Chapter 125: Acts of Self-Destruction

"You!" The people from the Yellow Sand Empire and the Bewildering Dust Sect glared at Xue Tian in fury; this Xue Tian was simply too arrogant.

Furthermore, upon hearing that all the treasures left behind in the Demon-Human Battlefield had fallen into the hands of this stranger, the disappointment the crowd had initially felt vanished, replaced by excitement. Various thoughts swirled in their minds as they began to size up Xue Tian with malicious intent.

Watching these brainless fools plotting against Xue Tian for the sake of mere treasures, Chen Mu sighed. If you do not seek death, you will not die. It seemed he had saved them for nothing. Since these people were intent on courting their own destruction, Chen Mu chose to ignore them, standing to the side in silence.

Seeing that Chen Mu did not intervene this time, Xue Tian grinned. If Chen Mu had pleaded for these idiots, Xue Tian would have truly considered him a hypocrite.

An elder of the Bewildering Dust Sect, at the Yuan Dan stage, saw that Chen Mu remained passive and assumed he did not intend to favor this inexplicable youth. He mocked Xue Tian, "Boy, your cultivation may be low, but you are quite arrogant. Since you’ve already collected the relics of our fallen ancestors, why not hand them all over to us? Surrender them now and you might be spared some physical suffering. Rest assured, for the sake of your acquaintance with Lord Chen Mu, we will not kill you."

Upon hearing this, Xue Tian let out a guttural, strange laugh. He licked his lips and said, "Good, good. My long wait was not in vain; you have finally shown me your hostility. Now, I don't need to seek permission from the boy Chen Mu to slaughter you all."

"Slaughter us all? Has your brain been flooded? Do you think you are Lord Chen Mu? What insolence! I will break your limbs in a moment and see how arrogant you remain!" another Yuan Dan stage superior sneered.

The exploration team, comprised of two factions from the Yellow Sand Empire, stared at Xue Tian with vicious intent, as if they were certain to devour him.

They surrounded Xue Tian, fearing he might escape. Although Kou Li and Guoduosi tacitly allowed this, they felt an ominous premonition in their hearts. After all, the youth was someone Chen Mu knew, yet Chen Mu showed no concern, watching coldly from the sidelines. They were unsure of Chen Mu’s true stance.

However, they felt they had to have the storage rings Xue Tian had scavenged. Why else had they risked their lives entering the Eastern Wilderness, suffering heavy losses, if not for resources? Xue Tian had taken everything, not even leaving them a drop of soup; how could they accept that?

Besides, the youth appeared to be only at the peak of the Yuan Ji stage—a mere minion found in abundance everywhere. They did not believe he could be as monstrously talented as Chen Mu.

Though Chen Mu perceived Xue Tian to be at the peak of the Yuan Ji stage, he suspected Xue Tian was concealing his true power. Xue Tian emanated a sense of danger he had never felt from him before; he was certain that Xue Tian had advanced to the Yuan Dan stage. If Xue Tian had truly reached the Yuan Dan stage, his combat prowess would be terrifying—likely comparable to an early Yuan Shen stage cultivator by the standards of the Yuan Yao Continent.

This was one reason Chen Mu did not wish to antagonize Xue Tian. If they were to clash now, he would likely suffer greatly. While Xue Tian admired him and wouldn't kill him, Chen Mu knew he could not defeat him with his current level of strength.

Soon, the exploration team lost their patience. The man who had mocked Xue Tian earlier swaggered toward him, reaching out with a heavy hand to grab him.

Xue Tian had not been angered by their taunts, but the fact that this "ant" dared to touch him with his hands truly provoked his wrath. He was a noble member of the Demon race; what right did a lowly human have to touch him? Only humans recognized by him, like Chen Mu, were worthy of his attention.

Demonic flames erupted from Xue Tian, instantly engulfing the man's arm. Soon, the man began to scream. His outstretched hand turned to ash, and the fire spread rapidly across his body, reducing him to a pile of cinders in moments.

Aside from Chen Mu and Xue Tian, everyone stared in stunned silence. They had expected capturing the youth to be easy, yet in a single exchange, a Yuan Dan stage master had been burned to nothingness by demonic flames. They finally understood Xue Tian's terror; he was likely another monstrous freak just like Chen Mu.

Kou Li and Guoduosi finally realized the source of their unease and hurriedly cupped their hands toward Xue Tian. "Fellow Daoist, we have offended you. Please forgive our disciples for their ignorance. We hope you will not hold it against them."

"Fellow Daoist? Who is your fellow Daoist? Do you ants deserve to call me that? That man just now wanted to touch me with his filthy hands? Excellent. You shall all bear my fury! Although your blood essence is of little use to my cultivation, having some is better than none. Become the nourishment for my growth!" Xue Tian roared, his face cold with rage.

The two were struck with terror. "Daoist... Fellow Daoist..."

Chen Mu shook his head; these people were beyond saving. Xue Tian’s trigger remained the same—he despised being touched by low-level ants. Were all Demon race members so arrogant? It didn't matter. The Demon race were enemies of humanity; sooner or later, he would stand in opposition to Xue Tian.

Demonic flames splattered outward, and many cultivators perished instantly. Kou Li and Guoduosi gritted their teeth. "We have no choice! Everyone, attack together! He is only one person!"

But the subsequent onslaught left them soul-stricken. Every person's blood essence began to churn, surging through their skin and being siphoned away by Xue Tian. The horrific scene shattered their resolve; to have one's lifeblood extracted by such evil means was the height of terror.

Kou Li and Guoduosi trembled in horror, for even they, at the Yuan Ying stage, were not spared. It was only natural; even a Yuan Shen stage cultivator would have fallen victim. Guoduosi glanced at Chen Mu, who was watching coldly from afar. He finally understood why Chen Mu hadn't intervened—the youth didn't need any protection; he was just as monstrous an existence as Chen Mu himself.

Guoduosi looked at Chen Mu with desperate eyes. "Lord... Lord Chen Mu, please... intercede for us... ask your friend... to calm his anger... stop the attack..."

Chen Mu replied indifferently, "There is a saying: if you do not seek death, you will not die. I asked him to save your lives once, yet you turned around and tried to attack him for the sake of storage rings. I truly wonder what you were thinking. Besides, even if I pleaded for you, it would be useless, for even I cannot defeat him as he is now. I have saved you once, repaying the favor of your help in finding the Path of Immortals. But your insistence on courting death is beyond my control. You might have had a chance if you had only offended me, but you have provoked a Demon more vicious than I, with strength surpassing my own. I truly admire your audacity. Go in peace, and in your next life, do not be so foolish."

Hearing Chen Mu, Xue Tian chuckled; he knew Chen Mu had sensed his hidden power. *Indeed, this boy has keen perception,* he thought.

Guoduosi and Kou Li were ashen-faced. Only now did they realize what kind of nightmare they had provoked. Chen Mu’s words were filled with deep wariness; if even Chen Mu was so cautious, what were they to think?

They realized that when Chen Mu hadn't spoken earlier, it wasn't because he was failing to protect Xue Tian, but because he didn't want to get involved. Getting involved would have drawn the fire toward himself.

Kou Li and the others laughed bitterly. They had underestimated the world. It was bad enough to encounter one monster like Chen Mu; to run into another was simply their misfortune.

Filled with regret, Kou Li, Guoduosi, and the others were drained dry by Xue Tian, their bodies left without a trace of blood essence. As they died, Xue Tian’s cultivation rose slightly, though the increase was negligible.

"Boy, what do you think of my technique? As long as there is blood essence, I can rapidly increase my cultivation. It's far superior to your human methods, isn't it? Join my Demon race, and I will pass this technique to you. Of course, if you don't like this one, there are others—top-tier demonic arts that will ensure you become a peerless powerhouse in no time." After the slaughter, Xue Tian was in an excellent mood and immediately began to tempt Chen Mu to join the Demon race.

"Not interested. The technique is mediocre... and as for joining your Demon race, you can give up on that idea. I have no desire to become a traitor to my race, reviled by all. Though we have no conflict now, as long as you harbor the intention to eradicate humanity, we will eventually stand on opposite sides," Chen Mu said, waving his hand.

"Ah, what a pity. Since you aren't interested now, we shall say no more. But I will not give up. With your talent, extraordinary aptitude, and the way you handle things, those hypocritical human scum will surely envy and exclude you. Especially when they learn you possess secrets others dream of their whole lives, they will persecute you relentlessly. When that time comes, I wonder if you will still be proud of being human. If you ever find yourself with nowhere to turn, you can still come to me. The door to the Demon race is always open for you," Xue Tian chuckled before speaking.