Chapter 65: The Shadow of Judgment Descends
The Shadow of Judgment Descends
"It’s over! The Salvatore Family is finished—the Crimson Abyss Sect is an Eighth-Rank Sect!!"
"The Salvatore Family has only just risen to prominence, and now they’re about to be wiped out!"
Cries of alarm echoed throughout Aurelia City as martial artists and ordinary citizens alike looked toward the heavens with pale faces.
The Crimson Abyss Sect’s reputation had long since become synonymous with terror across the Celestial Dawn Empire. Wherever its blood-red banners appeared, slaughter soon followed. Countless sects and noble families had resisted them over the years.
Not one had survived.
The spectators watched the black-robed cultivators descending from the sky, their hearts heavy with regret.
The rise of the Salvatore Family had been nothing short of miraculous. In only a short time, they had gone from the brink of collapse to becoming the undisputed rulers of Aurelia City.
Yet...
Against an ancient force like the Crimson Abyss Sect...
Many believed miracles had finally come to an end.
Five Heavenly Genesis Realm experts.
Such a terrifying lineup was enough to erase not only the Salvatore Family but the entirety of Aurelia City several times over.
High above the city, the Great Elder of the Crimson Abyss Sect slowly stepped forward.
His old face was filled with contempt.
His eyes looked upon the Salvatore Family as though they were nothing more than insects crawling beneath his feet.
"The Salvatore Family..."
"...an anthill pretending to be a mountain."
His voice rolled through the sky like distant thunder.
The terrifying cultivation of a Seventh-Layer Heavenly Genesis Realm expert erupted without restraint.
Boom!
An ocean of crimson True Spiritual Power burst from his body.
The surrounding clouds were instantly stained blood-red.
The foul aura carried the smell of iron and death, making countless people’s stomachs churn.
The blood-colored power condensed above him.
It twisted...
Expanded...
Compressed...
Until it transformed into a gigantic crimson skull several hundred meters across.
Its empty eye sockets burned with ghostly scarlet flames.
Its enormous jaws slowly opened as though preparing to swallow the entire Salvatore Estate whole.
The sunlight disappeared beneath its shadow.
Aurelia City seemed to fall into twilight.
The overwhelming pressure descended like an invisible mountain.
Crack...
Crack...
Stone streets began splitting apart.
Roofs trembled violently.
Many weaker martial artists couldn’t even remain standing.
Their knees buckled before they collapsed onto the ground, trembling uncontrollably.
"So... this is the power of the Heavenly Genesis Realm..."
One elderly cultivator smiled bitterly.
He had cultivated for decades.
Yet before this overwhelming pressure, he realized he was no different from an ant.
The surrounding crowd slowly lowered their heads.
Many couldn’t bear to continue watching.
They silently mourned the Salvatore Family.
What a pity...
Just when everyone believed a new legend had begun...
It was about to end.
Yet...
Before anyone could finish that thought—
A voice echoed across heaven and earth.
It wasn’t loud.
It wasn’t furious.
Instead...
It carried an indescribable sense of ancient majesty.
As though it had traveled through endless ages before finally arriving in this era.
"An ant-like creature..."
"...dares bark before my Lord’s gate..."
Every word landed upon the hearts of the listeners like the tolling of an ancient divine bell.
The air froze.
Time itself seemed to hesitate.
The smile on the Crimson Abyss Sect Great Elder’s face stiffened.
He instinctively searched for the source of the voice.
Then...
The ancient voice spoke once more.
"Your crime..."
"...is to be reduced to dust."
Silence.
Complete silence.
Not even the wind dared move.
The next instant—
BOOM!
A deafening explosion shattered the heavens.
Scarlet blood erupted into the air like countless blooming flowers.
The gigantic blood skull...
Collapsed instantly.
It didn’t even have time to scream before dispersing into countless fragments.
At the same moment...
The Great Elder’s body exploded.
There was no sword.
No fist.
No visible attack whatsoever.
His flesh, bones, soul, and every trace of his existence were obliterated by a single sentence.
A Seventh-Layer Heavenly Genesis Realm expert...
Had died.
Instantly.
The crimson mist drifted gently through the sunlight before slowly falling toward the earth like rain.
For a long moment...
Nobody spoke.
Nobody breathed.
Every eye stared blankly at the sky.
Their minds had completely stopped working.
One sentence...
Only one sentence.
That was all it had taken.
The remaining elders of the Crimson Abyss Sect remained suspended in midair.
The cruel smiles were still frozen on their faces.
Yet beneath those smiles...
Their pupils had shrunk to pinpoints.
Cold sweat poured down their backs.
Their hearts pounded wildly against their ribs.
Fear.
Pure, instinctive fear.
For the first time in many years...
They understood what true terror felt like.
Inside the Salvatore Estate, dozens of clan members stood at the front gate with weapons drawn.
Only moments ago, every one of them had prepared themselves to die defending their family.
Even if defeat was inevitable...
Even if they had to sacrifice their lives...
Not one intended to retreat.
Yet now...
They simply stood there.
Frozen.
Their tightly gripped swords slowly lowered.
Several younger disciples blinked repeatedly, wondering if they had fallen into an illusion.
One of them finally swallowed hard before speaking in a trembling voice.
"Did..."
"...did that old man just..."
"...kill a Heavenly Genesis Realm expert with his voice?"
Another disciple rubbed his eyes vigorously.
"I... I think he did..."
Silence followed once again.
Then someone suddenly cried out.
"It’s Elder Black!"
"That was Elder Black’s voice!"
Everyone’s eyes widened.
They all remembered.
Throughout the entire Salvatore Family...
Only one person addressed Victor with those words.
"My Lord."
The elderly man dressed in simple black robes.
The quiet old soldier who always stood silently behind Victor without drawing attention to himself.
No one had ever sensed the slightest cultivation aura from him.
No one had questioned his existence.
To everyone...
He had simply been Victor’s loyal attendant.
Nothing more.
But today...
That unremarkable old man had casually erased a Seventh-Layer Heavenly Genesis Realm expert from existence with nothing but his voice.
Every member of the Salvatore Family felt their scalps go numb.
Just...
Who exactly was Elder Black?