Projection of the Heavens: I prove my immortality through slaughter.

After the auction ended, the gazes—a mixture of shock, curiosity, and schadenfreude—pierced Zhao Gan's back like needles, making it almost impossible for him to breathe. Lin Xuan's final, chilling divine sense transmission echoed in his mind like a nightmare, each word like an ice pick piercing his heart.

"Trash! Bastard! How could he still be alive?! How dare he?!" Zhao Gan's face was ashen, his chest heaving violently with rage, his nails digging deep into his palms, drawing blood without him even noticing.

The humiliation of receiving fifty spirit stones, the shame of being publicly humiliated, and especially the immense psychological gap brought about by the rise from humble beginnings, along with a hidden fear that even he himself was unwilling to acknowledge, gnawed at his reason like venomous snakes, almost driving him mad. He felt as if he had returned to that dilapidated temple, only this time, the one being looked down upon was himself.

"Investigate! Find out exactly who that kid is! Where is he living now!" Zhao Gan roared at his servants, his voice distorted with extreme anger, his face contorted in rage.

The servant, at the fourth level of Qi Refining, frowned, a hint of worry flashing in his cloudy eyes. He said in a deep voice, "Young Master, please calm down. This person is strange and definitely not ordinary. When he left just now, his aura was perfectly integrated. I tried to track him quietly with my divine sense, but I was easily repelled by a more refined and vast divine sense, like a clay ox sinking into the sea! His cultivation foundation is definitely more than just the apparent third level of Qi Refining! This matter has far-reaching implications and requires careful consideration. It would be best to report to the Steward and let him make the decision..."

"Report what?!" Zhao Gan abruptly interrupted him, his eyes fierce like a trapped beast. He grabbed the servant by the collar. "He's just a country bumpkin who got lucky and somehow stumbled upon some opportunity! Do you think I'm afraid of him? He made me lose face in front of so many people. If I don't avenge this, how can I, Zhao Gan, have any face to stand in the Qingyun Sect?! How can I have any face to see my cousin?!" The fear in his heart was now completely overwhelmed by an even stronger sense of humiliation and violence.

A ruthless and resolute glint flashed across his face. He lowered his voice, his tone like a viper's hiss: "Since he dared to flaunt his wealth, he shouldn't blame others for being heartless! Go contact the 'Black Fiend' gang and tell them to take care of that kid for me, and do it cleanly and efficiently! Everything on him is theirs, and I'll give them an extra twenty low-grade spirit stones! I want him to die a gruesome death!"

"Black Fiend" is a notorious gang of thieves and cultivators living near the refugee settlement. They are ruthless and vicious, and it is said that their leader has the cultivation level of the sixth level of Qi Refining. Many of their men have perished.

Seeing Zhao Gan's almost manic, unwavering gaze, the servant knew that further persuasion would be futile and might even backfire. He could only sigh inwardly, suppressing his worries, and bowed, replying, "Yes, young master. This old servant will make arrangements immediately, ensuring that the brat doesn't see the sun tomorrow."

……

After leaving the market, Lin Xuan did not return directly to his treehouse in the Azure Mist Mountains. He deliberately slowed his pace, like a typical rogue cultivator who had not reaped a poor harvest and was preoccupied with his own thoughts. He circled the edge of the settlement several times, sometimes stopping to look at the stalls, sometimes looking up at the sky, seemingly troubled by something. At the same time, his powerful divine sense, comparable to the late stage of Qi Refining and having been baptized by the origin of the world, had already spread out like an invisible giant net, firmly locking onto the two "tails" behind him that he thought were well hidden.

Two cultivators, one at the fifth level of Qi Refining, burly and with a single eye and a hideous scar on his face, exuding a fierce aura; the other at the fourth level of Qi Refining, thin as a monkey, with shifty eyes that revealed cunning and cruelty. Both carried a faint, bloodthirsty aura, clearly indicating they were accustomed to murder and robbery. They trailed at a distance, using the terrain and crowds for cover, their movements practiced and skilled, suggesting this was not their first time engaging in such stalking.

"As expected, he's here... and so impatiently. Zhao Gan, your heart is even more narrow-minded than I imagined." Lin Xuan sneered inwardly, his eyes growing even colder. Zhao Gan's vindictiveness was within his expectations. He just hadn't expected the other party to be so impatient, and to choose such a lowly cultivator. It seemed his hatred for him ran deep, but that was all.

His original plan was to wait until the Qingyun Sect opened its gates, then use his absolute strength to crush them in a more formal setting and thoroughly settle the score. But since the other party had willingly offered their neck to his blade, delivering the killing blow to his doorstep, how could he refuse? Perfect! He would take this opportunity to first cut off their henchmen and sever their arms, and collect some interest!

Let's play along!

He pretended to be oblivious, slowly circulating the "Star River Qi Refining Technique" within his body, his spiritual power contained and not released. He deliberately chose to walk along rarely traveled, rugged paths, heading towards the desolate outskirts of the Qinglan Mountains. The setting sun cast his long shadow onto the barren land, adding to the sense of loneliness and desolation.

Half an hour later, he was completely away from the settlement and found himself in a desolate valley filled with jagged rocks, withered trees, and rarely visited even by demonic beasts. The setting sun, like blood, stained the clouds on the horizon and the jagged rocks in the valley. A biting wind blew by, carrying a wailing sound, like the wails of ghosts, adding to the eerie and unsettling atmosphere.

This is it, a perfect burial place.

Lin Xuan stopped and slowly turned around, his clothes fluttering slightly in the wind. His gaze was as calm as a deep well as he looked at several huge rocks covered with wind erosion marks not far behind him: "Aren't you tired after following me for so long? This place has good feng shui. As your burial place, it's a fair sacrifice for you."

His voice wasn't loud, but it echoed clearly in the empty valley, carrying a cold mockery.

A moment of silence followed, broken only by the howling wind. Then, two figures emerged from behind the boulder—the two cultivators at the fifth level of Qi Refining. The one-eyed man, his face contorted with bulging flesh, stared intently at Lin Xuan with a fierce glint in his remaining eye, as if eyeing a lamb to the slaughter. He sneered, "Kid, your senses are sharp enough. Too bad, it's too late! In this desolate wilderness, there's no one to call for help! If you know what's good for you, hand over your storage pouch and the treasures you got at the auction. If we're in a good mood, we might consider leaving you a whole corpse!"

Lin Xuan looked at them with the same pity he would show two clowns: "Did Zhao Gan send you? Is he in such a hurry to send you to your deaths?"

The one-eyed man's eyes narrowed, a hint of surprise flashing across them, quickly replaced by ruthlessness: "Hmph! Dead men don't need to know so much! Attack, and finish this quickly!" He clearly didn't want to waste any more words, lest complications arise. He exchanged a glance with the thin cultivator, and the two, perfectly in sync, launched their attacks simultaneously!

The one-eyed man roared, unleashing his spiritual power and summoning a ghost-headed blade the size of a door. Black energy swirled around the blade, faintly carrying the wails of wronged spirits. It carried a chilling, pungent wind and a fierce, murderous aura, transforming into a black streak that aimed straight for Lin Xuan's face! Even before the blade arrived, its imposing aura was enough to shake the minds of an ordinary mid-stage Qi Refining cultivator!

The thin cultivator swayed and disappeared into the shadows like a ghost. His steps were strange, leaving afterimages in his wake. He silently circled around to Lin Xuan's side and behind him. In his withered hand, he held three poisoned flying needles that shimmered with a ghostly blue light. His eyes were as sinister as a venomous snake, waiting for the right moment to strike and kill him with one blow!

The two, one straightforward and the other unorthodox, one overt and the other covert, cooperated seamlessly, their attacks ruthless and cunning. Clearly, they were seasoned veterans of such murder and robbery.

However, under Lin Xuan's powerful divine sense, which was comparable to the late stage of Qi Refining and had keen insight, their supposedly swift and strange movements, the trajectory of their spiritual energy circulation, and even the intentions revealed in their eye contact were all as clear as the lines on the palm of his hand, revealing numerous flaws.

Facing the powerful and menacing ghost-headed blade, Lin Xuan neither dodged nor evaded, nor even moved a step. He simply raised his right hand calmly, his index and middle fingers joined together like a sword, and the pure and refined stellar spiritual power within his dantian surged forth at an unprecedented speed, instantly condensing at his fingertips!

"Buzz!"

The void seemed to tremble! A silver finger beam, condensed as if it were a solid substance, dazzling and bright, as if it had been cut from the starlight of the nine heavens, arrived first after being sent later, ignoring the overwhelming black evil aura, and precisely and without the slightest error, it struck the most vulnerable point on the side of the Ghost Head Blade's blade, where the flow of spiritual energy was most sluggish!

"Clang—bang!"

A deafening sound of metal snapping suddenly rang out, echoing like thunder through the desolate valley!

The one-eyed man's sinister smile froze instantly, transforming into utter horror and disbelief! He felt an indescribable, terrifying force, possessing both extreme sharpness and immense shock, surge through the blade like a destructive force. The web of his right hand, gripping the blade, instantly split open, bleeding profusely. His entire right arm throbbed with a tingling, numb pain. The low-grade magic weapon, the Ghost Head Blade, which he had relied on for many years and which had drunk countless lives, couldn't even withstand it for a moment. It was shattered in two by that point of starlight, like rotten wood!

The broken blade spun and flew out with a whoosh, embedding itself deeply into the distant rock wall!

"No! Impossible! My Black Fiend Blade!" The one-eyed man roared inwardly, his eyes filled with absurdity and terror! How could this be?! His Ghost Head Blade was a masterpiece among low-grade magic weapons, having accompanied him in slaying countless powerful enemies! How could this be…

Just as he lost his composure and was terrified, the brilliant starlight at Lin Xuan's fingertip lit up again, exuding a chilling killing intent!

"Star Finger, Piercing the Stars!"

This time, the finger beam was no longer a light tap, but a sudden burst, transforming into an incomparably condensed silver beam that seemed capable of piercing through the Milky Way. Its speed was so fast that it surpassed the ability of the eyes to capture, instantly traversing several meters in distance. In the reflection of the one-eyed man's suddenly contracting pupils, it pierced through his brow with unparalleled precision, like the kiss of death!

A small red dot quietly appeared in the center of his forehead, then quickly expanded, and blood mixed with brain matter slowly flowed out.

The fierce light, the horror, and all the brilliance in the one-eyed man's eyes dimmed and went out instantly, like a candle flame blown out by the wind. His massive body stiffened on the spot, then lost all support and crashed to the ground, kicking up a cloud of dust.

Instant kill! From the moment the attack was made to the moment the enemy was killed, it was only a matter of seconds. A Qi Refining Level 5 Tribulation Cultivator leader did not even have a proper chance to put up a fight before his soul was scattered!

The skinny cultivator who had just circled behind Lin Xuan, his figure as elusive as a ghost, was preparing to find the best opportunity to launch his poisoned flying needles, had just locked onto Lin Xuan's vital point in the back, and the cruel smile on his face had just appeared when he froze completely, turning into boundless fear and horror!

What did he see? The leader of the fifth level of Qi Refining, a fierce general of the Black Fiend Gang, was actually... actually killed in a single, effortless flick of a finger?! What kind of finger technique was that? What kind of spiritual power was that?! What kind of monster is this young man?! Third level of Qi Refining? What a load of rubbish, third level of Qi Refining!

Run! Run now! Get away from this monster!

This was the only thought that arose in his mind like an instinct! What mission, what spirit stones—they all became insignificant in the face of absolute power and death!

Without hesitation, he turned around, frantically channeling all his spiritual energy into his legs, and unleashed a life-saving escape technique. His figure transformed into a blurry black shadow, accompanied by a piercing whistling sound, as he frantically fled towards the outside of the valley! He wished his parents had given him two more legs, and that he could tear through space and teleport away!

"Want to leave now? Too late. Since you're here, stay."

Lin Xuan's icy voice, like a death knell, devoid of any emotion, rang out behind him as if it were right next to him.

Lin Xuan unleashed the Wind Control Technique beneath his feet. Boosted by his journey to the Tianyuan Realm and his breakthrough in cultivation, his speed was now beyond imagination. With a few flashes, as if teleporting, he left faint afterimages in his original position and easily caught up to the skinny cultivator, who was less than three zhang behind.

Sensing the chilling killing intent and deathly aura closing in from behind, the thin cultivator was terrified, his soul nearly leaving his body. He ran with all his might, desperately begging for mercy, his voice distorted by extreme fear: "Fellow Daoist, spare me! Spare me! It was Zhao Gan! Zhao Gan paid twenty spirit stones to send us! It wasn't my fault! I was just following orders! I'm willing to offer my entire fortune, just to spare my life! I swear a solemn oath to my heart's demons, to flee far away and never set foot here again!"

"I know." Lin Xuan's voice remained eerily calm, as if stating a fact unrelated to himself. He pointed his fingers like a sword, his star-studded finger force surging, a wisp of condensed silver light leaping at his fingertips, locking onto the skinny cultivator's vital point in the back of his heart.

"No—!" The thin cultivator felt the chilling killing intent and let out a desperate wail.

"Pfft!"

The finger's beam flashed like lightning, easily piercing through his protective spiritual energy, penetrating from his back and exiting through his chest, leaving a charred hole. His heart had been shattered in an instant by the force of the finger.

The thin cultivator's forward momentum came to an abrupt halt, his pleas for mercy and cries of agony ceasing like a rooster whose neck had been snapped. The light in his eyes quickly dimmed, his body lurching forward a few steps due to inertia before finally collapsing softly to the ground, raising a few specks of dust, and falling silent.

The desolate valley fell silent once more, with only two still-warm corpses, the increasingly heavy stench of blood permeating the air, and the broken, lifeless ghost-headed sword silently recounting the brief but brutal battle that had just taken place.

Lin Xuan remained expressionless, his cold gaze sweeping over the corpses on the ground, his heart unmoved. The law of the jungle prevailed; such was the way of the cultivation world. Having chosen to attack him, they had to be prepared to be killed in return. He quickly searched the two men, finding two low-quality storage bags. Inside, besides a few dozen low-grade spirit stones and some miscellaneous low-level materials and talismans, there wasn't much of value. The broken ghost-headed saber, however, was of decent quality; perhaps it could be reforged or exchanged for some spirit stones.

He put away the useful items, then flicked his finger and released a wisp of pale starlight flame onto the two corpses. The flame appeared weak, but it contained extremely high temperature, quickly burning the corpses and bloodstains to ashes, which drifted away with the wind, completely erasing all traces.

After doing all this, his gaze turned deep and unfathomable as he looked toward the refugee settlement. His eyes flashed with cold light, and his killing intent, which had not subsided after killing two Tribulation cultivators, became even more intense.

Zhao Gan, do you think this is the end? You sent men to intercept and kill me, thinking you could get away with it so easily?

No, this is just the beginning! It's the first interest I'm taking back from you, from all those who wanted to kill me!

Since you have treated me with murder and plunder, I will repay you in kind! Moreover, I will do it even more ruthlessly and cruelly!

He cleaned up the scene, making sure no clues related to himself were left behind, and then, with a flash, like a ghost completely blending into the deepening twilight, he concealed his aura to the extreme and silently made his way towards Zhao Gan's relatively luxurious residence in the settlement.

He knew that Zhao Gan was waiting for "good news" from "Black Fiend." And he was going to personally deliver this wonderfully "surprising" gift that he had prepared himself.

Night, like a giant curtain, slowly enveloped the earth, becoming its best cover. The roles of hunter and prey had, at this moment, been completely reversed.