Xenos and the others felt their blood run cold at the admission. They knew they were facing a dangerous foe, one who would stop at nothing to achieve his goals.
"Why did you join the Blue Wind Sect? What are you planning? What is the Plague Sect trying to do?" Patriarch Song asked, his voice steady despite the shock and fear he felt.
The Plague Sect, the closest Evil Sect in the Oland Kingdom, had been tormenting the neighboring kingdom for millennia.
The reason there was no war between the kingdoms in this region was that the three kingdoms were occupied with fighting the Plague Sect.
Sensing the imminent danger, Xenos and the others prepared themselves for a fight against the evil cultivator, Tan Zong. They knew they were up against a formidable opponent who would use any means necessary to achieve his goals. Xenos questioned Tan Zong about his decision to join the Blue Wind Sect despite being an evil cultivator.
Tan Zong chuckled in response to Xenos' question. "Why not? I needed a place to hide, and the Blue Wind Sect was perfect. It provided me with access to resources that I could use to further my own goals."
"Enough talk... Prepare to die," declared Tan Zong, as the air around him grew colder and darker, and his eyes glowed with an intense red light.
This time, Tan Zong didn't wield a sword; his claws were as strong and sharp as one.
In the next moment, everyone became vigilant as Tan Zong disappeared, even Xenos couldn't see how he vanished. Suddenly, a shrill scream filled the air, and everyone witnessed a soldier whose life force was being drained, his body growing thinner and thinner until he perished.
After Tan Zong absorbed the cultivation and life force of Elder San, in addition to the people who had died since they entered the cave, he finally broke through to the next stage.
Now, he could easily kill all these people, but he wanted to savor their suffering. He reveled in the fear that adorned their faces.
While he slowly massacred the remaining people, he noticed the unconscious wolf beginning to regain consciousness. Earlier, when he absorbed Elder San's cultivation, the wolf had attacked him, so he had rendered it unconscious.
Tan Zong halted his rampage and silently retreated into the distance. He planned to let them kill each other. The wolf immediately targeted Xenos, recognizing him as the strongest human. The remaining people, who remained cautious of Tan Zong, eventually joined forces with Xenos to defeat the wolf.
The battle was intense, and after some time, they succeeded in killing the wolf. However, the cost was great, and only four people survived: Xenos, Patriarch Song, and two teachers.
Suddenly, the sound of clapping echoed through the chamber, and they saw Tan Zong clapping with a smirk on his face.
"What a splendid show... Since you humans have entertained me so well, I shall kill you all without further torment."
One of the teachers began begging for his life.
"Please! Don't kill me! I'll be your slave! Make me an evil cultivator!" The teacher kowtowed, tears streaming down his face, consumed by desperation.
Tan Zong picked up a sword and beheaded the teacher. The other teacher, without begging, merely gazed at the ground, preparing for death. Tan Zong swiftly decapitated him, and then turned to Patriarch Song, who was too exhausted to utter a word.
Xenos, the sole survivor, experienced a whirlwind of emotions—anger, sadness, and fear.
Tan Zong wasted no more time and beheaded Xenos, the fury still evident on his face. However, Tan Zong was more
interested in the cultivation he would gain from the green creatures and the wolf.
Soon after, Tan Zong felt his cultivation rapidly ascending until he broke through to the fourth stage of the Opening Qi Realm. He never imagined he could progress by two stages in just a day.
Even if he were to massacre an entire town, his cultivation wouldn't increase as drastically. His initial plan in Waydale City was to unleash a plague he had been concocting for five years, exterminating everyone. But it seemed unnecessary now. Massacring the whole city would only grant him a two-stage cultivation boost.
Now that he had achieved the fourth stage, he believed there was no point in decimating the city since there were no formidable individuals residing there at present.
As Tan Zong prepared to depart, he was halted by the sudden appearance of a teleportation array emerging from the ground. He couldn't believe his eyes.
Curiosity overcame him, and he cautiously approached the array, deliberating whether or not to step onto it. He was certain it would transport him to an unknown location.
Finally, Tan Zong readied himself and stepped onto the array. The surroundings momentarily blackened, and when his vision cleared, Tan Zong's eyes widened as he beheld a luxurious throne room.
------------------