Daoist Qingping's beard fluttered with rage. "Just you lot? Why didn't that brat Zhou Qiong come?"
"How dare you! Who are you, you ox-nosed Daoist, to speak the Sect Leader's name so casually?" The Demon Tiger King pointed at Daoist Qingping from the sky and cursed.
Liansheng looked at Qingping and Chongxu below, then said to Bai Haotian beside him, "Grand Protector, do your best to hold Daoist Qingping back. I'll deal with Daoist Chongxu first, then come help you."
"All right," Bai Haotian answered. The longsword on his back flew into his hand without a breath of wind, and he charged downward. "Old Daoist Qingping, let me see what you've gained from all those years of living. Sword stance!"
The longsword in his hand slowly slashed toward Qingping, Sword Qi crisscrossing its blade. Though the movement was clearly slow, Daoist Qingping felt he could not evade it no matter what he did. He could only take it head-on.
He immediately assumed a tai chi stance. His long robe billowed on its own, and a tai chi ring formed before him.
In the sky, Liansheng roared, "Everyone in the Demon Sect, slaughter the sect! Leave neither chickens nor dogs alive!"
"Yes!" everyone from the Demon Sect answered, charging toward the people of Hanging Void Hall below.
Holding his longsword, Daoist Chongxu declared in a ringing voice, "Today, our Hanging Void Hall faces a moment of life and death! All disciples, form sword arrays and resist the demons!"
"Yes!" The disciples of Hanging Void Hall formed sword arrays in teams of seven. The young Daoist boy was among them, his face showing a resolve to face death as though returning home, but his thighs trembling beneath his Daoist robe betrayed his fear.
With a tremendous boom, the clash between Bai Haotian and Qingping in the distance resounded throughout Hanging Void Mountain. Many disciples with low cultivation suffered internal injuries from the shock, blood trickling from their mouths.
Qingping did not retreat a single step, while the backlash sent Bai Haotian staggering five steps backward through the air. The difference between them was immediately clear.
"Bai Haotian, you've actually broken through to Martial Sovereign! Could it be...?" Qingping first exclaimed in surprise, then seemed to think of something, his face filling with shock.
"Old Daoist Qingping, you guessed right. Liansheng and I killed Monk Wuwo. You'll be the second."
"Hmph! Did you think I hadn't noticed your injuries? Bai Haotian, don't even dream of leaving my Hanging Void Hall today."
"Old Daoist, you're so old you can barely walk. I'm more than capable of holding you back. Your disciples and grand-disciples, though, are in for misery." Bai Haotian sneered and spoke sinisterly.
A scream came from nearby. The Demon Dragon King tore the heart out of a Hanging Void Hall disciple, killing him horribly. Qingping's eyes nearly split with fury at the sight, and he moved to charge over and kill the Demon Dragon King.
But Bai Haotian blocked him with his sword. "Qingping, your opponent is me."
Qingping stamped his feet in rage. His palm strikes and punches rained down on Bai Haotian, blotting out the sky and sun with boundless power. Surging waves of killing intent rose all around them.
Bai Haotian remained calm. Though he was gravely injured, Qingping was simply too old-almost a hundred and eighty, with the end of his lifespan approaching. Being able to exert even eighty percent of his strength would already be impressive. Besides, Bai Haotian only needed to hold him back.
In the distance, Chongxu and Liansheng had also clashed. Both were expert swordsmen, one the Demon Sect's chief steward, the other the head of Hanging Void Hall, and both had early-stage Martial Sovereign cultivation. In just a few seconds, they exchanged over a hundred blows. Sword Qi shot in every direction, slashing through the heavens. Those fighting nearby retreated several thousand meters to escape the aftershocks before stopping.
Chongxu was secretly shocked. Liansheng had clearly only just broken through to early-stage Martial Sovereign, yet he already possessed such strength. And that bizarre swordsmanship-every move went straight for a vital spot. Had Chongxu not dodged quickly enough just now, his throat would have been slit.
Opposite him, Liansheng was also surprised. Though Chongxu was only an early-stage Martial Sovereign, he felt even harder to deal with than Holy Monk Wuwo. No matter how Liansheng attacked, it felt as though he were striking cotton.
Unlike their battle, the fighting below was a different matter. Hanging Void Hall's overall strength was inferior even to Golden Mountain Temple's, with only seven people in the Martial Emperor Realm. Under the combined assault of the Demon Sect's many experts, two had already died in less than an incense stick's time, and the rest were barely holding on.
The other Hanging Void Hall disciples suffered even more grievous casualties. Even if the Demon Sect stopped attacking now, Hanging Void Hall would need at least several decades to recover its vitality.
The screams around them grew louder and louder, turning Qingping's eyes bloodshot as he remained unable to break through Bai Haotian's blockade. A trace of ruthless resolve appeared in his eyes. He bit down hard on the tip of his tongue and roared, "With my body, I offer sacrifice to the heavens!"
His body instantly withered until he resembled a dried corpse, but his strength soared instead.
Hearing the cry while fighting Liansheng in the distance, Daoist Chongxu immediately looked toward Daoist Qingping and shouted, "Junior martial uncle, don't!"
The many Hanging Void Hall disciples fighting the Demon Sect below cried out, "Granduncle-master, don't!" "Ah! Die, you Demon Sect fiends!"
Everyone in Hanging Void Hall knew that once this secret art was used, it would increase one's strength for a short time, but death was certain once it wore off.
Qingping roared and struck at Bai Haotian with his palm. "Die!"
Space instantly locked down. Bai Haotian had no time to react. He barely managed to form a sword stance before the palm strike sent him flying several thousand meters. He spat out a great mouthful of blood and collapsed to the ground, his fate unknown.
The many Demon Sect experts surrounding and attacking Hanging Void Hall's higher-ups all shouted.
"Grand Protector!"
Seizing the opening, Qingping immediately moved to attack Liansheng. But the Demon Rat King, Hall Master Wan, Hall Master Chu, and Hall Master Bing immediately broke away and flew toward Daoist Qingping, blocking him. All four had peak Martial Emperor cultivation, and all unleashed their full strength.
Hall Master Chu and the Demon Rat King even erupted with the attacking power of early-stage Martial Sovereigns. For a time, space shattered, their exchanges raging like dragons. Even though Qingping had temporarily broken through to mid-stage Martial Sovereign with his secret art, he struggled to break through.
The longer Qingping fought, the more agitated he became. The four before him seemed to have realized that his condition could not last. Even when beaten until they vomited blood and suffered grave injuries, they desperately kept him from breaking out of their encirclement.
The Demon Tiger King flew to Bai Haotian's side. Sensing that a faint breath of life still remained in his body, his face lit with joy. He immediately took out a great pile of life-saving spiritual medicines and fed them all into Bai Haotian's mouth.
Qingping's sudden eruption had caused some changes on the battlefield. Bai Haotian, who was in the Martial Emperor Realm, lay with his fate unknown, while the Demon Rat King, Hall Master Wan, Hall Master Chu, and Hall Master Bing, four peak Martial Emperor experts of the Demon Sect, were all tied down by Qingping and suffering grave injuries.
For a time, the remaining Demon Sect experts struggled to suppress Hanging Void Hall's forces. This was mainly because Daoist Chongtian was a peak Martial Emperor expert, holding back three late Martial Emperor experts of the Demon Sect by himself.
Daoist Chongxu and Liansheng had already exchanged countless blows. Ever since Chongxu saw Daoist Qingping use his secret art, he had begun fighting with his life on the line. Liansheng was even more ruthless. Both risked their lives with every move, and both had sustained severe injuries.
Surrounded by the four Demon Sect experts, Daoist Qingping's attacks gradually slowed, and he began making mistakes in his movements. Clearly, the secret art's side effects had appeared. The four immediately began attacking furiously.
Suddenly, a loud shout came from outside Hanging Void Hall. "Demon Sect fiends, cease your insolence! I, Ximen Tian, have come!"
Qingping looked toward the arrivals, a glimmer of joy immediately appearing in his eyes. Two figures were flying through the air in the distance. It was none other than Ximen Tian of the Ten Thousand Swords Sect, his imposing presence clearly showing that he had already broken through to the Martial Emperor Realm.
In the moment Qingping was distracted, a sword pierced his chest. His vision went black, and he lost consciousness, yet a faint smile appeared at the corner of his mouth. He knew that with Ximen Tian here, Hanging Void Hall could be saved. Only, in his final lingering moment, he seemed to hear a faint dragon's roar.
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