Chapter Twenty-Two: The Final Struggle

With the grand formation of the Shura Gate shattered, the disciples of the two sects immediately clashed in a frenzy of blades and swords. Experts from the Morning Light Sect who had reached the Saint Realm—including Liao Chen, Qing Long, and Zhu Wuneng—watched the battle from the void, viewing this as a simple training exercise for their disciples.

For the ordinary beast-kin disciples of the Morning Light Sect, this assault on the Shura Gate served as an excellent opportunity for promotion. Since the vast majority of the sect's members were outer disciples, they had to make outstanding contributions to earn a place in the inner sect. Qing Long had set a clear objective: any disciple who slew three Shura Gate members of equivalent rank would be promoted. This incentivized many outer disciples to fight with desperate fervor, each vying to take down as many of the enemy as possible.

Meanwhile, the Jiang sisters, seeking vengeance for their clan, fought with unrelenting intensity. Jiang Qian deployed a Heavenly Dao formation to trap the Shura Gate disciples, leaving them unable to escape, while Jiang Yue utilized the Undying Sword Art taught by Zhu Wuneng, reaping lives like a farmer harvesting crops.

The youngest junior brother, Qin Tian, displayed incredible prowess. His application of the Heavenly Dao Sword Art grew increasingly refined, and as the battle progressed, he successfully advanced the technique to the minor completion stage. His Peerless Sword Physique was truly terrifying; even Jiang Qian felt a tinge of envy, as her junior brother, despite his youth, possessed combat power that did not pale in comparison to her own.

Once Qin Tian reached the minor completion of the sword path, anyone who entered the range of his sword qi found themselves suppressed. Though the sword qi appeared intangible, it instilled a profound sense of terror. A fellow sword cultivator might perceive the invincibility of his path, but for others, it felt like the arrival of death itself.

The Shura Gate disciples dreaded encountering Qin Tian most of all. The oppressive, lethal aura of his sword qi severely diminished their combat efficacy. One after another, more than a dozen Shura Gate disciples fell to his invincible sword intent, ending up either gravely wounded or dead.

To the Morning Light Sect disciples, the number of Shura Gate members was simply insufficient; there were too many monks and not enough gruel. The two thousand Shura Gate disciples were quickly decimated, and not even a single sect elder managed to escape.

The Sect Master of the Shura Gate, Ye Tiance, attempted to flee using a teleportation talisman, but he was intercepted by a powerful figure from the Morning Light Sect and dragged back.

Looking at the fallen disciples around him and surrounded by the hungry, wolf-like gaze of the Morning Light Sect members, Ye Tiance felt like a lone lamb waiting to be carved. Realizing that his death was inevitable, he resolved to detonate his core and drag a few Morning Light Sect disciples to the grave with him.

Just then, the Shura Gate’s elder, Ye Liuyun, fully awakened and flashed to Ye Tiance’s side.

"You have some nerve, slaughtering my Shura Gate! Do you truly think there is no one left to defend us?" As he spoke, Ye Liuyun unleashed the spiritual pressure of a third-level Saint Realm expert, forcing the Morning Light Sect disciples to retreat.

These ordinary disciples could never overcome a Saint Realm expert; even if they joined forces, they were like ants trying to shake an elephant. In the cultivation world, it was widely acknowledged that beneath the Saint Realm, all were but ants. Though this was only the lowest tier of the Saint Realm, it was still far beyond the reach of those below the Imperial Pole Realm.

Liao Chen had previously challenged a Saint Realm Great Demon while at the Imperial Pole stage, but that had been with the help of Little Dragon. To face such an expert alone was perilous, with a high risk of falling. While Liao Chen had the help of the "Hardcore Bandit System," those without such protection were not so fortunate.

Back to the matter at hand!

The appearance of Ye Liuyun gave Ye Tiance a glimmer of hope. He nearly wept with relief, wondering why his ancestor had arrived so late. If he had delayed any longer, he would have been in the underworld meeting his great-grandmother.

Suppressing his tears, he warned, "Ancestor, be careful! The Morning Light Sect may have other Saint Realm experts present!"

Driven by concern, Ye Liuyun had initially focused only on saving the sect, neglecting to scout for other masters. Now, alerted by Ye Tiance, he diverted his attention and caught sight of the group watching from above. Among them were figures whose cultivation he could not fathom—the implication was clear. Shocked, he glared at Ye Tiance and asked, "Tiance, why on earth did you provoke such a powerful sect?"

Ye Tiance smiled bitterly. "Ancestor, how were we to know that the remnants of the Jiang family had joined such a formidable sect? Had we known, we would never have sent disciples to the Su family to hunt them down. Now that the bitter fruit has been borne, there is no use in saying more."

Ye Liuyun looked helplessly at Liao Chen and the others in the sky. "Fellow Daoists," he shouted, "my Shura Gate was in the wrong. Please, leave us a path to survive. We are willing to compensate you for your losses—is that acceptable?"

Liao Chen laughed aloud. "You must be the ancestor of the Shura Gate. I already told your disciples: those who offend the Morning Light Sect shall be eradicated. Even if you crawled out of your coffin to beg, it would be useless. Once you are dead, the wealth of your Shura Gate will be ours regardless. Enough talk—prepare to meet your end!"

Ye Liuyun tried to struggle, but suddenly, ten Saint Realm experts appeared around him. These were outer elders of the Morning Light Sect, and whoever managed to slay Ye Liuyun would earn the qualification to become an inner sect protector.

Realizing there was no turning back, Ye Liuyun said to Ye Tiance, "Tiance, take care of yourself. I can no longer protect you!"

With that, he gripped his magical treasure, the Shura Blood Blade, and charged. Although the Morning Light Sect elders were formidable, some had to stay behind to protect the ordinary disciples, leaving only three to engage Ye Liuyun. To avoid collateral damage, the trio forced him into the void.

Retreating into the depths of the void, Ye Liuyun was followed by the spectators. Employing the Shura Grand Method combined with the Shura Heavenly Blade, his power surged from the third level to the seventh level of the Saint Realm. The three Morning Light Sect elders were each at the fifth level; in a duel, none could match him, but together, they held their ground.

The elders unleashed their techniques: one transformed into a Demonic Ape, one performed the Serpent’s Dance, and the third utilized the Thousand Illusion Art. The Demonic Ape Elder blocked Ye Liuyun’s frontal assault, while the Serpent Elder struck with venom. As Ye Liuyun faltered, the Illusion Elder trapped him in a brief trance. Before he could recover, the Demonic Ape Elder struck his chest, sending him flying.

Knowing that he had to use his trump card, Ye Liuyun roared and unleashed the final technique of the Shura Grand Method: the Shura Sea of Blood. The void for ten thousand miles transformed into a sea of blood, shrouding the three elders and beginning to erode their bodies with an invisible force.

"Beware! This is a demonic art—we must break this sea of blood together!" Recognizing the flaw in the technique, the Demonic Ape Elder called for a combined strike.