Chapter 410: Chapter 188: The Curtain Rises
Shi Kaishan’s body swayed slightly, while Heart Devourer slid back several steps, his black robes whipping in the wind.
Evidently, in a direct clash, Shi Kaishan’s vast and domineering Xuanyue Astral Qi held a slight advantage.
But Heart Devourer didn’t seem to mind, instead letting out a cold laugh. "Shi Kaishan, your Xuanjia Sect will be wiped out tonight. Why bother with this futile resistance?"
With that, he rushed toward Shi Kaishan again.
Seeing his sect’s disciples being slaughtered, Shi Kaishan was burning with anxiety. He roared, "Brother Jin! Help me kill this beast first!"
"Alright!"
Jin Poyue sprang into action. His body moved like lightning, instantly closing in behind Shi Kaishan. The True Astral within him surged as he slammed a palm toward the vital point on Shi Kaishan’s back, right over his heart!
He had been building up to this palm strike for a long time. It was utterly ruthless, its timing and angle honed to a razor’s edge.
However, Shi Kaishan was completely unguarded against his sworn friend. His entire focus was locked on Heart Devourer; when he felt the Astral Wind strike from behind, he simply thought Jin Poyue was about to launch a joint attack with him...
"PFFT—!"
An incredibly heavy palm landed squarely on Shi Kaishan’s back, over his heart!
His protective Xuanyue Astral Qi instantly shuddered, on the verge of collapsing!
Shi Kaishan felt an insidious and venomous, yet utterly domineering, Gang Qi crazily invade his body. It was as if his organs had been viciously pummeled, and his qi and blood instantly reversed their flow!
"GAAH!"
He staggered forward several steps as a huge mouthful of scalding blood sprayed uncontrollably from his lips, spattering on the ground in a shocking display.
He forced himself to steady his body and whipped his head around to look at Jin Poyue, who stood with his palm now lowered. His eyes were filled with incredulous shock, bewilderment, and a bone-deep chill.
"Wh... Why?"
Shi Kaishan’s voice trembled.
’He had considered Jin Poyue his closest friend for life, and this fatal blow was his reward?’
Jin Poyue avoided his searing gaze. A flicker of conflict crossed his face before resolving into a long sigh. "Brother Shi... I’m sorry. A wise bird chooses the best tree to nest in. I have already pledged myself to the Holy Sect."
"Hahahaha! Excellent! What a ’wise bird chooses the best tree’! What a ’closest friend’!"
Shi Kaishan froze, then threw his head back and roared with laughter. It was a tragic, furious sound, and it looked as though the corners of his eyes might tear open. "Jin Poyue! I, Shi Kaishan, was truly blind! To have called a heartless bastard like you my brother for decades!"
The despair and rage in his laughter chilled all who heard it to the bone.
The sting of a dear friend’s betrayal was far more painful than any wound a powerful enemy could inflict!
The cold smile on Heart Devourer’s lips widened. "Send him on his way. The longer this drags on, the more things can go wrong."
Jin Poyue nodded. "Alright!"
Without another word, the two of them attacked simultaneously!
Heart Devourer dissolved into black smoke. A storm of palm shadows, imbued with a venomous Power that caused Bone Erosion and rotted the heart, descended upon Shi Kaishan’s upper body.
Though Jin Poyue’s face was etched with guilt, his attacks were merciless. A flurry of fists and palms cut off all of Shi Kaishan’s escape routes, each strike aimed at a vital point!
Shi Kaishan was grievously wounded, his Inner Strength in chaos. Now, facing a combined assault from two experts of his own caliber, he was instantly plunged into mortal danger.
Though his Xuanyue Astral Qi was known for its formidable defense, it couldn’t completely block the onslaught. Fresh wounds appeared on his body one after another, dyeing his azure Martial Attire red with blood.
His eyes were bloodshot, and he fought like a Mad Tiger, holding on purely through sheer, unyielding will and a Fighting Method that aimed for mutual destruction.
...
Elsewhere, Elder Du Lingchuan was organizing disciples into a defensive formation when he suddenly saw Jin Poyue turn traitor and the Sect Leader fall, grievously wounded. He felt as if he’d been plunged into an ice cavern, a despairing chill seizing his heart.
If Jin Poyue hadn’t betrayed them, the Xuanjia Sect could have definitely held on.
But now, the tide had clearly turned against them.
"Jin Poyue! You traitor! You shameless scum!" Du Lingchuan roared, his eyes nearly splitting with rage. He then realized that among the Demon Sect’s masters, it wasn’t just experts from the Yunlin Sub-Pavilion; there were masters from several other Sub-Pavilions as well.
These included Jiangchuan Bridge and Jiang Xiaobai from Lin’an Prefecture.
"It’s the people from the Lin’an Sub-Pavilion! They’ve joined forces! It’s over... The Xuanjia Sect is finished..."
A senior Elder gave a bitter laugh, his voice filled with despair.
Du Lingchuan gritted his teeth, forcing down his grief and fury. He roared hoarsely at the Elders beside him, "Cover the disciples! Quickly! Retreat through the secret passage on the rear mountain! Save whoever you can! We must preserve the Fire Seed of the Xuanjia Sect!"
He charged against the tide of fleeing people, throwing himself recklessly at the pursuing Demon Sect masters, a determined roar tearing from his throat, "Disciples of the Xuanjia Sect, hear my order! Fight to the death with me! Hold the enemy back!"
"To the death! Hold them back!"
Those Inner Sect Disciples and Stewards who still had fight in them, their eyes bloodshot, turned and charged back with Du Lingchuan. They formed a defensive line with their own bodies, trying to buy a precious sliver of a chance for their sect-mates to escape.
"Go!"
Younger disciples like Shi Ziyi and Fang Rui watched the backs of their elders charging fearlessly to their deaths. With tears in their eyes and their teeth clenched to the breaking point, they could only let their sect-mates drag them away as they stumbled toward the rear mountain.
Blood stained the stone steps of the Xuanjia Sect red, while cries of anguish and the shouts of battle shook the entire mountain range.
....
Roughly several hours later, when Chen Qing and his party arrived a few miles outside the Xuanjia Sect, they saw flames shooting toward the heavens in the distance. Billowing smoke dyed half the night sky a ghastly crimson.
The faint sounds of battle cries, the clash of Weapons, and shrill screams drifted toward them. Even from so far away, they could feel the overwhelming aura of slaughter rising into the sky.
"The Demon Sect really did make their move! And so fast!"
Peng Zhen’s face was grim. He stared at the sea of fire, his fists clenching so tightly they cracked.
And they had even rushed here ahead of schedule.
Tan Yang’s expression was also incredibly grave. "Judging by the fire and the sounds of fighting, I’m afraid they’ve already broken deep into the sect grounds! Our Sect Leader arrived ahead of us; I wonder what the situation is."
Chen Qing scanned the chaotic edge of the battlefield. Suddenly, his ears twitched, and he raised a hand, signaling for the others to stop.
"There’s movement in those woods!"
Everyone immediately held their breath and listened intently.
Sure enough, from the dense forest a short distance to their left, they heard a flurry of metallic clashes, along with a few suppressed roars and a woman’s sharp cries. It sounded like several people were locked in a fierce battle within the trees.
"It’s people from the Xuanjia Sect! They’re being hunted!"
Tan Yang whispered, his eyes narrowing.
"Let’s go! We’ll check it out!"
Peng Zhen made a snap decision. With a flicker, his body shot into the forest like a wisp of green smoke, taking the lead.
Chen Qing, Tan Yang, and the others followed without hesitation, leading their elite disciples close behind.
....
