Chapter 127: Mass Slaughter

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The Yi Hua Sect had made its preparations long ago, awaiting only the arrival of the people from Guihai City. As the morning sun slowly rose amid a chorus of cheers, Guihai Xin, still clad in his magnificent purple-red robe, ascended the Spirit Ascension Arena with high spirits. He cupped his hands toward the spirit cultivators gathered on all sides and said, “You have all worked hard, and you have waited long enough. But I, Guihai Xin, promise that I will not let you have waited in vain. On this arena, my Guihai family shall settle the matter with the Yi Hua Sect today and prove who is more qualified to be counted among the Five Great Spirit Sects. Today, I do not wish to see any ordinary disciples take the stage. The arena has been heated sufficiently over the past few days. Now is the time for a true showdown.”

Guihai Xin paused, then called toward the Yi Hua Sect’s viewing platform, “Then let us invite Perfected Gu Meng of the Yi Hua Sect to take the stage.”

His words immediately stirred a commotion below. This was clearly the final confrontation between the Lord of Guihai City and the Master of the Yi Hua Sect.

At that moment, a Taoist nun in her forties rose from among the Yi Hua Sect’s disciples and spoke in a clear voice. “Lord Guihai, please proceed. I am Gu Yu. My second senior sister is occupied with sect affairs and has no time to come here to cross swords with you. I, her junior sister, am more than capable of representing her.”

With that, she shook out her Taoist robe and prepared to step onto the arena.

Another wave of discussion swept through the crowd. Some wondered whether Perfected Gu Meng of the Yi Hua Sect had been too afraid to appear. Others pointed out that Perfected Gu Yu was one of the Yi Hua Sect’s Four Perfected Masters, and that her spiritual cultivation was certainly no lower than Gu Meng’s. Her appearance was tantamount to the Yi Hua Sect Master appearing in person. It seemed the real spectacle was about to begin.

Yet regardless of how the spectators below speculated, Guihai Xin’s expression remained solemn. He said coldly, “Please do not take the stage just yet. Let me ask whether your sect is treating this matter as a joke. I will not say that Gu Meng is afraid, but if she does not come in person, how can this prove that my Guihai City deserves a place among the Five Great Spirit Sects? Are you truly authorized to make this decision?”

Perfected Gu Yu smiled faintly. “Old Lord Guihai, the title of the Five Great Spirit Sects is an honor bestowed upon our five sects by the spirit cultivators of the world. It is not a title we have given ourselves. Thus, there is no question of whether I am authorized to decide such a thing. If you believe you possess the necessary strength, you may announce right now that you are already one of the Five Great Spirit Sects. As the saying goes, one may govern Heaven and Earth, but no one can govern the mouths of men. The mouth is on your own face, and you may say whatever you please.”

Guihai Xin stared at her in astonishment. He had never expected this woman to be such an impossible opponent. He shouted, “Hmph! Gu Yu, spare me your sophistry. I ask you only this: Did I send a challenge to your sect? Did I make the matter clear in the challenge? Hmph! Since your Gu Meng will not come, then this Spirit Ascension Arena shall end here. Before long, I, Guihai Xin, will announce the founding of the Guihai Sect and claim a place among the Five Great Sects. As for your Yi Hua Sect’s reputation, hmph, I doubt I need to say anything. All these fellow spirit cultivators have seen the truth clearly enough.”

Perfected Gu Yu gave a cold laugh. “Ha! I am afraid that is merely what you, Guihai Xin, wish to believe. This Spirit Ascension Arena will proceed today, whether you like it or not. I would very much like to see what face you will have left to establish a sect after I beat you to a pulp!”

As she spoke, Perfected Gu Yu moved. Her figure shot forward like an arrow released from its bow, and she landed directly upon the Spirit Ascension Arena. She stared coldly at Guihai Xin. “I will give you the time it takes to burn a stick of incense. If you do not attack, do not blame me, Gu Yu, for showing no mercy.”

Guihai Xin sighed. “The tree longs for stillness, yet the wind will not cease. I am a man of my word. I said I would fight Gu Meng, so I will fight her. Replacing her with anyone else is meaningless. Unless she hands the position of Yi Hua Sect Master over to you, none of this matters.”

Gu Yu’s expression remained cold, and she gave no reply, as though calculating the passage of time. On the arena, Guihai Xin and Gu Yu faced one another in an exceedingly delicate standoff.

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Suddenly, Gu Yu moved. “The time is up. Do not blame the Yi Hua Sect for showing no mercy!”

As she spoke, a surge of spiritual energy erupted from her body.

At that very moment, a flash of cold light shot toward her. Even a master such as Perfected Gu Yu was forced back by its razor-sharp force. A figure flickered, and a young man appeared upon the Spirit Ascension Arena.

The chill surrounding him was intimidating. It was none other than Guihai Yidao.

“Senior, my father has already said that he will not fight you, so please leave the arena. If Perfected Gu Meng does not come, I fear this Spirit Ascension Arena will have to end here.”

Guihai Yidao’s voice was hoarse and lacked the sharpness it had possessed a few days earlier. Instead, it carried an oddly mature quality. Yet when Gu Yu met his gaze, she found that his eyes remained just as terrifying.

“Who do you think you are?” Perfected Gu Yu demanded.

“As long as I remain, the Guihai family remains. Senior, I will say this one last time: leave the arena. If you refuse, I will have no choice but to act.”

Guihai Yidao’s words carried an unmistakable threat.

“Very well. Let me see how the Guihai family managed to produce such an arrogant figure.”

Guihai Yidao gave an uncanny smile. “Someone, escort this Taoist nun from the arena.”

The moment his words fell, more than thirty spirit cultivators suddenly leaped onto the arena from all sides. The vast space was instantly packed with people. The burly men shouted in unison, “Get down! Get down!”

Surrounded in their midst, Perfected Gu Yu was not frightened. Instead, she laughed in fury. She had never imagined that the Guihai family would resort to ganging up on her. It was completely beyond her expectations.

When Honglin Fairy saw her Fourth Martial Aunt surrounded, she immediately gave a sharp cry and rushed onto the Spirit Ascension Arena with dozens of disciples. The arena, already cramped, became even more crowded.

Lan Ruoting shouted, “What are you trying to do? Gang up on us? Do you think the Yi Hua Sect has fewer people than you?”

Though the young girl was small in stature, her temper was anything but. She had already drawn her short sword and looked ready to fight to the death.

Below the arena, Mo Bai frowned slightly. He, too, had not expected matters to reach this point. He knew that the Guihai family had been driven to the brink. They did not wish to lose face, and so they were clinging to the prospect of fighting Perfected Gu Meng. Only by doing so could they retain even the slightest chance of turning defeat into victory.

Could this attempt to overwhelm their opponents by sheer numbers be meant to throw the entire situation into chaos?

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Just as Mo Bai was unable to understand what was happening, Guihai Yidao gave a cold shout from the arena. “Very well, very well indeed! Since you wish to gang up on us, then I, Guihai Yidao, shall slaughter you all today. Let us see whether Gu Meng still dares refuse to come!”

As he spoke, a flash of white light passed over him. The more than thirty spirit cultivators moved simultaneously, as though they had received the order long ago.

Mo Bai immediately cried out from below, “This is bad!”

At the same time, Jiu Ling, watching from the viewing platform, frowned slightly. The two of them had recognized that the spirit cultivators’ positions were not random. They had been arranged with extraordinary precision, and seemed to be forming some kind of formation.

Mo Bai’s brow furrowed deeply.

The core of the Myriad Spear Formation, Guihai Rong’an, was already dead, and the Myriad Spear Vault had been destroyed. What other desperate weapon could the Guihai family possibly possess?

He glanced behind him and was suddenly shocked. Hundreds of people below the Guihai family’s side of the arena were moving swiftly, converging behind Guihai Yidao.

Mo Bai understood at once.

This was the Guihai family’s true killing move. The Myriad Spear Formation still existed.

“Perfected Gu Yu, be careful!” he shouted.

But at that very moment, Guihai Yidao let out a thunderous roar. Driven by the spiritual energy of the hundreds of spirit cultivators behind him, his entire body slowly rose into the air.

In that instant, he seemed no longer to be a man. He had become a spear—a colossal spear empowered to its utmost limits by spiritual force.

Perfected Gu Yu’s expression grew grave. She had long known how formidable the Myriad Spear Formation was. Yet Honglin Fairy and Master Yun Fa had both said that the formation’s crucial components had already been destroyed.

The young man before her was clearly activating a formation, and its power was astonishing.

Before Perfected Gu Yu could fully comprehend what was happening, Guihai Yidao, suspended in the sky, gave a thunderous shout. His entire body plunged toward the Yi Hua Sect’s forces like a gigantic spear.

With a tremendous boom, the Spirit Ascension Arena was smashed to pieces. Countless screams erupted. Smoke billowed across the scene, and when it cleared, the Yi Hua Sect’s losses were horrifying.

Of the dozens of disciples who had taken the arena, only Perfected Gu Yu remained unharmed. More than thirty Yi Hua Sect disciples had been killed in that single strike. Honglin Fairy was wounded, while Lan Ruoting had suffered grievous injuries and lay unconscious, blood still seeping from her mouth. No one knew whether she was alive or dead.

The attack deeply shocked every spirit cultivator who had come to witness the Spirit Ascension Arena.

Those who did not understand the truth exclaimed that this was indeed the Guihai family’s Myriad Spear Formation, and that its power was terrifying. But those who knew the formation were even more horrified.

The Guihai family’s true secret art had been this powerful. They could unleash such a devastating formation without relying on ten thousand spirit spears. If the arena had not been so confined, then however many people the Yi Hua Sect had sent, that many might have died.

The Yi Hua Sect was one of the Five Great Spirit Sects of the Exquisite Continent. When had it ever suffered such devastating losses from a single enemy attack?

It was almost impossible to believe.

Perfected Gu Yu stared grimly at the corpses behind her. A dense killing intent flashed through her eyes.

It seemed that the Spirit Ascension Arena had truly reached the point where lives would be wagered. A mass battle was now unavoidable.

Very well, then. Let them settle this once and for all.