"Brother Xiao Yan!"
No one had expected such a sudden turn of events, nor had time to react.
The idol of the Xiao Family, the young master Xiao Yan who had just been hailed as the hope of the clan's rise — was killed?
Not even a corpse remained. It was like a dream.
"Yan'er!" Xiao Zhan cried out, his voice torn with grief.
"Brother Xiao Yan!"
Gu Xun'er's mind went blank. Aside from her father and the uncles of the Gu Clan, Brother Xiao Yan was the person she was closest to in this world.
And now, Brother Xiao Yan was… dead?
Her eyes turned red as tears rolled down her delicate cheeks and fell to the ground.
Ding!
[Congratulations, Host. You have successfully killed the Son of Destiny. Achievement unlocked: Defy the Heavens and Change Fate. Villain Points +3000!]
Hun Miesheng stood calmly, utterly composed after obliterating Xiao Yan.
Xiao Yan's body and soul vanished into nothingness. With two soft clinks, a black ring and a jade-green pendant fell to the ground.
The pendant was ancient and intricate, though visibly damaged with a cracked edge.
"That's the Tou She Ancient Emperor Jade!"
Gu Xun'er froze. She finally understood why this mysterious man had killed Brother Xiao Yan — it was for the Tou She Ancient Emperor Jade!
"Damn you! Give me back my son's life!"
Xiao Zhan, struck like lightning, stood dazed for a moment before roaring in pain.
"Furious Lion Strength Burst!"
His Dou Qi surged into the form of a mighty lion — a mid-tier Profound Rank Dou Technique!
"Clan Leader!" Several of the loyal elders around him cried out and attacked together.
Dazzling Dou Techniques filled the air, cracking the earth beneath with intense force.
The power was terrifying.
"Your courage is commendable. I'll give you a like for that," Hun Miesheng shook his head.
"But... in the dark forest, weakness is a sin."
He raised his palm and clenched his five fingers tightly.
Boom! Boom! Boom! Boom!
Explosions rang out endlessly as half the square was enveloped in crimson mist. Xiao Zhan and over ten other attackers instantly turned into a fog of blood.
The scent of blood wafted with the wind, stabbing at everyone's nerves.
"The Clan Leader... is dead?"
After a moment of stunned silence, the crowd burst into chaos — crying, screaming, complete panic.
Hun Miesheng shook his head. Since the evil deed was already done, he might as well carry it through.
No loose ends — that's what a real villain does.
"Move in. Kill every single member of the Xiao Clan!"
His voice echoed throughout the air, strong and unquestionable.
"Yes!"
Nearly a hundred black-robed figures appeared from all directions. Even the weakest among them was a Dou Wang, and there were two Dou Zuns among them.
Using a butcher's knife to kill chickens — this was Hun Miesheng's style.
A tiger hunts rabbits with full strength. He dared not slacken. Who knew what ripples would follow killing a Son of Destiny?
Miserable screams rang across the heavens, turning the square into a living hell.
Gu Xun'er looked around in panic, but there was no sign of Ling Lao.
"Are you looking for that old man?" Hun Miesheng casually pointed to the side.
Thud!
A bloodied old man was tossed to the ground before her.
"Ling Lao!" Gu Xun'er felt as if her heart had fallen into an endless abyss.
"Miss… run…" A gaping hole was visible in Ling Lao's chest. With great effort, he managed to say those words before his breath ceased.
"Hall Master."
Gui Lao knelt on one knee, blood still on his hands.
Hun Miesheng nodded.
"I'll kill you!" With everyone close to her dead, Gu Xun'er finally lost control. Her pupils turned a pale gold.
The seal broke!
Her aura soared, golden flames roaring out and swallowing half the plaza.
The entire ground began to collapse. Dou Qi burned away in an instant as a golden fire dragon roared toward Hun Miesheng.
"A sub-flame of the Golden Emperor Burning Heaven Flame?"
Watching the golden dragon charge forward, Hun Miesheng suddenly spread his arms.
"Showing off your tricks in front of the master? How can a firefly compete with the moon?"
Boom!
An extremely dark flame erupted from Hun Miesheng's body. In an instant, it devoured the Golden Emperor's flame and reduced it to nothingness.
"That's... the Void Devouring Flame!" Gu Xun'er coughed up blood and collapsed.
Hun Miesheng stretched lazily. With his Five-Star Dou Saint strength, no one here could even withstand a single blow.
Invincibility was indeed… lonely.
Gritting her teeth, Gu Xun'er pulled a spatial scroll from her ring — a gift from her father, Gu Yuan — and tore it open!
This was her only hope.
Hun Miesheng didn't stop her. He simply stood in the air, watching like an observer at a play.
The torn scroll triggered spatial ripples. Buzzing sounds filled the air, and the space began to tremble as if it were about to shatter.
But after a few breaths, the tremors ceased.
Snap!
The spatial ripple collapsed into nothingness.
"How... how is that possible?" Gu Xun'er's face went pale. "Why didn't the scroll work?"
Hun Miesheng smiled and snapped his fingers.
Darkness instantly fell over the entire area.
A layer of black spatial barrier appeared in the sky, enveloping all of Wutan City.
He had already sealed the entire city before he even arrived.
"A self-contained space."
"You… you're a Dou Saint!"
Gu Xun'er's face was filled with despair before everything went black and she fainted.
"Hall Master, four hundred and four members of the Xiao Clan — none escaped," Gui Lao reported.
Hun Miesheng nodded, then picked up Gu Xun'er and looked down.
With a wave of his hand, countless sparks of the Void Devouring Flame scattered into the air, engulfing the Xiao Clan.
Black flames burned fiercely. In just a few dozen breaths, the entire Xiao Clan was reduced to ashes.
Ding!
[Congratulations, Host. Achievement Unlocked: Heinous Villain. Villain Points +3000. Bonus Reward for Eliminating Son of Destiny: Chaos Heaven Devouring Art, Puppet Control Art.]
[Chaos Heaven Devouring Art: A chaos-origin cultivation method that can devour all energy, life force, and bloodlines to strengthen the user. Creates the Sacred Spirit Body and seizes the power of creation.]
[Puppet Control Art: Life is a stage — all acting. Control the strings of life itself. Beings implanted with this technique become your puppets, completely under your will.]
'Only villains get stronger. Looks like I'm destined for this path.'
Hun Miesheng spread his hands.
To wear the crown, one must bear its weight.
From this day forward, let the world tremble at the villain known as Hun Miesheng.
"Pass on my command."
"Seal all of Wutan City. No one is allowed to enter or leave!"
"Any violators will have their souls extracted and their bones crushed to dust!"
"Yes, Hall Master!"
Black-robed figures encircled Wutan City tightly, sealing it completely from the outside world.
Gui Lao followed behind Hun Miesheng, wanting to speak but hesitating.
Destroying the Xiao Clan, seizing the Tou She Ancient Emperor Jade, abducting the Gu Clan's heiress — even if he were slow-witted, he already understood Hun Miesheng's ambition.
From now on, the Soul Hall would separate from the Hun Clan and belong to Hun Miesheng alone.
"Gui Lao, are you afraid?"
Hun Miesheng didn't turn his head.
"The Gu Clan. Hun Tiandi. Countless powers in Central State want us dead."
"Are you afraid? What lies ahead… is hell."
"I'm not afraid. My life belongs to the Hall Master. I will die without regret."
Gui Lao did not hesitate in the slightest.
Hun Miesheng gave him a deeper look. Though he no longer remembered what the original Hun Miesheng did for Gui Lao, he knew that even villains had people who were loyal to them.
Without another word, Hun Miesheng waved his hand and shattered space, taking Gui Lao and a few other Soul Hall elders back to the main hall.
After imprisoning Gu Xun'er, Hun Miesheng returned once more to the Main God Boundary Stele.
His current Villain Points total was 6200 — more than enough to unlock the shop feature of the Main God Stele.
He just didn't know yet what treasures might be inside.
(End of Chapter)