Everyone from the Luoqing Sect, from Sect Master Luo Shuangyun to more than ten Xuanyuan Realm cultivators, had been killed on the spot.
From beginning to end, Si Yan had only unleashed two sword strikes.
Luo Shuangyun was quite famous in the Northern Border and was by no means an unknown figure. However, since the Luoqing Sect had lost its pillars of support, it would likely fall into decline very soon. This branch could already be considered exterminated by Si Yan’s hand. The Luoqing Sect’s ancestral lands and assets would likely be swallowed up by outside forces before long.
In truth, Si Yan had not initially intended to kill Luo Shuangyun and the others. However, he knew in his heart that even if he spared the man’s life, Luo Shuangyun would never have let the matter rest after losing his son. Furthermore, the mention of how his son had defiled that mother and daughter, followed by the extermination of their entire family, had truly infuriated Si Yan.
Si Yan was a Transmigrator. While he had his own unique perspectives on many things, he also possessed a profound reverence for life. From the moment he arrived in the Ten Thousand Worlds, the person who had raised him from infancy had instilled in him the idea that human life was of paramount importance.
Si Yan remembered a certain saying very clearly. That person had told him that the lives of cultivators were not to be pitied, as they had already lived for hundreds or even thousands of years and had enjoyed everything they could. Mortals, however, only had a lifespan of about 100 years. The time they could experience was far too short, and they spent their entire lives toiling and rushing about for their daily meals, often going hungry…
As Si Yan gradually returned from his memories, he turned his head and saw Nan Tianxing, Li Yuxia, City Lord Lu, and Yang Lingqing. Their faces were ashen, and they stood frozen in place, looking like a row of stiff corpses.
In the Cultivation World, it was a consensus that the accomplished and the strong were respected. If one were to mindlessly offend a master and get killed for it, it was considered perfectly justified.
Those in the Xuanyuan Realm were already considered experts; they could even become peak masters if they joined a major sect. A Human God was the equivalent of a sect master of a great sect, a cultivator standing at the pinnacle of the Mortal Realm. Such figures were not to be lightly insulted!
Cheng Yilin also remained dazed for a long time. How could she have imagined that this young man, who looked no more than 20, was actually a Human God? He was a cultivator on the same level as the three Great Sect Leaders!
Cheng Yilin felt a wave of dizziness. One had to understand that the Sect Master of her Tianjian Sect had reached the Human God Realm only after 220 years of cultivation. Even then, that Sect Master was considered a rare genius seen only once in several centuries! His physical appearance was that of a middle-aged man at the very least. But Si Yan looked so young! Forget 20 — if someone claimed he was only 18 or 19, people would believe it! She suddenly felt as though the world had begun to go mad!
Nan Tianxing saw Si Yan looking at him with a half-smile. He did not care that Su Tao’er was present, nor did he have time to wipe the blood from the corners of his mouth where Luo Shuangyun had struck him. He looked utterly terrified as he scrambled backward, pleading for mercy. “Pavilion Master Si — Pavilion Master Si, there is no old or new enmity between us! Earlier at the banquet, I was even speaking up for you! You cannot kill me — you must not kill me!”
Before he could finish his sentence, Si Yan grabbed him and leapt onto the high stage. He threw the man onto the floor and sat back down at the table. Si Yan picked up another jar of wine and continued to pour himself a drink. The others were terrified beyond measure; they all scrambled up from their seats and retreated in panic.
Su Tao’er retrieved the Imperial Sword and returned to Si Yan’s side.
She knew her Master was very powerful, as she had personally seen him shatter the sword qi radiance left behind by a Deity in the Water Palace. However, that radiance had only been lingering sword qi, not the Deity itself, so it did not represent too much. But today, right in front of so many people, her Master had been so overbearing that he had killed more than thirty experts, including the Sect Master of the Luoqing Sect, with just two strikes!
Because of this, even Su Tao’er had not yet fully processed everything. But at the very least, one thing was certain: meeting this Master was the greatest fortune of her life. This man was capable of changing her entire destiny!
Seeing that the wine in Si Yan’s cup was gone, she hurriedly tried to show her worth by pouring more for him. But before she could touch the wine jar, she saw a pair of slender, jade-like hands pick it up and pour the wine.
Su Tao’er blinked. It was Bai Lan, dressed in his scholar’s attire, who had somehow already begun pouring the wine for Si Yan.
Si Yan was not surprised. He took the cup and drank. Su Tao’er looked to the left and saw her First Senior Brother, Mo Junheng, leaning against a pillar in the corridor. He was hugging his sword, looking exactly as he did back at the Destiny Pavilion. On the other side of Mo Junheng, there was another small figure crouching in the corner, silent. The figure seemed to be holding a branch and poking at something on the ground.
Unbeknownst to everyone, all the members of the Destiny Pavilion had arrived.
At this moment, even if Si Yan said nothing, those who had previously mocked and belittled him were already trembling with fear. Despite their terror, they did not dare to flee. In front of a Human God, such actions were futile. For those at low cultivation levels, a Human God could likely kill them with a single breath.
“Which of you were the ones who wanted to kill me with a single palm strike or slaughter me like a pig or a dog?” Si Yan grinned. “You can step forward now. I welcome your challenges.”
As soon as those words were spoken, a row of people, including City Lord Lu, involuntarily lined up in front of Si Yan. None of them dared to take a single step forward. They were all silent, their faces devoid of color.
Si Yan’s two sword strikes had been far too shocking! One strike had broken the Luoqing Sect’s grand protecting array! The other strike had instantly killed Luo Shuangyun, an expert at the Great Circle of the Spirit Emperor Realm and a Half-step Human-God!
In front of such a person, these minor characters were nothing more than ants. The entire venue was silent. Not a single person dared to utter a sound.
Si Yan beckoned to Su Tao’er and said, “Tao’er, come here.”
Su Tao’er obeyed and sat down obediently. She was naturally well-behaved and followed her family’s wishes, which was why her elders had doted on her so much. The most rebellious thing she had done in her life was going to the Phantom Sea to seek a master. Thus, this obedience naturally extended to Si Yan. Whatever her Master said, Su Tao’er would do without hesitation.
Seeing that she was sitting more than 3 inches away, Si Yan reminded her, “Don’t sit so far away. Sit closer to your Master. I am your Master, which makes me like your father or brother. Don’t be a stranger. I don’t like it when you act like a stranger.”
“Oh… okay.”
The young girl obeyed. She felt a small wave of emotion and a sense of being favored. She quickly used her hands to lift her stool and scooted right next to Si Yan, leaning against her Master with a grin.
Si Yan coughed a few times and said, “Tao’er, what I want to teach you isn’t just Divine Supernatural Arts. I also want to teach you how to conduct yourself in the world. You need to watch all of this. In the future, when I am no longer around, this knowledge might save your life…”
But before Si Yan could finish, Yang Lingqing, the Hall Master of the Seven Swords Sect standing before him, could no longer bear the pressure.
Unable to remain silent any longer, he suddenly fell to his knees and begged for mercy.
“Pavilion Master Si, I was blind and failed to recognize your greatness! I was a damn fool who looked down on people! I know I was wrong now! Please, you must spare my life! I have over 100 acres of fertile land and a manor in my hometown, as well as property in the Imperial Capital! I have a total of twenty-three concubines and maids! Among them are eight virgins under the age of 16! I am willing to offer them all to you for your enjoyment! Please, Pavilion Master Si, have mercy on me!”