Chapter 176: Defeating the Righteous Alliance with a Single Sword

The reason for coming to the Hehuan Sect, the head of the Heavenly Luo Kingdom Six Demon Sects, first was because the Yue Kingdom Cultivation World is closer to Heavenly Luo Country.

And Yan Taibai was now heading to the Taizhen Sect of the Righteous Alliance.

Having demanded so many cultivation resources from the Heavenly Luo Kingdom Six Demon Sects, he naturally would not let the Righteous Alliance off either.

As for the Heavenly Dao Alliance, according to the agreement, they were also required to offer up over a million Spirit Stone resources annually.

This was especially true for the occupied cultivation countries and sects such as Xuanwu Country, Zijin Country, Cheqi Kingdom, and Jiang Kingdom.

After all, he couldn't just help for nothing, could he!

Otherwise, he would not have killed the two Great Cultivators of Nascent Soul Late Stage, Hehuan Laomo and Zhiyang Shangren.

There was no help for it; since Hehuan Laomo and Zhiyang Shangren took the initiative to come knocking, he could only kill them both, which happened to deter the Heavenly Luo Kingdom Six Demon Sects and the Righteous Alliance, thereby stopping and resolving a great war.

As for whether they would seek revenge, they naturally would. However, as long as he had not yet ascended to the Spirit World, nothing would happen.

And after the ascension, it would no longer be his concern! After all, whether it was the Seven Sects of Yue Kingdom or the entire Heavenly Dao Alliance, they had all received great benefits; if they still couldn't grow and strengthen themselves, they couldn't blame anyone else.

Anyway, all he wanted were cultivation resources and to vent his anger.

Back then, under the threat of the Heavenly Luo Kingdom Six Demon Sects and the Righteous Alliance, for the sake of their lives, Yan Taibai and Yan Ruyan had to flee in disgrace to the Chaotic Star Sea to cultivate.

Now that he had returned, it was only natural to settle old scores. Otherwise, wouldn't he have returned for nothing? How could that be possible?

If not for the fear of offending the entire Tiannan Cultivation World, he wouldn't have minded doing this to the Righteous Alliance, the Heavenly Luo Kingdom Six Demon Sects, or even the Nine Nations Alliance and the Heavenly Dao Alliance.

However, even if they were willing to pay the tribute resources, Yan Taibai did not want to kill them all.

Creating too much murderous karma would eventually affect his cultivation.

That he was so bloodthirsty now had quite a bit to do with the Life-Bound Magical Treasure inside his body: the Luxian Juetian Sword; yet he could not discard it, for this was his trump card and his final life-saving ace, so absolutely nothing could go wrong with it.

And when Yan Taibai arrived at the Righteous Alliance's Taizhen Sect, the Taizhen Sect had actually learned of the Hehuan Sect incident a step ahead, directly inviting all the Nascent Soul cultivators of the entire Righteous Alliance to the Taizhen Sect, and with the addition of the Taizhen Sect's Sect Protection Array: the Hunyuan Yiqi Taiyuan Array, as long as they gathered a hundred Nascent Soul cultivators, it would be enough to deal with a Spirit Severing Stage cultivator.

This was one of the foundations that had allowed the Taizhen Sect to stand in the Tiannan Cultivation World for tens of thousands of years.

Yet, Yan Taibai appeared completely unconcerned about such a powerful array.

His Life-Bound Magical Treasure, the Luxian Juetian Sword, swung down with a single strike.

"Rip!"

"Boom!"

In an instant, a golden giant sword, resembling a hundred-zhang golden mountain peak, slashed directly onto the black-and-white light barrier of the Sect Protection Array, and then, the barrier formed by the Sect Protection Array shattered into pieces.

For a moment, the Nascent Soul cultivators situated at the array eyes and within the array had their expressions change abruptly, and then.

"Puchi!"

"Puchi!"

"Bang!"

Those with better strength spat out blood, while those with weaker strength collapsed directly to the ground, and some even fainted on the spot.

In just a brief moment, the many Righteous Alliance Nascent Soul cultivators who were originally within the array fell toward the ground below as if they had been struck hard, like dumplings being dropped into a pot.

However, there were still Taizhen Sect disciples who reacted in time and moved to catch them.

But there were still quite a few Golden Core stage elders and disciples of the Taizhen Sect who were caught in the aftermath and killed; regarding this, even though everyone in the Taizhen Sect was filled with immense rage and killing intent, they dared not go up to seek revenge on Yan Taibai.

Otherwise, the entire Taizhen Sect would likely be wiped out.

One can imagine just how powerful and terrifying this strike from Yan Taibai was.

"Fellow Daoists, sorry for the disturbance."

With the Sect Protection Array broken and the many Nascent Soul cultivators defeated, the remaining Nascent Soul Mid Stage and above cultivators, who had been standing by in full battle array, turned pale, looking at Yan Taibai as if they were looking at a peerless, awakened, and unsealed fiend-god.

"I only wish to have a word with you fellow Daoists, not to kill you all; you fellow Daoists need not be so panicked."

Yan Taibai smiled faintly, speaking words that were meant to be heart-warming.

After finishing, to express his sincerity, he even retracted the Life-Bound Magical Treasure, the Luxian Juetian Sword, into his body.

Yet these words, falling into the ears of the Taizhen Sect and the other Righteous Alliance Nascent Soul cultivators, were almost equivalent to the sound of a death-summoning ghost.

They had no choice but to force themselves to pull it together and brace themselves to stand in a standoff with Yan Taibai from afar.

But facing such a terrifying existence who had relied on his own strength to slash through their Taizhen Sect's Sect Protection Array, the Hunyuan Yiqi Taiyuan Array.

Everyone in the Taizhen Sect felt a chill down their spines and their hair stand on end; many Foundation Establishment stage disciples who had just joined the Taizhen Sect even felt regret in their hearts.

They felt that if they weren't careful today, the Taizhen Sect, the number one righteous sect in the Tiannan Cultivation World where they were located, would be destroyed.

Thinking of the "Ghost Spirit Sect Tragedy," this feeling of regret reached its peak, and even the cultivators from other sects who had come to help were filled with immense regret.

Yet they dared not leave, fearing that they would anger Yan Taibai and break this hard-won peace.

"If any fellow Daoist wishes to leave, feel free to do so, and I hope your respective sects will not block them, lest I accidentally hurt the innocent later."

Yan Taibai smiled faintly, taking the lead to break this silent, eerie, and hair-raising atmosphere.

And as soon as these words were spoken, it was like an imperial decree of amnesty from the secular world, making the Righteous Alliance cultivators within the Taizhen Sect feel as if they had been granted a pardon, their hearts filled with joy.

Yet, not a single person took the initiative to leave; after all, they still had to account to the Taizhen Sect, the number one righteous sect of the Tiannan Cultivation World.

"This is the head of your sect's Great Elder; I accidentally cut it off. I shall return it to your sect!"

Yan Taibai patted his Storage Bag again and threw out the blood-stained head of Zhiyang Shangren.

"Boom!!!"

Although it was just a head, it was like a bomb or a thunderclap, exploding in the eyes and minds of the Righteous Alliance Nascent Soul cultivators who had been kept in the dark.

At this moment, they finally understood why the Taizhen Sect had invited them to help, only saying that Zhiyang Shangren was injured and in seclusion.

But the scene before them told them that they had been tricked. This was no invitation to help; it was clearly sending them to their deaths.

After all, Zhiyang Shangren, the oldest and most powerful cultivator of the Righteous Alliance, was gone, and the Hunyuan Yiqi Taiyuan Array, which had been passed down for tens of thousands of years and had saved the Taizhen Sect from crises many times, had been broken by Yan Taibai with a single sword strike.

What did this mean? It meant that staying any longer was courting death. Therefore, the Nascent Soul cultivators from the Haoran Pavilion and other Righteous Alliance sects and families glared angrily at the Taizhen Sect leader, then turned into streaks of light and left the Taizhen Sect without a word.

In an instant, colorful streaks of light filled the entire Taizhen Sect, looking like a meteor shower as they rushed out of the Taizhen Sect, with no intention of staying behind at all. It was as if staying for one more second would be self-destruction and seeking their own deaths.

Seeing this scene, the Taizhen Sect leader's face turned green and white, but he was helpless. Otherwise, he did not doubt for a moment that Yan Taibai would give him a sword strike directly.

Even their Taizhen Sect Great Elder had been defeated by Yan Taibai, with his head even severed, let alone him.

Logically speaking, having their own Great Elder Zhiyang Shangren's head severed and thrown at the Taizhen Sect in front of all the Nascent Soul cultivators and Golden Core Stage Cultivators of the Righteous Alliance was a deep, unwashable blood feud.

However, the shock and shadow cast upon them by Yan Taibai's sword strike just now, which shattered their Taizhen Sect's Sect Protection Array, the Hunyuan Yiqi Taiyuan Array, were simply too great.

Never mind seeking revenge; look at how, up until now, not a single person has dared to even let out a peep.

After a full quarter of an hour, once seven or eight out of ten of the Nascent Soul cultivators and Golden Core Stage Cultivators who had come to assist had left, Yan Taibai spoke again.

"It seems no more fellow Daoists are leaving; it is just as well, as I no longer need you to leave. After all, someone must take a few words back for me. Otherwise, I am afraid I would have to make a personal trip myself."

Yan Taibai's voice cast the entire Taizhen Sect into a shadow the likes of which had never been seen before.

Throughout the entire Taizhen Sect, it was almost impossible to muster any fighting spirit.

This was Yan Taibai's deterrent power, a terrifyingly formidable deterrent power! That sword strike just now could completely be described as terrifyingly formidable! And those facing this sword strike were the members of the Taizhen Sect; among the cultivators who left just now, there were also disciples and elders of the Taizhen Sect—some wanted to escape with their lives, while others wanted to preserve a spark of vitality for the Taizhen Sect. After all, the entire sect could not just generously march to their deaths.

In fact, before Yan Taibai arrived, upon learning that the Great Elder Zhiyang Shangren had fallen, the Taizhen Sect Master had immediately transferred out a portion of the disciples and elders with the most excellent aptitude, as well as a portion of the Nascent Soul Stage elders.

Only after doing this did he invite the cultivation sects and cultivation families of the Righteous Alliance from the entire Fengdu Guo and several other countries to come to the Taizhen Sect to assist.

And after barely scraping together several dozen Nascent Soul cultivators, he activated the Taizhen Sect's Sect Protection Array, the Hunyuan Yiqi Taiyuan Array, hoping to be able to withstand Yan Taibai, and ideally, to be able to exterminate Yan Taibai to avenge the Great Elder Zhiyang Shangren.

Unfortunately, they failed! And it was a crushing defeat! A defeat without a shred of suspense or ability to resist; even seven or eight out of ten of the Nascent Soul cultivators and Golden Core Stage Cultivators from the Righteous Alliance sects who came to help had left directly. Under these circumstances, there was simply no power to resist at all.

They could only be fish on the chopping block, left to be slaughtered.

"True Master Taibai, please state your conditions directly!"

Finally, the Taizhen Sect Master spoke.

After all, he worried that if he did not speak now, he would have no more opportunity.

Moreover, if he did not speak, he might completely enrage Yan Taibai, and by then, another "Taizhen Sect Tragedy" would occur, and there would be no survivors left in the entire Taizhen Sect.

Under these circumstances, he had to speak.

"As expected, the Taizhen Sect Master is reasonable. Actually, what Yan wants is not much, just these. Master, take a look; if you think it is appropriate, then agree. If you think it is not appropriate, then Yan can only come and take it personally. I presume the Master would not mind."

Yan Taibai said this with a smile, words that made every cultivator within the entire Taizhen Sect shudder.

After all, they did not doubt the truth of Yan Taibai's words in the slightest.

He could destroy the entire Taizhen Sect by his own power.

After finishing, Yan Taibai took out another Jade Slip, which turned into a golden light of escape and headed toward the Taizhen Sect Master.

Seeing this, the Taizhen Sect Master naturally took it into his hands with caution, his divine sense invading the Jade Slip to examine the conditions Yan Taibai had mentioned.

And as he delved deeper into the examination, the Taizhen Sect Master's expression grew increasingly ugly and gloomy.

At the same time, the other Righteous Alliance cultivators who had been watching the Taizhen Sect Master's expression all along saw his face grow increasingly gloomy.

Their hearts could not help but grow tense; after all, if the Taizhen Sect, with its vast resources, had such an ugly expression,

let alone them.

But what other choice was there? Who told them they could not beat Yan Taibai, and Yan Taibai possessed the terrifying strength to annihilate and slaughter their sects and families at any time.

In this situation, the choices left to them were few.

They could only wait for the Taizhen Sect Master to finish reading the contents of the conditions in the Jade Slip.

After a full quarter of an hour, the Taizhen Sect Master finally withdrew his divine sense from the Jade Slip with a dark face, and with a hoarse voice mixed with barely concealed anger, he requested,

"True Master Taibai's conditions are something this sect and the entire Righteous Alliance of Fengdu Kingdom are afraid they cannot fulfill; could you reduce them a little, or extend the time?"

"As for this, extending the time is naturally no problem at all."

Upon hearing this, Yan Taibai, who had long anticipated this, gave a light laugh and nodded to agree to the latter condition.

After all, the contents of the conditions in the Jade Slip were even more excessive than those for Tianluo Country; just the Spirit Stone veins and material veins alone numbered fifty, and the annual tribute of Spirit Stones, materials, and pills was worth a staggering ten million.

Ten million Spirit Stones every year was something difficult to achieve even for the Righteous Alliance.

Under these circumstances, even if he wanted to agree in his heart to avoid the Taizhen Sect suffering the disaster of sect extermination, he still had to bargain.

After all, even if they could really produce it, the Taizhen Sect would inevitably decline, or even fall apart and collapse on its own.

"Many thanks, True Master Taibai. The matter from a hundred years ago was our Righteous Alliance being bewitched by the Heavenly Luo Kingdom Six Demon Sects into doing such things. From now on, our Righteous Alliance sects will withdraw from the cultivation worlds of other countries."

The Taizhen Sect Master thanked him respectfully.

Even though his heart was bleeding and he wished he could eat Yan Taibai alive, he had no choice but to agree. Who told them they could not afford to offend Yan Taibai, nor could they beat him? When one's skills are inferior to others, one can only cede territory and pay reparations, exactly the same as a hundred years ago.

Under these circumstances, to avoid being exterminated, they could only linger on in a desperate struggle, then wait for the right moment, wait for an opportunity.

For example, Yan Taibai passing away or reaching a level no one had reached in tens of thousands of years: Spirit Severing and Ascension.

As for the issue of Yan Taibai's constitution, they no longer felt it would be an obstacle to Yan Taibai's cultivation.

It was simply that Yan Taibai was too powerful, making them feel that there was nothing left that could stop him.

"Many thanks, Master. However, there is one more thing: this grievance ends here. From now on, both sides will not disturb each other, nor will we seek revenge. How about that?"

After receiving the desired answer, Yan Taibai proposed another condition.

"No problem, this sect can guarantee that this will naturally be no issue at all."

The Taizhen Sect Master was desperate to end this grievance quickly and send away this great god—no, this fierce god—Yan Taibai.

(End of this chapter)