Chapter 481: Casually Erase a Sect

"Kill!"

Amid roars, dozens surged forward, blades and swords flashing, killing intent piercing the sky.

Chen Mu raised his hand, fingers extended like a sword, and swept them casually.

Hss—

An invisible sword qi slashed outward, sharper than any blade, faster than lightning.

The seven or eight men at the front were cut clean in half; their upper bodies slid to the ground, blood gushing like a spring.

The dozen behind were struck by the residual wave—arms severed, legs chopped off, bellies ripped open—they screamed and collapsed.

With a single strike, more than half of the dozens who charged lay dead or wounded.

The remaining retainers froze as if struck by lightning, faces pale with terror.

What realm is this? What power is this?

Xue Xue Ranran also froze.

She had thought Chen Mu was already strong in the mansion, but now she saw it was merely casual.

【Corpse detected. Collect?】

"Yes!"

……

"Stop!"

A thunderous shout came from the back courtyard, followed by several figures streaking through the air.

The lead figure, around fifty, broad-shouldered and muscular, radiated formidable aura.

Behind him came two elders, their qi no weaker—both were Earth Altar realm, Divine Bridge.

Zhao Zhenshan.

Head of the Zhao family, Earth Altar realm, Three Flowers Converging.

He stared at the corpses and blood on the ground, pupils contracting sharply. Then his gaze fell on Chen Mu, filled with shock and wariness.

"Who are you? Why invade the Zhao family and kill our retainers?"

Chen Mu looked at him, voice calm. "Your son tried to touch what's mine."

Zhao Zhenshan froze, then turned ashen.

His worthless son, always causing trouble—today he'd finally kicked a iron plate.

"Even if my son erred, killing those retainers should be enough recompense, right?"

Zhao Zhenshan suppressed his rage, attempting negotiation. "If you cease now, I, Zhao, will offer one hundred thousand taels of silver as apology—"

"Not enough."

Chen Mu cut him off, voice still calm.

"Your son touched what he shouldn't have. Your Zhao family must pay the price."

Zhao Zhenshan's face darkened, then he sneered. "Boy, you've been given face and refused it. You really think the Zhao family fears you? Old man and both patrons are Earth Altar realm! You think being Earth Altar means you've won?"

"Attack!!"

He roared, his aura exploding violently.

The two patrons struck simultaneously, Earth Altar realm true qi erupting as twin beams hurtling toward Chen Mu.

Chen Mu didn't move.

He simply stood there, watching them calmly.

As the two attacks neared his body—

Chen Mu raised his hand and swept it casually.

Boom!!

A violent, unstoppable force erupted—like tidal waves crashing against shore, like mountains collapsing and earth splitting.

The two Earth Altar realm Divine Bridge patrons, along with their attacks, were struck head-on and instantly shattered, flung backward as whole bodies.

"Thud! Thud!"

They crashed through walls and landed in the back courtyard pond. The pond exploded, water spraying skyward, mixed with vivid crimson blood.

Zhao Zhenshan's face turned instantly pale.

He trembled as he stared at Chen Mu, lips quivering, wanting to speak—but not a word came out.

Earth Altar realm, Five Qi Converging!

At least Earth Altar realm, Five Qi Converging!

How could someone so young be Earth Altar, Five Qi Converging? Where did he come from?

At that moment—

An even more overwhelming aura erupted from the deepest part of the Zhao back courtyard.

Cold and savage, brimming with the wild joy of recent breakthrough and supreme arrogance.

"Hahahaha—"

An ancient, booming laugh echoed through the entire Zhao estate. "Old man has finally broken through! Hahahaha—"

A figure streaked from the back courtyard and landed before Zhao Zhenshan.

An elderly man past seventy, white-haired and gaunt, yet his aura surged like a tidal wave—he was Earth Altar realm, Seeing the Divine, Unbreakable!

After landing, he glanced at the corpses on the ground, frowned, then turned to Chen Mu, a flicker of contempt in his eyes.

"Zhenshan, what's going on? Who is this boy?"

Zhao Zhenshan seized him like a lifeline, voice trembling. "Ancestor, this boy stormed in, killed dozens of our people, and crushed both patrons into serious injury."

"To injure two Divine Bridge cultivators—this boy's cultivation must be strong. Five Qi Converging?"

Zhao's ancestral elder gazed at Chen Mu, a cold sneer curling his lips. "Old man just broke through to the Earth Altar Realm, Unharmable by Divine Vision—perfect chance to test my new power on you!"

As his words ended, his body shot forward, palm slamming down toward Chen Mu's head!

This palm strike gathered his lifetime of cultivation; true qi surged like a tide, momentum blazing like a rainbow.

Chen Mu looked at him, eyes utterly still.

He simply raised his hand, extending two fingers, and pinched lightly.

Those two fingers caught Zhao's full-power palm strike.

Zhao's smile froze on his face.

He strained desperately to force his true qi forward—but his palm was clamped like iron tongs, utterly motionless.

The power flowing from those two fingers was terrifyingly immense, far beyond anything he could resist.

"You… you…"

His eyes widened in terror, lips trembling, unable to utter a single coherent word.

Chen Mu looked at him and spoke softly, "Earth Altar Realm? Unharmable by Divine Vision?"

He paused, voice as flat as stating a fact: "Most Important in Being Human is humility. Not arrogance after gaining power."

As his words ended, his fingers twisted slightly.

Crack!

Zhao's wrist snapped like a dry branch, torn apart.

"Ahh—"

Zhao screamed, still unprepared—Chen Mu's other hand rose, fingers extended like a sword, stabbing toward his third eye.

One finger descended.

Zhao's scream cut off instantly.

His body stiffened for an instant, then collapsed limply to the ground, a tiny blood hole oozing red and white matter at his forehead.

All life gone.

Just broken through to the Earth Altar Realm, Unharmable by Divine Vision—hadn't even had time to savor it—dead from Chen Mu's single finger.

Zhao Zhenshan's legs buckled; he nearly collapsed to his knees.

Behind him, the remaining guests and Zhao clan members turned ashen-faced, filled with terror.

The ancestral elder who had just broken through to the Earth Altar Realm, Unharmable by Divine Vision, had been casually obliterated—what were they?

"Run!"

"Spare me! Spare me! I'm not Zhao family!"

"…"

With a startled scream, the crowd erupted in chaos, scattering in all directions, fleeing desperately.

Zhao Zhenshan did the same—his body shot like lightning toward the back courtyard.

Too bad…

Shhh!

A blade of invisible qi, swift as a shadow, pierced through empty air and struck his skull.

With a wet *puchī*, crimson blood sprayed—Zhao Zhenshan's third eye now bore a blood hole; his body lurched forward ten meters by momentum, then collapsed face-down, silent.

Shhh-shhh-shhh~

Qi blades danced, crisscrossing through the air.

The fleeing others fell one by one—some struck in the head, others exploded in the chest—all collapsing at nearly the same moment.

Less than two breaths later, only Chen Mu and Xue Xue Ranran remained standing in the courtyard.

Xue Xue Ranran stared, dumbfounded.

Not from fear—but from awe at Chen Mu's power; she couldn't fathom what realm he was in.

【Corpse detected. Harvest?】

"Yes!"