Chapter 728: You Also Know Pain

The master of the fully developed Thunder Arts was none other than Jiang Fan!

A brief, deadly silence fell over the Giant Sect. For a moment, they struggled to reconcile the revered senior with the Jiang Fan standing before their eyes. Not until the horrifying sound of spurting blood echoed.

Blood erupted from Xue Wanzhong's chest, gushing forth like a fountain as his head was crushed. Only then did everyone grasp the brutal truth: Xue Wanzhong had been killed! He was a rare half-giant bloodline, the Giant Sect's contemporary prodigy, second only to Jin Zhongming. He was gone!

Kong Yuanba snapped back to reality, letting out a cry: "Wanzhong!!!" This was the disciple he had poured the most effort into; even Jin Zhongming couldn't compare. From the very beginning, he had personally taught him how to cultivate, how to harness his ancient giant bloodline, how to apply force, how to boost his vitality... Watching him grow rapidly, winning one honor after another, Kong Yuanba smiled outwardly, his heart filled with joy.

If all went as planned, in a few years, he would promote Xue Wanzhong to elder. In two decades, when he himself retired as a Grand Elder, Xue Wanzhong and Jin Zhongming would jointly bear the immense responsibility of the Giant Sect. The satisfaction and accomplishment of watching his own 'child' grow into a towering figure were priceless, unobtainable with any amount of spirit stones or resources. The happiness it brought was beyond words.

But everything came to an abrupt halt. Staring at Xue Wanzhong's headless body, he let out a sorrowful roar: "No!!!" He could not accept that someone so vital to him was gone! A twisting, knife-like pain spread through his chest. He clutched his chest, his face contorted in agony.

"So, the Giant Sect understands that hearts can feel pain," Jiang Fan snarled, his face contorted with murderous intent. "Then why did you kill Li Qingfeng? If you had a grievance, why not come for me? Why kill him? Why?"

"What was Li Qingfeng?" Kong Yuanba roared back, his eyes bloodshot. "Just a useless old wretch whose cultivation had peaked! Is his life worth a single hair on my disciple's head?! You killed my disciple for that old man! I'll make sure you die a miserable death!!!"

His muscles bulged, and blue veins twisted like earthworms across his body. Fine blue veins also covered his face, and beneath his ferocious features, he resembled a fanged, blue-faced demon.

"Die! You must die!" he roared. "I don't care about the Heavenly Mechanism Pavilion anymore! Today, even if the Heavenly King himself intervenes, you will die!!!"

Jiang Fan laughed, a furious, upward-gazing laugh. "You ask what Li Qingfeng was? Then I'll tell you! For his death, your entire Giant Sect will pay the ultimate price!"

With a flick of his sleeve, a purple sword light instantly pierced through a shirtless disciple who was queuing to 'enjoy' Xu Yining. *Thump*—Blood splattered. An egg-sized hole gaped in the disciple's neck. Through it, the terrified expression on the face of the disciple standing behind him was visible. His terror, however, didn't last long. The purple light mercilessly pierced his heart, leaving another bloody hole. In an instant, two disciples were slain. Both were direct disciples personally named by Kong Yuanba—the most important ones besides Jin Zhongming and Xue Wanzhong!

"Ah! Jiang Fan!" Kong Yuanba roared, his colossal figure lunging forward like a mountain.

Jiang Fan was not in a hurry to kill him. With nimble footwork, he moved, catching the purple light and seizing it in his hand. Then, with a swift movement of his hand and a downward sweep of his sword, he decapitated a shirtless male disciple! With another leap, he cleaved a spirit beast and the naked disciple on its back in two with a single sword stroke.

Blood sprayed, and screams echoed. The disciples who had just been queuing to 'enjoy' the beautiful woman were instantly subjected to a horrific, bloody massacre! They hastily donned their clothes, attempting to blend in unnoticed. But Jiang Fan's speed was too great! He cut them down like grass, efficiently and without hesitation. The purple sword in his hand was unparalleled in sharpness. Whatever dared to block it was effortlessly sliced in two, like tofu.

Within the ten breaths it took Kong Yuanba to give chase, over a dozen shirtless disciples lay brutally slain on the spot! And every single one was a direct disciple favored by Kong Yuanba! Jiang Fan systematically executed them all, following the very list Kong Yuanba had announced earlier!

"No!" Kong Yuanba shrieked, his eyes bulging with fury. "Jiang Fan, you will die a terrible death!" Except for Jin Zhongming, all his disciples were dead! Every single one!!!

Jiang Fan's murderous intent intensified. "Can't handle this already?" he sneered. "Don't worry! This is just the beginning!"

Suddenly, Jiang Fan reached behind him. The Tenth Elder of the Giant Sect had, unnoticed, appeared there. A hand, covered in long black nails clearly laced with potent venom, thrust fiercely towards Jiang Fan's back. "Die, you little beast!" the elder snarled, enraged that so many Giant Sect disciples had been killed. Damn him! Yet, as if sensing it, Jiang Fan's palm instantly blocked the attack.

The Tenth Elder smirked. Decades of body tempering had made his hands like steel blades, capable of effortlessly piercing any body. His ten fingers were also coated in potent venom, strong enough to instantly kill any mid-stage Core Formation cultivator. Even late-stage Core Formation cultivators would be severely poisoned. However, when his fingers struck Jiang Fan's palm, his ten fingernails snapped with a crunch. It was as if Jiang Fan's hand was forged from profound iron.

"Not good!" Realizing the peril, the Tenth Elder decisively pulled his hand back. Jiang Fan didn't even turn his head, casually slapping the elder's arm.

The Tenth Elder's mouth twitched in pain. He shook his stinging arm and retreated to a distance. "Hmph!" he scoffed. "Rumor says your body tempering is impressive. You truly have some skill if you can actually make my body ache! But that's all it is. Daring to invade my Giant Sect today and slaughter my disciples? This small amount of body tempering won't save you!" he snapped.

From behind him, the Sixth Elder let out a horrified cry: "Elder Lin! Your hand!" The Tenth Elder froze. He raised his arm, and his face solidified in horror. The arm that Jiang Fan had slapped was rapidly decaying into black liquid, dripping and dissolving.

"I'm poisoned?" For a blank moment, he was bewildered. Then, all his skin began to fester into black liquid. The delayed pain finally registered in his mind. "Ah, save me... Sect Master, save me..." He struggled to run towards Kong Yuanba, but before his right foot could even touch the ground, his body had already dissolved into a putrid mass, crumbling with a wet *splat*. It melted a gaping hole in the ancient, unyielding ice and snow.

A collective gasp rippled through the crowd! They had seen poisons that could melt flesh, but never had they seen a person's *own* poisonous ability cause such rapid disintegration!

Jiang Fan turned around, his expression chilling. Like a god of slaughter, he stated: "One more for the burial." As he spoke, he strode towards the nearest Fifth Elder. Startled, the elder bellowed, "What are you all gawking at? Kill him already!" The elder himself backed away, creating distance. He dared not make physical contact, fearing the same fate as the Tenth Elder. He drew the iron staff from his waist. He swung it fiercely at the approaching Jiang Fan. "How dare you!" he roared.

Jiang Fan was moving through the Giant Sect's strongest like an unstoppable force. It was as if he held the Giant Sect in utter contempt! Jiang Fan didn't even glance at it. With a single sweep of his purple sword, he effortlessly sliced the clearly high-quality iron staff into two pieces.

The Fifth Elder's pupils constricted. "What kind of sword is that?" he gasped. "It can cut through even a high-grade artifact? Purple... wait!" His eyes widened in realization. "That's the sword that killed First Elder Tie Bubai! It's you! You're the one who murdered the First Elder!"