Ch 140: Dominance

All five black-robed cultivators now had solemn expressions as they looked at Du Yue.

Both Ning Choi and Li Zhang had one crippled arm. They hurriedly took out several healing pills and swallowed them without hesitation, immediately circulating their Spiritual Qi and doing their best to recover. The other three were also injured, so they each swallowed a healing pill.

At the back, Zhu Jia's eyelids slowly fluttered.

Du Yue's punch had been infused with extremely cold Yin Spiritual Qi. It wasn't just the physical force that had injured her. The icy Yin Qi had also invaded her body and shaken her Soul, causing her to lose consciousness.

Zhu Jia finally opened her eyes.

"Aghh!"

The moment she regained consciousness, a sharp pain spread across her entire face. She instinctively raised a hand and touched her nose.

"No... My face... My nose... It hurts!"

Her expression twisted in pain. Then her voice suddenly became vicious.

"That bitch... I'll kill her!"

With that, she hurriedly swallowed a healing pill and slowly struggled to her feet. But the moment she looked ahead, she froze.

Du Yue was still standing there as calmly as before. Her blue dress remained spotless, and not even a scratch could be seen on her body. Meanwhile, all five of her companions were injured, with two of them suffering particularly severe injuries.

"This...!"

Zhu Jia's eyes widened in disbelief.

They were all Peak Golden Core cultivators with powerful backgrounds. They had access to countless resources, powerful techniques, and high-grade treasures.

Yet they had been beaten black and blue by a woman whose cultivation was supposedly lower than theirs and who had come from a remote countryside.

Zhu Jia stared at Du Yue's beautiful and cold face. The jealousy that had burned within her heart grew even stronger.

But this time, something else was mixed within it.

Fear.

Real fear.

Mo Kuan's expression shifted several times. He clenched his teeth before finally making up his mind.

"There's no turning back now. It's either her... or us. If we retreat, we'll die anyway."

A coldness settled in his eyes.

"Go for the kill. Even her corpse is valuable. Young Master Edrick wants her. Whether she's alive or dead doesn't matter."

Rin Saito and James Rossi, who were the least injured, immediately moved beside Mo Kuan. Ning Choi and Li Zhang also forced themselves back onto their feet, hurriedly wrapping their injured arms with cloth to stabilise them.

Mo Kuan tightened his grip around his sword.

"Attack together!"

The other four nodded.

The next instant, all five attacked at the same time.

"Threefold Sword Severing!"

Mo Kuan's sword erupted with Grade 3 Sword Intent as he swung it three times in rapid succession, each slash carrying enough force to tear through solid rock.

"Black Venom Palm!"

Li Zhang thrust his remaining palm forward. Sinister black Evil Qi condensed around his hand, forming a terrifying palm that shot towards Du Yue.

"Shadowless Crescent Slash!"

Rin Saito's black katana flashed. A dark crescent-shaped Sword Qi shot through the air, moving so quickly that it was almost impossible to see.

"Mountain-Splitting Axe!"

Ning Choi roared as he took out another heavy axe similar to the previous one. He raised it high above his head before bringing it down with tremendous force.

"Piercing Star Thrust!"

James Rossi's slender rapier trembled. A sharp beam of Spiritual Qi condensed at its tip before shooting towards Du Yue like a streak of light.

Five Peak Golden Core attacks converged towards Du Yue from different directions.

Yet Du Yue remained completely calm. She slowly raised the White Snow Sword in her hand.

Terrifying Grade 4 Sword Intent and Snow Intent emerged from the blade. The surrounding temperature dropped sharply.

"Weak."

With that, Du Yue stepped forward.

"Normal Ice Slash."

Her sword slashed.

Boom!!

A violent burst of energy erupted from the point of impact. The entire sealing formation trembled violently.

Du Yue's body was pushed two steps back.

However, that was all. There wasn't even a trace of injury on her face. Her breathing remained steady.

On the other hand, all five black-robed cultivators were sent flying backwards.

Bang! Bang! Bang!

Their bodies smashed heavily into the black ground of the sealing formation before rolling several metres. They landed right beside Zhu Jia.

Zhu Jia stared blankly at the five injured men lying beside her. Her lips trembled. "What kind of monster is she...?"

Du Yue slowly walked towards them. Her footsteps were light, yet every step seemed to land heavily on their hearts.

"You've already wasted a lot of my time."

Her beautiful blue eyes swept over them.

"Let's end this now."

She raised the White Snow Sword, its blade radiating a fierce killing intent.

The five cultivators' hearts tightened. At that moment, Mo Kuan suddenly forced himself upright. His eyes were bloodshot.

"Do you think it's that easy? If we have to die... We'll make sure you pay the price!"

With that, he reached into his storage ring and took out a tiny black sword. The small sword was covered in strange red veins, and a sinister and ominous aura radiated from it.

The other four followed close behind. For a moment, no one spoke. Then, as if they had reached the same decision, they slowly stood up and moved towards Mo Kuan.

Zhu Jia also gritted her teeth and struggled to her feet. She had already suffered a severe injury from Du Yue's punch, but there was no hesitation in her eyes. She willingly stepped forward and placed her hand on the tiny black sword.

Du Yue didn't move. Instead, a trace of curiosity appeared in her eyes. She simply watched.

She wanted to see what desperate method they had prepared. It was like watching a cornered beast desperately struggle before its inevitable death.

The six cultivators placed their hands on the tiny black sword. The moment they touched it, their expressions twisted in pain.

"Ah..."

"Ugh!"

Instantly, a terrifying suction force erupted from the tiny sword. Their Spiritual Qi, vitality, and essence blood... everything began pouring into the sword like water being swallowed by a bottomless abyss.

Their faces rapidly turned pale. Their bodies visibly shrivelled.

In only a few breaths, their once powerful bodies had become thin and withered. Their skin clung tightly to their bones, and their bodies collapsed onto the ground like dried branches.

They were barely alive.

Zhu Jia was no exception. Only Mo Kuan still had enough strength to remain conscious. His hand trembled violently as he pointed the tiny black sword towards Du Yue. "Take this..."

His voice was weak and his eyes were filled with madness. "Die!"

The tiny black sword suddenly trembled. A sinister and terrifying aura erupted from it.

Whoosh!

The sword shot towards Du Yue like a bullet. The power contained within it had already reached the Early Nascent Soul Realm.

Du Yue merely raised an eyebrow. She didn't even look particularly concerned. She slowly raised her White Snow Sword.

"A little stronger... Normal Ice Slash."

The sword swept forward.

Clang!!

The two swords collided.

Boom!!!

A violent wave of energy exploded throughout the sealing formation. The black walls trembled violently, and the ground cracked beneath Du Yue's feet.

She took a few steps back. Yet she remained completely unharmed. Not even a single scratch could be seen on her robes.

The tiny black sword, however, had been knocked away. Its surface was now dull and covered in cracks as it flew backwards and landed several metres away.

Silence.

Complete silence.

All six of them stared at the cracked sword in disbelief. Then despair slowly crept into their eyes.

Even an attack that had reached the Early Nascent Soul Realm couldn't hurt her. Du Yue looked at them calmly. "Is this the final trick?"

Their hearts sank, but they had no strength left to move or answer. Then Du Yue's Soul Qi suddenly churned. A terrifying wave of Soul Power erupted from within her Consciousness.

Frostshade Soul Erosion!

A terrifying Soul force surged outward like a frozen tide. The moment the attack spread, it swept across all five cultivators, but passed harmlessly through Zhu Jia without affecting her.

"No..."

"Argh..."

The invisible Soul attack instantly pierced through their Consciousness. Their eyes widened and their bodies went limp.

Faced with her vast Soul Power, their Souls were violently shaken before their bodies collapsed completely.

After sacrificing so much of their Vitality and Spiritual Qi to activate the black sword, they no longer had the strength to withstand Du Yue's Soul attack.

Five bodies lay motionless on the ground. Only Zhu Jia remained conscious.

She stared at the scene before her with her mouth slightly open. She couldn't even process what had just happened.

Du Yue blinked. She looked at the five people lying on the ground, then looked at Zhu Jia. A slightly embarrassed expression appeared on her beautiful face. "Oops... Sorry. I only wanted to stun them lightly and make them apologise to Husband, but I seem to have lost control and killed them."

Zhu Jia's face turned pale. Anger, fury, shame, and terror surged through her heart. Her body trembled uncontrollably.

In only a few moments, all five of her companions who had entered the formation together were dead. 'Killing Peak Golden Core cultivators? Is this what you call a mistake?'

At this moment, all the beauty she had once possessed was gone. She lay on the ground, shaking with terror, her shrivelled body seemingly on the verge of collapse.

Du Yue didn't seem to notice her fear. She reached out and picked up the whip she had taken from Zhu Jia earlier.

The once-black whip had now turned completely white, covered in a layer of icy frost. Fine icy thorns, resembling the branches of roses, covered its length.

Du Yue slowly turned towards her. Her face was as calm as before, but her beautiful blue eyes were cold and sinister. "Well... they died, so they died."

She slowly walked towards Zhu Jia and fed her a handful of healing pills. Within a few moments, colour began returning to Zhu Jia's pale complexion.

"But you..." Du Yue's fingers tightened around the icy whip. "Let's talk about what you said about my Husband earlier."

Soon... only Zhu Jia's cries echoed through the sealed formation.

Thane and the remaining Peak Foundation Establishment cultivators looked at each other, desperately searching for an opening to escape. They knew they wouldn't survive a direct fight.

But Su Wen's gaze remained fixed on them like a predator watching its prey, leaving them no chance to run. They could only grit their teeth and prepare for the incoming attack.

Su Wen stepped forward and swung his sword at one of the bandits.

Clang!

Sword and mace collided. The bandit's body was sent flying like a broken kite, blood spraying from his mouth as he crashed backwards.

Before he could recover, Su Wen disappeared. The next moment, he appeared beside him. The bandit's eyes widened in terror. and before he could react, Su Wen's sword flashed.

His head was instantly separated from his body. Su Wen didn't even look back. His cold gaze had already locked onto the remaining bandits.

The moment they saw this, they turned and fled in different directions.

Celestial Void Steps!

Su Wen's figure vanished. One of the bandits had only managed to run a few steps when Su Wen appeared directly in front of him.

The bandit gritted his teeth and swung his sword. Su Wen met the attack head-on.

The instant their swords collided, a powerful force travelled through the bandit's arm. The bandit's sword was violently knocked backwards, piercing straight through his own head.

His body collapsed to the ground, the sword still tightly gripped in his hand.

Su Wen continued forward.

Thane and the remaining two bandits had already fled, but they hadn't managed to get far. Su Wen accelerated and quickly caught up to the two bandits, killing them in a single swift strike.

His movements were even more decisive than before, allowing every sword strike to flow without hesitation.

Then his gaze shifted towards Thane. Thane was already flying away on his sword. Yet he suddenly felt a chill run down his spine.

He looked back.

Su Wen was chasing him.

Thane's expression changed drastically as he poured more Spiritual Qi into his flying sword, desperately increasing his speed. But the distance between them continued to shrink.

Soon, Su Wen was already close enough to attack. He casually picked up a small stone from the ground, infused it with Spiritual Qi, and threw it like a baseball.

Whoosh!

The stone shot through the air like a bullet and pierced straight through Thane's back.

"Argh!"

Thane was sent tumbling from his flying sword and crashed heavily onto the ground, coughing up a mouthful of blood.

Su Wen continued running towards him. Taking advantage of his momentum, he kicked Thane directly in the chest.

Thane's ribs caved in as his body was sent flying again. He landed heavily on the ground, his face pale as blood trickled from the corner of his mouth.

Knowing that Su Wen wouldn't let him escape, Thane hurriedly took out a black needle and said, "I know you won't let me..."

But before he could finish speaking, Su Wen's sword had already swung. A thin red line appeared across Thane's forehead.

His eyes widened as he stared at Su Wen.

"Y-you..."

Before he could say anything else, his consciousness faded.

Su Wen looked at his corpse coldly and said, "Do you think I would wait for you to finish speaking so you could sneak attack me? Do I look that arrogant?"

With that, he stored Thane's corpse in his storage ring before turning around and returning.