As panic swept through the clearing, the handsome man merely stood in the center with a faint smile upon his face, as if the screams around him were music arranged solely for his pleasure.

Then the robes on his body suddenly bulged outward, and in the next instant hundreds of black-red tentacles burst forth like a storm of serpents unleashed.

They whipped through the battlefield with terrifying speed, tearing through the air with sharp cracking sounds as people who had just turned to flee were pierced through their backs, chests, and throats before taking even ten steps.

Bodies jerked violently in place as blood and essence were drained through the writhing tendrils, their flesh shrinking before horrified eyes.

One cultivator from a minor sect screamed and tried to slash the tentacle pinning him, but before his blade fully rose another three struck from different angles and nailed him upright like prey on hooks.

His scream lasted only a breath before his skin caved inward, leaving behind a dry husk that dropped to the ground with a dull sound.

The crowd fully broke as all the disciples who had moments ago fought viciously for heavenly treasures now trampled each other just to escape first, shoving allies aside and abandoning companions without hesitation. F

ear spread faster than any poison, turning the once-proud geniuses into beasts scrambling for life. The demon laughed calmy, yet it carried clearly through every scream and clash, a delighted laugh filled with hunger and old madness.

As he stepped forward casually, more tendrils lashed out from beneath his sleeves and back, multiplying further as though his body itself contained a nest of monsters.

A disciple from the Iron Blood War Sect roared in fury and charged with a blood-red saber, gathering all his strength into a single downward strike.

The blade landed true and severed three tentacles at once, drawing cheers from those nearby for a single foolish moment.

Then the severed tendrils twitched on the ground and exploded upward like living whips.

They wrapped around his limbs, neck, and jaw before tightening sharply, ripping him apart mid-scream while the remaining tendrils plunged into the torn remains and drank everything left.

By the time his saber hit the dirt, there was barely enough flesh left to recognize him.

The demon licked blood from one finger and sighed in satisfaction. "Good spirit," he said lightly, "Alas no strength to support it."

Nearby, a group of sword cultivators quickly formed a defensive formation, six blades rising together as silver Qi wove into a rotating barrier around them.

Their leader shouted commands rapidly, forcing discipline through fear as the barrier met the incoming storm of tendrils head-on.

For three breaths, they held and then.

Tentacles smashed against the spinning swords and were shredded apart, black ichor splashing across the ground while hope flickered in the eyes of those watching.

Some even began rushing toward the formation, believing shelter had been found.

Then the demon’s smile widened as all his tentacles broke free the broken tentacles on the ground suddenly burrowed beneath the soil like worms disappearing into mud.

Before the swordsmen understood what had happened, the earth beneath them burst open as dozens of tendrils erupted upward through legs, stomachs, and chests.

The formation collapsed instantly and the barrier shattered into sparks, and the six sword cultivators froze where they stood, impaled from below like grotesque statues.

Their bodies dried visibly as the demon inhaled deeply, savoring their deaths like a fine meal.

One woman stumbled backward, sobbing uncontrollably as she tried to activate an escape talisman with shaking hands. 𝐟𝕣𝕖𝐞𝐰𝕖𝚋𝐧𝗼𝚟𝐞𝕝.𝗰𝐨𝐦

The jade slip glowed once before a tendril pierced straight through her wrist, pinning her hand in place. Another wrapped around her waist and dragged her screaming across the blood-soaked ground toward the demon’s feet.

He crouched slightly and tilted her chin upward. "You people truly love running," he said with amusement.

Then the tendrils entered through her open mouth and her scream ended there.

Not far away, two disciples attempted to take flight into the trees, using movement techniques to burst skyward with desperate speed.

They had barely risen twenty feet when the branches above them split apart, revealing tendrils already waiting like hunting spiders.

Both were dragged back downward violently, bones snapping against trunks before they were consumed in mid-air, their dried corpses thrown aside like waste.

The clearing had become a slaughter yard.

Every direction held screams, blood, shattered weapons, and people dying with eyes full of disbelief.

Some begged, some cursed, some promised wealth and loyalty, but the demon ignored all of it equally, to him they were no longer people, only nourishment scattered generously before him.

He walked through the carnage barefoot now, shoes long lost beneath the gore, his robes stained dark as tendrils moved around him like a royal cloak made of living flesh. Wherever he stepped, bodies soon followed.

As the massacre continued, Lin Xiao Tian did not move at first, his gaze calm while disciples were dragged down and drained one after another.

The creature before them was already peak Nascent Soul, perhaps half a step into Transformation, and fighting it recklessly would demand everything they possessed.

There was another reason as well, one far simpler.

Most of these fools would only hinder us before the true legacy, though a few living goats may still prove useful later. With that thought settled, he finally raised two fingers and gave the signal.

The disciples behind him moved the instant they saw it, their reactions clean and immediate without wasted motion or needless words.

Just as one genius of the Iron Blood War Sect was about to be skewered through the skull, Lin Xiao Tian vanished from his spot and appeared before him.

His palm struck the incoming tendril aside with brutal force, twisting it away before it could pierce flesh.

The saved disciple staggered backward in shock, still unable to understand how death had passed him by so suddenly.

Lin Xiao Tian did not even glance at him after saving his life. "Stand properly if you wish to live," he said coldly, before disappearing again toward the next point of danger.

At the same moment, Tianhe stepped forward and a savage pressure burst outward from his body like a waking beast.

He did not reveal his true beast form with so many eyes watching, yet even restrained, every breath he took felt dangerous.

A cluster of tendrils rushed toward the left side like striking serpents seeking soft prey. Yan Feng moved first, his sword flashing repeatedly as each cut severed tendrils cleanly before they could fully extend.

Beside him, Xiaoshan roared and swept his halberd in a brutal arc through the air. Broken tendrils exploded apart under the force, while nearby cultivators hurriedly stepped back from the shockwave.

On the opposite side, Miao Han and Li Qingyuan took position without hesitation or confusion. One controlled spacing and movement carefully, while the other cut down whatever slipped through their guarded line.

Their coordination was tight enough to shame many older sect elders watching nearby. Every step covered the other, every pause held purpose, and no opening remained unguarded for long.

Miao-Miao also chose her position with great seriousness and deep strategic thought. She hid directly behind Tianhe while peeking around his shoulder at the incoming tendrils with clear disgust.

"They are too ugly to touch," she muttered while refusing to step forward at all. Tianhe’s face twitched faintly, but he wisely chose silence over argument.

As Lin Xiao Tian’s group entered fully, the demon’s killing rhythm was broken for the first time since the slaughter began.

The effortless flow of harvesting lives halted as multiple directions were blocked and challenged together.

Those who had fled earlier stopped after gaining enough distance and turned back cautiously to watch the scene unfold. Some stared in disbelief, while others narrowed their eyes as greed slowly began returning again.

A few scoffed and continued fleeing deeper into the forest without hesitation or shame. "To stay is madness," one muttered, "that thing will kill them all soon enough."

Others remained where they were, eyes shifting constantly between the fighters and the battlefield’s scattered spoils. If the monster weakened, if someone bled first, then risking life might become worthwhile again.

Even now, greed had not died, it had only crouched lower for a moment. The remaining Iron Blood War Sect members also lingered nearby, neither helping openly nor leaving entirely.

Their gazes moved between Lin Xiao Tian’s group and the demon with shameless calculation. Lin Xiao Tian saw everything and nearly laughed. Vultures, jackals, and goats... what a fine gathering this place has become.

Before he could think further, the demon suddenly laughed and the sound rolled strangely across the clearing. Dozens of tendrils burst upward at once, no longer random, but converging directly toward Tianhe’s position.

The creature had chosen the greatest threat present and acted without delay or pride. Tianhe stepped forward instead of retreating, his eyes steady and his posture rooted like iron.

His fist met the first tendril and exploded it apart mid-air with raw force alone. The second was caught by hand and ripped free from the ground entirely before it could coil back.

The pressure of his bloodline spread outward in waves, forcing several nearby cultivators to retreat instinctively.

Yan Feng descended at the same moment, his sword carving apart three more tendrils attempting to flank.

Xiaoshan charged another cluster head-on, halberd roaring through the air with crushing momentum and savage delight.

Chunks of black flesh splattered across the ruined clearing as the tendrils were smashed apart.

Miao Han and Li Qingyuan tightened formation immediately, cutting off every stray strike aimed toward the rear.

Their reactions were smooth, disciplined, and fast enough to deny even brief openings.

Behind Tianhe, Miao-Miao peeked out once more and frowned deeply at the battlefield. "Still disgusting," she declared with perfect sincerity despite the life-and-death struggle ahead.

Lin Xiao Tian nearly coughed blood hearing such timing during such chaos. Yet despite the absurdity, a strange steadiness spread across the battlefield after those words.

The survivors watching from afar slowly realized something impossible was happening before their eyes. The monster had not been defeated, yet it had finally been stopped.

Hope mixed with fear in many faces as sect disciples gripped weapons once more. The demon’s smile slowly faded as its gaze passed across every disciple one by one.

At last, those eyes settled upon Lin Xiao Tian standing calmly at the center. Then the creature spoke, its voice low and filled with dangerous interest. "You..."

But just then, another pressure suddenly descended from above as a massive spear tore through the sky like falling judgment.

Its power was tremendous, snapping nearby trees apart from the shock alone as it struck directly into the demon and before he could complete what he was saying he feel straight downwards.

The ground burst open on impact, cracks spreading wildly while dust and shattered earth rose in every direction.

For a moment, the entire battlefield fell silent, and everyone stood frozen in complete shock.