"How long do you think it's going to take before the Fenix Clan is wiped out?" a youth asked his nearby friends as they walked through the Crimson Valley Sect.
The youths were all in the Qi Condensation Realm, and were thus too weak to participate in the battle.
"I would imagine they're already dead," another youth sneered. "There's no way they can withstand the onslaught of our sect, as well as that mysterious sect aiding us."
"Right, right," another youth replied enthusiastically. "And when that pathetic clan is wiped from the map, these entire lands will be under the control of our sect. Think about it. Soon our sect will become the overlords of these lands, and we'll be able to do whatever we want."
The thought put a smile on all their faces, as they imagined what they would do with their new status. With the Fenix Clan out of the way, and the Bloodfiend Sect aiding them, no one would be able to get in their way.
"I heard that after the Fenix Clan is done, the war force will assault the Varis Clan. Apparently a blockade has been formed between the two sects to stop them from reinforcing each other, so it's only a matter of time," another youth replied.
Just then, each of the youths felt a strange energy wash over the sect. Their gazes all looked up towards the source of the energy, and quickly spotted a lone person hovering high in the sky above them.
"Hmm? Whose that?" one of the youths asked curiously.
"I don't know. Maybe one of those mysterious Elder's have returned," another replied.
"Crimson Valley Sect," the voice of the figure floating high above boomed out. The voice sounded quite young still, surprising all those below who were looking up at the figure.
"Your days of terrorizing this land are over. Allow me to reunite you with the rest of your sect in the underworld!"
…
John's battle axe slashed down towards the Crimson Valley Sect below as he unleashed his strongest Sky Sundering Axe.
This battle art was strong enough to injure a Heaven Tribulation Elder, and was far more than a sect as weak as the Crimson Valley Sect could handle. The Bloodfiend Sect had not gifted them with a defensive formation like the Heavenly Lightning Sect did for the Fenix Clan, which made the sect completely vulnerable.
John's Sky Sundering Axe smashed down on the sect below as he watched every sect member flee for their lives. However, there was no escape from this attack, as it reached the sect before most of the members could react.
Boom!
The Sky Sundering Axe battle art, infused with the Dao's of Power and Destruction, smashed on the sect. Its power instantly ruptured the land below, and an incredibly large explosion radiated outwards in an instant, drowning the entire Crimson Valley Sect in its power.
Cries of anguish and horror sounded out for a brief moment, before they were all drowned out by the sound of the battle art explosion. He raised his axe again and again as he unleashed successive Sky Sundering Axes on the Crimson Valley Sect.
After unleashing his barrage of attacks, John watched on with an indifferent expression as the battle arts ravaged the sect, annihilating any person it came into contact with.
The battle art explosions faded eventually, returning calm to the area once more. Where the Crimson Valley Sect had been now only existed a broken land, shattered by a might far more than it could withstand.
Every building of the sect had been reduced to rubble, and a series of large craters now existed where the sect used to reside. John scanned the sect after destroying it, but found no remaining traces of life.
His cold eyes looked at the sect for a brief moment before his body sped off into the distance once more, returning from the direction he had arrived.
Several hours later, those brave enough to approach the smouldering ruins of the Crimson Valley Sect did so. To their complete shock, the once mighty sect was now completely destroyed. The news that the Crimson Valley Sect had been annihilated quickly spread throughout all the land, as it was by far the most shocking thing that had occurred in these lands in centuries.
…
After flying back for some time, John once again found himself hovering above his Fenix Clan. The battlefield had seemingly been cleaned up of all fallen members of the Fenix Clan, and any remaining fires and hazards had been snuffed out.
John's gaze shifted deeper into the Fenix Clan to where seemingly all the Fenix Clan members had gathered. He flew towards the gathering, which was located in the Fenix Clan burial grounds. John hovered in the sky above the burial grounds, watching in silence as a procession honoring those who had given their lives for the Clan was taking place.
Over a thousand pyres had been built, each one with a corpse lying on top of it. The Clan, which was originally a clan of ten thousand members, was now whittled down to eight thousand. The Fenix Clan was a clan of fire, and through fire their members would be laid to eternal rest.
Cade Fenix, who was leading the procession, glanced at John above before he continued to address the gathered members of the Clan.
"We will now put to eternal rest those who had given their lives for our Clan. Their names will be etched in our Halls of Remembrance, their ultimate sacrifices never to be forgotten."
Everyone in the Clan bowed their heads towards the bodies as the pyres were lit up in flames. John watched with a stoic expression as thousands of his flesh and blood clan members were finally put to rest.
His fist tightened as he felt a wave of anger wash over him. Despite saving his Clan in the end, John still felt that what he had done was not enough.
'Only with absolute strength can one thrive in this world. Only with absolute strength can I ensure the safety of my people!'