Chapter 265: Kill This Side First

The mountain wind suddenly froze, the air becoming as heavy as solid matter.

Jiang Chenfeng's body snapped like a broken reed, carving a grim arc through the air.

With a thunderous crash, his body slammed into the cliffside, the rock shattering instantly as shards flew everywhere.

This sudden, unexpected scene stunned everyone instantly.

Not far away, two figures brimming with malevolent energy surged forward like ferocious beasts, their violent aura shaking the hillside.

The Bu family had three sons; Bu Hui sat slumped on the ground, while the two racing toward them were naturally Bu Yao and Bu Sheng.

Boom!

As they charged, claws wrapped in black-purple malevolence slashed downward, as if tearing the night sky apart.

Hu Hong and Xie Chenyu, directly in the path, instantly felt crushing pressure; their faces paled, and they hastily raised sword and blade, colliding violently with Bu Yao.

Crack!

Under the claws, Hu Hong's iron blade shrieked in protest; the violent force surged through the blade, pinning him so hard he could barely breathe.

The other claw shadow kept its momentum, striking down with devastating force onto Xie Chenyu's shoulders.

Fortunately, both had been wary since seeing Jiang Chenfeng fly through the air; they had already used spiritual energy to retreat swiftly, putting distance between themselves and the now-cultivated demon form of Bu Yao.

Now, Hu Hong felt his arms numb, his shoulder blades on the verge of shattering.

Xie Chenyu's left shoulder had been torn apart; he rolled helplessly along the ground with a wet thud, blood spraying everywhere.

But the ghostlike figure surged forward again, engulfed in surging malevolence, its bloated black body descending like a towering peak.

"Look, look—I told you it wasn't my fault, right?!"

"It's my older brothers who are evil! They're the evil ones!"

Bu Hui shrieked from the ground, feigning utter innocence, finally venting his sense of grievance.

He had always appeared weak, like a lamb awaiting slaughter—but the true victims were the Immortal Sect prodigies, now trembling violently, having sensed the terrifying power radiating from him.

"Retreat!"

"Quickly, retreat!"

"These two demons are Ying Tian Initial Stage!"

Seeing this, Hu Hong slashed wildly with his blade while retreating rapidly.

Xie Chenyu struggled to his feet, his right arm numb, yet he gripped his sword with his left hand and slammed it against the claw piercing toward his heart.

The team, assembled temporarily by mutual interest, had no real cohesion.

Realizing the gap in strength was too great, everyone immediately sought escape; spiritual energy roared as they launched into the air.

But fate never bends to desire: as Tu Ri and others took to the sky, a pair of crimson eyes flickered through the surging earth waves.

Bu Sheng, the second son of the Bu family, had silently landed behind them; he swung his arm horizontally, striking Tu Ri's upward-chested torso with crushing force.

Boom!

Like a falling star, Tu Ri was slammed back to the ground, his chest caved in with a deep crater.

Simultaneously, the venomous claw clamped onto Chu Butian, who was following Tu Ri, dragging him violently as he smashed through countless ancient trees before slamming him into the opposite cliffside.

The Bu family had waited long enough; they had finally secured a path to survival—and would spare no one.

Seeing this, Jiang Yan, Yan Qiubai, and Jiang Yuerou stared in disbelief, their hearts turning icy.

They had not rushed to fight immediately; instead, worried for Jiang Chenfeng's safety, they had rushed toward the base of the cliff.

This Profound Dao Sect prodigy, unquestionably a Rong Dao cultivator, had his abdomen torn open, blood oozing steadily from finger-sized holes—but his life was not in immediate peril.

Due to distance and angle, they had clearly seen Tu Ri and Chu Butian fleeing into the sky, and had witnessed Bu Sheng's explosive leap into the air.

It was a pure, brute-force jump, powered solely by his monstrous physique, the impact blasting a massive crater into the earth.

Compared to him, Tu Ri and Chu Butian moved like sluggish turtles.

Thus, before either was struck down, Jiang Yan and the others knew: they had no chance of escape.

"A Ying Tian Mid-Stage after demonic transformation—its combat power isn't even comparable to ordinary Ying Tian…"

"They're using us to escape—they won't let any of us live."

Jiang Yan's face pale, she clenched her lips: "I'll find a way to send a message to the Sect for help!"

Jiang Chenfeng grabbed her sleeve, stopping her with his gaze: "Don't forget—we acted on our own. We intended to abandon the Immortal Sect."

Hearing this, Jiang Yan shuddered violently.

True—if they called for the Sect's aid, they might survive. But it would also mean admitting they had betrayed their Sect to seize the opportunity alone.

The Jiang family, in-laws of the merchant clan of the Profound Dao Sect, owed their status in Qingyun's world largely to the Sect's patronage.

If this incident provoked suspicion from the Profound Dao Sect, the entire Jiang family would be ostracized.

Even if they were rescued, given their family's nature, they would face no mercy.

At that moment, a flicker of spiritual light flashed in Jiang Chenfeng's hand; a vial appeared in his palm. He pulled the stopper and swallowed the pill inside.

The horrific wound on his abdomen instantly stopped bleeding; he drew his sword and charged into the battlefield.

Seeing this, Jiang Yan, Yan Qiubai, and Jiang Yuerou rose to join him.

They knew: now, only victory or death remained—no other path existed.

Hum!

A violent wind surged through the mountainside, spiritual energy flowing like a torrent.

Nine prodigies pushed their spiritual energy to its limit; divine light circled their bodies, sword intent coalescing instantly as they charged headlong toward the Bu brothers.

But as they had felt moments ago in despair, the gap in combat power was simply too vast.

Bu Yao and Bu Sheng moved like killing machines, erupting black mist, wielding endless, overwhelming strength; each claw strike forced the others into steady retreat.

The prodigies fought desperately, their divine spells shattered repeatedly, wounds multiplying across their bodies.

At this point, some began activating their personal artifacts.

The black trident used to kill the old servant, poison thorns falling like torrential rain, a divine orb holding a single strike from a high-level elder, an iron cage infused with thunder and fire…

Amidst the surging torrents of thunder and fire, what they saw was the Bu brothers' ruthless, unstoppable slaughter.

The cage descending from above was torn apart instantly; the flying black trident was shattered by a single swing of the arm.

The poison thorns pierced the thick malevolence—but could not penetrate the hardened, demonic body.

Boom!

In the chaos, Lu Dacheng, preparing to activate another artifact, suddenly saw a casual claw swipe coming at him—and felt searing pain.

In an instant, his fingers shattered into pieces; clean, flat cuts sprayed thick blood mist, accompanied by a piercing scream of agony.

Staring at the half-hand remaining, Lu Dacheng was paralyzed with terror.

When facing mortal peril, instinct often overrides reason—survival becomes the only thought.

At this moment, Lu Dacheng forgot all about his clan, his senior brothers, his sisters, his old friends; in the chaos, he spun around, channeling all his spiritual energy into his legs, his sole thought: escape.

With a single step, his cloud boots exploded—testimony to the raw power unleashed.

But what he didn't expect: Bu Sheng, who had nearly crushed Jiang Chenfeng, leapt skyward, his demonic body springing like a tiger with all four limbs, hurtling toward Lu Dacheng.

Puff!

The claws pierced straight through his chest; Lu Dacheng froze in place, staring ahead.

He saw the hand protruding from his own chest—clutching a still-beating heart.

Torture. This was pure, irreversible brutality.

Seeing this, every heart turned cold.

They needed someone to lead them, to avoid the Immortal Sect.

But one guide was enough—no more.

The rest couldn't be spared—because letting them go might draw the Sect's attention. The only solution: kill them all.

"Immortal Sect prodigies aren't worth much—disappointing, truly."

"But more laughable than your combat power is your judgment."

"My little brother is a coward—how could he possibly leave us alone?"

"Of course, you never imagined that if you'd just obeyed, resisted less, you wouldn't have suffered so much."

Amidst the despairing gazes of the others, Bu Sheng, his chest pierced and heart torn out, growled in a low, monstrous voice.

It should've been like this all along.

They were young, too—accidentally granted boundless Immortal fortune, their power overwhelming—how could they truly endure silence?

Especially back at the Heavenly Dao Assembly, watching other prodigies duel, hearing the crowd's gasps—they'd only sneered in contempt.

To them, those arrogant prodigies were nothing but ants, swatted away with a wave of the hand. After years of restraint, they could finally strike freely.

The ecstasy of torturing Immortal Sect prodigies now filled his chest completely.

Malevolent energy swirled wildly; swords and blades shattered under each strike; in moments of relentless assault, not a single prodigy from the Immortal Sect remained unharmed.

Yet even so, none of them dared dream of escape—they fought with all their strength, pressing forward to strike back.

Boom!

Jiang Yan was kicked hard sideways, flung out of the battle; her white boots skidded across the ground, carving a deep furrow before she collapsed to her knees with a thud.

Then her throat turned sweet; she coughed up a pool of blood, and the blood gushing from her horrific abdominal wound had already soaked through her dress.

Even now, she couldn't accept this sudden turn—her only feeling was sinking into quicksand, unable to save herself.

They were going to die. Everyone here would die today.

At that moment, Jiang Yan spotted Hu Hong, staggering backward, his shattered iron blade jammed into the ground to hold himself upright.

This illegitimate son of the Mountain Sea Pavilion's patriarch had just taken a crushing blow to the head; his neck had nearly snapped.

Only by using his family's divine technique to counter and redirect the force had he avoided total destruction.

But even so, a sunken dent marred his left forehead, the horrific wound continuously oozing blood, while his eyes brimmed with the lingering terror of barely escaping death.

He began to regret—regretting why he hadn't restrained his ambition, now facing the prospect of losing his life.

In truth, had Jiang Chenfeng and others not discovered him mid-journey and formed a temporary alliance, he believed he would have already been frozen stiff long before this.

He was terrified. He was afraid.

Then, trembling, he pulled a vial from his chest.

He knew this mission carried great risk; he had prepared well—his body laden with magical artifacts, spirit stones piled high—all now exhausted in the preceding battle.

And this vial was the one he had least wanted to use.

It was not an elixir forged by Yu Danzong, but one crafted by other clans, burning lifespan to boost combat power, with severe side effects.

But he knew luck could no longer save him…

The elixir entered his belly; a powerful aura instantly surged outward from his dantian, while a searing heat began to flow through his entire body.

Huo Hong clenched his fists; veins bulged along his arms from the rushing aura, spreading from his neck all the way to his battered forehead.

At this moment, his aura surged violently, reaching the momentum of the Yingtian Realm; then he drew his blade and charged into the chaos.

Zong!

His iron blade whipped up a gale, suddenly unleashing a divine radiance as it slashed forward with overwhelming force.

Bang! Bang! Bang!

Several heavy, forceful slashes forced Bu Yao, eldest son of the Bu clan, to stagger backward repeatedly.

But just as everyone's spirits lifted, believing an opportunity had arisen, Bu Yao launched an even more brutal assault.

Clang!

Huo Hong wrenched his blade free from the grip of two venomous claws, then unleashed a torrent of spiritual energy.

The Bu family's ancestral Heaven-Cutting Divine Art coalesced along the blade's edge.

Yet just as the blade descended, unexpectedly, Huo Hong turned and fled.

In truth, since taking the elixir, he had known he couldn't win—this move had been planned all along.

As he turned to flee, Bu Sheng suddenly roared, his powerful right leg slamming down, launching him like a streak of black light into the mountain forest.

In the chaos, every misstep meant life or death; no one had anticipated Huo Hong would run.

But before death, such a choice was understandable.

Most crucially, once Huo Hong lured Bu Sheng away, the pressure from Bu Yao standing alone diminished considerably.

But sadly, this situation did not last long.

A howling wind suddenly erupted from the forest; Bu Sheng soared through the air and crashed down heavily.

In his hand, he gripped none other than Huo Hong, who had just escaped.

Huo Hong was not dead—he had been chosen as the guide.

But both his legs had been shattered, bent at unnatural angles, his whole body trembling.

Boom!

At that moment, another piercing sound tore through the air.

Bu Yao, drenched in murderous aura, leapt like a demon, his arm descending violently as he smashed down upon the wrist of the man holding a sword.

Crack! Xie Chenyu cried out in agony, his wrist bones snapped backward by the counterforce, leaving him utterly defenseless.

Meanwhile, Yan Qiu Bai had already been seized, lifted off the ground.

But just as the furious aura was about to snap his pale neck, Bu Yao suddenly froze—his snarling expression softened slightly, then he turned his head toward the southern edge of the forest.

The key to this scheme was not being discovered—but right now, he clearly sensed someone approaching with precise intent.

At the same time, the exhausted prodigies also turned toward the south; frowning, they saw a figure gliding through the forest.

The newcomer wore white robes, carrying a long sword, stepping over layers of dry leaves and fallen branches, the rustling growing louder as he drew near.

As the face—sharp brows, starlit eyes—became clearer, the prodigies present all paused in surprise.

Ji You.

In the dark forest, the bandit Ji You stepped onto the cliff's edge, gazing downward, leaving the prodigies momentarily dazed.

During earlier searches, they had encountered disciples of the Heavenly Book Academy and knew Ji You had not been assigned to Dongping Mountains.

That was unsurprising—he was still in the Tongxuan Realm, unfit to interfere here; coming here was tantamount to suicide.

Yet here he was, appearing now, leaving everyone baffled.

Even stranger, two weary-looking women followed behind him.

Though neither wore identifying attire and both were only Tongxuan Realm, many instantly recognized their identities.

Especially Yan Qiu Bai and Xie Chenyu, disciples of Lingjian Mountain, who stared in shock upon seeing them.

For the two women trailing Ji You were the personal maids of their own Lord.

Why was Ji You here?

Why were the Lord's personal maids accompanying Ji You?

Confusion lingered for a moment—then, in the next instant, all eyes snapped back.

For beneath the night sky, a sudden surge of heat began spreading through the dark forest, a crushing pressure flooding out like a tidal wave, making everyone's hairs stand on end and their hearts tremble.

Bang!

Bu Sheng suddenly released his claws, flinging Huo Hong—who was also staring at Ji You—onto the ground, then stomped hard, crushing a deep crater beneath his feet, his corrupted body instantly lunging toward Ji You's location in the forest.

For he sensed that though this man lacked the roaring divine radiance of the others, he seemed more dangerous than any of these Immortal Sect prodigies.

Seeing the demonic creature charging toward him, Ji You drew his sword; his heavy footstep crushed the rock with a "thud."

There were no large ruins within Dongping Mountains, but many small ones dotted the northwest.

If all the demonic creatures wandering near these ruins were counted together, the number would be staggering.

Today, these demons had been stirred to fury by human qi, lured to the front lines of the Immortal Sects' search, and in just half an hour after nightfall, they had devoured numerous disciples, plunging the mountains into chaos.

Without needing to think, this was clearly the work of the Bu clan.

They weren't merely hiding in the mountains—they were gathering demonic creatures for some purpose.

As the search area shrank step by step, if the Bu clan did nothing, they would simply wait to be captured.

Provoking the demons' fury was indeed a smart move.

Ji You had slain the remaining Bu clan disciples in the chaos, intending to seize the Bu patriarch—but despite several attempts, he failed.

Yet he sensed two violent killing auras to the east of Zhuoying Gorge—likely Bu clan members.

And from the strength of their auras, these two were no ordinary individuals.

So Ji You decided not to waste time—he would kill these two first.

In the cold forest, his white robes fluttered in the night wind; a blazing, circular slash like a full moon bloomed, cutting with the force of splitting heaven.

Boom!

Bu Sheng lunged forward, slashing with his razor claws, colliding violently with the sword slash.

Scorching heat and chilling cold clashed, unleashing a tidal wave of aura that surged toward both sides of the forest.

Seeing this, those below fixed their eyes on Ji You's arm.

Crack! A crisp snap echoed alongside a hoarse cry of pain.

Bu Sheng's arms, meant to intercept the blade, were bent inward by the sword qi; the blow did not slow the circular slash even slightly—the icy blade sliced straight into his blackened body.

From within the thick aura came a "shing!"—his trembling shoulder was cleaved apart by a single stroke.

(End of Chapter)