The enormous skeleton lay quietly across the vast plaza. Stacked neatly, it resembled a true dragon gazing down upon the mortal world, its posture natural, towering, and sacred, as if still alive. The pristine white bones had not discolored over millions of years; instead, they had grown even more crystalline and translucent.
She seemed to see a true Divine Beast from millions of years ago, lying upon this plaza, quietly watching the humans below. Its demeanor was leisurely, receiving the worship and reverence of humans, every movement exuding the sacred majesty of a Divine Beast. Even now, its imposing aura remained overwhelming.
Mo Tiange slowly approached, gazing up at the skeleton of this ancient Divine Dragon.
The imposing aura remained, and the spiritual energy still existed. Sacred and vast, it was the same as the Breath of the Divine Dragon outside, but more intense, making it almost impossible for her to breathe.
But why had Ren Yufeng become like that? Such Breath of the Divine Dragon shouldn't induce a demonic transformation. Yet, aside from demonic possession, how else could Ren Yufeng's appearance be explained? Could it be... he had used the wrong method entirely?
Before she could figure it out, Mo Tiange keenly sensed a... baleful aura approaching from outside. Under the pressure of the Divine Dragon's Breath, she couldn't spread her divine sense, but this baleful aura didn't require divine sense to detect; it was clearly transmitted.
The moment she sensed it, she immediately pressed between her eyebrows, activating the Void Heaven Realm and hiding inside.
This baleful aura could only belong to one person: Ren Yufeng.
Sure enough, not long after, a figure flew in through the entrance—it was Ren Yufeng. He held two people in his grasp: Qiu Zhiming and Xiahou Yuan.
Seeing this, Mo Tiange felt a slight relief. Jiang Shanghang wasn't among them; perhaps he had truly escaped.
Outside the Void Heaven Realm, Ren Yufeng threw the two to the ground with a cold snort. "Trying to run? Hmph!"
He threw them down heavily. Qiu Zhiming and Xiahou Yuan were slammed onto the ground, both crying out in pain. Judging by his aura, Mo Tiange guessed that Ren Yufeng had at least reached the Core Formation realm.
Mo Tiange frowned, watching the scene outside.
"Senior Brother Ren!" Xiahou Yuan scrambled to her feet. Seeing Ren Yufeng's murderous expression, she pleaded first. "Senior Brother Ren, we are fellow disciples after all. My master and Senior Uncle Buqi are on good terms. Please, for the sake of our past camaraderie, let me go!"
Ren Yufeng's face, shrouded in black energy, glared at her, but a scornful smile appeared. "Let you go? Xiahou Yuan, have you forgotten how you mocked me? Relying on your Xiahou Family's status within the Zhengfa Sect, you secretly laughed at me in front of Ai Xian, saying I was too old to advance. Don't you remember? I remember it clearly!"
"You..." Xiahou Yuan was stunned, then panicked. "You... heard..."
Ren Yufeng was, after all, a late-stage Foundation Establishment cultivator and, on the surface, held a higher status than her. Xiahou Yuan would never have said such things to his face. Now, she was shocked that the idle gossip she had shared privately with her sisters had been overheard by the very person involved, who was now seeking revenge.
Ren Yufeng grinned viciously. His originally fair face, now covered in black energy, made his smile even more terrifying. "Before, you were from the Xiahou Family. I could do nothing about it and had to swallow my anger. But now!" He opened his palm, and a mass of black energy appeared. Under Xiahou Yuan's horrified gaze, he flicked the black energy out lightly.
Despite the seemingly effortless, weightless motion, the moment Xiahou Yuan came into contact with the black energy, she let out a piercing "Ah—" scream. The wretchedness of her cry made even Mo Tiange's heart tremble.
Xiahou Yuan was completely enveloped by the black energy. From within the black mist came continuous screams of agony, so painful and miserable that it was unbearable to hear. At the same time, Xiahou Yuan seemed unable to endure the pain and began rolling on the ground.
This was underwater in the sea. She had a Water-Proof Barrier from consuming the Bubble Fruit, but as the black energy enveloped her, the barrier slowly dissipated. Mo Tiange saw her lose the barrier, her entire body submerged in seawater. Her eyes, ears, mouth, and nose were soaked, and the little skin exposed was covered by the black energy, her face contorted in unbearable agony.
Mo Tiange frowned slightly. Cultivators had greater tolerance for pain than mortals and shouldn't show such extreme suffering. What kind of cruelty was this? What was the secret of this black energy, that it could cause a cultivator such pain?
Seeing Xiahou Yuan's agonized expression, Qiu Zhiming was stunned, while Ren Yufeng actually showed a pleased expression, savoring the moment with relish.
Xiahou Yuan went from gritting her teeth and enduring to screaming hoarsely. Finally, as the Water-Proof Barrier disappeared, she couldn't even scream anymore. With her ears and nose blocked by seawater, her face turned bluish-purple. Unconsciously, she grabbed her own neck, struggling in agony.
After a long while, perhaps feeling he had enjoyed it enough, Ren Yufeng gently withdrew the black energy, revealing a smile as he looked at her with feigned pity. "You see, was it worth it? If you had said one less word back then, you wouldn't be like this today..."
Freed from the black energy, Xiahou Yuan was fully exposed. She had lost her Water-Proof Barrier and was completely soaked in water. While she wouldn't drown, her injuries would only worsen in this state. Xiahou Yuan was likely a young lady from a prominent family who had never suffered hardship. After this torment, she was half-dead.
Mo Tiange watched this scene with a furrowed brow. Ren Yufeng was so cruel, perversely pursuing the pleasure of torturing others. She was almost certain these two wouldn't survive. Although she was hiding in the Void Heaven Realm and wouldn't be discovered by Ren Yufeng, what if he had absorbed this so-called Breath of the Divine Dragon and gained abilities she didn't understand? Given Ren Yufeng's current behavior, he would definitely not let her off easily.
But what was wrong with Ren Yufeng? With his late-stage Foundation Establishment cultivation and being a disciple of a Core Formation cultivator, even Jiang Shanghang was satisfied with the Zhengfa Sect's treatment. Why did Ren Yufeng harbor such resentment?
After tormenting Xiahou Yuan, Ren Yufeng turned to Qiu Zhiming. He expressionlessly swept his gaze over Qiu Zhiming, whose face turned pale, then red, then pale again.
Based on what she had seen and heard earlier, Qiu Zhiming had a fiery temper and some sense of righteousness. He was willing to bring the injured Yu Xiaoran along while fleeing, even though it slowed him down, and he deeply despised Ren Yufeng's actions. But what he would do now, Mo Tiange truly couldn't guess.
Ren Yufeng suddenly took a step, slowly walking toward Qiu Zhiming. His steps were slow but carried immense intimidation; the slowness itself amplified the fear. He seemed to enjoy this feeling of instilling terror, each step deliberately steady.
Qiu Zhiming grew increasingly terrified, his face growing paler, his lips trembling. Beads of sweat dripped from his forehead. Mo Tiange noticed his breathing had become labored, his nostrils flaring rapidly but weakly.
Just as Ren Yufeng was about to reach him, Qiu Zhiming's knees suddenly gave way, and he knelt down. His face crumpled, tears and snot streaming down as he trembled and said, "Senior Brother Ren, Senior Brother Ren, I've never wronged you. Please spare me..."
Ren Yufeng stopped, looking down at him from above.
He didn't speak, just coldly watched as the proud, fiery-tempered Qiu Zhiming cried until his face was a mess, gasping for breath.
It was easy to be proud. Without a threat to one's life, one could easily adopt a proud posture, placing oneself in a pure, clean position. But before life itself, that pride could be easily discarded, almost without hesitation. Naturally, the proud head would lower, and the straight knees would kneel.
Mo Tiange sighed softly. She knew this couldn't really be blamed on Qiu Zhiming. His willingness to bring the injured Yu Xiaoran while fleeing showed he wasn't a bad person. But before life itself, who could unhesitatingly stand firm? Mo Tiange admitted she would also need to assess the situation before making a choice.
For cultivators, life was too important. What was the purpose of cultivation? Of course, it was longevity. Since it was longevity, life was the foremost priority. No sentiment, benefit, or even dignity could compete for the position of "most important."
Ren Yufeng seemed satisfied. He gently curled his lips into a smile that seemed both mocking and pleased, then his gaze turned cold.
"Qiu Zhiming, you're fine in every way, except you think too highly of yourself. You truly haven't offended me, so I won't torture you."
Hearing this, Qiu Zhiming immediately relaxed, repeatedly saying, "Thank you, Senior Brother Ren! Thank you, Senior Brother Ren!"
"Don't celebrate too soon." Ren Yufeng's gaze returned to him, carrying a chilling coldness. "I just mean I can let you die more painlessly!"
Qiu Zhiming's face froze.
Seeing Qiu Zhiming's expression at this moment, Ren Yufeng finally couldn't help but laugh heartily. "Don't worry. Both of us are commoners with no background. I won't torture you. I'll make sure you don't feel the pain of death."
Qiu Zhiming's eyes finally moved. They widened suddenly, his lips pressed tight, his eyebrows flaring in anger. It seemed that upon learning he couldn't escape after all, he became furious. He stood up abruptly, pointing at Ren Yufeng. "Senior Brother Ren, you—"
"What about me?" Ren Yufeng stopped laughing, looking at him scornfully. "You've already knelt. Do you still want to lecture me?"
Qiu Zhiming's face turned purple. After a pause, he cried out indignantly, "Senior Brother Ren, you're already at late-stage Foundation Establishment, with hope for Core Formation. Why do this? Among us, you have the highest status. Is it really just because of a few idle words from Junior Sister Xiahou?"
"Idle words?" Ren Yufeng's face showed a mocking expression, then suddenly turned ferocious. "I'm sick of idle words! Do you know what I've sacrificed and what I've gained? Since entering the Zhengfa Sect, I've cultivated diligently and worked hard to build good relationships. My aptitude isn't high, but I dare say I've been more diligent than all the other disciples!"
He began breathing rapidly, pacing back and forth in front of Qiu Zhiming, his face filled with indignation. "I entered the Zhengfa Sect at ten, cultivating diligently day and night. I finally succeeded in Foundation Establishment at forty. I thought that after establishing my foundation and having a Core Formation elder willing to take me as a disciple, my future would be bright, and no one would dare look down on me again. But then? But then?" His voice grew louder. "They didn't say anything to my face, but as I grew older, no one respected me! They said my aptitude was mediocre and I'd never form a Core! Even though I advanced to mid-stage and then late-stage, they still firmly believed it! When I reached late-stage and my cultivation finally stagnated, they were delighted, satisfied, overjoyed to see me cultivating day and night with no results! In the end, even my most respected master gave up on me!"
After saying this, Ren Yufeng's voice softened, but it carried a tone of hopeless sorrow. "I'm not young anymore. I'm already three hundred years old. If I don't form a Core soon, I'll have no chance left!"