"This sword strike already carries the might of a Martial Sovereign."
Everyone around the square was shaken.
Yang Cheng's face stayed calm as he drew the Shura Dao Sword.
"Since your Chu clan wants this sword so badly, I'll let you see its power."
No flourishes, no wasted motion. He gripped the Shura Dao Sword and slashed straight out, clashing head-on with Chu Xuzhi's black sword.
Clang!
Under the horrified gazes of the crowd, even in its explosive state, Chu Xuzhi's black sword was blocked outright by Yang Cheng's strike.
Chu Xuzhi tried to retreat.
But Yang Cheng's left hand shot out like lightning, seizing his sword wrist with perfect precision.
A crisp crack sounded as Chu Xuzhi's wrist snapped. The black sword slipped from his grasp, only to be caught smoothly by Yang Cheng's left hand.
"Not a bad sword."
Yang Cheng sheathed the Shura Dao Sword and casually played with the black sword.
Chu Xuzhi's face turned pale, cold sweat dripping down his forehead.
Enduring the pain, he formed a seal with his left hand. "Blackfiend Sword, return!"
The sword trembled violently, trying to break free of Yang Cheng's grasp.
But Yang Cheng only tightened his fingers slightly. The sword wailed in protest, then went still.
"No, impossible! The Blackfiend Sword is the Chu clan's treasured weapon. How can you suppress it?"
Chu Xuzhi's expression twisted in panic.
Yang Cheng gave no reply. He simply flicked his wrist.
The black sword shot out as a streak of black light, moving even faster than before.
Puff!
The blade pierced through Chu Xuzhi's left shoulder, carrying him backward and pinning him against a stone pillar.
The square fell silent.
Everyone held their breath, staring in disbelief.
The number one prodigy of the Western Regions had been nailed to a pillar by his own sword.
"Brother!"
Chu Xianzhi's voice trembled.
Zuo Qiuyu's legs weakened until she almost collapsed. For the first time, she truly realized how terrifying this youth was.
Yang Cheng walked slowly toward the pinned Chu Xuzhi. Each footstep echoed clearly in the silent square, as if pressing down on everyone's hearts.
"Now, let's talk about your Chu clan's young phoenix corpse."
Standing before him, Yang Cheng's tone was calm, yet bone-chilling.
Chu Xuzhi's face was ashen. Forcing down his resentment, he said, "Senior, the young phoenix corpse is my clan's greatest treasure. I, as a junior, cannot decide on such a matter."
Inside, he roared in hatred. 'Old bastard, just wait. Once this is over, I'll have your skin peeled, your tendons ripped out, and your bones ground to dust.'
No matter how strong this man was, the Chu clan had more than just one expert. When dozens, even hundreds, of their powerhouses surrounded him, he would be crushed without a doubt.
"You can't decide? Then what value does keeping you alive serve?"
In the next instant, Yang Cheng's gaze turned icy.
Chu Xuzhi froze, shocked.
This wasn't what he expected. After hearing that excuse, shouldn't the other side bargain further, telling Chu Xianzhi to summon the Chu clan elders?
Before he could think more, Yang Cheng wrenched the black sword free.
Chu Xuzhi fell to the ground. Inwardly, he sneered.
'So he does fear the Chu clan, after all. He's letting me go.'
The others around thought the same.
But at that very moment, Yang Cheng swung the sword.
Puff!
Chu Xuzhi's head flew from his neck, bouncing more than a dozen times before coming to a stop.
His eyes were still wide open, as if demanding why Yang Cheng dared to kill him.
"Brother!"
"Chu Xuzhi!"
Every Chu clan member present went blood-red in the eyes.
This was their number one prodigy, their future hope.
But now, Chu Xuzhi had been beheaded.
The hope of the Chu clan was gone!
Not far away, Chu Meng stood frozen, utterly stunned.
No matter how she tried, she couldn't imagine the outcome turning out like this.
That was the Chu clan's number one prodigy.
Even though she felt little sense of belonging to the Chu clan, the sight of Chu Xuzhi's death still left her heart trembling with fear.
"How dare you kill the heir of my Chu clan!"
Chu Daohang glared at Yang Cheng, his eyes bloodshot.
"No value. Killed. Isn't that normal?"
Yang Cheng's tone was calm.
"You're dead!"
Chu Daohang spat in hatred.
For someone like him, Yang Cheng couldn't even be bothered to strike personally. "Oh? And how exactly am I dead?"
"My Chu clan won't let you go," Chu Daohang said. "Within one quarter-hour, countless experts of the Chu clan will arrive. By then, you'll surely die."
"I'm not in a hurry. I'll wait for your Chu clan's experts to come," Yang Cheng said.
The Chu clan had hidden too deeply and too widely in Mozhou, threatening Great Zhou's rule. A nail like this had to be pulled out and destroyed.
Then his gaze fell on Zuo Qiuyu.
Zuo Qiuyu lowered her head. "Senior, I am willing to apologize for what I did before. I hope we can turn hostility into friendship."
"You joined the siege to kill me, and now you think a light apology can erase everything?"
Yang Cheng laughed in disbelief.
"Then what does senior want?"
Zuo Qiuyu suppressed her anger. "I am a true disciple of Divine Medicine Valley. You've already offended the Chu clan. Do you intend to offend my Divine Medicine Valley as well?"
"I've offended your Divine Medicine Valley before. So what if I offend you again?"
Yang Cheng extended a finger.
Puff!
A hole opened cleanly between Zuo Qiuyu's brows.
Her eyes widened in disbelief, staring at Yang Cheng. "You…"
"You dare kill my senior sister? Her brother is Zuo Qiuming!"
Murong Yun blurted out.
But Yang Cheng didn't hesitate at all. With a flick of his finger-sword, Murong Yun was slain as well.
He suspected that during Chen Mohai's attempted ambush, Murong Yun had been one of the participants behind the scenes.
Though he lacked proof, nothing stopped him from killing her now.
A moment later, both Zuo Qiuyu and Murong Yun's corpses hit the ground.
The crowd felt as if they'd plunged into an ice cave.
This was a madman, a devil—acting without care for consequences.
Offending both the Chu clan and Divine Medicine Valley. Even if he survived today, in the future, no place in the world would be left for him to stand.
Chu Daohang's face turned pale, regret rising in his heart for stepping out earlier.
Though he believed the Chu clan would eventually kill Yang Cheng, with that kind of power, Yang Cheng could easily kill him before reinforcements arrived.
Fortunately, Yang Cheng didn't even seem to see him. He survived.
Unknowingly, a quarter-hour passed.
Suddenly, everyone stiffened in shock.
Whoosh! Whoosh! Whoosh!
Terrifying waves of power surged outside Hetian Town.
Before long, dozens of figures descended.
At the lead was a middle-aged man with the stride of a dragon and the bearing of a tiger, exuding authority without anger.
"Greetings to the Patriarch."
The Chu clan members bowed at once.
Other powers present turned pale with fear, bowing in respect. "Greetings to the Chu clan Patriarch."
This middle-aged man was none other than Chu clan Patriarch—Martial Sovereign powerhouse, Chu Daoyue.
"Outrageous!"
"Ah, Xuzhi!"
The moment he saw Chu Xuzhi's corpse, the Chu clan members nearly exploded.
Even Chu Daoyue's face—unchanged for what seemed like centuries—twitched with grief and rage.
Then his gaze locked on Yang Cheng. "Senior, what grudge does my Chu clan bear against you, that you would strike so cruelly at our heir?"
Yang Cheng's voice stayed flat. "He tried to kill me. I killed him. Isn't that perfectly justified?"
"Very well."
Chu Daoyue's tone went cold. "Then I can guarantee this: I won't kill you. I'll let you live. And every day you'll live in hell."
Everyone around shuddered, chills racing down their backs. Just imagining the boy's fate to come was horrifying.