Chapter 91: The Death of Yang Yun-From Servant to Saint: The Path to Enlightenment(The mountains rise high beneath a small, distant moon.)

"I..." Yang Yun opened her mouth, momentarily at a loss for words.

Shen Yan, however, paid her no further mind. His gaze swept over all of the Jade Immortal Sect, his expression brimming with murderous intent as he declared, "Yang Yun will die today without a doubt. Do any of you Jade Immortal Sect cultivators have anything to say?"

"Yang Yun will die today without a doubt. Do any of you Jade Immortal Sect cultivators have anything to say?"

Three times his voice rang out, echoing across the sect. Not a single cultivator spoke, not even Liu Jing, who was in the middle stage of Foundation Establishment. He kept his lips tightly sealed, unable to respond.

Yang Yun looked around, stepped forward, and drew out a hairpin shimmering with spiritual light. "Shen Yan, even if I die here today, I won't let you get away unscathed!"

Though she spoke fiercely, her gaze was evasive, her divine sense darting among her fellow disciples, searching desperately for a way to escape.

Seeing Yang Yun still plotting a way out despite her dire straits, Shen Yan couldn't help but admire her will to survive. Had it been any other cultivator, faced with a powerful Foundation Establishment adversary, they would have long since collapsed in fear.

With a sudden surge of force from the Shadowstep Boots at his feet, Shen Yan's figure vanished from sight, reappearing before Yang Yun in a blur of motion.

"So fast..." The two Foundation Establishment cultivators watching were struck with dread. Previously, they had been disgruntled by Shen Yan's sneak attack, but now they secretly felt relieved. Had Shen Yan intended to kill them, they would surely be corpses by now.

Even those two, seasoned as they were, felt this fear; the Qi Refining cultivators were even more helpless. Save for a few with exceptional spiritual senses, none could even comprehend Shen Yan's movements. Before they could react, the Flowing Cloud Sword in Shen Yan's hand pierced Yang Yun's dantian.

A piercing, wretched scream burst from Yang Yun's lips. With a single thrust, Shen Yan destroyed her dantian. The spiritual power she had painstakingly cultivated to perfection surged violently through her body as her core shattered, twisting her form in agony.

Witnessing Yang Yun's fate, the others were shaken. In the future, they realized, one must either abstain from action or pursue it to the bitter end; otherwise, Yang Yun’s present would become their tomorrow.

"First, I sever your path to immortality; then, I sever your path to life!" The cold voice echoed in Yang Yun's ears. Her expression contorted with terror. A damaged dantian was not incurable, but if body and soul perished, all hope was lost.

Now, stripped of all power, she could not even flee. Even simple movement was a struggle. She could only watch, helpless, as her once-beloved Flowing Cloud Sword drew near her throat.

"Stop!"

Suddenly, a sharp voice rang out from the horizon. Upon hearing it, a flicker of hope flashed in Yang Yun's eyes.

Shen Yan, however, merely curled his lips in a slight smile. "At last, you arrive."

With a flourish, the sword light on the Flowing Cloud Sword surged, and in one swift motion he beheaded Yang Yun, sending her to the underworld alongside her family.

Even in death, Yang Yun's face retained a trace of joy—the moment Shen Yan had been waiting for.

Since Yang Yun had appeared, Shen Yan had deliberately sowed confusion, surprise, and suspicion. When he revealed his identity, he let Yang Yun experience shock, regret, and despair. Yet it was not enough; he had to let her glimpse hope in the midst of despair, then ruthlessly extinguish it, so he could finally let go of this hatred.

Now Yang Yun was dead. True essence surged through Shen Yan’s body, and harsh sword lights shot out from him, shredding Yang Yun’s corpse and the heads of all the Yang clan, leaving nothing intact.

In the world of cultivation, all manner of strange techniques exist, especially among demon and ghost cultivators. As a perfected Qi Refining cultivator, Yang Yun might still have had a chance to turn to the ghost path.

Thus, he had to root out all traces, leaving no future threat.

Once Shen Yan had destroyed everything, the one who had cried out from afar arrived near Lotus Island.

"Senior Sister Yu Xing," Liu Jing called out weakly, greeting the newcomer.

"Greetings, Elder Yu Xing." The Qi Refining cultivators of Jade Immortal Sect saluted respectfully, then quietly retreated to avoid being caught in the crossfire should Elder Yu Xing and Shen Yan come to blows.

The cultivators of the Sunflower Water Sect likewise retreated with excitement—internal strife had erupted among the Jade Immortal Sect! For Sunflower Water Sect, whether Liu Jing, Shen Yan, or Yu Xing perished here, it would be a favorable outcome.

Though Fang Chun wanted to win Shen Yan over, if all three Foundation Establishment cultivators from Jade Immortal Sect died here, he considered it a perfect ending too.

Yet Shen Yan had no intention of contending with Elder Yu Xing. This pattern of fighting the disciple, then the master, was all too common in the cultivation world.

"You dare kill my disciple..." Elder Yu Xing, though appearing young and elegant, now wore a dark, stormy expression. Clearly, Yang Yun's death had enraged her.

Faced with Yu Xing’s accusing glare, Shen Yan paid her no heed. He returned to Lotus Island, gathering the array disks and cultivation supplies he had placed there, stowing them in his storage pouch.

Seeing Shen Yan ignore her, Elder Yu Xing was furious and was about to act when Liu Jing quickly called out, "Senior Sister Yu Xing, Senior Sister Yu Xing, don’t!"

"Hmm?" Yu Xing glanced at Liu Jing, her eyes flashing with disgust. This fellow was disdained not only by outsiders but by members of Jade Immortal Sect itself.

Still unaware of the situation, Yu Xing suppressed her anger and questioned, "Liu Jing, you came here with Yang Yun. She was killed, and you just watched?"

Liu Jing gave a dry laugh, coughed, and explained, "Senior Sister, you do not know the truth. Our speculation within the sect was wrong—the culprit isn’t Zhou Shun, but rather a disciple Yang Yun brought to the island."

"Yang Yun brought to the island?" Elder Yu Xing was taken aback, then quickly realized, "When one becomes a core disciple, the sect permits bringing mortals into the sect. He must be one of those?"

Liu Jing nodded—he had heard this from Yu Qing, a core disciple on Quiet Cloud Island.

Yu Xing’s face suddenly brightened with excitement. "Three years ago, I forced Yang Yun from late Qi Refining to perfection; this man managed to reach Foundation Establishment from mortal in three years—he must possess a great fortune!"

Greed flashed in Yu Xing's eyes. Yang Yun's death was now inconsequential to her; all her attention was fixed on the treasures.

But Liu Jing could only smile bitterly, bowing to Yu Xing: "Senior Sister, this man is strong. I am no match for him."

Yu Xing scoffed at Liu Jing's words. Though Liu Jing was mid-stage Foundation Establishment, his combat prowess was at best early-stage, perhaps even less.