Supreme Taming Authority

Chapter 73: Success

"No!" the woman cried. Despair flooded her face.

She’d used her only escape method. No other options remained. Death was certain now.

Xian Tiandi appeared in front of her, moving faster than she could track. Her eyes couldn’t follow his movement.

One moment he was several meters away. The next he stood directly before her. His palm struck her forehead before she could defend or even flinch.

Chaos energy flooded into her skull through the contact point. It destroyed her brain and spiritual sea simultaneously, reducing both to nothing.

Her eyes went blank immediately, consciousness extinguished in an instant. She collapsed like a puppet with cut strings, her body hitting the ground with a dull thud.

But Xian Tiandi wasn’t finished with her corpse. He couldn’t leave bodies that might be examined later.

The Four Symbols Sect would investigate if they found corpses of Four Spirits Sect members here in their territory. Autopsies might reveal the chaos element energy. That could lead to questions he didn’t want to answer.

He placed both hands on the woman’s body and channeled more chaos energy into it. "Complete Erasure."

This was a technique specifically designed for destroying evidence. It required more energy than simple killing but ensured nothing remained behind.

The corpse began breaking down just like her partner’s had. Flesh dissolved first, becoming fine particles that vanished. Bone followed shortly after.

Clothing, hair, spatial ring, everything broke down into nothingness. Within a minute, all evidence of her existence was gone completely.

Even the blood she’d spilled evaporated, consumed by residual chaos energy.

Xian Tiandi stood alone in the plaza, breathing heavily. The enhancement pills were wearing off now, their temporary effects fading. He could feel exhaustion creeping through his limbs.

His spiritual energy was depleted to dangerous levels, his dantian nearly empty. The Chaos Spirit dissipated, returning to dormancy within his body. The vortex faded and vanished.

But he’d won. Two Golden Core cultivators eliminated without leaving any evidence behind.

He pulled another Qi Restoration Pill from his spatial ring and swallowed it quickly. The medicinal energy spread through his body, helping stabilize his condition. It wasn’t enough for full recovery but prevented immediate collapse. Full recovery would take time and proper rest.

’I need to leave,’ Xian Tiandi thought. His mind was already calculating next steps. ’That battle created significant spiritual energy fluctuations. Others may have sensed it from miles away.’

Golden Core level combat was impossible to hide completely. The spiritual energy releases were too massive. Cultivators within several miles would have noticed the disturbance.

He turned toward the exit, preparing to depart immediately.

In the distance, he sensed multiple auras converging on the ruins. His depleted spiritual sense could still detect approaching cultivators.

At least three or four groups approaching from different directions. They were moving quickly, investigating the unusual energy signatures.

Xian Tiandi activated a concealment technique and moved as quickly as his exhausted body allowed.

The technique masked his spiritual energy signature and made him harder to detect visually.

He slipped between ruins, moving through shadows and staying low. He headed toward a different exit than he’d entered through, taking a circuitous route to avoid the approaching investigators.

His depleted state made extended stealth difficult. The concealment technique drained his remaining spiritual energy continuously. But he only needed a few minutes to escape the ruins completely.

Behind him, the first investigators arrived at the plaza where he’d fought. Their voices carried across the ruins, echoing off ancient stone walls.

"What happened here? These spiritual energy signatures are completely chaotic!"

"Golden Core level combat. Maybe higher based on the residual energy. Look at the damage to the stone!"

"But there’s no one here. No bodies or blood. What were they fighting?"

"Spread out! Search the entire area! Check for any clues!"

Xian Tiandi was already gone, disappearing into the night. The concealment technique made him nearly invisible as he moved through the valley.

He pushed his exhausted body to maximum speed, ignoring the pain. Distance from the ruins was his only priority now.

After ten minutes of hard running, he finally slowed and checked behind him. His spiritual sense detected no pursuit.

The investigators were still searching the ruins themselves, trying to understand what had occurred.

They’d find nothing useful. No bodies, no blood, no spatial rings. Just scorched ground and damaged structures.

Xian Tiandi allowed himself a brief rest, leaning heavily against a large boulder. His breathing was ragged and harsh.

His body ached from the intense combat and severe spiritual energy depletion. Sweat covered his face despite the cool night air.

But in his spatial ring, the Five Element Lotus waited safely. The treasure he needed for his next breakthrough.

The entire mission had been successful despite the unexpected combat with two Golden Core enemies.

’Two more Four Spirits Sect spies eliminated,’ he thought with grim satisfaction. ’And no evidence left behind. They’ll speculate about what happened, but they’ll never know the truth.’

The sect would eventually realize two of their spies had vanished.

But without bodies or witnesses, they’d never confirm what happened. They might suspect Four Symbols Sect discovered and killed them, but couldn’t prove it.

He rested for another five minutes, letting his breathing steady. Then he resumed moving toward Crimson Lotus City at a sustainable pace.

The journey back would take longer in his exhausted state, but he’d make it before dawn if he maintained steady movement.

The night was quiet around him. Small nocturnal animals scattered as he passed. The moon hung low on the horizon, providing just enough light to see by.

The city walls appeared as the eastern sky began showing hints of pre-dawn light. The darkness was fading to deep blue.

Xian Tiandi used his remaining spiritual energy to enhance his concealment technique one final time. He approached the walls carefully, timing his movement to avoid guard patrols. He slipped past the guards without detection, climbing over at an unobserved section.

The streets were still mostly empty at this early hour. Only early-rising merchants and bakers were beginning their day, preparing shops and ovens.

The smell of baking bread drifted from several buildings. Xian Tiandi navigated back to the Xian Clan compound using side routes and back alleys, avoiding main streets where more people might see him.

He scaled the compound wall again at the same location he’d left from. His exhausted body made the climb difficult, but he managed. He returned to his room through the window, sliding it open quietly and climbing inside.

Once inside, he collapsed onto his bed immediately. He finally allowed his exhausted body to rest completely. Every muscle ached. His dantian was nearly empty. Mental fatigue pressed down on him.

The Five Element Lotus was secured in his spatial ring. Two enemies were eliminated permanently. And no one knew he’d left the compound tonight.

A successful night by any measure.

Xian Tiandi closed his eyes, his mind already planning the next steps even as sleep approached.

In three days, he’d officially join the Four Symbols Sect. His cultivation journey would enter a new phase then. He’d need to be careful, watching for other Four Spirits Sect spies within the sect.

But for now, he needed sleep desperately.

Within minutes, exhaustion claimed him completely. Xian Tiandi fell into deep, dreamless rest.

His breathing evened out. His body began the natural process of recovery, slowly restoring depleted spiritual energy.

Outside, dawn broke over Crimson Lotus City. The sun rose, painting the sky in shades of orange and pink. The city came alive as people began their daily routines.

But in his room, Xian Tiandi slept undisturbed, recovering from his nighttime battle.