The room suddenly fell silent.
Zhao Zhigang's family and Xu Yuanlong turned their eyes to Horn, their expressions tense.
What a bold statement.
Did he really intend to kill them all right from the start?
The icy tone in Horn's voice left Zhao Zhigang and the others uncertain and uneasy.
Tang Yuxin, her eyes red with anger, helped Zhao Meiqin to her feet. She glared at Zhao Zhigang's group, her fury barely contained.
Zhao Lingfei's eyes narrowed as she pointed at Horn. "Mom, Dad, I remember now."
"I've seen this bastard before. He was a high school classmate of that bitch, Tang Yuxin."
"I overheard them talking back then. She was comforting him because he has no talent for cultivating immortals at all."
"He couldn't even get into any Immortal Martial Academy."
"Trash like him is worse than worthless."
Horn's expression remained cold and unreadable.
He still respected Zhao Meiqin as an elder, recalling her past kindness toward him.
So, before Zhao Meiqin and Tang Yuxin spoke, he refrained from acting on his own to deal with these people.
Seeing Horn's silence, Zhao Lingfei sneered arrogantly, "Trash, does it make you uncomfortable now that I've exposed your true identity?"
"How do you think you, a pathetic loser, can kill us?"
"I bet you were just trying to scare us off."
"But your plan failed."
After learning that Horn was just a loser who couldn't even enter an Immortal Martial Academy, Xu Yuanlong felt relieved.
He looked Tang Yuxin up and down, his desire for her growing stronger. "Lingfei has been specially recruited by Tianhai Immortal Martial Academy, thanks to me. My father is a teacher there."
"I'll give you a chance to achieve greatness if you agree to become Lingfei's slave and obey us from now on."
"I can even get you into the Tianhai Immortal Martial Academy."
Tianhai Immortal Martial Academy was one of the top five prestigious schools in Xia.
He believed few could resist such a temptation, especially with Tang Yuxin's family situation being so dire.
In Xu Yuanlong's eyes, Tang Yuxin was already his.
Horn noticed Xu Yuanlong's lecherous gaze and felt a surge of cold anger.
Zhao Lingfei, with her sixth-level Qi Condensation aura flaring, barked at Tang Yuxin, "My brother Yuanlong is talking to you."
"Are you mute?"
"I know your cultivation level is only at the sixth level of Qi Condensation. I've reached the same level even before entering the Immortal Martial Academy."
"You're just a useless piece of trash."
"Today, I'll teach you a lesson and show you what it means to be polite!"
With Xu Yuanlong's help, Zhao Lingfei had forcibly raised her cultivation to the sixth level of Qi Condensation.
The pill Xu Yuanlong gave her had severe side effects, likely ruining her cultivation path.
Tang Yuxin, now standing up to face Zhao Lingfei, was indeed at the sixth level of Qi Condensation before she met Horn.
But now, Tang Yuxin had already entered the Innate Realm.
She hadn't revealed her true strength earlier, so Zhao Lingfei and the others were unaware of her transformation.
He Juan and Zhao Zhigang watched with smug anticipation, while Xu Yuanlong sneered, expecting Tang Yuxin to be easily subdued.
As Zhao Lingfei lunged at Tang Yuxin, yelling, "You'll die under my foot, bitch!" she aimed a fierce palm strike at Tang Yuxin's chest.
But Tang Yuxin, with lightning speed, dodged the attack and countered with a sharp slap to Zhao Lingfei's face.
A loud "pop" echoed through the room.
The left side of Zhao Lingfei's face was torn open, and she was sent flying, landing in front of Xu Yuanlong.
"Ahhh!"
Zhao Lingfei screamed in agony as blood streamed from her wound.
He Juan and Zhao Zhigang stood frozen, their faces stiff with shock. Tang Yuxin's powerful aura left them breathless.
They were only at the Qi Condensation level after all.
Zhao Zhigang stammered in disbelief, "How… how could you have reached the Innate Realm?"
He Juan swallowed hard, panic in her eyes.
Zhao Meiqin, glancing at Horn's calm demeanor, realized the destruction of the Sun family in Linzhou was undoubtedly connected to him.
She remembered kneeling in front of the Sun family's house that night, and how Horn's arrival had saved her from a grim fate.
Now, she understood that Tang Yuxin's newfound power was likely due to Horn.
She let out a sigh of relief.
Zhao Lingfei, still trembling in pain, clung to Xu Yuanlong's arm, "Brother Yuanlong, please teach this bitch a lesson for me!"
"I want her to suffer a fate worse than death!"
Xu Yuanlong's eyes narrowed. He hadn't expected Tang Yuxin to have reached the Innate Realm. "Interesting."
"I can have you specially recruited into Tianhai Immortal Martial Academy. The price is that you must become my slave girl, forever."
His disdain for Zhao Lingfei, whose face was now a bloody mess, was evident.
"Brother Yuanlong, how could you do this to me?"
"Tang Yuxin, that bastard, isn't even worthy to be your slave girl. Only I'm qualified to serve you."
"I…"
Before Zhao Lingfei could finish, Xu Yuanlong barked, "Shut up!"
As he spoke, his mid-Sea Transformation Realm aura surged.
Zhao Lingfei turned pale with fear.
He Juan and Zhao Zhigang remained silent, too afraid to speak.
Tang Yuxin's eyes glinted coldly.
Seeing her defiance, Xu Yuanlong pointed at Horn, "You care about this bastard, don't you?"
"I'll destroy him now. With your Innate Realm cultivation, you can't stop me."
He rushed toward Horn.
Zhao Zhigang's family watched with glee, hoping Tang Yuxin would choose death over submission.
They were certain Xu Yuanlong would easily kill Horn.
However, as Xu Yuanlong approached, Horn casually waved his right hand.
With a loud "bang," Xu Yuanlong was sent crashing out of the window.
His face twisted in fear as his body began to swell.
Just as he was about to beg for mercy, his body exploded into a cloud of blood mist mid-air.
Horn spoke softly, "What a nuisance."
As if he had merely swatted a fly, he continued, "Aunt Zhao, what should we do with these three?"
"If I hadn't been here today, they would never have let you and Yuxin go."
Zhao Zhigang's family, witnessing how easily Horn had killed Xu Yuanlong, turned pale with terror.
Xu Yuanlong had been in the middle stage of the Sea Transformation Realm.
If Horn could kill him so effortlessly, could his cultivation have reached the Sky Control Realm?
Zhao Zhigang's family couldn't fathom it.
"You two have bewitched me. Why don't you kneel down and kowtow to apologize now!" Zhao Zhigang barked, kicking both He Juan and Zhao Lingfei to the ground.
Despite their humiliation, the mother and daughter began to kowtow furiously.
Zhao Meiqin had no more brotherly love left for Zhao Zhigang. All she felt was hatred.
"Xiaoyu, please deal with them," Zhao Meiqin said coldly.
Hearing this, Zhao Zhigang's family felt despair, realizing their apologies had come too late.
Thud, thud, thud—their heads banged against the floor as they begged for mercy.
"Miqin, for the sake of our family bond, please spare us," Zhao Zhigang pleaded, his face wet with tears and snot.
Horn's voice was icy, "Your blood will stain the house."
Zhao Zhigang's family mistakenly thought Horn was going to let them go.
But within seconds, Horn flicked his fingers.
The bodies of Zhao Zhigang, He Juan, and Zhao Lingfei were flung out of the window.
From Horn's palm, a cluster of Nine Nether Purple Fire ignited.
He flicked his fingers again, sending the purple flames shooting out.
In Zhao Zhigang's terrified eyes, the fire touched his body, instantly reducing him to ashes.
He Juan, seeing this, struggled desperately in mid-air, "Miqin, I know I was wrong, I really know I was wrong, please…"
Before she could finish, she too was consumed by the Nine Nether Purple Fire, her body turned to ash.
Zhao Lingfei, trembling with fear, screamed, "Yuxin, we're sisters! It was me before…"
But her plea was cut short.
The Nine Nether Purple Fire engulfed her, leaving not even a trace behind.