C8 Must Die

Chen Dutian couldn't help but chuckle at Li Huaien's remark. Turning slowly, he cast a derisive glance at him, assessing the long sword in his grasp. "Ah, Young Master Li, do you think I, Chen Dutian, am easily frightened?"

"Hmph, everyone in the capital knows you're nothing but a spoiled brat," Li Huaien retorted with a snort, stepping forward to confront him. "You hide behind your family's name, bullying and oppressing others. Do you honestly believe you're untouchable?"

Li Huaien's brother-in-law, Yan Feng, was the commander of the Imperial Army. With Chen Dou absent from the capital, Li Huaien saw this as the perfect chance to topple the Chen family.

Yet, Chen Dutian merely scoffed with contempt. A fierce glint in his eyes, he approached Li Huaien with deliberate steps. A flick of his sword left a fresh, bloody mark on Li Huaien's shoulder.

Witnessing the event, Wang Yuntian involuntarily inhaled sharply, his guards furrowing their brows in unison.

"Spirit Convergence... Since when did Chen Dutian, the so-called trash, possess the power of Spirit Convergence?"

Not only Wang Yuntian was taken aback, but Li Huaien also trembled with fear. The imperial families' younger generation was not without its prodigies.

Yet, the most powerful among them had only reached the fifth level of the Spirit Convergence Realm. Even Yan Feng, the esteemed commander, had just stepped into the Astral Wandering Realm.

Chen Dutian had been written off since childhood as someone without Martial Artifacts, doomed to a life devoid of cultivation. When he claimed to have been taught by a deity after slaying Marquis Deer Ding Qin Fan in the street that morning, everyone dismissed it as sheer fantasy.

But against all odds, this so-called good-for-nothing had stumbled into fortune. In a single night, he had transformed from a universally acknowledged waste into a warrior of the Spirit Convergence Realm. The rapidity of his ascension was nothing short of horrifying.

"You... you claimed to lack Martial Artifacts, didn't you?" Li Huaien stammered, his nerves frayed.

"What's the matter? Think I should cower because I lack Martial Artifacts?" Chen Dutian's sword swept out sharply, its cold gleam heralding another gash across Li Huaien's chest.

"Stop! Chen Dutian, don't be so reckless! Li Huaien is the eldest son of the Minister of Personnel!" Wang Yuntian snapped out of his shock, noticing the chilling intent to kill still present in Chen Dutian's eyes. He hurriedly moved to rescue Li Huaien from beneath his sword.

Wang Yuntian, however, had only recently advanced to the Spirit Convergence Stage and was significantly outmatched by Chen Dutian. As he threw his punch, Chen Dutian sidestepped with a swift half-step, effortlessly evading the forceful blow.

With a flick of his sword, three beams of sword light burst forth, aiming directly at Li Huaien...

No one could save a man marked for death by the God Emperor Dutian!

Terrified, Li Huaien's face drained of color, and he collapsed to the ground, his legs giving out beneath him. Wang Yuntian positioned himself protectively in front of him, determined to stop the three sword lights with his own might.

Spiritual Qi surged through his arms, igniting a fluorescent white glow that crashed violently against the sword lights.

"Crack!"

Within moments, the fluorescent white light shattered under the assault of the sword lights. Wang Yuntian's body shook as he staggered back, while the relentless sword lights continued their deadly trajectory toward his chest...

"Young Master, get back!"

Unable to stand by any longer, a guard behind Wang Yuntian leaped forward and struck out at the sword lights with a powerful palm.

With a dull thud, the sword lights vanished into thin air, and the guard, slightly shaken, retreated to the side, ensuring Wang Yuntian's safety.

"They're still too weak. If I possessed the power of the Astral Wandering Stage, those three sword lights would have been enough to kill Wang Yuntian's guard!" Chen Dutian silently scorned, shaking his head in disappointment.

The guard who had just intervened on Wang Yuntian's behalf was a seventh-level Spirit Convergence cultivator. Chen Dutian's seemingly effortless sword strike was the Heavenly Dipper Sword Technique from his past life. With ample spiritual energy and mastery of the technique, he could conjure hundreds of sword lights capable of instantly vanquishing an Apotheosis Realm cultivator with mere sword qi.

With Wang Yuntian's guard having taken action, Chen Dutian's companions, not wanting to fall short, unsheathed their swords and closed in.

The atmosphere in front of the Crimson Moon Gate was charged with tension, the air thick with the anticipation of conflict.

"Wang Yuntian, step aside! Li Huaien, that cur, is going to die today!" Chen Dutian declared, his voice icy as he brandished his sword. To him, taking Li Huaien's life seemed no more significant than slaughtering livestock.

"He is the esteemed son of the Minister of Personnel, the Crown Prince's study companion, and my father's prized pupil! As long as I, Wang Yuntian, stand here, you won't lay a finger on him!"

The Li family had royal connections, and Li Huaien was well-acquainted with Wang Yuntian. With so many witnesses present, Chen Dutian was intent on executing Li Huaien right before Wang Yuntian's eyes. How could Wang Yuntian possibly stand idly by?

"Humph, do you really think you can stop me?" Chen Dutian sneered, his desire to kill palpable. With those words, he swiftly lunged, unleashing three dazzling arcs of sword light.

Gone was Li Huaien's earlier bravado. He watched in panic as the sword light closed in on him, crying out desperately, "Someone save me!"

The Li family's guards sprang into action, but they were no match for Chen Dutian's superior forces. In an instant, the guards were overpowered and sent flying.

Wang Yuntian moved to engage Chen Dutian once more, but it was too late. The three sword lights had already found their mark, piercing Li Huaien's chest. The high-ranking son of the Minister of Personnel met his end on the cold blade of Chen Dutian's sword.

With a thud, Xu Qing, who had been standing behind, dropped to his knees in terror at the sight of Li Huaien's demise.

"Young Master Chen... please, I beg for mercy!"

Xu Qing was of lesser stature than Li Huaien. If Chen Dutian could dispatch Li Huaien so publicly, eliminating Xu Qing would be just as effortless.

Wang Yuntian was seething with rage, nearly breathless with indignation. He had vowed to protect Li Huaien, yet Chen Dutian had brazenly murdered him in the street, showing utter disregard for Wang Yuntian. It was a direct affront, a slap to Wang Yuntian's face.

"Chen Dutian, you've gone too far! Committing murder in broad daylight as if the law doesn't apply to you, executing a high-ranking official on a whim—you're utterly... utterly unforgivable!" Wang Yuntian trembled with rage as he pointed accusingly at Chen Dutian's nose and berated him.

Chen Dutian, however, didn't even consider him a threat. With a scoff, he nonchalantly tossed his sword to a guard standing by and taunted, "And what exactly can you do to me?"

"Fine! Fine! We shall see. There will come a time when you'll regret this!"

Despite being the head of the civil officials in the Phethia Dynasty, the Grand Tutor had no military power and was indeed powerless against Chen Dutian.

After watching Wang Yuntian storm off with his entourage, Chen Dutian leisurely turned to face Xu Qing, who was still kneeling on the ground. He gave him a dismissive kick and said coolly, "You can get lost too. Next time you see me, make sure to steer clear. Otherwise... you'll end up just like Li Huaien!"