Silence. The atmosphere outside the mourning hall was suffocating. The members of the Su family held their breath in collective shock. Hornan was dead. How could this be possible? It was Su Yao who had gone with Hornan to capture Horn. Now, Su Yao had returned unharmed, but Hornan was gone.
All eyes turned to Su Yao, filled with confusion and disbelief.
"Su Quan, do you like my gift?" Horn asked, his voice calm.
Inside the hall, Su Quan stared at the head of his eldest son, Hornan, lying next to his younger son's coffin. The sight filled him with a mixture of grief and rage, his veins pulsing visibly on his forehead. His aura, in the late stage of the Sea Transformation Realm, surged with uncontrolled power. He fixed a cold gaze on Su Yao. "What happened?" he demanded.
Horn made a slight motion with his fingers, and suddenly, Su Yao could move again. Panicked, Su Yao rushed toward Su Quan. "Horn's cultivation is far beyond Innate Realm," he gasped. "He killed Hornan right in front of me. I couldn't stop him."
The room fell into stunned silence. Even Yang Xuan felt a chill run down his spine. Su Yao was in the middle stage of the Sea Transformation Realm, and yet Horn had easily overpowered him. This meant Horn's cultivation was likely above the middle stage of the Sea Transformation Realm.
As Su Yao reached Su Quan, Horn's voice rang out. "It's time for you to meet your end." He punched the air, and though it seemed a simple, effortless gesture, Su Yao's body exploded into a gruesome mess.
The room filled with the sickening scent of blood, splattered across Su Quan. His mind went blank with fear. Even with his late-stage cultivation, he couldn't have killed Su Yao so easily. What kind of power had Horn attained? Could it be that Horn had reached the Dzogchen level of the Sea Transformation Realm?
Su Quan's thoughts raced. It was nearly impossible to transition from the Sea Transformation Realm to the Sky Control Realm. Just two years ago, Horn had been nearly powerless, his eyes gouged out. How could he have advanced so rapidly? Reaching the Dzogchen level was miraculous enough, but anything beyond that seemed out of reach.
Desperate, Su Quan clenched his fists, his anger boiling over. His sons, Su Cheng and Hornan, and now his brother, Su Yao, had all been killed by Horn. His hatred for Horn burned hotter than ever, and he longed to tear him apart.
The other members of the Su family, who had earlier been mocking Horn, now retreated in fear. Yang Xuan's face twisted in frustration. He had come to witness Horn's downfall, not his triumph.
"Mr. Meng," Yang Xuan called out, "you're here to support the Su family, but this bastard Horn doesn't respect you at all. He just killed one of their own right in front of you. He deserves to die."
Su Quan immediately bowed to Mr. Meng, his voice trembling. "Mr. Meng, please, capture this bastard!"
Mr. Meng slowly rose from his chair, clapping his hands in a mocking applause. "Boy, you always manage to surprise me," he said. "In two years, you've gone from being a worthless insect to what you are now. You must have stumbled upon some great fortune or perhaps awakened some terrifying talent for cultivation."
Mr. Meng's eyes gleamed with a sinister light. "On behalf of my young master, I must thank you. Whatever opportunities or talents you have gained will ultimately belong to him. Even if you've reached the early stage of the Sky Control Realm, what does it matter? In front of me, you'll still have to kneel and kowtow ten thousand times before Su Cheng's coffin. Then I'll take you back to Tianhai, where my young master can reminisce with you."
Yang Xuan's face turned pale as Mr. Meng suggested that Horn might have reached the early stage of the Sky Control Realm. He sent a quick text to his father, Yang Hai, hoping to relay this critical information.
Su Quan and the other Su family members exhaled in relief. With Mr. Meng there, they felt certain that Horn would not survive the day.
Horn, however, remained calm. A cold light flashed in his eyes as he spoke, "Meng Lao, you were the one who provided the method to extract my bones back then. Today, I want you to experience that same pain."
Mr. Meng sneered, "Talk is cheap, boy. Let's see how long you can keep that composure."
With that, he stepped forward, the spiritual energy in his body surging violently. His dry, withered skin transformed as his muscles bulged, and the ground beneath him began to tremble.
Suddenly, a deafening roar echoed through the air as the shadow of a giant ape materialized behind Mr. Meng. The ape stood five meters tall, its form radiating immense power. The ground cracked beneath its feet, sending shockwaves through the area.
Yang Xuan gasped in awe. "That's the Rank Four combat skill, Giant Ape Power! It's said to be one of the most formidable techniques. A monk who wields this power can crush an opponent with ease."
Su Quan nodded, his confidence returning. "This bastard won't stand a chance against Mr. Meng now."
Yang Xuan added, "Mr. Meng, your young master only wants this bastard alive. You can break his limbs—it won't affect the chance for your young master to claim him."
The other Su family members, emboldened by Mr. Meng's display of power, began to sneer at Horn once more. They relished the thought of seeing him brought low, eager to trample him underfoot after Mr. Meng broke his limbs. Only then would they feel vindicated.