Gravely wounded

"No."

Lu Shang did not want to leave any lingering attachment in this cultivator's mind.

That way, she might still reach Core Formation smoothly.

"I merely passed by the Chen Family estate and took a look back then," Lu Shang added.

Moments after Lu Shang finished speaking, the entire Spirit Mine cavern began to shake briefly.

"Disaster! Disaster! The Demonic Path has invaded!"

A Qi Refining Stage disciple ran over in a panic, reporting what was happening outside.

"Senior, please help us wipe out the Demonic Path invaders," the Spirit Beast Mountain disciple requested, cupping his hands.

"Hmph!"

Lu Shang casually pointed a finger and unleashed the Wild Desolation Sword Technique.

Without a sword to complement it, this attack was not particularly powerful against someone at his own cultivation level.

But against a Foundation Establishment Stage cultivator without a defensive Magic Treasure, it meant certain death!

Seeing Lu Shang kill a Foundation Establishment Stage disciple with a casual gesture, everyone else panicked.

Most immediately fled outside.

Moments later, only Chen Qiaoqian remained.

Shock and astonishment lingered on her face.

"You aren't running? Aren't you afraid I'll kill you too?" Lu Shang asked, turning toward Chen Qiaoqian.

"I am!"

"But I know that if you wanted to kill us, Senior, one strike would suffice. There would be no need for this!"

Indeed, most of the surrounding cultivators were only at the Qi Refining Stage, with a handful at Foundation Establishment. To Lu Shang, they were ants; unless their numbers reached a certain threshold, more ants were still only ants.

"Spirit Beast Mountain was originally a branch of the Spirit Controlling Sect. Now that the Spirit Controlling Sect has invaded the Yue Kingdom, Spirit Beast Mountain has long since switched sides."

"What?" Chen Qiaoqian blurted out in surprise.

Although Spirit Beast Mountain was not a major power in the Heavenly South as a whole, it was still a force that could not be underestimated within the Yue Kingdom.

"The Ghost Spirit Sect is coming in force. Stay behind me."

Lu Shang already had a fairly good idea of who had come here.

At this point in time, only one sect would come here.

It was only after this incident that the war between the righteous and demonic factions truly began.

"Thank you, Senior!" Chen Qiaoqian said, cupping her hands.

Lu Shang then led Chen Qiaoqian out of the Spirit Mine.

Sure enough, the moment he emerged, Lu Shang sensed the Ghost Spirit Sect cultivators outside.

With Chen Qiaoqian in tow, Lu Shang swiftly appeared before the Ghost Spirit Sect cultivators.

"Young master, the intelligence was wrong! There's a Core Formation Stage cultivator here!"

A disciple standing beside Wang Chan in the distance spoke.

With a single glance, Lu Shang recognized him as a disciple of Spirit Beast Mountain.

While this Foundation Establishment cultivator gave his report, he failed to notice that the Ghost Spirit Sect's young master was already gritting his teeth in fury.

"It's you!"

Wang Chan roared.

Seeing him so furious, Lu Shang teased, "Well, if it isn't Martial Nephew Wang Chan. It's been a while. Why such a fiery temper?"

"Hmph! After I returned, I made inquiries. You aren't an elder of the Spirit Controlling Sect at all, and you even killed one of their Core Formation elders. Today, I'll take you down."

As he finished speaking, two Core Formation Cultivators appeared.

"Leave first."

Lu Shang sent his voice into Chen Qiaoqian's mind.

Knowing she would only hinder Lu Shang by staying, Chen Qiaoqian retreated behind him.

"Seize that Foundation Establishment Stage woman!"

At Wang Chan's command, fifteen or twenty Ghost Spirit Sect cultivators immediately moved to circle around Lu Shang and capture Chen Qiaoqian.

Suddenly, Lu Shang vanished from where he stood.

"Where did he go?"

Everyone present was startled.

Only a cloud of red mist remained where Lu Shang had been standing.

"There!"

Everyone followed the Core Formation Cultivator's gaze.

Only when their eyes reached Lu Shang did they realize that, in the brief moment they had spent looking for him, he had already disposed of the group of Ghost Spirit Sect cultivators who had set off to pursue Chen Qiaoqian.

"Just play with me. Why try to slip around me to chase a Foundation Establishment Stage woman?"

As he spoke, Lu Shang took out the Silver Frost Dragon Halberd, displaying it before the Ghost Spirit Sect cultivators.

With a sweep of his halberd, a white blade of light slashed toward another group trying to pursue Chen Qiaoqian.

In an instant, that group was almost entirely wiped out.

Only two or three survived, and judging by their appearance, they were hardly in good condition either.

"You! You're courting death!"

One of the Core Formation Cultivators roared and lunged swiftly at Lu Shang.

Lu Shang calmly dodged with ease.

Looks like I can complete the mission today.

The Ghost Spirit Sect's invasion marked the true beginning of the war.

As long as he killed a Core Formation Stage cultivator here, it would count as completing the mission.

"Is the other fellow Daoist not going to help his fellow sect member?"

The other Ghost Spirit Sect elder had refrained from attacking primarily to keep Lu Shang from approaching the sect's young master.

Wang Chan's status was extraordinary. They did not dare let him suffer any harm.

If the Ghost Spirit Sect's young master were injured, the ensuing wrath of a Nascent Soul Stage cultivator would be more than they could bear.

"Go. Kill him!"

Wang Chan directed the command at this Core Formation Cultivator.

"Young master, this..."

"Go!" Wang Chan snapped, even more furious.

After Wang Chan's repeated command, this Core Formation Stage cultivator joined the fight as well.

"Join forces with me and take him down quickly!"

With that, their attacks grew fiercer.

Seeing this, Lu Shang decided to show some of his real ability.

Lu Shang activated the first level of the Wild Desolation True Demon Art.

He threw a punch, sending a crimson fist hurtling toward one Core Formation Cultivator.

Meanwhile, Lu Shang did not remain idle on the other side.

First, he casually pointed his finger, sending more than a dozen streaks of sword qi at the other Core Formation Cultivator.

Concealed behind those streaks of sword qi, Lu Shang unleashed his Life-Bound Magical Treasure.

Gathering spiritual power, he sent an icy slash speeding toward his opponent.

What he had not expected, however, was that both Core Formation Cultivators possessed defensive Magic Treasures.

Sensing something extraordinary in Lu Shang's ferocious attacks, both immediately brought out their defensive Magic Treasures to block them.

Thus, most of the attacks were stopped, and only a tiny fraction had any effect.

"Boy, if that's all you've got, the Ghost Spirit Sect will be taking your life!" the two declared boldly.

"Heh! Time for me to show a little of my real ability, too!"

Lu Shang immediately activated the third level of the Wild Desolation True Demon Art.

In an instant, his aura surged and churned, and crimson light enveloped his entire body.

"Stop him!"

Realizing that Lu Shang's rising presence was anything but ordinary, they reacted swiftly and tried to interrupt his technique.

But by then, they were already too late.

No matter how the two attacked, they could not interrupt Lu Shang.

Moments later, a four-armed demon more than a hundred feet tall stood in Lu Shang's place.

Lu Shang's forward right hand held a long silver halberd as he stared fixedly at the two Core Formation Cultivators.

Everyone present was stunned.

"It's over!"

Lu Shang cried out, swinging the long halberd in his hand.

"Silver Frost Dragon Halberd!"

Lu Shang's thunderous roar rang out.

Accompanied by a dragon's cry, a slash reached the two Core Formation Cultivators in an instant.

Unable to dodge in time, both were reduced to dust.

Before Lu Shang could celebrate, a talisman suddenly appeared before his eyes.

What is that? Lu Shang wondered.

Boom-

After the deafening explosion, Lu Shang had already reverted from his demon form.

Lu Shang cried out, his hair somewhat disheveled.

While Lu Shang had been fighting the two Core Formation Cultivators, Wang Chan had noticed that even two against one, they were taking far too long to gain an advantage.

So he had activated the Mountain-Shaking Talisman.

The talisman's power rivaled a Nascent Soul Stage attack. Lu Shang's strength was already insufficient, and his lack of vigilance had left him suffering this devastating blow.

Once he realized who had delivered the strike, Lu Shang flew into a rage.

"Wang Chan!" Lu Shang screamed with heart-rending fury.

Lu Shang unleashed over a hundred streaks of sword qi in succession at Wang Chan.

As expected, the unexpected happened.

Having grown wary after his previous encounter with Lu Shang, Wang Chan had asked the sect master for several defensive Magic Treasures upon returning to the Ghost Spirit Sect.

Any one of those hundred streaks of sword qi could have inflicted agonizing pain on an ordinary early Foundation Establishment cultivator.

Yet against Wang Chan's several defensive Magic Treasures, they were blocked outright.

Wang Chan suffered only slight injuries and a somewhat excessive drain on his spiritual power.