"Chu Xiong, you must remain calm!"
Chu Yuxun, who had been watching the two intently, rushed over after witnessing this scene.
The situation had already deteriorated to this point, and she absolutely did not want to see the Chu family's only two cultivators at the mid-Nascent Soul stage fighting each other directly.
If that were to happen, the Chu family, which was already on the verge of disintegration, would truly have no hope left.
However, Chu Xiong completely ignored Chu Yuxun, who was trying to mediate.
Chu Xiong lifted Chu Le, who was slumped on the ground, and then slapped him across the face!
*Slap!*
It was an incredibly heavy slap.
Everyone nearby, including Chu Le himself, who still looked dejected even after being lifted, stared at Chu Xiong in disbelief.
Yet, despite everyone's shocked expressions, Chu Xiong's hand did not stop.
*Slap! Slap! Slap…*
Seeing that Chu Le still hadn't come to his senses, Chu Xiong delivered a rapid-fire ten slaps to his face.
After finishing with Chu Le, Chu Xiong threw him back onto the ground.
At this moment, Chu Le still hadn't recovered from the shock, staring at Chu Xiong standing before him in utter disbelief.
...
"Do you bear no responsibility for the Chu family's current state?"
"Of course, I also bear responsibility for all of this."
"But as the leader of the Chu family, even if only the acting leader, you should not be behaving like this."
"I can accept death, but I simply cannot stand to live like this, in a daze, and die a pathetic death!"
As Chu Xiong spoke, his once low voice turned into an almost roaring cry by the end!
However, facing Chu Xiong's current gaze, Chu Le, who was now beginning to awaken, dared not meet his eyes!
Fight back? On what grounds?
If there was anyone among the tens of thousands of Chu family cultivators still alive on the city wall who acted like a true man, it was this man named Chu Xiong.
Seeing his clansmen and women standing there, lost in thought and silent, Chu Xiong felt deeply disappointed, truly disappointed.
Yet, despite the disappointment filling his heart, Chu Xiong's deafening shouts did not cease.
Faced with Chu Xiong's increasingly sharp words, a sense of fearlessness surged within the hearts of all the Chu family cultivators on the city wall.
Chu Qin, who had been dispirited, now raised his Natal Artifact, the Extinction Spirit Spear, and roared, "The disciples of the Chu family have always feared no death! Today, even if our family faces annihilation, we will make our enemies pay with blood!"
Witnessing their commander-in-chief finally regaining his spirit, the over three thousand elite Flying Bear Army also came alive, displaying the high fighting spirit of an elite cultivator army.
Under his leadership, the Chu family disciples, led by the Flying Bear Army, charged towards Wu Tao in a relentless wave.
Of course, some non-Chu family disciples were also quietly retreating.
However, over ninety-nine percent of the Chu cultivators followed the lead of Chu Le and the other six Nascent Soul stage cultivators, charging towards Wu Tao.
Yet, their charge was no different than a suicide mission in the eyes of Wu Tao and his large army.
Countless magical treasures, spiritual artifacts, spells, and divine abilities flew through the air, like the Black and White Impermanence of the underworld, manifesting in the mortal realm to reap lives.
However, in the face of these Chu family cultivators who knew their charge was futile yet still rushed forward, Wu Tao's side also paid a considerable price.
Seeing this, Wu Tao showed no mercy and struck with deadly intent. Chu Lie, Chu Yuxun, Chu Han, and Chu Si, four early-Nascent Soul stage cultivators, all perished under the edge of the Chuxi Sword.
Facing the menacing Wu Tao, Chu Le and Chu Xiong, who were prepared to die, showed no fear.
"Wu Tao, even if I die today, I will make you pay!"
Chu Le roared. He was powerfully built, wearing a large red daoist robe imprinted with a raging fire dragon, which was also a magical artifact.
Immediately, divine flames blazed around him, condensing into the form of a fire dragon, and the Extinction Spirit Spear in his hand gathered immense spiritual power.
At this moment, Chu Le's attack drew everyone's attention.
The Extinction Spirit Spear was golden-red throughout, its shaft inscribed with countless Dao patterns, which connected and fused with the fire dragon.
...
As Chu Le wielded the Extinction Spirit Spear and charged at Wu Tao, golden-red spiritual flames erupted from the spear, spitting out a sea of fire into the air, pressing down upon Wu Tao.
*Buzz!*
A soaring sword cry erupted. The Chuxi Sword in Wu Tao's hand unleashed its sharpness, its five-colored sword qi converging, exuding a sharp aura.
Chu Xiong, who was preparing to gang up on Wu Tao with Chu Le, suddenly saw his expression change, a look of solemnity appearing in his eyes.
"Be careful!"
He immediately called out a warning. Chu Le's heart stirred, and he immediately retreated to defend.
The sharp sword qi, with its flowing five-colored light, casually swept away the sea of fire.
Strike while the iron is hot.
Wu Tao stepped forward, and the Chuxi Sword moved again, its tip flashing with cold light, like a sword immortal reborn.
Chu Le hastily raised his spear to meet it, but with a *poof*, he spat out a mouthful of blood and stumbled back several steps.
Seeing this, Chu Xiong patted his storage bag, threw out his magical artifact, the Golden Flood Dragon Scissors, and said angrily, "Bastard, stop right there!"
The Golden Flood Dragon Scissors, flung into the air, hissed with sharpness, transforming into two massive golden flood dragons, tens of thousands of feet thick, coiling in the void and blocking Wu Tao's path.
Faced with two golden flood dragons of immense size, Wu Tao let out a hearty laugh.
The Chuxi Sword spun around his body and shot out directly from Wu Tao's right hand!
The Chuxi Sword was imbued with the power of time!
At this moment, the Chuxi Sword was far more terrifying than before.
The Chuxi Sword transformed into a five-colored sword light, directly piercing into the mouths of the two golden flood dragons.
The two golden flood dragons, which had been flashing with spiritual light in their eyes, suddenly became vacant, and then were directly reverted to their original forms, becoming a pair of golden scissors once more.
Glaring at the two of them, Wu Tao unleashed his full spiritual power, shaking Chu Le and Chu Xiong, causing them to involuntarily take a step back.
Having suffered a slight disadvantage, Chu Le and Chu Xiong hurled curses, the most offensive they could muster.
Wu Tao's brow twitched at their words.
The next moment, Wu Tao stomped heavily, and with a burst of sharpness, in just a few moves, he cleanly severed Chu Le's Natal Artifact, the Extinction Spirit Spear.
The sword moved with his heart, and as Wu Tao's fighting spirit ascended, the sword cry sounded like thunder and dragon roars. The Chuxi Sword's sharpness was fully revealed, its sword qi soaring into the sky!
Even working together, Chu Le and Chu Xiong were no match for Wu Tao; they were even forcefully suppressed by him.
Chu Le fared even worse, losing an arm in the process.
Chu Xiong's face contorted with ferocity as his spiritual power surged, unleashing a torrent of palm energy that transformed into a colossal mountain tens of thousands of feet high, pressing down.
But at this moment, Wu Tao was unstoppable. With a single sword strike, he split the colossal mountain. Chu Xiong, suffering a backlash, was struck as if by lightning and sent flying backward, crashing onto the ground.
*Pfft!*
Spitting out a mouthful of black blood, a more frenzied expression appeared on Chu Xiong's face.
However, in the face of absolute power, any struggle was futile.
Within dozens of exchanges, Wu Tao severed the heads of Chu Le and Chu Xiong.
One day later.
The catastrophe of the Earth Torrent, triggered by Wu Tao igniting the giant fire vein, lasted for a full three months.
During these three months, the entire area around Chu Mountain City was shrouded in black poisonous smoke.
The scorching air stung the nostrils, and even if one was immune to fire, they would die in this suffocating environment.
*Gurgle… Gurgle…*
Even after three months, dark red lava still flowed in some places, mixed with fiercely burning flames.
The poisonous smoke drifted, releasing an intensely heavy smell of sulfur.
With Wu Tao's actions, the Chu Mountain City and its surrounding hundreds of thousands of li would take tens of thousands of years to recover its vitality.
...
Ever since the current Immortal Emperor of the Great Realm Immortal Dynasty, Liu Xie, was injured, the cultivation world of Purple Province entered a new era.
This era was known as the Age of Chaos, where noble families across the land began to betray the central imperial court and establish their own domains.
Now, with the emergence of the eight great feudal lords, an era-defining boundary had been drawn, and a new era of contention had begun.
With the movements of the imperial court represented by the Liu imperial family, the four great royal families represented by the four great noble clans, and the eight great feudal lords, the Purple Province cultivation world entered a new dynamic equilibrium.
This era was also known as the New Era of the Three-Party Balance of Power.
As the new era arrived, all remnants of the old era were swept into the dustbin of historical rivers.
For instance, old-era noble families that refused to submit to the four great royal families or the eight great feudal lords were besieged and defeated.
...
The Purple Province cultivation world increasingly disallowed the expansion of forces not aligned with the three parties, and large areas gradually became territories of the three major powers.
At this moment, after destroying the Chu family, Wu Tao had solidified his position within the entire Chu Domain.
Many families, following this event, changed their original stances and joined Wu Tao's banner.
And as things went smoothly, good fortune seemed to multiply.
Wu Tao's four disciples, Nangong Nan, Nangong Xing, Ye Yu, and Ye Qingyi, all broke through to the Nascent Soul stage one after another.
Coupled with the prestige Wu Tao had established after destroying the Chu family, he also recruited a significant number of talented individuals.
...
With his four disciples, the eight Nascent Soul stage cultivators he subsequently subdued, and Wu Tao himself, the Ascension Sect, where Wu Tao resided, now boasted thirteen Nascent Soul stage cultivators.