Infinite Slaughter System: I Kill, Therefore I Ascend!

Chapter 239: The Humiliation of Li Ling! 2

Li Ling slowly pushed himself up from the ground.

His cheek burned, his jaw ached, and his ears rang faintly.

There was even a slight metallic taste in his mouth, not because his body could not heal such a small injury, but because the force behind that casual slap had penetrated past flesh and struck something deeper, making his blood and qi tremble together.

If this had been anyone else, perhaps they would have roared, or heck, maybe they would have cried.

It was even possible that they would have felt shame so intense that their Dao Heart cracked on the spot.

After all, for a cultivator, especially a demonic cultivator, face was not some empty cultural concept.

It was the visible expression of power, status, dignity, deterrence, and future value.

To be slapped in public like this, immediately after being crowned Demon Emperor and accepted as the Sect Master’s personal disciple, was not merely physical humiliation, but a direct crushing of his newly formed prestige.

However, Li Ling did not immediately show anger.

Rather, his dark blue eyes remained lowered, hiding everything within them.

Tian Moshen looked at him coldly for a moment, then took another step.

Once again, space seemed to lose its meaning.

The noble and resplendent elder appeared directly before Li Ling, looking down at him with golden-red eyes that carried the weight of an ancient mountain and the sharpness of heavenly judgment.

"Raise your head," Tian Moshen said coldly.

Li Ling slowly raised his head.

The left side of his face was slightly swollen, and a thin line of blood still remained at the corner of his lips.

His new white-and-red robes were still spotless, which actually made the scene feel even more mocking, because he looked like a newly crowned prince whose body had been beaten while his ceremonial clothes were carefully preserved.

Tian Moshen stared into his eyes.

"Do you have grievances?"

The hall became silent.

"Are you angry?"

No one dared to breathe loudly.

"Are you indignant?"

Tian Moshen’s eyes narrowed slightly.

"Do you hate this Ancestor?"

His voice became colder.

"Do you want to kill me?"

The final question landed like thunder in the minds of everyone present.

Even Ming Yue’s pupils constricted slightly, and Jun Wusheng’s calm golden eyes moved a fraction.

Asking such a question in this place was not casual.

For a junior to answer wrongly before a Semi-Immortal Ancestor was no different from signing his death warrant with his own mouth.

If Li Ling said yes, he would die.

If he said no but his Dao Heart trembled, he might still die.

If he lied too badly, he might be crushed on the spot for insulting the Ancestor’s perception.

And yet, what Tian Moshen asked was clearly not a question that wanted safety.

It was a trap.

Or perhaps, a test.

Or perhaps, given the unreasonable behavior so far, it was both and neither.

Li Ling looked at Tian Moshen’s cold face, and his thoughts moved in a direction that had nothing to do with whether he was angry or indignant.

He was thinking much farther than that.

For example, he was idly wondering what kind of sound this noble old monster would make if his soul was stripped from his body, bound in chains forged from karmic resentment, and boiled slowly in a vat of tainted chaotic essence.

It would probably not be like ordinary fire.

No, something like tainted chaotic essence should be closer to acid, but not acid that merely melted flesh.

It should melt structure, meaning, memory, karma, and existence itself, corroding the soul from the outside inward and the inside outward at the same time.

Would a Semi-Immortal scream like a mortal?

Would his soul roar with dignity?

Would it curse?

Would it beg?

Would it try to maintain its noble bearing even as every layer of immortal fragrance was peeled away like rotten skin from bone?

Li Ling was genuinely curious.

Unfortunately, curiosity was one thing, and speaking honestly was another.

So his mouth moved differently from his thoughts.

Li Ling managed a thin smile, cupping his fists with visible difficulty.

"Junior would not dare to think that way about the Ancestor."

His tone was respectful and his answer was correct, very correct.

Correct enough that, under normal circumstances, it should have been enough to pass through the matter without further trouble.

Unfortunately, Tian Moshen’s face showed no satisfaction.

Rather, disappointment flashed across his eyes, the kind of disappointment one showed after buying a famous sword, drawing it from its sheath, and finding that the blade was merely painted wood.

"Hmph."

Tian Moshen’s harrumph was soft this time, but it carried more contempt than his earlier palm strike.

"So that is all?"

Li Ling did not answer.

Tian Moshen looked down at him and spoke with cold disdain.

"I thought the one who dared to bear the title Demon Emperor would be a wolf. A beast that would bare its fangs at any threat before it, even if that threat came from the heavens themselves."

His eyes narrowed.

"But it turns out that you are merely another snake hiding in the grass."

The words echoed through the Ancestral Hall.

"A creature that smiles when stepped on, lowers its head when beaten, and coils itself deeper into the shadows while pretending that patience is wisdom."

Tian Moshen’s robes fluttered faintly despite there being no wind.

"My Six Paths Demon Sect has plenty of snakes."

His voice became even colder.

"What we lack is not another one."

The hall remained silent, but the silence had changed again.

At first, when Tian Moshen showed displeasure toward Li Ling, many people’s attitudes had shifted instinctively.

Some had become cold, some had become calculating, and some had even felt a faint joy at seeing this newly rising Demon Emperor being suppressed before he could truly spread his wings.

But now, that joy was gone.

Or rather, among the truly old monsters present, it had never properly taken root in the first place.

Confusion had replaced it, then unease, and then fear.

Because by this point, everyone had realized one thing.

Li Ling was just as clueless as they were, and that was the problem.

At first, some had assumed that Li Ling had done something.

Perhaps he had offended Tian Moshen unknowingly, or maybe his title had touched some hidden taboo.

It could also be that Ming Yue had overstepped in a matter only the Ancestor could decide.

Heck, it could even be that the Ancestor had seen something during the ceremony that others could not see.

There were many possible explanations.

In the cultivation world, especially inside a demonic sect, cause and effect were rarely visible at a glance.

However, after watching Li Ling’s reaction, hearing Tian Moshen’s words, and feeling the increasingly unreasonable direction of the matter, the sharper minds present began to understand that there might not be a clean explanation at all.

Or if there was one, it was not one that had been shared with them, and that was terrifying.

Maybe if this had happened in the lower layer, the disciples there would have felt mindless pleasure.

They would have laughed, sneered, and thought that since Li Ling had fallen out of favor with the Ancestor, they should find chances to step on him too.

After all, weak people often enjoyed watching strong people be humiliated, because it gave them the illusion that the world had become fair for a moment.

But those present here were not lower-layer disciples.

They were True Inheritors, Grand Elders, personal disciples of the Sect Master, and high-level representatives who had lived long enough to know that random suppression was never something to celebrate.

If a generational talent like Li Ling could be treated this way arbitrarily, then what about them?

What about their disciples?

Their descendants?

Their clans?

Their factions?

Their carefully arranged lines of inheritance?

Li Ling was monstrous, yes, but that was precisely why most of them did not actually harbor deep hostility toward him.

He was too exceptional.

A person like him would not stay in the lower realm for long if he lived.

He would shoot upward toward the immortal realm like a flaming arrow, burning through each level of the sect’s hierarchy before most people could even decide whether to befriend him or avoid him.

Such a person did not truly infringe upon their ordinary interests.

If anything, investing in him might have been more worthwhile than suppressing him.

The ones who had reason to feel competitive pressure were mainly Ming Yue’s other personal disciples, because Li Ling now stood in the same lineage as them.

Yet even they were silent, their expressions unreadable or faintly troubled, because none of them could properly grasp what was happening.

Xue Jiuling’s smile had faded.

Gu Qingsi no longer looked sleepy.

Mu Qingya’s bright green eyes had narrowed.

Even Jun Wusheng’s calm gaze had deepened slightly.

Many eyes quietly moved toward Ming Yue, seeking guidance for what was going on.

But Ming Yue’s face was also grim and puzzled.

Really.

What the hell had Li Ling done?

Tian Moshen seemed to lose interest in Li Ling’s face after berating him.

He waved his sleeve casually.

"From today onward, this Ancestor does not acknowledge Li Ling."

The words fell like stones into a still lake, and ripples spread through the hall at once.

Ming Yue’s expression changed slightly.

Tian Moshen continued coldly, "His status as your fifth disciple may remain. His benefits, authority, robes, token, and title under your name may remain as well."

His gaze moved from Li Ling to Ming Yue.

"But do not expect this Ancestor to recognize him as a true seed of the Six Paths."

The atmosphere became heavier, but Tian Moshen’s next words made it worse.

"Also, from this day forward, I will personally arrange his training and tasks."

The True Inheritors’ eyes shifted, the Grand Elders’ faces became strange, and even Ming Yue could no longer remain silent.

"Ancestor..."

Tian Moshen ignored him.

"This almighty Demon Emperor must not become a flash in the pan, no?"

His golden-red eyes returned to Li Ling.

"Since he bears such a title, then he should naturally accomplish something worthy of it."

Li Ling’s expression remained calm, but his thoughts became even more focused.

Here it comes, huh?

The kick in the balls.

Tsk, tsk, that humiliation had been only the appetizer, terrible as it was.

But wouldn’t you know it, the main dish was now here for all to savor.

Tian Moshen placed one hand behind his back and spoke as if he was assigning a child to sweep fallen leaves from a courtyard.

"Li Ling’s first task shall be to enter the Eastern Wastes, conquer them single-handedly, and rekindle their vitality within one hundred years."

For a breath, no one reacted.

It was not because the words were simple, but because the words were too absurd.

Then Tian Moshen added the final part.

"If he fails, he shall be executed summarily."

BOOM!

The hall erupted as several Grand Elders actually rose to their feet, fury in their expressions.

Even a few True Inheritors could not control their expressions.

"Ancestor, this... this is outrageous!!"

"The Eastern Wastes?!"

"Single-handedly?"

"Within one hundred years?!"

"That is not training, that is...!!"

No one finished the final sentence, but everyone understood it.

Death.

That was not a task, that was a death decree wearing the guise of a training mission.

It was one thing to bully Li Ling.

It was one thing to test him, humiliate him, slap him, pressure him, or refuse to acknowledge him.

But to send him alone to conquer the Eastern Wastes and rekindle their vitality within one hundred years, then declare summary execution upon failure?

Why not just kill him now and get it over with?

What was the use of such theatrics?

Even those who did not like Li Ling felt their scalps go numb, because this was no longer about Li Ling.

This was about precedent.

If the Ancestor could randomly impose an impossible death mission on the Sect Master’s newly accepted personal disciple, then whose disciple was safe? Whose descendant was safe? Whose faction seed was safe?

Ming Yue’s face became thoroughly ugly.

"Ancestor, this matter—"

"Enough!" Tian Moshen roared.

The sound was not loud in the ordinary sense, but the moment it emerged, the entire Ancestral Hall shook as if a hidden immortal mountain had smashed into its foundations.

A terrifying aura erupted from Tian Moshen’s body.

For the first time since appearing, he released something that was not casual pressure, but naked killing intent!

And it did not only fall upon Li Ling, but swept across everyone, from True Inheritors to Grand Elders, Ming Yue’s personal disciples, and even Ming Yue himself!

The hall froze instantly.

The Grand Elders who had risen felt their bodies sink back into their seats as if pressed down by invisible hands, these eighth-realm Grand Elders actually feeling cold sweat form on their backs.

Even Ming Yue, whose expression had been ugly, fell silent under that killing intent, his golden eyes becoming deeper and colder than before.

For a terrifying moment, everyone understood.

Tian Moshen was not bluffing.

If anyone dared to speak again, he might truly disregard all consequences and kill them.

Grand Elders?

He would kill them.

True Inheritors?

He would kill them.

Ming Yue’s personal disciples?

He would kill them.

Even if Ming Yue himself continued to object, Tian Moshen’s killing intent made it clear that he was willing to tear open a wound in the sect’s lineage today if necessary.

This had never happened before, not in any record known to the present generation.

The Ancestor had always been the sect’s deterrent, the supreme hidden pillar, the final guarantee against righteous path destruction and immortal-level threats.

He was not supposed to personally interfere in a discipleship ceremony, slap a third-realm junior in public, and impose an impossible death mission on a newly accepted personal disciple.

And he was absolutely not supposed to release killing intent toward the upper echelon of the sect, including the Sect Master himself!

In that instant, many people felt a chill far deeper than fear of death.

They felt history moving.

This was going to be a landmark moment in the lineage of the Six Paths Demon Sect, a huge turning point in their fate.

Whether toward disaster or transformation, none of them knew, but no one present would ever forget this day.

Tian Moshen swept his cold gaze across the silent hall and snorted with satisfaction.

Then he flung his sleeves.

"Ming Yue, remain."

His voice was cold and unquestionable.

"As for the rest of you..."

His golden-red eyes flashed.

"Scram!"