The scent of blood thickened in the air. After Horn killed Horne, a heavy silence fell over the surroundings. Horn's eyes darkened in thought. It seemed that his mother had an important background, possibly tied to a powerful cultivating force on Earth.
While Horn was lost in his thoughts, Meng Yan pulled out a talisman in mid-air. Infusing it with spiritual energy, the talisman ignited, releasing concentric waves of mysterious ripples.
Horn snapped back to attention and looked up at Meng Yan.
"This is a communication talisman," she announced coldly. "I've informed the Meng family about everything here. If you keep acting recklessly, the Meng family will not only kill you, but everyone around you."
Though her voice was steady, there was a tremble in her tone. Facing Horn's gaze, she felt like she could barely breathe.
Without responding, Horn leaped into the air, moving toward Su Wu, who was suspended mid-air by his restraints. When he reached him, Horn didn't immediately kill Su Wu. Instead, he began to slowly drive his hands deep into Su Wu's flesh, pulling out one bone after another.
Puff, puff, puff.
The sound of breaking flesh echoed through the air as blood splattered everywhere. Su Wu's agonized screams filled the sky.
"Stop! You monster, stop!" Su Wu shrieked, his voice broken by pain. Seeing that Horn remained unmoved, Su Wu collapsed emotionally. "Horn, I know I was wrong! Please, stop! I beg you!" He cried in agony, vomiting blood between his desperate pleas.
Meng Yan, witnessing the brutal scene, tried to rush toward Horn. But an invisible barrier surrounded her, blocking her path. She took two steps before being forced to stop.
"Horn!" Meng Yan shouted, desperate. "If you stop now, I can convince the Meng family not to take revenge on you. That would be in your best interest. If you're hunted by the Immortal Cultivation Family in Kunlun Mountain, you'll have no place to hide. This is your only chance to live!"
Ignoring her entirely, Horn continued to pull out Su Wu's bones one by one, his hands now soaked in warm blood. Su Wu was on the verge of death.
"Cousin," Su Wu sobbed weakly, "I'm your brother! Please… spare me. I don't want to die. I swear I won't hate you, and I'll never seek revenge. Please, just let me live."
Meng Yan, panicked, pleaded, "Horn, Xiao Wu is your cousin. Haven't you killed enough? Please, let him go. I'm even willing to kneel before you and apologize!"
Horn finally turned his gaze toward Meng Yan. "Enough? You think killing just a few people is enough?"
His voice was filled with cold fury. "When I was five, you cut open my stomach with a knife. I cried and begged for mercy. Did you care then? All I saw were your sneering faces. You can't begin to imagine the pain and despair I endured."
With that, Horn's hands moved faster. In moments, Su Wu's body was completely stripped of its bones. With a final palm strike, Su Wu's body burst into a cloud of blood mist.
"No—!" Meng Yan screamed in horror, her face twisted in anguish. "You monster! You'll die a terrible death for this!"
Horn's patience was wearing thin. "Since you love your son so much, I'll reunite you with him."
With a flick of his finger, countless points of light appeared, shooting toward Meng Yan. Each light held terrifying piercing power.
Puff, puff, puff.
The lights struck Meng Yan's body, tearing into her flesh like bullets, yet under Horn's control, none of the strikes were fatal. The torment dragged on, her body mutilated as she screamed in agony.
More than a minute later, Horn waved his hand, and the remaining lights aimed for her head. With a loud bang, Meng Yan's head exploded, blossoming like a gruesome flower in mid-air.
On the ground, Meng Kang, now armless, swallowed hard as he watched. His breath quickened, and he struggled to speak, perhaps to beg for mercy. But Horn wasn't interested. He dropped down from the sky, landing heavily on Meng Kang's chest.
Bang!
With that single step, Meng Kang's body was crushed in two.
Meng Kang died with his eyes wide open. He had descended from Kunlun Mountain with full confidence, determined to make a name for himself. Yet here, in Tianhai, both he and his son were dead, their ambitions shattered. If he had known this outcome, even knowing Horn had killed his father, he might have reconsidered seeking revenge. But the world offered no second chances.
Horn exhaled a long breath, feeling a slight release from the heavy burden in his heart.
Meanwhile, Guo Chengping, the vice president of the Imperial Capital Formation Mage Association, was trembling uncontrollably, slumped on the ground. No sound escaped his throat. In his eyes, Horn was nothing short of a demon—an absolute, undeniable demon.
Xia Qingying, however, took a step forward, her expression fierce. "Horn," she said, "your power exceeds my expectations." She smirked. "I'll give you one last chance. If you kneel, apologize, and agree to serve me as my slave, I'll forgive your actions and welcome you into the Xia family."
She tried once more to make Horn bow to her.
Mr. Jiang, Jiang Zhan, and the others watched the exchange intently. Meng Yan had already summoned reinforcements from the Meng family. Soon, even stronger cultivators would arrive from Kunlun Mountain to seek vengeance on Horn. Joining the Xia family might be Horn's best chance of survival. Yet they doubted he would submit to anyone, given his nature.
Horn's response was cold: "Are you still dreaming?"
"There was never any enmity between us. If you had left quietly, I wouldn't have pursued you. But now, it seems you don't value your own life."
Xia Qingying sneered. "Do you really think you can kill me? Since you refuse to submit, I'll show you the true power of gods and demons! Even if it costs me dearly, I'll drag you to hell and make you repent!"
With those words, a strange, bloody energy surged from her body, enveloping the entire Su family manor. Mr. Jiang, Jiang Zhan, and the others fell unconscious, overcome by the strange power.
Horn sensed the shift and smiled faintly. "Interesting."