As Qi Ping performed the Soul-Search, his terrifying soul power instantly overwhelmed the target. The Human-Devil Butcher's soul was plunged into terror as heart-demons and illusionary powers took effect, stripping away all resistance. This was an effect Qi Ping had achieved by combining the Soul-Search technique with the Demon-Eye Illusion Realm, allowing him to disintegrate an enemy's will to the maximum extent.
After a long while, Qi Ping successfully read all of the butcher's memories, but his face gradually darkened.
Within those memories, Qi Ping saw countless tragic and cruel scenes. To cultivate his baleful malice, the butcher's methods of torture were beyond depraved. Many ordinary farming rogue cultivators, wives, and children had fallen victim to him. To generate more malice and hatred, the butcher would even torture victims in front of their kin—forcing parents to watch their young daughters being violated before using gruesome instruments to finish them, eventually consuming their flesh.
How cruel was this?
Even Qi Ping, who had seen much slaughter, felt his hair stand on end. His body and mind felt a wave of nausea. Compared to the memories of this man, simple killing was nothing.
Yet, in the butcher's perception, such things were perfectly ordinary. Furthermore, from these memories, Qi Ping caught his first glimpse of a completely different side of the cultivation world—one far more complex and terrifying than he had imagined! In this world where individual power reigned supreme, human evil was magnified to the absolute limit. Those scenes beyond the limit of Qi Ping's cognition were but daily occurrences. Had he not seen the memories, he could not have imagined such things in a hundred years.
Beyond this, Qi Ping learned exactly who had betrayed his information.
"Good. Very good! I shall remember this debt!"
After crushing and obliterating the butcher's soul, Qi Ping set off for the Huang family—the Foundation Establishment clan tied to demonic sects. Along the way, his heart remained heavy. He had thought he had seen the cruelty of the cultivation world, but that had been merely the tip of the iceberg. If it was this bad at the Foundation Establishment and Qi Refining stages, what about those higher up?
Originally, he only cared about his own peaceful cultivation and longevity. He had no desire to be a savior; he lacked the power. If he hadn't sensed the world gradually decaying, he might not have opposed the Celestial Alliance so fiercely.
However, after seeing those stomach-churning scenes, Qi Ping could not remain indifferent. He found it hard to watch such tragedies unfold without being moved. Yet, he still couldn't bring himself to risk his life for others; he was very protective of his own existence and unwilling to sacrifice himself.
'Then, at the very least, within the Qingtian Domain... I will not allow people like the Human-Devil Butcher to exist within the scope of my power!'
If he were weak, Qi Ping would hide without hesitation to protect himself. But if it were within his power, why not let his murderous intent rise and use the Treant clone to carry out a slaughter?
'As long as it does not affect the safety of my main body or my path to immortality!'
As he traveled toward the Huang family, Qi Ping's mind suddenly cleared. He felt the spiritual energy within him circulate with incredible fluidity!
Two days later. Lingxiao City, Huang Family.
This was the largest Foundation Establishment clan in Lingxiao City, possessing one peak Foundation Establishment cultivator and one late-stage Foundation Establishment member. Their power was immense! It was rumored that the clan had connections reaching all the way to the heavens and a massive backer, making them the one family no one dared to offend. They had committed many acts that provoked public outrage, and though they had been reported to the Qingyuan Sect multiple times, no one ever handled it. Instead, those who reported them invariably met with accidents.
On this day, the Huang Patriarch's favorite youngest son, Huang Ling-xuan, was riding a Wind-Chasing Divine Steed as usual. He held a beautiful, tearful woman in his grasp, preparing to return to the Huang manor to enjoy himself.
"Sigh, another woman from some household has been snatched away."
"Do you think she can survive?"
"Likely not. Even if she survives by chance, she'll probably go mad. It's just pointless suffering."
"Sigh, her poor husband..."
Just then, a middle-aged cultivator at the fourth level of Qi Refining suddenly pushed through the crowd.
"Zi!"
"Brother Jing, do not come here! Take Tong-tong and leave quickly! Do not mind me!" The tearful woman became agitated and nervous as she saw the man.
Hearing her words, the middle-aged man's eyes flickered with a struggling light. On one side was his wife of decades; on the other was his child who could not yet care for himself.
But before the man could react, Huang Ling-xuan's expression became playful. A flying sword suddenly shot toward the man's neck! There was no doubt that in the next heartbeat, the man would be killed. Those watching sighed in their hearts; in Lingxiao City, from the moment that man charged out, his fate was sealed. No one could save him!
A powerful wave of despair rose in the hearts of both the husband and wife!
However, just as everyone thought the man would be decapitated, a youth in white suddenly appeared in the center of the road. In the next instant, the flying sword was frozen in place by a swirl of blue and red spiritual energy!
"Who are you? To dare interfere with the Huang family..."
The patriarch's favorite son began to bark a question, but halfway through, his body exploded without warning. A soul was then snatched from the air by the white-clad figure.
In the next heartbeat, a shriek that made one's hair stand on end echoed through the street!
Soul-Searching! It was a Soul-Search!
Everyone watched this sudden turn of events in utter shock! Someone had actually killed the Huang Patriarch's son in the middle of the street and performed a Soul-Search on the spot!
This was trouble! Massive trouble!
But before they could figure out the youth's identity, they saw his face darken with fury. Before their eyes, the soul of the young master was crushed and obliterated!
The white-clad youth then flickered and vanished!
Before the crowd could process what had happened, a world-shaking explosion accompanied by a dull shattering sound roared through the city! The very earth of Lingxiao City trembled several times under the force of the power!
Then, a voice imbued with terrifying killing intent echoed across the sky:
"By order of the Qingyuan Sect, I invite you all to your deaths!"