Chapter 551 561: The Battle Begins

The black-clad man leading the members of the Asura Sect took a step forward and said coldly, "Consequences? You think that if you all die here, the Celestial Profound Sect will have any strength left to deal with our allied sects?"

Luu Jing, the Left Protector of the Heaven-Burying Sect, laughed smugly from the side. "Brother Xing Yu is right. With more than half of your people from the Three Peaks dead, the Celestial Profound Sect is already stretched thin. How could it possibly have the strength to deal with anyone else?"

Situ Yun's brow furrowed. "What do we do?" he asked. "Senior Brother Hua, Brother Tangg, this situation looks grim."

Hua Lie gritted his teeth so hard they audibly scraped. "We've fallen right into the Heaven-Burying Sect's trap this time," he said in a low voice. "Junior Brother Tangg and I can handle Ghost Child and Zhang Bubai, but there's no one left to restrain Luu Jing and Xing Yu. If they cut loose, it will be a catastrophe for us."

Although Hua Lie, Situ Yun, and Tangg Guanzhong had brought numerous masters from the Three Peaks, it looked as if Siyun Mansion and the Inference Void Sect had mobilized their entire forces. This was especially true for the Asura Sect; they had traveled thousands of miles and brought so many experts that their strength was in no way inferior to the other two factions.

Clearly, this was an ambush long-plotted by the Heaven-Burying Sect—no, the Taiyi Pavilion. The goal was to strike a crippling blow to the Celestial Profound Sect's Primordial Qi.

The surroundings fell into a dead silence.

Bai Xu gazed at the enemies before them, who stared like tigers eyeing their prey, and sighed softly. "In a moment, we must risk our lives to hold back the Heaven-Burying Sect's forces and carve a bloody path for the younger generation to escape."

"It's the only way," Xia Qianhe said, his expression more solemn than ever as he nodded.

Tangg Guanzhong looked at Ouyang. After a long silence, he smiled. "Elder Ouyang, you are truly as resourceful and brilliant as the rumors claim, to have seen through the Celestial Profound Sect's plan. It appears leaving here today will not be easy for us."

Ouyang shook his head and sneered. "Your Celestial Profound Sect's every move has been within my predictions from the start. Dealing with you is child's play. Tangg Guanzhong, spare me the flattery. Even if you think until your head explodes, every single person from the Celestial Profound Sect is going to die here today."

After he finished speaking, Ouyang's gaze fell on Wen Qingye. A vicious grin spread across his face. "Rest assured, Wen Qingye. You will be the very last to die. I won't grant you such an easy death."

When Hua Lie heard this, his expression darkened. "Anticipating our moves? Don't tell me there's a traitor in the Celestial Profound Sect! Otherwise, how could they know our movements so perfectly when we came in such secrecy?"

Wen Qingye's eyes narrowed as he watched Hua Lie. He let out a silent, troubled breath. 'From what I've observed these last few days, Hua Lie doesn't seem like the traitor Guo Gao made him out to be. So why would Guo Gao accuse him? Is Hua Lie really hiding it so well that even I can't see through him?'

Qingg Ruo'ai surveyed their surroundings and couldn't help but frown. "Looks like we're in a real crisis this time."

Wen Qingye smiled. "Unless there's no other choice, I won't use the Spirit Blood Sacrifice with you. The toll on my body would be too great; it would shorten my life."

The Spirit Blood Sacrifice was an exceedingly rare Secret Technique. Performing it allowed one to temporarily draw immense power from a Spiritual Object, but it came with an inevitable backlash—a severe one that consumed the user's very lifespan.

Many who possessed powerful Spiritual Objects had died instantly upon using the Spirit Blood Sacrifice. The technique's backlash was simply too terrifying; the amount of lifespan it consumed was more than even a typical Life and Death Realm master could withstand.

At this point, the Spirit Blood Sacrifice was considered nothing short of an Evil Skill.

"The Spirit Blood Sacrifice? You actually know about that?" Qingg Ruo'ai sounded slightly surprised, then pouted. "Putting aside the fact that you've got a frail little body, how much lifespan could you possibly have to burn? In the entire Eastern Profound Domain, there aren't even three people who can use it. And none of them live for more than a few years afterward."

"It won't come to that." Wen Qingye took a deep breath. Even though he cultivated the Dao of Longevity, he had no desire to use the Spirit Blood Sacrifice. He knew that if he were to cast it, the strain on his body would be far too great.

Right now, Wen Qingye would not resort to this Evil Skill unless he had absolutely no other choice.

Zhang Bubai's withered hand reached out, drawing one of the nine swords from his back. He said coldly, "Tangg Guanzhong, hailed as the peerless genius to emerge from the Celestial Profound Sect in a thousand years. Today, I'd like to see for myself what you're truly made of."

SWOOSH! SWOOSH!

With a single sweep of his sword, Zhang Bubai sent three crimson beams of Sword Aura, each hundreds of feet long and seeming to connect heaven and earth, hurtling directly toward Tangg Guanzhong.

The crimson Sword Aura reflected in the dark pupils of the onlookers. 'What a piercingly sharp aura!' they thought in shock.

Tangg Guanzhong's expression remained unchanged as he watched the three beams of Sword Aura approach. With a sudden thrust of his palm, a colossal, solidified hand of Primordial Qi descended from the heavens, reaching directly for the three beams.

BAM!

Tangg Guanzhong crushed the three beams of Sword Aura into dust, which dissipated into the sky as formless Primordial Qi.

Just then, the Ghost Child let out a cold laugh. He crossed his short arms, and with a slight concentration of his power, innumerable streams of sinister energy burst forth, coalescing into enormous skulls that radiated a chilling, evil aura.

"Celestial Ghost Exorcism Technique!"

One of the enormous skulls charged toward Hua Lie. Its massive jaw opened wide, spewing forth a torrent of evil energy that billowed madly from between its teeth, trailed by wisps of gray mist.

"Hmph! Vile heresy!"

Hua Lie snorted. Extending his left arm, he placed his right hand on his left elbow and slowly pushed it toward his palm. A ring of white light surged forth from his arm.

"Go!"

The ring of light surged forward, rushing toward the giant skull with a sound that seemed to make space itself tremble.

BOOM!

The two attacks collided, and a massive explosion thundered through the sky. The ring of light flickered and faded, and the skull shattered and dispersed.

"Men of the Heaven-Burying Sect, charge with me!" Luu Jing roared. His body shot forward like a sky-piercing arrow, moving with lightning speed as he rushed an Elder from the Three Realms Sect.

Xing Yu said nothing. With a twirl of the icy Blood Saber in his hand, a boundless, blood-red energy surged from the blade and swept toward the people before him.

In an instant, the great battle erupted once more.

The Heaven-Burying Sect's side had Luu Jing and the Asura Sect's Xing Yu. Both of them were at the Life and Death Realm Fifth Layer. Since the other high-level experts were occupied, most of the masters on the field were at the Second Heaven, Third Heaven, or Fourth Layer of the Life and Death Realm. For a time, not a single person could stand in their way.

Wen Qingye said to Elder Li beside him, "Elder Li, go and join the fight. I will be all right."

"But what about you?" Elder Li asked, looking at Wen Qingye with worry in his eyes.

Wen Qingye shook his head. "I'm fine. You can rest assured."

"Very well."