Chapter Eight: A Flick of the Finger Destroys Foundation Establishment!
As soon as Wang Ran spoke those words, the scene fell into a sudden silence.
The three black-clad assassins, facing the overwhelming aura radiating from Wang Ran, couldn’t help but feel a mounting pressure.
Wang Ran, however, remained composed, as if recounting an insignificant triviality. In truth, his heart was already brimming with delight from the system’s prompt.
He had just gained twelve points of Dao Attainment Value!
With this, he had finally gathered enough to unlock the next Daoist technique lottery.
Wang Ran was secretly pleased, and at the same time, had begun to discern the pattern for acquiring Dao Attainment Value quickly. If he merely caused a slight stir in another’s heart, he’d receive a point. A moderate impact would earn two points, and so on—the stronger the shock to the soul, the greater the reward.
He suspected this was also linked to his opponent’s cultivation: the higher their strength, the higher the Dao Attainment Value. However, this theory was yet unconfirmed, for the strongest he’d tested on were these three assassins before him—each comparable to an inner disciple.
In truth, none from the Hall of Enforcement were to be taken lightly; all were chosen from the inner disciples, and these three were among the lowest ranked, yet each had reached the third stage of Foundation Establishment.
Their leader, Vermilion Bird, had even attained the fourth stage, making him the most advanced among them. Yet his specialty was spiritual arts, excelling in observation rather than combat.
Hearing Wang Ran’s words, everyone’s hearts trembled. The two assassins exchanged glances and shouted, “Cut the act! If you’ve got guts, come down here! We’ll split you in two!”
Standing atop a massive boulder, Wang Ran placed his hands behind his back and replied with a calm air, “Noisy rabble! Come up first—I’ll let you take three moves.”
Seeing Wang Ran so poised and unruffled, one of the black-clad men swallowed nervously and hesitated, “If you’re so tough… come down yourself!”
Wang Ran remained unmoved. “Let it not be said I bully the weak. Come up first.”
The assassin looked him up and down, inwardly speechless.
Big brother, you’re at the peak of Qi Condensation and you talk about bullying the weak? Who here is the weak one? I’m already at the third stage of Foundation Establishment!
Yet, the more Wang Ran acted this way, the more uncertain the assassin became. He shouted again, “Stop wasting time—come down!”
“Are you afraid?” Wang Ran asked.
“Hmph, why would I fear a mere Qi Condensation rookie?”
“Then why won’t you come up?”
“You’re not coming down either!”
“Very well. Today, I’ll give you a chance—three moves, and I won’t retaliate.”
“Arrogant!”
“Not enough? Then I’ll let you have my hands as well.”
“Damn you, this is too much!”
With this exchange, the black-clad man was finally enraged. He let out a thunderous roar, drew his sword, and in the flash of cold steel, a figure leapt into the air—but it wasn’t him.
Wang Ran had already moved first. His body flashed with golden light as the Vajra Glazed Body activated. He charged at the assassin with explosive force, coming from above with immense momentum. The assassin’s sword had barely left its sheath when Wang Ran, brimming with energy, crashed into him.
There was a sharp crack. The assassin spat blood midair, pain from shattered bones searing through him. His body plummeted like a meteor, slamming into the ground with a thunderous crash.
Dust billowed, shrouding them from view.
As the dust settled, a blurred figure gradually came into focus, and the crowd drew sharp breaths.
A crater, riddled with cracks, had formed where the assassin fell. The man himself was in a wretched state, his chest caved in from the force, blood streaming from his head in a gruesome sight.
Wang Ran crouched slightly, one hand pinching the man’s neck, lifting him as easily as a chick. The assassin was already dazed, barely conscious.
The other two assassins stood frozen in shock. The nearest one stammered, “Wha… what did you do to my second brother?”
He spoke with a trembling voice, unable to comprehend how Wang Ran, only at the peak of Qi Condensation, could cripple a third-stage Foundation Establishment cultivator in one blow.
Vermilion Bird, cowering in the back, was utterly stupefied, his mind ringing.
What in the world? Weren’t you supposed to let us have three moves? Why did you attack suddenly? We didn’t even get a single move in! Where’s the basic trust between people? And aren’t you just at Qi Condensation? How are you this strong??
“Ding! Congratulations to Host Wang Ran for causing a severe mental shock to the black-clad assassin—reward: 4 Dao Attainment Points!”
“Ding! Congratulations to Host Wang Ran for killing a Foundation Establishment cultivator—reward: 10 Dao Attainment Points!”
While the other two were still dumbfounded, Wang Ran heard two system prompts in quick succession. He glanced at the lifeless assassin in his grip—the man had quietly breathed his last without anyone noticing.
After activating the Vajra Glazed Body, he could instantly slay a Foundation Establishment cultivator with a single strike!
Wang Ran himself was startled by this overwhelming might—no wonder this was a Heavenly-rank technique from “Battle Through the Heavens.” Its terror was unmistakable.
The remaining assassin, witnessing this, roared with bloodshot eyes, “You killed my brother! I’ll kill you!”
With that, he drew his sword and charged at Wang Ran at full speed, turning into a streak of light.
Closer and closer!
Yet Wang Ran didn’t even try to dodge. The assassin’s eyes flashed with glee, seeing Wang Ran about to be skewered.
“Senior brother, be careful!” his junior sister cried out in alarm.
But Wang Ran remained motionless, calmly watching the sword approach.
“Hahaha! Fool! Arrogant to the extreme! This is a second-grade spiritual weapon—the Cloud-Piercer! Even a fifth-stage Foundation Establishment cultivator wouldn’t dare take this strike head-on. You’re courting death!”
He laughed wildly and stabbed with all his might.
“Oh?” Wang Ran’s voice drifted over, just as the assassin exulted. The so-called Cloud-Piercer Sword failed to pierce Wang Ran at all, stopping at his skin, unable to go even a fraction deeper.
“Impossible!” the assassin shrieked in horror.
“Nothing is impossible.” Wang Ran replied blandly, pinching the sword between two fingers. With a slight squeeze, the second-grade spiritual weapon shattered inch by inch.
The assassin was utterly stunned. In the next instant, his scalp tingled and he tried to flee.
Far too powerful—this was not a strength any Foundation Establishment cultivator should possess!
The assassin immediately realized: this man must be hiding his true cultivation, his strength vastly superior to theirs.
“Trying to run?” Wang Ran snorted coldly. He darted forward, seized the assassin by the head, and smashed him into the ground three times in quick succession, creating a new crater. The man twitched and then moved no more.
Only Vermilion Bird, the last to stand, trembled from head to toe at the sight.
In all his years in the Hall of Enforcement, he had never seen such brutality and was scared senseless on the spot.
Regret welled inside him—why had he come back for revenge? If only he’d swallowed his anger before, maybe none of this would have happened.
Wang Ran looked up and flashed him a grin.
But this sunny smile left a haunting shadow on Vermilion Bird’s heart. He forced a twisted smile, uglier than a cry.
“Th-thank you, senior, for cleansing my house. These two brothers were truly unruly, offending a senior like you—they deserved their fate. This outcome was their own doing!”
Wang Ran replied with a half-smile, “So the one who died earlier was your fourth brother?”
“Yes, yes—they all brought this upon themselves. Senior, I had no part in this, I swear!”
But Wang Ran’s face darkened as he barked, “Nonsense! Yesterday you called him big brother, today you call him fourth brother. You’re not related at all. Speak—who are you really?”
Vermilion Bird’s face turned deathly pale. His identity as a Hall of Enforcement disciple could never be revealed—if it was, the Only Me Sect would no longer tolerate him. Realizing Wang Ran had already seen through him, his first instinct was to flee the sect.
But Wang Ran was ready. The instant the assassin moved, Wang Ran caught him by the throat and demanded, “Who sent you? Who are you working for? If you don’t talk, I’ll send you to join your three brothers!”
Vermilion Bird’s face turned purple from lack of air. He struggled, “I’ll talk, I’ll talk! But you have to let me go!”
“Very well, I promise.” Wang Ran loosened his grip. Vermilion Bird collapsed, coughing uncontrollably. After several breaths, he finally said, “It was an inner disciple… Senior Brother Ye Cang… paid a high price for your head… I’m from the Hall of Enforcement…”
Ye Cang?
So it was him!
A cold gleam flashed in Wang Ran’s eyes. In the next instant, he struck with his palm. Vermilion Bird fell dead.
“Ding! Congratulations to Host Wang Ran for killing a Foundation Establishment cultivator—reward: 10 Dao Attainment Points!”
“Ding! Congratulations to Host Wang Ran for killing a Foundation Establishment cultivator—reward: 10 Dao Attainment Points!”
Two system notifications rang out, but Wang Ran paid them no mind. He gazed at the three corpses at his feet and sighed softly.
Even after all these years in this world, after witnessing countless deaths and killings, his feelings were still tangled.
In the world of cultivation, deceit and slaughter reigned. The strong preyed on the weak. Everyone yearned to become an immortal, to attain the Dao and seek longevity. The outside world was full of peril and uncertainty. In theory, the sect was supposed to be a haven for its disciples, but who would have thought someone would exploit the Hall of Enforcement to openly murder their own?
If Wang Ran hadn’t killed them, they would have killed him.
Sighing with a touch of melancholy, Wang Ran turned to deal with the bodies. He expected his junior sister to be scared to tears, but instead, her eyes shone with growing admiration.
Startled, Wang Ran mused that perhaps the girl was at that rebellious age. Who knew how children from the cultivation world expressed their rebellion? Could it be that they loved watching unparalleled heroes battle and kill?
With this in mind, Wang Ran’s expression returned to that of a lonely master. He leapt onto a purple bamboo stalk, gazed at the bright moon, and sighed to himself, “Killing is a vice… but it seems I can’t quit…”