As Elder Zhong lunged forward in a swift attack, the phantom of a Demon God materialized behind Ye Chen. A low, sonorous chanting, like that of ghosts and gods, echoed all around.
It was as if countless demonic shadows had returned from the depths of hell, gathering around Ye Chen to sing the praises of their master!
"What?"
"Such an astonishing aura! Not even the great figures of the Demon Dao I've seen before were this terrifying, were they?"
Everyone was stunned by the immense power radiating from Ye Chen, and looks of horror appeared on their faces.
Shen Yanyue was so frightened she went pale. Only now did she realize that when Ye Chen had fought her earlier, he hadn't even been using his full strength!
Even Fairy Luoxia couldn't help but gasp in shock. Beneath her veil, her peerless face could no longer maintain its composure.
"Such potent Demonic Qi!"
"So you have colluded with the Demon Dao!"
Elder Zhong roared, "I saw you as a prodigy of your generation and felt the urge to spare a rare talent! But it's a pity you've strayed onto the wrong path. Your sins run too deep; there's no turning back for you now!"
"You can repent for your sins in hell!"
He threw a punch, and the very air around it seemed to explode, creating a series of sonic booms that left everyone dumbfounded.
Clearly, as an expert from the Lei Province Prefecture, the Cultivation Technique and martial arts he practiced were far superior to those of a mere Sect Leader like Shen Yanyue.
Ye Chen's expression was indifferent. With a wave of his hand, the Demon God phantom behind him slammed its palm down. The massive hand blotted out half the sky, casting a vast shadow over the land.
BANG!
With that thunderous sound, the Spiritual Qi surrounding Elder Zhong was blasted apart. He looked as if he had taken a devastating blow; his face turned crimson, and a sliver of terror finally surfaced in his eyes.
"How is this possible?!"
"You're only at the Sixth Layer of the Blood Coagulation Realm, while I'm at the Third Layer of the Spirit Sea Realm!"
"How can your combat prowess be so terrifying?!"
Elder Zhong found this hard to accept, but in the next moment, the Demon God phantom swung its hand again. Another terrifying Palm Seal surged down toward him!
"No, no, no—"
"Save me! Someone, save me!!!"
Feeling the terror of impending death, Elder Zhong's face twisted into a demonic grimace, all of his previous arrogance gone.
"Brat, if you dare kill me, the Lei Province Prefecture will hunt you down! There won't be a single place for you to hide in all of Lei Province!"
"And you lot! If you stand by and watch me die, just wait for the Prefecture to come knocking at your door to hold you accountable!"
At his words, Ye Chen's expression remained as indifferent as ever, but the faces of Shen Yanyue and the others changed drastically.
They hastily tried to activate the Cold Wind Sect's Sect Protection Array, but it was too late.
The Palm Seal descended without a shred of hesitation. Elder Zhong was instantly smashed into a pulp. His organs burst, his bones shattered—it was an utterly gruesome death.
"You... you actually killed him?"
Shen Yanyue and the others were dumbfounded. "He was from the Prefecture! Aren't you afraid of being hunted by Venerable Ming Lei?"
"In all of Lei Province, there's no one who can control me!"
After cultivating the Record of the World-Shaking Demon God, Ye Chen felt as if he had become that terrifying Demon God of old—a being who could smite the river of stars and shatter mountains. A boundless arrogance surged within him.
He struck out with his palm again. The Cold Wind Sect's Sect Protection Array had only just coalesced when it was smashed to pieces, utterly destroyed.
Shen Yanyue's heart filled with despair. She felt that the young man before her was like a lawless Demon God, and there was simply no way to restrain or control him.
With Elder Zhong dead, a deathly silence fell over the crowd.
Boundless terror filled every heart.
After all, the wrath of the Prefecture was something no one could withstand!
"Next, it's your turn."
Ye Chen's icy gaze swept into the distance, landing on Xu Yingwu, who had been about to sneak away. He instantly froze stiff.
Ye Chen's gaze was like a piercing, cold blade. Xu Yingwu felt it like a physical sting all over his body. He had no choice but to turn and force a smile. "Saint... Saint Heir Ye Chen, surely you don't intend to kill me, a Sect Leader, as well?"
"No one in the Luoyun Sect is innocent. No one will be spared!"
Ye Chen's voice was cold and resolute. "From the moment you decided to threaten me with Tongtong, your deaths were already sealed!"
With that, he shot forward, aiming straight for Xu Yingwu!
"Ye Chen!!!" Xu Yingwu cried out, aghast. "The Luoyun Sect took you in and raised you! You've already destroyed my sect; must you really slaughter every last one of us?"
Ye Chen didn't waste another word. Moving like a phantom, he appeared before Xu Yingwu in an instant.
Xu Yingwu gritted his teeth and threw out several palm strikes. No matter how powerful Ye Chen was, he wouldn't just sit back and wait for death!
Unfortunately, his strength was even less than Shen Yanyue's, only at the Ninth Layer of the Blood Coagulation Realm. Within a single exchange, Ye Chen had snapped his neck, killing him instantly.
He had planned to use the Five Elements Pills he was refining to attempt a breakthrough to the Spirit Sea Realm. But in the end, not only was his sect annihilated, he himself couldn't escape his fate.
He could have escaped earlier, but he was too arrogant, believing the Cold Wind Sect could protect him.
And even if the Cold Wind Sect couldn't stop Ye Chen, he had another card up his sleeve: the arrival of Elder Zhong.
But it seemed nothing could make Ye Chen feel fear. He would kill anyone, even someone from the Prefecture, without a second thought.
After killing Xu Yingwu, Ye Chen immediately searched his body and found a Storage Ring.
A Storage Ring contained its own pocket dimension for storing items and was an extremely precious Spiritual Artifact.
In all of Lei Province, only the wealthy or disciples from major powers possessed them.
In the Luoyun Sect, for example, only Sect Leader Xu Yingwu and the upper echelons had one. Even when Ye Chen held the prestigious title of Saint Heir, he had never owned a Storage Ring.
'He actually squirreled away half a bottle of Five Elements Pills for himself?'
Ye Chen scanned the contents of the Storage Ring and couldn't help but sneer.
He then took the Storage Ring from Elder Zhong's corpse as well and placed the two bottles of Five Elements Pills together.
'The pills refined from my own blood and bones,' he thought. 'To think that every single one would end up back in my hands.'
Ye Chen nodded slightly, quite satisfied with this haul.
"As for the rest of you..."
Ye Chen's gaze swept over the crowd, a cold glint in his eyes.
"Saint Heir Ye, your divine might is invincible! If you are willing to spare us, all the resources of the Cold Wind Sect are yours to command!"
Shen Yanyue suddenly fell to her knees with a THUD.
"Sect Leader, you..." Zhou Qingyue was stunned. She never imagined that their ever-elegant and dignified Sect Leader could act so despicably.
"This is all your fault. How dare you anger Saint Heir Ye." Shen Yanyue shot her a cold look, and before Zhou Qingyue's despairing and regretful gaze, she struck her down with a single palm strike, killing her instantly.