The azure dragon descended from the heavens. Dozens of Coiling Dragon Sect disciples in brown daoist robes guarding the perimeter of the sect's main hall, all at the Qi Sea Realm or Martial Spring Realm, simultaneously coughed up blood, their true qi scattering and their internal organs rupturing.
The innate true energy of a Myriad Transformations Realm cultivator was absolutely not something these Qi Sea Realm and lower-level cultivators could withstand.
Yet, very quickly, another wave of Coiling Dragon Sect cultivators in brown robes, at the Qi Sea Realm or lower, surged forward one after another toward the direction of the main hall.
The scene was utterly brutal.
"Cleanse Chenping, sweep away the scum... Hah."
Standing high in the air, Yue Chi muttered this self-mocking lament, then once again commanded the azure dragon formed from his innate true energy to sweep toward the Coiling Dragon Sect's main hall.
In the next instant, the azure dragon formed by Yue Chi's innate true energy was severed at the waist. Immediately after, a figure shot toward his direction.
"You dogs of Kongshan Sect! Must you truly turn the entire cultivation world of the Northwestern Region upside down?!"
The figure charging at Yue Chi screamed hoarsely. The sleeve of his left arm was empty, but innate true energy was slowly generating new flesh and blood at his severed stump.
Elder Yue Chi's expression turned grave.
The blood-soaked, one-armed cultivator charging toward him at this very moment was none other than Mao Hongshen, the Left Protector of the Coiling Dragon Sect.
Since the assault on the Coiling Dragon Sect began three days ago, two Myriad Transformations Realm cultivators from Kongshan Sect had already fallen to Mao Hongshen.
Nearly a thousand strands of innate true energy converged on Mao Hongshen's severed left arm, and his arm visibly regenerated as it shot toward Yue Chi's neck.
The innate true energy surrounding Yue Chi transformed into countless pale blue blades, hurtling toward Mao Hongshen's left arm.
Mao Hongshen's newly grown left arm was swiftly lacerated by countless blade wounds from Yue Chi's energy blades, even revealing bone beneath.
"Die, you dog!"
Yue Chi attempted to dodge backward, evading Mao Hongshen's grasping hand.
But his movement techniques were inferior to Mao Hongshen's. Or rather, if speaking purely of movement techniques, probably over eighty percent of the Myriad Transformations Realm cultivators in the world were no match for Mao Hongshen.
"Break!"
Three thousand strands of innate true energy condensed before Yue Chi, desperately trying to sever Mao Hongshen's left arm once more.
If comparing only the number of condensed innate true energy strands, Mao Hongshen was inferior to Yue Chi, possessing roughly only two thousand eight hundred strands.
At this moment, Yue Chi had already condensed three thousand six hundred strands.
This was because very few employed a combat style like Mao Hongshen's, one that spared no thought for his own meridians and foundation, a method that inflicted eight hundred losses on oneself for every thousand inflicted on the enemy.
Innate true energy condensed around him, and Yue Chi charged toward Mao Hongshen.
But Yue Chi remained acutely aware that this would be a grueling battle.
...
Outside the Training Grounds of the Coiling Dragon Sect.
Hundreds of Kongshan Sect cultivators in pure white daoist robes were locked in a chaotic melee with hundreds of Coiling Dragon Sect disciples adorned with brown coiling dragon patterns.
The azure dragon in the sky slaughtered Coiling Dragon Sect disciples near the main hall several hundred *zhang* away.
Each time the azure dragon dove down from the clouds, the morale of the Kongshan Sect disciples in the fray would surge several degrees higher.
Then, a figure shot skyward, passing straight through the middle of the azure dragon formed from over a thousand strands of innate true energy amidst the clouds, cleanly bisecting the dragon controlled by Elder Yue Chi.
The Kongshan Sect disciples faltered for a brief moment. The Coiling Dragon Sect disciples did the same.
"Kill!!!"
The Coiling Dragon Sect cultivators' morale instantly skyrocketed, and they desperately launched attacks against the Kongshan Sect disciples.
In just a few breaths, dozens of Kongshan Sect disciples fell to the Coiling Dragon Sect's counterattack. For a moment, the Kongshan Sect disciples even showed signs of collapse.
Immediately after, two flashes of sword light streaked through the air.
The protective true qi of several Coiling Dragon Sect cultivators was shattered, forcing them to retreat in succession. Then, a figure in pure white daoist robes stepped through the air toward them. At his waist hung two sword sheaths, one black, one white.
One was named Yuanji, the other Xiaohua.
This figure stood alone before the assembled Kongshan Sect disciples, a sword in each hand, tracing two elegant flower patterns in the air with their tips.
Then, the true qi pressure of a Passable God Realm cultivator erupted from around him.
His eyes were gloomy, his frame lean, his face expressionless.
It was hard to imagine that this was the same person who, over a decade ago, had been the righteous, upright Chief Disciple of Yuanhua Mountain, who had borne a striking resemblance to Li Haoran in his youth—Li Haowen.
"Surrender, and you shall not be killed."
Li Haowen stated flatly.
"What grand words from the Li Dog!"
The next instant, a large, furious-looking man in a brown Coiling Dragon Sect robe embroidered with golden dragon patterns descended from the sky.
*Crack!*
Two fissures, extending outward for two or three *zhang*, were stamped into the blue brick ground outside the Coiling Dragon Sect's Training Grounds by this burly man.
"Today, I shall beat the drowning dog!"
The burly man roared arrogantly.
Li Haowen merely stood there sideways, holding the black and white longswords, his face devoid of expression, motionless, as if his heart held no ripples at all.
Li Dog.
That was the derogatory nickname the cultivation world now used for Li Haowen.
It meant a stray dog, a homeless cur.
After his master Wei Mian died, Li Haowen became rootless driftwood. To this day, Wei Mian's wrongful death had still not been rectified by the sect.
Therefore, in the eyes of almost all cultivators across the Chenping Continent, Li Haowen's identity was merely that of the disciple of the criminal who caused the Heavenly Summit Mountain Cataclysm.
Many Kongshan Sect disciples believed this as well.
All past glories had vanished like smoke.
After Wei Mian's death, Yuanhua Mountain had received many impeachment letters seeking to depose Li Haowen from his position as Chief Disciple of Yuanhua. However, the Grand Elder Situ Kong, who was temporarily acting as the Sword Master of Yuanhua at the time, rejected all these impeachments.
Grand Elder Situ understood all too well that Kongshan Sect owed Li Haowen far, far too much.
Thus, even though Li Haowen had long since relinquished his position as Chief Disciple of Yuanhua, Yuanhua Mountain still permitted him to wield the two peak swords, Yuanji and Xiaohua.
"Surrender, and you shall not be killed."
Li Haowen didn't even raise his eyes, merely repeating the phrase.
"Hah, die, Li Dog!"
The burly man sneered, then pounced toward Li Haowen.
This burly man was the Training Grounds Elder of the Coiling Dragon Sect, with late-stage Passable God Realm cultivation.
Li Haowen was only at the early stage of the Passable God Realm.
The gloomy-eyed Li Haowen stood motionless, his eyelids lowered slightly. Then, suddenly, a corner of his daoist robe was lifted by the wind.
Immediately after, a flash of sword light.
A thin red line appeared across the throat of the Coiling Dragon Sect's Training Grounds Elder. His protective true qi shattered completely. Carried by momentum, he maintained his pouncing posture before finally kneeling at Li Haowen's feet.
*Sputter.*
Blood splattered onto Li Haowen's pure white daoist robes. The burly man then fell forward onto the blue brick pavement, utterly devoid of life.
"Surrender, and you shall not be killed."
Li Haowen, in his bloodstained robes, stated flatly once more.