Countless dark shadows surged continuously from the depths of the black primordial forest. Their cloaks fluttered behind them like bat wings, beating rapidly as they rushed toward Feng Yunwuji. The shadows multiplied until they formed a vast, oppressive black cloud, accompanied by piercing screeches, all converging for an attack.
Feng Yunwuji's eyes flickered slightly. With a snap of his fingers, the swirling vortex of billions upon billions of leaves unleashed a sharp, slicing wind as it charged straight into the dark cloud, instantly engulfing it.
Puff! Puff! Puff!
Blood splattered across the sky like rain. Bodies plummeted through the air, accompanied by howling wind. Yet the remaining Night Clan warriors streaked swiftly through the night sky, splitting into several groups to press the assault. They spread their claws, tearing through the blocking leaves and those flying like deadly shards.
A cold sneer crossed Feng Yunwuji's face. His left hand formed a sword gesture. A fierce whirlwind swept over the forest below the cliff. Then countless tiny leaves, sharp with sword energy, shot into the sky and merged back into the swirling storm of sword qi.
The sky darkened with blood as screams pierced the air.
Among the Night Clan, several pale-faced, ferocious warriors broke through their ranks, rushing at Feng Yunwuji at incredible speed. They crossed hundreds of kilometers in an instant, claws extended with faint energy, aiming for his shoulders and neck.
Feng Yunwuji furrowed his brow but made no immediate move. Suddenly, a clear, sharp sword hum sounded from within his chest. A streak of dark rainbow light flashed, weaving rapidly through the attackers multiple times before vanishing back into his chest.
When the claws came within inches of Feng Yunwuji's pale neck, they abruptly froze. A thin line of blood appeared under his jaw—just a scratch on the skin, no drops yet. The attackers stood stunned, their faces blank, frozen mid-attack.
Clack.
A crisp sound shattered the silence. The pair of claws mere inches from Feng Yunwuji's neck snapped clean off at the wrists, blood barely spurting. A fine bloodline circled the slender neck of the Night Clan warrior, rapidly widening until it severed head from body. The pale head tilted forward and fell silently to the ground.
Behind that warrior, several others dissolved into fragments, their tight black clothes scattering like shards. Beneath the shredded garments, countless bloodied scars crisscrossed their bodies, dividing their flesh into small, separated patches.
A gentle breeze swept through. The remaining Night Clan warriors in front of Feng Yunwuji were torn apart into showers of blood—yet Feng Yunwuji didn't even blink.
Deep within the black forest clearing, the pale, handsome man's expression darkened. In just a short time, the Night Clan's elite had been almost entirely slaughtered. He had assumed his opponent was skilled but capable of handling such a number easily—clearly, he had underestimated him.
A sinister grin crept across the Night Clan leader's lips. Suddenly, he spread his arms wide. His cloak transformed into massive bat-like wings, unfurling fully.
A chilling howl erupted from his mouth, soaring into the sky. Ripples of invisible shockwaves radiated outward, reducing entire rings of trees to dust—no fragment larger than a fingernail remained.
The shockwaves rapidly expanded, turning vast forests into swirling clouds of powder. In an instant, those invisible waves collided with the swirling sword-leaf storm controlled by Feng Yunwuji.
Boom!
A thunderous explosion shattered the heavens, like the moment of cosmic creation and primal chaos. The air twisted violently where the leaves met the shockwaves; looking from one side to the other, everything blurred. Tiny spatial cracks appeared and vanished repeatedly where the two forces clashed.
Finally, the opposing energies pierced through each other. The violent power shredded the billions upon billions of leaves into powder. Even with the strength of a Sword Emperor, controlling such fine debris was impossible.
As the leaves turned to dust, hundreds of Night Clan bodies fell from the sky. Through the powder, a figure appeared—Night Clan leader Ye Mei—his shoulders untouched by a speck of dust.
In the void, the once-dense ranks of the Night Clan were reduced to fewer than a thousand, most gravely wounded. Many had leaves embedded deep into their flesh and bones—more than half of them.
"Who are you? Why do you slaughter my people?" Ye Mei called out across the distance. His voice was soft yet carried clearly despite the space between them.
Ha ha... Feng Yunwuji laughed wildly, then abruptly stopped. His eyes turned blood-red as he stared at Ye Mei. "You ask who I am? You slaughtered thousands of my disciples, made me helpless as I watched them die before me—and you still ask who I am? When you sent your clansmen to massacre my disciples, did you really not know who I was?"
Ye Mei's face twisted with fury. "So you're the so-called 'Feng Yunwuji.' I never thought you were strong, but to think you would come to kill me… You've slaughtered tens of thousands of my clan. Today, you won't leave here alive."
"If I don't kill you, how will I face my disciples? How can I convince them to follow me? How can I comfort those who died senselessly under your claws? You will die without question!" Feng Yunwuji's voice was icy and sharp, dripping with killing intent.
A sinister laugh erupted from Ye Mei, echoing far and wide. "You want to kill me? Even those stronger than me wouldn't dare say such words in my presence. Today, I'll drain your blood and show you the true might of the Night Clan."
"Leave now. This no longer concerns you," Ye Mei coldly commanded the stunned clan members behind him. But beneath his icy facade, pain churned in his heart. Tens of thousands of clan members lost because of one moment's carelessness—it filled him with hatred for the human before him and a savage desire to kill him.
With a flick, Ye Mei spread his black cloak behind him like massive bat wings, hovering high in the night sky. In a blink, he melted into the night wind and vanished without a trace…