Dozens of figures swiftly emerged from within the mountain gate, surrounding Xu Yang in an instant.
With a wave of his hand, one of them barked at the others:
"Attack! Kill him!"
The leader, a Golden Core stage cultivator, glanced casually at Xu Yang. But when he realized something, he almost choked.
"Just a Qi Refining stage cultivator?! Is my Demon Cloud Sect too low-profile? Is our reputation not fearsome enough? How dare a mere Qi Refining stage nobody come to our sect to stir up trouble! There are fools every year, but this year's is truly exceptional!"
Seeing that Xu Yang was only at the Qi Refining stage, the Golden Core cultivator relaxed, his previously tense demeanor dissipating.
"What are you waiting for? Kill him already!" he ordered the others.
The surrounding cultivators, all at the Foundation Establishment stage, weren't particularly strong in the grand scheme of the cultivation world. However, when faced with someone they perceived as a mere Qi Refining cultivator, they brimmed with confidence.
"Kill!" they roared, grinning ferociously as they unleashed their spiritual energy. Dozens of waves of energy surged toward Xu Yang like a tidal wave.
Though the quality of their energy was mediocre, its sheer quantity created an impressive sight. Spiritual mist billowed, filling the air.
Xu Yang merely smiled faintly. Suddenly, a much more massive and overwhelming wave of spiritual energy erupted from him. The energy released by the Foundation Establishment cultivators was instantly devoured.
"Ahh!" Screams echoed as the raging energy from Xu Yang overwhelmed the attackers. The cultivators were thrown to the ground in an instant.
"What... What is this?" The Golden Core cultivator was dumbfounded.
By the time he snapped out of his shock, the ground was littered with fallen Foundation Establishment cultivators. Some were dead, while others clung to their last breath.
"You... You're not in the Qi Refining stage!" the Golden Core cultivator stammered in terror.
Though those fallen cultivators were merely at the Foundation Establishment stage, they had strength in numbers and coordinated attacks. Even he, as a Golden Core stage cultivator, would need considerable time and effort to defeat them.
But Xu Yang had wiped them out in a single move, leaving most of them either dead or incapacitated.
This could only mean that Xu Yang's strength far surpassed his own.
A chill ran through the Golden Core cultivator. He quickly steadied himself, reminding himself that he was still within the sect, while Xu Yang was alone.
If he couldn't win, he could simply call for reinforcements.
With that thought, he spat on the ground and sneered venomously:
"Hmph, just you wait! Just you wait!"
As soon as he finished speaking, he bolted toward the sect, fleeing in a panic.
Xu Yang chuckled lightly but didn't pursue him. Instead, he took out a small red fruit and began eating it leisurely, as if he truly intended to wait.
Swish, swish, swish!
Before long, the Golden Core cultivator returned, this time accompanied by five other Golden Core stage cultivators. One of them was even at the late Golden Core stage.
"Senior Brother, that's the man," the earlier Golden Core cultivator said, pointing at Xu Yang with an air of arrogance, as though he hadn't just fled in disgrace moments ago.
A burly man with a bare chest and rippling muscles stepped forward with a swagger, towering over Xu Yang with an intimidating presence.
"You've got guts, kid, but your courage borders on stupidity," the burly man said as he stood before Xu Yang, looking down at him condescendingly.
The man was not only built like an ox, but he also towered over Xu Yang by two heads. Xu Yang had to tilt his head back just to see his face.
But Xu Yang never liked looking up to anyone.
So...
Suddenly, Xu Yang struck out, delivering a fierce punch to the man's abdomen.
The burly man's stomach glimmered with a bronze sheen, his eight-pack abs resembling solid stone. When Xu Yang's fist landed, it felt like striking an iron plate.
Xu Yang raised an eyebrow in mild surprise. This man's defense seemed remarkable.
He had only used 0.0001% of his strength in that punch, yet the man had managed to endure it.
The burly man also looked slightly surprised. "You've got some skill there. That punch of yours actually hurt me a little!"
"But that's as far as it goes. Now, you can die!" As soon as the man finished speaking, he reached out with a massive hand, aiming to grab Xu Yang's head.
The man's hand was so large it could easily engulf Xu Yang's entire head.
Xu Yang smirked coldly and threw another punch.
Seeing Xu Yang's previous punch fail to faze him, the burly man ignored the attack, confident in his invulnerability.
Boom!
This time, Xu Yang's punch landed squarely on the man's stomach.
The burly man's abdomen quivered like a cotton cushion under the impact. He coughed up a mouthful of blood, his eyes rolling back as he fainted on the spot.
Xu Yang glanced down at him nonchalantly. "I miscalculated the force earlier. This is the correct strength."
The Golden Core cultivator from before stood frozen, staring in disbelief at the unconscious, hulking figure sprawled on the ground like a beaten dog.
The other Golden Core cultivators exchanged uneasy glances before suddenly attacking Xu Yang in unison.
However, it was no surprise when Xu Yang effortlessly dealt with them. With a single, casual move, he sent them all to meet King Yama.
"You, go report this," Xu Yang said, addressing the first Golden Core cultivator who had fled earlier.
Xu Yang's calm gaze bore into the terrified man, who stumbled back toward the sect in sheer panic.
As Xu Yang turned his attention to the grand gates of the Demon Cloud Sect, a thought struck him. He remembered killing a disciple of a Demon Cloud Sect elder at the Lingbao Auction in Qi State during his last visit.
It seemed fate truly worked in strange ways, bringing enemies together again.
This time, it took longer for reinforcements to arrive. When the Golden Core cultivator returned, he brought with him five Nascent Soul stage cultivators.
"Kid, you had your moment. Now, there will be no place for you to rest in peace!" he shouted arrogantly as soon as he appeared.
He then turned to a white-haired elder standing beside him. "Master, it's him! You must avenge my senior brother!"
The leader of the Nascent Soul cultivators, who was the master of the Demon Cloud Sect disciple Xu Yang had killed at the Lingbao Auction, fixed his gaze on Xu Yang.
The moment he recognized Xu Yang, his expression darkened, and a low, guttural growl escaped his lips.
"So it's you!"
Xu Yang looked at him quizzically and asked, "Huh? Do we know each other?"
"You killed my disciple! This is a blood feud that cannot be reconciled!" the elder roared, his voice filled with fury.