Chapter 247: 247. Chapter 244: Pursuit by a True God Realm Cultivator

Ding Huan's heart stirred; though he didn't take these worthless scraps of the Yanyue Sect seriously, nor did he regard the Level-7 sect barrier as a threat, many times, carelessness was the beginning of ruin.

The cultivator who had just shaken his head—he recognized him, named Shen Guan.

Back in the Great Gorge, he had given Shen Guan a Speed-Travel Talisman.

From any perspective, Shen Guan had no reason whatsoever to harm him.

Shen Guan knew he had wiped out the Twin Soul Sect, and even warned him not to enter the Yanyue Sect—this meant the dangers within the Yanyue Sect exceeded a certain level.

Thinking of this, Ding Huan summoned his Departure Spear once more, and a sky-filling storm of spear light erupted.

The sect guardian elder and Quan immediately felt a crushing wave of death's aura bearing down on them; he panicked and frantically retreated.

Boom! Ding Huan's Departure Spear struck the sect barrier again.

"Ding Huan, you seek death…"

A newly promoted True Pill late-stage elder roared, snatching up a glass halberd and hurling it at Ding Huan.

He had just advanced to True Pill late-stage—his power had surged.

He truly didn't believe a fellow who'd come from the Mortal World only a few years ago could be that formidable.

Ding Huan's Departure Spear slammed into the barrier; the True Pill cultivator noticed Ding Huan wouldn't even look at him, and his fury boiled over.

But then he was seized by terror—he realized he was locked in by a terrifying killing aura; before he could beg for mercy, a blade-like light sliced down from his third eye.

Puff! As blood exploded, Ding Huan's Departure Spear struck the heart of the Yanyue Sect's barrier for the third time.

That True Pill elder had used his life to absorb one blow from Ding Huan's Departure Spear—but it didn't even slow the spear down.

Some elders clearly heard the sect barrier emitting a series of cracking sounds; if they didn't act, the Yanyue Sect's barrier would be shattered by Ding Huan in the next instant.

Seeing Ding Huan kill the sect's Transmission Elder with a single blade-light and snatch his storage bag, the External Affairs Elder Zhu Jun could no longer contain his rage:

"Everyone, attack! Kill him!"

He didn't believe Ding Huan alone could handle so many of them—he still had a Primordial Soul elder on his side.

"Stop!" Before anyone moved, the sect guardian elder and Quan spoke again.

His face was still pale; Ding Huan hadn't attacked him, but he had felt the terrifying killing pressure.

He was a Primordial Soul cultivator—and even he couldn't withstand such pressure. He was certain that even if the entire Yanyue Sect surrounded Ding Huan, they'd still be slaughtered to the last.

Unless the one inside the sect stepped out to act—he knew clearly that as long as Ding Huan didn't enter the Yanyue Sect, that one would never emerge to confront him.

External Affairs Elder Zhu Jun stared at and Quan in complete confusion:

"Guardian He? What are you doing?"

And Quan coldly swept a glance at Zhu Jun, then bowed to Ding Huan:

"We will compensate you for your losses. Can you give us one incense stick's time?"

Ding Huan said calmly: "Two incense sticks won't be a problem—I feel I can wait up to three."

"Thank you, Lord Ding. All elders and disciples, withdraw immediately…"

Boom! Before and Quan's voice had even faded, Ding Huan's Departure Spear struck the heart of the Level-7 barrier again.

"Lord Ding, you just said it was fine." And Quan's expression changed.

Ding Huan chuckled, his Departure Spear continuing to swirl a storm of killing aura:

"Of course it's fine—I won't break your barrier within three incense sticks, so you've got plenty of time to prepare. When you've gathered what you owe me, I'll leave."

Boom! Boom! Boom!

This time, Ding Huan's Departure Spear unleashed three consecutive killing spear-light strikes against the barrier's heart.

And Quan's heart leapt—he knew, no matter what, even one incense stick wouldn't be enough; with Ding Huan's attack speed, the Yanyue Sect's barrier would be torn apart within that time.

Never mind whether Ding Huan would destroy the Yanyue Sect after breaking the barrier—even if he did nothing else, the Yanyue Sect could never rebuild a Level-7 sect barrier again.

Rumors said Ding Huan was a Level-6 Array Master; it seemed this might very well be true.

"Elder Li, take people to the storage vault and prepare the compensation items…"

Every time he saw Ding Huan's Departure Spear strike, And Quan's spirit felt as if crushed. He pulled out a jade tablet and handed it to a tall-faced elder beside him, speaking urgently:

Even without And Quan's reminder, Elder Li understood the urgency.

Once Ding Huan shattered the sect barrier, it would be too late for anything.

Judging by this power, Ding Huan wouldn't need much time to break the barrier.

While Elder Li went to the vault, And Quan began repairing the array.

Since he dared not face Ding Huan directly, he could only passively repair the barrier.

Unfortunately, his array skills were far too inferior to Ding Huan's.

Though he appeared to be constantly tossing array flags, the actual protective effect on the great array was extremely limited.

Just as Ding Huan cracked a fissure in the sect barrier, Elder Li finally arrived.

At this moment, Ding Huan truly halted his assault on the Yanyue Sect's barrier; his gaze turned toward Elder Li's direction.

Ding Huan wasn't looking at Elder Li—he was looking at a gray-robed man behind him.

This man was certainly not a Void God cultivator—he was stronger than a Void God.

Stronger than a Void God? Only a True God cultivator.

Ding Huan finally understood why Shen Guan had warned him—it was because the Yanyue Sect had such a powerful figure arrived.

True God cultivators didn't exist in the Dao Cultivation World.

If so, then this man could only be from the Ascension Realm.

"You are Ding Huan? Lord of the Lanxing Sect?"

The gray-robed man stepped before Ding Huan, his gaze scanning Ding Huan with a measuring intensity.

Ding Huan said calmly:

"Correct, I am the sect leader of Lanxing Sect. Did you bring what I asked for?"

Elder Li cast a glance at the True God realm cultivator, saw the man's expressionless face, and reluctantly handed a storage bag to He Quan.

He Quan scanned it with his spiritual sense, then passed the storage bag to Ding Huan:

"Lord Ding, this is what you requested."

Ding Huan spoke calmly:

"This is not what I asked for. This is what Yi Wandao voluntarily offered as compensation."

With a flick of his spiritual sense, the storage bag in He Quan's hand landed in Ding Huan's grasp.

Tucking away the storage bag, Ding Huan stepped once more onto the Departure Spear, merging with it as one, and vanished like a streak of shadow.

"Thank you, Elder, for stepping in to assist. Otherwise, Ding Huan would never have left so easily."

He Quan bowed deeply to the True God realm cultivator, his tone sincere.

The gray-robed True God realm cultivator glanced at He Quan and said coolly:

"Even if I hadn't stepped out, he would have taken what he wanted and left. I didn't assist you with anything—don't lie to flatter me. I'm returning to the Ascension Realm. Farewell."

With those words, the gray-robed man stepped beyond Yanyue Sect's protective array and vanished in an instant.

He Quan watched the gray-robed man's retreating figure, a sneer curling at his lips, then declared sharply:

"From today, I assume the role of Acting Sect Leader of Yanyue Sect, until a new sect leader emerges. No more internal strife over the sect leader's position."

Previously, He Quan had refused to become sect leader, causing a dozen True Pill realm cultivators to fight bloody battles for the position.

Today's appearance of Ding Huan had taught him one truth: if Yanyue Sect had no sect leader, its downfall was inevitable.

If so, he might as well take the position himself and prevent others from coveting it.

…

Ding Huan hadn't gone far when he sensed someone trailing him.

Without asking, Ding Huan knew the person trailing him was the True God realm cultivator from earlier.

Ding Huan deliberately turned a corner, arriving at a desolate place, then tossed out dozens of array flags.

"Heh, you're quite careful. Come here to set up a trapping and killing array?"

A chuckle echoed, and soon the gray-robed man from Yanyue Sect appeared before Ding Huan.

"Who are you?" Ding Huan stepped back several paces as if seeing a ghost, and the array flags still in his hand fell to the ground.

"I am from the Ascension Realm's Huangshen Sect. My name is Elder Qi Long. I know your array art is strong, so I won't give you time to set one up. Don't worry."

The gray-robed man regarded Ding Huan with perfect calm.

"Why are you following me?"

Ding Huan took a breath, forcing his voice to steady, yet his unease still leaked through.

Elder Qi Long smiled slightly:

"Hand me your storage ring, then tell me—where in the Mortal World did you find these things?"

Ding Huan froze. This time, he was genuinely baffled. What did the man mean by "finding things in the Mortal World"?

"A woman named Qing Yu said your strength comes from discovering an ancient cavern."

These words from Elder Qi Long made Ding Huan understand: it was that bitch again, scheming against him.

Ding Huan raised his hand and threw out a dozen array flags.

"Die..." Seeing Ding Huan ignore him and continue setting up arrays, Elder Qi Long flew into a rage.

He unleashed a pair of meteor hammers, yet held back enough to avoid striking Ding Huan's head.

Boom—Boom—Boom!

A series of thunderous roars erupted, and the space itself seemed to shift in an instant.

Ding Huan vanished. Elder Qi Long realized his meteor hammers had struck a defensive array; the air rang with muffled clashes of spiritual energy.

A Level Five defensive array?

He had chased Ding Huan here—Ding Huan had no time to set up a defensive array. When had this Level Five defensive array been placed?

No—Elder Qi Long suddenly realized: this place already had a defensive array. Ding Huan had merely activated it.

Elder Qi Long knew better than anyone: to kill Ding Huan, he must first break the array.

A mere Level Five defensive array meant nothing to him. It might block him once, but not twice.

Just as Elder Qi Long prepared to unleash his full power and shatter the array, waves of killing light surged toward him.

Elder Qi Long immediately realized: this place didn't just have a Level Five defensive array—it also held a Level Five trapping array and a Level Five killing array.