies.
He was not merely intimidating them... For him now, betrayal was the most hated thing.
Dusk Xiao pressed his already extremely humble posture even lower, speaking with fear and trepidation: "The Honored One's mercy in sparing our lives, Dusk Xiao will never forget for all eternity. I dare not harbor any disloyalty. From now on, anyone who dares to offend the Honored One will be a mortal enemy of the Dusk Roc Clan. If... if I should ever betray, may heaven and earth destroy me."