Chapter 544: City Of Corpses
Chapter 544: City Of Corpses
"Who were your backers?"
The old man hesitated briefly, but after a moment of thought, he realized there was no longer any reason to hide the truth.
"The Chaos Sect," he said slowly. "They are the ones who helped our clan rise so quickly."
"They provided us with resources, techniques... protection. Even helping me and a few of my Elders to ascend to the Heavenly Realm."
He intentionally left out the fact that they had helped his son ascend as well.
"All we had to do in return... was wage war whenever they instructed us to."
"So you were their puppets."
"You could call it that," the old man said with a miserable smirk. "Whatever they are planning... it’s far bigger than any of our clans. We were only a small piece of their design."
His gaze drifted toward the blood-covered cellar around them.
"Insignificant, really. But we were happy to gain something from it."
"A much bigger plan..." Xun Wei murmured thoughtfully.
"We never held any personal grudge against the Xun—" the Patriarch began.
But Xun Wei wasn’t listening anymore.
Her thoughts had already shifted to the Chaos Sect.
’What kind of grand plan would require the annihilation of my clan?’ she wondered.
The Patriarch slowly closed his eyes.
"Kill me," he said calmly. "I have nothing else to say."
His words pulled Xun Wei out of her thoughts.
But instead of granting his request, she asked him one final question.
"...Do you regret it?"
The old Patriarch fell silent for a moment, then he slowly shook his head.
"No," he answered. "I don’t regret a single thing."
Xun Wei’s subtle frown curved up to a light smirk.
Raising her sword, she cleanly cut his head off in the next moment.
She had avenged her clan.
Not a single civilian was spared.
Whether it was because she had comprehended the Soul Devourer method, or because she had finally carried out her father’s will, she no longer had any anger in her heart.
Even after learning that the Chaos sect was the true force behind the annihilation of her family clan, she felt nothing but curiosity towards them. There was nothing she could do against a powerhouse like the Chaos sect anyway, but for the time being, she wanted to see what they were up to.
As the thought lingered, her mind gradually shifted to another place she had recently heard about—the Land of the Dead Trials. Li Lian had told her that it was a gathering ground for countless geniuses across the country wanting to join the Chaos Sect. She told her that she wanted to kill someone there, and had planned to ask Xiao Fang to go with her.
’Maybe... I should join them,’ she thought.
Just as the idea finished forming in her mind, a deep horn suddenly echoed across the city.
Boooooooom.
The sound rolled through the ruins like distant thunder.
Xun Wei slowly raised her head.
The reinforcements had arrived.
She didn’t have the energy to continue fighting, so she collected the souls gathered in the cell, and refined them in an instant before leaving.
Xiao Hei was outside waiting for her.
"Ready?" Xiao Hei asked.
"Mn, let’s go."
Meanwhile, on the [ Flying Pavilion ], Xun Wei’s clone informed Xiao Fang of the reinforcement’s arrival.
"They’re here. Is Li Ping in position?"
"Not yet. You’ll need to stall them," Xiao Fang replied.
Xun Wei and Xiao Hei exchanged glances before Xun Wei replied, "Leave it to us."
—
Meanwhile, north of the Song Clan, an Elder and three disciples from the Divine Sword Sect arrived at the scene where Xun Wei’s brother lay unconscious.
They had been dispatched the moment reports came in that unknown individuals had crossed their border. Even so, none of them had expected to encounter something this gruesome.
The ground was littered with corpses.
Blood soaked into the earth.
Broken weapons and shattered armor lay scattered in every direction.
"What could have happened here?" one of the disciples muttered, his voice tight.
Several bodies nearby still carried the lingering aura of Profound Realm cultivators.
"Whoever did this..." another said slowly, "...they killed multiple Profound Realm experts."
The third disciple crouched slightly, examining the wounds more closely before his expression darkened.
"...No," he said. "This wasn’t a group effort."
He looked up.
"It was one person."
The Elder remained silent, listening to their discussion, but he had already reached the same conclusion.
His gaze swept across the forest, sharp and cautious.
"Stay alert," he said calmly. "Whoever did this is very likely a Divine Realm cultivator."
Although all three disciples were trained Divine Swordsmen, only the Elder possessed the strength to truly contend with someone at that level.
However, judging on the fact that there was Divine Sword Qi still lingering in the scene, they assumed it was likely the doing of someone from their own sect.
Following the trail of destruction, they moved forward.
What they found next was even worse.
The Song Clan’s main city had been reduced to a nightmare.
Corpses filled the streets, buildings were stained with blood, the air itself felt heavy with death, and at the center of it all—Xun Wei sat calmly atop a massive black panther. And in the distance was a small army rushing straight for the city.
One of the disciples froze.
"...Hey, I know that girl."
Another narrowed his eyes.
"...Yeah. That’s Ghost Blade Wei, Dowager Wu Yue’s disciple."
The third disciple studied her more carefully, unease creeping into his expression.
"Is it just me... or does something about her feel... different?"
Unlike them, the Elder had never heard of Xun Wei before.
But hearing her title—and knowing she was rumored to be the direct disciple of Wu Yue—he immediately understood one thing—she was likely someone with an extraordinary ability.
The Elder raised a hand, signaling for the three disciples to remain where they were. Without another word, his figure blurred, and in the next instant he appeared several paces behind Xun Wei.
"Disciple Xun Wei... or should I call you Ghost Blade Wei."