"Luo Zhixian?"
When the Demon Sect's Second Elder, He Jie, saw this figure, his voice fluctuated visibly.
At the same time, the faces of the others changed drastically.
Mao Chengyue and Tu Wanjun were even more shaken to their cores. Who was Luo Zhixian?
They knew all too well!
Being the Peak Master of the Tianbao Supreme Sect's Wanfa Peak was merely one of his least notable titles.
Although this man had rarely recorded any actions over the years, no one dared to forget the mountain of corpses left under his spear in the past, and no one would fail to fear him.
"Master!"
When Chen Qing saw the newcomer, his heart stirred as well.
He had vaguely guessed that the sect might send an expert to rendezvous with them, but he had never expected Master Luo to come in person.
Chen Qing speculated in his heart: Could it be that his master had taken the initiative to come after learning the news?
When Deng Ziheng saw the newcomer, his tense expression finally relaxed slightly. He let out a long breath and then said no more, silently adjusting his breath.
"It has been several years since we parted at Mount Sanqing. We meet again."
He Jie spoke coldly, his voice like Nine Underworld Mystic Ice.
The battle at Mount Sanqing was still vivid in his mind. Back then, the Azure Dragon Grand Protector of the Demon Sect and Dharma King Xuanshui of the Great Snow Mountain, along with various experts from the Demon Sect and the Great Snow Mountain--totaling seven True Essence Realm experts--had joined forces to surround and kill Luo Zhixian. In the end, Luo Zhixian had brazenly slain Dharma King Mystic Ice and walked away.
And one of the Demon Sect experts involved in that ambush back then was none other than he, He Jie!
"Back then, I let a small fry like you escape."
Luo Zhixian's gaze calmly swept over He Jie, his tone devoid of any fluctuation.
He Jie abruptly ripped off the faceless mask from his face, revealing a hideous and terrifying countenance.
Half of his cheek was a mangled mess of flesh and blood, with pale bones faintly visible underneath. A sharp aura that was difficult to dispel lingered around the wound, hindering the regeneration of his flesh.
"Luo Zhixian, this is all thanks to you! You've made me live like neither man nor ghost all these years!" Although he tried his best to keep his words calm, his deep-seated hatred hissed like a venomous snake.
When the surrounding people saw his face, their hearts went cold. Such a severe injury had actually failed to heal after so many years?
Just how overbearing was Luo Zhixian's spear intent!
"Since living is a form of pain, you might as well die."
Luo Zhixian said indifferently, "Once you are dead, everything is over."
Leave!
Mao Chengyue and the elder in the brocade robe exchanged a glance, both seeing the terror in each other's eyes, and immediately birthed the intent to retreat.
An expert at the grandmaster level was absolutely not someone they could contend against.
The moment the two of them desired to pull back and flee, Luo Zhixian's gaze became like lightning, coldly sweeping over them. "Want to leave?"
The two of them shuddered, feeling a sharp aura descend upon them like an invisible shackle, completely sealing all routes of retreat around them.
They knew that if they dared to turn around at this moment, they would definitely be pierced through the back by that piercing spear radiance.
"Join forces! Only by joining forces can we deal with this person!"
He Jie shouted sharply, his voice carrying a trace of panic.
At their realm, they could feel Luo Zhixian's terrifying strength even more clearly.
Mao Chengyue and Tu Wanjun's hearts sank to the bottom.
Since they could not leave, they could only stake everything on a desperate fight.
The two of them nodded simultaneously, their auras instantly connecting with He Jie's.
"Watch closely."
Luo Zhixian suddenly said a casual word toward the direction where Chen Qing was.
In the next instant, he brought his fingers together like a spear and casually pointed forward!
There was no earth-shattering momentum, only a gray finger force that obliterated everything, bursting through the air!
Everywhere the finger force passed, the air did not explode, but rather underwent a bizarre annihilation, leaving behind a brief trajectory of airwaves!
Chen Qing's pupils contracted sharply as he stared fixedly at that single finger.
He seemed to see the shadow of the Ten Absolute Spear Techniques, yet it also seemed different. The spear intent contained within that finger force was vast and grand, carrying a terrifying artistic conception of ending all things and returning them to oblivion!
Could the Ten Absolute Spear Techniques actually evolve into such a terrifying and astonishing offensive technique?
"Boom--!"
The finger force did not shoot straight, but rather erupted suddenly as it drew near Tu Wanjun, like the expansion of an invisible domain!
Tu Wanjun was scared out of his wits. He gathered all the demon essence of his lifetime in front of him while his figure retreated frantically!
"Pfft!"
The True Essence only held on for a single breath before violently exploding. Tu Wanjun was hit as if by a heavy blow, spraying wild amounts of blood as his chest caved in. His entire body was violently smashed into the deep sea like a meteorite, his aura instantly weakening to the point where it was unknown whether he was alive or dead!
Seeing this scene, the remaining three--He Jie, Mao Chengyue, and the other brocade-robed elder from Yanziwu--felt their souls leave their bodies, but there was no turning back now!
"Fight him to the death!"
The brocade-robed elder roared. His hands formed seals, and the True Essence around his body boiled, drawing upon the seawater below to transform into a ferocious, roaring water dragon that pounced toward Luo Zhixian with bared fangs and brandished claws! It was precisely the Yanziwu ultimate technique--Raging Sea Mad Dragon!
Mao Chengyue was also risking his life. His hunched body seemed to expand by a circle, and the turtle-shell-like object on his back flared with black light. A highly condensed, dark black pillar of light, carrying the heavy force of suppressing the sea region, blasted toward Luo Zhixian!
He Jie was even more ruthless and resolute. He knew well that ordinary methods were entirely useless, so he directly bit the tip of his tongue and spat out a mouthful of essence blood onto his palms. His palms and fingers instantly became pitch-black like ink, reeking with a foul odor!
Netherworld Immortal-Corrupting Claws!
As both claws swung out, dozens of twisted and bizarre pitch-black claw shadows, carrying a malicious power that corroded True Essence and defiled souls, arrived later but struck first, covering Luo Zhixian's vital spots!
Three True Essence Realm experts were risking their lives. True Essence rolled like a tide, and demon qi rose grimly into the sky. The sea waves were torn to shreds by the violent power, and this sea region seemed to turn into a boiling purgatory!
Deng Ziheng's expression was incomparably grave as he transmitted his voice to Chen Qing: "This Demon Sect Second Elder, He Jie, was also a renowned expert back then. Relying on the Netherworld Immortal-Corrupting Claws and a body full of poison techniques, he ran amok without restraint. He is one of Qi Xunnan's most capable subordinates, and his cultivation had also reached the Late True Essence Realm. Later, he was heavily wounded by Peak Master Luo... before dropping to his current Middle True Essence Realm. But when he risks his life, he must not be underestimated!"
Facing this collaborative offensive that covered the sky and was enough to make even ordinary Late True Essence Realm experts change their expressions, Luo Zhixian still stood quietly in place, not moving even half a step.
His gesture of bringing his fingers together like a spear remained unchanged; he merely gave his wrist an extremely slight twist.
A spear radiance shot forth explosively, grand and majestic!
"Boom! Boom! Boom--!"
The hundred-foot water dragon was instantly pierced through, emitting a deafening roar as the dragon head shattered instantly, turning into a sky full of water splashes!
The dark black pillar of light followed closely behind, entirely perishing and shattering!
As for those malicious and bizarre claw shadows, the moment they touched the spear light, it was like snow meeting the sun, emitting a "sizzling" strange sound.
The full-strength collaborative strike of three people was actually blocked so nonchalantly by Luo Zhixian!
Upon seeing this, the brocade-robed elder's courage shattered completely. He could no longer care about anything else, turning his figure around to transform into a stream of light and flee!
"You couldn't leave just now, so can you leave now?"
Luo Zhixian's indifferent voice echoed.
He did not even look at the fleeing elder, merely bringing his fingers together to casually slash in the direction of his flight!
A spear radiance, condensed like a thread yet subtle and dazzlingly bright, instantly caught up to the brocade-robed elder who had already fled several hundred feet away!
"I--"
The elder only had enough time to let out a desperate roar before his protective True Essence felt like it was made of paper. His body stiffened violently in midair, and immediately following that, a bloodline emerged from the center of his brows, rapidly spreading downward!
"Plop!"
The elder's body split into two halves in the air. Blood and internal organs splattered as he fell heavily into the sea, instantly dyeing a large area of the sea red.
Witnessing his companion being instakilled so easily with his own eyes, a cold chill rushed straight to the top of Mao Chengyue's head, and fear completely overwhelmed his reason.
He could no longer conjure the slightest heart to resist, saying in a trembling voice to beg for mercy: "Peak Master Luo! I am willing to establish a Heart Demon Grand Oath to never be an enemy of the Tianbao Supreme Sect from now on. I beg Peak Master Luo to spare my life!"
In the moment of facing a choice between life and death, the choice of most people was the same.
"Too late," Luo Zhixian's tone was still indifferent, yet it carried an indisputable sense of judgment.
Before his voice finished falling, he pointed his fingers together once more, his target directed straight at Mao Chengyue!
Seeing that begging for mercy was useless, a look of madness and despair flashed in Mao Chengyue's eyes. He roared as he burned his lifetime of True Essence along with his essence blood. The turtle shell on his back radiated a massive amount of dark light, instantly expanding to turn into a giant shield blocking in front of him.
This was his bottom-of-the-barrel life-saving ultimate technique!
Relying on this shield, he had once taken several violent attacks from Middle True Essence Realm experts head-on while remaining perfectly unharmed!
However, in front of Luo Zhixian's seemingly casual single finger--
"Crack... Bang!"
That turtle shell, which was sufficient to carry mountains on its back, failed to hold on for even a single breath. Under Mao Chengyue's disbelieving gaze, it shattered inch by inch like glass, violently exploding open!
The finger force penetrated through the turtle shell fragments with undiminished momentum, accurately pointing at the center of Mao Chengyue's brows.
Mao Chengyue's body shook violently, the madness and despair in his eyes freezing as his corpse collapsed softly into the sea.
In the blink of an eye, only the Demon Sect Second Elder, He Jie, was left in the field!
Looking at Luo Zhixian, He Jie's hideous face contorted to the absolute extreme.
Rather than being killed by the opponent like crushing an ant, it was better to...
"Luo Zhixian! You forced me to this!" He Jie let out a shrill and mad roar. The essence blood inside his body was like boiling lava, burning frantically without regard for anything else!
A violent baleful qi that far exceeded his previous performance rose into the sky, churning the surrounding seawater to form a massive whirlpool!
His aura began to climb at a terrifying speed, instantly breaking through the shackles of his original Middle True Essence Realm and continuing to rise continuously!
The surrounding space warped slightly under this violent aura!
"Late True Essence Realm?! He burned all the essence blood origin in his body!" Seeing this horrifying scene, Deng Ziheng's expression changed drastically.
At this moment, by relying on a secret technique to burn everything, He Jie had actually briefly returned to his peak period, possessing a power level that was even slightly superior to it!
That violent baleful qi caused one's mind and soul to be shaken.
The demon qi around He Jie's body burned like substantive black flames. Laughing wildly, his hands slammed forward violently: "Netherworld Yellow Springs, sending you to rebirth!!"
Under the activation of He Jie's demon technique that burned everything, the originally rough sea surface suddenly became pitch-black like ink!
Countless blackish-red water tornadoes rose from the ground, connecting the sky and the sea. Every single one was incomparably thick, as if wrapped with shrilly wailing aggrieved souls and netherworld baleful qi.
The tornadoes whistled and spun, tearing through the air and emitting ghost-like wails and god-like howls, as if transforming this sea region into the entrance of the Yellow Springs leading to the Nine Underworlds!
A massive suction force came from the center of the tornadoes, pulling at Luo Zhixian's robes. Even the seawater beneath his feet was forcibly drawn away, forming a depression.
Facing this strike that was comparable to that of a Peak True Essence Realm expert, Luo Zhixian finally moved.
He did not draw his spear, but merely made a hollow grip with his right palm, as if holding an invisible spear.
In an instant, eight completely different yet identically sourced spear intents emerged and gathered from his palm, condensing into one!
"Go."
He lightly spat out a single word, gently sending that invisible long spear formed from the condensation of eight spear intents forward.
There was no earth-shattering explosion, nor any gorgeous and dazzling brilliance.
Everywhere the spear shadow passed, the baleful qi collapsed and disintegrated, and the tornadoes dissipated one after another, turning back into ordinary seawater that crashed down.
The speed was unbelievably fast, as if that world-destroying scene was merely an illusion.
The spear shadow smashed through all resistance like a hot knife through butter, ultimately plunging accurately into He Jie's chest at the core of the demon qi.
The madness and resentment on He Jie's face froze instantly. He lowered his head to look at the non-existent wound on his chest, opening his mouth, yet unable to make any sound.
In the next instant, the demon flames burning around his body abruptly extinguished like a candle blown out by the wind. His entire person began to disintegrate from the inside out, turning into a blood mist that drifted away in the sea breeze.
Luo Zhixian's figure moved again, plunging into the still-churning seawater below like a teleportation.
A moment later, he reappeared, holding a large head in his hand. It was precisely the Demon Sect's Sixth Elder, Tu Wanjun, who had been knocked into the deep sea just now and was on the verge of death.
At this moment, this head's eyes were wide open, retaining endless fear and disbelief.
Up to this point, the five True Essence Realm experts ambushed here--Bai Cang, the brocade-robed elder, Mao Chengyue, He Jie, and Tu Wanjun--had all died and their paths had vanished!
Witnessing this scene, Deng Ziheng's inner heart was shaken endlessly, his scalp tingling slightly.
He knew Luo Zhixian was strong, but he had never expected him to be strong to such a degree!
Five True Essence Realms, among whom was even an old demon like He Jie who had burned his origin to briefly return to the Late stage, actually could not even force the opponent to use a weapon!
Chen Qing's heart was also surging with emotions. Taking a deep breath to suppress his churning blood and qi, he muttered: "Is this the strength of a Grandmaster?"
He saw it clearly. His master's seemingly casual attacks just now were actually a result of cultivating the Ten Absolute Spear Intents to a supreme realm of mastery and spontaneous execution, already reaching the point of simplifying complexity.
"Master!"
Chen Qing stepped forward and bowed respectfully.
Deng Ziheng also immediately stepped forward, solemnly clasping his fists: "Peak Master Luo."
Luo Zhixian nodded slightly, his gaze falling on Chen Qing as he spoke in a flat and unfluctuating tone: "Did you see clearly?"
"I saw clearly," Chen Qing replied solemnly.
"Did you understand?" Luo Zhixian asked again.
"I understood," Chen Qing nodded.
"What did you understand?"
"Without strength, it is ultimately nothing but a dead end," Chen Qing said in a deep voice.
In front of an absolute gap in strength, any calculations or struggles appeared pale and powerless.
Listening from the side, the corner of Deng Ziheng's mouth twitched slightly.
Peak Master Luo's action just now was clearly a practical teaching session directed at the Dao of the spear, intended to let Chen Qing comprehend the application of spear intent. He hadn't expected this kid to summarize it so... simply and unadorned, pointing straight to the core.
However, thinking carefully, what Chen Qing said was indeed the truth. In this martial world, strength was the foundation of everything.
Luo Zhixian took a look at Chen Qing, neither agreeing nor disagreeing.
Deng Ziheng spoke up at the right time, carrying a sigh of emotion: "Peak Master Luo, I didn't expect you to come in person."
"In fact, this old man arrived long ago," Luo Zhixian said indifferently.
"Arrived long ago?" Chen Qing was surprised.
If his master had been lurking on the side long ago, why didn't he take action when they were first surrounded? "Then Black Dragon Island..."
Deng Ziheng also reacted. If Luo Zhixian had arrived early, Black Dragon Island's attitude and actions were probably also within the sect's calculations.
"Before the Sect Master sent you the purge order, he had already reached a certain agreement with Mo Yuan of Black Dragon Island."
Luo Zhixian spoke slowly: "Allowing you all to go to Black Xuan Island serves two purposes. First, you can use the momentum to eradicate the Demon Sect stronghold. Second, you can be 'sent' to Black Dragon Island to be temporarily protected by Mo Yuan. This not only protected your safety but also used the opportunity to ease the somewhat tense relationship with Black Dragon Island in recent years."
The fastest way to destroy a relationship and to form a relationship was the same thing, and that was a conflict of interests.
After these words were spoken, Chen Qing and Deng Ziheng completely understood.
Sect Master Jiang Lishan had already set up the chessboard. For their trip this time, everything was within the calculations.
Chen Qing's thoughts spun rapidly as he thought of the Gu Family--the Sect Master probably also wanted to use this to observe the Gu Family's stance and reaction.
And allowing them to clash with Yanziwu was even more so to test the depth of Yanziwu's collusion with the Demon Sect, even going so far as to use themselves as bait to fish out the lurking experts of the Demon Sect.
There were already this many schemes that could be seen, and perhaps there were even deeper intentions behind it.
For a figure like the Sect Master, when placing pieces and arranging a layout, the first consideration was the overall situation of the entire sect.
Clearly, the relationship between Yanziwu and the Demon Sect was even closer than the sect had anticipated.
"Master, are we going back to Dongji City first now?" Chen Qing inquired.
"No."
Luo Zhixian turned his gaze toward the depths of the Thousand Reefs Sea Region, his tone still flat, "Go to Yanziwu first."
"Yanziwu!?" Hearing this, Deng Ziheng was startled, his face revealing a shocked expression.
Yanziwu had just lost three True Essence Realm experts, which could be described as damaging their core, and the two sides had already forged a deadly grudge.
Visiting them at this moment was no different from throwing themselves into a net. How could the remaining experts of Yanziwu let it slide?
Luo Zhixian said indifferently: "The matters of the sect have been handled. Ultimately, some personal business needs to be handled."
"Personal business?"
Chen Qing's heart skipped a beat as he secretly pondered.
On the other side, Deng Ziheng recalled various rumors within the sect regarding Luo Zhixian's temperament. While his face did not show it, his heart had already seen through something.
After Luo Zhixian finished speaking, he said no more, only uttering a flat sentence: "Let's go."
Deng Ziheng immediately accepted the command, controlling the treasure ship to turn its direction. The bow of the ship cleaved through the waves, no longer returning west to Qiulong Path, but rather speeding straight toward the depths of the Thousand Reefs Sea Region, in the direction of the Feiyan Archipelago where Yanziwu was located.
The earth-shattering grand battle in that sea region just now, with its vast aura fluctuations like a tide, had long since alarmed the forces of countless surrounding islands.
The essence qi dissipated when the True Essence Realm experts fell, along with that spear intent that obliterated everything, was like throwing a giant boulder into a calm lake, the ripples rapidly spreading outward.