Hearing his threat, the Supreme Elder, a towering figure in the early stages of Nascent Soul cultivation, sneered.
He had lived through countless battles and faced opponents stronger than Xie Ren. Who was this insignificant Qi Refining cultivator to threaten him?
"You?" The Elder sneered. "A mere Qi Refining ant dares threaten me? Do you even know who you're talking to? Get down here and apologize!"
With a wave of his hand, the elder unleashed his Nascent Soul aura, an oppressive force that pressed down upon Xie Ren like a mountain, intent on crushing him under the weight of power. The air itself seemed to bend under its suffocating pressure.
Xie Ren's expression remained as calm and indifferent as ever. He did not flinch or sway under the overwhelming force. Instead, his voice rang out. "Kneel."
The moment the words left his lips, the world seemed to stop. The elder's body, once hovering arrogantly in the air, was suddenly pulled downward by an invisible force.
His legs sank deep into the earth, the soil beneath him cracking under the weight of his sudden descent. The force was so immense that the elder's body trembled as though it was about to shatter.
"Kid," the elder gasped, struggling against the weight bearing down on him. "Who the hell are you?"
He was scared; he had never felt anything like this before, not even when facing his own Sect Leader.
"Did I not introduce myself before?" Xie Ren muttered. "I'm the supreme master of the Taishan Sect."
The air around him seemed to thrum with power, the very atmosphere charged with an aura of authority. Xie Ren's presence was like a mountain, and the elder could do nothing but sink under it.
The elder's eyes widened in shock and fear. "Do you even know who I am? I'm the Supreme Elder of the Mystic Frost Sect! If you harm me, my sect will stop at nothing to destroy you!"
Xie Ren's lips curled into a small grin. "You don't need to threaten me with the Mystic Frost Sect. I'll destroy your sect myself."
The elder's face twisted in rage. "Heh, kid, you may have some tricks, but if you think you can challenge the Mystic Frost Sect, you're far from enough!"
Before the elder could finish, Xie Ren raised his hand, his fingers curling slightly as though grasping something unseen.
With a swift motion, he slapped the air. The force of the blow shattered the air itself, sending a shockwave through the space.
The elder's body jerked violently as if struck by an invisible hammer. In an instant, the Nascent Soul cultivator crumpled to the ground, unconscious, his aura flickering out like a dying ember. He was utterly subdued.
The disciples of the Mystic Frost Sect, who had been watching with growing confidence, now froze.
A cold, suffocating fear gripped them as they saw their Supreme Elder, the very symbol of their sect's power, fall so easily.
A murmur rippled through the ranks, followed by the desperate shout of one disciple. "Brothers, run!"
In an instant, chaos erupted. The disciples scattered in all directions, fleeing from the terror they had just witnessed.
But Chen Yinyin, standing tall, was far from finished.
"You harm my people, and now you want to run?" she shouted, her voice like thunder.
She raised her hand, and beneath her feet, the dark lotus flower, once just black and ominous, began to change. Now, half of the petals gleamed with a golden hue, a contrast so stark it looked like a manifestation of both light and shadow. The sight was both beautiful and terrifying.
"Bloom of the dead, rise!" she commanded.
The petals scattered into the air, each one a deadly shard of energy. As the petals touched the fleeing disciples, their bodies were torn apart, their lives snuffed out in an instant.
The air around them turned crimson, the ground littered with the remains of the Mystic Frost Sect's disciples.
The only one left was Wei Wu, trembling in the distance, his face ashen, his eyes wide with terror.
The once-confident man now seemed like nothing more than a frightened child, his arrogance shattered.
Wei Wu lay on the ground, his body mangled and broken. His once-imposing figure was now a grotesque sight, with blood pouring from the severed stump of his thigh, and his breathing ragged.
Despite the overwhelming pain, he managed to lift his head, eyes gleaming with a flicker of defiance.
"Tell me." Chen Yinyin asked, "How did you know I was from the Chen family?"
For the last half month, Wei Wu and his men had not made a move on the Chen family. It seemed impossible for them to suddenly take such find her identity and make a move.
Chen Yinyin's gaze hardened, and her grip on her sword tightened. "Tell me the truth. How did you know?"
Wei Wu's face contorted as he struggled to breathe through the agony. "I'll tell you… I'll tell you everything! It was Ming from the Profound Purity Sect. He came to us, saying that if we captured your family, you would leave the Taishan Sect's protective mountain formation willingly!"
The mention of Ming sent a cold, lethal fury surging through Chen Yinyin's veins. Her grip tightened on the hilt of her sword, and her eyes gleamed with unrestrained killing intent.
Last time, her master had warned Grand Ming not to think of anything funny against the Chen family, but despite that, he had secretly acted against his words.
"Ming…" she murmured under her breath, her fists clenched.
Wei Wu, seeing the look in her eyes, stammered in desperation. "I said what you asked! Please, you've got to believe me! I haven't harmed anyone from your family! I haven't-"
Before he could finish, Chen Yinyin swung her saber in a wide arc, cutting through the air with a sharp whistle.
With a sickening crack, Wei Wu's remaining arm fell to the ground, severed at the shoulder.
"If I told you that I don't believe you, would you care?" she asked coldly.