The main hall of the Jintian Clan.

Grand Elder Jintian Wuhong and a group of other higher-ups stood solemnly in place.

A handsome young man in white robes was seated at the central seat. Electricity seemed to flow whenever he opened or closed his eyes, and a terrifying pressure spread from him, causing everyone in the hall to tremble in fear.

Fang Xiaoyun!

He was the Supreme Elder of the Great Everlasting Sword Hall, and an Immortal-level expert who had reached the Heavenly Longevity Stage! Although he was alone, his mere presence made all of the Jintian Clan higher-ups lower their heads in unison.

From the central seat, Fang Xiaoyun nonchalantly said, "Those who submit should also have the demeanor of submission. I’ve heard that there is a group of people in your clan who refuse to surrender, and intend to fight my Great Everlasting Sword Hall to the bitter end. Where are those people now?"

The words made Jintian Wuhong’s and the others’ expressions change, realizing that this probably wasn’t going to end well.

"Reporting to Elder, all of those sinners have been captured and imprisoned in the clan's forbidden zone, so they can no longer cause any trouble. Please rest assured, from today onwards, our Jintian Clan will definitely follow the Great Everlasting Sword Hall and obediently obey your commands." Jintian Wuhong solemnly cupped his hands together.

"Obediently obey, what a way to put it!" Fang Xiaoyun rubbed his hands together as he smiled. "Since that's the case, go bring those sinners here now."

Jintian Wuhong's heart sank. He had a vague idea of what Fang Xiaoyun was planning to do.

"Why? You just said you would obediently obey, but you’re now hesitating?" A terrifying pressure spread as he frowned, making Jintian Wuhong feel a suffocating, bone-chilling fear.

He immediately cast aside his hesitation, gritted his teeth, and said, "Go bring those sinners here!"

"Yes!"

A few people hurriedly left to comply. Soon, more than a dozen restrained cultivators, headed by the clan leader, Jintian Jingyuan, were brought before Fang Xiaoyun.

Jintian Wuhong shouted, "Quickly kneel and repent to Elder Fang. If you show enough sincerity, your lives might be spared."

"Pui!" Some disdainfully spat.

Some angrily cursed, "Jintian Wuhong, you traitorous bastard, your infamy will go down forever in history!"

Some displayed calm expressions, viewing death as the return home. "You can kill us or torture us, but don’t even dream about making us submit!"

Jintian Wuhong and the others rapidly grew anxious and angry. These foolish idiots, what kind of words are they spewing even now? Do they want to die?

"They are indeed a group of hard nuts to crack." In the central seat, Fang Xiaoyun's eyes flashed like lightning as he indifferently said, "Since that's the case, there's no use in keeping them. Jintian Wuhong."

"Yes." Jintian Wuhong bowed his head.

Fang Xiaoyun's expression appeared especially cruel as he said, "Since you people have already chosen to submit, I will now give you an opportunity to express your loyalty. Step forward one by one and kill a sinner of your clan. After the deed is done, your entire Jintian Clan will gain the protection of my Great Everlasting Sword Hall, and it’ll only be a matter of time before you’ll rise to even greater heights."

Jintian Wuhong and the others felt as if they were struck by lightning. Asking us to personally kill our own clansmen!? What a vicious and cruel command!

If they did it, they would shoulder the eternal sin of harming their own kin, and every clansman would curse them until the end of time! For a time, their expressions were clouded with uncertainty as they struggled internally, feeling unbearably tormented.

Clan Leader Jintian Jingyuan coldly said, "See, this is the price of being a dog. How pathetic and shameful!"

"You shut up!" Jintian Wuhong's eyes were bloodshot as he hissed, "Would this have happened if it weren't for your stubborn resistance and refusal to submit? Remember this, we’re killing you to preserve the Jintian Clan. For that, I’ll willingly bear that eternal sin!"

Fang Xiaoyun uncaringly said, "No matter how nice words sound, they’ll never be as good as action. My patience has its limit. You have ten breaths to act."

Ten breaths!

Jintian Wuhong’s and the others’ breathing turned ragged as their eyes began to redden with madness and murder.

"Everyone, don't blame us, we...are also doing this to protect the Jintian Clan!"

With a sudden roar, a white-haired elder charged forward and swung his palm at one of the clan members.

Bang! The clan member instantly burned into nothingness. The white-haired elder panted heavily, appearing as he had lost an incomparably important part of his soul. After all, how could it possibly feel good to personally kill a blood-related clan member?

“Excellent!” Fang Xiaoyun rubbed his hands together as he laughed. "Wise men submit to the circumstances. That’s what you should do in order to survive. Continue!"

With the white-haired elder leading the way, the others cast aside their hesitation and rushed forward with red eyes and twisted expressions. Even Jintian Wuhong stepped forward, intending to reap the clan leader’s life.

Suddenly, a furious and icy voice rang out, "Stop!"

Rumble!

In its wake, a terrifying pressure swept forth like a storm and slammed into Jintian Wuhong and the others, sending them crashing into the walls and stone pillars. Fang Xiaoyun abruptly stood up and narrowed his eyes.

A graceful figure flew into the hall. Dressed in snow-white clothes with a golden sash around her waist, she resembled a fairy who had stepped out from a painting, only her beautiful eyes were overflowing with fury.

"Xuanyue?" Jintian Jingyuan, who had thought he was doomed, couldn't help but exclaim in shock, his expression filled with disbelief. The new arrival was indeed his daughter, Jintian Xuanyue!

"Father, I...I’m back..." Her eyes reddened, feeling both emotional and furious. If she had arrived just a moment later, she would probably be looking at her father's corpse.

"Xuanyue, I can’t believe that you’ve returned." Jintian Wuhong climbed up from the ground in shock, unable to comprehend how Jintian Xuanyue had been able to knock away elders like them with pressure alone.

Fang Xiaoyun asked, "Is she also from your Jintian Clan?"

"Yes." Jintian Wuhong instinctively answered.

Jintian Jingyuan's expression changed, and he shouted angrily, "Xuanyue, hurry and leave. You’re no match for the Great Everlasting Sword Hall, so don't get involved!"

How could he not tell that Jintian Xuanyue had become incredibly powerful? However, he was far more familiar with how terrifying the Great Everlasting Sword Hall was! As a father, he naturally didn't want to see Jintian Xuanyue throw her life away against the Great Everlasting Sword Hall!

As long as the seeds remained, there would be a chance for revenge in the future. If they staked their lives and fought now, that chance would be gone forever!

"Heh heh, it’s not that easy to leave. Or perhaps I should say that if this woman dares to leave, everyone in the Jintian Clan will die today." Fang Xiaoyun revealed a smile resembling that of a predator eyeing an incredibly tempting prey. "On the contrary, if this woman submits to my Great Everlasting Sword Hall, all of you from the Jintian Clan may live."

Jintian Wuhong anxiously said, "Xuanyue, did you hear that? As long as you submit, your father and the others can live!"

"Xuanyue, the lives of the entire clan are in your hands!"

"Xuanyue, you must consider the bigger picture. You might just be the future leader of the Jintian Clan." 𝗳𝚛𝚎𝚎𝘄𝕖𝕓𝕟𝕠𝚟𝚎𝕝.𝗰𝕠𝐦

Others also chimed in one after another.

Jintian Xuanyue trembled in rage. The ugly appearances of her clansmen made it increasingly difficult for her to control her murderous impulse.

"I’ll settle things with all of you after I deal with him!" With a deep breath, Jintian Xuanyue's clear and frosty eyes locked onto Fang Xiaoyun. "Rest assured, I won't let you die so easily."

Shiing!

A dao sword shot forth and slashed at Fang Xiaoyun. He had originally felt fearless, believing that he could use the lives of the Jintian Clan to coerce Jintian Xuanyue. However, he never imagined that she would attack without hesitating instead!

Swish!

In the face of the slashing sword, even an ancient who had lived for countless years like Fang Xiaoyun felt intense fear and danger. His expression abruptly changed, and he immediately tried to dodge.

Rumble!

In the next instant, however, he was crushed into the ground, smashing it so hard that cracks appeared. He convulsed violently as the dao sword pressed down on him like an ancient divine mountain, nearly shattering his body and making it impossible to move.

"How is this possible..." Fang Xiaoyun cried out in disbelief as his eyes rounded in shock. A single sword strike had suppressed him. When did this tiny Jintian Clan produce such an extraordinary woman?

Jintian Wuhong and the others were dumbfounded, feeling utterly stupefied. After all, they had just witnessed a single sword strike subdue a terrifying Immortal existence they didn’t dare to disrespect in the slightest. It was a huge psychological blow!

Even Jintian Jingyuan and the others were deeply shaken by this scene, unable to speak a single word. Never in their wildest dreams would they have imagined that Jintian Xuanyue, who had severed ties with the clan, would become so powerful a hundred years later.

Silence blanketed the hall.

Fang Xiaoyun hissed, "Doing this will only harm your Jintian Clan. No matter how strong you are, how can you possibly contend with the power of my Great Everlasting Sword Hall?"

Jintian Jingyuan’s and the others' hearts trembled at these words.

At this moment, a sneer sounded outside the hall. "What crappy Great Everlasting Sword Hall are you on about? How dare you threaten Sister Xuanyue? The ignorant truly have no fear."

Lin Xun, Xuan Jiuyin, and Xia Zhi walked in one after another. The speaker was naturally Xuan Jiuyin. With his hands behind his back, he stood over the suppressed Fang Xiaoyun, and said with pity, "I’m not afraid to tell you that all the members of the Great Everlasting Sword Hall within a ten thousand mile radius have been completely exterminated. Not a single survivor remains. Now, do you think you still have a chance to live?"

"That’s impossible!" Fang Xiaoyun's expression changed completely.

"Here, take a look for yourself." Xuan Jiuyin extended his hand and crushed a jade slip. Light flowed in the air, taking the form of a screen.

On the screen, countless cultivators stretched out as far as the eye could see. Together, they were an unmatched force that numbered in the thousands. These were indeed the forces of the Great Everlasting Sword Hall.

However, with a casual wave of Lin Xun’s sleeve, thousands of experts from the Great Everlasting Sword Hall were instantly annihilated as if struck as if by a storm of heavenly tribulations. It didn’t matter whether they were ordinary Ninth Realm Ancestors or Immortal-level cultivators, everyone met the exact same fate.

Even the surrounding area seemed to have been erased from existence, causing space to rapidly collapse around it. The horrifying scene pulverized the last glimmer of hope in Fang Xiaoyun's heart like a sledge hammer, making him feel utterly devastated.

Jintian Wuhong and the others were also dumbfounded, their expressions blank and dazed. How the hell had the seemingly unstoppable experts of the Great Everlasting Sword Hall been annihilated so easily?

Meanwhile, Jintian Jingyuan and the others finally recognized Lin Xun, causing their emotions to fall into turmoil. How could they ever forget that they had chosen to sever ties with Jintian Xuanyue back then out of fear of being implicated by him?