Slayer of Old Men

Qi Yuan looked over. Within the imagery, a burly man reeking of alcohol was punching and kicking an old man. In the end, the burly man snatched a few bits of broken silver from the old man's chest, delivered another kick, and strode off. Qi Yuan watched, completely unmoved. "Take another look, young friend." With a wave of the elderly man's hand, the scene shifted. Now, the burly man who had been beating the old man was treating him with utmost filial devotion. He attended to the elder with meticulous care—feeding him meals, bringing him tea, emptying his chamber pot, and bathing his body. "It was precisely because we proclaimed the filial piety decree that the people of this world began acting filial. Thus, our arrival here was to save the world." Hearing this, Qi Yuan gave a calm, scoffing laugh. "What a truly hilarious display of 'filial piety.'" The elderly man did not lose his composure. He said, "Young friend, do you know that after you abolished the filial piety decree, the very man in that image murdered his father that same day? "All the blame for that falls squarely on your shoulders." Qi Yuan looked at him with sheer incredulity. "Is there something wrong with your head, or is there something wrong with mine? "An extraterrestrial demon is trying to guilt-trip me on moral grounds?" "Alas." The old man gave a helpless look. "Young friend, we have no desire to make an enemy of you. "Yet every word this old man has spoken is the absolute truth. "We truly came to save this world." Qi Yuan said nothing, remaining wary of his surroundings. Seeing this, the old man continued: "Our fishing of living beings and devouring of their flesh and blood is genuinely out of desperation. "Because... once our lifespans reach their natural end, we will transform into terrifying demonic monstrosities. "A demonic monstrosity has no reason whatsoever, slaughtering every living creature in its sight. "Its power reaches the Fifth Realm, bringing catastrophe to all creation. "Should even a single demonic monstrosity manifest, it would plunge this world into ruin, and no one would be able to stop it. "Therefore, we had no choice but to harden our hearts, cast our lines into the mortal world, and consume flesh and blood—all merely to extend our lifespans a little longer so that the mortal realm would suffer fewer disasters." The old man wore a compassionate, sorrowful expression, looking as though he truly held the world's well-being at heart. "After arriving in this realm, we too feared bringing ruin upon it. "That is why we specially came to Dijue. "One day here equals ten years in the outside world. "The geniuses and martial powerhouses born in the outside world over ten years are sufficient to prolong our lives. "Only in this way can the demonic monstrosities be prevented from appearing. "This old man acts out of unavoidable hardship. "Otherwise, why would we stay in Dijue instead of descending straight into the mortal realm?" The old man pleaded earnestly and persuasively. His words seemed to make sense. Once their lifespans expired, they would turn into demonic monstrosities. And from the sound of it, the monstrosities were even stronger than they were. If one or two ever roamed the mortal realm, the world would surely plunge into a true cataclysm. Qi Yuan stared into the old man's eyes, suddenly cutting straight to the core of the matter: "If you transform into demonic monstrosities after dying a natural death, then how did your previous world deal with them? "Or rather... how did they keep demonic monstrosities from appearing in the first place?" Sure enough, the old man froze, an expression of agony surfacing in his eyes. Recalling the filial piety decree and the old man's earlier words, Qi Yuan understood in an instant. He looked at the old man and said, word by word, "A natural death results in a demonic monstrosity. Wouldn't that mean..." "As long as you don't die of natural causes, no demonic monstrosity appears!" Qi Yuan's words dredged up painful memories across the old man's face. After a long silence, he looked up at Qi Yuan, overcome with emotion. "Do you know? From the age of seventeen, I fought for my clan. I shed blood for them, captured seventeen mithril mines for them, and survived sieges by powerhouses of my own rank, sustaining over seven hundred wounds of all sizes! "Yet why? Why is it that when I grew old, with only a few years left to live, do you know what my clansmen were discussing? They were discussing how to put me to death! "They even invited people from the Demon Extermination Society! "I wasn't even dead yet! What did they want to do?!" The old man grew hysterical. "They were my most cherished children, raised by my own hands! "And what did they want to do? "I only wanted to die a natural death. Was that wrong? "Put yourself in my shoes! Would you accept such a fate?" He glared at Qi Yuan, worked up into a frenzy. "What a boring backstory," Qi Yuan said slowly, looking at the old man. "You're just a villain, a big boss I'm supposed to slaughter. I don't give a damn how much suffering or injustice you endured. "Even if you turned into a pitiable beauty weeping tears of sorrow while pouring out your tragic, helpless life story, I wouldn't suddenly overflow with empathy, nor would I care in the slightest. "What interests me most is lopping off your dog's head with my great sword!" He was just a big boss. Killing him directly was all that mattered. The old man's face darkened. "Are you certain you wish to make enemies of us? Are you prepared to pay the price?" The old man had no wish to fight Qi Yuan. Their condition was poor to begin with. Fighting would drastically shave away their remaining lifespans. Moreover, Qi Yuan's strength far exceeded Heavenly God and his cohort. "It's not that I want to make an enemy of you. It is destined that I shall defeat you bosses! "I am the boy who slays the dragon!" The moment Qi Yuan finished speaking, he struck! "You are courting death!" The old man flew into a rage. "Hmph! You're all ancient geezers, while I'm young and robust, brimming with boundless energy!" Qi Yuan had already spotted the extraterrestrial demons' weakness. They had very little lifespan remaining. And now, all the Black-Robed Guards had been slaughtered. As long as Qi Yuan blocked this gateway and prevented them from consuming mortal flesh and blood, these old fossils would have no way to replenish their lifespans. And by fighting Qi Yuan, these extraterrestrial demons would never get to die a natural death. Of course, while this method was easy enough to figure out, it did not mean just anyone could pull it off. With that, Qi Yuan gripped his great sword and stationed himself before the bronze gate, the sole entrance to Dijue. He looked lazily toward the depths. "Render unto heaven what is heaven's, and unto mortal earth what is mortal earth's. Today, I'll play the divine general guarding the Southern Heavenly Gate!" Sword in hand, Qi Yuan barricaded the gateway. Just then, several icy voices drifted from the depths. "Overestimating your own strength!" "Hmph, I want a tenth of his flesh and blood." "Haha! A mere Divine Domain dares bar our path?!" As the voices fell, five new powerhouses materialized before Qi Yuan. Their auras were equally terrifying, identical to the sage-like elder. Joining forces with him, the six pressed toward Qi Yuan. Holding his sword, Qi Yuan looked at the six with a puzzled frown. "Don't tell me you six are the only extraterrestrial demons left? "Isn't this boss fight a bit too easy to farm?" "Heh," the sage-like elder sneered. The sky above Dijue suddenly plunged into darkness. Qi Yuan looked up, only to see dense clusters of glowing eyes across the firmament, silently staring down at him. However, the owners of those eyes appeared trapped in a special state, unable to act at will. In Qi Yuan's eyes, it was likely hibernation. Once awakened from dormancy, their remaining lifespans would plummet even faster. Such a terrifying spectacle sent an involuntary shiver down Qi Yuan's spine. "Did you guys bring an entire raid party?" A whole raid group of big bosses? Who plays like this?! Qi Yuan immediately got cold feet. "It is not too late to beg for mercy!" the old man said, glaring at Qi Yuan with a dark scowl. Qi Yuan ignored him completely. Having cold feet was one thing, but on the surface, he remained as arrogant as ever. "Looks like today I'll have to play the Slayer of Old Men!" Sword in hand, Qi Yuan barred the great gate of Dijue. The six Level 119 powerhouses struck at him simultaneously. Tyrannical Strength! In an instant, Qi Yuan unleashed his ultimate skill. His body surged with power, his physical attributes doubling. Heaven-Cleaving Sword-Drawing Technique! He slashed forward with a single strike, and an immense sense of danger washed over the six elders. They retreated in unison. "So strong!" "He actually forced me to tap into my origin!" The six powerhouses unleashed the exact same ability the sage-like elder had displayed earlier. "The more origin we expend, the faster our lifespans wither. We can hold back no longer—kill him!" The six attacked once more, bringing their deadliest methods to bear. Facing attacks from six combatants far stronger than himself, Qi Yuan showed no fear. On the Ascension Platform, he had fought through 120,000 battles, large and small. In some, he had faced three thousand opponents of his own rank all at once. His combat experience had reached absolute mastery. Gripping his sword, he used offense as defense! "Kill!" A strike unleashed a surge of blood vitality. The vitality within the six powerhouses churned violently. Yet the crane-haired elder with a youthful face suddenly burst into laughter. "Meat! Such fragrant meat! "Forcing myself to burn origin was well worth it!" Without Qi Yuan even realizing it, a bloody chunk of flesh had appeared in the elder's hand. Qi Yuan looked down at his chest. Unbeknownst to him, a bloody wound had opened there. He was injured. Blood dripped down. On his very first day here, he had taken a wound. Holding the piece of meat, the elder's eyes brimmed with greed. He extended a serpent-like tongue, swept Qi Yuan's flesh into his mouth, and swallowed it whole. Suddenly, his eyes widened as he stared at Qi Yuan. "There's no flavor!" The other five extraterrestrial demons froze, baffled by his words. "His flesh isn't real flesh! It doesn't replenish lifespan at all!" The white-haired elder roared in fury, "Just what kind of creature are you?!" Burning so much origin just now had shaved off another large chunk of his lifespan. He had planned to snatch a piece of Qi Yuan's flesh to nourish himself, never imagining Qi Yuan's flesh would have no substance. Qi Yuan glanced at the six extraterrestrial demons. "My flesh has no flavor? Awesome." It came as a surprise, yet made total sense to him. Lifting his sword, he glared at the demons. "I'm young and full of vigor. I'll outlast every last one of you old bastards!" His only regret was that he couldn't log off to sneak a bowl of braised pork rice. Otherwise, he would have had even more energy. "Ordinary methods won't hurt him! "I'm running out of time. We must kill him and consume his flesh! "Everyone, hold nothing back—burn your origin to slaughter him!" the youthful-faced elder urged frantically. After burning his origin repeatedly, he had less than a single day of life left in Dijue. "Come at me, you old geezers!" Qi Yuan held his sword steady, fearless despite his wounds. "Kill!" Apart from the youthful-faced elder, the other five powerhouses unleashed attacks empowered by their origin simultaneously upon Qi Yuan. Five more bloody gashes opened across Qi Yuan's body. Blood poured out. He was heavily injured. "Now it's my turn!" Dying Radiance! Heaven-Cleaving Sword-Drawing Technique! Tyrannical Strength! He unleashed his three strongest ultimate skills at once. This time, Qi Yuan focused all his fury on the youthful-faced elder. "Ah—no!" Facing this strike, the youthful-faced elder cried out in agony. Though also in the Divine Domain, he was no match for Qi Yuan. Only by burning origin could he evade this blow. Yet he couldn't bear to spend it. Doing so would mean certain death. Instead, he braced himself to withstand it with physical strength alone, believing he wasn't necessarily weaker than Qi Yuan. However... the sword cleaved him apart. Drenched in blood, Qi Yuan looked at the slain elder and grinned, baring his teeth. "Hunting season begins!" A flicker of terror flashed in the eyes of the remaining five extraterrestrial demons. Trapped here, they had no means of replenishment. Hailing from the same world, their origins were identical; consuming each other's flesh could not prolong their lifespans. Just then, a booming voice echoed across the distant sky: "We shall break our seals! Even if it severely cuts our lifespans, this fiend must be slain!" Twelve terrifying powerhouses emerged, each radiating an overpowering aura. Covered in wounds, Qi Yuan looked at them with resolute eyes. "Come on, then! I'm young and full of vigor—I'm not scared of you old bastards!" …… Springs gave way to autumns, and a century passed in the mortal realm. The former Hundred Cities Alliance was no more. Among mortals, only some old folk and martial artists still spoke its name. Some said that the Hundred Cities Alliance had once been a living purgatory where evil spirits devoured humans daily. A faceless swordsman, holding the hand of a young girl and wielding a blood dragon sword, had single-handedly destroyed a hundred cities and purged the demon lairs. When young youths heard this, skepticism filled their eyes. According to the legends, the Hundred Cities Alliance possessed nearly a hundred Supreme Sovereigns. How could a single Supreme Sovereign have slaughtered them all? Yet others were passionately inspired, donning faceless masks with swords strapped to their waists, proclaiming themselves to be the Faceless Sword God. Many changes swept through the mortal world, and fewer and fewer people remembered news of the Faceless Sword God. Beside the Ancient Qi Toon Tree, a realm known as the Moon Dynasty slowly rose. At that moment, inside the wooden cabin by July Lake, a young girl curled up, her face pale, her eyes filled with heartache. "Mister... are you all right?" Over the past century, she had neither developed nor grown, remaining a seven-year-old child. Back then, when Mister had set off to slay the extraterrestrial demons, she had marked his arm with a moon crest. Though small, the moon crest allowed her to bear wounds on Mister's behalf. How much damage she could bear depended on the gap in strength between them. Were she as strong as Mister, she would bear half of his injuries. Yet even after a century of bitter cultivation, she was not one-hundredth, not even one-ten-thousandth of Mister's strength, and the injuries she absorbed did not amount to even a ten-thousandth of his. Even so, every single day, she felt tearing agony. It went on and on without end. Mister's strength vastly surpassed hers; just what kind of pain was he facing? What kind of wounds was he enduring? Curling her frail body, Yue Nü paled as she strove to cultivate. She wanted to grow stronger. If she became stronger, Mister's suffering would lessen, wouldn't it? …… "Haha! A bunch of old bastards dithering and hesitating—do you still dream of living?!" Before the gate of Dijue, Qi Yuan sat on the steps. Drenched in blood from head to toe, he looked like a figure sculpted from gore. Upon closer look, not an inch of unblemished flesh remained on him. Wounds covered him from head to foot, and even one of his eyeballs was split in half. Yet he remained planted firmly before the gate, a wild grin plastered across his face. "Kill!" The answer from within Dijue was an icy roar from the extraterrestrial demons. "Kill!" Qi Yuan answered with the same roar, drawing his sword as it struck like a dragon. Empowered by Dying Radiance, he fought with ever-growing ferocity, like an undefeated god of death. It was precisely this ultimate skill with its lifesteal capability that had allowed him to hold out for so long. Otherwise, facing higher-tier attacks from so many old fossils, he would have died long ago. Over the past dozen days, he had already traded his life force to take down eight hundred of the old geezers in Dijue. That was why he had earned the right to be arrogant! Was this thousands of extraterrestrial demons laying siege to Qi Yuan? No. This was Qi Yuan soloing an entire raid of big bosses all by himself! "Kill, kill, kill!" Without madness, there was no survival. Qi Yuan took on hundreds of extraterrestrial demons alone. None held back, raining their origin attacks upon Qi Yuan like water. For they knew that if they didn't eliminate this menace, they were dead! Yet Qi Yuan faced the onslaught with utter fearlessness. Tempered over years, combat instincts were etched into the very marrow of his bones. Even though he was gravely wounded, even though he suffered grievous harm every second, even though at every moment it looked as if he could no longer hold on and was about to collapse, he continued wielding his sword, slaughtering more and more of them. "Haha! You're getting more and more pathetic! "When I first arrived, every single origin attack hit me! "And now? I'm dodging a third of your origin strikes! "Can you dodge my sword, though?!" Qi Yuan laughed boisterously, swinging his sword to cut down another extraterrestrial demon after a grueling clash. Vast amounts of EXP poured into him. Though he didn't use it to level up, the sensation of reaping rewards with every kill utterly captivated him. He looked up at the sky, watching the dwindling number of eyes. He roared at the top of his lungs, "No way, right? No way?! Don't tell me two thousand seven hundred old farts can't even beat one young lad?!" The extraterrestrial demons trembled in terror as they gazed upon Qi Yuan. Not a patch of flesh on his body remained whole. Half of his flesh had been gouged away. Whenever he swung his sword, stark white bone was visible. Flesh and blood were a cultivator's foundation. Injuries this horrifying were something even they could never endure. A heavy weight settled upon the hearts of every extraterrestrial demon. …… Years flowed by, and in the mortal realm, an untold number of years had passed. In the Five Elements Forbidden Ground, coffin lids were thrust aside. Dozens of terrifying figures emerged. These were the slumbering Divine Domain powerhouses of the Five Elements Forbidden Ground. Roughly fifteen minutes later, the people of the Yin Yang Forbidden Ground arrived at the Five Elements Forbidden Ground via a teleportation array. Tong looked at the crowd and said coldly, "The Demon Slaying Assembly... has begun." Everyone looked up at the sky. A heavenly hound devouring the moon was taking place across the firmament. A lunar eclipse marked the commencement of the Demon Slaying Assembly. At this time, the extraterrestrial demons were at their weakest. This was their best opportunity to face the extraterrestrial demons. "Where is the Master of the Robe Division?" Flower Burial Fairy asked, scanning the gathering. Long Pan replied calmly, "Likely training in the mortal realm." "The Demon Slaying Assembly is about to begin, and he still hasn't returned?" At this, a complex expression appeared on Zanghua's face. "Could an accident have befallen him?" The others wore varied expressions. "What a pity. All of us have been marked by the extraterrestrial demons; the moment we leave the forbidden grounds, we will be fished by the Flesh-Fishing Hook." "We cannot leave, nor can outsiders enter. We have no way of knowing the Master of the Robe Division's current situation. Could something truly have gone wrong?" "Hmph, I'm only afraid he deserted before the battle out of cowardice," a snide voice chimed in. "Hmph! Keep baseless speculation to yourself," Zanghua said, glaring at the speaker. "The Master of the Robe Division may have simply been delayed. We'll wait another day." "Aren't you speculating without evidence too?" "Mine is a reasonable deduction!" Flower Burial Fairy shot back, glaring coldly at the person. Evidently terrified of Flower Burial Fairy, that person said nothing further. The crowd fell silent, offering no more opinions on the matter. They waited where they were, discussing the demon-slaying plans. A day later, they still saw no sign of the Master of the Robe Division. Gazing at the celestial signs, Long Pan said slowly, "We shall wait one more day." Meanwhile, within Dijue. Not a patch of intact flesh remained on Qi Yuan's body, and even his bones were broken and incomplete. Slender skeletal fingers gripped the sword tightly as he thrust it forward, skewering the crazed extraterrestrial demon straight through the heart. Having slain the final extraterrestrial demon, he squeezed out a smile on his mangled, bloody face. "Are they finally all dead?" Over these many days, he had finally slaughtered every single extraterrestrial demon in Dijue. Toward the end, some demons had even wept and begged on their knees, pleading to take him as their father. Qi Yuan had paid no heed, responding only with relentless slaughter! He had stood alone with his sword before the bronze gate, refusing to let a single extraterrestrial demon escape. Driven to madness, the demons had unleashed immense power, raining countless terrifying abilities upon Qi Yuan. He was grievously, terribly wounded. His mind and spirit were exhausted beyond measure. For all these days, he had killed without pause, never daring to stop. Because he knew that the moment he stopped, he might fall asleep and never wake again. Even now, with all enemies slain, his nerves remained taut, keeping his mind in an excited state. With half his body leaning against the bronze gate, a cold glint shone in his eyes. "The Heavenly Dao fragment is finally mine." He also knew that he was about to face the greatest challenge he had encountered since entering this game. The game was not over yet.