"Get lost!"

The desolate moonlight reflected Xiao Mo's eyes, stained by blood-baleful qi. He gazed coldly at Wangxin, his stare sharp as a blade, as if it could pierce through one's very soul.

Wangxin felt her heartbeat suddenly quicken, her body trembling involuntarily as a chill ran up her spine.

The killing intent emanating from him had almost solidified into physical form, pressing down on her until she could barely breathe.

She had no doubt that Xiao Mo would truly strike her down with a single slash.

Yet in the end, Wangxin slowly spread her arms open, still firmly shaking her head, her gaze showing no retreat, only clarity.

Watching the young girl's appearance, Xiao Mo said nothing more.

Wangxin only saw seven Dao patterns suddenly emerge in his eyes, the markings turning slightly like living things, emanating an aura that made one's heart palpitate.

Immediately after, Wangxin's consciousness became hazy, as if falling into some invisible vortex. When she snapped back to awareness, the Tang sword in Xiao Mo's hand had already swung down.

Fierce blade qi swept forth, instantly engulfing the Forgetting River Sect disciple behind her.

That person couldn't even let out a scream before transforming into a cloud of blood mist, body and spirit destroyed together, leaving only a pool of crimson blood on the ground.

Xiao Mo sheathed his blade and turned around, not sparing Wangxin another glance, directly walking toward the direction of Forgetting River Sect.

His voice came from within the night, clear yet icy cold, "You Buddhists always speak of compassion... In my view, it's simply laughable."

As his words fell, his figure had already merged into the moonlight, no longer visible.

Wangxin still stood in place, looking at the glaring pool of blood on the ground, then recalling the blood-baleful qi around him that had almost solidified into physical form. She couldn't help but gently press her thin lips together, lowering her eyes, murmuring as if talking to herself, "But if this continues... if you truly fall into demonic cultivation, you'll die..."

...

As dawn broke, the morning glow like blood dyed through layers upon layers of clouds, also illuminating this continuous mountain range as if soaked in vermillion.

At the foot of the highest peak in this mountain range stood a massive stone monument, on which three vigorous characters were prominently carved: Forgetting River Sect.

At this time, most of the sect's cultivators were still lying on their beds.

Some early-rising disciples sat alone on rocks, facing the rising sun with closed eyes in meditation, practicing breathing exercises.

Deep in the underground prison beneath Forgetting River Sect, hundreds upon thousands of captured ordinary people were imprisoned.

To the Forgetting River Sect cultivators, they were no longer considered "people," merely batches of "consumable materials."

Every face was filled with despair, every gaze dim as death's ashes.

They were like lambs awaiting slaughter, curled up in dark cages, not knowing when they would be sent into pill furnaces to be refined into pills.

"Boom!"

With a tremendous sound, the Forgetting River Sect cultivators in their sleep were startled awake by this sudden tremor, some even rolling off their beds onto the floor.

Those disciples originally sitting in meditation on mountaintops, plains, and beside streams all opened their eyes.

They saw with shock that a man holding a long blade was approaching through the air.

The blood-baleful qi pervading his body was even more intense than the blood-red morning glow at the horizon.

Every time the long blade in his hand fell, it carried a towering wave of blood-red baleful qi, descending like heavenly punishment!

Mountain peaks after mountain peaks were split down the middle, palace halls and pavilions collapsed with thunderous crashes, and everything within sight was razed to the ground.

The Forgetting River Sect disciples could hardly believe their eyes.

Who was this person?

To dare to brazenly attack Forgetting River Sect's mountain gate?

Moreover... he was completely alone!

"Who goes there?!"

Soon, a deep and imposing voice resounded throughout the mountain range.

Several elders and peak masters flew into the air one after another, following behind the sect master and blocking Xiao Mo's path.

Forgetting River Sect Master Lu Dingxin forcefully suppressed the surging rage in his heart, furrowing his brows tightly as he spoke in a deep voice, "May I know why brother has come? To attack without explanation?"

Although Lu Dingxin judged from the spiritual power emanating from the opponent that he was merely a Nascent Soul realm cultivator, and as someone at the Jade Simplicity realm himself, he could suppress him with a flip of his hand.

The problem was, why would a clear-minded Nascent Soul cultivator come to his Forgetting River Sect seeking death for no reason?

"Ten Thousand Dao Sect, Xiao Mo."

Xiao Mo gripped the long blade in his hand, his tone calm as water, each word clear.

"Ten Thousand Dao Sect's Xiao Mo?"

Upon hearing this, everyone was stunned, their faces filled with disbelief.

It wasn't that they hadn't heard this name before.

They simply couldn't understand why Ten Thousand Dao Sect's Holy Son candidate would suddenly attack Forgetting River Sect.

"Does my Forgetting River Sect... have any grievance with your sect?" Lu Dingxin's tone softened somewhat as he asked cautiously.

Xiao Mo's identity forced him to be more polite.

After all, Ten Thousand Dao Sect was one of the Ten Great Demonic Sects, and this was a matter of face he had to respect.

Moreover, the other party's master, Xue Kui, was a madwoman known to everyone in the Western Region.

"This has nothing to do with Ten Thousand Dao Sect. I've come here only to exterminate your sect."

As the last word fell, he said no more.

The long blade in his hand suddenly rose, and a blood-red fierce blade qi tore through the sky, crashing down with tremendous force!

Lu Dingxin and the elders beside him were greatly alarmed, hastily employing their movement techniques to scatter and dodge.

They saw that single slash fall, and the ground of Forgetting River Sect suddenly split open with a bottomless chasm.

A large mountain in the distance was actually split directly in half, its cross-section smooth as a mirror, rocks tumbling down with thunderous rumbles, dust filling the sky.

"Arrogant brat! Do you think that just because you're backed by Ten Thousand Dao Sect, you can act without restraint?!"

Lu Dingxin flew into a rage.

If it were merely a disciple who had inadvertently offended the other party, he might have been able to step forward to mediate and give Ten Thousand Dao Sect face but this Xiao Mo had attacked without a word, intent on exterminating the sect. This was simply too much!

"Kill him!"

Lu Dingxin hesitated no longer, shouting orders to the surrounding elders and peak masters.

Even though they both belonged to the demonic path, the demonic path had its own rules.

Moreover, Forgetting River Sect also had one of the Ten Great Demonic Sects, the "Imperial Beast Sect," as their backing!

Even if they truly killed this reckless Xiao Mo today, it would be his own death wish, and no one else could be blamed.

If Ten Thousand Dao Sect came looking for trouble in the future, Imperial Beast Sect would absolutely not stand idly by!

However, in the next moment, Lu Dingxin's pupils contracted sharply.

He discovered with shock that although this Xiao Mo was only at the Nascent Soul realm, his strength far exceeded his understanding!

Several elders and peak masters within the sect who were also at the Nascent Soul realm had just stepped forward, yet couldn't even withstand a single slash from him, and were instantly struck down!

Compared to this person, their Nascent Soul realm cultivation seemed as fragile as paper, utterly unable to withstand a single blow.

"Brat! Die!"

Lu Dingxin could restrain himself no longer. If he didn't act now, the peak masters and elders of Forgetting River Sect would truly be slaughtered to the last!

He pointed through the air directly at Xiao Mo.

In an instant, several blazing fire dragons roared forth from his fingertip, carrying world-burning momentum as they pounced toward the opponent.

Xiao Mo merely indifferently swung his blade, the blood-colored blade aura tearing through the sea of flames, breaking through the fire and once again slashing down toward Lu Dingxin's head.

Lu Dingxin hastily dodged, while several cultivators behind him who couldn't evade in time were slightly grazed by the residual blade qi and died on the spot.

Immediately after, Xiao Mo swept his blade horizontally, the vast blood-baleful qi rippling outward like waves, as if about to tear apart the entire sky.

Lu Dingxin swallowed with difficulty.

Although unwilling to admit it, judging from those two slashes just now...

His late-stage Jade Simplicity realm cultivation probably couldn't withstand him either!

After retreating dozens of zhang, Lu Dingxin held back nothing.

He tightly grasped the sect master's token, fully activating Forgetting River Sect's sect protection grand formation!

At the same time, Lu Dingxin produced his natal magical artifact, a treasure resembling a mountain and sea seal that grew with the wind, instantly covering the sky and blocking out the sun, layers of mountain peak phantoms crashing down heavily toward Xiao Mo!

"Screech!"

With a sharp phoenix cry, the sect protection grand formation condensed into a blazing fire phoenix, diving straight at Xiao Mo!

Xiao Mo held the blade in one hand while forming hand seals with the other.

The blood within his body boiled, surging and roaring, the blood-baleful qi frantically colliding within his tendons, bones, and blood vessels, almost tearing his physical body apart!

In an instant, the entire sky was dyed blood-red, the rising sun seeming to melt at the horizon, its light dimming.

Houses, grasslands, trees... all things were soaked in the blood-colored hue.

And Xiao Mo, suspended in mid-air, was like a monarch wielding the power of life and death, looking down upon all living beings.

Blood Demon Sword Formula Seventh Style: Heaven and Earth Illusory Red.

Xiao Mo used the Blood Demon Sword Formula to connect with the great Dao of heaven and earth, drawing upon the blood-baleful qi around his body to pour madly into heaven and earth, transforming this small patch of heaven and earth into a blade domain.

The blade domain was like a sword cultivator's sword realm.

However, this move "Heaven and Earth Illusory Red" was extremely dangerous.

When executing Heaven and Earth Illusory Red, one couldn't continue suppressing the baleful qi within the body, but instead needed to release all the blood-baleful qi, allowing the killing intent to surge like a flood.

Xiao Mo had to seek a thread of clarity within the madness, maintaining the last shred of reason.

And the more people you killed, the heavier the accumulated baleful qi on your body, the greater the power of Heaven and Earth Illusory Red.

But similarly, the more difficult it became to control Heaven and Earth Illusory Red.

Xue Kui had once told Xiao Mo that this move should be avoided if possible, because each time he used it, his consciousness and bloodline would be stained by blood-baleful qi once more, until he was completely lost.

Throughout history, countless practitioners of the Blood Demon Sword Formula had fallen into this "Heaven and Earth Illusory Red," losing their true hearts and transforming into "Blood Demons" who knew only slaughter.

But how could it be only this style?

From the seventh style of the Blood Demon Sword Formula onward, every subsequent style directly devoured the divine soul and tested one's Dao heart.

If not for this, how could the Blood Demon Sword Formula be worthy of being called by the world the "Demonic Path"?

"Xiao Mo..."

Wangxin, who arrived at Forgetting River Sect a step late, stood on the ground, staring blankly at that blood-like, demon-like figure in the sky.

She knew she was powerless to stop him.

And he absolutely would not listen to her.

One slash fell!

The Spirit Absorbing Sword in Xiao Mo's hand was like holding a vermillion brush, dipped full of crimson baleful qi, slashing down the first mark on this canvas of heaven and earth.

The blazing fire phoenix condensed by Forgetting River Sect's sect protection grand formation was beheaded with a single slash, crying out mournfully as it shattered!

The second slash rose again!

The blade edge drew the blood tide filling the sky, cleaving toward those layers of descending mountain phantoms.

"Boom!!!"

The tremendous sound shook the wilderness, as the giant blade condensed from a sea of blood crashed brazenly through the mountain peak phantoms.

Lu Dingxin's mountain and sea seal cracked with a fissure.

"Pfft..."

The Forgetting River Sect master suddenly spat out a mouthful of fresh blood.

His natal magical artifact was damaged, and his divine soul also suffered heavy injury.

"I must escape!"

Lu Dingxin had no more will to fight, turning to flee but he had just flown less than ten zhang when Xiao Mo's figure vanished from its original position like a ghost.

When he reappeared, the Spirit Absorbing Sword had already pierced through Lu Dingxin's chest, pinning him straight down toward the earth like a meteor.

"Boom..."

Dust flew up, the ground collapsing into a crater.

When the dust settled slightly, Lu Dingxin was pinned firmly at the bottom of the pit by the long blade, blood flowing from his mouth as he wailed with difficulty, "Spare... spare me... As long as you spare me... I can give you anything..."

Xiao Mo's blood-red eyes looked down at him like viewing an ant, "But what I want is only your lives."

Before the words finished, the long blade suddenly slashed upward, and the blood-baleful qi exploded with tremendous force.

Lu Dingxin burst into a cloud of blood mist on the spot, body and spirit destroyed together.

After the sect master's death, everyone's hearts suddenly tightened. No longer having any intention to resist Xiao Mo, they all wanted to flee.

However, Forgetting River Sect had already been enveloped by "Heaven and Earth Illusory Red," like a barrier firmly trapping them within. No one could escape, and there was nowhere to escape.

Xiao Mo seemed to have become the master of this patch of heaven and earth.

He could appear at will in any corner, his figure ghostly and elusive, difficult to capture.

Under Wangxin's gaze, the cultivators in the firmament burst open one after another, transforming into clouds of crimson blood mist, like brilliant fireworks.

Their lives were like grass and dirt in Xiao Mo's hands, casually extinguished, even their struggles appearing pale.

And the blood-baleful qi coiling around Xiao Mo's body grew increasingly dense, his eyes becoming redder and redder.

"Boom!"

With a muffled sound, the long blade in Xiao Mo's hand broke through a magical artifact and directly pierced into a peak master's chest, then lifted him high up.

A jade token hung at that person's waist, clearly engraved with "Hundred Ghosts Peak Master."

Xiao Mo gazed at him, his tone unusually calm, "Do you know Qian Zhenhao?"

The Hundred Ghosts Peak Master coughed violently, fresh blood continuously gushing from his mouth, "Cough... I know him, he's my subordinate disciple... Did he offend Your Excellency? Your Excellency can rest assured... I will definitely make his life worse than death... I only beg you to spare my life."

Xiao Mo didn't respond to his plea for mercy, only continuing to ask, "Then do you know a person called 'Tang Kuang'?"

"Tang Kuang?" The Hundred Ghosts Peak Master endured the pain of blood-baleful qi eroding his lungs and organs, struggling to think, "Tang Kuang... who is that?"

"An honest and simple ordinary person. He was my third brother."

Before Xiao Mo's words finished, the long blade had already thrust upward fiercely. In an instant, the other party exploded into a cloud of blood mist, dissipating in the air.

Xiao Mo turned to look at those Forgetting River Sect disciples pressed to the ground by blood-baleful qi, unable to move, his eyes showing no ripple of emotion.

He swung his blade again, the fierce blood-baleful qi sweeping across their bodies like a tide. In an instant, everyone's cultivation was completely destroyed.

Afterward, Xiao Mo picked up the Forgetting River Sect master's jade token and, after interrogating two cultivators, learned the location of the prison.

He drove all the cultivators to gather on the plain outside the prison, used the token to open the prison's large doors, and with one slash severed all the cage chains.

The ordinary people who had been imprisoned for so long were initially doubtful and suspicious, no one daring to move.

They didn't understand what had happened outside.

Until the first person who mustered courage stumbled out.

Then the second, the third...

More and more people followed them out.

An hour later, when they had all escaped the prison and stood on the plain looking up.

What they saw was the earth crisscrossed with cracks, split mountain peaks, houses collapsed into ruins, and in the distance, a man's figure.

Just then, Xiao Mo swung his blade again.

In an instant, wails rose everywhere. The hand tendons of the Forgetting River Sect disciples were all severed, their legs locked to the ground by baleful qi, unable to move a single step.

Xiao Mo's voice penetrated into every ordinary person's ears, "Now, Forgetting River Sect is no more. If you have grievances, you may take revenge now."

At first, they looked at each other, no one daring to move, no one daring to believe. Long-term oppression and fear made them stand frozen in place.

However, in the next moment, a young girl in ragged clothes trembled as she walked out from the crowd.

She picked up a long sword that had fallen on the ground, gripping it tightly with both hands. Suddenly letting out a heart-rending cry, she fiercely stabbed toward a Forgetting River Sect disciple's chest, "Return my little brother! Return my mother! Return my innocence!!!"

She cried while madly stabbing the other party.

Fresh blood splattered on her face and clothes.

That disciple quickly lost his breath.

Yet she still didn't stop, one sword, then another, as if venting all her hatred.

More and more people picked up scattered weapons on the ground, rushing toward those cultivators who had once oppressed and tormented them.

Those without weapons picked up rocks and smashed down fiercely.

When even the rocks were all picked up, they pounced forward to bite with their teeth, tear with their hands.

Some who had avenged great grievances knelt on the ground wailing loudly.

Others laughed maniacally, their laughter constantly echoing across the plain.

The entire land was gradually soaked with fresh blood. As far as the eye could see, not a single Forgetting River Sect cultivator remained alive.

Wangxin stared blankly at everything before her, her eyes trembling, her small hands tightly clutching the clothes at her chest, indescribable emotions spreading through the young girl's heart.

The plain before her eyes was like a purgatory.

Xiao Mo, carrying the blood-stained Spirit Absorbing Sword, walked step by step in front of Wangxin. His voice pierced through the thick scent of blood like a blade, "Your Buddhist sect speaks of compassion, but who will take pity on them?"

As the words fell, Xiao Mo brushed past her shoulders, only his words lingering around the young girl's ears, "Get back to your Buddhist temple and chant your sutras properly. If you follow me again, you'll be the next one I strike down."