Chapter 520: Forgetfulness and Ingratitude

Jiang Fan followed his gaze. He noticed the surging blood energy at the horizon and immediately recognized its source: Kong Yuanba, the Giant Sect Master!

"How could he have arrived so quickly? Sunset City was at least seven or eight days away by spirit beast. The disciple who had initially been sent to deliver the message had only traveled for one day and was nowhere near Sunset City. So, how had Kong Yuanba managed to arrive so swiftly?"

Lei Zhenhai, hands tucked into his sleeves, watched the approaching blood-red figure. "Kong Yuanba, like me, was ordered to guard Jieshan," he said. "However, he received news mid-journey that the Giant Sect's sacred land had been attacked by demon beasts, so he went there to investigate. He must have just finished his investigation and rushed here to Jieshan."

Jiang Fan nodded slightly. That explanation made sense.

Lei Zhenhai's lips curled into a slight smile. "I heard that Kong Yuanba has placed a hefty bounty on the head of the person who killed his Grand Elder, Tie Bubai," he remarked. "I wonder if that person is present today."

This was clearly a veiled threat aimed at Jiang Fan. Jiang Fan remained silent, subtly touching the bone hairpin hidden in his sleeve.

Under his control, the Nine-Headed Giant Python had secretly followed them back to Jieshan, hidden beneath the ground. If a true confrontation with Kong Yuanba became unavoidable, he would deploy the Nine-Headed Giant Python. Although it was heavily injured from its battle with the Black Spider and its combat power was far from its peak, it could still barely contend with Kong Yuanba. Combined with the assistance of the three elders, Li Qingfeng, Kong Yuanba shouldn't be able to overpower him – provided, of course, that Sect Master Lei did not intervene.

Kong Yuanba moved with astonishing speed, unleashing the immensely powerful physique of a Giant Sect Master. With each mighty push of his feet, he leaped dozens of feet. As he landed, he kicked up several feet of terrifying snow, only to leap forward dozens of feet again. Though he was but one man, he created the powerful visual impact of a thousand charging soldiers.

Li Qingfeng's eyes widened slightly in awe. "The Giant Sect Master's physique is comparable to that of some Grand Supreme Elders of the Giant Sect," he remarked. Zhao Wuji nodded slightly. "In terms of combat power, among the nine sect masters, he is either first or second," he affirmed. "Only the Myriad Sword Sect Master, who has mastered Sword Manipulation Art, and the True Thunder Sect Master during a thunderstorm, can surpass him. Everyone else, even the Grand Supreme Sect Masters, are slightly inferior." The other sect elders on the mountaintop also gazed with profound respect.

While the Giant Sect Master was genuinely disliked, his power was undeniable.

Thump-thump-thump—

As the dense, drum-like vibrations drew closer, Kong Yuanba's burly figure, radiating a blood-red aura, powerfully stepped onto the peak of Jieshan.

His arrogant gaze swept over the surroundings. Immediately, he noticed the sparse number of Giant Sect disciples, and his expression darkened considerably.

"Elder Yan, are you the only ones left alive, besides the wounded?" he demanded. He had already encountered some of the wounded evacuees on his way, gaining some understanding of the battle at Jieshan. However, the sheer scale of the Giant Sect's casualties far exceeded his grim expectations.

There had been five severely wounded Giant Sect disciples on the road. Now, before him, only four Giant Sect elders and disciples remained. In other words, out of three elders and over twenty disciples, more than half had perished in battle. Of the few survivors, only four were relatively unharmed; the rest were severely injured, not dead, but crippled. These were the elite disciples of the current Giant Sect generation. The devastating loss caused Kong Yuanba immense pain.

The sole surviving Elder Yan said remorsefully, "It was my failing; I didn't protect them adequately." Kong Yuanba silently surveyed the other sects.

He found that every sect was in a similar state. After the battle, only a scattered four or five individuals remained from each. The True Thunder Sect, for instance, was left with only its Sect Master, all others either severely wounded or dead. The Joyful Union Sect had lost all its elders, with only three disciples barely surviving. In comparison, the Giant Sect was faring relatively better.

Only then did he feel a measure of equilibrium. "It's not your fault," he said. "Given the tragic intensity of this battle, it’s a miracle anyone survived. How could we possibly expect everyone to be safe..."

Suddenly, Kong Yuanba's brows furrowed. He stared at Li Qingfeng and the Qingyun Sect contingent, his voice cold. "Wait!" he commanded. "What's the meaning of this? Why are the Qingyun Sect members completely unharmed?"

Their three elders and over twenty disciples seemed completely fine, with no deaths or even severe injuries. Elder Yan hesitated before explaining, "The Qingyun Sect combat team was deployed as the final reinforcements. Furthermore, they had an ample supply of healing and spirit-replenishing elixirs, which significantly reduced their casualties."

Although he personally felt it was unfair, at the final critical moment, the Qingyun Sect disciples had desperately held the collapsing defense line. They had bought precious time for Lei Zhenhai to summon the heavenly lightning. Given their crucial contribution, Elder Yan found himself unable to argue further.

Kong Yuanba's expression remained grim after hearing this. Why had the Giant Sect suffered such heavy losses while the Qingyun Sect remained completely unscathed? He directed an interrogative gaze at Lei Zhenhai.

Seeing his own arrangements being questioned, Lei Zhenhai naturally stepped forward to explain. "The Qingyun Sect's overall strength is moderate," he said. "It was indeed my sect's decision to deploy them as the final reinforcements. Their ability to maintain zero casualties is a testament to their skill."

In such circumstances, another sect's contingent might not have achieved such minimal casualties. It was entirely thanks to Jiang Fan's spirit-replenishing and rejuvenating pills that such a feat was possible. "Hmph!" Kong Yuanba snorted with resentment. Since Lei Zhenhai had vouched for the Qingyun Sect, he had no further grounds for complaint and could only suppress his deep displeasure.

"Sect Master! I have something to report to you!" Jin Zhongming suddenly stepped forward, casting a cold smirk at Jiang Fan. "It concerns the true culprit behind Elder Tie's death! This disciple has made an astonishing discovery!"

It turned out that besides Lei Zhenhai, one other person had noticed Jiang Fan using the purple sword at that time: Jin Zhongming.

Before Kong Yuanba arrived, he had remained silent. The three Qingyun Sect elders and over twenty disciples were present, giving them considerable strength in numbers. But now, with Kong Yuanba's personal presence, it was Jiang Fan's reckoning!

"Speak quickly!" Kong Yuanba's eyes flashed upon hearing the mention of Tie Bubai. His gaze abruptly locked onto Jiang Fan within the Qingyun Sect contingent. He had long suspected Jiang Fan. The last search had yielded nothing, and Jiang Fan had even benefited from a free trip to the Giant Sect's sacred land. Now, with Jiang Fan present at the scene once more, he was almost certain that Jin Zhongming was referring to him.

"It's Jiang Fan!" Jin Zhongming snarled, pointing directly at him. "I personally witnessed him using the purple sword! He is the true murderer of Tie Bubai!"

It was indeed him! Kong Yuanba let out an angry laugh. "Jiang Fan! I knew it was you!" he roared. "Tell me! How did you brutally harm my sect's Grand Elder!" He strode swiftly towards Jiang Fan.

Jieshan itself trembled beneath his forceful strides. Li Qingfeng, having sensed trouble, immediately moved to shield Jiang Fan, joined by Zhao Wuji and Wen Hongyao.

"Kong Yuanba!" Li Qingfeng shouted. "Are you slandering a junior disciple of our sect simply because our Sect Master is absent? If you dare to touch Jiang Fan, you'll have to go through us first!" The three stood in a defensive formation, confronting Kong Yuanba.

"Do I, Kong Yuanba, need to heed the expressions of you useless lot when I act?" he sneered. "Get out of my way!" His burly, battle-hardened body suddenly quivered, unleashing an incomparably powerful wave of energy.

Li Qingfeng and the other two were forcefully thrown back, staggering. Their faces changed rapidly, realizing that merely the unleashed aura had rendered them unable to approach. They simply could not stop Kong Yuanba!

Jiang Fan's expression darkened. Events were truly spiraling, taking a sharp turn towards the worst possible outcome. In that case...

His hand subtly gripped the bone hairpin hidden in his sleeve. Just as he was about to command the Nine-Headed Giant Python, a figure suddenly stepped forward, blocking Kong Yuanba's path.