At the dungeon entrance, Jiang Ruxi stood guard in silence, her posture straight and obedient.
Nan Xunran raised his right hand slightly, then gave it a gentle wave.
The moment he waved, the surrounding air seemed to tremble, and a faint light flickered.
His sleeve fluttered gently with the motion, like a passing breeze.
Immediately afterward, a transparent barrier slowly emerged with him at its center. Like a giant dome, it covered the surrounding space and shut out all sound.
Watching Nan Xunran, Nanyang tried hard to force himself to remain calm. Through gritted teeth, he said, "Nan Xunran, you despicable, shameless wretch! What are you trying to do?"
Nan Xunran's face was expressionless, his gaze calm and untroubled.
A suffocating pressure radiated from him, spreading outward until a heavy, oppressive presence filled every inch of space.
Under that tremendous pressure, the sturdy cell door began to creak as though it could no longer bear the strain.
Then came a heart-stopping crack, and the cell door fell apart under the pressure.
Nan Xunran stepped steadily inside.
He raised his right hand and gently moved his fingers. An invisible suction instantly surged from his palm.
Nanyang discovered in horror that he had lost all control of his body. As though gripped tight by a giant, invisible hand, he flew rapidly toward Nan Xunran.
But as he was pulled over, the chains on his body were dragged along, tightening around him. A piercing agony shot through him, as though they were about to snap his bones and sinews.
He could not stop himself at all. In the blink of an eye, he was in front of Nan Xunran, who gripped him tightly by the throat.
Nan Xunran tightened his grip slightly and leaned close to Nanyang. "What gave you the illusion that I have such a good temper?"
Nanyang's face flushed scarlet under the grip. He tried in vain to grab Nan Xunran's wrist with both hands, but the chains held them fast.
Though he tried every trick he knew to break free, he was powerless to do so.
Just as Nanyang seemed about to breathe his last, Nan Xunran released him.
Nanyang collapsed to the ground, gasping for air as though he had received a pardon. His body trembled slightly from the extreme tension and pain.
But before Nanyang could recover, Nan Xunran raised a hand and waved it gently. As his hands moved, an invisible force began to spread around him.
The soil on the ground began to writhe and gather rapidly, as though it had been given life.
It shifted shape at an incredible speed, turning into sharp, cold nails in the blink of an eye.
Nan Xunran did all this without a change in expression, then aimed the nails at Nanyang.
In an instant, the nails flew toward Nanyang like arrows loosed from a bow, pinning him firmly to the wall.
The tremendous impact caught Nanyang off guard, and his body jolted violently.
Immediately afterward, Nanyang let out a piercing, bloodcurdling scream. "Aaaaaaaaaah!!!!!!"
Nan Xunran then stepped slowly toward Nanyang. A chill presence, as though it could slice through the air, began to gather in his palm.
He exerted a little force with his palm, and an incomparably tyrannical, unrivaled power appeared in an instant. Like a sharp awl, it stabbed viciously into Nanyang's dantian.
The Qi that had been circulating steadily within Nanyang's body instantly fell into complete disorder under the impact of that tyrannical power.
His dantian, once brimming with power, had now fallen utterly still, without a trace of life.
Nanyang's body trembled slightly, his face twisted with venomous hatred and his eyes full of resentment. He shouted himself hoarse, "Nan Xunran... Nan Xunran!!! Aaaaaaaaaah!!!!!"
A hint of madness flashed through his eyes. "Nan Xunran, I won't let you off! Even though I'm crippled now, I'll find every way I can to make you pay."
"You have no future," Nan Xunran said slowly, his voice devoid of emotion.
The venomous hatred in Nanyang's eyes grew even stronger, but he could do nothing about it. He could only continue venting the rage in his heart with bitter words. "Nan Xunran, I won't let you off even if I become a ghost!"
The corners of Nan Xunran's mouth rose slightly. "A ghost? You'd have to live long enough to become one."
With that, he continued to increase the force in his hand, his strangling grip growing ever stronger.
The bones in Nanyang's neck made a grating crunch. His face turned from red to purple, and his body writhed in pain.
At last, with a crisp crack, Nanyang's neck was forcibly broken.
His eyes flew wide, and the light in them quickly went out like a dying candle in the wind. His whole body slumped like a heap of mud.
Nan Xunran watched the soul fleeing from Nanyang's body and reached out to seize it.
The soul struggled between his fingers, trying to escape, but Nan Xunran's hand held it fast like an iron clamp.
Nan Xunran then exerted a little force with his hand. The soul let out a piercing scream, and its light gradually dimmed.
Before long, the soul had completely dissipated in his hand, leaving not a trace behind.
"Ding-dong!"
"Congratulations to the host for slaying the Son of Destiny, Nanyang. Reward: 9,872 Kill Points."
In Nan Xunran's sea of consciousness, the system's ball of light flickered excitedly.
At the same time, the system panel appeared automatically before Nan Xunran.
------- System Panel Congratulations to the host for obtaining: --Immaculate Jade x1 Spiritual jade that can control emotions, cleanse the mind, and soothe the heart. --Memory Fragment x1 --Thousand-Illusion Buyao x1 A defensive artifact that can withstand three fatal attacks. --Bewitching Heart Art Can be cast without the target noticing, quietly making them obey orders and directing their will and actions. --Soul-Chasing, Spirit-Seizing Needle x1 Can track the presence of a soul and take its life with a single needle, no matter where it flees. --Impervious to All Laws (innate Divine Ability)