Qingfeng Sect.
Originally, it was merely the fifth-ranked sect in Nanzhao.
However, after the sect masters and elders of the various top-tier sects were captured one after another, Qingfeng Sect—whose sect master had been away traveling and thus narrowly escaped disaster—unexpectedly rose to become the number one sect in all of Nanzhao.
At this moment,
the entire Nanzhao region was desolate. Every sect lay silent, their gates tightly shut.
Only Qingfeng Sect was unusually lively, its gates thrown wide open.
From time to time, streaks of flowing light flashed past—these were top experts above the Xiaoyao Heaven Realm rushing toward Qingfeng Sect.
Inside the sect.
"The Qingfeng Sect Master truly has broad vision, to actually be willing to take on such a task," said an old man with graying hair and an immortal air, smiling faintly.
"You flatter me, you flatter me. Since Qingfeng Sect now stands as the number one sect in Nanzhao, it is only right that we shoulder the corresponding responsibility."
The Qingfeng Sect Master waved his hand modestly, though he was secretly quite pleased.
This was a once-in-a-thousand-years opportunity. In the past, Qingfeng Sect had been nothing more than an ordinary sect in Nanzhao.
Now, having finally become the number one sect, with all the top experts of Nanzhao backing them—and even representatives from the imperial court arriving—how could he possibly fail?
He refused to believe that, with nearly all of Nanzhao's experts gathered here, they couldn't defeat a mere demonic cultivator!
That said, he had already relocated all of Qingfeng Sect's disciples.
Within the entire sect, only he himself and another elder above the Xiaoyao Heaven Realm remained. Everyone else present had come solely to eradicate the demon.
"When that purple-robed demon arrives, I ask that all of you exert your full strength. After this battle, I, the Qingfeng Sect Master, will surely reward you generously."
"Easy to say, easy to say. That purple-robed demon is currently the greatest scourge of Nanzhao. We will naturally do our utmost to slay him."
"..."
Time passed bit by bit.
Yet,
throughout the entire Qingfeng Sect,
there was still no sign of the purple-robed demon.
"Could it be that the purple-robed demon isn't coming?" The Qingfeng Sect Master frowned slightly. "In my opinion, with such a display of force, he's probably been frightened into not daring to show himself."
"Exactly! That purple-robed demon's strength is at most the Great Xiaoyao Realm. With so many top experts gathered here, he'd have to be a fool to come."
"Rest assured. Even if that purple-robed demon doesn't come, this old man has other methods," said an elderly man with graying hair and flowing white beard.
When the white-bearded elder spoke, everyone immediately relaxed and nodded in agreement.
This man was an unparalleled expert from the imperial palace, his strength unfathomable.
Together with another person, he was responsible for this operation—the trump card of the entire plan.
A short while later.
The previously cloudless sky suddenly darkened.
As if night had fallen in an instant.
"He's here!"
Everyone's hearts tightened as they looked up at the sky.
What made them tremble in shock was that
the sky hadn't merely darkened like the tricks used by assassins of the Dark River.
Instead, an ocean of terrifying blood mist spread across the heavens, blotting out the sky and plunging the entire region into darkness.
The whole of Qingfeng Sect
seemed to be submerged in a sea of blood.
An oppressive atmosphere pressed heavily on everyone's hearts.
It felt like dark clouds weighing down on a city, threatening its collapse.
"This level of baleful aura is simply… unheard of!"
"Just the aura alone is already influencing the heavens?"
"It seems the demon has fully matured in strength. Everyone, be careful!"
"..."
The experts all released their own auras to counteract the demon's baleful pressure.
The white-bearded elder from the palace, as well as the short, stout elder beside him, both wore grave expressions.
"Look!" A sword-wielding expert suddenly pointed toward a spot in the sky.
"What?!"
"How is this possible?!"
Everyone looked up, their expressions instantly shaken.
Under the blood-red clouds, several figures suddenly appeared.
At the front stood a purple-robed, masked man. Behind him were several figures who were all painfully familiar.
"That's… the Sect Master of Xuantian Sect!!!"
"And the Lord of Taichu Pavilion, the Hall Master of Lie Feng Hall, the Palace Master of Tianyuan Palace…"
"All of them—the top experts who were captured—are here!"
The crowd was utterly horrified by this sight.
"They've already been controlled by demonic cultivation and refined into human puppets! Everyone, be careful!"
The Qingfeng Sect Master's face darkened. He had originally thought they only needed to deal with a single demon.
Who would have imagined that all the captured sect masters had been refined into human puppets?
Now, they had to face more than ten top experts above the Xiaoyao Heaven Realm.
Their numerical advantage was instantly cut down by more than half.
"It doesn't matter," the white-bearded elder said calmly. "They're merely at the lowest level of the Xiaoyao Heaven Realm."
"You just hold them off. Once I slay the demon, everything will be over."
With those words,
everyone immediately felt reassured.
"Everyone, attack together!"
"Alright!"
In an instant,
the entire Qingfeng Sect erupted in a dazzling display of light.
This was the spectacle of numerous top experts unleashing their techniques simultaneously.
Sword arts, blade arts, poison techniques, staff techniques…
A dazzling array of methods burst forth at once.
On the other side,
the purple-robed masked man also led the ten human puppets, charging toward the experts of Qingfeng Sect.
"Boom!!!"
The moment the two sides clashed, a deafening explosion rang out.
The white-bearded elder and the short, stout elder joined forces to confront the purple-robed masked man.
The masked man's previously unstoppable technique of countless flying swords
finally met its match.
The dense baleful aura carried on the flying swords, upon encountering the white-bearded elder's horsetail whisk, vanished instantly like snow melting under sunlight.
The short, stout elder wielded an incomparably fierce blade technique, each slash forcing the purple-robed masked man to defend continuously.
"Nothing special."
The stout elder snorted softly.
He had thought this demon would be extraordinarily powerful.
So it turned out he was merely at the Great Xiaoyao Realm—his demonic techniques were only somewhat stronger than those of ordinary Great Xiaoyao cultivators.
Against two opponents at once, his true colors were exposed.
However,
what puzzled him was that the purple-robed masked man's demonic techniques weren't particularly strong.
Compared to his demonic arts, the masked man's swordsmanship was actually far more terrifying—
even more exaggerated than that of a typical sword immortal.
Under these circumstances, the heavenly phenomenon above should not have been sustainable by the masked man's demonic cultivation alone.
At this moment,
the white-bearded elder clearly realized this as well.
His expression changed drastically.
"Oh no!!!"
"The purple-robed masked man is also a human puppet!"
"The real demon is someone else!!!"
The moment these words fell,
everyone in Qingfeng Sect was shaken to the core.
But,
it was already too late.
Suddenly,
an incomparably dense baleful aura swept across the entire Qingfeng Sect.
Then, a thin figure slowly appeared above the sect.
This slender figure was wreathed in blood-red baleful energy, holding a blood-black demonic sword in his hand.
"That is…"
"Ye Dingzhi?!"