484 - A Sect Leader’s Ascension

Chapter 484: The Emergence of the Baishan Sword Demon "He's mine!" Ying Bo brandished his long halberd, leaping into the air with a sinister grin. The spear tip flickered with electric light as it pointed at Qi Xiu. Loudly declaring his name, he announced, "Dan Alliance Ying Bo!" After seven moves, a loud crash echoed as Qi Xiu plummeted to the ground, forming a large crater. The dust that had just risen was suppressed by a powerful vortex of spiritual energy. Qi Xiu lay flat in the pit, having completely given up resistance, his body littered with fine wounds. His face was pale, drained of blood, and his eyes were filled with terror. Ying Zhong's bronze halberd seemed like an unparalleled divine weapon. From the very first strike, he took absolute control. Qi Xiu’s hastily thrown formation was destroyed in a single move, and his third-tier summon was similarly ended with a single thrust. Even the two artifact spirits within his life-bound treasure mirror were sealed off by the electric light from the halberd, unable to exert any effect. "Hahaha!" Standing high above, Ying Zhong, with his beard and hair bristling, resembled a war god. His halberd pointed obliquely at Qi Xiu. "I thought you were someone formidable, but you're nothing but a weakling. Laughable, laughable. Where's all that swagger from earlier? Hmph, if it weren't for the fact that you didn't kill my brother, I'd end you right now!" "Surrender or not, do you submit?" His fierce shout caused the scattered formation tools and magical artifacts outside the pit to hum with resonance. Over on the Dan Alliance's side, spirits soared as they laughed freely, shedding the shadow of their initial defeat, mocking and insulting the fallen Chu Qin Alliance leader without restraint. On the other side, everyone donned ashen faces. From the elation of Qin Changfeng's victory to the rapid defeat of their leader, it was a bitter pill to swallow. Some lower-level disciples, who revered Qi Xiu as a deity, felt their entire worldview crumple. Some broke into tears, while others were left despondent and disheartened. Higher-level cultivators did not stop them, and people like Mo Jianxin wished they could find a hole to crawl into. Since the unification of the Luo family’s old territory, this was Chu Qin Sect's most humiliating moment. "Back in the day, that Huo Bai was far worse than this Ying Zhong..." Nangong Yanran whispered into Qin Changfeng's ear, embracing his arm. She was probably the least upset about the leader’s defeat, as it highlighted her husband’s valor and prowess. "Early-stage cultivators can't be compared to late-stage ones." Qin Changfeng feebly defended his master senior brother. "I lost..." Qi Xiu, battered and mud-streaked, admitted defeat quickly, without letting Ying Zhong wait long. Slowly struggling to his feet, his form wavered as Qin Changfeng swiftly helped him out of the pit. Laughter erupted anew across the battlefield. Han Yan Lao, who previously harbored some dissatisfaction towards Ying Zhong, joined in the mocking. "Heard this Qi Xiu has thicker skin than city walls; seeing it today, it's sure true." Zhong Hangjun looked meaningfully at Qi Xiu's retreating figure and sneered, "The ability to bend and stretch." "I've always said might makes right. From now on, whenever he sees me, he better bow!" Ying Zhong returned, his sharp tongue unabated, yet no one reproached him. His strength commanded respect, and the welcoming cheers echoed like a tidal wave, shaking the earth. For the third battle, the Dan Alliance had the first say. Han Yan Lao felt the weight of countless eyes on him. Squinting, he studied Xiong Shisi on the opposing side before making his decision. After checking the contents of his storage pouch, he rose elegantly into the air, displaying the grace befitting a sect leader, and respectfully greeted, "Han Yan Lao of the Dan Alliance, please enlighten me." Seeing yet another late-stage cultivator, morale waned further on the Chu Qin side. Many looked at Xiong Shisi with worry and sympathy. Feeling the immense pressure, Xiong Shisi sat in silence, clearly wrestling with an internal conflict. After letting Han Yan Lao wait a few heartbeats, he resolved fiercely, "When it comes to fighting, the Xiong family of Northern Blaze Mountain fears nothing!" He uttered these bold words and moved to rise into the sky, only to be pressed back down by a surge of spiritual power on his shoulder. "You’re admirable, but you won't be needed this time." The source of the force was Qi Xiu, who had been quietly healing his injuries in his seat. "I have plans," he declared. "What plans?" Xiong Shisi looked around, puzzled. With the only remaining Golden Core cultivator, Gu Tiesheng, stationed at the rear gate, he had no idea what the sect leader and Sha Nuo, the 'father and son,' were planning. The Dan Alliance, predictably, began their taunting anew, spitting out venomous words about sending a Foundation Establishment cultivator to stand in. "Is it you who’s going to fight?" The earlier battles had been straightforward enough, but now, the mere sight of the opposition’s oddities made Han Yan Lao uneasy. He eyed Sha Nuo with a cold gaze, pondering whether to deliver a finishing blow to instill fear and demonstrate his might. "No!" Sha Nuo responded with unflinching confidence, as if it were a matter of pride. He waved a token, activating the hangar doors of the flying shuttle. Instead of a swarm of coral turtle beasts, countless flying swords emerged, each of varying style, quality, and tier. They streamed out, gathering into a dark cloud of swords at the head of the shuttle. The cloud shifted, forming stair-stepped tiers, tenfold, a hundredfold, extending directly toward Han Yan Lao's position in the sky. "What is this?" Han Yan Lao caught a whiff of danger. A moment later, from the shuttle emerged a long-haired woman clad in ink-black robes. She seemed ghostly, descending calmly to the highest tier of the sword steps. "That's her! That's..." Recognizing the woman, a senior cultivator within the Dan Alliance stuttered in terror. "Chu Qin’s Qi Zhuang." The woman lifted her head and met Han Yan Lao's gaze. Her voice was chilling, as if ice formed in one’s veins. "The Sword Demon! She’s the Sword Demon! Didn't she leave the Chu Qin already?!" Finally, the elder divulged it aloud, causing a stir among those familiar with the early legends of the Sword Demon. Even the newer cultivates, those who’d browsed through various compendiums, recalled tales of the renowned Baishan master. "The Sword Demon Qi Zhuang, who once held off the previous water alliance leader, Shui Junying, and two other Golden Core cultivators for hours, who struck down Dragon Clan elite Dragon Yueyun with ease?" Han Yan Lao had heard of Qi Zhuang, but never saw her in person. Now, realizing she was the infamous Sword Demon and Chu Qin’s top enforcer, he mused but remained skeptical. "Dispatching a Golden Core early-stage as some trump card...bad luck for you to face me." He sneered, glancing at Ying Bo and Zhong Hangjun behind him, who exchanged words about Qi Zhuang, offering no eye contact or reassurance towards him. "This is no coincidence!" Just then, Qi Zhuang moved closer along the sword-laden steps with a terrifying calmness, as if she wasn’t here to confront a late-stage Golden Core cultivator but to meet death. Her aura felt like that cold touch of a shrouded body at a funeral—a deathly chill mingling with deep sorrow. Her skin appeared translucently pale, echoing a corpse preserved in eternal ice. Growing proximity fueled Han Yan Lao’s sense of life-threatening danger. Continually emanating from the shuttle were an array of damaged, decayed, fragmented, and pristine flying swords, possibly spelling his doom. "Why is this so reminiscent of the aura when she was merely a spirit beneath the ghost springs near the coffin?" Qi Xiu pondered, as Han Yan Lao began wavering under the pressure from Qi Zhuang’s relentless advance. Knowing he was already losing face, he resolved to act. "As thousands observe, I, as the Dan Alliance leader, cannot falter." Drawing on his late-stage confidence, he brandished a talisman, bringing forth from the earth—a large puppet in golden armor: the long-absent third-tier [Golden Armor Music Puppet]. "Why did the master use that in the first move? After ten years of fending off attacks from the Lingmu Alliance, there's only one left in the sect!" An informed disciple of the Dan Alliance silently cursed. With the disbandment of the Artifact and Talisman Alliance, the method for creating the Golden Armor Music Puppet had been lost. This puppet, which could serve as both shield and sound wave attacker, was incredibly useful in duels or standoffs. Each use meant one less, and its market value had soared to near non-existence due to scarcity. On top of that, Han Yan Lao revealed his life-bound treasure, the alchemical furnace encircled by a fifth-tier fire dragon—a prized possession that had brought him fame. The shadow of the furnace loomed large, with two identical furnaces at its front and back, erupting with alchemical flames that formed scissor-like twin fire dragons, aiming to strike Qi Zhuang down. "Why strike first!?" Many Dan Alliance disciples, unable to grasp the situation, felt a flicker of dissatisfaction. Shouldn't a late-stage cultivator at least allow an early-stage one a move, for dignity's sake? Han Yan Lao paid no mind to their thoughts. The golden drum of the puppet beat rhythmically, sending waves of sound rolling towards Qi Zhuang while he hid behind the puppet’s massive frame. As the flaming scissors approached, the countless flying swords comprising the staircase scattered, forming the Swarm Sword Formation with each group of 108 swords. Layer upon layer, 108 formations combined into a colossal Ten Thousand Swords Formation, sealing off every angle. Qi Zhuang’s form was soon lost amidst the layers of sword shadows, turning the sky into a blooming sword formation flower, obscuring everything. The fiery scissors, despite their fierce alchemical flames, melted one damaged sword after another, destroying formation after formation. Yet, from within the shuttle, swords continued to flow in an endless tide, submerging the flame like a fish in the sea. The golden puppet’s strikes were futile, stopped outside the sword formation, unable to reach Qi Zhuang. Staring at the aerial display of sword formations, cultivators from both sides were wide-eyed in amazement. "Truly deserving of the Sword Demon title," Zhong Hangjun remarked, smoothing his sideburns. "Pity her looks are so plain." Meanwhile, Ying Zhong remained tight-lipped, eyes shining with excitement as he watched the formation. Realizing the scissors were ineffective, but having gauged the quality of Qi Zhuang's flying swords, Han Yan Lao decisively changed tactics. The twin dragons returned to the furnace. "Flames to the sky!" he roared, swallowing a high-tier pill. Infinite flames erupted from both furnaces, expanding across hundreds of meters, aiming upwards towards the sword formation base, "Burn those worthless swords!" he fumed. However, with the scissors recalled, Qi Zhuang was freed from restraint. Ignoring the rising flames, she extended a bone-white hand, palm directed at Han Yan Lao hidden behind the puppet. Within the sword formations, a formless energy set the countless blades into motion, descending like a storm cloud. Every fire and puppet beneath it was suppressed, akin to a burial mound cutting off all connection between the departed and the living. "So strong!" Zhong Hangjun exclaimed, rising to his feet in surprise. Qi Zhuang stood alone in the air with stray flying swords orbiting her at random. Below lay a sword burial mound with Han Yan Lao trapped within, presumably resisting still. The puppet's top marked the mound's peak, its warmth turned the sword hill red hot while steam rose. "Could he lose?" Close allies of Han Yan Lao began to grasp reality. "Shouldn't we concede and save the sect leader?" "No vision!" Ying Bo scolded, glaring at them. "Just temporarily at a disadvantage. Can't see all those scrap swords? They'll melt into iron soon enough." Before he finished speaking, a muffled sound echoed from within as the heap shrunk a hundred meters. The puppet was finished. "Wait longer, give the master a chance!" Ying Bo stopped them from conceding again. "But if the master wants to surrender, he can't be heard," a young disciple retorted, quickly earning a slap from Ying Ji. "Shut up, you want him to lose?" Meanwhile, Chu Qin's side broke into smiles and laughter. Time dragged slowly for them, sped up for the Dan Alliance. After what felt like an eternity, Han Yan Lao’s struggles dwindled, the heat dispelled. "Master!" The Dan Alliance shouted, some already in tears. "Concede! We concede!" A Dan Alliance Golden Core cultivator finally sensed the shift, darting from the shuttle to cry out submission just catching Ying Brothers off guard. Upon hearing it, Qi Zhuang exchanged a look with Qi Xiu, then drifted back to the shuttle, swords folding like a curtain. Only three thousand swords returned with her. The mound revealed inside was a solid metal shell, rounded like a hill. Anxiously, the Dan Alliance hammered it open and pulled Han Yan Lao from it, scorched and mingled with molten iron. "He's alive!" Despite such a state, Han Yan Lao survived. They laughed and cried, clustering around him to administer healing pills, inadvertently barring the Ying brothers from approach. ... At night, an unexpected visitor arrived on the Chu Qin shuttle. "You promised to kill him! Now everyone in the Dan Alliance is guarding against me!" Earlier, Ying Bo had taunted and battled Qi Xiu, but now as a welcomed guest, he grumbled with resentment, blaming Qi Zhuang for sparing Han Yan Lao. "I guarantee you’ll rise to the position. Whether Han Yan Lao dies or not doesn't matter much. Besides, forming a bitter enmity has no benefit." Sitting comfortably, Qi Xiu said, showing no sign of the earlier loss. "I've made my plans for you to ascend. Death is unnecessary." "Do you really have a way to make me Dan Alliance's leader?" Ying Bo’s voice brimmed with undisguised eagerness. "Acting leader," Qi Xiu corrected. "The true leadership title remains with Han Tianqing. That is beyond me." "Acting leader's fine. But how can you make it happen? The bronze oil lamp's still with the Han family. If Han Tianqing comes down, what good will my position be?" Ying Bo worriedly pressed. "That's my concern to handle. Don't worry." Qi Xiu gave him a chilling glance. "In the past skirmishes with the Lingmu Alliance, Han Yan Lao never dared ambush, and recently he watched inaction when Hehuan Sect rallied forces for Lihuo city, yet Dan Alliance strategically aligns with us. We don't need a leader who retreats at adversity without seizing opportunity. That's why you're the choice." "Alright, I'm on your ship now." Ying Bo, prideful yet lacking fields for ambition, listened approvingly. "What should I do next?" "Do as agreed with Zhong Hangjun." Qi Xiu sipped his tea and nodded. "Alright then, goodbye!" Ying Bo, understanding the cue to leave, clapped his hands, excitedly headed off to clear the aftermath. Once he was out of sight, a shadow shifted in the hall’s corner. Chu Wuying emerged with Han Ping of the Dan Alliance in tow. "You overheard?" After Wuying left, alone with Han Ping, Qi Xiu asked. "Heard." Han Ping, respectful, confirmed. "I’ll influence my family. If I misrepresent Ji Xinlong’s view and secure the support of the Han lineage, it won't be hard. Even if the elder descends, my position remains—and you’ll bring Ji Xinlong to vouch for me, right?" "Of course." Qi Xiu handed him a storage pouch. "Want to count it?" "No need." Han Ping’s face paled. "I was pressed for funds to form my Core. Otherwise, I wouldn’t commit to this for fifty thousand third-tier. Guilt pressed tears out." "Alright, enough theatrics." Qi Xiu chuckled, "I’ve watched you grow smarter and more shameless. If successful in forming your core, I’ll help you advance further." "If Core formation succeeds, how can I advance further?" Han Ping queried, puzzled. "Someone like Ying Bo can't be truly loyal..." Qi Xiu stared into his eyes, articulating slowly. Suddenly grasping, Han Ping was unable to contain his joy, shifting from tears to laughter, bowing in thanks, "Should that day arrive, I’ll follow Sect Leader Qi unwaveringly." "Sigh, let’s forget the past. If that day truly comes, let’s start anew." Qi Xiu reached out with a gesture, helping him up and seeing him off with a cup of tea as customary. "By the way, as you instructed, I've tested Nangong Yanran and Xiong Shisi. They show no signs of disloyalty," Han Ping mentioned ingratiatingly as he departed. (To be continued)