Chapter 551: The Last Arrogance

He simply couldn't believe his eyes.

Fang Taiji was killing Qiu Shengnan, killing the Elder of Ten Thousand Swords Sect, killing his own people?

"Jiang Fan, run!"

Qiu Shengnan, having narrowly escaped death, stumbled towards Jiang Fan, shouting urgently:

"Fang Taiji has betrayed us!"

A single sentence.

It was like a bolt from the blue, startling the few people hidden at the canyon entrance, forcing them to reveal themselves.

Xia Chaoge, Liang Feiyan, Ouyang Jun, Xie Liushu, Hua Xiangchen, Li Shiqian.

Including Wu Manyue.

Every single one of them was shocked.

Fang Taiji, one of the top five human powerhouses, betrayed them?

"You all leave quickly, I'll hold him back."

"Run separately, don't look back!"

Qiu Shengnan endured the sharp pain in her back, tragically drawing her sword.

Li Shiqian was stunned for a moment, then asked, "Where is my Grand Sovereign Sect Elder?"

"Why isn't he here?"

"Has he betrayed us too?"

Tears welled up in Qiu Shengnan's eyes, and she said with a trembling voice, "He's dead."

Li Shiqian's body swayed, and she nearly fell from the ice wall. Fortunately, Hua Xiangchen, who was beside her, grabbed her arm, feeling distressed as he asked:

"How did Elder Huang die?"

Qiu Shengnan's eyes were bloodshot as she pointed at Fang Taiji:

"It was this old beast!"

"He tricked and killed Elder Huang to pledge allegiance to the demon race!"

What?

Ouyang Jun anxiously asked, "Then what about Elder Fan of my Thousand Refinements Sect?"

"He's also dead."

"Fang Taiji killed him too."

Ouyang Jun's body and mind trembled, and his eyes quickly turned red.

"What about Elder Bai Muyun of my Joyful Union Sect?"

"She just became an elder; this was her first mission outside..."

Xie Liushu pressed her lips together, looking at Qiu Shengnan with pleading eyes, hoping to hear a different answer.

"Dead."

"Fang Taiji crushed her heart."

Xie Liushu leaned against the ice wall, trembling all over.

"Then... what about my Uncle-Master Zhao?"

A slight tremor in the voice came from Jiang Fan. His gaze trembled, his heart trembled, and his hand gripping the ice wall trembled uncontrollably.

He never hoped for miracles. But now, he desperately longed for one to happen to him.

"Ugh..." At the mention of Zhao Wuji, Qiu Shengnan couldn't hold back a sorrowful sob:

"Elder Zhao covered for us, charging towards the Demon Empress's concubine."

"He was the first to die."

Thud—

Jiang Fan's heart felt as if it had been brutally stabbed by a three-bladed dagger. It was a piercing, agonizing pain.

Elder Zhao, who once argued fiercely with Wen Hongyao, red-faced, to claim him as a disciple.

Was dead.

Qiu Shengnan wept mournfully, her fingers gripping her sword hilt, turning white.

"They're all dead."

"All of them!"

"Now, it's my turn."

"Jiang Fan! Take care of yourselves! You must survive!"

"Don't let Elder Zhao, don't let them, don't let me die in vain!"

She forcefully wiped away her tears. Turning around, she resolutely charged at Fang Taiji with her sword.

At this moment, Fang Taiji had already stopped his bleeding. Furthermore, relying on his formidable physique, which bordered on the Golden Body realm, he forcibly reattached his three severed fingers. A fierce aura emanated from his blood-stained, aged face.

"Little beast! I should have just slapped you to death!" Fang Taiji said coldly.

It had been many years since he had been injured. Crushing the Nine Sects' elders was as easy for him as crushing ants. But Jiang Fan had severed three of his fingers! This wasn't just about severed fingers; it was about Fang Taiji's lifelong reputation!

Seeing Qiu Shengnan charge at him, fearless of death, his eyes showed disdain. With a single step, he instantly appeared before Qiu Shengnan. His old hand, quick as lightning, clamped around Qiu Shengnan's neck. With just a slight exertion of force, he could twist her neck clean off.

But he didn't. Instead, he looked mockingly at Jiang Fan: "Do you know how Zhao Wuji died?"

"I killed him."

"He was like an idiot, knowing he was doomed, yet he still came at me with his sword."

"All to buy you a chance to live."

"So, I granted him his wish."

"From several feet away, with a casual punch, I pierced through his body."

Crack!

Jiang Fan shattered the ice wall with a furious grip, his eyes already bloodshot, and he roared:

"You deserve to die!"

Hahahaha!

Fang Taiji threw his head back and laughed. He truly enjoyed the feeling of his enemies breaking down. It was more satisfying than just killing them.

"Oh, and he had something he wanted me to tell you."

"I'll be merciful and relay it for him."

"He said..."

Mid-sentence.

His eyes suddenly turned savage, and he dropped Qiu Shengnan. He abruptly took a step, almost teleporting directly in front of Jiang Fan. He sneered, "Heh heh, little beast."

"You fell for it, didn't you?"

He had only been talking to Jiang Fan to distract him, to create an opportunity for this moment. Otherwise, if Jiang Fan slipped away, chasing him would be troublesome.

"Come here!"

His iron claw clamped down hard on Jiang Fan's shoulder. His heart settled with certainty! Done!

He had killed the Nine Sects' elders and captured the Nine Sects' rising star. The value of this 'pledge of allegiance' was enough for him to have smooth sailing within the demon race from now on. He could even reveal a few more important military secrets, feign severe injury, and become an existence akin to a demon king.

But what made his heart skip a beat was this: Jiang Fan made no move. He just looked at him quietly. Those eyes were like gateways to hell, pouring forth terrifying, bone-chilling cold.

Fang Taiji couldn't help but shiver, and he snapped, "What are you looking at?"

"You little bastard, daring to sever three of my fingers!"

"Soon I'll gouge out your eyes, smash every bone in your body, and rip out your tendons one by one!"

"So you'll know... know..."

He suddenly couldn't continue speaking. In Jiang Fan's right hand, a fiery red jade talisman descended. The talisman had already been activated. A terrifying Yuan Ying (Nascent Soul) fluctuation surged out from it, filled with heavenly might and a cold will capable of leveling everything in heaven and earth.

"Nascent Soul Talisman!" Fang Taiji's old eyes widened. A chill shot up from his soles directly to the crown of his head! His three souls and six spirits were half frightened out of him! He screamed, losing his voice.

He turned and ran, begging for mercy as he fled:

"Jiang Fan, Jiang Fan, Jiang Fan! Calm down!"

"Listen to me, things aren't what you think, I can explain..."

Jiang Fan raised the talisman, activating his movement technique to pursue. His eyes blazing with murderous intent, he roared, "I don't want explanations!"

"I just want you dead!!"

Fang Taiji was scared out of his wits. He pushed his physical strength to the limit, lifting his legs and sprinting. With one kick, he shattered a large section of the ice layer. He appeared two or three dozen feet away, as if teleporting. Not daring to stop for a second, he continued to sprint forward.

His heart pounded wildly, filled with utter terror. The last time he had to flee for his life like this was when he was a junior disciple, being chased by an elder from an outside sect. He ran for three days and three nights, without stopping for a moment, because stopping meant death. That nightmarish memory had permeated his entire martial arts career. It wasn't until he became one of the top five human powerhouses that he gradually forgot that nightmare.

Now, that memory of being dominated by boundless fear resurfaced. What was terrifying was that what he was facing now was even more terrifying than the memory!

Run!

Otherwise, he would die!

Thud, thud, thud—

He bounded and crashed through the canyon like a cannonball. As long as he reached Consort Yunxia, he would be saved.

However.

A faint, barely perceptible sound.

Suddenly came.

The jade talisman, shattered.

The Nascent Soul strike, activated!