Ren Yufeng looked down. Within the vast Bixuan Pavilion, hundreds of cultivators stood scattered, yet not a single one carried Death Qi. He couldn't help but twist his face in rage, glaring furiously at the two elders before him: "You old hags, ruining my plans!"
Elder Qingmiao stood holding her whip, her face beneath the veil cold and stern: "You demonic cultivator, facing death, yet still so arrogant!"
"Facing death?" Ren Yufeng swept a disdainful glance, a fierce aura rising on his face. "Even if I am facing death, I'll have you two as my stepping stones!"
"Hmph!" Elder Qingyi watched him coldly, lowering the hand that had been clutching her chest. "If we can exterminate you, what does it matter if we two old hags die? You killed our disciples, destroyed our Bixuan Pavilion. Today, we sisters will settle this account with you properly!"
But Ren Yufeng was arrogant: "Haha! That depends on whether you have the ability!"
Elders Qingyi and Qingmiao said no more. They exchanged a glance and each formed hand seals.
A brilliant red light, as intense and sorrowful as blood, rose from their bodies. This light grew brighter, the bloody hue thicker, until slowly, the light from the two merged into one.
Seeing this, Ren Yufeng did not dare be careless. He had already fought the two elders for a good while. He had thought his divine arts would surely defeat them quickly, but to his surprise, he found himself at a disadvantage.
Although his mind was no longer entirely sound, he hadn't become stupid. He immediately understood that the two elders must have cultivated some secret art within the Dao-Attainment Pagoda, allowing their power to reach such profound levels in just twenty short years.
But he would not admit defeat. With the "Divine Dragon's Breath," he would soon form his Nascent Soul, then transform his spirit, dominate the mortal realm, and ascend to become an Immortal! What were two old hags? He could definitely destroy them!
Thinking this, the Death Qi around Ren Yufeng surged, his face beneath the black aura growing even more ferocious.
In an instant, all three moved. The two elders unleashed Spiritual Qi from within the red light, while Ren Yufeng's Death Qi surged toward them.
The Magical Treasure the two elders had refined over four years was called the God-Restricting Whip. Ren Yufeng could no longer be considered human—emaciated like a skeleton, ordinary physical damage meant nothing to him. Thus, they had conceived this treasure. It was a Magical Treasure specifically designed to attack the primordial spirit, something Ren Yufeng found difficult to defend against. His Death Qi could protect his flesh but not his spirit, and he had already suffered many losses from it earlier.
The two elders advanced and retreated, but no longer in their original pattern of one attacking and one defending. Instead, they completely abandoned defense, attacking with all their might.
The battle raged fiercely in mid-air, those watching below unable to tear their eyes away.
The outcome of this duel concerned their future.
Would they continue to be enslaved, or could they live like humans again? Of course, they would choose the latter, but now was not the time for them to choose. They could only wait, wait for the result of this battle.
The red light and black aura grew brighter and brighter, obscuring everything else. Many were suffocated by the oppressive pressure.
Wei Haolan took a glance and shouted: "Junior Sister Xia, Junior Brother Tang, take them further away!" Most of these people were only at Qi Refining cultivation. How could they withstand such pressure?
Xia Qing and Tang Shen acknowledged the order.
But before they could move, they saw Ren Yufeng in the sky above suddenly halt, as if he had heard Wei Haolan's voice. He turned and dove downward.
Although the two elders immediately gave chase, Ren Yufeng was extremely fast, and for a moment, they could not intercept him.
Wei Haolan saw this and was greatly alarmed. Noticing Mo Tiange was also in that direction, she cried out: "Elder Mo?!"
Mo Tiange had already sensed the surging Death Qi. Without a word, she took out another Poison Repelling Talisman and slapped it on herself. Her white silk handkerchief was summoned, instantly expanding to the size of a mat as it floated toward Ren Yufeng.
Seeing her, a trace of hatred flashed across Ren Yufeng's face shrouded in black aura. He paid no further attention to anyone else, pouncing directly at her.
Mo Tiange retreated hastily, the white silk handkerchief blocking in front of her. Stepping on her Cloud-Treading Boots, she heard a faint sound of wind and thunder by her ears. In an instant, she vanished from her spot, reappearing dozens of zhang behind Ren Yufeng.
This was the teleportation art Wind-Thunder Flash, carved on the stone wall of the Purple Tenuity Cave Abode. The Purple Tenuity Hermit had perfected it so that even Foundation Establishment cultivators could learn it; it was the only complete technique on the wall. Over these twenty years, Mo Tiange had contemplated it for a long time and could finally use it.
Ren Yufeng, clearly having never seen this before, was stunned for a moment. In that time, the two elders had caught up. Their God-Restricting Whips lashed out simultaneously, coiling toward Ren Yufeng.
"Ah!" Ren Yufeng, his spirit unfocused, was struck squarely. He let out a shriek.
Having suffered this blow, he turned, glaring viciously at Mo Tiange as Death Qi churned.
The two elders gave him no time to rest. Simultaneously activating a secret art, a bloody red light flashed on the God-Restricting Whips as they struck down again.
Unwilling to accept death, Ren Yufeng gathered his Death Qi and fought back fiercely once more.
Mo Tiange quietly descended. Seeing the low-level cultivators around had all retreated, she breathed a sigh of relief. Exchanging a glance with Wei Haolan, the two also retreated further away.
They were clear about the two elders' cultivation—they were at the peak of the Core Formation stage. And the Death Qi on Ren Yufeng was noticeably denser than twenty years ago. This battle could be said to be the most intense one below the Nascent Soul stage, no longer something cultivators of their level could intervene in. They couldn't even clearly see how the two sides were exchanging blows—only Death Qi and red light entangled, the Spiritual Qi fluctuations terrifyingly intense.
Mo Tiange couldn't help but recall the scene at Perfected One Xuanyin's Nascent Soul formation ceremony, when Senior Uncle Zhenyang and her master joined forces against Superior One Songfeng. Although the imposing aura was lesser, the intensity far surpassed it. After all, Nascent Soul cultivators cherished their lives, but today, they were fighting with their lives on the line!
"Look!" Wei Haolan pointed to the three figures locked in combat in mid-air. The red light blazed brilliantly, completely enveloping the black aura.
Mo Tiange exchanged a look with her, both feeling a surge of joy in their hearts.
However, the black aura slowly spread out again, almost overwhelming the red light.
The battle remained deadlocked, watching it made Mo Tiange and Wei Haolan's hearts pound with fear.
What if they lost? They dared not think of such an outcome. Losing... the two elders would perish, Bixuan Pavilion could not be rebuilt, and they would experience another bloodbath...
Thinking of this, Mo Tiange looked down at her own hands. The Death Qi on her body had already dissipated. So, if the situation turned bad, she could completely retreat into her Void Heaven Realm to hide. But, having suffered hardship together, lived together for twenty years, witnessing the two elders sacrifice their lives... she did not wish for this to be the ending.
"Elders!" Wei Haolan suddenly cried out.
Mo Tiange looked up. Seeing the black aura in the sky growing ever stronger, her heart clenched. At the same time, she prepared herself—if... if the two elders truly lost, she would take Wei Haolan into the Void Heaven Realm to hide for a time!
But just as the red light was compressed to almost no room to exist, it suddenly exploded outward. Simultaneously, they heard Elder Qingyi's sharp shout: "Perish!"
The red light, like blood, surged forward, violently shattering the black aura.
"Ah!" Ren Yufeng let out a final shriek, already unable to control the black aura covering his body. Like ink dissolving in water, it slowly faded.
"Thud! Thud! Thud!" In mid-air, the three figures fell one after another.
The imposing aura dissipated, the Spiritual Qi gradually faded, no longer carrying the pressure of peak Core Formation cultivators.
Mo Tiange and Wei Haolan watched for a while. None of the three moved. Finally, they couldn't help but run over.
"Elders! Elders!" Wei Haolan rushed forward.
The veiled hats had rolled away. The withered faces held no luster, like old trees dead for years—rough and dull.
Elder Qingyi struggled to open her eyes. She looked toward Ren Yufeng's direction. Seeing him motionless, the black aura around him completely dispersed, she revealed what seemed to be a smile. Exchanging a glance with Elder Qingmiao, who was also unable to speak, they both closed their eyes with a contented expression.
"Elders!" Wei Haolan's eyes filled with grief as she shouted loudly.
Mo Tiange looked them over, pressed Wei Haolan's shoulder, and shook her head at her. The two elders were beyond saving.
How could Wei Haolan not know? It was just difficult to accept.
Seeing her like this, Mo Tiange knew she needed time. She stepped back and walked over to Ren Yufeng. Before encountering Ren Yufeng, she had never imagined being suppressed by someone to the point of having almost no way out. A cultivator with no background, not even any particular talent, had actually caused her to waste twenty years, leaving her with no path forward.
Never underestimate anyone. In this ever-changing world of cultivation, perhaps a Qi Refining cultivator you look down upon today will become far more powerful than you in the future.
She let out a long sigh, picked out Ren Yufeng's Qiankun Bag, then tossed out a fire-type talisman, burning Ren Yufeng's corpse to ashes. Looking up at the Death Qi that still hadn't dispersed, she frowned. This Death Qi wouldn't dissipate completely anytime soon. It seemed this place would be inaccessible to others for a long time to come.
Xia Qing and Tang Shen ran over. Seeing the bodies of the two elders, they were stunned for a moment before kneeling with a thud: "Elders..."
But Wei Haolan stood up, calmly wiping the tears from her face: "The elders have done all they needed to do. Now it's our turn."
"Senior Sister..."
"Junior Sister Xia, collect the elders' remains and take them to the Dao-Attainment Pagoda. Junior Brother Tang, gather everyone at the mountain gate, whether they are Bixuan Pavilion disciples or not."
"...Yes." Xia Qing and Tang Shen stood up and each went to carry out her orders.
"Elder Mo." Wei Haolan looked at Mo Tiange. "The two elders have passed. Now you are Bixuan Pavilion's only elder. Please come with me to reassure the disciples."
"...Very well. I shall comply."
Tang Shen acted quickly. Within the time it takes an incense stick to burn, all cultivators within Bixuan Pavilion had gathered at the mountain gate. Some cheered with joy, others were uneasy with anxiety.
Those cheering were the original Bixuan Pavilion disciples, who had endured torment over these twenty years and finally awaited this day. Those uneasy were the rogue cultivators recruited by Ren Yufeng. They were almost all male cultivators. When Bixuan Pavilion still stood, although they weren't exactly bullied, they had no prospects for advancement. When Bixuan Pavilion was destroyed, they were initially happy, only to later discover that having a sect wasn't so wonderful after all.
Wei Haolan's face was cold and stern as she flew in mid-air, looking down upon the dense crowd of cultivators below. She spoke: "Disciples all, our Bixuan Pavilion has endured calamity. Finally, Elders Qingyi and Qingmiao paid with their lives to eliminate our enemy! From this day forth, Bixuan Pavilion is reestablished. You all return to the sect."
Before she could finish, the Bixuan Pavilion disciples below had already erupted in cheers. They had waited for this day too long!
Wei Haolan raised a hand, silencing them: "Additionally, in my capacity as Sect Leader of Bixuan Pavilion, I hereby declare: henceforth, Bixuan Pavilion will no longer be a female-only sect. Regardless of gender, all who pass the trials may become formal disciples!"
This news caused an immediate uproar among the crowd below. All male cultivators who were not original Bixuan Pavilion disciples stared intently at Wei Haolan.
Among them, even some original Bixuan Pavilion Foundation Establishment female cultivators cried out involuntarily: "Sect Leader Senior Sister!"
Wei Haolan merely swept a calm glance over them: "This was the last command of the two elders." She then turned to the others. "For those not originally of our Bixuan Pavilion, as long as there was no oppression, let bygones be bygones! In two days, Bixuan Pavilion will hold a reconstruction ceremony and simultaneously recruit new disciples!"