Rayn hear the Dawinton insult again and in anger he replied :"You dumb motherfucker," Rayn replied coldly. "If I were in your position, I would have already killed the enemy, not stood around having a fucking conversation. That hesitation is exactly why your own son tried to put you in the grave."
BOOM!
Driven completely mad by the insult, Dawinton lunged forward, thrusting his massive coin-forged sword directly into Rayn's exposed stomach.
SHHHLUCK!
The blade pierced clean through Rayn's abdomen. But Dawinton didn't stop there. He twisted the hilt, and the thousands of heavy gold coins that made up the blade suddenly detached, violently spreading out inside Rayn's body. The coins acted like miniature buzzsaws, ruthlessly tearing through Rayn's intestines, organs, and meridians from the inside out.
Blood exploded from Rayn's mouth, pores, and the massive exit wound in his back. It was an attack designed to completely pulverize a cultivator's internal foundation.
But to Dawinton's absolute horror, Rayn didn't scream. He didn't even grunt in pain.
Instead, Rayn just smiled. A terrifying, victorious, demonic smile.
"Do you really think you won, Dawinton?" Rayn whispered, his voice incredibly calm despite his insides being actively shredded into meat paste. "You are completely wrong. And I am correct. I told you I was going to kill you."
Rayn hadn't screamed out of pain because he had already mathematically calculated this exact sequence of events. He knew he had won from the very start.
Rayn slowly tilted his chin down and looked the old man dead in the eyes. "Hey, old bag. Why don't you check your blind spot?"
Dawinton's breath hitched. A profound sense of lethal danger exploded in his mind. He forcefully snapped his head to look behind him.
Materializing completely out of the void, totally unperceived by any of Dawinton's Phase 5 senses, was a terrifying broadsword. It was Rayn's ultimate weapon—the Conqueror Sword. It was a terrifying demonic artifact completely wreathed in violent crimson thunder, literally forged and nourished by the blood, resentment, and souls of every single person and monster Rayn had slaughtered up until this very moment.
Before Dawinton could even attempt to dodge, the crimson blade shot forward with the speed of a divine tribulation.
PCHHHK!
The Conqueror Sword violently impaled Dawinton straight through the spine, the bloody tip bursting out the front of his stomach.
"ARGHHHHHHHHHH!"
An unearthly, agonizing scream ripped from Dawinton's throat. This wasn't just a physical wound. The crimson thunder of the Conqueror Sword violently invaded his spiritual sea, acting like a parasitic vortex. It began to ruthlessly devour and siphon every single drop of gnosis, qi, and life force inside Dawinton's body. The absolute extreme agony completely overwhelmed his nervous system; it was a torture far worse than simple death. His soul was literally being shredded and eaten alive.
Rayn, still suspended in the air with his own guts shredded, looked down at the screaming old man. "See? I am always exactly one step ahead of all of you."
Despite his horrific injuries, Rayn slowly lifted his right hand and presented a violently bloody, perfectly extended middle finger directly to Dawinton's face.
Because all of Dawinton's gnosis was being violently sucked away by the Conqueror Sword, the spatial lock holding Rayn completely failed. The massive coin sword buried in Rayn's stomach lost its form, instantly dissolving into harmless white smoke.
Rayn heavily crashed onto the frozen ground. He violently coughed up three massive mouthfuls of black, coagulated blood. Gritting his teeth, he forced his completely mangled body to stand back up.
He looked at Dawinton. The legendary Town Leader was now hovering on the absolute brink of death. Stripped of his gnosis and life force, the old man had rapidly withered. His muscles had completely atrophied, his skin pulling tight against his bones until he looked like a mummified skeleton who had lost every ounce of energy in his entire existence.
Rayn extended his hand. With a sharp mental command, the crimson Conqueror Sword brutally ripped itself backward out of Dawinton's spine and flew perfectly into Rayn's grasp. Rayn's glowing red eyes locked onto the withered old man, radiating a pure, unfiltered killing intent that demanded total execution without a shred of hesitation.
Dawinton collapsed to the floor, coughing up dust and dried blood. Yet, as his faded blue eyes looked up at the terrifying young man, there was no longer any hatred. There was only profound, absolute admiration. This was a kid who knew his opponent was vastly stronger, yet completely dismantled him through sheer, unlimited determination, psychological warfare, and unparalleled ruthlessness.
"Before... before you kill me, junior..." Dawinton gasped, his voice sounding like dry leaves scraping across a stone. "I have... questions. What the fuck is that terrifying power? How did I completely fail to notice that crimson sword materializing behind me? And... how did you command it to strike when I had completely frozen your entire existence with my ultimate spatial lock?"
Rayn stood over him like an executioner. He rested the heavy crimson blade against his shoulder.
"You old bastard, you said that was one question, but that was clearly three," Rayn sneered coldly. "But since you are about to die, I'll humor you."
Rayn held up three bloody fingers, counting them down.
"First," Rayn said, his voice echoing with absolute authority, "The core power you are looking at is something your limited, ancient brain could never possibly comprehend. It defies the Heavens themselves. So I'm not going to waste my breath trying to explain it to a dying dog."
"Second," he continued, lowering a finger. "You didn't sense my sword because I used the ultimate profound application of the Void Scribe. I completely muted the sword's existence. I erased its sound, its qi signature, and its presence from reality until the exact microsecond it pierced your spine."
"Third," Rayn smirked, lowering his final finger, his eyes flashing with supreme arrogance. "I was able to command my sword while completely frozen by your absolute law because my fundamental power is far, far greater than whatever pathetic, false God granted you your domain!"
Hearing these heaven-shattering answers, Dawinton's mind spun. He still had a million more questions about the boy's monstrous physiology and absolute Dao, but he knew he was out of time. He closed his eyes, completely accepting his fate.
"Do it, then," Dawinton whispered, silently offering his neck. "Kill me."
Rayn's eyes narrowed. He lifted the heavy, blood-soaked Conqueror Sword high into the air, the crimson lightning crackling violently. He swung it down with the force of a falling meteor.
But suddenly... the sword vanished. It completely dissipated into thin air.
Dawinton slowly opened his eyes, confused. Rayn was kneeling down, extending his bloody, open hand right in front of Dawinton's withered face.
Rayn's psychotic killing intent had completely vanished, replaced by a sharp, calculating glint. "Hey, old ghost. Do you want to join my team and help me completely butcher that motherfucking Sterling Family and tear the Sterling Town Leader to pieces?"
Dawinton stared at the outstretched hand in total shock. His skeletal face twitched, and then, slowly, a look of profound respect washed over him. He was completely drained of energy and couldn't even lift his arm to shake Rayn's hand, but he forced a bloody, cracked smile.
"I will help you... kill... that absolute motherfucker..." Dawinton rasped out, his voice filled with newfound, vengeful determination.
Rayn let out a genuine, exhausted laugh. Dawinton joined in, a weak, wheezing chuckle. Having reached an absolute, unspoken pact forged in blood and mutual madness, the adrenaline finally left their bodies. Simultaneously, both the monstrous youth and the ancient Town Leader collapsed onto the icy floor, falling completely unconscious.
From the shadows, Vespera finally stepped forward. She walked over the shattered earth, her high heels clicking softly in the absolute silence.
She stood over Dawinton's withered body and carefully inspected the horrific damage. She noticed something the old man hadn't. Aside from the massive sword wound, Dawinton's entire back and ribcage were completely pulverized, covered in deep, purple contusions and fractured bones.
Vespera's eyes widened slightly in realization. Rayn didn't just defeat him with that final sword strike, she thought, her mind piecing together the battle. Back when the demonic beast blasted Rayn with that plasma beam, filling the cavern with thick smoke... Rayn didn't just cut the beast's wings. Under the cover of that smoke, using his bare fists wrapped in his Conqueror Power, he had ruthlessly battered Dawinton's ribs and spine without the old man even realizing the true extent of the damage.
Rayn had been secretly breaking Dawinton down, completely setting the stage for the crimson sword to effortlessly pierce his defense. He had let the Conqueror power slowly rot Dawinton from the inside out before delivering the final blow.
Vespera looked at her unconscious husband, and then at the skeletal old man beside him. A rare, genuinely amused smile graced her perfect lips.
"You're both absolutely ruthless, completely psychotic motherfuckers," she whispered into the dark.