Chapter 88.2: Play the Music, Keep Killing

"Being an actor is boring," Qi Yuan said as he cut down a late-stage Foundation Establishment disciple and ripped the Soul Thought Flower from his hand.

He had collected forty Soul Thought Flowers. At first, he'd put on an act to lure many cultivators in, but later no more came. Despite knowing his enemy had seen through his plan, he wasn't discouraged.

With so many people showing up, he had learned much. The Death Warriors were guarding certain strongholds to aid their boss seize the Celestial Dragon Realm. And the guard post couldn't move. The moment he learned where it was, he bared his fangs and began the slaughter.

"Better to go on the offensive, fishing is too dull. These Core Formations are trash. They are basically half-baked. Maybe four or five of them equal one normal Core Formation realm cultivator."

Killing them was easy. Their power and combat experience were nothing. Qi Yuan even thought that Yu Linglong could kill six or seven of these Core Formation cultivators. He cleaned out this stronghold and moved on to the next.

At the nearest stronghold, a dozen cultivators trembled.

A Death Warrior sent information through a Soul Thought Flower. "

Master, he's coming toward us

!”

Liang Chong's face had gone grim. He was stationed at the first stronghold. He knew Qi Yuan had swept two strongholds already. One site even had seven Core Formation cultivators and was basically a small sect, yet Qi Yuan still wiped them out.

The man had slaughtered Core Formation cultivators like dogs. Liang Chong knew even he wasn't a match for Qi Yuan.

Liang Chong feared this genius was beyond imagination. "What kind of monster is he?”

Qi Yuan had only completed Foundation Establishment. How could he be more terrifying than a late-stage Core Formation cultivator? Liang Chong suspected he was a late-stage Core Formation cultivator in disguise.

He barked orders, "Everyone, listen! Gather at Stronghold One!"

Liang Chong thought they should put a stop to Qi Yuan’s rampage. Gathering everyone at Stronghold One was probably less effective than spreading out. Still, they'd be strongest, and could stop Qi Yuan from picking them off one by one.

All the Death Warriors rushed to Stronghold One.

Liang Chong stood inside, feeling safer as he saw more troops arrive. "Nearly three hundred of us Death Warriors are here, let him try to break through! As long as we hold our ground and wait for the king's success, Qi Yuan is as good as dead!"

Liang Chong had no intention of taking the initiative to hunt down Qi Yuan, that would only invite unnecessary trouble. Guarding the stronghold was what truly mattered. There was no room for mistakes.

With so many cultivators stationed there, even if Qi Yuan showed up, he'd steer clear of them. Attacking them would be suicide, after all.

However, Liang Chong underestimated Qi Yuan's strength and nerve. Half a day later, a languid figure appeared outside the stronghold.

Qi Yuan raised his knife, facing the many defenders, shouting, "I have a Heavenly Dao class. Surrender and die!"

Liang Chong froze. Who could be that bold? Facing nearly three hundred formidable Death Warriors, he didn't flee but provoked them.

Still, three hundred was three hundred. Liang Chong’s courage swelled with that many at his back.

He flew to the sky, fiercely glaring at Qi Yuan. "I almost didn't recognize you for a sec! You're deranged! Seeing you don't run and still taunting us, you truly are mad!"

"You're the one who's mad, your whole family's mad! My moral score is perfect, my mental health is S+. How dare you call me crazy!" Qi Yuan grew angrier. "Facing a Heavenly Dao-class cultivator, you refuse to surrender and insult me. You are looking for death!"

With that he rushed into the stronghold.

Liang Chong sneered. "Kill!"

However, his smile froze soon after.

Qi Yuan burst through the ranks like a wolf among sheep. Though the Red Demon Cores were weaker than true Core Formation cultivators, they were still formidable. At the very least, a swing of a knife shouldn't be enough to cut four or five of them at once?

Yet, Qi Yuan's knife sliced through the nearest five Core Formation cultivators as if they were paper. They were cut down before they could even summon their Cores.

Was the man really a Foundation Establishment cultivator? How could he be capable of such a feat? Was he some disguised old monster? Or did he really have a Heavenly Dao class? Even if he did, he shouldn't be so overpowered?!

Liang Chong's confidence evaporated. The sense of safety of three hundred men vanished.

Liang Chong panicked but didn't retreat. "Quick! He's out of mana, let him exhaust himself!"

The royal household had given him everything. He regarded the king as a father and would die for him. Even in death, he would hold the stronghold.

Qi Yuan's jade slip played his tune while his knife did the hacking.

"Killing to BGM is stylish indeed. It feels like a game and makes the gore less unpleasant."

He was drenched in the enemies' blood. These Core Formation cultivators were all trash to him. Slaughtering them was easy. In no time at all, one-fifth of the stronghold lay dead. Bloody and wielding a knife, he was reminiscent of a god of slaughter.

"Play the music, keep killing."

Qi Yuan plunged back into the crowd and resumed hunting. Although these foes offered no EXP, each one carried a tempting Soul Thought Flower. He showed no mercy.

"Kill!" Liang Chong roared again, commanding the Death Warriors, who wore faces of noble fervor.

"I am willing to die for His Majesty!"

"Fight for Great Shang!"

"Kill! Kill! Kill!"

They believed they were carrying out a lofty mission. Under brainwashing, they were like NPCs. If their master ordered them to kill their own kin, they would obey without hesitation. The cultivation world’s indoctrination was terrifying.

Time passed, and night began to fall. Wave after wave of Death Warriors died by Qi Yuan's hand. In the end, fewer than a dozen remained. They glared at Qi Yuan with neither fear nor pity, only fury.

"Die for His Majesty!"

Ten-odd soldiers charged, detonating their Nascent Cores in self-destruct. Too bad the Red-Demon Cores were just for show. Self-detonations made little impact.

Qi Yuan brushed off shredded flesh, grinning wickedly like a heinous villain. "You're the only one left."

Gripping a spear, Liang Chong fixed his gaze, looking like the kingdom's most loyal warrior.

"Kill!"

The spear lunged like a dragon, but Qi Yuan lightly dodged the blow. His knife struck Liang Chong across chest and belly.

Liang Chong's life force left him as confusion filled his eyes. "How?"

"Because I have a Heavenly Dao class foundation," Qi Yuan said.

Besides, when he was at Qi Refinement realm, he could kill Core Formation cultivators. Of course, he didn't say it aloud. He didn't want the man to hear it and become jealous, fearing the dead would creep from their graves at night.

Qi Yuan surveyed the field of corpses. "Is that all?"

He squatted and gathered every Soul Thought Flower. Looking at the corpses and the surroundings, something felt off. He stomped on the ground and the earth caved, swallowing all the corpses. With another stomp, the ground smoothed back over. If anyone came later, they wouldn't notice nearly three hundred powerful cultivators buried here.

Qi Yuan hefted his knife and shouted, "Your strongholds have been cleared, are you still not coming out?"

He had an inkling strong opponents were plotting nearby. If they were enemies, he wouldn't let them succeed.