Immortal-Exterminating Divine Venerable

”At least you have the sense to let me take charge, old man. Since you do, I’ll give you a chance.”

Seemingly oblivious to the strangeness of Xue Yi, Yang Xiao walked over and spoke nonchalantly.

He had just annihilated three sects, reaping a large number of Storage Rings and three Northern Wilderness Sword Orders.

He had been in a great mood, but the shamelessness of these two men soured it completely.

However, getting him—Yang Xiao—to forgive these traitors?

Not a chance.

As for the other two sects, they all breathed a collective, inexplicable sigh of relief upon seeing Yang Xiao approach the members of the Pure Yang Sword Sect.

The people from the Ice Profound Sect, in particular, felt as though they had just survived a catastrophe.

Although Yang Xiao could still turn on them at any moment, every second they remained alive was another chance. ’Maybe he won’t kill us?’

At this thought, the Sect Leader of the Ice Profound Sect couldn’t help but glance at her prized disciple, Bing Xin, in the distance.

’I really should have listened to Xin’Er back then,’ she thought. ’But it’s not too late now, is it?’

At that moment, the Sect Leader of the Ice Profound Sect even felt the urge to offer her prized disciple directly to Yang Xiao.

As long as he didn’t annihilate her Ice Profound Sect,

she would agree to any demand.

But for the time being, she just couldn’t bring herself to say it.

Evidently, the people from the Pure Yang Sword Sect were far less inhibited. Upon hearing Yang Xiao offer them a chance, the two disciples of the Pure Yang Ancestor who had led the betrayal immediately began fawning like lapdogs. ”Thank you, Young Master Yang! You are truly magnanimous, Young Master Yang. We are eternally grateful! From now on, we will…”

”Hold it! Who said I was going to let you go?”

Yang Xiao glared and shouted.

The two of them were stunned.

One of them asked blankly, ”Then… Young Master Yang, what do you mean?”

”I only said I’d give you a chance. And since we’re all acquainted now, why don’t you tell me your names? I’m curious to know what kind of men would be shameless enough to betray their own master.”

The two men were deeply embarrassed by his words.

But they were in no position to refuse.

They had no choice but to comply.

”My name is Zeng Yantong, and he is Huaa Tianlong. I wonder, Young Master Yang, what kind of chance you are offering? We will agree to any condition. We only beg that you be merciful and spare us, especially the disciples behind us. They are innocent. The fault is ours alone. We were greedy for petty advantages and harbored grudges against our Master for some of his actions, which is why we chose this crooked path. We hope you can forgive us.”

As he spoke, this man, Zeng Yantong, actually started wiping away tears.

The sight truly disgusted Yang Xiao.

As for Master Pure Yang, however,

the look of compassion on his face only deepened.

He opened his mouth, but in the end, said nothing.

Yang Xiao glanced at him, truly at a loss for words.

’This man… so soft on his own people, yet so ruthless to outsiders.’

’No wonder he ended up in this predicament.’

However, considering the old man’s age, Yang Xiao decided not to press the issue. He simply looked at the two men before him and chuckled. ”Zeng Yantong, Huaa Tianlong? One with the surname Zeng, one with the surname Huaa? Ah, right... Zeng Yunfeng and Huaa Tianshang, those two sore losers. They’re your descendants, aren’t they? No wonder. The apple doesn’t fall far from the tree.”

Before, Yang Ziling had cried her eyes out in his arms, and it would be a lie to say he hadn’t been moved.

So, Yang Xiao had done some investigating.

Only then did he learn what kind of situation that foolish woman had been in these past few days.

She had clearly worked hard, trying to give her all for the Pure Yang Sword Sect.

But in the end, after taking first place, she didn’t receive the respect she deserved.

Instead, she was coerced.

Forced to hand over the Void Sword Manual.

Back then, Yang Xiao had made a mental note of those two.

He had planned to teach them a harsh lesson during the Nine Sects Grand Competition tomorrow, but he never expected Fang Aohan to pull this stunt.

It looked like there would be no competition tomorrow.

There was no longer a need for one.

That was why Yang Xiao began to mock them after hearing the two old fools’ names.

His words made their faces shift from pale to livid.

But the two of them were thick-skinned, after all.

Especially Zeng Yantong. Huaa Tianlong still had a bit of a temper, but Zeng Yantong restrained him.

With a placating smile, he said, ”That was just the younger generation being ignorant. We’ve made a spectacle of ourselves before you, Young Master Yang.”

”A spectacle? Alright, enough small talk. Let’s get to the point. It’s not out of the question for me to let you go, but you have to answer a few questions first.”

”First question: what happened to the people who refused to betray him?”

Yang Xiao posed his first question.

”This…”

Zeng Yantong hesitated.

”Remember to tell the truth,” Yang Xiao threatened with a cold smile, ”or else…”

Zeng Yantong was still hesitating, but Huaa Tianlong beside him snorted coldly and spoke up. ”What do you think happened? Those who refused to submit had only one path to take—the path to death.”

”Junior Brother Huaa, you—!”

Zeng Yantong started to panic.

He had been groveling all this time, trying to appeal to Master Pure Yang’s soft heart, but Huaa Tianlong had just ruined it all with a single sentence.

’What an absolute liability.’

Fortunately,

Yang Xiao said nothing.

His expression was unreadable.

This allowed Zeng Yantong to breathe a sigh of relief.

”Second question: why did you betray Master Pure Yang?”

Zeng Yantong didn’t dare hesitate this time, afraid Huaa Tianlong would speak first. He rushed to say, ”We were merely bewitched by the Profound Celestial Sect…”

But before he could finish his sentence,

Xuan Shangqing interjected coldly from a distance, ”Bewitched? I don’t recall bewitching you. Wasn’t it because you didn’t possess a Northern Wilderness Sword Order, came to me to ask for one, and only then decided to betray him?”

”Furthermore, I recall you’re very close with the Sword Casting Sect—thick as thieves, in fact. They must have been the ones who told you my Profound Celestial Sect possessed a Northern Wilderness Sword Order, am I right?”

With those words,

Zeng Yantong could no longer keep up his lies.

Yang Xiao, however, just laughed. ”It seems you were lying. In that case, how could I possibly spare you?”

As he spoke, the sword in Yang Xiao’s hand

began to rise.

Terrified, Zeng Yantong shrieked, ”No, that’s not it! That bastard Xuan Shangqing is just trying to sow discord! He’s lying! We were just momentarily possessed and lost our way! Master, we did it all for the Pure Yang Sword Sect!”

”For the Pure Yang Sword Sect?” Yang Xiao sneered.

But Zeng Yantong pressed on. ”Master, you can no longer suppress your injuries! The Profound Celestial Sect has already united the Six Sects, and even the Sword Casting Sect has surrendered. If our Pure Yang Sword Sect didn’t submit, wouldn’t we be like a mantis trying to stop a chariot? By doing this, I may become a villain for the ages, but I am not afraid! I only wish for the Pure Yang Sword Sect’s lineage to survive, to keep it from being destroyed!”

”Xuan Shangqing, tell them! Didn’t you promise me that as long as we killed Master Pure Yang and surrendered to the Profound Celestial Sect, you would preserve the lineage of our Pure Yang Sword Sect?”

As he said this, Zeng Yantong’s face filled with self-righteous indignation.

He looked the very picture of righteousness.

So much so that the Pure Yang Ancestor wavered once again.

Just as he was about to speak, Yang Xiao cut in first. ”Such shameless words. You’re clearly afraid of death and greedy for power, yet you insist on framing it as some great, selfless act. Fine. I’ll give you your chance. If the two of you commit suicide, I will still wipe out your Zeng and Huaa Families, but I will spare everyone else and allow the Pure Yang Sword Sect to continue. Do you accept?”

As soon as these words were spoken, the expressions on Zeng Yantong and Huaa Tianlong’s faces changed instantly.

They had never imagined Yang Xiao would make such a demand.

’If we die…’

’If our clansmen all die…’

’Then what’s the point in begging for mercy?’

Their current groveling and pleading was all for the sake of their own survival.

Once survival was no longer an option…

The two exchanged a glance and, without any warning, lunged at Yang Xiao.

Killing intent exploded from them.

Once again, they revealed their fangs.

In response, Yang Xiao simply smiled.

This was the outcome he had wanted all along.