At that moment, faint sounds of commotion outside could be heard within the Shadow Pavilion's main hall.
Luo Tian sat steadily in the pavilion master's seat, narrowing his eyes slightly as he listened to the sounds outside. A moment later, he slowly said, "Everyone, I imagine our long-awaited guests have arrived.
"Come, let us go out and welcome them together." As his words fell, Luo Tian gracefully reached for the mask beside him and gently put it on.
The mask was exquisitely crafted, concealing his face completely.
After all, as the true power behind the Shadow Pavilion, Luo Tian had no intention of revealing his true face to the world just yet.
For Luo Tian, the man behind the scenes, maintaining a measure of mystery and keeping a low profile was perhaps the wisest choice.
"Yes, my lord!" Everyone then walked out of the Shadow Pavilion!
Luo Tian led the way with his head held high and his chest out. His vigorous figure and unhurried strides seemed to carry an invisible pressure.
Half a step behind him followed Yan Nantian, Tianshan Tonglao, Lü Baichuan, Han Tang, Jing Wuming, and Bai Tianyu, the Shadow Pavilion's current top fighters.
Their expressions were calm as they followed closely at Luo Tian's sides.
Just then, a startled cry rose from the crowd. "Look! The people from the Shadow Pavilion are coming out!" Everyone turned to look and saw a group of figures in fitted black clothing slowly approaching from afar.
These people exuded a chilling presence. They were clearly well-trained assassins.
Hearing the shout, Luo Tian stopped, frowned slightly, and said coldly, "Where did this stray dog come from, barking here?" His voice was quiet, yet it reached everyone's ears clearly, making their hearts jolt.
Luo Tian's gaze shot like two streaks of cold lightning toward a certain spot in the distance, where a tall man with an imposing presence stood.
Luo Tian said coldly, "You're Qi Tianlong, the sect master of the Ghost King Sect?" His voice was quiet, yet it reached everyone's ears clearly.
Caught by this sudden question, Qi Tianlong froze briefly before turning toward Luo Tian.
When he saw Luo Tian, a trace of contempt flashed through his eyes, and he replied arrogantly, "Hmph, who are you?
"How dare you address this sect master by name!" As he spoke, he unleashed his powerful pressure, sending it sweeping toward Luo Tian.
Faced with that surging spiritual pressure, Luo Tian's expression did not change. He remained standing calmly in place.
The corners of his mouth lifted in a faint smile as he said softly, "I'm merely a cultivator at the mid Yin-Yang Realm."
Yet when Qi Tianlong heard this, he burst into laughter, the sound shaking the surrounding leaves into a rustle. When he finished laughing, he looked at Luo Tian disdainfully,
and sneered, "Hahaha! With that paltry cultivation, you dare run wild here? This sect master could turn a small fry like you into meat paste with a casual wave!"
Faced with Qi Tianlong's arrogance, Luo Tian did not grow angry. Instead, he puffed out his chest and declared loudly, "What big talk! I'm only the young master of the Shadow Pavilion. Today, I've come out to meet this so-called sect master of the Ghost King Sect!"
"Let's see how you intend to destroy my Shadow Pavilion!"
Qi Tianlong's expression changed slightly at these words. He clearly harbored some apprehension toward the Shadow Pavilion.
But he quickly recovered and sneered, "Hmph! So you're that young master of the Shadow Pavilion who doesn't know how high the heavens are or how deep the earth is!
"Well? Where is your pavilion master? Is he afraid to face this sect master, hiding away and not daring to show himself?"
Just then, a breeze swept past, and a figure slowly stepped out from behind Luo Tian.
It was none other than Yan Nantian. His strides were steady, each step seeming to contain boundless strength.
As he approached, an invisible pressure spread, inspiring involuntary awe.
Qi Tianlong focused his gaze, trying to discern the depth of Yan Nantian's strength.
But after looking for some time, he only found Yan Nantian's presence exceedingly strange, leaving him completely unable to fathom the man's true cultivation. For a moment, Qi Tianlong was inwardly filled with uncertainty and suspicion.
"I am Yan Nantian, master of the Shadow Pavilion.
"Were you looking for me?"
"Hmph, putting on a supernatural act!" Qi Tianlong snorted coldly!
He waved his hand! "Everyone, attack! Today, we wipe out the Shadow Pavilion!"
There were several elders from the Ghost King Sect and the Falling Rosy Clouds Sect in total, their cultivation ranging from the early and mid Yin-Yang Realm to the early Tribulation Transcendence Realm! They all sprang into action! Qi Tianlong, Liu Ran, and Ancestor Guixuan erupted with the might of the peak Tribulation Transcendence Realm!
Luo Tian likewise waved his hand and said, "Everyone, make sure every invader stays here."
"Yes, young master!" With that response, the already tense atmosphere ignited instantly, and a world-shaking battle erupted.
On the battlefield, the Six Sword Slaves moved like lightning, each wielding a sharp blade as they clashed fiercely with the elders of the Ghost King Sect and the Falling Rosy Clouds Sect.
Zhen Gang of the Six Sword Slaves wielded his longsword, his feet moving swiftly. His swordplay swept wide and struck boldly, fierce and unstoppable, forcing a Ghost King Sect elder back again and again. Swish, swish, swish! The six figures worked together seamlessly.
Meanwhile, Lü Baichuan sought an opening. With a flick of his long sleeve, the Shadowless Needles shot toward the Falling Rosy Clouds Sect elders' acupoints as though piercing through space.
The Falling Rosy Clouds Sect elders swung their longswords. Clang, clang, clank! They swept the poisoned needles aside!
At the same time, Han Tang, Jing Wuming, Bai Tianyu, and the other experts unleashed their powerful presences. Spiritual power surged around them, and their spreading pressure made hearts tremble.
Han Shang and Jing Wuming attacked first. As they moved, they drew their longswords. Whoosh, whoosh! Several streaks of sword light, like swimming divine dragons, seemed to tear through space as they lunged toward Liu Ran.
Liu Ran dared not be careless at the sight. He hurriedly unleashed the Falling Rosy Clouds Sword Art, shouting, "Setting Sun and Long Rainbow!" He leaped forward and slashed out two long rainbows.
Boom, boom! The two sides traded blows!
These experts charged fearlessly at Qi Tianlong and Liu Ran. For a time, saber flashes and sword shadows crisscrossed, and force blasted in all directions.
Elsewhere, Guixuan, the Ghost King Sect's ancestor, fixed an icy gaze on Luo Tian.
He snorted coldly and abruptly attacked, a streak of black light hurtling toward Luo Tian like lightning.
In midair, he stretched out his withered hands, curling his palms into claws as he swooped savagely at Luo Tian like an eagle!
Yet Luo Tian remained unhurried. With a light tap of his foot, he unleashed Thunder Shadow Steps, vanishing instantly from his spot and easily evading Guixuan's attack.
Guixuan was slightly startled. "Oh? To think a mere Yin-Yang Realm brat could dodge my strike so easily. You do have some ability!"
Luo Tian snorted coldly and turned to Tianshan Tonglao beside him. "Tianshan Tonglao, I'll leave this ancestor of the Ghost King Sect to you."
"Give him a proper welcome!"
Tianshan Tonglao replied respectfully, "Yes, young master!"
Hearing this, Guixuan froze and looked at Tianshan Tonglao in confusion. "What? Who are you?
"You actually pay your respects to a young master? What is going on? Could there be an even greater power behind the Shadow Pavilion?"
Gui Ming saw a white-haired girl appear before him, looking like a little girl with a head full of grizzled silver hair!
"I am Tianshan Tonglao, deputy master of the Shadow Pavilion!"
"What? There's a deputy pavilion master too?"
"Your presence is actually at the peak Tribulation Transcendence Realm?" Ancestor Guixuan felt somewhat dumbfounded!
While Guixuan was distracted by his thoughts, he failed to notice Tianshan Tonglao's cold, piercing gaze fixed firmly on him.
A chilling fierceness suddenly flashed through Tianshan Tonglao's eyes, followed by a cold sneer. "Hmph! You dare let your mind wander while fighting me? You truly don't know whether you're courting life or death!"
That sneer seemed to come from the depths of the underworld, sending chills down one's spine.
Yet before Guixuan could react, Tianshan Tonglao had already struck like a phantom.
She moved as fast as lightning. In the blink of an eye, one tender little palm had transformed into hundreds of palm imprints, blanketing the sky as they attacked Guixuan.
These densely packed palm shadows interwove into a vast net, sealing off every possible direction in which Guixuan could dodge.
What Tianshan Tonglao had unleashed was none other than her supreme art, renowned throughout the martial world-the Tianshan Plum-Folding Hand!
Its moves were intricate and exquisite, its variations endless. Once unleashed, it was like the Thousand-Handed Guanyin manifesting in the world, leaving enemies utterly unable to fend it off.
Now, faced with Tianshan Tonglao's swift and vicious attack, Guixuan instantly fell into extreme peril...
Yet at this critical moment, Ancestor Gui Ming, who was likewise at the peak Tribulation Transcendence Realm, reacted instantly. His forward-leaning body abruptly twisted, tilting right as he darted away, and he roared furiously, "Netherworld Ghost Claw!"
With Ancestor Gui Ming's furious roar, an extremely dense black mist surged from his body and gathered over his right palm in the blink of an eye.
Immediately afterward, that palm abruptly swelled, transforming into a hideous, terrifying giant claw that seemed to come from the depths of the underworld.
This Netherworld Ghost Claw was a renowned martial skill of the Ghost King Sect. Frigid Qi spilled from it, and its moves were uncanny and unfathomable.
When Ancestor Gui Ming thrust out his palm, several enormous claw imprints, sharp as eagle talons, shot forth with a howl.
Wherever these claw imprints passed, even the void seemed to be forcibly ripped open, letting out bursts of hair-raising shrieks.
"Boom!" With an earth-shaking crash, Tianshan Tonglao's palm imprints collided violently with Ancestor Gui Ming's claw imprints.
In an instant, force blasted in all directions, fierce winds rose, and the surrounding buildings were left in shambles.
Once the dust and smoke dispersed, everyone looked closely and saw Ancestor Guixuan staggering backward, thud, thud, thud, retreating more than a dozen steps before he steadied himself!
How is this little girl so strong? Guixuan was utterly shocked, his expression shifting several times in succession.
By contrast, Tianshan Tonglao still stood firmly in place. Only the edge of her sleeve had fluttered slightly. Who was stronger and who was weaker was now plain at a glance!
Her tender little body contained tremendous strength. This was due to her cultivation technique!