Chapter 172: Facing Death with Equanimity

The speaker had red hair and wore black attire. Between his brows was painted a bizarre mark resembling an unopened lotus flower. His makeup was shockingly heavy and garish, with a thick layer of foundation caked on his face. His fierce and sinister expression made anyone who looked at him feel deeply unsettled.

This was the unique style of the Ghost Mother Sect, said to be derived from the traditions of a certain ethnic minority. Every disciple within the sect was a most loyal devotee of the "Supreme Ghost Mother." This was a cult entrenched deep within the mountains of Rongzhou, notorious for feasting on human flesh and cultivating through human blood. The disciples of the Ghost Mother Sect believed that the Supreme Ghost Mother would ultimately be born amidst a blood lotus, reigning over all living things in the world.

Previously, Lu Xin had used a Incarnation Divine Talisman to annihilate two disciples of the Ghost Mother Sect, so the opposing party would naturally not let the matter rest. At this moment, someone leaping forward played right into the hands of the major sects. No one wanted anyone blocking the sacrificial altar, allowing the Eight-Wasteland Fire Dragon Cauldron to merge with Cao Fu. Furthermore, the Superior Mysterious Heaven Sect, the Netherworld Daoist Sect, and the Five Elephants Gate were all aware of the existence of the Wandering Immortal Sword. No one was willing to watch Lu Xin leave the Fengdu Ghost Domain with their own eyes.

However, the power unleashed by the Incarnation Divine Talisman just moments ago was simply too formidable. Everyone was reluctant to be the first bird to stick its neck out. Now that the Ghost Mother Sect had jumped forward, they immediately gained the support of all the other factions.

"Fellow Daoist Hong is entirely right. This brat is merely at the third level of the Guanhsu realm, yet he can wield power equivalent to the eighth level of the Guanhsu realm. There must be treasures he obtained from within the Fengdu Ghost Domain upon him. Since all present share a stake, how can we let him escape so easily?"

"Hehehe, the sword in his hand is certainly no ordinary item. Moreover, that brat currently merging with the Eight-Wasteland Fire Dragon Cauldron is his accomplice. Heaven knows what kind of conspiracy is hidden behind his talk of leaving?"

"Humph, I care not what treasures he carries. Those who killed members of my Ghost Mother Sect must pay with blood; that is the bare minimum rule!"

With a long whistle, all five disciples of the Ghost Mother Sect charged toward Lu Xin. Each of them brandished a pitch-black skull. Their empty eye sockets flashed with a captivating, baleful red light. Lu Xin took merely a single glance before dizziness overwhelmed him; his entire body swayed, making it impossible even to stand upright. At this juncture, the Incarnation Divine Talisman had exhausted all its energy, rendering it utterly impossible for Lu Xin to deal with so many adversaries.

Just at this critical juncture, a blinding golden light suddenly erupted before Lu Xin. The five members of the Ghost Mother Sect were on the verge of rushing onto the sacrificial altar, but at the very last step, they were violently repelled by the abruptly appearing golden light, much like a sudden gale rising on flat ground, blowing them back and making it impossible for anyone to advance further.

"Shadow Dragon Guards! What are you doing? Have you a death wish?"

"Heh heh, Hong Qixuan, your Ghost Mother Sect has always acted tyrannically, reigning supreme as lords of the mountains in Rongzhou. His Majesty has long since issued an imperial decree to eradicate scum like you. Since you claim he is a man of our Great Tang imperial court, if we Shadow Dragon Guards were to sit by and do nothing, wouldn't we be no different from you demonic heretics? That, surely, is not what His Majesty wishes to see."

Following the golden light, six Shadow Dragon Guards clad in silver armor stepped fully in front of Lu Xin. Their long spears crossed, sparking tiny bursts of fire. A formidable power brewed in the empty space before the six of them, as if it could detonate at any moment. This was evidently some formidable spear array that allowed the spiritual Qi of the six Shadow Dragon Guards to connect and undergo a qualitative transformation.

Although the surprise attack by the Ghost Mother Sect had not inflicted substantial physical harm on Lu Xin, his performance was sufficient for the major sects to deduce that his Incarnation Divine Talisman had been completely depleted. As for the actions of the Shadow Dragon Guards, they mattered little to the major sects. The Great Tang imperial court inherently stood in opposition to the sects of the world. Soon, the Qilin Envoy of the Five Elephants Gate leaped forward. Zhou Sha had been beaten unconscious by the Incarnation Divine Talisman, and he was currently brimming with suppressed rage. Coupled with his previous conflicts with the Shadow Dragon Guards, he tossed out a massive seal in his hand, and the five Seal-Wielding Envoys formed a formation, actually rising into the air.

In an instant, lightning flashed and thunder rumbled across the entire sacrificial altar. The shadows of five divine beasts—the Azure Dragon, Vermilion Bird, White Tiger, Black Tortoise, and Qilin—flickered in and out of view amidst the thunderclouds. The power of the formation not only enveloped the entire sacrificial altar but also swallowed up the surrounding space within a radius of ten zhang. Upon seeing this, disciples of the other major sects changed their expressions. The individuals of the Five Elephants Gate were not formidable in single combat, but the formations they formed using various seals were notoriously ferocious.

"This is... the Five Elephants Heavenly Demon Divine Formation! The four directional divine beasts and the Purple Qilin will merge into the image of an immemorial demon god. According to my master, this was an immemorial secret incantation obtained by Old Freak Zhou on a desolate island while traveling across the Return to Ruins after attaining the Entering Spirit realm. That demon god must be a Great Wizard!"

Boom!

The thunderclouds pressed lower and lower, and a huge head poked out from the clouds, featuring sword-like ears, a crimson face, and tusks protruding from its mouth. Immediately following, two sturdy arms descended, entirely bronze in color and wreathed in lightning, as if they could hoist a mountain aloft at any moment. Once the demon god appeared, the raging winds atop the snowy peak fell completely still; its form was so lifelike that one could even hear the sound of its breathing through its nose and mouth. Lu Xin looked up to see only the massive head of the demon god occupying the entire sky, while the members of the Five Elephants Gate had completely vanished from sight.

Roar!

The demon god let out a roar toward the earth, fire flashing in its eyes, and smashed its fist down toward the sacrificial altar. Upon seeing this, the six Shadow Dragon Guards roared in anger and raised their long spears with tacit synchronization. On the back of each silver armor, the image of a five-clawed golden dragon emerged. Instantly, the six golden dragons surged from the armor onto the spear tips, merging into one to likewise transform into a colossal figure. It was a Daoist priest wearing a dragon crown and draped in rosy clouds, surrounded by auspicious mist and blazing in golden light, radiating an indescribable majesty and nobility.

The Daoist priest thrust out a palm, colliding with the fist of the demon god, and all supernatural phenomena vanished in an instant. Thunderclouds and rosy light were simultaneously obliterated. The snowstorm, which had previously grown still, turned violent once more, blowing so fiercely that everyone struggled to keep their eyes open. Lu Xin was literally blown off the sacrificial altar by the aftermath of the collision between the two forces. Meanwhile, the six Shadow Dragon Guards all vomited blood and dropped to one knee on the ground.

As Lu Xin tumbled off the altar, disciples of the Superior Mysterious Heaven Sect and the Netherworld Daoist Sect immediately swarmed toward him. Though Huang Yuyi remained unconscious, Wang Qi was still present, ensuring that the combined strength of the two sects remained formidable. Simultaneously, disciples from the remaining factions rushed onto the altar, merging into the golden light generated by the Eight-Wasteland Fire Dragon Cauldron.

"Brother Lu, hand over the Wandering Immortal Sword, and I can spare your life."

"Hahahaha, Wang Qi, what are you afraid of? If you have the ability, come and take it."

Though blown off the altar, Lu Xin was uninjured, and the spiritual Qi within his body was brimming. Despite being surrounded by nearly ten people from the two sects, he still grinned coldly, showing not a shred of fear. Seeing this, Wang Qi ceased speaking, suddenly drawing his blade and charging forward. His figure split, miraculously producing four identical shadows in an instant.

"Do you think Li Chunfeng's threats could make me fear you? Do not forget, I am a disciple of the Netherworld Daoist Sect. A mere rogue cultivator of the Entering Spirit realm is not enough to threaten me."

All four figures of Wang Qi spoke simultaneously, then raised their long sabers high, slashing downward at the top of Lu Xin's head. The purplish-black blade radiance condensed into a terrifying thunder ball that smashed down from above. Lu Xin dared not hesitate for even a moment, gathering all his remaining spiritual Qi to swing the Wandering Immortal Sword.

Boom!

The thunder ball exploded, swallowing up all the radiance of the Wandering Immortal Sword. Lu Xin's feet sank violently into the ice layer, his hair came undone, and he coughed up two large mouthfuls of blood. Wang Qi's clones dissolved completely in a flash, and his true body retreated five steps, stabilizing his stance only by relying on the resistance of his blade tip scraping across the ground. Looking at his face, it was frighteningly pale, and a large amount of blood spilled from the corners of his mouth. It was evident that his previous move had exhausted his absolute strength and had even aggravated his prior injuries.

"Hahahaha, Wang Qi, cultivation at the Great Circle of the Guanhru realm is nothing special after all. Your Netherworld Daoist Sect will perish because of you sooner or later."

Lu Xin slowly crawled out of the ice pit and laughed toward the sky. The Wandering Immortal Sword transformed into a fist-sized golden light that he dragged in the palm of his hand. His aura grew increasingly feeble, yet the golden light in his hand expanded continuously. All his spiritual Qi was converging into the Wandering Immortal Sword. Witnessing this scene, Wang Qi instinctively stepped backward.

"Humph, look at your current state—you cannot even walk, merely lingering on in a desperate bid for survival."

"Yes, what you say is correct. However, even if I am to die, I shall drag all of you down to be buried with me!"

At this moment, the bones in Lu Xin's feet were completely shattered, making it truly difficult even to take a step. Moreover, every word he uttered caused fresh blood to well up from his throat, accompanied by excruciating pain. That thunderous light from earlier seemed to have severed all the meridians within his body. His physical flesh felt as though it had been torn asunder, devoid of any remaining vitality. Lu Xin could even sense the gloomy pall of death shrouding his head. Yet he refused to fall, refused to show weakness. Even if he were truly to die in this place, he would drag disciples of the two sects down with him.

A disposition of viewing death as a return home was terrifying indeed. In particular, the golden light in Lu Xin's hand shifted constantly under the gaze of the multitude, its spiritual Qi fluctuations growing ever more intense, enough to strike terror into the hearts of all. Faced with this power, neither the disciples of the Superior Mysterious Heaven Sect nor those of the Netherworld Daoist Sect dared to step forward, exchanging apprehensive glances.

"What, are you all terrified? Come on, kill this old master, hahahahahahaha..."

Lu Xin was horrifyingly frantic at this moment, the spiritual Qi within his body utterly exhausted. He possessed only enough strength left for one final strike; if he failed to slaughter everyone, his own death was certain. Given Wang Qi's intelligence, how could he fail to understand the youth's intentions? After his expression shifted through several changes, he suddenly shouted, "Fellow junior brothers, form the array."

At his command, the seven disciples of the Netherworld Daoist Sect immediately crossed their legs and sat upon the ground. Their hands formed seals at lightning speed, and talisman after talisman flew out from their cuffs, instantly blanketing the entire space. Looking up, thousands of talismans were arranging themselves in an orderly fashion in the sky two zhang above the ground. Vaguely, Lu Xin seemed to see a massive mountain descending from the vast, boundless Empyrean void. Feeling a jolt in his heart, Lu Xin gritted his teeth and violently hurled the golden light in his hand forward.

Hum hum hum hum...

The entire space was dyed a golden hue. Simultaneously, endless, boundless flames surged forth from the sacrificial altar.