The moment the disciples who had been together just moments ago were struck down one after another, the remaining cultivators went pale. Colorful protective barriers and defensive artifacts sprang into being one after another, but most of them stared fixedly at the Confucian scholar, not daring to look away for even an instant.
For a time, no one dared make any rash moves.
After the woman surnamed Mu's expression changed drastically, she immediately put distance between herself and Du Dong, releasing her silk-ribbon artifact to shield her entire body.
As for Sun Huo, he had already retreated several steps the instant the scholar appeared, his gaze darting back and forth between the scholar and Du Dong, his face an unsightly shade.
Han Li silently slid into a corner of the meditation chamber, his gaze flickering uncertainly as he observed everything, his thoughts unreadable.
Just then, Du Dong's aura suddenly surged wildly. A black light enveloped his entire body, and dark runic patterns crawled across his face and neck. His body then swelled in the glow, explosively transforming into a towering giant nearly two zhang tall, with a ferocious visage and eyes glowing an eerie green. His cultivation base had shot up to the mid Core Formation stage.
"Incredible! When it comes to concealment and transformation techniques, if the Thousand Illusion Sect claims second in the entire Tian'nan region, no one would dare claim first. The 'Great Luo Thousand Illusion Technique' truly lives up to its reputation — worthy of being your sect's treasure art!" The white-robed cultivator, witnessing Du Dong's astonishing transformation, was not alarmed in the least. Instead, he clapped his hands and laughed heartily.
"Hmph!" The giant that Du Dong had transformed into let out a cold snort and said nothing in reply. Instead, his sinister gaze swept over the others before settling back on Han Li, a flash of killing intent crossing his face.
A "whoosh" and a "thud" rang out in quick succession.
The cultivators in the chamber saw the giant's figure blur, and after a violent gust of wind, he had closed in on Han Li, who was shielded by a protective barrier. Without the slightest hesitation, the giant raised a hand and shattered the barrier in an instant. His hand, quick as lightning, plunged into Han Li's chest, then withdrew — clutching a glistening, blood-soaked heart.
Han Li's body crumpled to the ground.
"Ah!"
The other disciples cried out in low voices at the gory scene, a mixture of fury and shock, believing the giant was finally going on a killing spree. Terror gripped their hearts.
"Huh?" For such a smooth kill, the giant's face actually showed a flicker of puzzlement, as if he found it hard to believe his opponent had died so easily. He frowned and glanced at the heart in his hand — it still held some residual warmth. There was no doubt the kill was confirmed.
"What do you think you're doing? You can't just kill disciples here on a whim! Some of them have considerable backgrounds. One of them is a direct descendant of that old monster Tianhen! Don't act rashly!" The scholar was shocked by Du Dong's sudden attack and shouted in anger.
"Hmph. You got to kill one — why can't I? Besides, this kid was suspicious. It was only sensible to strike first. As for the descendant of old monster Tianhen — it certainly wouldn't be this person. He was a newly admitted disciple, same as me," Du Dong said flatly, then tossed the object in his hand aside.
"As long as you know what you're doing! I don't know whether Tianhen's descendant is male or female, or which sect they've entered, but old monster Tianhen is extraordinarily powerful. To curry favor with him, the three sects would certainly ensure his descendant was among the top ten, giving them the chance to undergo the Purification of the Spirit and Clear the Eyes. If we truly harmed this person by mistake, the trouble would be enormous. As for the one I killed — I naturally knew their background well. They were definitely not the old monster's descendant." The scholar's expression softened slightly, though a hint of gravity still lingered in his voice.
"Fine. I won't casually strike at the remaining ones. But of course, we can't let them cause trouble either — so they can just lie there for a while!" With that, Du Dong spun on the spot, and the black light erupting from his body surged outward in violent torrents, blotting out the sky and the earth, engulfing the entire meditation chamber.
The other cultivators, who had just relaxed upon hearing the exchange between the two, were instantly shrouded by the black light before they could react. One by one, their vision blurred, and they lost consciousness.
The scholar looked at the disciples sprawled unconscious throughout the chamber and nodded, a trace of satisfaction crossing his face.
"Let's go. We can't afford any more delays."
"Understood."
With that brief exchange, the two of them strode toward the door.
However, as Du Dong reached the threshold, a slight unease stirred in his heart, and he could not help glancing back once more at the body he had disemboweled. Han Li lay in a pool of blood, utterly motionless — already beyond any doubt dead.
He chuckled to himself, dismissing his own paranoia, and followed the scholar out with a peace of mind.
Once the two of them left, the meditation chamber naturally fell into a deathly silence.
But after only a brief moment, a young woman's pleasant voice suddenly echoed through the room.