The Dao of Reincarnation (172-173) (Patreon)

Chapter 172: The Life-Slaughter Demon Lord (Part 12)

Upon returning to the Killing God Hall, Su Chen became the new master of the Life-Slaughter Hall.

The upheaval within the Killing God Hall alarmed many of the higher-ups.

"The old ghost Life-Slaughter Saint King actually died!"

The Killing Heart Saint King and the Soul Extinguishing Saint King were deeply shocked. Even Young Master Wusheng had perished, and the final victor turned out to be Sha Shengzi, the disciple of the Life-Slaughter Saint King.

Both Saint Kings felt wary of this junior named Sha Shengzi. Neither the Life-Slaughter Saint King nor Young Master Wusheng had been careless or simple-minded. They refused to believe that Sha Shengzi had succeeded by mere luck. There must be secrets behind this that they did not know.

Soon, news of the changes in the Killing God Hall spread. The various races in the outer starry sky felt both regret and relief. Young Master Wusheng was dead. The number one heavenly genius of the myriad races had fallen!

Su Chen paid no attention to the storms raging outside. After returning to the Killing God Hall, he immediately entered closed-door cultivation.

Three years later.

Beneath an ancient tree, Su Chen's eyes darkened with resolve. His aura evolved into laws, and those laws condensed into a heavenly blade that hovered above his head. He was actually going to sever his own Saint realm cultivation!

This scene was utterly shocking. Countless beings dreamed of reaching the Saint realm, yet someone was willingly cutting it away, severing his own path. Even a natural divine body or an ancient heavenly genius could not walk multiple Saint paths at the same time!

Without any hesitation, the heavenly blade descended. Su Chen's aura plummeted sharply, falling from the Saint realm all the way to the Nirvana realm. The terrifying Dao injury caused him to cough up blood, and the heart-piercing pain turned his face deathly pale.

Yet Su Chen showed not the slightest regret. With blood still staining the corner of his mouth, he smiled.

After three years of comprehending the Killing Emperor's mark, he had chosen to condense the Killing God Demon Embryo. Although the Origin Spirit Divine Body was powerful, its upper limit was far too low. It might reach the Great Saint realm and then hit a dead end. No matter how high his comprehension was, if his cultivation speed could not keep up, becoming a Quasi-Emperor would remain hopeless, let alone treading the road to Emperorhood.

Originally, Su Chen had planned to stir up chaos in this life, accumulate a large amount of Reverse Fate Points, and wait for the great era to begin. He had never expected to encounter a reborn person by chance, plot for five hundred years, claim the first kill on a child of destiny, seize the Killing Emperor's inheritance, and gain the ability to condense the Killing God Demon Embryo. By hunting living beings, he could nourish himself.

Su Chen decided not to die this time.

Only a little over ten thousand years remained until the Golden Great Era opened.

Another hundred years passed. The Dao injury from his self-severing had fully recovered. During this century, many major events had occurred. Young Master Wusheng had died, and the second genius of the Eternal World, Xiao Sha, had been missing for a hundred years without a trace. The once-mighty Xiao Imperial Clan now stood on the verge of collapse.

No one was a fool. The top powers had probably long realized that Young Master Wusheng and Xiao Sha of the Xiao Imperial Clan were the same person.

If another hundred years passed without Xiao Sha's return and no Saint appeared in the Xiao Imperial Clan, the enormous empire would crumble overnight.

In truth, it would not even take another hundred years.

If the grass was not pulled out by the roots, it would grow again when the spring breeze blew. Xiao Sha had possessed a great destiny, and the people close to him might also produce heaven-defying figures. Su Chen had no intention of letting them go. They would all make excellent nourishment.

Su Chen left the Killing God Hall.

…

Xiao Family.

Once one of the four great clans of the Northern Dawn Empire, the Xiao Family had risen to prominence when Xiao Sha emerged and replaced the empire itself. His unfathomable strength had allowed the Xiao Imperial Clan to expand rapidly. Even the sacred lands had to show the Xiao Imperial Clan some respect.

But that was all in the past. A hundred years had passed since Xiao Sha disappeared without a trace. The Xiao Imperial Clan claimed that he was in secluded cultivation to break through to the Saint realm, yet everyone inside knew the truth: Xiao Sha was no longer with the clan. Even his closest relatives could not contact him.

In the Xiao Family hall, the core members of the Xiao Imperial Clan all wore heavy expressions. They knew that once the news could no longer be concealed, it would mark the end of their clan.

"Big Brother… is it true what the rumors say? That Fourth Brother and Young Master Wusheng are the same person?"

The fifth sibling, Xiao Yueli, broke the heavy silence. Her voice trembled. In her heart, although Fourth Brother Xiao Sha had once been a good-for-nothing, he was still a good person, and she had the closest relationship with him. After he revealed his true strength and turned the tide, Fourth Brother Xiao Sha had replaced Eldest Brother Xiao Xuance as her idol and the goal she pursued throughout her life.

Yet Fourth Brother Xiao Sha had always been upright and honorable, a leader of the righteous path. In contrast, Young Master Wusheng of the Killing God Hall was the complete opposite—sinister, cunning, and responsible for the deaths of countless human geniuses and the theft of countless opportunities. Because of him, the human geniuses of the Eternal World had been cut off in their prime. After Young Master Wusheng's death and Xiao Sha's disappearance, the human geniuses of the Eternal World had suffered endless oppression.

"Enough, Fifth Sister. Whether Fourth Brother is Young Master Wusheng or not, he is still your fourth brother!"

The eldest, Xiao Xuance, spoke with natural authority. Years of campaigning across the empire had made him steady and composed.

Even so, Xiao Xuance knew that if Xiao Sha really was Young Master Wusheng, the Xiao Family would be in grave trouble. Young Master Wusheng had offended far too many powers. The current precarious situation of the entire human race in the Eternal World had been caused almost single-handedly by him. Those powers would not dare retaliate against the Killing God Hall, but a small clan like the Xiao Family was no different from an ant in the eyes of those colossal entities.

"I have already sent Second Sister to lead the promising younger generation of our Xiao Family into the Misty Sacred Palace to cultivate. If disaster strikes our clan, only the Misty Sacred Palace will be able to protect them and preserve some seeds for our Xiao Family."

The third sibling, Xiao Jin, spoke calmly. He had already made the final arrangements for the clan.

Xiao Xuance asked, "Third Brother, has the situation really become this dire? Father is currently breaking through to the Nirvana realm."

Xiao Jin replied, "Big Brother, the situation is only more severe than you imagine. Our Xiao Family can no longer retreat. Fourth Brother raised our clan to a height we never reached before. We must bear this karma for him. I understand the logic of victory and defeat, and so should you. This is not an outcome that Father breaking through to Nirvana can reverse."

The hall fell into a deathly silence.

Suddenly, Xiao Xuance's expression changed drastically.

"Bad news! Someone has attacked the Xiao Imperial Palace!"

Xiao Jin and Xiao Yueli looked at him in shock. Xiao Xuance's face was extremely grave. Having fought countless battles over the years, he was far more sensitive to killing intent than ordinary martial artists. He could sense that outside the hall, the darkness of an eternal night had descended, filled with crimson figures.

Xiao Xuance said heavily, "Third Brother, Fifth Sister, I will hold off the enemy. You two hurry and wake Father, then take him and leave the Xiao Imperial Clan… Third Brother, your guess was correct. Our Xiao Family… is truly facing total destruction!"

Xiao Xuance could feel it—the killing intent outside was sharper and more terrifying than any opponent he had ever faced on the battlefield. Only one force in the world could possess such dreadful killing intent.

The Killing God Hall!

Chapter 173: The Life-Slaughter Demon Lord (Part 13)

Outside the main hall of the Xiao Imperial Palace, masked experts wearing ghost-face masks slaughtered wantonly throughout the palace grounds.

At the head of the group stood a tall figure in a dark purple cloak—Su Chen. Leading the members of the Life-Slaughter Hall, he unleashed a bloody purge on the entire Xiao Family. He had no interest in personally acting against the insignificant soldiers of the Xiao Imperial Clan. His gaze was fixed on a palace ahead. That was his true target.

Boom!

A fierce, murderous aura erupted. A black halberd swept forward with a lethal strike.

"An ant trying to shake a tree—how ridiculous."

Su Chen chuckled lightly. His figure flickered. Under Xiao Xuance's horrified gaze, one hand directly seized his face. Purple-black airflow rose around Su Chen like flames, making him resemble a demon sovereign descending upon the mortal world.

Xiao Yueli, who had not gone far, witnessed the scene and cried out in grief, "Big Brother!"

Xiao Jin pulled his struggling sister back, suppressing his own sorrow as he said, "Little Sister, don't go back! You are no match for him. We must take Father and leave. We cannot let Big Brother die in vain!"

Xiao Yueli's cry of alarm drew Su Chen's attention.

"Trying to escape? How naïve."

Su Chen's gaze turned ice-cold.

Xiao Xuance desperately clung to Su Chen's body. A black flood dragon of accumulated battlefield killing intent erupted from within him. "Bastard… I won't let you harm Third Brother and Little Sister!"

He intended to self-detonate to stall Su Chen. When he looked up, however, he saw only disappointment in those star-annihilating eyes…

Xiao Xuance lost consciousness as his body exploded apart. He never understood why that figure had shown such disappointment.

"Too weak. Even after burning everything, this is all the strength he could muster."

Su Chen felt deeply disappointed.

The undefeated great general of the Xiao Imperial Clan, Xiao Xuance, was simply too weak. Even after his final desperate burst, killing him only condensed the tiniest wisp of killing intent—far from enough to nurture the Killing God Demon Embryo.

Su Chen calmly turned his gaze in the direction Xiao Jin and Xiao Yueli had fled. He had a feeling that Xiao Sha's brothers and sisters might still bring him some pleasant surprises.

With a casual wave of his hand, he ordered the Life-Slaughter Hall members behind him to continue the massacre of the Xiao Imperial Clan. The palace was soon filled with the thick stench of blood, flashing blades, roaring fires—just like the scene in the Lu Clan six hundred years ago when Su Chen had first opened his eyes in this life.

Xiao Sha, as Young Master Wusheng, had preemptively killed off far too many geniuses. Families like the Lu Clan were not unique. If Xiao Sha had lived and the Xiao Family had flourished, the current fate of the Xiao Family would have been the Lu Clan's. The only difference was that Su Chen would not give the Xiao Family any chance of survival. He would leave no one alive.

"Damn it… how did he catch up so quickly!"

Xiao Jin's face turned extremely ugly.

He said to Xiao Yueli, "Little Sister, I will hold him back. You take Father and escape immediately. Whatever you do, do not look back!"

Xiao Yueli was blasted backward by Xiao Jin's aura.

"Third Brother!"

Tears streamed down Xiao Yueli's face like rain on pear blossoms. Enduring the pain, she fled under Xiao Jin's furious roar.

"What touching sibling affection."

Su Chen watched Xiao Yueli leave without any intention of stopping her. His gaze fell on Xiao Jin, causing cold sweat to pour down the latter's back. In Xiao Jin's eyes, something incomparably terrifying was slowly taking shape.

Xiao Jin forced down his fear and asked, "Who are you? Why are you attacking my Xiao Family? Aren't you afraid that when my fourth brother emerges from seclusion, he will come for revenge?"

Su Chen narrowed his eyes. His words made Xiao Jin's entire body stiffen.

"You want to buy time? To give your foolish little sister a slim chance to escape?"

Su Chen looked at the terrified Xiao Jin with indifference. "Today, no one from your Xiao Family will escape. As for your fourth brother Xiao Sha, I think someone who controls the lifelines of the entire Xiao Clan should already know that he died long ago. After you die, if Xiao Sha is willing to wait for you for a hundred years on the Bridge of Nether, perhaps you will see him there."

Hearing the death of Xiao Sha confirmed from Su Chen's own mouth, Xiao Jin trembled violently, his eyes turning blood-red. Endless rage and grief surged into his heart.

"I'm going to… kill you!"

Xiao Jin's aura exploded. He frantically burned his own talent and lifespan. In just a few breaths, his once-youthful appearance aged dramatically. His withered hand reached out to strike Su Chen.

Su Chen severed Xiao Jin's arms with a single slash, then ended his life with one decisive strike. He felt the killing intent within his body grow noticeably more solid, bringing him one step closer to condensing the Killing God Demon Embryo.

"Truly worthy of being Xiao Sha's blood brother. One person is worth tens of thousands of ordinary martial artists. Even killing a divine body genius cannot compare to the nourishment provided by killing a brother."

Su Chen felt somewhat unsatisfied. If Xiao Sha had had a dozen or so brothers and sisters, he might have been able to form the Killing God Demon Embryo today. Unfortunately, Xiao Sha only had four siblings.

When she sensed Xiao Jin's aura vanish, Xiao Yueli fell into utter despair. She finally reached the place where her father was in seclusion.

"Who dares to attack our Xiao Imperial Clan?!"

Xiao Yueli's father emerged from closed-door cultivation. His aura surged like a raging river. At this critical moment, he had successfully broken through to the Nirvana realm.

Seeing the tragic state of the entire Xiao Imperial Clan, rage ignited in his heart. He charged straight toward Su Chen's location.

Xiao Yueli was horrified and shouted urgently, "Father… come back quickly…"

It was already too late. She only heard her father roar furiously, "Yueli, don't worry. Your father will definitely slay this enemy!"

Despair filled Xiao Yueli's face. Even if her father had broken through to the Nirvana realm, what could he do?

Her eldest brother and third brother had already died at the hands of that terrifying demonic figure.

"No… I must survive!"

A fierce will to live suddenly surged in Xiao Yueli's heart. She knew she could not die here.

Enduring the grief, she continued to flee.

Su Chen looked with interest at the middle-aged man in yellow imperial robes charging toward him. He knew this must be Xiao Sha's father. The remnants of Xiao Sha's destiny had actually allowed him to break through to the Nirvana realm in the midst of crisis… Unfortunately, the Nirvana realm was far from enough to resolve the Xiao Family's catastrophe.

The Xiao Patriarch was furious. But only for an instant. He quickly regained his composure.

Su Chen's eyes turned ice-cold. He lifted the man as easily as picking up a chick. The joy of breaking through to the Nirvana realm was doused like ice water poured over his head.

"What a waste."

Su Chen discovered that the killing intent he gained from the Xiao Patriarch was pathetically weak.

Just as he was about to crush the man to death, Frost suddenly condensed in the air.

Amid drifting clouds and mist, a woman in profound blue robes appeared, walking barefoot through the void as ripples formed icy steps beneath her feet.

"Sha Shengzi, you are courting death!"

The woman's eyes burned with murderous intent that soared into the heavens.

Su Chen turned his head.

"Finally, someone interesting has arrived."

His Killing God Demon Embryo now had a proper target.

…