Qerton, Northern Commandery, Azure Cloud Sword Sect. "The outer sect disciple Daxton Mabbett had his meridian completely shattered. His cultivation is entirely lost. He is henceforth cut off from the Martial Path and the Immortal Path. Effective immediately, he is expelled from the sect and forbidden from ever setting foot in the Azure Cloud Sword Sect again!" A cold, indifferent voice rang through the grand hall. Daxton, dressed in a long black robe, walked out of the hall. Outside, pavilions and towers lined the grounds in neat rows, imposing and majestic. "So he really got expelled." "Two years ago, at the Tournament of the Seven Sects in Northern Commandery, he won first among the outer disciples for the sect. A year ago, he fought for a silver mine, bled for it, and seized it from a crowd of enemies. Eight months ago, he exposed a spy from a rival sect and saved us from a huge loss. Six months ago…" "In just two years, he earned merit after merit for the sect. Who would have thought that the moment his meridian shattered, they'd kick him out in seven days? That's just…" Not far away, several Sword Sect disciples sighed as they spoke. Daxton paid none of it any mind. He headed for the sect gates, the corner of his mouth lifting into the faintest curve. It was true that his cultivation was gone. The expulsion, however, was an act. He was simply playing along. Two years earlier, he had fought Kaden Middlam of the Nine Profound Sword Sect for the outer sect championship at the Tournament of the Seven Sects, and he had won. Kaden had hated him ever since. Over the past two years, Kaden had tried more than once to cause trouble and get revenge, but every attempt had ended in failure. Seven days ago, when Daxton's meridian shattered and his cultivation vanished, he thought it over and went straight to the sect's upper ranks. He asked them to leak the news to Kaden Middlam, along with an offer: if Kaden paid one hundred thousand taels in silver notes and one thousand Essence-Nurturing Pills, the Azure Cloud Sword Sect would "expel" Daxton. After hearing that, Kaden had been eager beyond words. He begged his elder-grandfather to provide the money and pills. And so, today, Daxton received fifty thousand taels in silver notes and five hundred Essence-Nurturing Pills, then cooperated with the sect to stage his expulsion. "Tsk, tsk, tsk. Well, if it isn't Senior Brother Daxton, our former outer sect number one." A man in blue strode over, a short blade strapped to his leg, his face dripping with mockery. "Not long ago you were so impressive. I even heard you were about to enter the inner sect. So how did you end up getting kicked out like a stray dog?" David Duffus. Azure Cloud Sword Sect, outer sect second. "For two years, David Duffus has been stuck in second place, always held down by Daxton. He's hated him for ages. With Daxton's cultivation gone and him expelled, David probably won't let him off easy." "Yeah, definitely." A few disciples murmured under their breath. Daxton looked at David, amusement flickering in his eyes. That look instantly put David on edge. He bared his teeth in a vicious grin. "You think you're still the Daxton Mabbett from before? You're not. You're just trash now. Trash, you hear me?" Daxton gave him a brief glance, couldn't be bothered to respond, and kept walking. "Leaving that easily?" David stepped in front of him, blocking his path. With a cold laugh, he stuck out his right foot. "It's windy today. Got some dust on my shoe. If you want to walk away in one piece, fine. But first, lick it clean." As he spoke, he spat. The thick glob landed right on the tip of his shoe. "Isn't that going too far?" "Yeah…" Some disciples spoke up softly. David's gaze swept over them like a blade. "Shut your mouths. Looking to die?" Intimidated by his strength, they fell silent at once. David smiled in satisfaction, then tilted his head toward Daxton and pointed at his shoe. "Go on. Start." Daxton stared at him, the amusement in his eyes deepening. David's expression darkened. His voice turned venomous. "You're a cripple. What are you trying to act all profound for? You want a beating-" "Smack!" The slap cracked through the air. Daxton's palm whipped across David's cheek, cutting him off mid-sentence and sending him flying more than ten feet. The watching disciples' faces changed in unison. "Isn't he supposed to be useless? How did he send David-" The path of cultivation was divided into five great stages: Martial Path, Origin Path, Mystic Path, Soul Path, and Immortal Path. The Martial Path itself contained the Flesh-Tempering Realm, Bone-Forging Realm, Blood-Nourishing Realm, Nurturing Realm, Unity Realm, and Clarity Realm, collectively known as the Six Martial Realms. David's cultivation had already reached the peak of the Flesh-Tempering Realm. Yet he had just been slapped away by Daxton, a man whose cultivation had supposedly been completely destroyed. David spat blood and teeth. Half his face ballooned, and fury twisted his features. He had been slapped in public. "I'll kill you!" He yanked the short blade from his leg and lunged, his strike sharp and vicious. Daxton didn't even blink. He reached out, caught the motion, and with a single turn of his wrist, took the blade away. In the same breath, he pressed it to David's throat. David was shocked and enraged. He tried to wrench free, only to find he couldn't move at all. "Daxton! Let go of me!" "If I were you," Daxton said calmly, "I wouldn't be shouting right about now." He applied the slightest pressure. Blood welled immediately. David shuddered. The blade was razor-sharp. If Daxton pushed any harder, his throat would open. "You've been expelled! If you kill me, you'll be challenging the Sword Sect's authority! You… you wouldn't dare!" "Want to find out?" Daxton's grip tightened. The edge sank into flesh. Seven days earlier, a Nine-Colored Mystic Sword had fallen from the sky. Somehow, it slipped into his body without harming his physical form, yet in an instant it destroyed every one of his meridian and stripped him of all cultivation. But it also left something behind in his mind: a special cultivation method called One Sword to World Supremacy. With this method, even shattered meridian could still cultivate. Over the past seven days, his cultivation had yet to recover, but his strength had become even more terrifying than before. Terror flooded David's face. Afraid Daxton would truly go all the way, he trembled and begged, "S-Senior Brother Daxton! I… I was wrong! Please, Senior Brother, have mercy! Please!" Daxton planted a foot on David's backside and kicked him flying twenty feet. At the same time, he flicked the short blade away. It whistled past David's cheek, then buried itself to the hilt in a massive boulder behind him. A thin line of blood appeared on David's face. His legs shook violently, and his crotch darkened on the spot. "Got slapped, got kicked in the ass, and pissed himself…" "That's humiliating." Whispers spread through the crowd. Daxton swept David with a contemptuous glance, then turned and walked away.