"..."
(ˇεˇ)*¨*.
However, Annie acted as if she hadn't seen their horrified expressions. After a long while, she continued on her own, correcting herself as though she were "refining" her instructions:
"Hmm... Not everyone has to be killed."
"According to my spiritual-sense scan, there are still some women and children locked up in the dungeon behind their mountain. They need to be rescued. But before you do, you'd better cover your faces?"
(_)
"Other than the people in the dungeon, every other member of the Qing Nang Sect in the valley—every last one of them, including those two Qi Refining Stage 'old ancestors'—should be wiped out. That's about it."
╮(╯▽╰)╭
This martial sect wasn't strong. It had a bunch of Xiantian martial artists and two Qi Refining Stage ancestors. That might have let them do whatever they pleased among ordinary people and in the martial world, but they were no match for cultivators.
And though Lin Daiyu and Tanchun were only at the third level of Qi Refining at most, could ordinary cultivators compare to the Wuzhuang Temple inheritance that she, the Flame Immortal, had improved and explained to them?
They were all beginners, to be sure, but she still thought dealing with a mere martial sect wouldn't be much of a problem.
Whoosh—!
As her words fell, silence descended over the valley entrance. The mountain wind swept through the pines and cypresses with a rustling howl, adding to the killing intent and chill in the air.
"..."
"..."
"..."
"..."
Lin Daiyu, Tanchun, Xueyan, and Zijuan remained frozen in place, each looking more stricken than the last.
They realized that the Immortal Annie wasn't joking. So they could only look at one another, their eyes filled with disbelief, fear, reluctance, and confusion. For the moment, none of them knew