"..."

This response left Cheng Lv and Yuan Rong utterly speechless.

After a moment, Yuan Rong was the first to recover. She rubbed her forehead, her face a mask of exasperation. "I was wrong. I never should have tried to recruit you. What you are isn’t just arrogance or conceit—it’s utter stupidity."

"And another thing—your stupidity has annoyed me."

As she spoke, she turned to Cheng Lv, a cruel glint in her eyes. "Cheng Lv, don’t let him die too easily."

"You don’t have to tell me... This ignorant fool has enraged me, too."

SWOOSH!

He took a step forward, violently tore off his monk’s robe, and tossed it aside, baring his upper body.

Then, Zhong Ming watched with chilling eyes as he saw that the monk named Cheng Lv’s upper body was covered in a dense web of bizarre patterns.

’No, those aren’t tattoos. There’s the aura of Soul Spirits on them. He’s imprisoned the Soul Spirits of over a hundred people in his own body!’

Cultivating by eating people and imprisoning human Soul Spirits—this practice of treating humans like livestock completely crossed Zhong Ming’s line, causing his killing intent to skyrocket.

Cheng Lv felt that icy killing intent, but as he stared directly into Zhong Ming’s cold eyes, he felt no fear—only confidence and wild arrogance.

"You want to kill me? Heh, many have tried. Unfortunately for them, they all failed and became part of my collection instead. Possessing the power of a hundred men, I am invincible among those of the same realm!"

Hundred Heads King Buddha.

BOOM!

As he put his palms together and whispered the incantation, a violent torrent of Magical Power erupted from his body like a volcano.

RUMBLE...

Amidst the immense Magical Power, his body swelled like an inflating balloon, growing rapidly: two meters, three, five, seven, ten, thirteen, seventeen... nineteen... twenty-six... thirty-seven!

In the blink of an eye, he transformed from an ordinary man into a colossal giant as tall as a mountain, his body a mass of gnarled muscle and bulging, savage-looking veins.

Even more terrifying, heads writhed on his shoulders, neck, chest, limbs, and even his back—over a hundred of them in total. The eyes of every head gleamed with malice as they stared intently at Zhong Ming, emitting a suffocating pressure.

HISS...

At this sight, Zhong Ming’s expression remained unmoved, but the ordinary Cultivators who had been approaching him during the battle, hoping for his protection, all gasped in horror.

The horrifying colossus and its outrageously dense aura made them feel completely powerless to resist.

’It’s over!’

Overwhelmed by the monster’s presence, some Cultivators’ legs even gave out, and they collapsed to the ground.

"Foundation Establishment!"

"No, not an ordinary Foundation Establishment... A typical Foundation Establishment Cultivator doesn’t have even a tenth of his power." Many of the Cultivators were scared out of their wits and scrambled back.

"He’s even stronger than that sickly-looking ghost!"

"We’re really done for this time. Young Master Zhong Ming is only at the Qi Cultivation stage, after all. He was already struggling against a Foundation Establishment opponent. Against a powerful one like this... heh... It looks like we’re all going to die here today."

After revealing his True Body, the fear, despair, confusion, terror, and even hatred emanating from the ordinary Cultivators brought Cheng Lv a sense of pleasure.

However, he could also sense that Zhong Ming, standing opposite him, felt none of these things. This, in turn, made his anger flare.

He enjoyed tormenting the weak and making them feel terror.

Moreover, he had just boasted to Yuan Rong that he would make Zhong Ming regret everything before torturing him to death.

Therefore, Zhong Ming’s current calm filled him with displeasure.

BAM!

Taking a step forward, Cheng Lv looked down at Zhong Ming, his massive Shadow completely engulfing him. His voice was thick with contempt and cruelty. "You lowly mutt, do you feel the difference between us now? ...Huh?!"

"AHHH!!!!"

Before he could finish his taunting threat, Cheng Lv let out a blood-curdling scream.

Just as he was about to strike, his gaze had inadvertently met Zhong Ming’s left eye.

And then, within Zhong Ming’s left eye, a blazing golden Great Sun had appeared! Magnificent golden light pierced the darkness as countless incandescent flames erupted from the Great Sun. Following the connection of their gazes, the golden light and flames instantly latched onto Cheng Lv’s body and Divine Soul!

TZZZSSS...

BOOM!

The sound of flames searing flesh was ear-piercing. In a short moment, endless flames had spread over his entire body.

Naturally, Cheng Lv’s body was inscribed with numerous Defense Techniques and Array Patterns. However, cultivating by using humans as sacrifices was considered evil, both by the world’s judgment and in Zhong Ming’s heart.

As such, he was completely suppressed by Zhong Ming’s Breaking Evil Golden Light and Purifying Flame.

Thus, the Defense Techniques and protective Array Patterns that automatically activated on his body were like paper before the Breaking Evil Golden Light, torn apart with ease.

The Purifying Flame that followed used the evil power within his body as fuel, blazing fiercely and burning his Divine Soul with such excruciating pain that he let out another blood-curdling scream.

Because the Breaking Evil Golden Light and Purifying Flame both attacked the Soul Spirit directly, this burning was like being roasted on a pyre, forcing him to endure the torments of Purgatory.

However, hearing his screams, Zhong Ming showed no sign of pleasure. Instead, his brow twitched.

He could feel that the Purifying Flame had not damaged Cheng Lv’s foundation. The current Flame alone would not be enough to incinerate him completely.