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

The night, as thick as ink, completely swallowed the refugee settlement. Sparse lights flickered among the low shacks, drifting aimlessly like will-o'-the-wisps. The cold wind howled through the narrow alleys, stirring up dust and debris from the ground with a mournful sound.

Lin Xuan's figure blended perfectly into the darkness, as if he were a part of the night itself. The improved Concealment Technique not only suppressed his spiritual energy fluctuations but also minimized his aura, temperature, and even his presence. His powerful divine sense, like an invisible spiderweb, spread outwards from him, clearly reflecting every movement within fifty feet—the rustling of rats in the corner, the murmurs of a drunkard in the distance, even the faint flow of spiritual energy in the air—into his mind, revealing every detail.

He already knew exactly where Zhao Qian lived by using fragments of the original owner's humiliating and painful memories, as well as his secret observations over the past few days. Located in a relatively "decent" area on the east side of the settlement, the house with its own small bluestone courtyard was less a residence and more a stronghold for his cousin, the butler, to display his power and house his cronies, standing out starkly from the dilapidated surroundings.

The closer Lin Xuan got to that courtyard, the calmer and colder his heart became. Deep within his soul, the lingering resentment and bitterness of the original owner, like a venomous snake awakened, hissed and roared silently, craving the blood of his enemy. However, this surging resentment, which had been tempered by two lifetimes and was as firm as a rock, was like waves crashing against rocks. It not only failed to shake him in the slightest, but was instead crushed and purified, transforming into the purest and coldest killing intent, which condensed in his deep black eyes.

The outline of the courtyard appeared in the darkness ahead, and dim yellow light shone through the paper windows, casting blurry spots of light on the cold ground. Faint voices could be heard from the courtyard.

Lin Xuan, like a ghost without a physical form, silently approached the cold courtyard wall. His divine sense, like invisible mercury, silently seeped in, taking in the entire situation inside the courtyard.

Inside the courtyard, Zhao Gan paced anxiously back and forth, oblivious to the dust that had settled on the hem of his luxurious silk robe. His face was a mixture of anticipation, excitement, and a hint of unease that even he himself was unwilling to admit. The burly servant, at the fourth level of Qi Refining, stood like an iron tower in the shadows of the doorway, arms crossed, his brow slightly furrowed, his eyes scanning the surroundings warily. He was clearly much more cautious than his impatient master.

"Why is there still no news? How long has it been? Are all the Black Fiends useless?!" Zhao Gan finally couldn't hold back any longer and stopped walking. His voice was sharp with frustration. "It's just dealing with a slightly lucky peasant, does it really take this long?"

"Young Master, please calm down." The servant's voice was low, with a hint of imperceptible seriousness. "That kid is indeed a bit strange. He can bid fifty spirit stones and easily repel my detection with his divine sense. He's definitely not an ordinary Qi Refining Level 3 cultivator. Although the Black Fiends are ruthless, it's good to be cautious and ensure that nothing goes wrong."

"Absolutely foolproof? I hope so!" Zhao Gan spat hatefully, his face showing a mixture of malice and greed. "Once I get that bastard's storage bag, let's see how arrogant he can be! That Dew-Gathering Grass, and all the spirit stones on him, will ultimately be mine! Then, let's see who dares to talk behind my back that I got this through connections..." He seemed to already see Lin Xuan lying dead in the wilderness, while he triumphantly counted his spoils, and a twisted smile involuntarily appeared on his lips.

The moment he finished speaking, the servant, who had been on high alert, suddenly looked up, his eyes flashing with a sharp light, his spiritual energy surging instantly, and he shouted sharply, "Who?! Show yourself!"

He sensed an extremely faint sound, but it was definitely not a natural whistling wind! The sound was faster than his reaction time could keep up!

However, his warning came too late!

"Boom—!"

A deafening roar suddenly erupted! The heavy courtyard gate, along with its frame and surrounding stone fragments, was smashed to pieces by an incomparably brute and destructive force! Wood chips and gravel rained down like a storm!

Amidst the swirling dust and debris, a figure shrouded in pale silver starlight, like lightning tearing through the night, suddenly burst into the courtyard with an unwavering killing intent! Its speed was so great that it even left a faint afterimage in its wake!

It was Lin Xuan!

He no longer concealed himself; his Qi Refining Level 5 spiritual energy erupted like a long-dormant volcano! The cold, sharp killing intent, carrying an ancient and vast pressure like that of stars, instantly enveloped the entire courtyard like an invisible domain. The moisture in the air seemed to freeze into ice, making it suffocating!

"It's...it's you?! How is this possible?! How could you not be dead?!" Zhao Gan's sinister smile froze instantly, replaced by utter astonishment and disbelief, his eyes practically bulging out of their sockets! He pointed at Lin Xuan, who had appeared like a divine warrior descending from the heavens, his voice shrill and distorted with extreme fear, like a rooster being strangled, "Where are the Black Fiends' men?! Those two, both at the mid-stage of Qi Refining...could it be..."

The servant at the fourth level of Qi Refining also paled, his heart filled with utter shock! He never imagined that Lin Xuan would not only escape unscathed from the ambush of two fellow Qi Refining cultivators, but also launch such a swift counterattack! What terrified him even more was that the spiritual energy emanating from Lin Xuan was clearly that of a genuine fifth-level Qi Refining cultivator! Even more concentrated than his own! This… how could this be?! How long had it been since the conflict at the market?!

But his extensive combat experience allowed him to suppress his shock instantly, knowing that this was a life-or-death situation with no room for maneuver!

"Young Master, hurry! Go find the steward!" He let out a roar like a dying beast, frantically pouring his earth-attribute spiritual power into the thick-backed machete in his hand!

The blade instantly emitted a thick, earthy-yellow spiritual light. The light condensed, as if it had truly transformed into a miniature mountain, carrying an overwhelming momentum capable of crushing everything, and fiercely cleaved down towards Lin Xuan! It attempted to use this desperate strike to buy Zhao Gan even the slightest chance to escape!

This strike was his trump card, the "Mountain-Splitting Slash," imbued with all his spiritual power and will. The blade howled, even causing a slight tremor in the surrounding ground. Its power was enough to split a massive boulder weighing ten thousand pounds in two!

However, under Lin Xuan's powerful divine sense, which was comparable to the late stage of Qi Refining and had been baptized by the origin of the world, the trajectory of the spiritual energy circulation, the nodes of power condensation, and even the subtle flaws in the sword's momentum of this seemingly violent and incomparable strike were as clear as a bright lamp in a dark room!

"Like a mantis trying to stop a chariot, it's futile and overestimating its own strength."

Lin Xuan's eyes were as cold as ancient ice. Facing this earth-shattering strike, he didn't even use his strongest Star Finger technique. He merely shifted his footing slightly, unleashing the "Star Step," a technique imbued with the mysteries of stars. His figure twisted and spun like a ghost, and by the slightest margin, the heavy blade, capable of splitting mountains and shattering rocks, grazed past his clothes with a mournful whistling sound. The sharp blade energy carved a deep trench in the ground behind him!

Just as the sword strike was about to reach its limit, with the old force exhausted and the new force yet to arise, Lin Xuan moved! He clenched his right hand into a fist, and the pure stellar spiritual energy within his dantian surged forth instantly, enveloping his fist. There was no dazzling brilliance, only a deep silver radiance that was extremely restrained, as if it could devour light, containing explosive power!

"Bang!!!"

A dull, thunderous sound, like the crack of leather being broken, exploded in the courtyard!

Lin Xuan's fist, though delayed, struck first, like a star falling from the sky, with perfect accuracy and ruthless decisiveness, hitting the servant's wrist joint holding the knife!

"Snap—!"

The chilling sound of bones cracking, as crisp as a jade chime breaking, clearly reached the ears of everyone present (even though only two people remained alive)!

"Ugh—!" The servant let out a shrill, inhuman scream as his entire right arm bent backward at an extremely bizarre angle, the white bone fragments even piercing through the flesh and exposed to the air! The heavy machete could no longer be held, flew out of his hand, and crashed with a "bang" against the distant courtyard wall, its magic power gone.

But that wasn't the end! The condensed, steel-drill-like, and incomparably domineering Star Fist force, while destroying his arm, also plunged straight in and slammed into his chest cavity!

"puff--!"

The servant was struck head-on by a charging elephant, his body flying uncontrollably off the ground, blood spurting from his mouth tracing a glaring arc in the air. He crashed heavily into the hard bluestone courtyard wall behind him with a dull thud, the entire wall seeming to shake, before sliding softly to the ground like mud, twitching twice in agony, and then falling silent again. Only his twisted arm and the dent in his chest testified to the horror of that punch.

A Qi Refining Level 4 cultivator, defeated with a single punch! Just one punch! His fate unknown!

All of this happened as fast as lightning. From the moment Lin Xuan burst through the door to the moment his servant was blasted away with a single punch, it took only two or three breaths!

Zhao Gan, who had just barely recovered from the extreme shock and fear, hadn't even had time to process the servant's order to "run quickly" when he saw that his usually reliable and powerful guard had been beaten into such a miserable state by Lin Xuan with a single punch, as if swatting a fly!

Boundless fear, like the icy cold tide of the North Sea, instantly overwhelmed him! His legs went weak, and he collapsed to his knees with a "thud," his face deathly pale, his lips trembling, and a large patch of his crotch quickly became wet, emitting a foul, fishy smell.

"No...don't kill me! Lin Xuan...no, Grandpa Lin! Ancestor Lin! Spare me! Spare me!" Zhao Gan cried and sneered, no longer caring about his image or dignity. He kowtowed desperately like a pestle, his forehead hitting the cold, rough bluestone slab with a dull "thump" sound, instantly turning red, swollen, and bleeding.

"It was my fault! I was blinded by greed! I shouldn't have provoked you! I'm not human! I'm an animal! Please, please just let me go! All my spirit stones, all my pills, everything I have is yours! Everything! My cousin is an outer sect deacon of the Qingyun Sect. If you kill me, he will definitely not let you off the hook. You'll be in huge trouble..."

He spoke incoherently, his voice trembling uncontrollably, revealing his deep-seated cowardice and fear of death, a stark contrast to his usual arrogant and disdainful demeanor.

Lin Xuan walked towards him step by step, his footsteps landing on the bluestone slabs, making a clear and rhythmic "tap...tap..." sound, which in the deathly silent courtyard sounded like a death knell tolling for Zhao Gan.

His gaze was indifferent, like the unchanging starry sky, looking down at the lowly, ugly, trembling insect at his feet. Seeing this enemy who had once easily taken the original owner's life and wantonly trampled on the dignity of others, now kneeling and begging for mercy like mud, Lin Xuan felt no pity, nor any satisfaction in revenge. Only a cold calm of cause and effect, of inevitable retribution, and of a clear-headed Dao heart, free from shackles, filled him with a sense of liberation.

"Now you know how to beg for mercy?" Lin Xuan's voice wasn't loud, but it was like a cold wind from the depths of a polar glacier, instantly freezing all of Zhao Gan's wails and pleas. "Too late."

"When you beat that boy, who only wanted to live, to death in the dilapidated temple for a piece of bran and vegetable dumpling, did you ever think of sparing his life?"

"When you relied on your connections to bully and oppress the innocent in this community, did you ever show the slightest bit of leniency?"

"When you harbored resentment and sent your assassins to ambush me in the desolate valley, did you ever have the slightest thought of letting me go?"

With each sentence Lin Xuan spoke, he took a step forward. His voice was calm, yet every word was like a knife, cutting deeply into Zhao Qian's heart.

Zhao Gan trembled violently, like a leaf falling in the autumn wind. His eyes were filled with despair and a kind of madness driven to the brink of despair. He suddenly raised his head, his face a mixture of snot, tears, and blood, twisted and grotesque, as if he wanted to make a final struggle, and screamed, "My cousin..."

But Lin Xuan no longer wanted to listen to any more of his nonsense.

He pointed his fingers like a sword, slowly raised his arm, and a dazzling, cold, and extremely refined silver starlight suddenly lit up at his fingertips, as if illuminating a miniature death star in this dim courtyard.

"This finger is for Lin Xuan, who died in a dilapidated temple and whose name was almost forgotten."

The moment the words fell, the condensed silver finger beam seemed to transcend the boundaries of time and space, carrying the original owner's endless resentment and Lin Xuan's icy resolve. It instantly tore through the air and precisely pierced into Zhao Qian's brow!

Zhao Gan's body stiffened abruptly, his face contorted with fear, despair, resentment, and madness, the twisted expression completely frozen. His pupils dilated sharply, still bearing the shock of this unacceptable reality, as if he couldn't understand even in death why an ant he could easily crush had turned the tables and controlled his life and death. He opened his mouth, but no sound came out. His body swayed, then with a "thud," he fell face-first onto the cold ground, kicking up a few specks of dust, his breath fading instantly.

Only Lin Xuan remained standing alone in the courtyard, the night wind blowing his thin blue robes, making them flutter, and the faint starlight around him slowly receded.

Without even glancing at Zhao Gan's still-warm corpse, he began a swift and calm search. As someone with connections and a prospective outer disciple of the Qingyun Sect, Zhao Gan's wealth far surpassed that of the previous cultivator who had undergone a tribulation. From his storage bag, Lin Xuan found over 120 low-grade spirit stones, several bottles of pills labeled "Qi Condensation Pill" and "Return to Essence Pill," their quality clearly superior to market goods, two low-level magic artifacts (a cyan flying sword and a small black shield), some basic materials for crafting magic artifacts, and the Dew-Condensing Grass that he had longed for but ultimately could not enjoy.

Lin Xuan remained expressionless, like a highly skilled cleaner, sweeping away everything of value, including the servant's machete and storage bag.

Having done all this, he flicked his finger, and a wisp of pale, leaping starlight flame gently landed on the two corpses. The flame burned silently, reaching an extremely high temperature, yet strangely, not a trace of smoke was emitted. In just a few moments, it burned the corpses, along with their clothes and bloodstains, to ashes, leaving only two small, grayish-white human-shaped marks on the ground. These marks were then completely dissipated by the night wind, as if the two people had never existed in the world.