Chapter 176: Power of the Heavens
The fact that destroying the Jade Chameleon Sect branch in Sixth Flawless Flowing City might result in the Rising Tide Sect gaining the enmity of not only that sect but the Swift Blizzard Sect and the Emperor’s faction as well gave Benton pause. On one hand, following through with his threat risked his sect members. On the other, showing weakness by not following through garnered just as much risk.
To a sect, there was nothing worse than a coward. Sure, one had to give higher realmed cultivators face, but if he told the Jade Chameleons he’d reign righteous fire upon them and then did nothing? No one would ever take him seriously again. His reputation would be ruined.
And his reputation as a cultivator of an unknown high realm was the only thing that might keep his people alive.
Besides, his cause was righteous. He had warned the Jade Chameleons to leave his people out of any pursuit of vengeance, and what had they done? Attacked his people.
Not only that, but they’d rubbed the fact that they were making the attack in his face.
Logically, it made sense for all three of the Golden Core cultivators to face him first back when they launched their attack on him, removing the true deterrent before moving on to killing the innocents. But that wasn’t what they did.
Instead, they sent one of the trio ahead to the village.
They knew he valued his people and wanted him to suffer, knowing that his disciples and sect members were dying as he failed to defend them.
Regardless of whether the trio had acted on their own or with the blessing of their elders, the sect deserved punishment. For a cultivator of any realm, no matter how low, one’s actions reflect back on the sect. Period. For a cultivator as highly realmed as Golden Core, that fact held doubly true.
The Jade Chameleon Sect deserved punishment, and Ye Zan deserved to have his death avenged.
Benton’s threats were fair and measured as far as he was concerned. If anything, he was being too lenient. A real Nihility realm cultivator would have simply wiped the branch off the map with no warning whatsoever.
“Well, Friend Kang,” Benton said, “we’ve enacted the proper mitigating measures, and I do believe that the deadline I gave for evacuating the sect grounds has passed. It’s time for me to become death, the destroyer of worlds.”