Dozens of people from the Baiyue Cult, fierce and menacing, stormed in with a whirlwind of sparks and lightning. In the blink of an eye, all of them were dead, killed by a single chopstick.
This bizarre scene sent everyone into a trembling stupor, unable to stand steadily. Even Li Jing'er's parents were frozen, their eyes filled with disbelief as they looked at Ning Beichen.
"The… Heavenly Venerate, he is the Heavenly Venerate."
At this moment, someone shouted, and immediately, everyone looked at Ning Beichen with reverence. This included Li Jing'er, let alone her parents.
Seeing the way they looked at him, Ning Beichen finally let out a wry smile. He walked over, grabbed the still-living cult member, and dragged him outside. Li Jing'er immediately followed.
"Take me to the main altar of the Baiyue Cult."
Ning Beichen said to the survivor, giving him no other option: death or guidance.
Ultimately, the man, not wishing to die, agreed to Ning Beichen's demand and led him to the Baiyue Cult's main altar.
Li Jing'er also insisted on going along.
Ning Beichen did not refuse her, as he had originally planned to bring her anyway. He needed to ascertain whether Li Jing'er had met her end at the hands of the Baiyue Cult.
Certainly, this was fraught with danger. Had it been the former Ning Beichen, he would never have brought her.
However, Ning Beichen himself had not expected to bypass the Venerate stage and ascend directly to Heavenly Venerate.
Now that he was a Heavenly Venerate, Ning Beichen was fearless and directly led Li Jing'er to confront the Baiyue Cult.
The Baiyue Cult likely had no idea what kind of person they had offended.
Under the man's guidance, Ning Beichen soon arrived at the main altar of the Baiyue Cult.
The Baiyue Cult occupied three massive peaks. Before arriving, Ning Beichen had learned from the cult member that the Baiyue Cult had thousands of followers, hundreds of elders, and a leader with Heavenly Venerate strength.
But these were no deterrents to Ning Beichen.
At the Heavenly Venerate level, numbers no longer determined victory.
Not to mention thousands of followers, even tens of thousands would be useless, as a Heavenly Venerate would be engaging in a dimensional crushing against them.
However, Ning Beichen aimed to minimize bloodshed. Thus, he leaped into the air, hovering above the Baiyue Cult. A wave of Heavenly Venerate pressure spread out, forcing thousands of Baiyue Cult followers to their knees, trembling. Even the elders were no better off.
"Leader of the Baiyue Cult, come out. Don't force me to kill all your disciples and grandchildren."
Ning Beichen's voice echoed throughout the main altar of the Baiyue Cult like surround sound. Unless the opponent was deaf, they would surely hear him.
Even if they couldn't hear, as a Heavenly Venerate, they would be able to sense Ning Beichen's pressure.
Unless the leader of the Baiyue Cult was not present.
"Presumptuous!"
"Who are you, daring to cause trouble at our Baiyue Cult?"
Soon, a figure flew out from the Baiyue Cult's main altar, also hovering in the air, and sternly questioned Ning Beichen.
"Li Jing'er is my friend. Why has your Baiyue Cult relentlessly pursued her? I am here today to seek justice for her. Spare the pleasantries, let's fight!"
Ning Beichen floated in the air, his ancient bronze sword beside him, speaking with immense dominance.
To put it plainly, he had come here to stir up trouble, and Li Jing'er was an excellent pretext.
Of course, if it weren't for Li Jing'er, Ning Beichen wouldn't be so bored as to come here and cause a disturbance.
"Li Jing'er?"
The leader of the Baiyue Cult, busy with countless daily affairs, had no knowledge of the events below. He didn't even know who Li Jing'er was.
However, Ning Beichen's attitude left him with no room to retreat, and Ning Beichen gave him no such leeway.
If Ning Beichen had come to speak politely, given that both were Heavenly Venerates, any significant issue could have been compromised.
But Ning Beichen's show of force upon arrival made a peaceful resolution impossible.
Otherwise, how would he, the leader of the Baiyue Cult, command respect in the future?
"Hmph, I am unaware of what you speak of. Even if it were true that my Baiyue Cult did it, you have trespassed into our main altar, and you deserve to die!"
The leader of the Baiyue Cult unleashed a palm strike across the distance, aimed at Ning Beichen.
As the palm shot out, half the sky turned black, and a colossal palm appeared, pressing down towards Ning Beichen, as if to suppress the very heavens and earth.
"A paltry trick!"
Ning Beichen slashed with his ancient bronze sword. The colossal palm shattered instantly. Ning Beichen then pointed his sword at the leader of the Baiyue Cult and said,
"Leader of the Baiyue Cult, if this is all you are capable of, then your Baiyue Cult deserves to be eradicated."
"Arrogant wretch, let me see how capable you are."
The leader of the Baiyue Cult was furious, his beard bristling. Never had anyone dared to be so audacious in his presence. Even other Heavenly Venerates would address him as Leader.
"Very well, then I shall let you witness it."
Since becoming a Heavenly Venerate, Ning Beichen had not unleashed his full power, and naturally, his hands itched for a fight. However, he also knew that one could not be careless when facing a Heavenly Venerate. Though he had also ascended, he had only recently done so and needed to go all out.
"Take this sword strike from me. If you survive, I will burn paper offerings for you next year."
Ning Beichen let out a fierce roar, brandishing his ancient bronze sword, and struck the leader of the Baiyue Cult.
The blade of the ancient bronze sword sprouted a green leaf, and as if cleaving through time and space, sword energy erupted from all directions.
The leader of the Baiyue Cult, who had been relatively calm, instantly felt a chill run down his spine. His sixth sense warned him that this strike could take his life.
The leader of the Baiyue Cult dared not receive Ning Beichen's strike. He vanished in an instant and reappeared hundreds of kilometers away.
"Hahaha… Coward, is this the leader of the Baiyue Cult? He doesn't even dare to accept one of my sword strikes. I think you'd be better off going home to sell sweet potatoes."
Ning Beichen burst into loud laughter.
The leader of the Baiyue Cult, knowing full well that Ning Beichen was using this opportunity to undermine his prestige within the cult, was helpless, as he genuinely dared not block the strike head-on.
"Who are you? As far as I know, there is no Heavenly Venerate as young as you in this world."
The leader of the Baiyue Cult, somewhat intimidated, instead of refuting himself, asked,
"Heh, a frog in a well, how much do you truly know of this world?"
Ning Beichen continued to mock him.
However, from a certain perspective, the leader of the Baiyue Cult was not entirely wrong, as Ning Beichen did not belong to this place, and naturally, was not from this world.
"You… Don't think I'm truly afraid of you. If you have the guts, state your name."
The leader of the Baiyue Cult said indignantly.