"Instantly."
A terrifying wave of killing intent locked onto the Qingpeng Demon King, making its scalp tingle as an overwhelming fear surged through its heart.
"Th-This… what is this?!"
The Qingpeng Demon King stared in horror at the massive finger descending from above. The space around it seemed to freeze, locking its body in place.
Boom!!
The ground quaked violently as dust shot into the air.
At the bottom of the newly formed crater, a massive bloodied bird lay motionless—lifeless.
"Our king is dead! Run for your lives!"
With their leader slain, the remaining Qingpeng beasts panicked, fleeing in terror.
"Kill them! Leave no survivors!"
Xu Yonian snapped out of his stupor and shouted, his voice filled with excitement.
"Yes, sir!"
Revitalized, the disciples and elders launched a full counterattack.
Before long, the beastmen that had invaded Xuantian Sect were completely wiped out.
Ye Junlin, the one who saved the sect, naturally became the center of attention.
The overwhelming strength he displayed made everyone look at him with awe and admiration.
"Ye nephew, this time, we truly owe you a great debt," said Sect Master Xu Yonian sincerely, cupping his hands.
"We had assumed your cultivation had been crippled and that you'd never recover... but it turns out you'd already broken through to the Transformation Stage in secret," added the Cangjian Peak Master, a rough-looking middle-aged man with a complicated expression.
"You blockhead," scoffed the Tianxiang Peak Master, covering her mouth as she giggled. Her mature charm and graceful figure made her captivating, and her eyes held a hint of admiration as they settled on the silver-haired young man.
"Ye nephew was simply keeping a low profile, silently protecting the sect."
"So it seems we were too narrow-minded," the other peak masters agreed.
Ye Junlin inwardly rolled his eyes.
"You people have quite the imagination…"
But if this misunderstanding saved him the hassle of explanations, he wasn't going to correct them.
"Reporting to the Sect Master! Urgent news!"
An elder's voice rang out urgently.
Xu Yonian's expression darkened. "What is it?"
"The Wind Thunder Sect has launched a surprise attack! They've seized our Spirit Mine and Spirit Vein. Our stationed disciples fought to the death, but nearly all were annihilated!"
Boom!
The hall erupted in fury.
Ye Junlin's brow furrowed.
From memory, he recalled that the Wind Thunder Sect was one of the six major sects of the Arid Province and the closest to Xuantian Sect. Though there had been past frictions, nothing serious had ever occurred.
But now, attacking during the chaos of the beast invasion?
Their intentions were blatantly malicious.
> [Ding! Sign-in mission triggered. Sign in at the Wind Thunder Sect to receive unimaginable rewards!]
A crisp, childish voice echoed in his mind.
"Hmm?"
Ye Junlin's expression shifted slightly.
It seemed he now had both a reason and an excuse to go there.
"Damn those Wind Thunder bastards! Everyone, rally! We're taking back what's ours!"
Xu Yonian roared.
Then he turned to Ye Junlin, hesitating slightly, "What does Ye nephew think…?"
In the cultivation world, strength ruled.
Right now, Ye Junlin was the most powerful cultivator in the entire Xuantian Sect. Even the Sect Master had to respect his opinion.
"Go ahead and do your thing. I'll just storm the Wind Thunder Sect myself."
Ye Junlin waved a hand nonchalantly.
He now possessed overwhelming power, coupled with superior martial arts. He had every right to say such a thing.
And now that the Wind Thunder Sect had practically invited him, it was a good opportunity to act.
"Ye nephew, you're truly amazing!"
Xu Yonian was stunned for a moment, then gave an excited thumbs-up.
Everyone was ecstatic.
How long had it been since the Xuantian Sect had someone like this?
This time, they were going to make a name for themselves!
Soon after, a fleet of warships was assembled, launching an attack on the Wind Thunder Sect.
The formation was grand. Morale was high.
Even passing dogs might get caught in the storm.
—
Meanwhile, at the occupied resource points—
The surviving cultivators of the Xuantian Sect were bloodied and bruised, imprisoned like beggars in iron cages.
Their clothes were torn and filthy, eyes bloodshot with resentment.
Wind Thunder Sect disciples in blue robes occasionally passed by, casting mocking glances.
"Senior Brother, I still can't believe this Spirit Vein is ours now!"
A sharp-faced young man laughed.
"Hmph. Not just this vein—soon, all of Xuantian Sect's resources will be under our control," sneered a tall man beside him.
"Pah! Keep dreaming! The Xuantian Sect will regroup and reclaim this place!"
A wounded disciple in the cage shouted defiantly.
"Hahaha…"
The tall man threw back his head and laughed, eyes filled with scorn.
"What the hell are you laughing at?!"
"I'm laughing at how ignorant you are."
He stepped forward with a sinister smile.
"You really don't know? Your sect's finished."
"The Qingpeng Demon King launched a full assault. It's already broken through to the Transformation Stage!"
"You think your bottom-ranked sect among the six major forces can stand against that?"
"What?!"
The caged cultivators were stunned, despair surfacing in their eyes.
No wonder the Wind Thunder Sect had taken advantage of the chaos. This was planned!
"Hmph! If that beast wipes out our Xuantian Sect, do you think it'll stop there? Don't forget, your Wind Thunder Sect is the closest to us!"
One disciple growled. "You're just feeding yourselves to the tiger next!"
Surprisingly, the tall man didn't get angry. Instead, he smiled.
"You think we don't know that? Fortunately, our young master entered the Yuhua Sect in Qingzhou years ago. He's a prodigy, and the Yuhua Sect highly values him."
"Just today, an elder from Yuhua personally visited our sect. With his power, killing the Qingpeng Demon King is child's play."
Qingzhou. Yuhua Sect?!
The Xuantian disciples' expressions changed drastically.
The Eastern Domain held fourteen states, each vast and powerful.
If Arid Province was a remote corner, then Qingzhou was the jewel of the region!
And the Yuhua Sect—one of Qingzhou's strongest factions—treated Transformation Stage cultivators as entry-level disciples!
If Wind Thunder Sect had truly gained their support…
Then the Qingpeng Demon King really wasn't a threat anymore!
"It's over… it's all over."
The news shattered their will, plunging them into despair.
"Ha! Stray dogs barking again? From now on, you'll mine the Spirit Veins for us Wind Thunder Sect—nothing more than beasts of burden!"
The tall man sneered.
"Senior Brother! Look—over there!"
A terrified disciple pointed to the sky.
Boom—!
In the distance, warships surged forward. Shouts of war echoed closer by the second.
"All Xuantian Sect disciples—attack! Kill every intruder!"
Figures leapt from the ships, their presence overwhelming.
"A Golden Core cultivator?! Leading the charge himself?!"
"I thought Xuantian Sect was already…"
Screams echoed as chaos erupted across the occupied areas.
—
At the Wind Thunder Sect.
In the grand and ancient main hall, Sect Master Chen Yunhai was receiving an important guest.
"Elder Mu, I heard my son Chen Xiao has been taken as a True Inheritance Disciple by a Venerable in Yuhua Sect. Is that true?"
Chen Yunhai asked carefully.
Mu Lao stroked his goat-like beard, smiling amiably.
"Sect Master Chen, it's true. Your son was recognized by the Grand Sun Venerable himself and is now learning supreme arts. He'll likely return to visit soon."
The hall erupted in excitement.
Chen Yunhai's face flushed with joy.
A Venerable—a title reserved for cultivators at the Great Ascension Stage!
His son, Chen Xiao, was now the disciple of such a figure!
"Sect Master, congratulations!" the elders praised in unison.
Chen Yunhai proudly stroked his beard. "My son Chen Xiao will surely achieve immortality!"
Mu Lao smiled, though a trace of disdain lingered in his eyes.
If not for Chen Xiao's status in the sect—or the Venerable's command—he wouldn't have bothered with this backwater place.
"Ahem. This is a high-grade Transformation Infant Pill, personally sent by your son," Mu Lao said, handing over a box.
"Transformation Infant Pill!"
Chen Yunhai opened the box with trembling hands, revealing a radiant, spirit-filled pill.
"With this, you'll surely break through to the Transformation Stage!"
The elders bowed in celebration.
"Hahaha! My son is truly thoughtful!" Chen Yunhai beamed.
Seeing their joy, Mu Lao's inner contempt only deepened.
A mere Transformation Stage… and they act like they've seen the heavens.
"Allow me to offer early congratulations on your breakthrough, Sect Master. If there's nothing more, I shall take my leave."
"Wait!" Chen Yunhai stopped him with a grin. "As for the beast…"
"I'll handle it," Mu Lao said flatly.
After all, it was he who had identified the Qingpeng Demon King's realm.
---