At the top of the Sky Wing Tower, the atmosphere at the banquet was tense yet peculiarly odd.
The object in Shi Song's hand was eye-catching, with its fine material and design. However, there was no trace of it being refined, and its divine light was dim. Compared to the "Heart-Connecting Rhinoceros Ring", it was not even on the same level. To propose an exchange seemed like a poor joke, yet Shi Song's serious demeanor suggested he was not joking.
Zhou Youde's face was grim. His fear of Xie Yan was understandable, given Xie Yan's backing from the Lichen Sect. But to be humiliated by Shi Song as well, did they really think the Random Heart Pavilion was a pushover?
At this moment, a cold snort echoed, "Could it be that you've squandered the entire wealth of the Thousands Spirits Sect with your extravagance?"
The speaker was a lean man with ordinary features and small eyes that were often squinted, as if he was always sleep-deprived. It was Dong Yan, the head of the Lifeless Sword Sect. Most of the time, he was unnoticeable, but once he spoke, he was particularly sarcastic.
The Lifeless Sword Sect was one of the five major powers in Sheer Cliff City. Although calling it a "power" was a stretch, as including Dong Yan, the sect only had thirteen members. However, these thirteen members were all at or above the Nature-Connecting Cultivation Level, and they were all skilled sword cultivators with formidable combat abilities. They practiced the Sword Way and could kill from a hundred steps away with their sword light. In terms of pure strength, they were not weaker than any other power's elite forces. The key was that they were very united, following Dong Yan's lead, advancing and retreating together during battles. Known as the "Thirteen Eagles," they were a force not to be underestimated.
Of course, despite their combat prowess, their number was too small, and they were newcomers, having arrived in Sheer Cliff City just over thirty years ago. They were not good at managing territories, so they were actually under the protection of White Sun Mansion, similar to guest officials, but with more freedom.
In this banquet hall, the positions of the five forces in Sheer Cliff City were clearly defined. White Sun Mansion and Lifeless Sword Sect were on one side, Thousands Spirits Sect and Pure Water Sect were on the other, and Xuan Yin Sect maintained their usual aloof observation.
At this time, "outsiders" like Zhao Zirui were completely forgotten, and they wisely chose to watch from the sidelines. Even a fool could see that a conflict was imminent at the banquet, and it was unclear what the consequences would be.
Shi Song turned to look at Dong Yan, not annoyed, but rather proudly said, "This Bone Flute was made from the remains of demons and beasts we fought since the Sky Rift Valley turmoil. The Thousands Spirits Sect, isolated from the outside world, faced an endless stream of demons and beasts during the turmoil. The strongest wave alone had seventy-five creatures above the Nature-Connecting Cultivation Level and four Golden Elixir Stage demons. Our disciples fought in blood and sweat until the moment when Immortal Elder Xie and others came to our aid. Can't an artifact made from the spoils of such a battle be exchanged for a magical instrument?"
When Shi Song retorted, Dong Yan's eyes narrowed even more, a cold glint seeping out, icy and sharp as a sword.
At this point, Zhou Youde suppressed his dissatisfaction and said with a bitter smile, "Sect Leader Shi, may I be so bold as to say, this object is indeed precious, but it is a memento stained with the blood of our Cultivator. It should not be handled lightly."
His words were gentle, but the meaning was clear. Shi Song laughed upon hearing this, "Stained with blood, Steward Zhou, you've put it so well!"
He then lifted the Bone Flute to his lips and blew a tune that was ancient and desolate. The whistle within sounded like the screams of countless ghosts, piercing the eardrums. As everyone in the room frowned, a burst of firelight flashed outside again. This time, it lasted much longer, flickering on and off, never settling down.
Jin Huan finally noticed the abnormality outside, furrowed his brows, and signaled Kuang Yan Qi to go check. As Kuang Yan Qi circled the banquet, Shi Song's aged face with three long scars twitched. He stared at Jin Huan and said in a low voice, "There's something I need to verify with Mansion Master Jin."
Jin Huan looked at him coldly, showing no reaction.
Shi Song continued on his own, "The Thousands Spirits Sect is located in a desolate suburb outside the city, and since the upheaval in Sky Rift Valley, we've been frequently attacked by Demons. I can accept that, but what I don't understand is that on the seventh day of the first lunar month, the Demons attacked. Coincidentally, four Golden Elixir Stage demons came at the same time, and countless other ferocious beasts. There were no signs beforehand. If it weren't for Immortal Xie Yan and others arriving in time, Thousands Spirits Sect would probably no longer exist. Even so, over forty percent of our disciples were killed or injured. Mansion Master Jin, do you have anything to say about this situation?"
The two men's gazes clashed in mid-air, and Jin Huan's brows furrowed slightly. Of course, this was not because of Shi Song's question, but because of the sudden sense of unease that welled up in his heart.
Outside, Kuang Yan Qi had reached the Cloud Bamboo Garden and saw the current state of the mountain city. Jin Huan, with his excellent eyesight, had seen through the layers of bamboo shadows and noticed the young man's body suddenly stiffen, then turn around in panic.
Stolen content warning: this content belongs on Royal Road. Report any occurrences.
Before he could utter a word, a chilling light flashed, and blood sprayed!
Jin Huan had already sensed the danger, but he never expected that the fierce attack would come from so close.
It was too close! Especially when the cold light twisted, as if merging with the candlelight illuminating the banquet hall, the attack was silent and sudden. By the time he truly woke up and reacted, a blade had pierced his left rib, deep enough to reach half a foot.
A deafening roar erupted, and a blinding golden flame burst forth from Jin Huan, turning everything within a five-foot radius into ashes. The blade that had pierced him was forced out, twirling in the blood mist, twisted by True Sha into a twisted shape. However, the blade spun several times in the air, and with its exceptional toughness, it straightened with a hum, showing no damage at all.
Just like its master, with a successful strike, the figure drifted away like smoke and mist, effortlessly avoiding the flame's assault. The blade, still stained with blood, fell into her pure white palm.
Wiping away the small amount of blood on the blade, Red Yin's usually aloof and lazy expression was wiped clean, she chuckled, "If you want to fight, then fight, why all the unnecessary chatter?"
Within her words, a loud bang resonated. The top of the Sky Wing Tower exploded, it was Jin Huan's decisive escape. Below him, a low "moo" resounded, a dark golden light flew up and penetrated Jin Huan's defensive True Slaying Flame Light, hitting him squarely in the back.
Jin Huan let out another painful howl, his body bursting with flames, finally repelling the dark golden light. Amid the nearly uncontrollable explosion of fire, the entire rooftop was blown away, and the cold wind from outside rushed in. The dark golden light fell back down, revealing its form to be a Vajra Scepter.
It was launched by Monk Yi Xin.
"Run!"
The one screaming was Dong Yan. At the first moment of Jin Huan's attack, he reacted, but the closest to him was Shi Song. In an instant, their swords clashed, and the table in front of them was shattered. At this point, Jin Huan, who had been hit by the sword and the club, had escaped to the outside of the Sky Wing Tower. Dong Yan didn't dare to linger, he flew up with his sword, intending to join Jin Huan. That scream was the signal.
Shi Song seemed to be wary of Yu Ci behind him and did not pursue.
In the sky, Jin Huan heard the sound and wanted to join forces with Dong Yan, his figure slightly stagnated. However, at this moment, he felt a chill in his heart. Looking up, he saw Lu Mingyue, who had somehow flown above him, laughing weirdly as he swept across the night sky like a bat.
At this moment, Dong Yan's sword light rushed up, the two top swordsmen of Sheer Cliff City crossed paths in an instant. The intersection point was Jin Huan.
The second wave of blood mist exploded violently.
At this moment, countless wounds were torn open on Jin Huan's body, each wound pierced by Sword Energy, damaging his meridians. This Sword Energy came from both Lu Mingyue and Dong Yan!
Jin Huan didn't make a sound surprisingly, but his pupils were already dyed red by the blood and flames.
He saw, on the Cinnabar Cliff opposite New City, flames soaring into the sky, countless figures leaping about in the firelight, in utter chaos.
The more chaotic it was, the more silent he became. The next moment, the sky was scattered with rosy light, illuminating half of the sky. In the middle was a round bead, initially only two inches in diameter, but it quickly expanded with the spreading light, becoming the size of a fist in an instant. It spun rapidly in the void, swallowing and spitting out red flames, making a hissing sound.
"Ten Thousand Rays Piercing the Clouds Bead!"
Both Lu Mingyue and Dong Yan were very wary of this bead. Seeing this, they didn't care about expanding their victories and retreated at the same time. However, while Jin Huan could tolerate Lu Mingyue, he absolutely couldn't tolerate Dong Yan. His red eyes followed Dong Yan's movement, his hand had already formed a seal, triggering the power of the treasure bead.
With a swift "swish" sound, the rosy glow of dawn took a sudden turn, folding in like a fan, or lashing out like a long whip, chasing after Dong Yan's sword light. Just as it was about to reach him, it abruptly dispersed again, transforming back into a horizon-spanning dawn, within which were hundreds of rays of light shooting out like spikes, instantly engulfing Dong Yan.
"Ah!"
Dong Yan let out a cry of pain. However, his strength was not to be underestimated. At the critical moment, his sword light twisted, forcibly tearing through the radiant spikes. Even so, his body was pierced by countless rays of light. The fiery poison broke through his Sword Energy barrier and seeped in, causing sparks to burst from his nose and mouth:
"Attack now!"
Dong Yan was truly desperate, and his call for help was indeed effective. Amidst the laughter, Shi Song, who had been playing along with him, soared into the sky. At the same time, a gigantic snake shadow, as thick as a water bucket and over ten meters long, pounced from the shadow of the cliff behind, its mouth wide open, and bit down towards Jin Huan.
*******
The sudden turn of events upstairs was shocking. The high-temperature blood mist had just begun to spread within the building when the rooftop of the Sky Wing Tower was blasted off. The burning beams exploded into hundreds of fragments, mixed with brick and stone debris, scattering down the cliff like a shower of fiery meteors.
The calls from below and the sides of the building suddenly fell silent, followed by a slight commotion. The bold ones stuck their heads out, looking up at the sky. They could see Jin Huan surrounded by intense fire, soaring into the sky, while the sharp Sword Energy of Dong Yan and Lu Mingyue, like venomous snakes, repeatedly struck him, bringing with them a sky full of blood mist.
When Jin Huan raised his hand and the rosy light rose, and he displayed the "Ten Thousand Rays Piercing the Clouds Bead", half of the sky over Sheer Cliff City was illuminated by the dawn light. The impact wave swept across the cliff, instantly turning the shattered stones into a fiery spray. The entire Sky Wing Tower was shaking. This time, everyone fell silent. After the enormous shock, chaos was inevitable.
The cultivators and ordinary people upstairs still didn't understand what had happened, but the more they didn't understand, the more they feared the unpredictable consequences. Someone was the first to scream, followed by endless cries and shouts. On the bridges on both sides, countless people were running wildly, trying to escape from the dangerous high-rise building. Among them were hundreds of cultivators and guests from the first, second, and third floors, some of whom were not so well-behaved, trying to take advantage of the chaos for their own gain. The situation was getting out of control.
"What's the panic!"
A deep voice amplified by a special technique echoed throughout the Sky Wing Tower.
Yu Ci, with his hands behind his back, descended from the top floor and calmly said, "With the Lichen Sect here, no matter how the sky changes, it's all in the palm of the Lichen Sect. Any objections?"
***************
I have also posted the following more chapters [All free] on: https://www.readgates.com/article/74a39e