Lei Ying rose slowly, each movement deliberate, exuding the confidence of a predator toying with its prey.
"Since this matter began with me," he said, his voice calm yet commanding, "let me bring it to an end."
As his words reverberated through the hall, a suffocating aura erupted from him, rippling across the room like a tidal wave.
Gasps rippled through the crowd, faces paling as realization set in. This wasn't the presence of someone dismissed as untalented.
What's happening? The question was etched on every face. Wasn't Lei Ying supposed to be the weakest of the Lei family? How could he wield such overwhelming power?
Yun Xiao staggered as if struck by an invisible hand. His cultivation flared in a desperate attempt to resist, but it was futile. The force pressed down on him like an unyielding mountain, suffocating and absolute.
"Kneel," Lei Ying commanded, his tone cold and unrelenting.
That single word carried the weight of an emperor's decree. The air trembled with its authority, and several weaker disciples dropped to their knees instinctively.
Yun Xiao, caught in the full brunt of the pressure, collapsed with a resounding thud, his knees slamming into the floor.
Lei Ying's gaze shifted toward Xuě Lìng, the Azure Cloud Sect's proud young miss. His expression was unreadable, his purple eyes gleaming like polished amethysts.
"Xuě Lìng," he said softly, his voice deceptively gentle, "what do you think I should do with him?"
But beneath the surface of his words, his voice slid into her mind, a sinister whisper that sent chills down her spine.
"If you plead for his life, I'll kill him outright. You think I can't see through your act? Feigning indifference to protect him?
Naive. Even if I spare him, others will see it as weakness and finish him off. His best hope is banishment—crippled or whole."
Xuě Lìng's face turned pale, her mind racing under the weight of his words. Her fists clenched, nails biting into her palms. How did it come to this? she wondered. But she couldn't let personal feelings cloud her judgment.
"Of course, he deserves to die," she said finally, her voice steady but tinged with resignation. "But if the Young Lord Lei seeks my opinion, I suggest crippling him and banishing him from the Sect."
A faint smile tugged at Lei Ying's lips. Xuě Lìng had chosen wisely—prioritizing her Sect and self-preservation over sentiment. She was clever, but her cleverness came at a cost.
Yun Xiao's eyes widened in shock, his breath catching in his throat. "Xuě Lìng… you…"
He trailed off, the weight of her betrayal crashing down on him. Banishment he could endure, but to be crippled? And by her decree? The woman he had fought for, bled for, had condemned him without hesitation.
The system chimed in Lei Ying's mind, its tone emotionless.
[You have severed the bond between Yun Xiao and Xuě Lìng. Calculating rewards…]
Lei Ying chuckled inwardly. An extra? No, I'll be the villain. Villains leave a legacy. Heroes fade; villains endure.
He turned to the crowd, his expression placid. "The young miss has spoken. I will respect her decision. This, after all, is an internal matter for your Sect."
With that, he settled back into his chair, lifting his tea cup as if nothing had happened. The oppressive atmosphere eased, leaving the crowd to breathe again, though their nerves were still frayed.
Elder Qiu stepped forward, his gray beard swaying with his brisk movements. Without a word, his hand lit with faint energy and descended on Yun Xiao's chest.
A muffled explosion reverberated through the hall. Yun Xiao cried out in agony, blood spraying from his lips. His body convulsed as his meridians shattered, his aura crumbling to nothingness.
The crowd remained silent, their gazes a mixture of pity and apprehension. Once a promising talent, now nothing more than a cripple.
Before the silence could deepen, a disciple burst into the hall, sweat streaming down his pale face. He knelt before the Sect Leader, his voice shaking.
"Sect Leader! Mo Lian… she… she jumped off the Jade Serenity Bridge!"
"What?!" The Sect Leader's voice thundered, his hand clenching into a trembling fist. Mo Lian had been their rising star—a future pillar of the Sect.
Lei Ying sipped his tea, his expression calm, but his eyes glinted with amusement as he sent a chilling thought into Yun Xiao's broken mind.
"Did you hear that, Yun Xiao? Mo Lian—the one who admired you—has taken her life.
Perhaps she couldn't bear to see what you've become. This is your doing, not mine. Your disgrace, your failure."
Yun Xiao shuddered violently, his eyes hollow. His lips quivered as a faint, broken whisper escaped. "Mo… Lian…"
The weight of Lei Ying's words shattered what little resolve he had left. Stumbling to his feet, he staggered out of the hall, leaving behind a trail of blood and shattered pride.
Lei Ying watched him go, his lips curling into a faint smirk. Hope isn't just destroyed—it's ground into dust.
The system chimed again.
[You have crushed Yun Xiao's spirit and triggered Mo Lian's death. Calculating additional rewards…]
Status
Host: Lei Ying
Title: Youngest Son of the Lei Family
Cultivation: Core Formation Realm
System Features:
Luck Stealing Function: Active
System Mall: Locked «unlock: 10k extra's point.»
Future Knowledge Archive: Accessible
Mission Progress: 0/3 Protagonists Neutralized
Extra's Points: 4120 (Increasing)
System Energy: 55.550%