“Hurry! Burn everything down! Leave nothing behind!!”
“””YES”””
The Yanfeng domain, the greatest source of food for the Yin Long Empire, was now aflame as the Yanfeng family’s forces swept through the hundreds of Li of farms and storage, burning buildings, killing mortals who worked the land and raised cattle, poisoned the land and water, and killing the livestock.
It was a scene from hell itself.
The reason why this family that belonged to the Five Noble families of the Empire took such measures upon its own land was quite clear for everyone to see as they looked up to the thundering heavens, witnessing the massive battle in the skies between powerful cultivators.
“HAHAHA!! Did you ever think such a day would come for you?? Yanfeng Chilei??”
The fat patriarch of the Yanfeng family, Yanfeng Chilei, gnashed his teeth in anger as he stared at his two opponents.
“Lanjian Yufeng! Hanzhang Bingpo! Don’t think so highly of yourself!! Sooner or later, that lunatic Empress will come for your families as well!”
“HAHA! There is no need to threaten us like that. We are loyal subjects of the Empress, unlike you traitorous bastards of the Yufeng family.”
Hanzhang Bingpo did not join in on the boasting of his current companion but nodded in affirmation.
In truth, the patriarchs of the Lanjian and Hanzhang families believed that the words of Yufeng Chilei were not wrong and had long since prepared countermeasures for such a situation.
However, they dared not reveal their true thoughts in this situation. Especially when the Royal Guard and The Radiant Sword, Yao Xingchen, were nearby, suppressing the forces of the Yanfeng family.
Glancing to the side, the Lanjian and Hanzhang family heads saw that The Radiant Sword was busy guiding her people to stop the Yanfeng family’s men from destroying everything. However, even when a lot of the land was poisoned, she did not seem all that concerned. It was only when the mortals were being killed that she personally took charge and killed the men of the Yanfeng family.
“Since you people have no intention of letting my family go, I’ll take you down with me!”
Yanfeng Chilei pulled out his spear and charged the two family heads, his body moving swiftly despite its shape while executing their exclusive martial arts, The Flame Spear Arts.
Instantly, fire engulfed the sky as the full power of Yanfeng Chilei’s Nascent Soul realm cultivation war exerted behind his attack. His spear left after images in its wake as it broke the sound barrier during its multiple thrusts and sweeps.
Yet, his attacks were perfectly blocked by the gentle swings of the sword wielded by the Lanjian patriarch, Lanjian Yufeng, who unleashed his own cultivation that was on the same level as his companion and enemy. His family’s Wind Mist Sword technique countered the flames and swept them away from the user.
However, the sheer power behind a single affinity spirit root-based technique was not something that Lanjian Yufeng could compete with on his own.
Thankfully, he was not alone in this attack.
As Lanjian Yufeng held off Yanfeng Chilei, Hanzhang Bingpo ambushed the Yanfeng patriarch from behind and struck with his palm, his own cultivation and family technique, The Ice Palm art, circulating at full power as Ice Qi invaded Yanfeng Chilei’s body.
The clash barely lasted for a few seconds at most, but one of the three combatants was already injured. Such was the scale of fights between high-level cultivators where the result is usually determined in a matter of seconds.
Blood seeped from Yanfeng Chilei’s mouth as he circulated his Fire Qi across his Spirit Roots, trying to hold off the invading Ice Qi while also keeping his guard up.
“Hehe, looks like you are not as strong as you make yourself out to be. Yanfeng.”
“Lanjian, you bastard! If you have the guts fight me by yourself!”
“And fall for your tricks? No thanks. I’d rather get rid of this thorn in my side once and for all today.”
Once again, the three elements clashed in the sky as The Radiant Sword finally managed to capture the men of the Yanfeng family, preventing any more damage to the territory.
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However, this situation did not last for long as powerful True Qi suddenly surged from the Yanfeng family’s ancestral home followed by an emancipated old man with a simple spear shooting up into the sky.
“Looks like you people of the Noble families and the Royal family no longer keep my Yanfeng family in their eyes. How dare you harm my family while I am still alive. Today, I must wipe out the Lanjian and Hanzhang families along with that little bitch of an Empress.”
Yanfeng Chilei’s eyes lit up in delight at that sight.
“Ancestor!”
This old man was none other than the ancestor of the Yanfeng family, Yanfeng Chitian.
And yet, despite the old man’s appearance, the Lanjian and Hanzhang family heads did not panic. Instead, they gave the old man sneering looks before powerful Qi burst from nearby, revealing two figures equally as old as the Yanfeng ancestor.
“What was that you said about destroying my family? Yanfeng Chitian, looks like you have gone senile in your age.”
“Indeed. What makes you think that you can destroy our families while we are still alive?”
The two old men flexed their Qi, revealing their peak Soul Transformation realm cultivation for everyone to see as their domains expanded to engulf the Yanfeng patriarch and ancestor along with the patriarchs of the Lanjian and Hanzhang families.
The two patriarchs dutifully stood behind their ancestors as they watched the show, hoping to see a humiliating defeat for the Yanfeng family.
From Lanjian Fengyun, the ancestor of the Lanjian family and a legendary swordsman who was once called the Sky Splitting Sword, a domain of tempest winds and rushing seas formed, suppressing the Fire Qi of the Yanfeng duo.
But he was not done yet.
From his side, Hanzhang Shuanghe, the man who was once called the Frozen Mountain of the Hanzhang, unleashed his own domain, which overlapped with his companion, causing the raging seas surrounding the Yanfeng duo to start freezing as Ice Qi invaded their bodies.
However, the Yanfeng ancestor did not say anything and neither was there any fluctuation in his expression.
“..Is that all?”
With those words, Yanfeng Chitian unleashed his own domain.
And directly destroyed the domains of both the Lanjian and Hanzhang ancestors, causing them to cough up blood due to rebound.
Instantly, the entirety of the Yanfeng home and the surroundings, including the place where The Radiant Sword and the Royal guards were located, was engulfed in a hellish landscape of flames.
“I-Impossible! How did you break through to the Void Refinement realm?? Wasn’t your Soul damaged during your rebellion against the Royal Family?”
“And why should I tell you something like that?”
With those words, Yanfeng Chitian teleported behind the Hanzhang ancestor and directly severed his head with his spear while also flooding his body and soul with Fire Qi, destroying both at the same time.
All of this happened in a single second during which the Lanjian ancestor recognized the danger and teleported out of the area while holding his descendent.
However, Yanfeng Chitian did not let them go too far before he struck down both of them just as easily.
All was silent in the aftermath as Lanjian Yufeng trembled in fright.
“Now, are you convinced with my ability to wipe out all of you pests?”
“Indeed, I am convinced. However, if you are so sure you can take care of all of us on your own, why don’t you try facing this artifact as well?”
The sudden words from the Radiant Sword, Yao Xingchen, caused the Yanfeng ancestor to turn towards the woman only to have a spherical artifact thrown at his face which he easily caught.
“Hmm? Based on the Qi fluctuation, this should be an Earth-grade artifact. What did you hope to achieve with this-‘
Before he could continue speaking, the sphere suddenly erupted as a barrier formed around him, and Yanfeng Chilei, much to the latter’s shock.
“W-What is this *Cough*’
Suddenly, blood started to leak out of all their orifices as their eyes watered uncontrollably and their muscles spasmed.
When the sphere erupted, tiny insects contained within the sphere secretly entered the bodies of the three cultivators and burrowed themselves deep within their spirit roots. Then, they promptly died and released the toxins and Qi hidden within them.
A deadly mix of Phosphorus, Cyanide, and various other chemicals, along with powerful materials rich in Yin and Demonic Qi.
“Do you like it? The base of that is the Gu poison bug. Yes, the same Gu poison bug that your family patriarch purchased from the Demonic Path to assassinate the Empress. We knew that we could not use this thing as is on you for revenge since you would likely have the antidote for it. That is why we had a friend modify it to make it even more deadly.”
The friend that Yao Xingchen talked about was none other than Da Wei.
When Yin Lingxi first came to him with this idea, he was going to simply mix Cyanide into the demonic poison and be done with it.
However, when she revealed the assumed power of the Yanfeng family’s ancestor to him, he became cautious and helped develop what he called Sarin and mixed it into the Gu bug. He believed it was better to overestimate the enemy and prepare for it accordingly than to be underprepared and be caught off guard.
Something that Yao Xingchen was realizing to have been a good move on his part.
As the Demonic poison and the Sarin gas wreaked havoc within their bodies, the three cultivators could no longer maintain their power and plummeted to the ground.
Lanjian Yufeng shivered in fright as he watched the Yanfeng duo’s bodies spasm as they struggled to breathe on the ground.
‘When I get back, I must cancel all my plans. We cannot afford to offend the Empress, or else it will be the Lanjian family that falls victim to this sinister weapon next.’
With that vow made in his heart, he watched as Yao Xingchen walked forward casually and swung her sword, destroying the bodies and souls of both Yanfeng Chilie and Yanfeng Chitian.
From that day forward, tales would spread across the empire of how the Empress made the Yanfeng family die a pathetic death, directly increasing her reputation and the fear of her wrath, gaining her a new moniker.
The goddess of death.
What they did not know was that, currently, the goddess of death in question was busy fighting her friend over the food prepared by Da Ling on his airship in the territory of the Baihu empire.