Endless waves of energy surged under Xu Zimo’s feet as Ying Cai’er’s body was sent flying through the air.

He lifted his head slightly, sweeping his gaze over everyone present.

The crowd was dead silent, frozen in fear.

Xu Zimo walked step by step toward Ying Cai’er.

“Don’t kill her, I beg you,” Ying Wushuang quickly stepped in front of him.

“What kind of logic is that? She tried to make me her scapegoat, and now you want me to spare her?” Xu Zimo tilted his head and smiled.

“I know, but... she’s still my sister. I can’t just stand by and watch her die,” Ying Wushuang replied. “Whatever you want, just say the word. If it’s something I can do, I will.”

Xu Zimo paused, then said, “For the sake of how you pleaded for us earlier, I’ll give her one chance.”

He grabbed Liu Yi, who was nearby, and tossed him in front of Ying Cai’er.

“Only one of you can live. You decide.”

Ying Cai’er’s face went pale.

She looked at the struggling Liu Yi, who kept shaking his head at her.

“Hurry up. I don’t have time to waste,” Xu Zimo said calmly.

Ying Cai’er was silent for a while, then slowly drew the sword hanging at Liu Yi’s waist. Her eyes locked onto his face.

“I’m sorry... Better you than me,” she whispered, her hands trembling as she plunged the sword in.

Pfft!

Blood sprayed as Ying Cai’er stood there stunned, like she had lost her mind.

Xu Zimo smiled, then turned to look at the people of the Liu Clan.

Their faces were pale with fear as they instinctively backed away.

“Relax guys, I’m not going to kill you,” Xu Zimo said lightly.

He turned toward the crowd of civilians at the mansion gate and shouted, “This Liu Clan has bullied you for years. Today, I’ll do justice for the people. If you see anything in this place you want, take it. If you grab it, it’s yours.”

The crowd murmured uncertainly. No one dared to move first.

“What are you afraid of? The bold eat well, the timid starve. If you can’t even take this chance, then you deserve to be bullied your whole life.”

Just as Xu Zimo finished speaking, a shirtless man in the crowd stepped forward.

“If none of you dare, I will.”

He rushed into the inner halls of the Liu Estate, rolled up a valuable painting from the wall, and took off with it.

No one stopped him.

Seeing that, the crowd relaxed and swarmed into the Liu Estate like a tidal wave.

The whole place was turned upside down.

The Liu Clan didn’t dare speak up. Compared to treasure, their lives mattered more.

Xu Zimo looked at the chaos with a small smile, then left with his group.

Ying Cai’er stood frozen, unmoving, until Xu Zimo’s figure disappeared from sight.

Her eyes then filled with hatred.

“Back to the Sacred Mountain. I want to return to the Sacred Mountain right now,” she said, gritting her teeth to Ying Wushuang.

“Sister, let’s just end it here,” Ying Wushuang replied.

Ying Cai’er glanced at Liu Yi’s corpse beside her, then stared at her sister.

“You really think that’s possible?”

Ying Wushuang was silent for a moment before letting out a helpless sigh.

…

Walking down the streets of Flowfire City.

Guo Zhi looked at Xu Zimo and asked, not quite convinced, “Brother Xu, why were you so nice to those townspeople? When we got into trouble earlier, they all ran off and hid.”

“You mean giving away the Liu Clan’s stuff and letting them loot the place?” Xu Zimo asked.

Guo Zhi nodded.

“The Liu Clan has the backing of the Heaven Ascension Holy Mountain. While the Liu Clan itself isn’t much, it’s still their appointed manager,” Xu Zimo said with a smile.

“By looting the Liu Clan like that, those civilians were effectively rebelling against the Sacred Mountain. What do you think the Sacred Mountain will do when they find out?”

Guo Zhi was stunned, he hadn’t thought about it that way.

“So you planned all that from the start…”

Xu Zimo smiled without answering.

After wandering the city a bit longer, he finally parted ways with the Martial Zenith Sacred Ground disciples for good.

He had originally planned to head to the Heaven-Severing Sacred Ground with Dark River.

But as the two reached Flowfire City’s gates, Xu Zimo suddenly felt a powerful surge within his body.

The sensation stopped him in his tracks.

Inside his True Fate World, the Supreme-Yin Nether-Glow, which had been suppressed by the Primordial Chaos Bead and silent for ages, suddenly appeared again.

It hovered at the top of the God World, glowing with soft white light.

It seemed to be pointing him toward something.

Xu Zimo turned and saw a crowd gathered at the city gate, though it was unclear what was happening.

He pushed his way through and saw an old man in a tattered gray coat kneeling on the ground.

In front of the old man hung a sign: “Looking for a demon slayer.”

“What’s going on?” Xu Zimo asked someone nearby.

“That’s Old Wu,” the man explained. “His son went to Yellow Spring City and hasn’t come back for almost a month now. So Old Wu is offering a reward, trying to find a demon slayer to help rescue his son.”

“Why hasn’t anyone accepted the job?” Xu Zimo asked, curious.

“Who’d take it? That place is cursed, no one comes back alive. Who’d be dumb enough to go?” the man replied.

“Besides, Old Wu’s got no money. He’s offering some weird old rock as a family heirloom for payment. Who’d want that?”

Hearing this, Xu Zimo crouched and looked at the old man.

“Sir, may I ask you a few basic questions?”

Hearing his voice, Old Wu looked up, his eyes lighting up with hope.

“Of course, sir. Ask anything.”

“Why did your son go to Yellow Spring City?”

Old Wu sighed. “That boy’s always been too curious. He made a bet with someone that he could go to Yellow Spring and come back alive. Then one day, he just snuck off and went in alone.”

“He’s been gone for a whole month?” Xu Zimo asked.

Old Wu nodded.

“And what if he’s already dead?” Xu Zimo asked calmly.

“Then I want to see the body, and I’ll kill whatever monster took his life!” Old Wu said, eyes welling with tears. His face was deeply wrinkled, and his messy hair blew in the wind.

“May I see your heirloom?” Xu Zimo asked.

Old Wu hesitated, then took out a stone with trembling hands.

The stone was a deep black-purple and had an unknown, extremely hard texture.

It felt hot to the touch.

And the moment Xu Zimo held it, the Supreme-Yin Nether-Glow inside his True Fate World trembled even more violently.

Xu Zimo pondered for a moment, then smiled and handed the stone back to the old man.

Without saying more, he turned and left the crowd, heading out of the city with Dark River by his side.