Amidst the Chaos
Xing Wuye moved swiftly, slipping out of the chamber with the conference rewards securely stashed within his robes. All around him, the conference grounds were in a frenzy, with disciples, wandering daoists, and sect followers scattering in panic, retreating from the horrifying energy waves rolling down from above. Each blast tore through the air with enough power to make even the most hardened fighters blanch.
Wuye watched them flee, a hint of a smirk playing on his lips. Perfect. In this mess, no one will look twice at me. He melded into the throngs, sidestepping bodies and skirting around groups of panicked disciples, his movements measured and precise. Glancing up, he noted the sky, where a violent darkness had swallowed up the light, like ink spreading across a canvas, dripping malevolence. The perfect cover.
As he weaved through the crowd, Wuye's gaze sharpened, catching sight of a large wolf surging toward him. It moved like a shadow, powerful and swift, bearing a cloaked daoist on its back who hunched forward, urging the beast faster. The wolf's lean, muscular body cut a path through the dispersing crowd with practiced ease, and Wuye's eyes glinted coldly as he sized up both rider and mount.
A mount like that could get me out of here in half the time, he thought, the edges of his mouth curving upward in a smirk. And it seems like these two are beneath my realm.
He extended his hand, releasing a subtle, harmless wave of qi that rippled through the air, aimed at the daoist to gauge his strength. As Wuye expected, the man barely reacted, confirming his suspicions. Body Tempering, Wuye noted, faintly amused. Odd to see one of such low cultivation here when even the weaker participants are in the Qi Condensation realm.
He tilted his head slightly, giving the raging battle above them one more cursory glance. The qi surging in the sky was unrelenting, wrapping the heavens in a dark, murderous fog. No time to overthink it, he decided, a glint of cold resolve settling in his gaze as he raised his hand, this time releasing a concentrated burst of qi aimed at the daoist.
The wolf's sharp instincts kicked in; it sidestepped deftly, its eyes wide with a primal alertness. Wuye gave a grim smile, activating Wind Stride. In the blink of an eye, he was behind the rider, his hand reaching forward in one swift, deadly motion. The daoist barely had time to look back before Wuye's hand tore through his chest, his expression freezing in shock before his eyes lost their light.
The wolf let out a wild snarl, bucking and twisting under Wuye's grip, trying to shake off the strange, cold presence suddenly dominating its back. Wuye's face remained impassive, his hands gripping the animal's fur with relentless force. "Down," he commanded, reinforcing his voice with a chilling qi that seeped into the beast. The wolf's body shuddered, and though it fought, its resolve wavered as Wuye's aura pressed down on it like a vice. Slowly, with one last shiver, it lowered its head in submission, acknowledging his dominance.
Satisfied, Wuye adjusted his robes and secured the rewards hidden within, casting a cool glance over his shoulder. With one sharp nudge, he urged the wolf forward, and it obeyed, lurching into a powerful sprint that tore them away from the chaotic conference grounds, the remnants of broken pagodas and crumbling structures blurring as they surged past.
High above, the sky was a storm of energy. Sect leaders and elders from every sect hovered in the air, faces locked in grim focus as they channeled their most potent life treasures to withstand the attacks. At the center of it all stood the pale youth, his robes billowing as he floated above, a gleam of sinister amusement in his eyes as he surveyed the assembled fighters.
The youth lifted his hand, and with a lazy flick, a massive wave of dark energy surged outward, slamming into the leaders. It struck with relentless force, sending shudders through the air and rattling the life treasures of the weaker sect elders, which flickered as they strained to hold against the impact.
The three main sect leaders shot forward, their auras blazing with unrestrained power, each of them releasing techniques that filled the sky with brilliant rays. Searing flames, jagged beams of lightning, and waves of glistening sword qi clashed with the dark energy, illuminating the battlefield in a dazzling yet deadly display. The pale youth's face twisted into a mocking grin as he watched the three leaders unleash their techniques.
"Is this it?" he sneered, his voice carrying across the heavens with biting scorn. "The combined might of so-called leaders?"
With a flash of his eyes, he raised both arms. A massive skull of pitch-black energy formed above him, swirling with hatred and malice, casting an oppressive shadow that seemed to devour even the light from the sect leaders' techniques. The skull grinned, hollow eyes glowing with a sickly red as it let out a low, guttural laugh that sent a chill down the spine of every observer.
The pale youth's gaze fixed on one of the sect leaders, his lips curling into a cold smile. "Jin Chen," he said, his voice laced with venom, "There was a time I respected you, even believed in you. But then you stole from me."
Jin Chen's face tightened, his jaw clenching. "Stole from you? If you were worth remembering, perhaps I would have," he sneered, his voice defiant but with an edge of unease.
The pale youth's eyes narrowed. "If you hadn't taken Junior apprentice from me, I would have still been able to hear her laugh and her voice, now she is gone!"
With a cold, mirthless laugh, he clenched his fist, and the skull's eyes blazed even brighter. It shot downward, splitting into countless tendrils of dark energy that lashed out like whips, slicing through the air with terrifying speed. The weaker sect elders scrambled to block the onslaught, their life treasures flickering as they struggled to withstand the overwhelming force.
The Holy Couple, Liu Yanmei and Li Jiang, flew closer, pooling their energy as they released radiant beams of light from their respective life treasures—the white jade that combined with a black one, forming a shield of blazing energy around them. But even their combined defense wavered against the intensity of the dark energy surging from the pale youth's techniques.
The pale youth's expression turned coldly triumphant, his hand rising above his head. The massive, sinister-looking cauldron and black as midnight.
"Million Soul Cauldron," he intoned with deadly calm, his eyes glinting with malice as the cauldron released thick tendrils of fog of black energy that poured downward like a waterfall, washing over the sect leaders and their protective treasures.
The weaker sect leaders and elders cried out, their life treasures wavering as the cauldron's fog smothered them, draining their strength. Their defenses shattered one by one, the dark fog wrapping around them like tendrils of night, and their voices fell silent as their very souls were absorbed into the cauldron. Only the strongest—the three main sect leaders, the Holy Couple, and Jin Chen—remained, their energy reserves depleted, their faces lined with strain.
Hovering above them, the pale youth gave them one last, cold smile, his voice filled with quiet rage. "It's because of people like you that she died."
Jin Chen spat out, "You sound like a broken record, do you ever shut up."
The youths eyes narrowed as he absorbed the souls of those he had just slaughtered, his strength increasing. He shot out a large wave of dark energy that they barely defended against.
The pale youth watched them with cold amusement, his form hovering like a dark wraith. Though his expression was calm, his eyes held a terrifying malice that seemed to darken the very air around him. He spoke, his voice carrying across the heavens with sinister clarity.
"So," he sneered, his tone dripping with contempt, "you're still standing. Impressive, perhaps. But I wonder, are you ready to die?"
The words hung in the air like the final toll of a death bell, and his lips twisted into a cold, twisted smile, savoring the fear flickering across their faces.