Chapter 550: Old Beast, Seeking Death!

The elders of the Eight Sects were filled with immense grief.

Zhao Wuji, as everyone knew, was a man who never shied away from an argument. He would bicker with others until his face turned red and his neck swelled, all over minor disagreements concerning the Way of the Sword. If a disciple suffered a wrong, he wouldn't hesitate to storm to another sect's entrance, shouting curses with no regard for his reputation.

Few people genuinely liked him. At gatherings of the nine sect elders, he was usually by himself. He would stand there, a solitary figure, quietly polishing his sword. If anyone dared to strike up a conversation, he would launch into a ceaseless monologue, which inevitably devolved into an argument, ending with both parties parting on bad terms.

Now.

He was still alone. He moved against the current, alone, wielding his sword, charging single-handedly towards an overwhelmingly powerful enemy he knew he couldn't defeat. Like a lone swordsman, he walked his own path, defining his own Way of the Sword.

"Let's go!"

"Don't let his sacrifice be in vain!"

An elder, tears welling in his eyes, resolutely turned away. The remaining elders, fighting back their tears, turned and fled towards the canyon's exit.

At this moment, Zhao Wuji's power had surged to the ninth layer of Core Formation.

"Higher, just a little higher! Please!" Zhao Wuji cried out. If only he could reach the perfected ninth layer of Core Formation, he could slay Fang Taiji, eliminating a threat to Jiang Fan. He could also buy his comrades behind him more time to escape with their lives.

But the rise and fall of a meteor are separated by mere instants. The ninth layer of Core Formation was destined to be the most glorious moment of his life. Immediately afterward, his power began to wane.

"No!" Zhao Wuji roared. Seizing the last moment his cultivation lingered at the ninth layer of Core Formation, he raised his sword and thrust it towards Fang Taiji! This old scoundrel was more detestable than any foe! Kill him first!

The sword moved like a startled swan, its chilling gleam striking. Yet, it failed to disturb the serene calm in Empress Yunxia's eyes. She sighed softly, her voice as gentle and distant as clouds on the horizon: "A meaningless defiance."

She slowly raised her index finger. Before she could act, Fang Taiji moved first. He threw a casual punch through the air. A fist-sized bloody hole appeared in Zhao Wuji's chest. A chilling sensation rapidly spread throughout Zhao Wuji's body. His vision began to fade. His body turned weak.

Yet, he clung to his sword, staggering forward, then forward again, and again. Finally, the tip of his sword grazed Fang Taiji's arm. Only then did his body finally collapse. His eyes, pupils already dilated, had long lost consciousness. That last strike had been driven solely by his final, lingering will.

Fang Taiji indifferently wiped away the minor graze on his skin. He turned to Empress Yunxia and said, "Your Imperial Consort, please permit me to handle these minor nuisances for you." He knew that if he wanted to survive, he had to offer a token of allegiance. The best such token would be the heads of his former comrades. Killing them would ensure Fang Taiji had no place left among humanity. From that point on, he would be bound to serve the demon race.

Empress Yunxia released her hand. Fang Taiji felt as though he had been granted a great pardon. As he turned to watch the fleeing elders of the Eight Sects, a cruel glint appeared in his eyes.

"My apologies," he murmured. "This old man truly didn't want it to come to this..."

*Whoosh—*

He took a single step and vanished into the dim canyon.

In his dying moments, Zhao Wuji's fingers twitched, attempting to clench his sword. He yearned to fight again. But he had already collapsed completely. In his dull, lifeless eyes, the approaching figure of Empress Yunxia was reflected.

Meanwhile, deeper within the canyon, Fang Taiji swiftly caught up to the elders of the Eight Sects. Recognizing him, the elders instantly grew wary. "Fang Taiji, why are you here? Where is Empress Yunxia?"

Fang Taiji chuckled triumphantly. "Naturally, I killed her! Otherwise, it would be Empress Yunxia herself pursuing you!"

"What? Killed her?" The elders of the Eight Sects were shaken, their faces etched with doubt. She was a Nascent Soul realm cultivator, and Fang Taiji had already defected to her.

"Don't look at me like that; it was all a temporary measure," he declared. "How else could I have made Empress Yunxia drop her guard and allowed me to kill her? If you don't believe me, look, I even brought her head with me."

"Her head?" The elders of the Eight Sects immediately brightened, eagerly watching as Fang Taiji reached behind his back. If that were true, today's crisis would be averted!

To their dismay, Fang Taiji revealed an empty, wizened hand. A sneering mockery he could no longer conceal finally spread across his face. "My apologies, I tricked you!"

The next instant, a malicious gleam burst from his eyes, and his figure flickered like a phantom.

*Thump, thump—*

Two fountains of blood erupted. Two elders, caught off guard, had their heads severed, their bodies collapsing rigidly. Fang Taiji gripped the two severed heads, a gruesome grin twisting his blood-splattered face. "I must present your heads to Empress Yunxia. So, I'm afraid you'll have to make a sacrifice."

An elder from the Giant Sect roared, his eyes wide with fury, "Fang Taiji! You monster!"

*Thump—*

The next moment, Fang Taiji's hand pierced through his chest, cleaving his body into two halves. A trace of brutal cold light glinted in Fang Taiji's eyes. "Do you think you can lecture me just because we were once fellow disciples? You all must die!"

"Fang Taiji, you'll die a miserable death!" an elder roared with grief and indignation, "Go! I'll hold him back... *Ah!* Run, quickly...!"

*Thump—*

In a flash, four of the eight elders had already fallen. They knew they couldn't escape with their lives.

"Find a way to warn the disciples outside to flee!"

"We'll take turns holding back this old monster!"

"As long as one of us reaches the canyon mouth, it will be enough!"

The four of them were utterly resolute. They hastily devised a tragic plan. One would stay behind to hold him off. The others would run. When Fang Taiji caught up again, another would sacrifice themselves.

After a short while, Qiu Shengnan, an elder of the Myriad Sword Sect, was running for her life. She was covered in blood. She couldn't tell if it was the blood of one or several elders that had splattered onto her. Her face was etched with grief and fury. They were all dead. Everyone had perished! Only she remained.

But the sacrifices of her companions had finally allowed her to glimpse the bright canyon exit. She opened her mouth and cried out, "Jiang..."

From the darkness behind her, a withered hand reached out. It clamped over her mouth from behind, permanently silencing the words she was about to utter. Fang Taiji, like a specter, materialized from the shadows. With one hand covering Qiu Shengnan's mouth, his other hand, like a cold, sharp blade, slowly pierced her back, aiming for her heart.

"Heh heh, Elder Qiu," he chuckled. "I can't let you ruin my plans! They're all waiting for you down below."

His finger had already reached Qiu Shengnan's heart. With one more push, he could pierce her heart!

But just as Fang Taiji, his face contorted in a sinister grin, prepared to kill Qiu Shengnan, and then nonchalantly proceed to the canyon exit to deceive Jiang Fan and the others, just as he had deceived the other elders—

A soul-piercing spike, without any warning, plunged into Fang Taiji's skull. His sinister grin instantly contorted into a grimace of agony. A roar tore from his throat. "Ah! Who is it?"

*Swoosh—*

A streak of purple light, imbued with immense cold, suddenly pierced down from above. Fang Taiji instinctively dodged, but he was a fraction of a second too late. An impossibly sharp blade sliced through his fingers. Three fingers, spraying crimson, shot into the air.

"Arghh!" The pain was excruciating. The intense agony made Fang Taiji scream several times. He looked up. On the ice wall not far away, Jiang Fan's eyes were like ice as he roared coldly, "You old beast! You're seeking death!"