Chapter 901 - All Dead

A spiritual array had sealed off the entire island, and this news made everyone's hearts sink.

The sects that hadn't offended the Heavenly Treasure Pavilion felt slightly relieved as they held no grudge against it. Moreover, the Heavenly Treasure Pavilion had a reputation for fairness and was unlikely to slaughter the innocent without an excuse.

As for those who had offended the Heavenly Treasure Pavilion, they could no longer maintain their composure, and that was the same for the Grand Banner Gate.

After being forced back to the island, they returned to their original position with no way out.

The upper echelons of the Heavenly Treasure Pavilion kept a close watch on the surroundings, ensuring no one slipped away.

Meanwhile, others were focused on Liu Wuxie as the Golden Flame Strike descended.

Chai Zhengbin was frozen in place as the space around him had been restricted. This also proved that Liu Wuxie's mastery of spatial art had become more refined.

Then again, it was also because Chai Zhengbin had surrendered all resistance. Had he continued to fight, taking him down wouldn't have been so easy. But when one loses all hope, even their instincts to survive begin to falter.

With that, Chai Zhengbin was dead. His entire being disintegrated into dust, aside from his interspatial ring.

A collective gasp echoed across the island as a chill seeped into everyone's bones. Teeth clenched, eyes wide—they couldn't believe an expert from the Central Plains had fallen so easily.

Bai Jin, more than anyone else, understood the extent of Chai Zhengbin's strength. That only deepened his realization of Liu Wuxie's terrifying power.

After killing Chai Zhengbin, Liu Wuxie remained expressionless. The battle was far from over, and he slowly descended to the ground.

The sect masters of the five major sects stood alongside the experts from their respective factions, but their faces were ashen, devoid of hope. None of them had the will to resist. Liu Wuxie had effortlessly slain a Spirit Profound Realm expert. They knew they stood no chance.

Liu Wuxie swept his gaze over Bai Jin and the others. "Will you take your own lives, or do you need me to help you with that?" His voice was cold as death, sending shivers down their spines.

"Liu Wuxie, do you want to take it that far?" The Dugu Clan's patriarch argued. He didn't want to die, and he had only taken the path of vengeance because Liu Wuxie had killed his daughter.

If he could turn back time, he would never have made an enemy out of Liu Wuxie.

"That's right!" Liu Wuxie replied, and his response crushed their last hopes. There was no room for mercy as Liu Wuxie had to ensure their deaths.

"Liu Wuxie, I acknowledge your strength. But if you push us too far, we self-destruct. I believe it'll be enough for us to take you down with us," said the Divine Sun Palace's sect master.

"Self-destruct? You can give it a try!" Liu Wuxie sneered and began to approach them. This forced Bai Jin and the others to step back instinctively, unable to withstand the crushing pressure.

Mu Tianli and the others moved in, prepared to fight alongside Liu Wuxie. They had to prevent their enemies from dragging Liu Wuxie down.

As for members of the Grand Banner Gate, they were still desperately searching for a way to escape.

The entire island was encased in a formidable barrier. Many had already tried to carve a path through it, but every attempt had ended in failure.

To make matters worse, the rising tide was swallowing the island, causing it to sink further into the sea. As for the neutral sects, they were also scrambling to find a way out of the island. After all, everyone would perish if the island sank completely.

"I'll fight you to the death!"

An elder from the Heavenly Origin Sect charged forward, choosing to self-destruct. The self-destruction of someone at the True Profound Realm was comparable to an attack from someone at the Spirit Profound Realm.

"Futile resistance!" Liu Wuxie said. In the next instant, a cold ray shot out, freezing the elder in place and turning him into an ice sculpture.

The five sects could no longer maintain their composure after realizing Liu Wuxie had been right all along—they had even lost the right to self-destruct in his presence.

Each time Liu Wuxie stepped forward, the five sects instinctively took a step back. Once the pride of the Southern Province, they now stood like helpless lambs awaiting slaughter. One move from Liu Wuxie, and their deaths would be certain.

"Liu Wuxie, what do you want in exchange for sparing us?" asked the Divine Sun Palace's sect master. He had only held his position for a few short years, and he wasn't ready to die—not before he had fully tasted the privileges of power.

"I've made myself clear that all of you will die, and there's no second option," Liu Wuxie said coldly, his voice devoid of emotion, his murderous intent gushing out.

Anyone could see it—from the ruins of the Heavenly Treasure Pavilion, it was clear how much they had suffered in the past six months. The destruction of a sect wasn't just a defeat—it was the greatest humiliation, wiping away centuries of legacy and effort in mere days.

"Liu Wuxie, we're innocent! We've never opposed the Heavenly Treasure Pavilion. Does that mean we're free to leave?" an elder from the Transcendent Plume Gate asked, stepping forward. Their sect had stayed neutral, never siding with the Heavenly Treasure Pavilion or the Heavenly Origin Sect. Surely, that counted for something.

"I'll naturally let you all leave... once they're dead," Liu Wuxie assured. He wasn't someone who would kill indiscriminately, and there was no need for meaningless slaughter since these people had no enmity with him.

Moreover, once the five major sects were massacred, the Heavenly Treasure Pavilion would become the Southern Province's sole superpower.

"Mu Tianli, we have some personal friendships. For the sake of our past friendship, I'm willing to offer half of the Indigo Cloud Gate's resources in exchange for our lives!" Xu Yanghui, the Indigo Cloud Gate's sect master, finally lowered his head, willing to buy their lives with half of his sect's resources.

"Too late!" Mu Tianli replied. He knew Liu Wuxie well. Once a decision was made, no one could change it, not even him. Intervening now would only provoke Liu Wuxie's wrath and bring no benefit to the Heavenly Treasure Pavilion.

Besides, Mu Tianli had no intention of letting them go. If Liu Wuxie hadn't returned today, the entire upper echelon of the Pavilion would have already been wiped out.

"Liu Wuxie, I have a pair of daughters with unparalleled beauty. If you're willing to spare the Divine Sun Palace, I can let them serve you for life!" The Divine Sun Palace's sect master offered shamelessly, drawing scorn from the surroundings.

His words reeked of desperation—offering his daughters' lives in exchange for his own. Many were disgusted, but a few remained silent, wondering if they would've done any better in his place.

"Shameless!" Yi Xuan roared. He was known for his integrity, like Tian Xing.

"Enough talk. You're all experts, and I'll give you the dignity of a proper death!" Liu Wuxie said, waving his hand and signaling them to cease their pleas.

These people were experts of the Southern Province, and to die painfully in battle would be a deep humiliation. That was why Liu Wuxie granted them the dignity of taking their own lives. After all, if a fight broke out, not even their corpses would remain intact.

A bitter silence fell upon the five hundred experts. They had cultivated for centuries to reach their current heights, but they had to meet their end now. It was an irony now that they thought about it.

Their expressions were filled with exhaustion and helplessness.

The Demonic Heart Palace and Transcendent Plume Gate shared the same bitter realization. The Heavenly Treasure Pavilion's rise would shatter the long-standing power balance in the Southern Province. Regret gnawed at them. They should have sided with the Heavenly Treasure Pavilion from the start. If they had, it would've been five against five, and the Heavenly Origin Sect wouldn't have gained the upper hand.

Such an alliance could've preserved the balance, sparing the Heavenly Treasure Pavilion from devastating losses. And if that had happened, Liu Wuxie wouldn't have been forced down a path of vengeance upon his return.

At most, the Pavilion would have grown in strength and influence, but not to the point of dominating the entire province. Now, with the five major sects facing annihilation, the outcome was clear: the Transcendent Plume Gate and Demonic Heart Palace would be reduced to second-tier sects, their former prestige crumbling in the wake of a new era.

As for the second-tier sects, they would be reduced to third-tier sects.

By now, everyone knew the rise of the Heavenly Treasure Pavilion was unstoppable.

"That's enough! Let's end it ourselves!" Dugu Clan's patriarch smiled bitterly. He retrieved his sword and placed it against his throat, choosing to die with dignity.

"Patriarch!"

The remaining elders of the Dugu Clan fell to their knees, eyes burning with murderous intent. Rage consumed them—they wanted nothing more than to tear Liu Wuxie apart.

"Liu Wuxie, how cruel can you be! Unless you wipe out every last member of the Dugu Clan, our descendants will rise again to seek vengeance!" one elder roared, stepping forward, his voice trembling with fury.

The hatred would pass down through generations as long as their bloodline survived.

"That's right! I believe our descendants will avenge us as long as our legacy survives!" Elders from the Indigo Cloud Gate and Divine Sun Palace echoed. Their deaths meant nothing, but their heirs would remember this day as word would soon spread.

Such empty threats meant nothing to Liu Wuxie. He could just cut them down even if their descendants chose to walk the same foolish path.

"Heavens! Open your eyes and witness this injustice!" the Dugu Clan's elder roared and drew his sword across his throat. Blood gushing out in an instant.

A heavy silence fell over the battlefield. Though the Dugu Clan had a low ranking among the ten sects, they were still one of the ten major sects with tens of thousands of disciples scattered throughout the Southern Province.

Liu Wuxie couldn't wipe them out entirely.

"Liu Wuxie, I swear upon my soul that you'll meet a wretched end!" The Dugu Clan's elders began to slit their throats one by one.

One after another, nearly a hundred of them had perished.

Blood flowed like a river with boundless resentment and murderous intent, blanketing the entire island.

Meanwhile, seawater continued to pour into the island, and half of it had sunk into the ocean. Many parts were underwater, and trees began to collapse one after another.

"It's your turn now!" Liu Wuxie turned his gaze to the remaining four sects as it was their turn. Time was running out, and he would have to kill them if they refused to end their own lives with dignity.

"Liu Wuxie, you're a demon!" the Divine Sun Palace's sect master roared and charged toward Liu Wuxie hysterically.

"Die!" Liu Wuxie remained motionless. It didn't matter if he was a demon or a fiend. His priority was to ensure the safety of his family, his loved ones, and his friends.

In a nutshell, anyone who dared to cross the line would have to die.

With their sect master's death, the remaining elders of the Divine Sun Palace charged forward in unison. Despite knowing they had no chance, they chose to gamble everything in a final act of defiance.

But they were cut down in doves.

Bai Jin and the others had long forgotten their fear. Their bodies turned cold, and no matter how hard they tried, they couldn't summon the strength to move.