Hearing this, Zhang Mingyuan said, “That's easy enough.”
He gave a brief response. Without even moving his body, he simply reached his right hand out toward the void, spread his fingers, and gently clenched his fist.
“Come here.”
Two words, spoken so indifferently they didn't carry a hint of worldly emotion.
The moment the words fell, in a cave dwelling deep in the mountains countless tens of thousands of miles away, a black-robed figure sitting cross-legged in meditation suddenly snapped his eyes open, filled with sheer terror.
Before he could make any response, the surrounding space suddenly warped and folded!
An irresistible, terrifying force seized him in a death grip, snatching him up like a little chick and dragging him from his spot directly into a pitch-black rift that had appeared out of thin air!
“No—!”
The shrill, miserable scream had only reached halfway before it was abruptly cut short.
A heavy thud echoed.
A black-robed figure crashed miserably onto the ground, landing flat on his face right at Bai Yao's feet.
“Ah!”
Startled by this sudden turn of events, Bai Yao let out a scream and scrambled back several steps.
Nian'an's body also tensed. She instinctively shielded Bai Yao behind her, staring at the black-robed man with a face full of wariness.
The black-robed man struggled to lift his head, revealing a pale, terrified face.
When he saw clearly who was standing in front of him, his entire body began to tremble like a leaf.
On his face, the scorpion-shaped demonic seal extending from the corner of his eye to his jaw writhed violently, revealing the extreme terror in its master's heart.
He recognized these two people!
No, it should be said that in the entire Xuanling Realm, as long as one had even a bit of cultivation, who wouldn't recognize these two terrifying figures standing at the absolute peak of the world?
One was the Sacred Lord of Qingyun Heaven, and the other was the Immortal Lord of Myriad Snow Palace!
He was just a minor Golden Core Stage cultivator! How could he have offended these two great deities?
“Im—Immortal Lord... Sa—Sacred Lord...”
The black-robed demonic cultivator's teeth chattered so hard he couldn't even utter a complete sentence. He fell to his knees on the spot, kowtowing frantically as he stammered, “Th—this lowly one does not know why the Sacred Lord has summoned me.”
Zhang Mingyuan ignored him and instead turned his head to look at Bai Yao.
Bai Yao stared death-fixedly at that face, at that unforgettable demonic seal, her body trembling with immense hatred.
Zhang Mingyuan snapped his fingers.
Clang—
With a crisp chime, a longsword of simple, ancient design and restrained killing intent appeared out of thin air in his hand.
“Here, the sword is yours.” He handed the hilt to Bai Yao. “My sword is named ‘Dog Slaughterer.’ It's specifically used to slaughter pigs and dogs like this. I'll lend it to you today so you can avenge your parents with your own hands.”
Bai Yao's breath caught.
She tremblingly reached out her hand and grasped the hilt.
The sword felt extremely heavy in her hand, and an indescribable power surged along her arm into her entire body.
The flames of revenge burned fiercely in her chest, nearly swallowing her sanity.
She only needed to swing it down to hack this demon into ten thousand pieces!
The black-robed demonic cultivator was scared out of his wits. His crotch grew warm, and a foul stench instantly filled the air.
He had actually been scared to the point of wetting himself.
“No! Spare my life, Immortal! Spare my life, young lady! This lowly one did not know this village was under the protection of you two lords! Otherwise, even with ten thousand times the courage, I wouldn't have dared!”
As he cried out, he kowtowed frantically, his forehead quickly becoming a bloody mess.
However, just as Bai Yao raised the longsword and was about to bring it down, her movements suddenly froze.
Everyone watched her.
Nian'an held her breath, and a barely perceptible ripple flashed through Su Jinxue's cold eyes.
After a few breaths, Bai Yao took a deep breath and actually handed the “Dog Slaughterer” sword back to Zhang Mingyuan.
“Thank you, Immortal.”
Her action caught even Zhang Mingyuan off guard.
“Hmm? You're not going to kill him?”
Bai Yao shook her head. On her small face, stained with tears and blood, a resolve and determination far beyond her years now emerged.
“I will,” she said, enunciating each word with absolute clarity. “But not now, and not by relying on the Immortal's hand.”
“I want to cultivate myself. When I have enough strength, I will stand before him openly and use my own hands to avenge this blood feud for all one hundred and thirty-two people in my village!”
Her words resonated with powerful conviction.
Zhang Mingyuan was completely stunned.
Looking at the frail girl before him and those eyes that burned with the fire of revenge yet remained incredibly clear, he suddenly smiled.
Interesting, truly interesting.
Isn't this the fucking standard protagonist template!
Family destroyed, bearing a deep blood feud, possessing a resilient character, refusing to rely on external help, and determined to exact vengeance on her own.
He was all too familiar with this script!
Back in the day, his precious disciple Chu Jinghong had followed the “broken engagement” template.
He hadn't expected to run into a “vengeance” template today.
Not bad, he really appreciated it!
“Good!” Zhang Mingyuan clapped and laughed heartily, his eyes full of approval as he looked at Bai Yao. “You've got spirit! I like it!”
He turned his head, glanced at the demonic cultivator who had already slumped into a puddle of mush, and flicked his finger.
A golden rune instantly shot into the demonic cultivator's forehead.
The demonic cultivator shrieked. He felt as if his soul had been branded with a searing mark, and the terror of having his life and death rest entirely on another's whim caused him to completely break down.
“From this day forth, your life is stored here with this seat,” Zhang Mingyuan said unhurriedly. “I have planted a soul imprint on you. If you dare to commit evil again in the future, the soul imprint will activate and instantly teleport you before me.”
He paused, smiling in a way that seemed completely harmless. “When that time comes, I will let you taste what it means to wish for life yet be unable to live, and wish for death yet be unable to die.”
The demonic cultivator trembled violently, kowtowing repeatedly with tears streaming down his face. “I wouldn't dare! This lowly one would never dare again! Thank you, Sacred Lord, for sparing my life! Thank you, Sacred Lord, for sparing my life!”
“Scram,” Zhang Mingyuan waved his hand impatiently.
As if receiving a great pardon, the demonic cultivator scrambled to transform into a plume of black smoke, fleeing in a panic and vanishing without a trace in the blink of an eye.
Only then did Zhang Mingyuan look back at Bai Yao, looking relaxed as if he had just wrapped up a job.
“Alright, your enemy has now become your exclusive experience pack. In the future, once you cultivate to the Golden Core Stage—no, once you cultivate to Foundation Establishment, you can go slaughter this beast yourself.”
On Bai Yao's face, tears fell once again.
Although she did not know what the “experience pack” the Immortal spoke of meant, none of that was important.
Once again, she knelt heavily before Zhang Mingyuan and solemnly kowtowed three times.
“Words cannot express my gratitude. Bai Yao will never forget the Immortal's kindness for all eternity!”
“Hey, don't just focus on thanking me.”
Zhang Mingyuan waved his hand, then suddenly tilted his chin toward Su Jinxue, a mischievous smile playing on his face.
“She is your master. Quick, go over and perform the disciple-initiation bow.”
Bai Yao was taken aback, but she quickly came to her senses.
That was right. This cold and beautiful Immortal Lord was the master of the Myriad Snow Palace.
Without the slightest hesitation, she immediately turned around, preparing to bow down before Su Jinxue.
“Hold on.”
A voice as cold as frost and snow rang out.
“Zhang Mingyuan, when did this seat ever say I was going to take a disciple?”
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