Can I kill now?

Soul Severing Cliff.

The name sounded perilous, but the scenery was breathtaking.

The cliff resembled a massive split by a giant axe, with sheer, thousand-foot-high walls on either side, smooth as a mirror. Below, clouds and mist churned as if ten thousand feet deep, bottomless.

A fierce wind surged up from the abyss, whipping clothes and making them flap loudly. Those with weaker cultivation would feel their minds sway, experiencing the illusion of falling into the chasm.

At the cliff's summit lay a vast, naturally formed plateau, already teeming with people.

Looking out, it was a sea of martial artists, all armed with sabers and swords. Almost every named sect in Qingzhou had sent representatives, with the least accomplished being second-rate experts capable of holding their own in the Jianghu.

They gathered in groups of three or five, discussing loudly, their words filled with anticipation and excitement for the impending "Battle of Righteousness and Evil."

"Blood Saber Sect's eldest son, Xue Yutang, Qingcheng Sword Sect's leader, True Man Songyue, along with the leaders and elders of the Diancang, Hengshan, and Taishan sects... Wow, such a gathering is a once-in-a-decades event!"

"How can that devil Lu Shaoyou be worthy of drawing the entire Qingzhou martial world to move against him alone!"

"Hmph, this scoundrel is inherently vicious, having wiped out two major halls of the Blood Saber Sect and brutally murdered four young heroes of Qingcheng on the official road. He has long incurred divine wrath! Today is his day of death!"

"It is strange, though. With such a massive commotion, why haven't we seen anyone from the Giant Whale Gang? Just a few days ago, that Lu Shaoyou killed Xiong Tai, the hall master of Black Tiger Hall, in their territory."

"What else could it be? I suspect the Giant Whale Gang is in league with this devil! Perhaps they intend to reap the benefits from the sidelines. A bunch of unspeakable rats!"

At the front of the plateau, Xue Yutang sat comfortably in a luxurious armchair, listening to the surrounding discussions with a smile.

Beside him sat True Man Songyue, his face ashen, his eyes bloodshot. The old Daoist held an ancient, unadorned longsword, radiating a chilling killing intent that warned others to keep their distance.

Just as the crowd was engrossed in heated discussion, a voice, not loud but exceptionally clear, cut through the throng from the rear.

"Make way."

The voice was calm, yet it carried an undeniable authority.

Everyone turned at the sound and saw a young man in a green robe, holding a long staff, walking slowly toward them.

He appeared to be under twenty, with a clear complexion and eyes as still as a deep pool, completely out of sync with the boisterous atmosphere.

"What kid is this? Don't you know the rules?" a burly man with a face full of rough flesh shouted impatiently. "If you want to watch the fun, get to the back of the line. You can't just push your way in here!"

"Hahaha, I think he's just trying his luck, hoping to pick up some scraps."

"Look at him, barely more than skin and bones, carrying a fire poker? Don't lose your life!"

A burst of laughter erupted from the crowd.

However, before the laughter died down, several martial artists who had just arrived from the direction of the official road went pale as ghosts upon recognizing the young man's face. Pointing at him, their voices trembled.

"It's... it's him! It's really him! The one who killed the Black Wind Seven Fiends with a flick of his finger!"

"Lu Shaoyou! He... he actually dared to come alone!"

The gasps of shock were like a bucket of cold water, instantly dousing the entire venue's clamor. All eyes, like a single entity, focused on the figure in green.

Among the countless gazes were astonishment, greed, and fear, but the most prevalent was a cruel desire to watch a good show.

"So you're Lu Shaoyou!" The burly man who had just berated him, far from being intimidated, had his eyes blaze with ecstatic joy.

He was known in the Jianghu as "Mountain-Splitting Saber" Wang Meng, a proud member of the Super First-rate Masters. He believed the rumors were mostly exaggerated. Now that Lu Shaoyou was alone, it was the perfect opportunity to make a name for himself and claim the bounty!

"Devil! You've committed countless murders and accumulated immense sin! Today, I, Wang Meng, will act on behalf of heaven and take your head!"

Wang Meng roared, his Inner Force erupting, causing the ground beneath his feet to crack. He swiftly drew the heavy-bladed Mountain-Splitting Saber from his back and, with the force to split mountains and cleave rocks, swung it down at Lu Shaoyou.

This saber strike was his famed ultimate technique, immensely powerful. Ordinary experts would lose their composure just facing its blade wind. He already envisioned Lu Shaoyou being split in two by his strike, after which he would, under everyone's gaze, claim fifty thousand taels of silver and become famous throughout Qingzhou.

However, facing this thunderous, earth-shattering saber strike, Lu Shaoyou didn't even lift an eyelid.

He simply extended a finger.

His index finger.

The finger was fair and slender, seemingly devoid of any strength. Casually, he met the Mountain-Splitting Saber, gently tapping it.

A faint, golden glow flickered around his fingertip.

"Clang!"

A soft, crisp sound.

In everyone's horrified, disbelieving eyes, Wang Meng's unstoppable Mountain-Splitting Saber, upon touching Lu Shaoyou's fingertip, seemed to strike an invisible, divine mountain.

The fierce Inner Force on the saber instantly dissipated.

Following that, the faint golden energy, like a living spirit snake, flowed from the saber tip, spreading across the entire blade in an instant.

"Crack... crack, crack, crack..."

A series of sharp cracking sounds followed. The Mountain-Splitting Saber, forged from a hundred refinements of fine steel, began to shatter from the tip, turning into countless iron filings that clattered to the ground.

Wang Meng's ecstatic expression froze, his eyes filled only with boundless terror and bewilderment.

Before he could react, the faint golden energy that had destroyed the saber continued its momentum, undiminished. Like an invisible sharp arrow, it pierced precisely through his forehead.

"Pfft."

A spray of blood mist erupted from the back of his head.

Wang Meng's expression froze, his tall body swayed, and he fell straight backward with a dull thud.

[Slaughter Value +1000 points.]

Deathly silence.

The wind, the surging clouds, the beating hearts, the breathing… all sounds seemed to vanish at this moment.

One finger.

Just one finger.

Shattered a divine weapon, instantly killed a Super First-rate Master!

Thousands of martial artists present felt a chill surge from the soles of their feet to the tops of their heads. Their limbs turned cold, and they dared not even take a breath.

Those who had been shouting to kill the demon earlier were now pale-faced, their legs trembling uncontrollably.

Lu Shaoyou retracted his finger, as if he had just crushed a tiny, insignificant ant.

His gaze swept over the crowd. The people in front parted like the Red Sea under Moses' command, retreating in terror to both sides, leaving a wide passage to the arena.

No one dared to stop him any longer.

He walked onto the simple arena built of large stones, step by step, unhurriedly. He casually stuck the Qi Mei Cudgel he held into the ground beside him.

After doing all this, he didn't look at the True Man Songyue, whose face was filled with murderous intent, nor did he pay attention to the thousands of so-called fellow martial artists below the stage.

His gaze passed over everyone and fell directly on Xue Yutang, who sat calmly and smiling in a grand tutor's chair.

Although it was their first meeting, he instantly confirmed the man's identity.

The corner of his mouth curled into a half-smile.

He spoke lightly, his voice clearly carrying to the entire summit of Soul Severing Cliff.

"You invited the person."

"You set up the play."

He paused, then lifted his foot and stomped lightly on the hard stone arena.

"Dong!"

With a muffled sound, the entire platform seemed to tremble violently. Countless tiny cracks spread outwards from where his foot landed.

"Now, can I start killing people?"

The entire audience was shocked by his words!

How arrogant! How presumptuous! He actually viewed this public trial of Qingzhou's martial arts world as a slaughter feast he was orchestrating!

"You insolent brat! How dare you be so rampant!" True Man Songyue trembled with rage, his beard and hair standing on end. He could no longer hold back and prepared to attack.

However, someone was faster than him.

"You mere demon, how dare you spout nonsense here! I shall take your life!"

With a fierce shout, a green figure flashed through the crowd and landed gracefully on the arena.

This person was Zhou Qingyun, the sect leader of the Diancang Sect. With his early Xiantian cultivation, he was a renowned figure in the Qingzhou martial arts world.

Seeing Lu Shaoyou so contemptuous of everyone, it was the perfect opportunity for him to establish his authority.

"Witness my Diancang ultimate skill, Cloud Gate Flying Sword!"

Without any wasted words, Zhou Qingyun pointed his fingers like a sword, and an extremely condensed green sword qi shot out, emitting a piercing sound as it tore through the air, heading straight for Lu Shaoyou's throat.

This strike was fast, accurate, and fierce, fully displaying the demeanor of a Xiantian master.

The crowd below cheered, as if they had already seen Lu Shaoyou's end, pierced through the throat by the sword.

However, Lu Shaoyou merely glanced at him disdainfully.

Facing the sword qi that could pierce steel plates, he still didn't use any weapon. He simply raised his right hand, his fingers curling into claws.

Dragon Claw Hand!

"Weng!"

A phantom dragon claw, condensed from pale golden true qi, appeared out of thin air. Arriving later but striking first, it firmly grasped the sharp green sword qi in its palm.

"Crack!"

With a crisp sound, like crushing a piece of flatbread.

The sword qi that Zhou Qingyun had placed so much hope in was crushed into pieces by Lu Shaoyou's dragon claw, dissipating into the air as specks of green light.

Lu Shaoyou retracted his hand, even flicking it somewhat listlessly. He looked at the stunned Zhou Qingyun and uttered two words.

"Too weak."

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