77 - A Sect Leader’s Ascension

The searing pain from the burns on his skin was relentless. Arrows flew like a downpour, accompanied by spells hurled by the opponent, continuously wearing down his elemental shield. Unlike the long-range combat while hidden within a formation, this life-and-death struggle was a first for Qi Xiu. Sweat dripped from his palms, and his legs trembled slightly out of fear and panic. The talent of 'Understanding One's Heart' was completely suppressed by the fear of death, ceasing any circulation. The 'Exquisite Tower' was utterly ineffective in attack, scratching the opponent's defensive shield like an itch. "Heh heh..." The mountain cultivator, although not having the upper hand in cultivation, pressed on with gritted teeth. Seeing an enemy at the fifth level of Qi Condensation unable to harm him, he laughed sinisterly and sat cross-legged, concentrating on controlling his magic weapon for attack, while smartly popping an energy-replenishing pill into his mouth to compensate for his lack of cultivation. "What should I do..." Qi Xiu scanned the battlefield. He Yu was fiercely engaged in the air with two cultivators afar. The disciples on the ground showed no signs of awakening. Bai Muhan was slightly dominant over her opponent, but solving the issue would still take some time. Seeing that the battle had become a war of attrition, Qi Xiu could only imitate his opponent, sitting down cross-legged and fishing out a pill from his storage pouch to pop into his mouth. "Ugh, ugh!" To his dismay, in his panic, he grabbed a 'Fragrant Barley Pill'. The sweet pill turned into the most unpalatable thing in the world once it hit his tongue. He quickly spat it out, his composure even more chaotic. His cherished disciples lay in an uncertain state of life or death. The relentless attacks on his protective shield chimed like a death knell. It seemed his life would end in these wildernesses of Baishan. Were it not for a desperate will to survive holding him together, Qi Xiu might have already crumbled mentally. "It's over! It's over!" No strategy seemed to emerge, and the spirit for a bloody fight was nowhere to be found. These two words echoed in his mind, reminiscent of the time when Chu Hongshang's furious assault on Black River Peak left him certain of impending death. "Senior Brother Sect Master, don't panic! First, deal with those archers!" Bai Muhan's shout was a wake-up call. Of course, the 'Exquisite Tower' might be useless against elemental shields, but the archers were mere mortals, surely they couldn't withstand even a single blow! Finally, summoning some courage, Qi Xiu changed his hand seals. The small tower in the air veered off course, directly smashing one of the archers in the head, then relentlessly flew towards another. "Just like that!" Bai Muhan nodded approvingly, using the elemental shield to withstand attacks while her small hammer picked off the archers one by one. "Brothers! Fight to the death!" The mortal archers, seeing their comrades die one after another, threw down their bows, drew their waist knives, and recklessly charged at the two, aiming to fight them to the death. But if cultivators could be harmed by such methods, then what was the point of cultivating immortality or seeking the Dao? The 'Exquisite Tower' and the small hammer danced through the air, swiftly reducing their foes to a river of blood, sparing none. "Curse you!" These archers, most likely kin of the enemy cultivators, died gruesome deaths. Watching this, the enemy cultivator's eyes bulged with fury as he relentlessly drove his magic weapon to attack. Without the barrage of arrows, the defensive shield's constant clattering ceased. Qi Xiu finally steadied his mind, focusing solely on using the elemental shield to endure the assaults while occasionally ingesting pills to replenish energy. The battle was back to a stalemate, attack versus defense. In the nameless valley, a mild breeze rose, carrying the stench of blood and the sounds of weapon clashes and roars, spreading far and wide. Time pressed on, the combat of attrition nearing its end. Qi Xiu was nearly spent, struggling to remember how many shields he had replaced. Meanwhile, Bai Muhan's situation blossomed, victory was within reach. "You wretches, wasteful scum, you filthy bastards..." The two mountain cultivators cursed continuously, their voices growing weaker as their spiritual power waned. "Hiya!" Finally, Bai Muhan let out a sharp cry and crushed her opponent with a mighty hammer blow. The assault on Qi Xiu stopped abruptly as the other cultivator across from him exhausted his life force and died silently, body shriveling to a dry husk. Even in death, he held his hand seal for attack with a furious and resentful face. "By a stroke of luck!" Qi Xiu's life force was also drained severely, and as he slipped into unconsciousness, only one thought remained: Had he not been the sect leader, blessed with resources carried in his storage pouch, it could have been him lying dead. ... "Sect Master!" "Senior Brother Sect Master!" Awakening to shouts after an unknown period, Qi Xiu saw Yu Denuo's tear-streaked old face as if he were gazing upon the most beautiful woman on earth. His lips faintly curved, forming a strained smile. "I'm glad you're alright, is everyone else okay?" Yu Denuo’s face was marked with sorrow: "Sect Master, you should rest and recuperate." "What happened!?" Qi Xiu's heart sank at his expression. Despite the searing pain, he twisted his stiff neck to take in the surroundings. The nameless valley was strewn with remnants and severed limbs, patches of flesh and blood lay scattered. By a prominent boulder, Zhang Shishi and others were covered in blood, feebly leaning against it, chests rising and falling—all alive, but clearly critically injured as they slept in severe unconsciousness. On the stone lay a body, covered by a familiar Taoist robe adorned with distinct red patterns, unique to the Chu Qin family. "Who... is it?" Grief overcame Qi Xiu; tears silently streamed from the corners of his eyes. In the harshness of battle, he had failed to escape the cruel grasp of fate. "It's Huang He. Sven Yu self-destructed, and although he was in the rearmost position in the formation, he was unfortunate, struck by a fragment of a heavy shield..." Qi Xiu closed his eyes in pain, shaking his head slowly, withholding further words. Huang He had been with him for more than eight years, unfailingly diligent. Despite possessing water elemental roots, he often ceded his cultivation time in the spiritual land to He Yu. Such a considerate disciple had been overlooked by Qi Xiu, now meeting his end here. Had he not feared Chu's takeover, how might things have turned out differently? Yu Denuo noticed Qi Xiu's grief-stricken yet composed demeanor, and finally, he was slightly reassured. After retrieving alchemical supplies from Qi Xiu's storage pouch, he went on to tend to Zhang Shishi and the others. Silence reclaimed the nameless valley, but the air remained thick with an inescapable stench of blood. As night fell, the mountain winds gradually grew stronger. Even wrapped in the Chu Qin Taoist robe imbued with warmth symbols, Qi Xiu felt chilled to the bone. Ever since firing the warning signal, neither Zhao Liangde nor any nearby cultivators had shown up, leaving him with an unshakable sense of coldness. Zhang Shishi and others began to regain consciousness. Upon hearing of Huang He's death, they were overcome with grief, wailing over his body—a sound that wracked Qi Xiu, piercing him to the core. "When the Chu Qin Sect was destroyed years ago, not a single soul perished. How was it this time..." Zhang Shishi, closest to the self-destruction of Sven Yu, had both hands blown away while bearing a shield. Fortunately, Qi Xiu possessed a second-tier 'Muscle Regrowth Talisman', and along with the 'Bone Suture Paste', his hands were slowly regenerating. The process should have been excruciating, but he endured, sitting beside Qi Xiu coldly speaking. Qi Xiu knew he was being blamed for agreeing to Zhao Liangde’s request, leading to the current tragedy. But this matter involved Chu's challenge and the lives of everyone in the Chu Qin Sect. He would reveal nothing, despite his heart bleeding with injustice and suffering. In silence, he turned away, silently bearing it. "Alas..." Zhang Shishi, seeing Qi Xiu's demeanor, was both confused and pained for him. He returned to assess the condition of the others. "Where’s Miss Bai, Brother He, Brother Gu?" Unable to find these three, Zhang Shishi rushed to question Yu Denuo. "Brother Gu hasn't appeared. Miss Bai and Brother He went looking for him." Though Yu Denuo was timid and hesitant, he had spent years in Baishan and had been a rogue cultivator for a decade. Having witnessed much conflict, he did not harbor the same resentment toward Qi Xiu as Zhang Shishi. "Wanting the benefits but refusing to take risks—where in the world is there such a good deal?" His opinion of Zhang Shishi's attitude towards Qi Xiu wasn’t high, yet he kept these thoughts to himself, given his closer ties to Zhanyuan and a more nuanced relationship with Zhang Shishi. "Brother Gu..." Zhang Shishi murmured, "He's clever. He should be alright, right?"