Chapter 383: Not Slashing Mortals but Slashing Talents!
“I will turn the world upside down!”
As soon as these words were spoken, Ninth Offering’s body trembled, sensing a terrifying aura gathering.
What was even more terrifying was that the source of this aura was unknown, its essence unclear, wrapping around him like a shackle, leaving him no escape!
“Ah, ah, ah…”
He exerted all his strength, trying to break the deadlock with absolute power, but it was as if he punched into cotton—sinking deep with no harm done!
“Boom!!”
Immediately after, he heard a deafening sound, and when he looked around, everything had changed.
Rolling towards him was the past, the future, distorted time and space, inescapable calamity, and the vast weight of the starry river!
Under this, he felt like an ant, a wisp of dust, pitiably small, caught up in the entire universe, struggling in vain, moving around absurdly!
Beside him, Profound Song could only watch this scene in horror.
Zhou Tong tore a chunk of the universe, sealing Ninth Offering and the starry river inside.
That universe, like a marble, was grasped in his hands along with Ninth Offering, as if it were a toy.
“Elder Jiu!”
She cried out in despair, but there was no answer!
“Shatter!”
Zhou Tong said expressionlessly, giving a slight squeeze, and that piece of universe was abruptly compressed, reaching its limit before exploding with a loud bang.
In this process, no violent shockwaves spread outward; all the destructive force collapsed inward, indiscriminately obliterating everything within.
Ninth Offering bore the brunt; even as an Intermediate Sage, he crumbled under the pressure of time and space, his bones crushed to dust, freed from the cosmic cage, and gently fell to the ground.
“Uh… ah… heh…”
At this moment, he could not even scream in pain, only emitting a series of incoherent syllables from his throat, a state worse than that of a mortal.
As an Intermediate Sage, he should have been able to quickly harness the vast vitality within him to recover from his injuries, even if just one breath was left.
But now, a mishap had occurred; he was completely bound by the laws, and attempting to recover was as difficult as ascending to heaven.
“Grandfather! Grandfather! Spare my grandfather, bring him back to me!”
Profound Song could not help but cry out in anguish, struggling with all her might, tears streaming down her cheeks in despair.
For her, the tears shed today far surpassed those of the previous twenty years combined.
“Since your bond is so strong, then let’s go together on this journey!”
Zhou Tong said coldly, pointing a finger towards the front, an act akin to preparing to crush a few insects, without the slightest regard.
“Old man… I am willing to die in exchange for the young master’s life, I beg for your mercy…”
Ninth Offering struggled and cried, crawling to Zhou Tong’s side, biting at his pant leg in the utmost humility.
Before this, he never would have imagined that as an Intermediate Sage, just one step away from a higher realm, he could find himself in such a disgraceful, desperate situation!
“Your life is in my hands; don’t you want to live? Is it really impossible to die?”
Upon hearing this, Ninth Offering’s breath hitched, even forgetting he had no leverage left in his hands; how pitiful was that!
“Bang, bang, bang!”
He lay on the ground, banging his head wildly against the surface, crying blood in desperation.
“I am willing to establish a Heavenly Dao Pact, to serve as your slave and servant, never to betray, only asking that you spare the young master!”
“Don’t, Grandfather!”
Profound Song was horrified; she knew how heavy this promise was for Ninth Offering, it was worse than killing him.
She was certain that once she was safe, Ninth Offering would definitely take his own life immediately.
“You old fool with your worthless life, do you really think I would take you seriously?”
Zhou Tong sneered. Just after his words, an explosive noise erupted from the other end of the Li Family compound.
This disturbance made his expression turn cold.
“I almost forgot about that side; I’ll be back shortly.”
He said softly, as if speaking to both of them and to himself, and in the next moment, he disappeared from the secret chamber.
Seeing this, Profound Song and Ninth Offering both breathed a sigh of relief; regardless, they had temporarily survived.
“Young master…”
“Grandfather…”
Profound Song and Ninth Offering, one high and one low, one buried into the ground, the other embedded in the wall, looked at each other, filled with a myriad of emotions.
“Grandfather, were you careless just now? How could you be defeated in a single move…”
Profound Song hesitated, the shock of that instant kill overwhelming her, making it hard to accept.
As a strong warrior, her temperament was resilient; she could accept a gap, but not an insurmountable difference.
She hoped that the instant kill was just an accident; after all, Ninth Offering had been injured prior, and perhaps due to carelessness, it wasn’t that exaggerated.
“No… It’s cruel, but I must be honest.”
Ninth Offering felt heartbroken; he knew his young master was already beginning to doubt her own strength, but now was not a time for lies.
It was time for Profound Song to face failure; only by enduring could she grow quickly, hoping she could withstand it.
“I can responsibly say that even at my peak, even fully alert, that blow was utterly unavoidable, indescribably powerful. I am that vulnerable before him!”
As soon as this was said, the whole secret chamber fell into silence.
“Young master… we at Profound Sky Hall have truly provoked a monster; over the years, we have enemies, and he is absolutely at the level of a young emperor!”
“Really? Among my peers, is there really someone this strong? Why is that!!”
Ninth Offering’s heart trembled; he wished he could bury his face in the ground. He heard the sound of sobbing; in twenty years, the young master had never cried before him.
He only heard Profound Song say, “I was born a Semi-Sage, with unparalleled talent, and since I was aware, I have enjoyed the best teachers and rare elixirs. Not only that, but for all these years, I have never slacked in my cultivation…”
“My grandfather is a Grand Deacon, a Peak Sage, one of the top five experts in the world, and I myself am a resilient person. Even when abandoned by my mother, I did not give up. Even if I cannot show my true self, I still hold true to my heart…”
“I have done all this, worked so hard, yet I still cannot become the best among my peers? What must I do to surpass him!”
Hearing this, Ninth Offering’s heart trembled sharply; he understood the young master’s mindset too well.
If the young master had average aptitude, perhaps she would not be so saddened, especially since despite her efforts, stronger, more talented individuals existed.
If the young master had not worked hard, after today’s failure, she might have laughed, saying that once she took it seriously, overcoming Zhou Tong would be a breeze.
But now, she could find no reason!
Did the young master not work hard? Was she not outstanding? Should she not be the pinnacle of existence?
Absolutely, she was indeed deserving, but fate is often so unreasonable.
In order to prevent mortals from becoming too arrogant, the Lord of Creation would allow monsters to descend upon the world.
When you stand beside a monster, no matter how dazzling, extraordinary, or radiant you were before, all your glory will be consumed in an instant!
When you cannot help but start looking up at the other, you will realize in your heart: I am so far behind, I can never catch up!
Ninth Offering once thought that the young master was that kind of monster; any genius standing before her would be a tragedy, destined to become a mere accessory, forever unable to lift their heads.
But he never expected that today the young master encountered her own monster.
This blade does not slay mortals, only slays talents!
