Chapter 396: Giant Sect Leader Takes Action!

Jiang Fan seemed not to hear, his cold gaze fixed on the terrified Xue Wanzhong. He charged forward!

Xue Wanzhong's scalp tingled. He quickly opened his mouth, spat out a jade pendant, and bit it into pieces. Immediately, an earthy yellow halo, patterned like a tortoise shell, enveloped him.

As a physical practitioner, using a magic practitioner's protective jade pendant was somewhat embarrassing, but to save his life, he couldn't care less. With the halo, Xue Wanzhong felt much safer. This was a protective artifact for a fifth-stage Core Formation cultivator; no matter how powerful Jiang Fan was, he wouldn't be able to break through it. Once his master returned, Jiang Fan would be finished!

But to his surprise, Jiang Fan tossed aside his guqin, his momentum not decreasing but increasing. At the same time, lightning crackled around his legs as he stomped fiercely on the light shield.

Boom! Two thunder dragons cascaded down, instantly piercing the light shield that Xue Wanzhong had believed to be impenetrable.

"What..." Thud! Xue Wanzhong only had time to gasp. A pair of feet slammed hard into his chest, sending him sprawling to the ground!

Before he could look up, a foot stomped hard on his head, pressing his face tightly against the cold earth. What chilled him even further was that Jiang Fan raised his hand, and the Lamenting Frost Sword, which had been embedded in the palace wall, instantly flew back into his palm. Then, the cold blade was pressed against Xue Wanzhong's thick neck.

"I told you, no one can protect you today!" Jiang Fan said coldly.

This scene completely stunned You Yunzi and Gu Huaxi. Kong Yuanba had personally intervened, yet he couldn't protect his own disciple. Could a mere disciple, a new one at that, really achieve this?

Xue Wanzhong trembled violently, an uncontrollable fear spreading wildly in his heart. Even when fighting his Senior Brother Jin Zhongming in a life-or-death battle, he wouldn't have felt so imperiled. But facing Jiang Fan, he had fallen into a terrifying predicament where there was no escape, no way out, and even his master standing before him couldn't save him. Before Jiang Fan, he was like an insect, wantonly crushed with no power to resist!

"Now, do you still want to kill my friends and family, kill my fellow disciples?" Jiang Fan pressed down, and the sword blade cut into his neck, causing blood to immediately seep out.

Xue Wanzhong was terrified and shrieked, "No, no, no, I was just joking! Junior Brother Jiang, please spare me, please spare me!" With his master unable to protect him even face-to-face, how could he dare provoke Jiang Fan, this formidable demon? If he truly angered him, it wouldn't just be a sword at his neck; he would be dismembered! Bullying the weak and fearing the strong had always been the tradition of the Giant Sect, and Xue Wanzhong was no exception.

Jiang Fan snorted loudly through his nose, "Where is Liu Qingxian?"

Xue Wanzhong hastily replied, "She, Wang Chengjian, and several other outer sect disciples jointly undertook a patrol mission at Taihu Lake five days ago. But none of them have returned. You... you can go to Taihu Lake to check."

Taihu Lake? Jiang Fan's expression grew serious. Had they encountered a powerful water demon? He recalled the danger he faced that day with the Red-Scaled Evil Flood Dragon, where even the Grand Elder of the Heavenly Sound Sect had accidentally lost an arm. If Liu Qingxian had encountered an extremely powerful water demon, she would indeed be in great danger.

Seeing the situation calm down, You Yunzi reminded, "Jiang Fan, release him. I've heard about the Taihu Lake incident. I didn't realize your friend was among the missing disciples. Go quickly to the Mission Hall and accept a Tier-1 mission. The mission is to investigate and rescue them."

The Heavenly Secret Pavilion also took this matter seriously because the disciples undertaking this mission were top elites from the Nine Sects. If they met with an accident, it would be a great loss for the Nine Sects.

"Understood!" Jiang Fan did not dare to hesitate and was about to leave immediately.

"Wait!" Kong Yuanba shouted coldly, his eyes glinting with murderous intent. His body emanated a suffocating aura, and his voice was extremely chilling. "You strike down my disciple, Kong Yuanba's disciple, right in front of me, and you think you can just walk away?" The Giant Sect had always been the one bullying others. When had they ever been humiliated like this?

Jiang Fan glanced at him indifferently. "What do you want?" He subtly shook his sleeve, releasing the invisible Heavenly Mountain Silkworm Thread.

Kong Yuanba said grimly, "Do I even need to say what I mean? You, don't even think about leaving!!!" At this moment, he no longer concealed his surging murderous intent. He roared, "To use your own words! Today, no one can protect you!"

Hearing this, You Yunzi's expression turned cold. "Kong Yuanba, what is the meaning of this?"

Kong Yuanba threw caution to the wind. He said angrily, "Deputy Pavilion Master You, I have given you enough face today. If it weren't for your presence, he would have died a hundred times over! But he relied on your protection, acting lawlessly and wantonly injuring my disciple! Then don't blame this Sect Master for being ruthless! His blood will serve as a warning to outsiders who don't know their place!"

You Yunzi smiled. His sleeves billowed as if by an unseen wind, and a terrifying aura swept forth. Gone was his usual gentle demeanor, replaced by immense majesty. "It seems I've lived in seclusion for too long, causing people to forget how I became a Deputy Pavilion Master," he said.

Though he smiled, he exuded a terrifying pressure that felt like the heavens and earth were collapsing. Even Kong Yuanba couldn't help but swallow. In the vast Heavenly Secret Pavilion, there were only four Deputy Pavilion Masters. Each of them possessed not only the absolute power to awe the Nine Sects but also formidable and awe-inspiring methods. Although You Yunzi appeared ethereal in his Taoist robe, when he fought formidable enemies from outside the realm years ago, he carved out a mountain of corpses and a sea of blood, annihilating thousands of powerful foes. The blood he had spilled was enough to submerge half of the Giant Sect. He was a true Asura in this world!

Kong Yuanba's scalp tingled, feeling he had been too impulsive. However, thinking of Jiang Fan's terrifying strength, he could already foresee the future of the Azure Cloud Sect. If this young man were given a chance to grow, he would undoubtedly take charge of the Azure Cloud Sect one day. Under his leadership, the Azure Cloud Sect would surely become the foremost of the Nine Sects, leaving no room for the Giant Sect to rise again. Not eliminating such a prodigy in the cradle would be irresponsible to the Giant Sect.

So, steeling his resolve, his murderous intent surged again. He shouted, "Deputy Pavilion Master Gu, please stop Deputy Pavilion Master You for a moment! After this is done, my Giant Sect will be eternally grateful!" He was naturally no match for You Yunzi. But Gu Huaxi was. Moreover, Gu Huaxi was on the Giant Sect's side! She only needed to hold You Yunzi back for a moment, and he could kill Jiang Fan, eliminating the future threat once and for all.

As for You Yunzi's retaliation afterward... Jiang Fan would already be dead. Would You Yunzi really kill a dignified Sect Master for a mere junior disciple? At most, he would injure him to vent his anger. Trading his own injuries for the life of Jiang Fan, this menace — it seemed like a worthwhile exchange!

With that said, he charged towards Jiang Fan with grim murderous intent. "You little beast! Your death is at hand!"

However, as he took half a step forward, a phantom figure slammed into him. The immense force of the blow terrified Kong Yuanba, whose face drastically changed. Hadn't he asked Gu Huaxi to stop You Yunzi? Why had You Yunzi still attacked him?

In that critical moment, he channeled all his physical strength to try and block the strike. But how terrifying was a Deputy Pavilion Master's attack? Kong Yuanba immediately felt his body about to fall apart, his internal organs dislodged by the impact. If it had been a magic cultivator of the same realm, this strike would have killed them instantly! You Yunzi had truly intended to kill!

Pfft! He uncontrollably spat out a mouthful of blood, flying backward with great force, smashing a large hole through the wall of the Sect Master's main hall. He struggled to get up, complaining, "Deputy Pavilion Master Gu, why didn't you stop him...?" He stopped mid-sentence because You Yunzi was standing in his original spot, not having moved at all. It was Gu Huaxi, holding her coiled dragon staff, who was staring at him with an icy expression!