The night was thick as ink, too dense to dissolve. Even the wind across the wasteland seemed to know better and held its breath. Greenstone Valley sank into an unnatural stillness, with only the formation's glow pulsing like breaths in the darkness, illuminating the shadows of stone buildings like enormous beasts lying in wait.
The lights in Ye Chen's courtyard had long since gone out. Darkness filled it, as though those inside were already sound asleep.
Outside the courtyard, shadowy figures lurked in several dark alleys.
"Brother Scar Wolf, it's confirmed. Those fat sheep all went inside, and the lights are out." A scrawny cultivator lowered his voice as he reported to the scar-faced man concealed in the shadows.
Scar Wolf licked his dry lips, greed and cruelty glittering in his eyes. "Damn it, that brat could casually pull out a treasure like a Nine-Turn Origin-Returning Pill. He must have plenty more good stuff on him! The stronghold chief is in seclusion, trying to break through his bottleneck. If we present him with this generous gift... heh heh." He could already picture himself receiving a lavish reward from the chief and soaring through the ranks.
"But... Greenstone Valley's rules..." One of his men hesitated.
"Rules?" Scar Wolf gave a savage grin. "As long as we do a clean job, who'll know it was us? We'll retreat to the stronghold as soon as we're done. Would Old Stone really dare wage war on our Blood Skull Stronghold over a few dead people? Besides, the Inspector will be here soon. Old Stone has enough trouble looking after himself!"
He counted his men. Including himself, there were two in the Nascent Soul Realm and eight in the Golden Core Realm. In his eyes, taking down a flock of "fat sheep" whose strongest auras were merely at the Nascent Soul level—Ye Yun and the others had suppressed their cultivation—and who even had women with them was all but guaranteed.
"On my command! Sixth, take two men and set up a Soundproof Barrier! Everyone else, charge in with me. Make it quick. Kill all the men. As for the women... heh heh, take them alive!" Scar Wolf gave his orders.
Several dark figures slipped over the courtyard wall like phantoms, landing without a sound. Sixth, who led the way, was a formation master at the Nascent Soul early stage. He swiftly formed several hand seals, and a pale gray curtain of light silently rose around the entire courtyard, cutting off sound and energy fluctuations between the inside and outside.
The courtyard was deathly still. A falling pin would have been audible.
An inexplicable chill flickered through Scar Wolf's heart, but greed overwhelmed everything. "Search!" he growled.
Before his words had faded, disaster struck!
Whoosh!
A faint, almost imperceptible sound sliced through the air, like the whisper of the Grim Reaper.
The Golden Core cultivator at the very front suddenly stiffened, then collapsed limply. A tiny red dot had appeared at his throat without anyone noticing, and barely any blood flowed.
"Enemy attack!" Scar Wolf's hair stood on end as he shouted.
Yet the Soundproof Barrier trapped his voice perfectly within the courtyard. Not a whisper escaped. The barrier meant to keep their prey from crying for help had now become their own cage!
In the darkness, Mo Yu moved like a true ghost. Every flicker of his figure was accompanied by another shadow silently falling. His dagger reflected not a trace of light in the night as it harvested lives with unerring precision.
"Enough of these ghostly tricks! Get out here!" Shocked and furious, Scar Wolf swung a serrated saber. A savage, blood-red blade radiance swept outward, shattering the doors and windows of several stone rooms!
Amid the flying rubble, a sword light blazed as brilliantly as the rising sun!
The sword light was not vast, but it was condensed to the utmost. Carrying a razor-sharp will that could cleave the void, it struck first despite being unleashed later, precisely hitting the weakest point of the blood-red blade radiance!
Crack!
The blood-red blade radiance shattered! Without losing momentum, the sword light stabbed straight toward Scar Wolf's face!
Scared nearly out of his soul, Scar Wolf desperately twisted aside. The sword light skimmed past his ear, taking half of it and a large strip of scalp with it. Searing pain shot through him!
He stared in horror at Ye Yun, who walked slowly out of the shattered stone room. Ancient Sword in hand, Ye Yun's eyes were icy, as though he were looking at a dead man.
"This one's trouble! Take him together!" Scar Wolf roared at his companion at the Nascent Soul early stage.
The Nascent Soul cultivator was just about to move when the ground beneath his feet shook violently. A gigantic fist formed from rock and earth spiritual energy burst from underground like a small mountain, smashing hard into his protective spiritual light!
Boom!
His protective spiritual light shattered instantly. The Nascent Soul cultivator flew backward like a kite with its string cut, blood spraying wildly from his mouth. He slammed into the courtyard wall, his fate unknown.
Shi Meng's burly figure emerged from the other side. He rolled his neck and grinned. "Heh, finally a chance to stretch!"
At the same time, Ye Ling appeared beside the courtyard's small spirit plant garden. She formed seals with both hands, and emerald light spread outward like ripples. The low-grade spirit plants, originally grown only for decoration, began growing wildly, transforming into tough vines that coiled toward the remaining Golden Core cultivators like spirit snakes.
To their horror, those Golden Core cultivators discovered that their spiritual energy had grown sluggish. The vines bound their bodies tightly, and the more they struggled, the tighter the vines wound around them. Before long, they were wrapped up like rice dumplings, unable to move.
The battle had begun swiftly and ended even faster.
From Scar Wolf's group breaking in to one of the two Nascent Soul cultivators dying and the other being gravely wounded, with all eight Golden Core cultivators captured, the entire process took no more than ten breaths.
Clutching his ear as blood poured from it, Scar Wolf looked at Mo Yu, who had appeared like a ghost; at Ye Yun, standing with sword in hand and an aura of piercing sharpness; at Shi Meng, who resembled a ferocious beast in human form; and at the mysterious girl who controlled plants. Finally, his gaze settled on Ye Chen, who remained seated on a stone stool in the courtyard, never having moved from his spot.
The young man had not even glanced at him. He merely toyed leisurely with the Black Iron Piece he had acquired in the trade that day.
A bone-deep chill shot from the soles of Scar Wolf's feet straight to the crown of his head!
What fat sheep? These were clearly ancient savage beasts clad in sheep's clothing!
"Y-you... who exactly are you?!" Scar Wolf's voice trembled with terror.
Only then did Ye Chen slowly raise his head, looking calmly at him as though he were an ant.
"Scar Wolf, Third-in-Command of the Blood Skull Stronghold?" Ye Chen's voice rang especially clearly in the silent courtyard.
"Y-yes, that's me! You can't kill me! My eldest brother is the chief of the Blood Skull Stronghold, a mighty cultivator at the Spirit Transformation late stage! If you kill me, you'll never leave the Blood-Baleful Wasteland alive!" Scar Wolf roared, fierce on the outside but cowardly within, trying to frighten them with his powerful backer.
A faint, mocking smile curled Ye Chen's lips. "Spirit Transformation late stage? Is that so impressive?"
He casually put away the Black Iron Piece, rose, and strolled over to Scar Wolf.
"If you hadn't come looking for death, I wouldn't have bothered with you." There was a trace of regret in Ye Chen's tone. "Unfortunately, you insisted on delivering yourselves to my doorstep."
He glanced at the trembling Golden Core cultivators bound in vines and gestured to Ye You.
Ye You immediately stepped forward and, just as before, used the Soul-Searching Art on one of the Golden Core cultivators. A moment later, he reported, "Young master, I obtained some general information about the Blood Skull Stronghold's defenses, personnel, and treasury. Their chief is indeed in seclusion. He seems to be attempting a breakthrough to the Spirit Transformation peak."
Seeing them search a soul right before his eyes frightened Scar Wolf nearly out of his wits.
"P-please spare my life, young master! I had eyes but failed to recognize Mount Tai! I'm willing to offer everything I own and serve as your ox or horse!" Scar Wolf dropped to his knees with a thud and kowtowed like a pestle pounding garlic. Not a trace of his earlier arrogance remained.
Ye Chen watched him with indifferent eyes.
"Your life is worthless. Your information isn't worth much either."
He gently waved a hand.
A strand of purple qi darted out like a spirit snake and instantly sank between Scar Wolf's brows.
Scar Wolf's body abruptly stiffened. The fear and pleading in his eyes froze, then their light rapidly dimmed. His breath ceased, and he toppled over rigidly.
Without even looking at the corpse, Ye Chen turned his gaze toward the captured Golden Core cultivators.
They had long since been scared out of their wits and began crying and begging for mercy.
"Mo Yu, clean this up," Ye Chen instructed mildly.
"Yes." Mo Yu moved like a reaper in the dark night. Cold light flashed from his dagger, and the pleas for mercy stopped abruptly.
A short while later, apart from Ye Chen and his companions, not a single intact corpse remained in the courtyard. Every trace had been cleaned away completely. Even the smell of blood had been purified by Ye Ling with the life law.
The Soundproof Barrier quietly dispersed as well, as though nothing had ever happened.
The night remained deep, and Greenstone Valley remained "peaceful."
Ye Chen stood in the courtyard, gazing toward the Blood Skull Stronghold, his eyes unfathomable.
"The Blood Skull Stronghold... That saves us the trouble of finding a place to settle."
His tone was calm, yet it sent a chill through Lin Qingxue and her two servants behind him.
At last, they understood. This Young Master Ye was not merely mysterious and powerful. Beneath an appearance that suggested nothing of the sort, he was also... utterly decisive in killing!
And this purge in a dark corner of Greenstone Valley was only the beginning. With the arrival of these "visitors from beyond the heavens," the balance of power in the Blood-Baleful Wasteland was destined to be turned upside down.
Before you continue