Chapter 118: Little Cai’s Astonishing Strength

The group stared at Xiao Cai, their legs trembling.

What were they supposed to do?

What a joke—how would they dare to do anything? If anything, it was this girl—no, this terrifying ancestor—who might decide to do something to them! The Demon King in White served as a grim warning. Although he wasn't the strongest among them, he was certainly in the top tier, yet he hadn't even lasted a single flick of a finger against her. If this woman truly lost her temper, crushing them would likely be easier than crushing a mound of ants.

They could have died of regret. Who said she was weak? She was absolutely terrifying—no less formidable than those whose names were carved upon the peaks of Cangshan. They must have had a death wish to dare provoke someone like this! They were filled with bitter remorse.

"T-this... noble lady, we are willing to hand over all our true spirit essences... to help you refine your Taixuan Physique. Please, in your great magnanimity, spare us." A middle-aged man with purple hair stepped forward, speaking with a bitter expression.

This was the law of the Taixuan Realm: the strong are supreme. While the outside world was largely the same, one usually had to consider face or background. But here, those things meant nothing. No matter who you were or what your backing was, it didn't matter; those behind you couldn't cross the Eternal Star Path to strike at your enemies!

And right now, Xiao Cai was the strong one. Of course, if she hadn't possessed such strength, the situation would have been different.

But now, even if the purple-haired man were given ten thousand lives, he wouldn't dare think of resistance. It wasn't just cowardice; it was the sheer horror of Xiao Cai’s methods. She had arrived and, with a casual gesture, snuffed out the Demon King in White.

The thought alone made him shiver. He was one of the few top-tier powerhouses in their party, perhaps slightly stronger than the Demon King in White, but not by much. If the girl could easily annihilate him, she would have no trouble doing the same to him. Even though he was a mighty cultivator at the Profound Heaven Upper Realm in his own world, backed by an expert at the Dao Heaven Upper Realm, his status was worthless here. Even if the girl hadn't reached the Profound Heaven realm herself, she could still kill him with ease.

Everyone’s gaze fell upon Xiao Cai with trepidation, awaiting her reply.

"Where are your true spirit essences? Take them out, won't you?"

After a brief silence, Xiao Cai asked, looking puzzled. These people were truly strange; they had been the ones to offer her their essences, yet they hadn't produced them, making her wait for so long.

"Yes, yes, of course!" Upon hearing this, their expressions shifted, and they hurriedly retrieved the true spirit essences they carried.

The purple-haired man, in particular, felt like slapping himself. He was the one who had offered to hand everything over, yet he had stood there like an idiot. What was he thinking? Still, he felt a sense of relief; as long as he kept his life, it wasn't a total loss. Since she was accepting their offerings, surely she wouldn't attack them. After all, the Taixuan Realm was full of opportunities; even if he lost everything, he could always make a comeback as long as he survived.

But just as he was thinking this, Xiao Cai nodded with satisfaction and said excitedly, "Not bad, not bad. Now, you can go ahead and die."

"What!"

The purple-haired man’s attention had been entirely focused on her, and when she said this, his head snapped up, his eyes bulging in disbelief.

"Scatter! Run!"

He roared the order, not even stopping to question her. The moment he shouted, everyone scrambled in all directions like madmen. Each of them was an ancestor-level figure in their own realm; they certainly didn't want to leave their lives here.

But they were fast, and Xiao Cai was faster. Before they had even moved, she took a single step. As the tip of her foot touched the ground, a white hurricane erupted, centered on her toes. In an instant, it swept over everyone. Their expressions froze, and they collapsed to the ground as piles of withered bones.

Having done all this, Xiao Cai acted as if nothing had happened. With a flick of her fingers, the countless true spirit essences on the ground were drawn into her body. Moments later, a layer of grey-red patterns covered the tip of her right index finger before sinking beneath her skin.

"How is there so little essence? I was so looking forward to it, and it's not even enough to refine a single finger of mine. To think they wanted to buy their lives with such pathetic sincerity."

She pouted, thinking this group was utterly baffling. Suddenly, she looked in a certain direction, her lips curling into a slight smile.

"The young master seems to be in a bit of trouble, but that's fine. I'm coming for you—don't go dying on me!"

She stuck out her tongue, about to leave, when her eyes caught sight of a massive boulder nearby. Her expression darkened instantly.

"I didn't expect a Half-Step Dao Venerable to be hiding under my very nose. You almost managed to fool me. If you were a true Dao Venerable, I might have been a bit wary, and things would be difficult, but since you aren't—get out here!"