The wooden door shattered with a thunderous crash, but its pieces did not immediately shoot outward. A rapidly spinning force caught them in a whirling vortex and ground them into hundreds upon thousands of fragments.
Then a piercing wind howled, and the countless fragments tore through the air, shooting out like arrows that blotted out the sky.
Inside, the Red Lotus Holy Lord let out a long cry and swept his broad sleeves, stirring up a fierce surge of force. A hurricane instantly swept through the spacious room, scattering the incoming fragments.
The Illuminating Veneration Envoy's eyes instantly shone like polished mirrors. Visible ripples radiated from his body, and before the fragments could touch his clothes, they lost their momentum and fell in a rustling shower.
The Venerable Envoy of Annihilation snorted coldly. His response was simpler still: he made a blade of his hand and slashed through the air. Wherever his force passed, the fragments turned to powder and dispersed.
The dozen or so other Red Lotus Cult experts also shouted. With no time to draw their weapons, some dodged while others mounted their defenses.
Every one of these senior Red Lotus Cult members possessed exceptional skills. Some mastered strange and unorthodox arts; others excelled in poison techniques and hidden weapons. Almost all those who focused exclusively on force cultivation had reached receive-and-release-at-will, and one was even a master of subtlety.
Even so, brief, piercing screams rang out. There were already casualties.
"Senior!"
Outside the building, Nan Guyun stood with his hand on his sword hilt, poised to strike, yet his expression was one of utter disbelief.
Hong Yuan had brought him into the city, and he had felt as though they were riding the wind through empty space, swift as a streak of pure light, darting east and