The Power of a Dead Branch

"Thank you for the warning, Sect Master. I'll take good care of it!"

Zhang Xu nodded. He understood how precious it was. Once everything had settled down, he would go into seclusion to take it and contemplate it carefully.

"In a little while, I'll go discuss this with the Azure Mysterious Sect and ask them to send disciples regularly to protect this town. If possible, the Sword Sect will also send people here specifically to guard it in the future."

This place was too far from the Sword Sect, so Ye Ling could only choose the nearest sect to shelter Clear Wind City for the time being. The patriarch had just come out of seclusion, so Ye Ling could also report the matter upon returning.

"Thank you, Sect Master. The people of Clear Wind City will all be grateful for your help!"

Hearing this, Zhang Xu bowed to Ye Ling.

This was a good thing. The Azure Mysterious Sect had a far better reputation than the Crimson Yang Sect.

"Miss Lingyao, the three of us will go to the Azure Mysterious Sect to discuss this matter first. Stay here for another two days and spend some time with your father. We'll come back for you then, and we can return to the Sword Sect together."

Ye Ling instructed Zhang Lingyao.

"Yes, Sect Master. That will give me a chance to talk with my father." Zhang Lingyao nodded. She could say goodbye to her father as well.

Two days later, Zhang Lingyao said goodbye to her father and set off with Sect Master Ye Ling and the other two, returning swiftly to the Sword Sect.

Ye Zichen also left Clear Wind City on the second day, intending to take a look around along the way. In any case, reaching the Flawed Light Holy Land at the end would only take a few breaths.

Ye Zichen spread his Divine Sense across the Eastern Continent, found the direction of the Flawed Light Holy Land, and set off.

"Let's go. It's time to leave."

Ten days into his journey, Ye Zichen entered a Demon Beast forest.

By now, sects both large and small had also begun setting out for the Flawed Light Holy Land one after another.

Sects traveling to the Flawed Light Holy Land from the direction Ye Zichen had come had to cross this Demon Beast forest to reach it.

Unlike medium and large sects, small sects could not possess flying boats of their own, so they could only travel aboard other sects' flying boats or cross the Demon Beast forest on foot.

A forest like this posed no threat to a large sect, but for small sects, it was fraught with danger.

"Stop! This is a robbery!"

A Golden Core Stage Demon Beast suddenly leaped out in front of Ye Zichen. Ye Zichen stopped but ignored it.

"Well, well! Putting on airs, are you? Boys, come on out!"

The Demon Beast waved a hand, and dozens of Demon Beasts, all with Golden Core Qi, immediately sprang out of the forest.

"Well? Scared yet? If you know what's good for you, hand over your valuable treasures!"

"Don't waste words on him, boss. Let's just get him!"

Several Demon Beasts were itching to act. Killing people and stealing their treasures was something they often did. The person before them had no cultivation at all; even if he had no treasures, they could still eat him.

"Ants. You won't even know how you died." Ye Zichen looked at the Demon Beasts as though they were dead men-oh, no, dead beasts.

"Hahahaha! Still talking tough when death is at your door? Get him, boys!"

The dozens of Demon Beasts then swarmed around him like mad.

Ye Zichen felt he hadn't stretched his muscles in a long time. He picked up a dead branch from the ground and gave it a gentle swing.

Before any of the Demon Beasts could react, they were all hacked to pieces, their corpses strewn across the ground.

Ye Zichen found the mess dirty, so he waved his hand again and cleaned up the scene.

"Wh-what?!"

The leader of the Demon Beasts had seen it all, and his legs trembled incessantly. This mortal was actually so strong!

He suddenly fell to his knees. "M-my lord, this lowly one had eyes but failed to recognize Mount Tai. P-please spare me! The Demon King told us to do all this. He said that with the Human Race sect assembly coming up, small sects might pass through here, and told us to make a business of killing them and stealing their treasures. Mercy, my lord!"

The Demon Beast was scared out of his wits, and a large patch of ground beneath his knees was wet.

"You murder for wealth. You deserve death."

As soon as the words fell, the last Demon Beast vanished without a trace. Ye Zichen had wiped him out, leaving not even a scrap behind.

"Hmm? Seems there are people here?" Ye Zichen said, raising an eyebrow.

Ye Zichen sensed the presence of cultivators, along with several Nascent Soul Realm Demon Beasts and one Spirit Severing Stage Demon Beast. Three people were fighting the Demon Beasts.

"Heh, this is getting interesting."

Ye Zichen curled his lips. He had noticed a trace of an unusual presence, so he walked in the direction of the three people.

At the center of the Demon Beast forest,

"Master, I'm afraid the three of us are going to die here."

A girl covered in wounds, with blood at the corner of her mouth, spoke.

"Senior Sister, how are you?!" A boy ran over and asked with concern.

The three were from the Heavenly Cloud Sect, a very small sect with only the three of them and a few dozen disciples.

They had been forced to pass through this place on their way to the Flawed Light Holy Land for the sect assembly, and had suffered this disaster as a result.

"Hmph! You're quite capable. A mere Nascent Soul Late Stage cultivator, yet you managed to kill so many of my subordinates and even wound me. Minions, get them!"

The Spirit Severing Stage tiger demon at their head spoke viciously.

The tiger demon's subordinates had discovered the three not long after they entered the forest and reported them to the tiger demon. Coveting the treasures this Nascent Soul Middle Stage cultivator might possess, the tiger demon had summoned this many Demon Beasts to go along.

"Looks like this Human Race really does have something good. Heh heh!" the tiger demon said with a wicked laugh.

In the battle just now, these three humans-one at the Nascent Soul Late Stage and the other two at the Golden Core Early Stage-had actually killed four of his Nascent Soul Late Stage subordinates, ten at the Nascent Soul Early Stage, and more than ten at the Golden Core Stage, causing him heavy losses.

Today, he would take more than their treasures. He had to keep all three of them here and torture them thoroughly to vent the hatred in his heart!

"Yun'er, Feng'er, don't be afraid. I'll get you out."

Leaning on the sword embedded in the ground, Yunyang struggled to his feet. As their master, he had to protect his disciples and see them safely away.

"No, Master! At worst, we'll take them down with us! I'm not afraid to die!" the other boy shouted hysterically.

As soon as his words fell, there came a cry...

"I enter the sword with my body. Heavenly Cloud, rise!"

As Yunyang finished speaking, the sword in his hand glowed white. Its blade stood upright in midair, and he rose to his feet again.

"Forcing a secret art into use? Looks like you want to fight me to the death?"

The tiger demon watched and laughed disdainfully.

"But do you have what it ta-"

Before the tiger demon could finish,

the next second,

the ringing of a sword resounded throughout the forest. Yunyang unleashed Heavenly Cloud Swordsmanship and, using the Life-Burning Technique, slew the Demon Beasts standing in front of him in an instant, then drove his sword fiercely toward the tiger demon!

"Ah!"

A scream rang out. A deep gash had been torn open in the tiger demon's left arm, almost severing it, and pain swept through his entire body in an instant.

"Damn it, damn it! How dare you wound this king like this! This king will kill you!"

The tiger demon roared. That attack had actually wounded him so badly, even though he was at the Spirit Severing Late Stage. He had to kill them!

"Both of you, go, quickly!"

Yunyang turned and shouted.

Barely clinging to life, he had forced himself to use the Secret Method. He did not have long to live and had to buy his two disciples time to escape!

"No, Master! I said it already: if we die, we die together!"

The boy called Feng'er shoved his senior sister back, then stepped in front of his master.

With the tiger demon almost upon him, the boy showed no fear. He raised his sword without moving so much as a step!

"Junior Brother!"

The girl, pushed away from them, cried out.

Just then,

"Your temperament is fairly good."

"Who's there?!"