Liu San couldn't recall how many people he had killed in the Ten Thousand Monster Ridge.
He had initially come to the Ten Thousand Monster Ridge to escape his enemies; it was a desperate move.
But after he grew accustomed to life in the Ten Thousand Monster Ridge, he suddenly realized that it was the place most suited for him. There was no order here, everything was determined by strength. Might made right.
He found a few cultivators with compatible personalities and began hunting in the Ten Thousand Monster Ridge. Both demonic beasts and cultivators were his prey.
Xiong Zhuangzhuang was not his first prey, nor would he be his last.
At this moment, his mind was entirely occupied with how to seize the Four-Winged Blood Horse, failing to notice the fleeting gleam in Xu Yi's eyes.
Xu Yi gripped the Chastisement Ruler in her left hand and flicked a finger with her right.
"Ding—"
A crisp tapping sound echoed, and an invisible sonic wave rippled outward.
Liu San and the others felt their souls tremble, their bodies involuntarily stopping, a look of confusion on their faces.
Xu Yi raised her hand and threw the net-like magical treasure she had just put away.
The treasure, coiled into a ball, suddenly unfurled in the air, swooping down towards Liu San and the others.
Just as it was about to engulf them, Liu San suddenly came to his senses and frantically threw out a talisman.
The talisman ignited without wind, shooting out a golden light that struck the net, piercing it directly.
The net-like magical treasure lost its spiritual essence and plummeted from above.
Xu Yi glanced at the treasure with a hint of regret, formed hand seals, and quickly pressed them onto the Chastisement Ruler.
The Chastisement Ruler vibrated, as if gathering power, preparing to unleash its strongest attack.
"Activate."
Xu Yi placed her final finger on the Chastisement Ruler. The pitch-black ruler began to emit faint, mysterious lights before shooting out like an arrow from a bow, whistling through the air.
Liu San, still reeling from the shock, met the incoming Chastisement Ruler head-on and quickly produced a magical artifact to block.
Bang!
A tremendous force surged into his body through his magical artifact. Liu San grunted, an unnatural flush appearing on his face.
"Quick... Ptooey!"
In his shock, Liu San tried to warn the others to escape, but as soon as he spoke, he lost control and spat out a mouthful of blood.
"Big Brother!"
"We'll go together!"
Three of the remaining four people, their faces filled with rage, pressed their attack, intent on avenging Liu San.
Only one person quietly retreated two steps, then turned and fled.
He was the only one among them who truly understood the situation.
But by now, it was too late to escape.
After just two steps, he felt a chilling sensation in his chest. He instinctively looked down and saw a fist-sized hole in his chest that hadn't been there before.
The next moment, his consciousness plunged into darkness.
After killing one person, the Chastisement Ruler, employing the same method, dispatched the other two Golden Core cultivators.
Now, only the three Nascent Soul cultivators, led by Liu San, the semi-conscious Xiong Zhuangzhuang due to severe blood loss, and Xu Yi and Lu Zaiye remained on the scene.
Lu Zaiye had not made another move after repelling the black panther.
While Xu Yi's cultivation was not low, her combat experience was still somewhat lacking.
Therefore, unless in immediate danger, he chose to stand by and observe.
Xu Yi didn't feel anything was amiss; rather, she perceived it as Lu Zaiye's trust in her, and he still remembered to protect her during every fight.
"Sirs, it was our mistake before. I am willing to offer you my apologies. I hope you will be magnanimous and spare our lives."
Liu San's mind, clouded by greed, finally cleared.
They had truly stumbled upon a formidable opponent this time.
Thus, he did not hesitate to show weakness to the two.
As long as the green hills remained, there would be wood to burn.
As long as he could live, he was willing to kowtow and admit his mistakes.
However, he dared not place all his hopes on the other party. He subtly reached for his waist, where his trump card lay hidden.
"There is no chance."
Xu Yi shook her head, her two fingers closing together as she pointed at Liu San.
The Chastisement Ruler, circling in the air, followed her command and plunged directly towards Liu San's chest.
"Ah!"
In less than the time it takes for half a stick of incense to burn, Liu San and the others, who had been standing moments before, lay dead in pools of blood.
Xu Yi asked Lu Zaiye to collect the storage bags of the deceased, then rushed to Xiong Zhuangzhuang's side to check his injuries.
"Th-thank you."
Xiong Zhuangzhuang, mustering his last breath, thanked Xu Yi.
"Don't speak!"
Xu Yi frowned and sternly interrupted him.
With such severe injuries, it was best to remain silent and conserve energy.
Startled by Xu Yi's sharp tone, Xiong Zhuangzhuang immediately closed his mouth, and his consciousness began to drift.
"Hiss!"
Before he could fall into unconsciousness, a burning pain in his waist made him gasp, and his senses suddenly sharpened.
As Xu Yi applied medicinal powder to Xiong Zhuangzhuang's wound, she clicked her tongue in amazement.
This person's body was far superior to that of an ordinary person. Any other cultivator suffering such injuries would have been on the verge of death, with more exhalations than inhalations, let alone being able to sit and converse with her.
Xu Yi was willing to help him because he had previously offered a warning, showing no intention of leading them into trouble; his character was good.
Now, she felt an even greater admiration for him and did not hold back. The healing medicine she took out was of a higher grade, brought from the Xuanji Sect, its efficacy far surpassing that of ordinary wound dressings.
Xiong Zhuangzhuang, as the patient, felt this even more acutely.
After the burning pain subsided, he felt a strong tingling sensation, knowing that his wound was rapidly healing.
His gratitude towards Xu Yi overflowed.
"Do you have any Qi Replenishing Pills on you?" Xu Yi asked.
Xiong Zhuangzhuang honestly shook his head.
Qi Replenishing Pills could quickly restore a cultivator's spiritual energy, being the most common and widely circulated pills on the Kyushu Continent, sometimes even used as a form of currency in place of spirit stones.
Seeing that he was enduring the pain, Xu Yi guessed his situation and directly placed one of her own refined Qi Replenishing Pills into his mouth.
"Recover from your injuries first. We can discuss anything else later."
Xu Yi stood up and instructed him.
Xiong Zhuangzhuang nodded firmly and sat cross-legged, absorbing the medicinal power flowing into his body.
Xu Yi walked to Lu Zaiye's side, watching him manipulate his spiritual energy to bury the corpses underground, erasing any trace of their existence.
"Here."
Lu Zaiye extended a hand, offering a small, dark sphere to Xu Yi.
"What is this?"
Xu Yi took it curiously, holding it in her hand to examine it closely.
Lu Zaiye said, "Heavenly Thunder Seed. The power of a single one is equivalent to the full force strike of a Soul Transformation cultivator."
He had found it in the belt of the most talkative cultivator.
"This is good stuff."
Xu Yi exclaimed with delight and took out a small, exquisite hammer, no larger than her palm, preparing to strike the Heavenly Thunder Seed.
Lu Zaiye stopped her, "You're going to..."
Xu Yi smiled brightly, "I want to try and open it, to study how it was refined."
Lu Zaiye sighed helplessly, took the Heavenly Thunder Seed from Xu Yi's hand, and with a crisp "crack," split it in half before returning it to her.
He had intended to keep it for their junior ancestor to use for self-preservation, but seeing her demeanor, he knew she wouldn't stop until she had dismantled it. It was better for him to do it, lest their junior ancestor accidentally detonate the Heavenly Thunder Seed and harm herself.
Xu Yi glanced at Lu Zaiye with slight surprise before focusing her attention entirely on the Heavenly Thunder Seed, studying it carefully.