The young man in luxurious attire, Chen Yan, was a talented cultivator of the Chen family. His cultivation level had already reached the Foundation Establishment Realm.
The Foundation Establishment, the fourth realm of cultivation, laid the groundwork for the cultivation path and paved the way for the Dao.
Even in Chuzhou, he was an exceptionally dazzling figure. Someone like Li Fan, a cultivator in the Refining Realm, could be crushed by Chen Yan as effortlessly as squashing an ant.
Even the Sword Cultivators of Li Mountain were no more than ants with a notable background.
More so now, as Li Mountain faced its impending doom, destined for a great catastrophe.
Many forces had converged in Lin'an County, not to slay demons as they proclaimed. Their apparent interest in Fulong Manor was merely a facade.
This time, Chen Yan had come to Lin'an County, partly because of Fulong Manor. The great jiao, a descendant of the Beihai Demon, possessed something he required to refine his cultivation foundation.
"Why wouldn't I dare come here?" Li Fan continued advancing toward the Chen Family Patriarch, Chen Yuan. His Sword Intent surged higher as his flying sword hovered overhead, and his blood energy roared tumultuously within him.
"Bang..."
With a heavy stomp on the ground, Li Fan charged straight at Chen Yuan, his arm outstretched like the talons of a jiao dragon, aiming to seize him.
Chen Yuan let out a furious roar, unleashing his full Grandmaster prestige to the limit as he lunged forward. However, the flying sword above Li Fan blasted downward before Chen Yuan could evade it. The blade pierced his shoulder, causing blood to spray violently, and instantly sapped his imposing presence. A massive jiao-like claw lunged forward, leaving Chen Yuan no time to dodge before he was captured.
The absurdity lay in how the cultivators surrounding Chen Yuan scattered and backed away, keeping a considerable distance.
"How dare you act so insolent." Chen Yan stepped forward toward Li Fan. Immediately, a formidable oppression engulfed Li Fan, accompanied by two elders flanking Chen Yan, whose every step increased the pressure on him.
Holding Chen Yuan's throat tightly, Li Fan lifted him into the air. Despite his frantic struggle, Chen Yuan failed to break free.
"Do you think I care?" Chen Yan pressed onward.
Lin'an County's Chen family was merely a branch of the Chuzhou Chen Family. Chen Yuan's survival or death truly meant nothing to Chen Yan.
Li Fan smirked. With a flick of his intent, an overwhelming Sword Intent surged outward, instantly stirring a storm of Sword Aura across heaven and earth. Killing intent soared to the skies, suffocating everyone present.
Each cultivator of the Chen family turned pale. Many of them had not been in the City God Temple that day and were unaware of the terror that such Sword Intent could wield.
Chen Yan stopped in his tracks.
"Why aren't you moving forward?"
Li Fan mocked.
Chen Yan's gaze locked onto him. This Sword Intent belonged to a Sword Cultivator in the Five Realms Condensed Core Realm—more than enough to end his life. While he might not care for Chen Yuan's fate, he deeply valued his own survival.
He cherished his life.
Twice now, this Sword Intent had deterred him from approaching. Chen Yan's eyes burned with intense killing intent.
"How many could you kill with just one Sword Intent?" Chen Yan said, flanked by several powerful figures.
"Enough to kill you," Li Fan replied flatly. "If you don't believe it, take another step forward and try me."
Chen Yan hesitated, sinking into silence. Ultimately, he stayed where he was, glaring at Li Fan.
*Youthful arrogance truly knew no bounds.*
This mere Refining Realm Sword Cultivator had managed to humiliate a Foundation Establishment Realm cultivator like him.
Li Fan cast Chen Yan a mocking glance before flicking his intent again. Immediately, the flying sword above his head soared off into the distance.
The crowd watched as Li Fan's flying sword headed straight for the Chen Family Lake, reaching its center before plunging violently into the water.
The cultivators looked on, puzzled and uncertain. What was Li Fan's intent here?
Chen Yuan's expression drastically changed, but in Li Fan's grasp, he was powerless to resist. Why did this young man possess greater strength than him—a Grandmaster of the highest caliber?
Li Fan closed his eyes, connecting his mind to the sword submerged in the lake.
"Found it."
Li Fan's eyes snapped open, releasing an icy flash of brilliance. Sword Aura churned the lake into a frenzy; as roars echoed across the waters, a chillingly sharp cry rang out, followed by an oppressive wave of sinister energy. From the depths of the lake, a white-clad silhouette emerged—a figure with waist-length hair, its disheveled strands covering her face, resembling a menacing ghost.
"A ghost cultivator!"
"The ghost cultivator from that day!"
Several martial artists exclaimed in shock, their expressions a mix of awe and horror.
The ghost cultivator fixated her eerie gaze upon Li Fan. Under the sunlight, her form began dissipating into faint trails of green smoke, yet she seemed completely oblivious, staring solely at him.
"Bring back my son's life!" the female ghost shrieked, her voice sharp and piercing.
"...??" Li Fan's expression turned peculiar as something dawned on him. "Your son was Chen Li?"
Before today, the only members of the Chen family he had killed were Chen Li and Chen Zongzhi.
The gathered cultivators froze. So this female ghost was Chen Li's mother?
Most of them knew that Chen Li's mother had died accidentally many years ago.
Without replying, the female ghost let out a loud wail and lunged at Li Fan.
"If that's the case, I'll send you to meet him." Li Fan said faintly. The flying sword streaked forward without hesitation, piercing the ghost's form directly. Her already frail body dissolved into wisps of green smoke under the sunlight, disintegrating bit by bit.
She let out a sorrowful cry, lamenting the bitterness of her life. *Why had her fate been so cruel? In the end, mother and son both suffered the same tragedy. The heavens were unjust.*
Li Fan did not concern himself with her hardships or show any additional compassion. She killed—thus, she paid with her life.
His flying sword returned to his brow. Sweeping his gaze across the crowd, Li Fan sneered, "This is what you meant when you accused me of colluding with demons and ghosts?"
"Second Madam."
Chen Luoyun stared at the vanishing figure, his face bloodless. Finally, the truth was laid bare. It turned out he had been the only one left in the dark.
"Father, why did you do this?" Chen Luoyun asked, turning to his father. He had been cultivating abroad and was unaware of his family's affairs.
Chen Yuan knew he was finished. Looking at his most cherished son, he found himself speechless. He had strived to nurture Chen Luoyun into an admirable gentleman, leaving the more sordid matters to Chen Li.
"Miss Li, Chen Luoyun was unaware of these events. You were once acquainted with him; could you spare his life?" Chen Yuan pleaded with Li Hongyi.
Li Hongyi raised an eyebrow, directing her gaze toward Li Fan.
"If you want my life, take it now," Chen Yuan said, staring up at Li Fan.
At this moment, Chen Luoyun was overcome with despair. *So it was all the Chen Family's doing.* He had pursued the Dao, slaying demons and banishing monsters, completely oblivious to the fact that his family, his Second Madam, had been the ones colluding with monsters and ghosts.
The prodigious talent of Lin'an County. The golden child. Everything—the past—was like a fleeting dream.
He turned toward Li Hongyi again, someone once considered his peer. People had even speculated they might end up together. Now, all of it was a brutal irony.
Finally, Chen Luoyun faced Li Fan. "A father's debts must be repaid by his son. Since this was the doing of my Chen family, I will take responsibility. My father is old; I hope you can spare his life."
With that, Chen Luoyun grabbed Li Hongyi's spear, pressed forward, and impaled his throat upon its sharp tip.
His heart had died long before; he could not bear to live in shame.
Li Hongyi froze momentarily, blood dripping from her spear as Chen Luoyun collapsed.
"Luoyun," Chen Yuan's voice trembled. He tried to move forward but was held tight by Li Fan.
Li Fan glanced at Chen Luoyun, noting his resolve. "Chen Luoyun was indeed exceptional. But your debts—they are not his to pay."
With that, he shot Chen Yan a cold look, dragging Chen Yuan out through the door.
Those wronged by demons, the innocent women in the City God Temple—all these debts required a reckoning.
Chen Luoyun's death had been his own choice.
Chen Yuan's death, however, was mandatory.
Li Fan departed, with Chen Yan advancing step by step, eyes locked on his retreating silhouette.
Among the crowd, silence reigned—a chilling, deathly quiet. Chen Yan glanced down at Chen Luoyun's corpse, scorn flickering in his expression. He murmured, "Fool."
For a cultivator, reaching the Qi Refinement stage was already rare. To possess an Innate Dharma Form was an even greater rarity. Among Lin'an County, Chen Luoyun was practically a marvel, his future so promising—and yet, he sought death.
On the path of cultivation, what were these sordid machinations in the grand scheme of things?
Those at the pinnacle of power were all stepping stones atop heaps of white bones.
Chen Yan stepped over Chen Luoyun's body and moved forward, pausing only briefly to utter coldly, "Li Fan entered the Chen Residence—kill all the cultivators within."
The surrounding cultivators froze in shock. Kill all members of the Chen Residence?
"Understood!"
An elder behind Chen Yan bowed and turned wordlessly. With one palm strike to a person's head, it split open. That individual's eyes remained open in despair, dying without peace.
Finally, the cultivators understood Chen Yan's command. A biting chill crawled up their spines as their faces turned pale.
Pop, pop, pop...
The chilling sound rang out repeatedly. One by one, people fell lifeless, slaughtered without hesitation. The elder following Chen Yan was also a Fourth Realm cultivator, eliminating them as effortlessly as crushing ants.
Huang Yan's eyes filled with terror. Step by step, she retreated. She had never imagined things would turn out this way.
*No.* She didn't want to die!
"Mr. Chen, I swear I'll never reveal this to anyone," someone shouted desperately, grasping the truth of the matter.
Their response was a palm strike—a swift and fatal one.
One after another, they fell, leaving no survivors.
Walking further out, Chen Yan murmured to himself, "He cannot be left alive."
By "he," Chen Yan meant Chen Yuan.
*Some matters are understood silently; but if spoken aloud, they become unacceptable.*
The Da Li Court's laws still governed them.
The Chen family could not withstand the wrath of the imperial court.
Li Fan and Li Hongyi had seized two horses from the Chen Residence. Each riding one, they galloped wildly down the streets. Chen Yuan, rendered useless, lay slumped across one horse's back like a corpse.
Chen Yuan was acutely aware that everything was over.
The Chen family had crumbled in an instant, doomed to eternal ruin.
On the streets, demons ran rampant, slaughtering wantonly across Lin'an County. Within Lin'an City, it seemed that an entire wave of monsters had surged forth overnight.
At this moment, Li Fan furrowed his brow as his surroundings became teeming with an increasing number of approaching demon beasts.
On both flanks, the hordes of demons danced wildly.