Chapter 1697: The Ruthless Shangguan Tianhong

Boom!

The void suddenly shattered, and Zhao Chi fell out of it, looking panicked. His spirit ghosts and refined corpses had been killed, significantly weakening his divine abilities. Facing Shangguan Tianhong, the foremost cultivator in the Heavenly Azure Realm, he was no match at all.

Zhao Chi formed a hand seal, and a black light erupted from his body, accompanied by a cacophony of ghostly wails—the crying of women, the shrieks of children, and the shouts of elders. He transformed into hundreds of streaks of black light and shot through the air, each streak heading in a different direction.

"If you manage to escape, I'll write my name backward." Shangguan Tianhong's expression turned cold. He formed a hand seal, and countless red runes emerged from the surfaces of the nine small red mirrors. Thousands of slender red beams shot out in all directions. The dense red beams pierced through hundreds of black light streaks. With a single scream, one of the black streaks revealed Zhao Chi's figure. His face was pale, his chest was bleeding profusely, and he appeared utterly disheveled.

The moment Zhao Chi appeared, spatial fluctuations arose above him. A golden hand, over a hundred zhang large, materialized out of thin air. The golden hand was enveloped in a vast expanse of golden flames, emitting an astonishing high temperature. The golden hand struck down with thunderous force, accurately hitting Zhao Chi. Zhao Chi let out a tragic cry and was incinerated into ashes by the golden flames.

Shangguan Tianhong frowned, his eyes filled with confusion. Soul Transformation stage cultivators were not so easily killed. Just then, a black light lit up in the void behind him, and Zhao Chi suddenly reappeared. His face was pale, looking severely weakened. He knew he couldn't escape. He refused to submit to the Heavenly Azure Realm; even if it meant death, he wanted to spite Shangguan Tianhong.

Zhao Chi's body swelled at a visible rate, while a golden light erupted from Shangguan Tianhong's body. Boom! With a deafening roar, an immense black sun suddenly appeared high in the sky, engulfing a large area. A powerful wave of air spread in all directions, pulverizing over a dozen mountain peaks. Countless stones and dust flew everywhere, the ground was ripped up, and an area of a hundred miles around was left in ruins.

Five breaths later, the black sun dispersed. Shangguan Tianhong was encased in a shimmering golden light barrier, his expression indifferent. He formed a hand seal, and the golden light barrier transformed into a pale golden jade lock that settled on his chest. The jade lock was engraved with a miniature Qilin pattern, radiating immense spiritual energy. This was the Heaven-Reaching Spirit Treasure, the Golden Qilin Lock, a defensive artifact crafted primarily from hundred-thousand-year-old Golden Qilin Wood, incorporating thousands of other materials.

Apart from the three major perilous areas, the Heavenly Azure Sect had thoroughly plundered all known secret realms and forbidden lands in the Heavenly Azure Realm, taking all the spirit wood, mineral resources, and demonic beast remains to forge various magic treasures. Shangguan Tianhong was the Heavenly Azure Sect's top master, possessing three Heaven-Reaching Spirit Treasures: one for offense, one for defense, and one for flight. He was the first advocate and the greatest beneficiary of the Heavenly Azure Sect's unification of the Heavenly Azure Realm.

"He has some backbone, preferring death over surrender. That old serpent might not have such resolve." Shangguan Tianhong's face turned cold as he scoffed. The "old serpent" he referred to was Patriarch Qinghua.

A dazzling fiery light flared up on his back, revealing a pair of five-zhang-wide red feathered wings. The wings were imbued with copious scarlet flames and a strong gust of wind. After a colossal booming sound, Shangguan Tianhong vanished.

Hundreds of thousands of miles away, on a vast, boundless green grassland, Golden Moon Sword Venerable stood on a low mound, his brows deeply furrowed. Scattered on the ground were hundreds of green scales and over a dozen long, wide indentations, resembling those left by a giant python. A long snakeskin lay on the ground.

A red light flashed in the void, and as spatial fluctuations occurred, Shangguan Tianhong appeared. "Junior Brother Jin, did that old serpent escape?" Shangguan Tianhong asked with a frown. "She used some special secret technique, similar to a cicada shedding its shell. She got away," Golden Moon Sword Venerable replied truthfully.

"Chase her! I refuse to believe she can run faster than me." Shangguan Tianhong's face was filled with murderous intent. Golden Moon Sword Venerable hesitated slightly, then frowned and said, "Senior Brother Shangguan, I think it's better to prioritize pacification and use extermination as a secondary measure. If we push them too hard, and they go on a killing spree, our losses won't be small."

The Heavenly Azure Sect's main gate could not accommodate millions of cultivators. Even if they were assigned to several important branch strongholds, they couldn't handle such numbers. Many disciples remained in less important branch strongholds, which allowed them to cultivate faster. "Hmph, a great man isn't bothered by trifles. I've already ordered all disciples to relocate to the main headquarters. Those who disobey will deserve to die. Does the Eastern Abode Realm think they can threaten us by sending some high-level cultivators to the Heavenly Azure Realm? Hmph, I hate being threatened the most." Shangguan Tianhong's tone was icy. Patriarch Qinghua's true form was a fifth-tier demonic python; her corpse could be used to refine a Heaven-Reaching Spirit Treasure. He would not let Patriarch Qinghua escape. The wings on his back flared with red light, and with a powerful flap, he transformed into specks of fire and vanished.

Golden Moon Sword Venerable sighed and transformed into a golden rainbow, flying towards the sky.

***

Heavenly Wind Mountain Range.

On a steep peak, there was a vast estate at the summit. In a secluded small courtyard with green tiles, Wang Changsheng and Wang Ruyan sat on stone stools, while a tall, slender man in a green robe stood before them, looking nervous.

The man in green was named Chen Jiang, a third-layer Core Formation cultivator. When the Heavenly Azure Sect abandoned most of its branch strongholds and a large number of disciples relocated to the main headquarters, many spirit veins and branch strongholds became vacant. Chen Jiang, along with his wife and children, occupied one such branch stronghold, ostensibly to guard the sect's property, but in reality, it was for cultivation. The Heavenly Azure Sect's cultivators were originally scattered across various regions, but now they were concentrated in one place. It was obvious that the spiritual energy supply would be insufficient. The spirit vein at this branch stronghold in the Heavenly Wind Mountain Range was only a third-tier low-grade, unremarkable. The Heavenly Wind Mountain Range also had no special cultivation resources. Chen Jiang had cultivated here with his wife and children for decades without incident, unexpectedly encountering cultivators from the Eastern Abode Realm.

"Seniors, you've soul-searched me. I truly haven't lied. Please be merciful and spare my life. If not, at least spare my children!" Chen Jiang pleaded desperately.

Wang Changsheng had already determined their location; they were in the southeastern part of the Heavenly Azure Realm. The Heavenly Azure Realm was vast, and finding other clan members would be very difficult. After all, so many years had passed that any previous markers or senses would no longer work. Wandering aimlessly would easily lead to capture by Heavenly Azure Sect cultivators. He now wanted to find a place with relatively abundant spiritual energy to enter seclusion and attempt to break through to the Soul Transformation stage. The Soul Transformation stage represented the decisive power, the power that could turn the tide. The Heavenly Azure Sect's order for its disciples to relocate to the main headquarters conveniently provided Wang Changsheng with an opportunity.

"We can spare your family of four. You will lead the way for us and help us with something. This will also be a good thing for you." Wang Changsheng's tone was full of temptation. He needed Chen Jiang's help to trick open the entrance to a branch stronghold. His plan was to disguise himself as a Core Formation cultivator, reside there, and attempt his breakthrough to the Soul Transformation stage. Heavenly Azure Sect cultivators would never imagine that the Eastern Abode Realm cultivator they were searching for was right under their noses, essentially having the Heavenly Azure Sect cultivators guard him.

"Yes, Senior," Chen Jiang had no right to refuse and honestly agreed.

Wang Changsheng and Wang Ruyan changed direction. The two followed Chen Jiang and his wife to another branch stronghold.