"Kid, let go of our cult master, or we'll skin you alive!" one of the fat guys in front immediately shouted.
The surrounding townsfolk didn't dare say a word. Everyone held their breath, staring at the terrifying scene unfolding before them.
Yintian didn't say anything, but he was gritting his teeth—like maybe, with all these cultists around, he still had a sliver of hope.
Right then, hundreds of Shadow‑Soul Cultists all drew their soul‑swords at once—no hesitation, just straight up showing their signature weapons. In this cult, flashing your soul‑sword means it's do‑or‑die time.
But every soul‑sword here stands for a tortured soul. The Shadow‑Soul Cult is all about soul‑refining—making a soul‑sword takes sucking up the soul‑energy of tons of wronged souls. With so many swords out, who knows how many spirits they've tormented? Ryan instantly sensed the place was packed with imprisoned souls, and now, feeling the arrival of the Hell Crown Prince, they all started crying out for help.
In that instant, Ryan thought of his own parents, suffering somewhere out there—maybe they're being tortured right now too.
"You bastards really deserve to die. Deserve it!" Ryan roared. Instantly, endless killing intent exploded from him, sweeping out in every direction. The trees rustled, pebbles floated up and spun in midair, and hundreds of cultists found their clothes and hair rising as if hit by a storm.
"Whoa, what insane killing intent—where the hell did this guy come from? That's scary as hell!"
"He—he's gotta be crazy strong. Otherwise, how would our cult master end up in his hands?"
"Why do I suddenly feel like I can't move at all—and my heart feels seriously messed up!"
......
All the Shadow‑Soul Cultists around started getting nervous.
Even Yintian, who was with Ryan, suddenly felt a wave of panic—like Ryan had become a whole new person, even scarier and more unsettling than before.
Finally, Yintian totally caved. He shouted, "Master Ryan, I know I was wrong! I'll tell everyone to back off—no, I'll make them all kneel! From now on, the Shadow‑Soul Cult will serve you!"
Ryan just sneered, "Heh, too late. You think saying all that now means anything?" He stepped forward, and suddenly every Shadow‑Soul Cultist around was yanked into the air by some invisible force.
The whole crowd of Jinling locals was stunned. Even folks in their eighties had never seen anything this wild before.
More than two hundred people were floating in the air in the creepiest way possible—like they were all hanging by invisible nooses, faces turning bright red.
"You bastards—all of you, go to Hell!" Ryan didn't hesitate, didn't show a shred of mercy. The moment he finished speaking, every cultist floating in the air exploded.
Suddenly, it sounded like a whole string of firecrackers was going off above the Shadow‑Soul Cult headquarters. The massive explosions of flesh and blood drew everyone's attention.
"Brother Shane Shen, looks like getting schooled by this maniac wasn't such a bad deal. With power like his, if he enters this year's Jiangnan Martial Arts Tournament, forget top ten—he could easily make top three!"
"Brother Fang's got it right—this guy isn't just strong, he's ruthless. Right now, Young Master Qin's in seclusion, and honestly, in Jinling's youth scene, only Qin could probably take him down."
"Qin Shao will definitely beat him. You gotta know—Qin's already at the peak of the Profound‑Tier Void Realm. He could break through to Earth‑Tier any day now. A powerhouse like that isn't just rare in Jinling, but all of Huaxia. No matter how strong this kid is, he can't top Qin Shao. Plus, he's new in town—wiping out Ling Jianghai's family was one thing, but now he just destroyed the whole Shadow‑Soul Cult? He's totally messed up Jinling's balance. I bet the big shots won't let him off easy. Even if he enters the martial arts tournament, they're gonna do everything they can to crush him!"
"Honestly, I hope he does join. The guy's got a mysterious background, killer moves, tons of power—facing off with him would be epic. Everyone just chill; right now, it's just us few playing in Jinling's youth martial circle. Having a wild card show up could actually be fun!"
......
Some folks were cracking jokes, others were grinding their teeth. Ryan's move was clearly poking at Jinling's top brass, and a lot of people were quietly pissed off at him.
But since he's a major in the Jinling Military District, plus he's got Li Jianguo backing him, and he's doing all this for the Yan Family, most folks just swallowed their complaints and kept quiet.
No matter what, tonight Ryan stole the spotlight again in Jinling!
With just one sentence, the Shadow‑Soul Cult was almost wiped out. Nobody's seen this kind of swagger in Jinling for years!
"Great god, immortal, living ancestor—spare me! I swear I'll never dare again!" By now, Yintian was totally broken, kowtowing like crazy to Ryan, begging for his life.
"Take me to get the goods!" Ryan grabbed Yintian again. Yintian led the way, and soon they reached his bedroom—sure enough, there was a compass hanging in the corner.
"Serena, is this the one?" Ryan had to be sure!
"That's right, it's the one!" Serena nodded firmly.
"Good!" Ryan let out a long breath. Finding this, he felt one step closer to his parents.
"Great god, since I've found what you wanted, can you let me go?" Yintian looked at Ryan with hope in his eyes.
"I'd like to let you go, but I'm in a really bad mood!" Ryan said, not hesitating for a second. He took Yintian's life in an instant, tossing his Void Realm body straight into the Hell Furnace.
With that, the entire Shadow-Soul Cult vanished from Jinling for good!
"Jinling, accept my bow! From now on, Fifth-Rank Spirit Officer Serena Yan will heed your command!" Serena didn't hesitate, dropping to one knee before Ryan.
"Alright, get up—there's no need for that between us!" Ryan helped Serena up, his eyes burning.
"Okay, Ryan, whatever you want—I'll do it!" Serena was stunned; her heart had been completely won over by Ryan.
"Haha, I'm not interested in that right now. I've got important business—you get the Yan Family to clean up, I've gotta go!" With the Soul-Tracing Compass in hand, Ryan's first thought was to find a secluded, safe place and use his father's soul-wisp to track him down. Only then could he be at peace.
Serena didn't really want to let Ryan go, but she had no choice. Disappointed, she let him leave—and Ryan couldn't resist giving her backside a squeeze before vanishing!
...
Soon, Ryan masked his aura and disappeared from view. He sensed someone tailing him, but with his speed, he quickly shook off those annoying followers.
In a remote forest outside Jinling, Ryan sat cross-legged and placed his father's soul-wisp onto the Soul-Tracing Compass.
"Ghost Elder, what do I do now?" Ryan asked, his heart pounding with excitement.
"Spin the compass. Focus all your attention and let the soul-wisp guide you—maybe you'll reach your father!" Ghost Elder replied, sounding hopeful.
"Alright!" Ryan swallowed hard and spun the compass eagerly. As its needle turned, the soul-wisp suddenly shot into the air, whirling around madly.
"What's going on?" Ryan asked urgently.
"I don't know—just wait, don't panic!" Ghost Elder was just as stunned.
Before Ghost Elder finished speaking, the soul-wisp grew larger and larger, slowly forming a man's face in midair. For Ryan, that face was all too familiar—his father, the one he'd been longing to see.
"Father! Father!" Ryan couldn't hold back his tears—they streamed down his face.
"Son, I never thought I'd see you again in this life. Are you alright?" His father's voice was hoarse, clearly from enduring endless suffering.
"I'm fine, Father! Where are you? Who captured you and Mom—who was it?" Ryan gritted his teeth, fighting back tears as he asked.
"Don't ask, son—you can't beat them. Leave Jinling, go as far as you can, and don't come back. I'm alright, and seeing you once is enough for me." As his father finished, a massive iron chain whipped through the air, wrapping around his neck and trying to drag him away.
Ryan's heart shattered. He clenched his fists and leapt up in desperation...