The sudden shift in Ye Chen's demeanor and his previous deceit made the faces of his adversaries change dramatically.

"Are you playing us?"

They were just about to erupt in anger when Ye Chen opened his eyes, and their actions froze instantly.

Such terrifying eyes!

As they stared, it was as if they were facing the ancient abyss of a demonic well, so deep and profound that it seemed their souls might be sucked away.

Between the blinks of Ye Chen's eyes, myriad divine patterns flickered, brimming with the forces of destruction and rejuvenation.

Even mid-stage Foundation Establishment cultivators, subjected to the invisible pressure and gaze of these eyes, felt their hearts pounding uncontrollably.

The early-stage Foundation Establishment elder screamed in agony and coughed up blood, unable to withstand the power.

"Heavy Pupils, these are Heavy Pupils..."

"How do you have Heavy Pupils?"

Kong Xiangli's eyes widened in disbelief. He clearly saw that Ye Chen's eyes had two sets of pupils—undoubtedly the legendary Heavy Pupils. The rest also displayed looks of terror.

Anyone possessing a Divine Ability was fearsome enough, let alone someone with a top-tier innate Divine Ability like Heavy Pupils. Such a supreme Divine Ability was rarely seen even within the holy lands, mostly confined to the annals of history.

Simply being under Ye Chen's gaze made them tremble with fear. The anger they felt when Ye Chen spoke of sending them on their way evaporated entirely.

Ye Chen offered a faint smile; the Heavy Pupils were usually imperceptible except when activated. He had said too much earlier and now couldn't be bothered with more idle talk. His right eye unleashed a devastating beam of destructive light.

The early-stage Foundation Establishment elder who had just coughed up blood was obliterated instantly. But as one beam shot forth, another followed swiftly.

This second beam of destructive light targeted another mid-stage elder whose name Ye Chen didn't even know. This elder was terrified.

The divine light emitted by Ye Chen was far more formidable than the two beams Su Yuxuan had managed. And it was much faster. There was no dodging it. He only managed to cast several defensive spells and activate his protective magical treasures to their fullest.

However, against the annihilating light from the Heavy Pupils, all defenses were futile. Layer upon layer of protection shattered like paper. The second elder exploded into a firework of gore and smoke.

...

Having dispatched two opponents, Ye Chen felt a profound sense of satisfaction from testing out his newfound power. This power, far more formidable than his previous Eye of Destruction, overwhelmed even mid-stage Foundation Establishment cultivators with a mere glance. His decision to gift the Eye of Destruction had proven astoundly effective.

Though the Foundation Establishment technique was a system reward, the innate Divine Ability was cultivated by himself. After the critical hit from giving away the Eye of Destruction, the results were fierce. Imagining the potential of offering the Exquisite Heart in the future was exciting—perhaps it could skyrocket his capabilities.

However, such opportunities were rare. He wondered if there might be any demonic cultivation techniques specifically for cultivating the heart that he could discover and then give to Su Yuxuan.

Later on, he could even give away his heart—providing a one-stop service...

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These fleeting thoughts in Ye Chen's mind gave way as he turned his attention back to Black Soul Elder and Kong Xiangli, both of whom were absolutely terrified.

The power of the Heavy Pupils was truly fearsome. Two Foundation Establishment cultivators had fallen in the blink of an eye. How could they possibly fight against this?

Even if a late-stage Foundation Establishment cultivator were to arrive, they would likely meet the same fate under the oppressive might of the Heavy Pupils. The sheer force was too overpowering!

Exchanging a glance, both attackers launched their desperate offenses. Kong Xiangli unleashed a barrage of divine thunder, aiming it all towards Ye Chen.

Black Soul Elder, meanwhile, shook the Human Emperor Banner, releasing a surge of endless dark energy. Hosts of principal and vengeful spirits emerged, rolling towards Ye Chen in a fierce tide. After launching their attacks, both figures turned and fled.

However, as they faced the restrictive enchantments they themselves had set up—barriers that would take several moments to dismantle—their frustration peaked. It had never crossed their minds that they would be the ones needing to escape. The very restrictions they had placed to trap their enemy now hindered their own escape.

...

As the barrage of divine thunder and the mass of vengeful spirits rushed towards him, Ye Chen remained calm. In his eyes, even the lightning-fast divine thunder seemed as slow as a snail. He analyzed and avoided every trajectory of the attacks with ease.

The vengeful spirits and the dark miasma dissipated under his gaze. Ye Chen didn't attack the spirits; instead, he had plans for the Human Emperor Banner—the artifact controlling them.

The next moment, Ye Chen emerged from the black mist.

Seeing Ye Chen effortlessly walk through their most powerful spells, the expressions of Black Soul Elder and Kong Xiangli changed drastically. Their strongest magics couldn't even delay Ye Chen for a few breaths?

In the next instant, Ye Chen appeared right in front of Black Soul Elder. In the elder's eyes, filled with despair, Ye Chen didn't hesitate to throw a punch.

Harnessing the terrifying spiritual power gained from cultivating the Western Emperor's Scripture Foundation Establishment chapter, Ye Chen's punch exploded out. Even Black Soul Elder, a cultivator nearly at the peak of the Foundation Establishment stage and one of the stronger members within the Misty Sect, was physically blown apart.

The Human Emperor Banner, dropped by the elder, was promptly seized by Ye Chen with a telekinetic gesture. He quickly subjugated it with a massive surge of spiritual power, refining it in the blink of an eye.

The souls of cultivators, emerging from their bodies shortly after death, begin to wander aimlessly and dissipate unless contained. With a swift shake of the Human Emperor Banner, the souls of the three recently deceased Foundation Establishment cultivators were sucked into it.

Turning to Kong Xiangli with a smirk, Ye Chen cheerfully said, "Elder, please enter the banner..."

Kong Xiangli felt a chill run through him.

Three out of four Foundation Establishment cultivators had perished in the blink of an eye. This was a terrifying force to behold. Facing Ye Chen, he felt utter despair.

"Fellow Daoist Ye, I am willing to be marked with a slave seal and serve as your slave for life!"

Kong Xiangli, not wishing to die, knelt on the ground and begged for mercy.

Ye Chen looked down at Kong Xiangli's aged face with no hint of pity, shaking his head, "I much preferred the confident demeanor Elder Kong had earlier!"

As the words fell, a massive purple-gold hand thundered down.

Kong Xiangli roared. But in front of Ye Chen, he had no chance to resist and was promptly crushed.

With a sweep of the Human Emperor Banner, Kong Xiangli's soul was sucked in.

Seeing everyone who opposed him eliminated cleanly, Ye Chen felt particularly satisfied.

To be honest, Ye Chen had been somewhat influenced by modern thinking before, believing that minor grievances could be let go. But his first foray into this relic had him targeted by this old schemer, which proved a point: In the world of cultivation, enemies must be eliminated. There was no room for forgetting grudges and living in peace. Otherwise, it would only lead to downfall.

Ye Chen summoned Kong Xiangli's soul from the banner and calmly asked, "Why must you kill me..."

A soul refined into the Human Emperor Banner held no secrets from its master.

"To kill Ye Chen first, letting the outside world believe it was Black Soul Elder's doing. Black Soul Elder will hide in the sect for half a year, then secretly head to the relic as bait. I would then inform Gu Yunyun of this news. The Jindan stage sect leader would set an ambush here. Gu Yunyun must die; once dead, with Green Cloud Sect left leaderless and in chaos, seize the opportunity to wage war and annex Green Cloud Sect..."

After hearing the plan, Ye Chen flicked the Human Emperor Banner, sending Kong Xiangli's soul back into torment.

Ye Chen then planned to return to his sect. Normally, there was no need to return when out on missions, but capturing a mid-stage Foundation Establishment internal traitor and uncovering a major threat to the sect's legacy necessitated a report back. It was also a good opportunity to curry favor with his master.

And the Human Emperor Banner? Ye Chen decided to keep it. In the future, it would serve as a repository for enemies' souls, not wasting any, just collecting them all. He'd slowly upgrade its level.

Should he encounter a top-tier demoness in the future, he could gift it forward. Perhaps the system would reward him with a genuine Human Emperor Banner. Wouldn't that be a direct ascent to power...

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