Chapter 38: Tears of a Fallen Sect
Yu Xiao's eyes widened, disbelief etched on his face as he gazed upon the familiar figure before him. It was none other than Long Zhan!
"Long time no see, Yu Xiao," Long Zhan grinned, his tone betraying a hint of amusement.
"Long Zhan, what have you done to my sect?!" Yu Xiao's voice quivered with anger, his emotions reaching a boiling point.
Despite the tense situation, Long Zhan remained eerily calm. "It's regrettable, Yu Xiao, but circumstances have forced my hand. Tonight, your sect... will be erased from history," he declared, his grin turning sinister.
Yu Xiao's anger surged, his resolve strengthening. He rose slowly, his powerful aura emanating like a tempest.
Determination burned fiercely in his eyes as he stood to protect his beloved Mount Hua Sect.
"I won't allow you to destroy Mount Hua Sect, no matter the cost!" he vowed, every word carrying unwavering conviction.
In that very moment, a shadow of a giant armored eagle materialized behind Yu Xiao, it was his martial spirit, the War Eagle.
"Ah, there it is, the legendary martial spirit," Long Zhan complimented, though his tone mocking.
"I will defend Mount Hua Sect with every fiber of my being!" Yu Xiao roared, his voice echoing through the tumultuous night.
Without further hesitation, he shot forward with blinding speed, aiming to take down Long Zhan. But the crafty opponent effortlessly evaded his grasp.
As Yu Xiao's eyes narrowed in focus, he saw Long Zhan's fist clenching tightly, a warning sign of an incoming strike.
Bang!
A resounding impact followed—a brutal punch from Long Zhan sent him tumbling backward, crashing to the ground. Despite the pain, he swiftly rose to his feet, blood dripping from his nose.
"Come on, you can do better than this," Long Zhan taunted, a grin on his face.
Yu Xiao's teeth clenched tightly, refusing to succumb to the provocation. His concern for his sect swelled within him, knowing that the Long family's actions were not merely threats but a genuine intent to obliterate them.
He looked around, the once picturesque sect grounds now turned into chaos by Long family's attack.
His heart ached, the serene beauty had turned into a chaotic battlefield, flames dancing alongside the cries of his disciples.
His gaze snapped back to Long Zhan, frustration laced his voice, "Why are you attacking my sect, Long Zhan? Haven't I respected the territorial boundaries? What more do you seek?"
Long Zhan's demeanor remained composed, his explanation carrying an air of inevitability, "It's not about territories, Yu Xiao. Circumstances led me to this path, and Mount Hua Sect was the unavoidable target. I could have chosen other factions, but the conflicts kept pointing to your sect."
The revelation only fueled Yu Xiao's determination. He asked with a somber tone, "So, you truly intend to destroy my sect?"
"Yes," Long Zhan's nod was a confirmation that cut deep into Yu Xiao's resolve.
"Then I will fight you until my last breath!" Yu Xiao declared, the fire of his determination reignited.
With renewed vigor, Yu Xiao lunged at Long Zhan once more, his punches now carrying a ferocious strength, like steel rain pouring down.
Long Zhan met each blow with calculated defense, his skin as tough as dragon scales, tactically waiting for the opportune moment.
Yu Xiao's attacks were fast, while Long Zhan focused on defense. Until at one point, he saw an opening. As Yu Xiao's claws reached for his face, Long Zhan swiftly caught them and struck his elbow.
Crack!
The sickening crack of bone echoed through the battlefield.
"Aaaargh!" Yu Xiao screamed in pain.
But Long Zhan didn't relent, swiftly delivering a powerful blow to Yu Xiao's face.
Bang!
The impact sent Yu Xiao hurtling backward, crashing through a nearby building, scattering debris and dust into the air.
For a brief moment, all was shrouded in silence, the aftermath of the devastating clash. And then, from the debris and dust emerged Yu Xiao, his aura intensified, energy wings unfurling from his back.
Breathing heavily, he faced Long Zhan, unwavering in his resolve. "Long Zhan, withdraw your forces and leave! Destroying my sect is like igniting a powder keg. Eventually, our alliance will retaliate against the Long family," he warned.
Long Zhan remained unfazed, his chilling response revealing his unwavering resolve, "Then I'll destroy them too, just as I will destroy you here."
Yu Xiao gritted his teeth, prepared to go all out. The stakes were high, but he would fight with everything he had to protect Mount Hua Sect, even if it meant facing the formidable Long Zhan head-on.
"You will regret this!" he roared, launching himself at his opponent once more.
The battle of wills and power raged on, the fate of the sects hanging in the balance. The clash of martial spirit and fierce blows resonated through the night, a testament to the unyielding spirits of both combatants.
*******************
While Long Zhan and Yu Xiao engaged in their fierce battle, other members of the Long family were mercilessly slaughtering the disciples of Mount Hua Sect.
Their faces showed no mercy; they resembled demons indiscriminately ravaging their human prey.
Take Long Shan, for example; he currently stood upon headless corpses, one of which belonged to the Grand Elder of Mount Hua Sect.
His gaze then shifted to the 30 female disciples huddled together. Their faces were marked by sorrow and fear.
But Long Shan wore a sinister smile as he approached them, "Don't worry, you won't die. In fact, your abilities will be of great use to my young master," he said, trying to comfort them though his tone was mocking.
"You're nothing but demons!" One of the women spoke up.
"Well, I'm delighted to hear your praise," Long Shan grinned.
Without further ado, he raised his hand slightly, and energy-formed hand appeared, restraining all the female disciples and storing them into spatial pouches.
These pouches, creations of one of the Long family Elders, could hold around 50 humans.
Typically, they couldn't store living beings, but the Long family possessed a method to do so, though it was not permanent.
"Area for the females, clear. I wonder how the other areas are faring," Long Shan smirked.
After arranging the spatial pouches, he took off to inspect other parts of the battlefield.
He landed in a field where a mountain of corpses lay, their bodies bearing claw marks and burn wounds.
The night had descended into madness. The last time the Long family launched an attack was when they participated in quelling a rebellion in the empire.
"How is your area, Long Shan?" A voice called from behind.
Long Shan turned and saw Long Jun and the other members approaching, "Oh, are you all done? Well, the female area was quite extensive, but it's clear now," he replied.
Long Jun nodded, "Alright, I suppose everything is clear now. We've also seized all the treasure and resources. Now, we await the patriarch to finish his business," he stated.
Long Shan nodded. as he was about to say, he suddenly heard the sound of fighting, everyone heard it too.
At this moment, sounds of a fierce battle echoed through the air. Everyone turned their gazes upward, witnessing two figures locked in combat in the sky.
Suddenly, Yu Xiao was flung downward.
Bang!
He crashed right in front of the Long family members.
At the same time, Long Zhan landed gracefully nearby.
Long Zhan had no visible injuries, but Yu Xiao's condition was horrifying.
His face bore deep claw marks, causing him to lose his left eye. Bruises covered his entire body.
He lay motionless, incapacitated, unable to fight back or even stand.
"You are defeated, Yu Xiao. I hoped for a fair fight before delivering your death, and I believe that's been fulfilled," Long Zhan remarked casually.
Yu Xiao didn't respond, but his eyes scanned his surroundings. Blood and corpses littered the area, once-grand buildings now reduced to ruins.
As he reminisced about the beautiful days of his sect, tears welled up in his eyes. He never imagined Mount Hua Sect would end like this.
With what face would he meet his ancestors in the afterlife? His heart ached seeing what the Long family had done to his sect.
Nevertheless, his sorrow ended here. At this moment, a hand reached for his face.
His vision slowly dimmed, and his consciousness faded away. This didn't feel like death.
"Your strength will become part of my son, Yu Xiao," a voice echoed before he closed his eyes for the final time.
Visit freewe𝑏n(o)vel.𝑐𝘰𝑚 for the best novel reading experience