Slaughter!
——Slaughter is sin.
Life is sin, death is sin, destruction is sin!
I slaughter, I sin, I rampage unchecked!
Let the heavens judge, let the earth pass sentence, let heaven and earth do as they will.
I am arrogant, I am overbearing!
Alone in my pride, I dominate the world, sever the firmament. My heart belongs only to me, I am supreme.
Slaughter—
The luxurious restaurant of Crimson-Letter Manor had long since collapsed into a pile of ruins. Of the hundreds who had been there earlier, some were dead, some injured, some maimed. Within the ruins, rivers of blood flowed, with flesh and severed limbs everywhere. The sounds of miserable screams, howls, and agony were unceasing.
When the restaurant collapsed, no one dared to try snatching the fragments of the Blue Nurturing Frost Crystal anymore. Because those who had snatched them were dead. Yes, all dead. Not a single one survived. Anyone who had managed to grab a fragment of the Blue Nurturing Frost Crystal, regardless of who they were, had been utterly erased by that white-robed man!
The remaining people were terrified, horrified, and filled with regret.
They regretted coming to join this spectacle, regretted giving in to greed, regretted making a move to snatch those fragments. Yet, they also felt fortunate.
Fortunate that they hadn't managed to grab the Blue Nurturing Frost Crystal earlier.
At this moment, not daring to stay a moment longer, they all leaped into the air to flee.
"I said earlier that if you didn't leave then, when the time came, you wouldn't be able to leave even if you wanted to."
That white-robed man, that Gu Qingfeng, stood amidst it all. The pile of Blue Nurturing Frost Crystal fragments at his feet was already stained red with blood. He stood with his hands clasped behind his back, his expression cold, his eyes merciless. He spoke: "Get down here!"
Whoosh!
A mighty roar, like thunder booming beneath the firmament, erupted, causing the surrounding air to crack and explode, making the spiritual energy crackle sharply. It also shook those attempting to flee until they bled from all seven orifices and crashed to the ground.
"I gave you a chance. It was you who didn't cherish it."
"The reason you're still alive is solely because you didn't make a move to snatch the Blue Nurturing Frost Crystal. That's all!"
"Not snatching doesn't mean you didn't want to snatch!"
"The death penalty may be forgiven, but the living penalty is inescapable!"
"Kneel and receive your punishment!"
As Gu Qingfeng's words fell, hundreds of people thudded to their knees. Crack! The legs of everyone in the area, without exception, knelt on the ground.
"I hold no regard for heaven, nor for earth. I only think of your parents, sparing your lives, forgiving you this once."
Gu Qingfeng took a step forward. Light flashed under his foot, transforming into thousands of lightning serpents that spread out like dragons. The earth trembled and cracked. Thousands of lightning bolts coiled around the hundreds of people. Their hair stood on end, their skin split and flesh tore, their foundations were destroyed, their Violet Palaces exploded, and their entire cultivation dissipated completely.
"Today, I've crippled your cultivation. Go back and remember this lesson!"
The restaurant was long gone, replaced by ruins flowing with rivers of blood.
The people from the restaurant were also long gone. Those who deserved to die were dead. Those who deserved to be maimed were maimed. Those who should stand were still standing. Those who didn't deserve death were all kneeling, awaiting death.
Those who died were the ones who had harbored killing intent and snatched the Blue Nurturing Frost Crystal fragments.
Those maimed were the ones who hadn't harbored killing intent and hadn't made a move to snatch.
Those kneeling and awaiting death were doing so because Gu Qingfeng demanded they kneel.
Among these people were True Being Yuliu, the manor's young master Wu Han, Bingxuan Sect's Wen Huayu and True Being Lianggong, as well as Murong Tai of the Murong Clan, among others. As for the twenty-plus immensely powerful Tiger-Ben Guards they had brought, they were already dead—shaken to death by a single punch from Gu Qingfeng, dead so thoroughly not even ashes remained.
True Being Yuliu knelt there, disheveled, bleeding from all seven orifices, eyes wide, face ashen. He wanted to move but couldn't. He wanted to shout but couldn't make a sound. He could do nothing but watch.
He watched because Gu Qingfeng made him watch.
Because earlier he had said he wanted to see just what abilities Gu Qingfeng possessed.
So, Gu Qingfeng let him see what abilities he possessed.
Gu Qingfeng paid him no further mind, merely standing there.
Here, Wu Han was no longer the arrogant, unruly Young Master Wu from before. He knelt there, covered in blood, utterly wretched. Staring at Gu Qingfeng here, Wu Han was terrified to the extreme, trembling as he shouted: "My father is the Great Manor Lord! Old Sen is my grandmaster! They... they will definitely not let you go! Our Crimson-Letter Sect will definitely kill you! Definitely!"
Over there, Bingxuan Sect's Wen Huayu and True Being Lianggong were also screaming: "Demon! If you know what's good for you, you'd best let us leave! Otherwise... otherwise our Bingxuan Sect will definitely tear you to pieces!"
"Gu Qingfeng! My father is Murong Zhan, a Great Steward of the Nine-Hua Alliance! He will definitely kill you! Just you wait! Our Nine-Hua Alliance will kill you! Kill you!" Not far away, Murong Tai and his four companions knelt there, covered in blood, eyes wide, also screaming. They had all activated their bloodlines earlier, bared their sinister fangs, and utilized their bloodline power. Unfortunately, it was useless. They couldn't withstand even a single punch from Gu Qingfeng.
This wasn't the first time they had screamed. No one knew how many times they had screamed by now. They just kept screaming—first threatening by invoking their family backgrounds, then begging for mercy when threats failed. Seeing Gu Qingfeng remain unmoved, they all began roaring like madmen.
Here, Gu Qingfeng stood, standing quietly. Suddenly, he moved. Raising his hand, he sucked Wu Han over and said coldly: "Go! Call your dear father here for me!"
With those words, he flung Wu Han away, shouting: "And call Old Sen here for me too! If that's not enough, call your entire Crimson-Letter Sect here for me!"
"And you!" Gu Qingfeng raised his hand and with a palm strike, Bingxuan Sect's Wen Huayu was sucked over: "Go! Call everyone from your Bingxuan Sect here for me too!"
With that, he flung him away!
"And you!" Gu Qingfeng raised his hand again, and Murong Tai was sucked over: "Go! Call all your people from the Nine-Hua Alliance here for me!"
With that, he flung him away!
No one knew what Gu Qingfeng intended to do.
Here.
In the ruins, two people were still standing. One was Fei Kui. From beginning to end, he had stood there with his body bowed, head lowered. It had always been this way. Ever since Gu Qingfeng was about to leave, ever since Wu Han had called out to stop him, ever since Gu Qingfeng began unbuttoning his collar, Fei Kui had lowered his head and never raised it again.
The other person standing was Liu Piaopiao.
She still wore that set of red robes, standing there. Ever since Gu Qingfeng made his move—to be precise, ever since Wei Qing's secret voice transmission warned her—she hadn't moved at all. She just stood like that.
The red robes were still that bright.
The red hair was still that red.
The red lips were still that alluring. Only, Liu Piaopiao was no longer the seductive, charming Liu Piaopiao from before. She stood there, her fox-like face somewhat gloomy, carrying a somberness. Those soul-stealing, captivating eyes were no longer soul-stealing nor captivating. They held only panic, panic she couldn't conceal.
Her panic wasn't because so many people had died.
To be honest, these people meant nothing in her eyes. She had personally killed far more people than this.
Her panic also wasn't because Gu Qingfeng's physical body was incomparably formidable.
Although she was very curious and couldn't understand why Gu Qingfeng's physical body was so formidable.
But it was just curiosity. Not enough to cause panic.
What truly made her panic was Gu Qingfeng's method of killing—Three Births, Three Deaths.
She knew this was the Dao of Slaughter.
And she knew even more that only those who had fallen into demonhood would adhere to this Dao of Slaughter.
She was no ordinary person. She understood clearly what falling into demonhood signified.
This alone was enough to make her panic.
However, her panic didn't stop there!