After a long while, Chen Tianyuan calmed down.
While sending someone to inform the Supreme Elder, he also infused the Message Jade Talisman with Internal Qi to send a message to the other six sects.
"Our sect's True Disciple Fang Han, has located Yan Wuji's hiding place in the mountains about five hundred miles north of Green Pine City. Please all immediately request our sect master to rush there and surround and kill this fiend."
Vajra Temple.
Ku Du was meditating in his meditation room when he heard the message coming from the Message Jade Talisman, and his prayer beads paused slightly.
Those eyes, which were always half-open, suddenly snapped open.
He didn't say anything, but simply got up and headed towards the residence of the Supreme Elder Huiming.
The Tyrant Blade Sect.
Sect Master Lei Pojun was wielding his sword in the Martial Arts Arena when he heard the message in the Message Jade Talisman, and the broadsword suddenly stopped in mid-air.
A sinister smile crept across his lips.
"Finally found it."
He hoisted the giant sword onto his shoulder and strode towards the residence of the Supreme Elder Lei Lie.
Lingyun Sword Sect.
Sect Master Xie Changkong stood atop the mountain with his hands behind his back, gazing at the distant, rolling mountains. Upon hearing the message from the Message Jade Talisman, a fleeting glint of cold light flashed in his gentle eyes.
He then turned and headed towards the residence of the Supreme Elder Bai Yujing.
Rain Listening Tower.
The owner, Shen Tinglan, was sitting by the window, holding a book in her hand.
Upon hearing the message from the Message Jade Talisman, he slowly closed the book and stood up.
His ordinary face was expressionless, but a glint of shrewdness flickered in his calm, deep eyes.
Hundred Flower Valley.
Valley Master Hua Nishang is pruning flowers in the garden.
Upon hearing the message from the Message Jade Talisman, the scissors in her hand paused slightly.
She raised her head, a cold smile playing on her lips.
"We've finally found this devil."
The Nether Pavilion.
Pavilion Master Ling Wuyuan sat alone in the hall. Upon hearing the message from the Message Jade Talisman, he stood up and spoke.
"Hmph, not bad, you do have some talent. It's not for nothing that my Nether Pavilion contributed a top-tier Tracking Secret Technique!"
He strode outside.
Soon after, the Seven Sects grandmasters set off, heading at top speed towards Yan Wuji's hiding place.
Deep in the dense forest, Fang Han concealed his aura, like a lifeless rock, hidden in the shadow of an ancient tree.
Shadowveil operated at full power, minimizing his presence.
The Nether Guide remained active, capturing the cold and violent aura of Yan Wuji Yan Wuji ten miles away, constantly monitoring his movements.
Yan Wuji's breathing remained steady and regular, indicating that he was meditating and regulating his breath.
It must be refining the essence it has absorbed.
"The mysterious person who taught Chu Feng the demonic arts..."
Fang Han peered through the gaps in the branches and leaves at the forest, his mind racing with thoughts.
The matter of Chu Feng, the True Disciple of the Azure Profound Sect, cultivating the < Blood Demon Technique > has been lost because the mysterious person who taught Chu Feng the demonic art committed suicide by poison before being captured, and the origin of the Chu Feng Demon Art has never been found out.
Now that the Iron River Gang has been exposed for practicing demonic arts, he can't help but suspect that the mysterious person who taught Chu Feng the demonic arts belongs to the Iron River Gang.
He was a member of the Iron River Gang who kept his identity hidden and did dirty work.
Many forces have such people.
"That must be it!"
Fang Han thought about it more and more and it seemed reasonable, but then another doubt arose in his mind.
Chu Feng's demonic skills originated from the Iron River Gang...
Where did the Iron River Gang's demonic arts come from?
Was it a lucky find? Or is there some mysterious force behind it?
Fang Han's brows furrowed slightly.
If it's the former, that's fine, but if it's the latter...
Even demonic arts are divided into different levels. A demonic art capable of producing a Grandmaster-level master is by no means ordinary. What kind of powerful force would be capable of producing such a demonic art?
"It's terrifying to think about..."
Fang Han couldn't help but gasp.
If the Iron River Gang only accidentally acquired demonic powers, everything is still within a controllable range.
But what if there's an even more powerful force behind it...?
That's really, the more I think about it, the more creepy it gets.
"..."
Fang Han took a deep breath, suppressing the distracting thoughts in his mind.
Right now, the most important thing is to deal with Yan Wuji.
Other matters can be investigated later after this matter is resolved.
Time passed in silence.
The sun moves from noon to the west.
Fang Han maintained his perception through the Nether Guide, trying to catch the aura that belonged to Yan Wuji.
That aura remained completely still.
He should still be meditating, refining and absorbing the essence he has been absorbing, and has not left his hiding place.
I don't know how much time has passed--
The light in the woods dimmed slightly.
Fang Han sensed several powerful auras that made all creatures in the mountains and forests tremble.
Those scents are approaching this mountain forest.
Each one was as deep as an abyss, carrying the oppressive feeling that only a grandmaster possesses.
"Seven Grandmasters!"
A glint of light flashed in Fang Han's eyes.
There were seven grandmasters who arrived, clearly indicating that all Seven Sects had sent their grandmasters.
This demonstrates the Seven Sects ' determination to eliminate Yan Wuji.
To avoid alarming Yan Wuji, Fang Han took the initiative to step forward and greet the seven grandmasters.
A moment later, a dark blue figure appeared first at the edge of the field of vision.
Gu Changqing wore a dark blue robe, his hair was tied up with a wooden hairpin, and his face was thin and refined. His steps seemed unhurried, but with each step, his figure floated several feet away.
Immediately afterwards, a golden figure appeared from another direction.
Huiming was dressed in a golden kasaya, holding a string of dark brown prayer beads in his hand. His face was peaceful, but there was a faint glint of shrewdness in his half-open eyes.
A pink figure followed closely behind.
Liu Meiniang was still dressed in a light pink dress, her face as beautiful as a peach blossom, holding a small flower made of her Gang Qi in her hand, which she gently played with.
To be precise, it's cultivation; this should be a unique method of martial arts cultivation.
Four more figures appeared from other directions.
A burly, strong man with broad shoulders and a massive, black sword resembling a door panel was carrying on his back; he was none other than Lei Lie, the grandmaster of the Tyrant Blade Sect.
A middle-aged man with a clear face, wearing a moon-white robe, with an Plain Longsword hanging at his waist, exuded a sharp aura like a drawn sword. He was Bai Yujing, the grandmaster of the Lingyun Sword Sect.
A middle-aged man dressed in a gray-blue robe, with an ordinary face and an unremarkable presence, was none other than the master of Rain Listening Tower, Chenmo.
Beside him stood an old man dressed in a wide, black robe, his hands clasped behind his back. His skin was a pale white, as if he had never seen the light of day, and his eyes were deep and unfathomable. He exuded a gloomy aura. This was Li Hanjiang, the Grandmaster of the Nether Pavilion.
Fang Han and the other seven bowed respectfully.
Fang Han greets all the grandmasters.
Gu Changqing's gaze fell on Fang Han, and he nodded slightly, his voice calm yet carrying a hint of approval:
"Well done. Where is Gu Changqing now?"
Fang Han raised his hand and pointed to an area covered by dense forest in the northwest direction, and said:
" Yan Wuji hid there."
Li Hanjiang's deep eyes fell in the direction Fang Han was pointing, and he spoke, his voice hoarse and low:
"Is this confirmed?"
"Sure."
Fang Han met Li Hanjiang's gaze, his voice firm.
"I sensed it repeatedly, and the aura belonging to Yan Wuji remained in the same place, without ever moving."
The seven grandmasters exchanged a glance.
Huiming clasped his hands together and whispered a Buddhist chant:
"This time, we absolutely cannot let that devil escape again."
Let's go.
Gu Changqing spoke, his voice calm, yet carrying an undeniable decisiveness.
Seven figures moved simultaneously.
They dispersed and silently moved towards that area.
Lei Lie moved to the left.
Huiming detoured from the right.
The others silently surrounded them from different directions.
The seven masters, like seven invisible nets, quietly drew in from all directions.
Why... do I feel uneasy?
Fang Han there, watching the seven figures disappear into the dense forest, but he did not feel relieved about the impending ambush.
Instead, an inexplicable unease crept into his heart, like ink spreading in water, silently permeating his soul.
Seven grandmasters surrounded and killed Yan Wuji alone.
Even though Yan Wuji also a grandmaster, he had absolutely no chance of surviving.
This is an obvious outcome.
But why does he feel uneasy? Is there something he's overlooked?
He frowned slightly, his gaze anxiously falling on the forest.
The moment Fang Han looked towards that forest, a terrifying roar suddenly erupted from it.
Ancient trees snapped! Pebbles flew everywhere!
A figure, tinged with dark red due to Internal Qi, rushed in one direction, smashing through trees and rocks in its path. This figure was none other than Yan Wuji.
He sensed the danger and was trying to break out.
But it was clearly too late.
"Boom--!"
A giant golden hand, carrying immense force, slammed down on the Fang Lin Yan Wuji.
The air was forcefully compressed and exploded under this palm strike, producing a deafening roar.
Yan Wuji's forward momentum was abruptly halted by the violent shockwave, and the ground several feet in radius beneath his feet cracked inch by inch, with pebbles flying like rain.
"Trying to leave?"
Lei Lie's voice boomed like muffled thunder; he had appeared to Yan Wuji's left at some point.
He gripped the massive, pitch-black sword, as thick as a door panel, with one hand. With a flick of his wrist, the blade twisted, unleashing a terrifying, tearing-through-all Saber Aura as it slashed horizontally towards Yan Wuji!
This cut was simple and unadorned, without any fancy variations, but as the blade swept through the air, it was silently sliced open, leaving a clearly visible, thin, dark mark.
"Whoosh!"
Yan Wuji's pupils shrank sharply. He dared not take the attack head-on and his figure drifted back several feet to the side and rear like a ghost.
But just as he retreated, a streak of cyan sword light silently pierced out from the shadows behind him.
Gu Changqing.
This sword strike came without any warning, without the sound of it cutting through the air, without Sword Qi emanating from it; it was simply a straightforward, horizontal thrust.
But the moment the sword's edge approached Yan Wuji's back, a sharp intent, refined to the extreme and capable of piercing mountains, suddenly burst forth from the sword's tip.
Yan Wuji. In his haste, he only had time to gather his crimson Internal Qi in his back and forcefully twist his body to the right.
"Laugh--!"
The sword tip grazed his left rib, and the concentrated Sword Intent left a deep wound under his rib, the blood instantly soaking through his gray robe.
"Amitabha."
Huiming's voice was calm, but his actions were ruthless.
He had appeared to Yan Wuji's right at some point, and slowly raised his withered hand, his palm radiating golden light as he struck out from a distance.
The golden palm print, solid as a physical object and several feet in diameter, crashed into Yan Wuji with a force capable of shattering mountains and shaking the earth.