Outside Heaven's Mystery Sect's Mountain Gate.
Dawn's first light pierced through lingering mist. Three ten-thousand-foot peaks stabbed into the clouds like giant swords, their summits perpetually wreathed in seven-colored spiritual mist that made the entire mountain range look like an immortal paradise. Before the gates stood a hundred-foot marble archway engraved with "Heaven's Mystery Holy Land" in flowing golden characters, each stroke as sharp as a blade. On either side, twelve dragon-carved pillars seemed almost alive under spiritual energy's nourishment, ready to soar.
This was the Heaven's Mystery Sect—ruler of southeast Canglan Realm for three thousand years, one of the seven righteous major sects. Ten thousand disciples, over a hundred Nascent Soul elders, three Deity Transformation ancestors. Its guardian array, the Nine Mysteries Heaven-Shield Formation, was an ancient legacy said to block any attack below Great Ascension.
Today, this holy land would meet its end.
Thirty thousand miles was but half a day's leisurely journey for a Deity Transformation dragon. When Lin Che arrived riding the Blood Terror Dragon—its body covered in dark red scales the size of tabletops, eyes like blood moons—with his sister Lin Ying, the sect's peaceful immortal aura shattered instantly.
"HMMMMM—"
The guardian array activated the moment it sensed intruders. Nine golden pillars shot up from subsidiary peaks, weaving into a massive net of spiritual power that became a hundred-foot-thick golden barrier sealing the entire sect. Countless defensive runes flowed across its surface, each capable of blocking a full-force Nascent Soul blow. As the runes flickered, faint dragon roars and tiger snarls echoed.
"Who dares invade Heaven's Mystery Holy Land!" the gate guards shouted, their voices thunder amplified by the formation. The captain—a peak Golden Core—clutched a command flag, trying to look tough, but his trembling hands betrayed his terror.
Lin Che stood atop the dragon's head, mountain wind whipping his blood-stained black robes to reveal golden lightning patterns beneath. His gaze was ice cold, like looking at corpses. His voice held all the emotion of a death sentence: "The one who destroys your sect."
He didn't even move. The Blood Terror Dragon merely lifted its head, opened a mouth large enough to swallow a hill, revealed fangs sharper than spirit swords, and unleashed a world-shaking roar.
"ROOOAAARR—!!!!"
Dragon might crashed over them like a tsunami. Visible sound wave ripples tore through the air, shredding space itself. The gate guards didn't even have time to scream—hundred-plus bodies exploded like watermelons hit by a sledgehammer. Splat! Splat! Splat! Shredded flesh, bone fragments, and internal organs rained down on the white steps, dyeing the millennium-pure immortal ground crimson. The captain's head rolled to the archway's base, eyes frozen wide in death.
[Killed Qi Refining disciples ×87, Golden Core disciples ×23. Slaughter Points +0 (Overdraft Period Active)] .
The system's voice rang in Lin Che's mind with resigned electronic tones: "Host, you're seriously overdraw—2100 points in the red! Suggest hunting high-value targets ASAP to clear overdraft, or you won't qualify for Slaughter Point benefits. Also, friendly reminder: your heart rate is 180 BPM, blood pressure 220. Maybe consider relaxing?"
Lin Che ignored the system's banter, lightly patting the dragon's neck: "Blood Terror, break the array."
"NGRAA—!"
The dragon roared with excitement. Its three-hundred-zhang body coiled through the air. The dark red scaled tail—like a god's whip—crashed into the guardian array with Deity Transformation power. Where the tail struck, space cracked, revealing black void fissures.
"CRACK—BOOM!!!"
The legendary Nine Mysteries Heaven-Shield Formation—said to block peak Deity Transformation strikes—shattered like glass! The golden pillars dimmed instantly, runes avalanching into nothingness. The entire barrier dissolved into light motes in moments. Disciples maintaining the array on the nine peaks all spewed blood and flew backward—most died from spiritual backlash on the spot.
[Guardian Array: Broken. Host Coolness +999. Sect Morale -9999].
The system's ill-timed comment made Lin Che's mouth twitch: "Shut up."
[Got it If Host thinks it's not cool enough, this System can provide beauty filters for just 999 Slaughter Points].
Lin Che patted the dragon's head, voice cold: "Blood Terror, follow me. Annihilate the sect. Leave no one alive."
The dragon understood. Bloodlust flickered in its crimson eyes. Its mountain-range body descended slowly, crushing the last intact stone slab at the gates. Each scale flowed with dark red light—the killing aura of a million slain souls.
[Alert! Three guardian spirit beasts detected: Peak Tier 4! Suggest caution—though you're strong, Peak Tier 4 Ironhide Rage Bears are tough. Don't get cocky...]
Before the warning finished, the ground rumbled. Three ten-zhang-tall bears—entire bodies cast from black iron—charged out. Each step made the earth tremble, leaving foot-deep prints. Eyes blood red. Claws like ten Heaven-tier spirit swords, glinting cold, emanating peak Tier-4 terror.
"Ironhide Rage Bears. Heaven's Mystery Sect doesn't spare expenses," Lin Che sneered. His figure flickered like a ghost, leaving only an afterimage.
The Lightning Pattern Golden Core in his dantian erupted with borrowed Deity Transformation power flooding his meridians, creating an urge to unleash. Purple-black lightning wrapped his right fist, solidifying into scale-like patterns.
"Lightning Dragon Break—!"
Punch force transformed into a hundred-zhang lightning dragon, scales, whiskers, and claws perfectly clear, dragon roar shaking heaven. The dragon collided with the three bear heads in a blinding flash!
"Bang! Bang! Bang!"
Three muffled explosions almost simultaneous. The Ironhide Rage Bears' heads—impenetrable even to Nascent Soul experts—shattered like tofu! Massive headless corpses crashed down, carving three deep pits, blood flowing like streams, dyeing the mountain path red. Three fist-sized demon cores rolled out, dense with earth-attribute spiritual power.
[Killed Tier 4 spirit beasts ×3. Obtained demon cores ×3. Slaughter Points +0].
[Warning: Slaughter Points overdrawn -2100. Recharge... er, hunt high-value targets ASAP! Friendly reminder: massive high-value targets ahead!]
Lin Che frowned. He could feel abundant killing intent offsetting the overdraft, but too slowly. At this rate, he'd need to kill three thousand more Golden Core cultivators to break even.