Annihilation of a Clan (1)

"Sever!"

With a single slash, the gray line appeared again!

This time, the gray line was no longer faint but clearly visible. Wherever it passed, the air itself was sliced apart, releasing a piercing shriek!

The Thunder Light Blade collided with the gray line, yet there was no earth-shattering explosion.

Like cutting through tofu, the gray line split the Thunder Light Blade in two. Its momentum did not diminish as it instantly swept across Lei Bao's body.

Lei Bao's movements suddenly froze, and the terror in his eyes solidified.

The next moment, his body split apart down the middle, becoming two halves as blood and entrails scattered across the ground.

Lei Clan Patriarch Lei Bao, Peak Late Heaven Yuan Realm, dead!

"Father!" Lei Li's eyes nearly split apart as he wailed hoarsely, yet he did not dare step forward.

Luo Heng turned, his gaze falling upon him.

"N-No... don't kill me..." Lei Li collapsed onto the ground, tears and snot streaming down his face. None of his former arrogance remained as he stammered in panic, "I... I can give you money, treasures, anything, please..."

There was not the slightest ripple in Luo Heng's eyes.

Lei Li was narrow-minded and vindictive. If he were spared today, he would surely become a future menace.

A flash of sword light.

A bloody line appeared on Lei Li's throat. His eyes widened before he fell to the ground, dead.

The Lei Clan's core members had now been completely wiped out.

Bodies lay strewn throughout the courtyard, and blood flowed like a river.

The thick stench of blood assaulted his nostrils. Luo Heng's stomach churned, and he nearly retched on the spot.

He forcefully suppressed the nausea and swept his gaze over the Lei Clan disciples and guards who had not yet completely died.

Most of them had merely followed orders; their crimes did not warrant death.

But... one had to pull out the roots.

Since he had acted, he could not leave behind any hidden dangers.

"Goodbye forever..." Luo Heng murmured. A trace of pain flashed through his eyes, but the sword in his hand did not hesitate in the slightest.

Sword light rose again, followed by unending screams.

Half an incense stick later, not a single living soul remained in the Lei Clan estate.

Luo Heng stood amid the pool of blood. His black clothes had been soaked through with blood, while the blade of the Silver Feather Sword in his hand was scarlet.

He panted, his chest heaving violently.

He was not tired. He was nauseated.

In his previous life, after nine years of compulsory education, high school, and one year of university, he had always lived in a socialist environment. At most, he had killed a chicken during the New Year.

During his sixteen years in this world, he had killed people before, but never like tonight—slaughtering over a hundred people, including the elderly, the weak, women, and children...

"Urgh—"

He finally could not endure it any longer. Bending over, he retched violently.

Tears blurred his vision, not from grief, but from physical discomfort.

Yet he did not regret it.

This world was simply that cruel.

If you did not kill others, others would kill you.

The strong devoured the weak, and only the fit survived. That was the truth he had realized over the past sixteen years.

"There's still the Xie Clan..." Luo Heng straightened up and wiped the filth from the corner of his mouth. His eyes turned cold once more.

He could not stop. He had to press forward in one burst.

Otherwise, if the Xie Clan received word and prepared themselves—or fled—the consequences would be endless.

Taking a deep breath, Luo Heng moved again and sped toward the Xie Clan estate.

The Xie Clan estate was located in Qingyang Town's West District. It was slightly smaller than the Lei Clan estate, but its defenses were equally tight.

At that moment, Xie Qian was in the study discussing important matters with several Xie Clan core members.

"Lei Bao's side should have acted tonight already," Xie Qian said in a deep voice. "Once the Blood Wolf Gang's enforcer arrives, Luo Heng will undoubtedly die."

"Patriarch is wise!" an elder of the Xie Clan flattered him. "Once Luo Heng dies, the Luo Family will be nothing to fear. The Lin Family and Raging Blade Martial Hall will sooner or later fall into our hands as well."

"We cannot be careless." Xie Qian shook his head, concern flashing through his eyes. "Luo Heng is far too monstrous. I always feel that he will not die so easily."

"Patriarch worries too much." Another man smiled. "Blood Wolf Gang enforcer Liu Chong is at the Small Perfection of the Core Formation Realm. Killing a junior at the Early Heaven Yuan Realm would be as easy as turning his hand."

Xie Qian nodded and was about to speak when his expression suddenly changed.

He sensed a thick stench of blood drifting over from afar.

"Not good!" He shot to his feet and shouted sharply, "Something's wrong! Stay alert!"

However, it was already too late.

Bang!

The study door was blasted open by tremendous force, sending wood splinters flying everywhere.

A black-clad, masked man entered with a sword in hand. Blood dripped from its tip, and murderous intent radiated from his entire body.

"Y-You... who are you?" Xie Qian's expression drastically changed. He could sense that the bloody aura on this person was so dense that it could not be dispelled.

That was absolutely not the aura one could gain from killing merely one or two people.

"The Lei Clan... is already gone," Luo Heng said hoarsely.

"What?!" Xie Qian felt as if he had been struck by lightning, his mind going blank.

The Lei Clan... was gone?

How was that possible?

Lei Bao was Peak Late Heaven Yuan Realm, and the Lei Clan had three enforcers and dozens of guards...

"You're next." Luo Heng did not waste another word as sword light rose again.

Xie Qian was, after all, at the Middle Heaven Yuan Realm. His reaction was extremely swift, and he immediately drew his blade to meet the attack.

The several Xie Clan core members in the study also attacked one after another.

However, they were even weaker than the Lei Clan.

With Luo Heng's Rudimentary Sword Intent, Flowing Cloud and Soaring Goose Steps, and Myriad Techniques Spirit Needle working together, it took only moments for bodies to cover the study floor.

Xie Qian was pierced through the heart by a single sword strike, dying with his eyes wide open.

Xie Yingying, Xie Ting, and the other younger members of the Xie Clan were not spared either.

Luo Heng left the study and began another round of cleansing.

The Xie Clan's resistance was even weaker than the Lei Clan's.

An hour later, the Xie Clan estate had also become a place of utter silence.

Blood flowed like a river, and corpses were piled like mountains.

Luo Heng stood in the Xie Clan courtyard, leaning on his sword as he panted.

After two consecutive massacres, even he felt utterly exhausted in body and mind.

Not physically tired, but mentally tormented.

Yet he knew that he had to do this.

Mercy toward one's enemies was cruelty toward oneself.

"It's time to deal with the aftermath..." Luo Heng forced himself to focus and began arranging the scene.

He took several blood-red tokens from the System Space. They had been found on the Black Wind Stronghold bandits and on Liu Chong's group from the Blood Wolf Gang.

He tossed the tokens into key locations within the Lei Clan and Xie Clan estates.

Then he carved several large words into the walls with his sword:

"Blood Wolf Gang, the vengeance of annihilated clans cannot be shared beneath the same sky!"

The characters were savage and filled with killing intent.

After finishing everything, Luo Heng inspected the scene one final time. Only after confirming that he had not left behind any trace connected to himself did he turn and leave.

Like a ghost, he moved through Qingyang Town's streets, avoiding every patrolling guard as he silently returned to Luo Manor.

After closing his door and removing his night clothes, Luo Heng could no longer hold on. He collapsed onto the floor, gasping violently.

Blood, corpses, screams, pleas... scene after scene continuously flashed through his mind.

"Urgh—"

He retched again. This time, all that came out was bitter stomach acid.

Tears silently slid down his face.

Not regret, not grief.

Only an... indescribable exhaustion and nausea.

"So this is... the true face of the cultivation world..." Luo Heng murmured hoarsely.

After a long while, he slowly rose to his feet and walked to the copper basin, repeatedly washing his hands and face with clean water.

He changed into a clean white robe, sat cross-legged, and began circulating the Great Devouring Art to calm his mind and restore his depleted strength.

The sky gradually brightened.

The following morning, explosive news spread through all of Qingyang Town like thunder!

The Lei Clan and Xie Clan had been exterminated overnight!

Their estates were covered in bodies, blood flowed like rivers, and not a single survivor remained!

Blood Wolf Gang tokens and blood-written words brimming with killing intent had been left at the scene!

"The Blood Wolf Gang... the Blood Wolf Gang did this!"

"My heavens! Patriarch Lei Bao was Peak Late Heaven Yuan Realm, and Patriarch Xie Qian was Middle Heaven Yuan Realm. They all died?"

"Is the Blood Wolf Gang planning to wage war against Qingyang Town?"

"How tragic... they did not even spare the elderly, the weak, women, or children..."

All of Qingyang Town fell into unprecedented panic and shock.

Lin Zhentian, Luo Cheng, Luo Shan, and the patriarchs of the other major families rushed to the scene at once.

When they saw the hellish sight before them, even these older figures who had weathered countless storms could not help turning pale with fear.

"What ruthless methods..." Luo Cheng said in a dry voice.

"The Blood Wolf Gang... intends to wipe them out completely..." Lin Zhentian's expression was grave.

Luo Shan stood among the crowd, looking at the corpses covering the ground. A complicated look flashed through his eyes.

He vaguely felt that this matter might not be so simple.

The Blood Wolf Gang was far away in Flame City. Why had it suddenly struck the two great clans of Qingyang Town so viciously?

Moreover, with Lei Bao and Xie Qian's strength, even if they had been defeated, they should not have been unable to flee, only to have their entire clans annihilated...

Yet the evidence at the scene was indisputable.

"Grandfather."

A calm voice rang out.

Luo Shan turned and saw that Luo Heng had somehow arrived at his side. Dressed in white, his expression was tranquil, completely out of place amid the bloody surroundings.

"Heng'er, you're here." Luo Shan nodded. A trace of probing flashed through his eyes, but he forcibly suppressed the thought. This was not something he should be thinking about.

"What do you think of this matter?" he asked quietly.

Luo Heng looked at the corpses across the ground, fell silent for a moment, and slowly said, "The Blood Wolf Gang has a grudge against me. Perhaps they came for me, and the Lei and Xie Clans... were merely caught in the crossfire."

This explanation was barely reasonable, but it was also the only explanation that made sense.

Luo Shan nodded and did not ask further.

Yet for some reason, he still felt that things might not be so simple. He hoped it was not what he was thinking, because if it was, just how strong would Heng'er have to be...

But since Heng'er had said so, then that was what he would believe.

The destruction of the Lei Clan and Xie Clan was both a disaster and an opportunity for Qingyang Town.

The businesses and territories left behind by those two clans would certainly trigger another round of conflict.

Perhaps the Luo Family... could use this opportunity to truly rise.

"Heng'er, what are your plans next?" Luo Shan asked.

Luo Heng gazed into the distance, a chill flashing through his eyes.

"Since the Blood Wolf Gang dared to come, they must be prepared to pay the price."

"After handling Qingyang Town's affairs, I will personally go to Flame City and settle the score with the Blood Wolf Gang..."