Chapter 55: Sect Rescue

The Qingxia Sect elder hunting down Ming Liang wore a face as cold as frost, his eyes as sharp as blades. The disciples behind him all gnashed their teeth, wishing they could tear the little thief to pieces right then and there.

"We must strike down that fled little rat today, and on no account let him ruin our grand plan. It was no easy feat for us to hitch our wagon to the Myriad Ghost Sect," the elder of the Lingxia Sect strictly instructed the disciples behind him.

Obedient to his command, the disciples all instinctively quickened their pace.

Ming Liang shuttled unceasingly through the mountain forests, evading the pursuit of the Lingxia Sect.

"Almost there. In a little while, I should reach the temporary quarters of the sect's outer disciples. Once I arrive, I will be able to establish contact with my master, and all crises will be resolved effortlessly." Ming Liang's mind raced, his footsteps growing ever faster, as if that temporary dwelling were his final straw of salvation.

However, when he finally arrived at the outer disciples' quarters, the sight before him made his hair stand on end—corpses lay strewn everywhere in disarray, blood stained the earth crimson, and the air was thick with a pungent stench of gore.

Seized by terror, Ming Liang dared not linger for even a moment, turning on his heel to flee this dreadful place. At that very moment, a cold and murderous voice came from behind: "Found you, the prodigious disciple of the Azure Cloud Sect. Sleep here forever today!"

Before the voice faded, a dazzling beam of light struck like lightning, bearing down relentlessly upon Ming Liang. It was none other than the fourth-realm elder of the Lingxia Sect who had made his move, mercilessly unleashing a powerful spell, sworn to drive Ming Liang to his death.

"Am I truly going to die here? I am so unreconciled."

Hardening his heart and opening his eyes wide, blood spilling from the corners of his mouth, Ming Liang furiously ignited his precious vital essence. Bursts of lightning suddenly erupted around his body—his ultimate gamble, the Thunder Escape Technique.

Amidst a thunderous roar, he seemed to transform into a flash of electricity, twisting and darting through the dense forest, narrowly avoiding that fatal blow. The air tore apart from his rapid movement, emitting a shrill whistle.

Just as his physical strength and mental stamina were nearing exhaustion, his vision beginning to blur and his body teetering on the verge of collapse, the communication jade talisman close to his skin suddenly lit up with a gentle blue glow.

"Ming Liang, what has happened over there? Answer me quickly." The voice belonged to Ming Liang's master.

Resisting the urge to faint, Ming Liang mustered his final shred of strength and gasped, "The Lingxia Sect has rebelled. Send reinforcements immediately."

With those words, Ming Liang collapsed into unconsciousness.

Back at the Azure Cloud Sect, Ming Liang's master struck the sect's bronze bell.

Within the Azure Cloud Sect, Ming Liang's master struck the grand bell five heavy and urgent times. The deep, resounding chime echoed across the entire sect.

The sect master and all the elders rushed over swiftly from all directions, while the disciples assembled in an orderly fashion in the sect plaza, every single one of them wearing a grave expression.

The sect master stood upright upon the high platform, his majestic gaze as sharp and searing as a burning torch, scanning ruthlessly across the boundless sea of heads below. The elders whispered amongst themselves, discussing in low tones, each wearing a different expression. Some of them were filled with boiling rage, looking like powder kegs on the verge of explosion; others wore looks of shock, their mouths agape and unable to close for a long time; and still others harbored a profound, hidden worry deep within their eyes, akin to an overcast, storm-clouded sky.

In contrast, the multitude of disciples appeared exceptionally quiet. They stood uniform and upright, motionless as statues, simply raising their heads in silence to gaze up at the sect master on the high platform, quietly awaiting his subsequent instructions and orders. The entire plaza was dead silent, save for the occasional fluttering sound of flags whipped by the breeze.

Amidst this heavy atmosphere, the sect master suddenly proclaimed in a loud voice: "The Lingxia Sect has rebelled! Our disciples are facing peril and have sent a distress signal to our sect. Today, no matter what, we must step forward and rescue our fellow disciples trapped in adversity!"

As the words fell, five figures flashed like lightning from the crowd, landing steadily beside the sect master. These were precisely five deeply respected elders.

Immediately following, an even older yet remarkably vigorous figure drifted down leisurely—it was none other than the supreme elder, who usually lived in seclusion. Meanwhile, one thousand carefully selected elite disciples had rapidly assembled, marching with firm and powerful strides toward the colossal realm-breaking vessel parked in the center of the plaza.

As everyone boarded the realm-breaking vessel one after another, the cabin doors slowly closed.

The remaining disciples and elders within the sect cupped their fists in respectful farewell.

"Respected elders, senior brothers, and senior sisters, display the might of Azure Cloud!"

The realm-breaking vessel shattered the void, traversing mountains and regions in an astonishingly brief span of time.

The Myriad Ghost Sect's deployment in Beihan City had reached its final stage.

At this very moment, atop the city walls of Beihan City, Liu Ann, Fatty Xu, Lin Luomei, Xu Jing, and others all turned pale as paper, their faces etched with absolute terror as their gazes locked onto the bloody battlefield outside the city.

On the battlefield, a gaunt, skin-and-bones old man was wantonly unleashing a horrific slaughter. In his grasp danced a chilling, razor-sharp blade, every sweep kicking up a storm of blood and gore.

Whether they were valiant, fearless soldiers or ferocious, violent beasts, none could put up the slightest resistance against this old man, and they were mercilessly cut down one after another.

As the old man continued to slaughter these living beings, the blood flowing from their wounds seemed guided by some mysterious force, converging endlessly toward the old man's location.

Those crimson streams of blood turned into winding red serpents, swiftly sinking into the old man's withered frame, causing his originally frail body to gradually grow plump, as if he were continuously absorbing the life force of others.

At that exact moment, the realm-breaking vessel cleaved through the firmament and arrived.

Upon witnessing the tragic carnage on the battlefield, the members of the Azure Cloud Sect were filled with incandescent rage. The sect master took the lead, flying forth and shouting sternly, "Cease this at once!" A formidable wave of spiritual energy surged toward the old man. Yet the old man paid it no heed, continuing his wanton massacre.

The five elders exchanged glances and simultaneously cast a formation, hurling beams of spiritual light toward the old man. Only then did the old man raise his head, revealing a pair of blood-red eyes, and grin maliciously, "No matter how many come, it's useless." With those words, his figure flickered, dodging the attack and instantly appearing before one of the elders, his blade piercing straight into the elder's abdomen.

Just as everyone was struck dumb with horror, the supreme elder made his move. Forming hand seals and chanting incantations, he unleashed a violent surge of thunder and lightning that enveloped the entire battlefield.

A look of agony surfaced on the old man's face; as it turned out, the wicked cultivation technique he practiced was most vulnerable to this very power.

Yet refusing to admit defeat, he forcefully drew in even more blood to strengthen himself.