His grand, domineering words echoed across the land.
The cultivators a mile away from Xiao Yao could only stare at him, not daring to utter a word. It was clear that the two consecutive waves of large-scale slaughter had terrified them!
But that was only natural. Two uses of Heaven and Earth One Sword had killed nearly three thousand cultivators.
Even though cultivators were still arriving in an endless stream after hearing the news, there were far fewer of them than before.
With Zhuo Dongxuan's Spiritual Sense spread out, there were currently three thousand cultivators within ten miles of the Dao Fruit Tree.
In other words, Xiao Yao had directly wiped out an equal number of cultivators in those two waves.
Even the Sea Opening Realm cultivators were feeling afraid and uneasy.
"Three seconds from now, if you still haven't spoken up, leave at once. Anyone who remains within ten miles of the Dao Fruit Tree, I'll kill!"
A murderous aura surged out, weighing heavily on the cultivators present and even making them afraid.
In their eyes, Xiao Yao had become a madman who'd slaughtered his way into a frenzy.
But if they had to give him a fitting title, it would be Battlefield God of Slaughter!
"Three!"
At Xiao Yao's words, those who didn't want to sacrifice themselves, as well as those who thought they had no hope, began to leave.
They even gave increasingly outlandish accounts to the cultivators arriving behind them.
For example, they said Xiao Yao could kill any cultivator within ten miles with a single glance.
Or that he could kill everyone within ten miles just by breathing out once.
"Two!"
"One!"
Just as Xiao Yao was about to say "zero," an old man with peak cultivation at the ninth layer of the Sea Opening Realm stepped forward.
"Young man, your actions will provoke public outrage. Aren't you afraid the people around you will suffer once you leave here?"
Xiao Yao glanced at the old man. His face was covered in wrinkles, his hair was white, and he was in his twilight years. There was barely any life left in his body; it seemed he could drop dead at any moment!
No wonder he dared to threaten him!
After all, the old man was already one step from death.
"And what exactly do you mean by that, old sir?" Xiao Yao asked curiously.
The old man believed he had already persuaded Xiao Yao, so he stopped being cautious and smiled. "Of course, you should give a Dao Fruit to every Sea Opening Realm cultivator here. Then everyone can leave in peace."
"Tsk, tsk, tsk! You old fool, you've got quite the imagination!" Xiao Yao's voice turned icy.
The old man glared at Xiao Yao. "You insolent brat! I'm only thinking of what's best for you. Otherwise, can you really fight all 163 Sea Opening Realm cultivators here?"
"Heh! Of course I can!" Xiao Yao replied with the same boundless confidence as before.
But in the eyes of the many Sea Opening Realm cultivators, that was sheer arrogance—and a slap in the face to every one of them.
"If you're going to attack, then hurry up. Keep dawdling, and I'll launch an indiscriminate attack!"
Xiao Yao didn't want to waste any more time. After this fight, he still had to hurry to Sword Mark Peak and then head to the Immortal Ascension Palace. He was a busy man, okay!
After witnessing the previous two waves, Zhuo Dongxuan found that, despite still having some doubts, deep down she actually believed Xiao Yao could take down all 163 Sea Opening Realm cultivators.
In the blink of an eye, 74 Sea Opening Realm cultivators appeared a mile away from Xiao Yao. It seemed they thought this was the perfect spot to camp out.
"Come on, everyone, don't chicken out!"
"If we stand here, he'll have to run himself ragged just to attack us."
"Don't you all want the Dao Fruit?"
Rallied by those words, most of the wavering Sea Opening Realm cultivators flew over.
Now, 136 Sea Opening Realm cultivators stood a mile from Xiao Yao, while the other 27 had fled to watch from more than ten miles away.
Some of them naturally came from powerful backgrounds and had no need to fight to the death for the Dao Fruit Tree.
Others suspected a trap and decided not to get involved. After all, life was more important than a Dao Fruit.
"Anyone else?" Xiao Yao asked with a smile.
His voice carried more than ten miles, prompting many cultivators who had heard the exaggerated rumors to change course, afraid to enter this troubled place.
Quite a few of them were Sea Opening Realm cultivators.
Of course, some didn't change course but chose to watch from beyond ten miles instead.
Seeing that their numbers were increasing only sporadically, Xiao Yao stopped hesitating and intensified the pressure of his phenomena, Chaos Seed Green Lotus and Bright Moon Rising Over the Sea.
As a result, the cultivators more than ten miles away couldn't get any closer, even if they were in the Sea Opening Realm.
The 143 Sea Opening Realm cultivators a mile away felt the pressure mounting. Only now did they truly realize just how powerful Xiao Yao was.
"Even a Sea Opening Realm cultivator with an Emperor's Bearing probably isn't this powerful!"
"Could this young man have Immortal Tier cultivation talent?"
"That can't be right! If he had Immortal Tier cultivation talent, how come I've never heard of him?"
It wasn't that Xiao Yao was unknown.
How could the Direct Disciple of the Lotus Sword Emperor have a small reputation?
It was just that Xiao Yao had risen too quickly. Reaching the Sea Opening Realm in a month was so unbelievable that no one would believe it if they heard.
Besides, for now, Xiao Yao's fame had spread only around the Xiao Clan and Xuanzhou City.
It would still take quite some time for word to reach the entire Southern Wilderness Domain, let alone the whole world.
"Everyone, attack together! I refuse to believe that 143 Sea Opening Realm cultivators can't break his move!"
The cultivators exchanged glances. Truthfully, they were still a little nervous.
But with so many of them, their fear eased, and they unleashed their strongest moves with all their might.
Brilliant, multicolored spells flashed around Xiao Yao. Each was mighty and packed with power, fully befitting their Sea Opening Realm cultivation.
Feeling this, Xiao Yao broke into an even more arrogant smile. He had been waiting for this moment all along.
Fighting countless opponents at the same level, then defeating and killing them—that brought an incomparable sense of fulfillment.
Without further hesitation, Xiao Yao immediately unleashed Heaven and Earth One Sword.
This time, he didn't build up power. The will of heaven and earth gathered around his entire body, taking the move's might and power to a whole new level.
Zhuo Dongxuan's eyes widened, and her alluring lips parted slightly. "He... he was still holding back?"
"The Young Clan Leader is so strong!" Xiao Xueyu exclaimed.
It brought back memories of Xiao Yao's father, Xiao Ran—the Clan Leader who, through his own efforts, had kept the Xiao Clan firmly at the top of Xuanzhou City's Eight Great Families nine years ago.
How powerful the Clan Leader had been then! No enemy could withstand even one move from him.
Even the reclusive experts of the Eight Great Families had been no match for him.
That was exactly why those people had secretly attacked the pregnant Clan Leader's wife.
And after the Clan Leader left the family, they had stirred the elders' greed for his position.
Even so, neither the Xiao Clan nor the other families dared do anything to the Young Clan Leader.
Of course!
He had been a good-for-nothing unable to begin cultivation. If they had still attacked him, it would have insulted their strength and status.
"What a powerful sword! Should we make a run for it?"
"Run? We're standing in the perfect spot. He can't reach us."
In the next instant, Xiao Yao gripped the Taiyan Sword and slashed as he spun a full 360 degrees.
He had never revealed just how much Sword Intent he possessed. Now, he displayed it in full.
"Peak third-stage Sword Intent? Am I sensing that wrong?"
"You're not. But he's still just a child, and only at the peak of the second layer of the Sea Opening Realm. Comprehending Sword Intent is already against all reason! Why... why has he reached the peak of the third stage, too? Even the Initial Dao Realm cultivators in my sect haven't reached that level!"
"He's gone too far! Everyone, if we kill this boy, we'll be doing a favor for countless cultivators across the world."
They weren't wrong!
Anyone who surpassed ordinary cultivators was a genius, admired and revered by countless people.
But those who surpassed even geniuses inspired fear in even the most gifted cultivators.
They thought such beings weren't human, and therefore had to be destroyed.
Unfortunately, Xiao Yao had dared reveal this trump card because he knew that even together, they weren't his match—and that every one of them would be slain.
Boom! Boom! Boom!
Boom! Boom! Boom! Boom! Boom!
Countless explosions rang out across the land.
The only thing that remained unchanged was that sword light, still razor-sharp, brimming with peak third-stage Sword Intent and Sword Qi surging like a great flood.
The Sea Opening Realm cultivators fell silent!
Their combined attack had been like a rabble, instantly swept away.
But they weren't afraid, because they knew Xiao Yao's sword light couldn't cross the mile between them.
As they watched the sword light rushing toward them, they even laughed with delight, congratulating themselves for finding the perfect spot.
Yet in the next instant, the sword light pierced across that mile and cut horizontally through their bodies.
They hadn't even begun to cry out in pain before the Sword Qi made their bodies and souls vanish together.
Xiao Yao laughed and cursed, "Hahaha! What a bunch of idiots! Even as you died, you still thought my attacks could only reach one mile!"
One move had slain 143 Sea Opening Realm cultivators.
Zhuo Dongxuan stood there, stunned. Today, she had finally seen what a true genius was.
She realized that her master had made the right decision in giving Xiao Yao the token.
Otherwise, she would probably have been among the Sea Opening Realm cultivators who died.
At the thought, Zhuo Dongxuan shuddered. Just then, she saw Xiao Yao approaching with his sword in hand.
She hurriedly backed away, but accidentally fell to the ground and cried out, "No... don't..."
Before you continue