Hua Xiong did not fear the twelve Chixiao people like Ziyang; what truly made him afraid was Gu Qingfeng. He turned around and responded loudly, "Ma Qian's father's death has nothing to do with me! As for his father's blood, Ma Qian personally gave it to me!"
In the garden of the Wind-Cloud Branch Hall, Master Huode, seeing that Gu Qingfeng intended to take action, immediately said, "Kid Gu, he's from the Hua Clan. You'd better think carefully before you act."
"What about the Hua Clan?"
Master Huode choked up, shouting, "The Hua Clan! The surname Hua! Think about it carefully! The surname Hua! Immortal descendants, the Weishan Hua Clan—doesn't that sound familiar?"
Familiar?
To be honest, it did sound somewhat familiar to Gu Qingfeng. He murmured the words 'Immortal descendants, Weishan Hua Clan,' and the figure of a woman instantly surfaced in his mind. He looked at Hua Xiong opposite him and asked, "Are you from the Weishan Hua Clan?"
Hearing Gu Qingfeng's question, Hua Xiong seemed to realize something. The apprehension and fear in his heart vanished in an instant, and his arrogance immediately overflowed onto his face. He declared proudly, "I, Hua Xiong, am indeed a member of the Weishan Hua Clan! If you dare to lay a finger on me today, my Weishan Hua Clan will make sure you regret it!"
The Weishan Hua Clan was a famously renowned immortal-descendant clan in this world. Over the generations, eight members of the clan had achieved immortality. The most famous among them was their ancestor, Upper Immortal Hua, one of the mighty Upper Immortals who shook the four directions during the mid-Ancient Era. There was also another named Upper Immortal Hua Qin, a peerless genius daughter who made a name for herself across the world at the end of the Ancient Era.
With so many immortals produced and two such prominent figures, the Weishan Hua Clan should have been a great family that no one in the world dared to provoke.
Indeed, during the Ancient Era, no one dared to cross the Weishan Hua Clan.
Unfortunately, due to the emotional entanglement between Upper Immortal Hua Qin and Monarch Chixiao, the Weishan Hua Clan became extremely angry. They repeatedly sought trouble with Monarch Chixiao. In the end, they thoroughly enraged Monarch Chixiao, who single-handedly charged into Weishan, slaughtering the Weishan Hua Clan until rivers of blood flowed. Even their ancestor, Upper Immortal Hua, personally descended from the Heavenly Realm, only to be nearly slain by Monarch Chixiao. Had it not been for Upper Immortal Hua Qin stepping forward, the Weishan Hua Clan would have been erased from the world.
Since then, the Weishan Hua Clan began to decline. In the Present-Ancient Era, with the revival of all things, although the Weishan Hua Clan had produced many heaven-defying talents and showed signs of resurgence, they were still far from their former glory.
"Since you are from the Weishan Hua Clan, today I will give you a chance for reincarnation. Before Old Ma's spirit in heaven, perform the ninety-nine bows of worship, then end yourself. Take your soul and get out of my sight."
Gu Qingfeng's voice echoed, startling everyone present.
Hearing Gu Qingfeng mention the Weishan Hua Clan, they all thought he was showing fear towards them. Even if not fear, he must at least be acquainted with someone from the clan. Whether out of fear or acquaintance, in their view, Gu Qingfeng would surely let Hua Xiong leave.
They never expected Gu Qingfeng to say such words.
He was indeed letting Hua Xiong leave, but only his soul.
Once the soul leaves the body, there are only two outcomes: either becoming a ghost or reincarnating anew. Both outcomes are essentially no different from death. As Gu Qingfeng said, he was merely giving him a chance for reincarnation, nothing more.
Those present had seen people show mercy before, but no one had ever seen mercy that amounted to nothing more than a chance for reincarnation. And even this chance for reincarnation was only given out of consideration for the Weishan Hua Clan's face.
Although the Weishan Hua Clan was not what it once was, it was still an immortal-descendant clan, and two of its ancestral immortals resided in this very world.
Could it be that the Weishan Hua Clan was worth only this little face in Gu Qingfeng's eyes?
Just enough face for a single reincarnation?
And this was Gu Qingfeng showing mercy. If he hadn't shown mercy, what would he have done?
Would he have made Hua Xiong die without a burial place, without even the chance for reincarnation?
Yes.
Others might not know, but Master Huode knew clearly: whoever dared to use the blood of a Chixiao person to refine their Primordial Spirit would undoubtedly face certain death, whether intentional or not.
As for showing mercy...
Sorry, but the Weishan Hua Clan had not a shred of face with Gu Qingfeng. The only reason Gu Qingfeng was giving Hua Xiong a chance for reincarnation was entirely out of respect for Upper Immortal Hua Qin. If not for her, today Hua Xiong's fate would be far worse than mere death.
This outcome was clearly unexpected for Hua Xiong. His recently restored arrogant demeanor instantly turned panicked again. He roared furiously, "Gu! I am a Three-Star Immortal Official appointed by the Immortal Dynasty, tasked with commanding the Nine-Hua Alliance and ruling over the Four Great Domains! If you dare touch a single hair on my head today, our Weishan Hua Clan will not let you go, and neither will the Immortal Dynasty!"
"The mercy I show you is not because of the Weishan Hua Clan, nor because of the Immortal Dynasty. Your Weishan Hua Clan has no face with me, and the Immortal Dynasty even less so. The reason I'm giving you a chance for reincarnation is solely because of a woman from your Hua Clan."
Gu Qingfeng stood tall in the air, looking coldly and solemnly at Hua Xiong. "I'll say it once more. Before Old Ma's spirit in heaven, perform the ninety-nine bows of worship, then end yourself. Take your soul and get out."
"Gu! Do you really think I, Hua Xiong, fear you?!"
Enraged, Hua Xiong's three Rings of Light around his body flashed wildly. The Primordial Spirit power infused with immortal spirit bloodlust erupted, actually forcing back several Chixiao people like Ziyang. Seizing the moment, Hua Xiong leaped up, summoning a flying sword that resembled an aurora. Wielding the sword, he spun wildly, unleashing countless sharp sword radiances towards Gu Qingfeng.
Each sword radiance was profoundly mysterious. To the eye, they appeared like a storm of pear blossoms, like ten thousand shooting stars, like a thunderous rain of swords, madly assaulting from all directions.
Gu Qingfeng did not move. Nor did he dodge.
He simply stood there, hands behind his back, poised in the air. The Golden Core Spiritual Breath from earlier had vanished without a trace at some point, as if it had never existed. Not a wisp of spiritual energy remained on his person.
No one knew what was happening.
In the blink of an eye, Hua Xiong's ten-thousand shooting star sword rain arrived. Astonishingly and unbelievably, as the ten-thousand shooting star sword rain assaulting from all sides reached Gu Qingfeng's vicinity, it inexplicably froze in mid-air.
Truly frozen.
Completely immobilized in the air, Hua Xiong included.
The scene was like a painting.
No!
Not a painting.
Hua Xiong and his ten-thousand shooting star sword rain were frozen in mid-air, yet Gu Qingfeng's robes still fluttered, his hair still danced in the wind.
How could this be?
What kind of technique was this?
A divine ability?
No!
Gu Qingfeng hadn't unleashed any Golden Core spiritual power at all. How could it be a divine ability?
Just as everyone was filled with extreme astonishment and doubt, Gu Qingfeng, enveloped by the ten-thousand shooting star sword rain, suddenly spoke. "I gave you face, but you didn't want it. Since that's the case, then perish utterly."
As his words fell, Gu Qingfeng condensed his voice into a roar and shouted, "Be annihilated!"
The moment the word 'annihilated' landed—whoosh!
The ten-thousand shooting star sword rain instantly disintegrated and vanished. Hua Xiong, frozen in the air, shattered like glass, then turned into burning ash, scattered to dust by the wind...