"I wonder which sect or school you hail from, to be so ruthless in your methods?"
Although Situ Hongbo was afraid, he still asked in a firm voice. After all, this person had killed their elder right in front of him.
Moreover, he wanted to know Tao Wu's background, because he had never seen him before.
"This old man is called Tao Wu. If you wish to seek revenge, I'm ready to oblige at any time," Tao Wu said.
Despite his embarrassed expression, Situ Hongbo was momentarily at a loss for words.
The aura Tao Wu had displayed made him feel that one wrong move could lead to their complete annihilation.
Although he was an Supreme Elder and should have stepped forward, when it came to choosing between face and survival, he chose the latter.
"What, nobody dares to step up?"
"Pathetic creatures like you dare call yourselves rulers of an entire starfield?"
Tao Wu let out a mocking laugh, but the people of the Situ Spirit Gate all swallowed their anger in silence.
They were nothing but bullies who preyed on the weak and feared the strong. In the face of life and death, there were very few who truly had any backbone.
Perhaps the one who had just died was someone with backbone, but the price of that backbone was death.
Even if they harbored fury in their hearts, they could only endure it, not daring to let it erupt.
"Just now, which of you said you were going to do what to my Brother Chu Feng?"
"Something about skinning him alive and pulling out his tendons, wasn't it?"
Tao Wu turned his gaze toward the ones among the younger generation who had been the loudest in their threats against Chu Feng.
Those juniors hung their heads in silence. Not only was their killing intent gone, but they now did not even dare to lift their heads and look at Tao Wu.
"Don't think that lowering your heads and staying silent will make this go away. Skinning and pulling tendons — this old man knows how to do that too."
As Tao Wu spoke, he broke through the healing formation and walked into the midst of the juniors.
At some point, a peculiar blade had appeared in his hand.
"AAAARGH—"
Screams rang out one after another. Those who had threatened to skin Chu Feng alive and rip out his tendons were now having their skin peeled and tendons pulled by Tao Wu.
Although Tao Wu did not take their lives, he made them wish they were dead.
The people of the Situ Spirit Gate could only watch helplessly, not daring to step forward and intervene.
They had now witnessed this man's cruelty firsthand. Who among them would dare approach?
Anyone who stepped forward would be courting death.
"Supreme Elder, save us! Please save us!"
The tortured juniors began to beg Situ Hongbo for mercy.
"Sir, let us discuss this calmly. There is no need for this, surely?"
"Even if we have somehow offended you, we can offer compensation."
Supreme Elder Situ Hongbo could only plead verbally, not daring to raise a hand to stop him.
This was the same Supreme Elder who had issued a wanted proclamation, vowing to seek justice for the younger members of his clan. Now that the person on that very list had come knocking, this was how he responded.
What bitter irony!
"My lord, please spare us! We know our mistake!"
Seeing this, the other juniors began to kneel and beg for mercy.
Although they had not made the same vicious threats about skinning Chu Feng alive, they had still spoken disrespectfully toward him. They feared — feared that they too would suffer this same torture.
"That's more like it."
"Everyone who wants to live — kneel and apologize to my Brother Chu Feng."
Tao Wu still held the blood-dripping blade in his hand, yet he looked upon the members of the Situ Spirit Gate as if nothing were amiss.
"What, you need me to do it for you?"
When the Situ Spirit Gate elders did not kneel, a murderous gleam suddenly flashed in Tao Wu's eyes.
At the sight of that, many of them dropped to their knees with a thud.
They had been frightened into it.
Swish, swish—
But even so, Tao Wu struck.
With a sweep of his great sleeve, his martial force transformed into a sickle of slaughter. In the blink of an eye, several hundred people were cut down.
All of them were those who had not knelt.
Seeing this, the majority quickly dropped to their knees.
Even Situ Hongbo, the Supreme Elder of the Situ Spirit Gate, fell to the ground.
But a very small number still refused to kneel. They would not submit to such humiliation.
"So there are still some with backbone."
"Since you have so much backbone — then die."
Swish—
Tao Wu's martial force sickle swung out once more, and every last one of those who had not knelt was sliced in half, perishing on the spot.