Worthless

This time, Tian Jing hadn't simply moved; he had used an illusion skill created by his mother, the 'Demonic Flash'. It required only a small amount of Yin Qi. This skill required the user to be observed before activation. With a brief illusion, it made the user appear to vanish, concealing their entire presence, including scent and Qi. , making it perfect for short-distance fights. It was different from 'Void Stride,' another skill created by his mother, which was a movement skill that allowed instant relocation but didn't conceal the user.

"Extreme Yin Physique, huh," Tian Jing murmured, his gaze fixed on Xiao Ling. The entire hall froze as they tried to comprehend what had just happened. Xiao Ling herself was in shock; she tried to move back, but her body betrayed her, it didn't want to move and felt attracted to him.

'Hmm, she is almost near her limit, her body attracted to my physique, or more precisely, my Yang Qi,' he thought, assessing his own state. 'I don't feel any attraction, which is normal. I had stabilized myself and my Yang Qi is only about halfway to overflowing since I haven't cultivated since I started producing Yang Qi. It has only been produced passively for now.'

Suddenly, one of the Xiao elders moved to attack, but the Great Elder, Xiao Wei, stopped him with a shout. "What are you doing?! He is right in front of Xiao Ling!" he roared, he didn't fear him, even though he was taken aback by Tian Jing's sudden movement, he thought it was a cheap trick. Thus, he was scared because Tian Jing was close to the prime disciple; Xiao Wei feared he might harm her, which would be disastrous. The Sect Master would never forgive them.

Tian Jing turned back and sighed deeply upon seeing the Great Elder's face. 'He isn't scared, huh,' he thought. He didn't want to kill them—not that he couldn't—but he knew it wouldn't end there. It would start a chain reaction, and he knew they were just doing their job, but that didn't mean he would forgive them just like that. So, he decided,

A sudden, intense chill spread through the hall, making everyone shiver violently. The atmosphere turned suffocatingly cold as if the very essence of fear had descended upon them. It wasn't until they all turned to face Tian Jing that they understood the source.

Tian Jing's expression had darkened to an extreme. His eyes, once ordinary, now blazed with a bright, ominous dark purple light. It was as if his gaze were twin voids, pulling in the surrounding light and reflecting back nothing but an endless, consuming abyss. His presence became an oppressive force, a palpable darkness that seemed to drain the very air from the room. It was not some technique. It was Tian Jing, a son of the Dragon God and the Demon Goddess.

As Tian Jing unleashed his full aura, the sheer power of it pressed down on everyone like an enormous, invisible hand. The weight of his presence was almost unbearable, suffocating. His voice, though calm, echoed with a thunderous authority, reverberating through the hall as he uttered a single, commanding word:

"Kneel."

In an instant, the command struck like a physical blow, and everyone in the room fell to their knees, the ground trembling with the collective impact. The overwhelming force of his directive left no room for resistance or defiance. It was as if the entire hall, the very air, and the souls within it bowed to his will. For a fleeting moment, it felt as though the heavens themselves were bending to acknowledge his might.

In that chilling instant, one thought dominated everyone's mind:

'is he even a human'

As the room remained silent, Tian Jing said in the same authoritative voice, "Let's see your luck" He turned back, his gaze now locking onto Xiao Ling. "Do you have any herb that you consume regularly?" he asked because he sensed that she was a virgin and not in some dual cultivation sect, so the only way to improve, stabilize, her cultivation was by consuming Yang Qi from the spiritual herbs which was also rare.

Nobody dared to question why he was asking something seemingly unrelated, but for Xiao Ling, the question struck a chord. 'H-How did he know?' she thought, feeling a mix of shock and confusion. Timidly, she responded while continuing to look at the floor. "I-I-I have only one left" she stuttered, retrieving the herb from her storage ring and extending it to him with a trembling hand.

Although Xiao Ling didn't fully understand why this herb helped her cultivation, her master said whenever she consumes, it will help her body and make her relieved and stable. 

'Solar Ginseng' it's name flashed in his mind as he picked up.

'So, that's why her Yin Qi started to overflow' Tian Jing thought to himself. 'This herb doesn't contain much Yang Qi. After reaching the Spirit Master realm, this herb alone couldn't be enough for her.'

He took the herb into his storage ring, his expression softening slightly, but that did nothing to lessen the overwhelming fear that gripped the room. "Choose one from your sect" he ordered her.

Xiao Ling froze, terror creeping into her heart. She timidly raised her head, trying to pick someone without knowing the reason. Was this a pardon or a death sentence? Seeing her hesitation, Tian Jing's voice cut through the air again, sharper this time, "Don't think, just choose one" he urged.

Panicking, she randomly pointed to someone, her trembling hand landing on the Great Elder, Xiao Wei. The moment she chose him, Tian Jing began to move towards Xiao Wei, each step amplifying the terror in the room. Upon reaching him, Tian Jing casually grabbed his right hand and, with a sickening rip, tore his arm off, flinging it to the ground. Blood splattered everywhere.

Xiao Wei wanted to scream, but he couldn't, his mouth silenced by Tian Jing's piercing gaze. Tian Jing hated hearing screams of pain. He then returned to his original position, retracting his aura. "With this herb, I forgive the Xiao Sect. Now, get out of my sight and never come back, or I will not hesitate to destroy everything you possess."

The members of the Xiao Sect fled instantly, their faces pale with terror. Xiao Wei, despite his grievous injury, felt a twisted sense of relief at being alive. As Xiao Ling was about to leave, Tian Jing's voice halted her in her tracks,

 "Not you. You will wait here."

Fear gripped her, her mind racing with horror. She had no idea why he wanted her to stay, but one dreadful thought dominated her mind: her virginity.

Meanwhile, Tian Jing unleashed his full aura once more, now focusing on the main culprit, precisely Lin Mei.

"Any last words? Or do you think I might change my mind?" Tian Jing said nonchalantly, his gaze cold and unwavering. The elders and Sect Master didn't know what to do, some of them already resigning to their fate.

Tian Jing started moving towards them. "What was that for? You could have just stopped them from coming into the sect by giving a little gold as compensation, saying you no longer needed their help. Or you could have just told the truth to me and asked forgiveness." He paused,

'Well, there's no need to be hypocritical every cultivator would do the same'

He continued, "Was it greed...? Or..." He turned his piercing eyes directly to the Lin Mei. "...was it because I rejected you?"

He stopped moving, standing directly in front of Lin Mei. "Well, it doesn't really matter," he said, raising his hand slowly toward her.

Lin Mei, trembling with fear, started kowtowing. "A-A slave is better than a dead body," she begged, desperate to save her life.

"Oh? You are worthy to be my slave?" Tian Jing raised an eyebrow, then said with a grin, "How much do you and your elders think you're worth?" He asked, his tone dripping with sarcasm.

Lin Mei's body jolted. What should she say? Her mind raced, trying to find an answer, but she was cut off by Tian Jing's next words. "Spirit stone-wise."

She froze. Spirit stones? It was obvious she should say something high, indicating she might be worthy. But it was weird that she needed to say in spirit stone. She stuttered, "I-I think we are worth like 10 million spirit stones."

It was an astronomical amount. A normal mortal family usually spent only one spirit stone, equivalent to ten gold coins, in a year. Even the whole sect, their hundreds of years of savings were not that much. She thought it would be more than enough, but his response shattered her hopes.

"I knew you were worthless, but this?" Tian Jing sneered. "Haa... fine. Hand over this amount in a week. This is for your lives. If not, I will simply kill you all"

He then gestured to Xiao Ling, signaling for her to come to his side, and then he turned and walked out of the hall with her. The elders and Sect Master remained frozen in place, panic setting in.

"W-W-What..."