Brother Chen, I'll Get You Out of the Sect!

Heavenly Dao Peak, Inner Pavilion.

Nangong Yao and the eight Core Elders had gathered there, every one of them looking grim.

"Sect Master, apart from the Heavenly Puppet Gate and the Azure Blade Pavilion, which are already on their way, not a single other sect has replied."

Liu Yunjian spoke in a low voice.

"Utterly hateful!"

Before Nangong Yao could speak, Liu Xuan Yin angrily swept his sleeve. "Northern Mystic is in chaos, and the Demonic Sect runs rampant! Don't they understand that once the lips are gone, the teeth will feel the cold?"

Chu Ningshang said, "Don't be angry, Second Elder. As far as I know, among the surrounding righteous sects, only the Heavenly Puppet Gate and the Azure Blade Pavilion have had disciples abducted by demonic cultivators. The other sects are safe for now. Perhaps that's why they're unwilling to risk coming."

"Hmph! Those beasts will have their turn sooner or later!" Liu Xuan Yin said angrily.

The elders sighed, unsure what to say.

After a moment of silence, Liu Yunjian said, "Sect Master, the Demonic Sect is bound to come at us in full force this time. Should we ask the Heavenly Sword Sect for help?"

Nangong Yao shook his head. "I believe the Heavenly Sword Sect would be willing to help if they knew about this. However, they're far too distant from our Heavenly Dao Sect. They simply wouldn't arrive in time."

Hearing this, Liu Yunjian had no choice but to drop the matter.

"Sect Master, we're fighting on our own ground. We've secretly laid numerous formations across a thousand-mile radius, and now the Heavenly Puppet Gate and the Azure Blade Pavilion are coming to reinforce us. No matter how fiercely the Demonic Sect attacks, they shouldn't gain much advantage," Chu Ningshang said solemnly.

Nangong Yao, Liu Yunjian, and the others couldn't help nodding. That was true, but they wanted far more than merely holding off the Demonic Sect. They wanted to destroy the Great Evolution Demonic Sect and avenge the Third Elder.

"What worries me most right now... isn't that. It's that Jingyao and the other disciples are still in Ji Wucang's hands. Given the Demonic Sect's sinister cunning, I'm afraid they'll use Jingyao and the others as hostages to threaten us."

Nangong Yao spoke heavily.

The elders' pupils contracted. If the Sect Master hadn't brought it up, they would almost have forgotten.

"Sect Master, if the gentleman were to act, wouldn't those demonic sects be nothing to worry about?"

At that moment, Fifth Elder Wang Tianfu spoke cautiously.

The air froze.

"How dare you!" Nangong Yao roared, then continued coldly, "The gentleman first wiped out the demonic cultivators You Sha's Group had stationed in ambush, then graciously bestowed two Immortal Pills to heal the Second Elder and me. Without those pills, we would be hopelessly outmatched in this battle. How dare you say such a thing now? You may have no shame, but I still have some!"

"I was wrong, Sect Master. Please calm your anger!" Wang Tianfu's heart trembled, and he hurriedly bowed.

The other elders coughed awkwardly and said nothing.

Nangong Yao had intended to reprimand Wang Tianfu further, but suddenly remembered the Third Elder, who had only recently died. The Third Elder had been even more careless with his words than Wang Tianfu, yet when it truly mattered, their love for the sect was genuine. He shook his head, unable to bring himself to scold him further.

Another two days passed.

The people from the Heavenly Puppet Gate and the Azure Blade Pavilion arrived at the Heavenly Dao Sect.

Among Northern Mystic's sects, the Heavenly Puppet Gate and the Azure Blade Pavilion weren't first-rate. They ranked only in the second tier.

Their gate master and pavilion master had each personally led their respective parties, bringing three elders apiece along with several hundred disciples. It was clear how seriously they took this expedition.

Nangong Yao personally received the Heavenly Puppet Gate's master and the Azure Blade Pavilion's master.

Heaven Mystic Peak, Guest Reception Residence.

Three men sat facing one another in an elegant courtyard.

They were Nangong Yao, Heavenly Puppet Gate Master Pang Nian, and Azure Blade Pavilion Master Pu Yidao.

Pang Nian was old and decrepit, his face covered in wrinkles. Whenever he smiled, every crease on his face shifted with it, making him look rather unsettling.

Pu Yidao looked middle-aged and was powerfully built. He was blind in one eye, but his remaining eye shone brightly, harboring a keen blade intent.

"Thank you both for making the journey."

Nangong Yao smiled as he poured wine for them.

Pang Nian forced a smile. "There's no need for that, Sect Master Nangong. What I didn't expect was that only Pavilion Master Pu and I would come. Could it be that you only..."

Before he could finish, Nangong Yao said helplessly, "Not at all. I sent messages to ten sects requesting aid, but eight never replied."

Pang Nian and Pu Yidao understood at once. They exchanged a glance without saying anything more.

Truthfully, if disciples from their own sects hadn't also been abducted by the Demonic Sect, whether they would have come to help was far from certain...

Even so, Pang Nian and Pu Yidao had deliberated at length before deciding to come.

After all, in their eyes, the Heavenly Dao Sect was a first-rate sect, and the battle would take place on its own ground. Perhaps they could join forces with it and rescue their abducted disciples.

Pu Yidao said gravely, "Sect Master Nangong, could you give us a detailed account of what happened?"

"Of course."

Nangong Yao nodded, then recounted the recent conflicts with the Great Evolution Demonic Sect one by one.

When they heard about the incident at White Fox Ridge, Pang Nian's and Pu Yidao's pupils trembled.

The Heavenly Dao Sect's Third Elder had fallen?

"To lose an elder is a terrible blow. Please accept our condolences, Sect Master Nangong."

The two men cupped their hands and sighed.

At the mention of Jiang Bailu, Nangong Yao pressed his lips together, losing the heart to say anything more for the moment.

He then rose. "Please stay here for now. If you grow restless, you're welcome to look around the sect. I still have preparations to make before the Demonic Sect arrives, so I'll take my leave."

Pang Nian and Pu Yidao stood and cupped their hands. "Take care, Sect Master Nangong."

After Nangong Yao left.

Pang Nian clenched his fists and said in a low voice, "Pavilion Master Pu, after hearing what Sect Master Nangong just told us, I can't settle my heart. I feel inexplicably uneasy. I'm afraid we've stumbled into muddy waters."

Pu Yidao's gaze flickered. "There's no need to worry too much, Gate Master Pang. The Great Evolution Demonic Sect may be powerful, but the Heavenly Dao Sect is also a first-rate sect with deep reserves of its own. How this battle will end remains to be seen."

The next day.

Above the Heavenly Dao Sect's territory, lightning and thunder suddenly tore through the once-peaceful sky as a terrifying mass of dark clouds drifted in from the horizon!

Beneath those clouds, Demonic Boats swept through the air, blood-red banners fluttering above them. At a glance, there were more than a hundred.

Every boat was crowded with demonic cultivators at Foundation Establishment or above, their eyes bloodthirsty and cold.

At the very front were ten enormous Demonic Boats leading the fleet. Each boat represented a demonic sect-ten demonic sects in all!

On the ground below, the tens of thousands of Qi Refinement demonic cultivators brought by those ten sects charged or bounded across the Heavenly Dao Sect's territory.

In an instant, demonic qi surged across the Heavenly Dao Sect's lands, rolling in waves that blotted out the sky. Countless birds and beasts fled in terror!

Meanwhile, at the Heavenly Dao Sect.

Every disciple and elder at the Foundation Establishment Realm or above rose into the air. As they stared at the distant dark clouds and demonic qi, their hearts couldn't help trembling!

Ten demonic sects had come together!

In all their years of cultivation, this was the first time they had ever witnessed such a terrifying force!

Zhao Ting's legs went weak, panic gripping his heart. He was numb. His very first chance to fight demonic cultivators, and this was the force he had to face. This...

Soon, every disciple on every peak saw the distant spectacle. Their jaws dropped as an immense sense of oppression and dread instantly swept through them!

The faces of everyone from the Heavenly Puppet Gate and the Azure Blade Pavilion turned deathly pale. Regret struck their hearts at once!

Ten-ten demonic sects!!!

They really shouldn't have come!!!

Coming to help the Heavenly Dao Sect was no different from being tired of living!

But now, it was too late for regret!

"S-Sect Master, they're here..."

Liu Yunjian murmured.

Nangong Yao, too, was shaken by the imposing might of the ten demonic sects. Regaining his senses, he said in a low voice, "Once they enter the area we've covered with formations, activate the formations we prepared immediately!"

"Yes!"

Liu Yunjian gritted his teeth and accepted the order.

With the demonic sects displaying such overwhelming might, the Heavenly Dao Sect had truly reached the brink of life and death!

At that moment, the tension within the Heavenly Dao Sect reached unprecedented heights.

Zhao Ting snapped out of his daze. As though remembering something, he abruptly flew toward Servant Disciple Peak on his sword!

The Thatched Cottage on the western side of Servant Disciple Peak.

Chen Xun stood with one hand behind his back, rubbing his chin as he watched the ten distant demonic sects. Suddenly, Zhao Ting flew into view on his sword.

Chen Xun saw Zhao Ting hurriedly stretch a hand toward him and say with desperate urgency:

"Brother Chen, I know a secret passage in the back mountains! We can avoid the demonic sects and leave the Heavenly Dao Sect. Hurry, I'll get you out of the sect!!!"