Chapter Nineteen: A Brief Encounter
“Senior!”
Tianming and his companions also bowed respectfully to the old man. The reason they did not refer to him as “Elder” like Pei Xu was mainly because they were no longer disciples of the sect and dared not presume on titles. It was best to remain cautious, for none could guess the old man’s temperament.
“The youth of today are truly remarkable,” the old man remarked, his sharp gaze sweeping over Tianming and his group before he nodded with a gentle smile.
Tianming’s eyes lit up at these words—was this a veiled compliment?
Hoo...
Hearing this, Leng Yuansheng secretly let out a breath of relief.
“I wonder what guidance Senior might have for us?” Tianming continued to smile politely at the old man.
The old man merely smiled and did not respond, instead turning his attention to Pei Xu and those waiting below.
“Xie Xin!” Suddenly, the old man’s gaze became as piercing as a thousand sword shadows among the stars, fixing intensely on Xie Xin.
A suffocating aura crashed down upon them. In an instant, Pei Xu and his group fell to their knees, cold sweat pouring from their foreheads. All but Pei Xu could not help but tremble visibly.
“Elder…” Xie Xin, bearing the brunt of the pressure, turned deathly pale and could barely speak.
“Must I spell out your crimes in detail? Leave the sect at once.” The old man’s figure was as straight as a drawn sword, and though his aged voice lasted but a heartbeat, it echoed through everyone’s soul like an ancient, unforgettable thunder, reverberating endlessly.
A mouthful of blood gushed from Xie Xin’s lips, his face growing even more ashen, resentment swirling within him. Power… I need power. Clenching his fists, Xie Xin buried a bold plan in his heart, lifting his head with a bitter, sinister smile as he looked in Tianming’s direction.
Rumor had it that Elder Yue of the sect was profound in cultivation and shrouded in mystery, rarely appearing before the masses. Only now did Xie Xin realize the depth of his power—surpassing even Wang Sheng, whom he had seen before, and seemingly already touching upon the laws of heaven and earth.
“Hurry and go!” Lian Zimin, unable to bear it, bent down and urged Xie Xin in a whisper.
Pei Xu and his companion, meanwhile, stood expressionless, not sparing a glance at the wretched figure on the ground.
“Pei Xu, Tianming—you all just wait and see!” Xie Xin shot a venomous glare at the high-standing Pei Xu and his group. When his gaze landed on the gloating Tianming, he clenched his hands so tightly that blood seeped from his fists, his face twisted with malice.
“Wait for me, Zimin.”
His eyes flashed with a bizarre tenderness as he glanced at Lian Zimin, but it vanished at once, replaced by a grim expression—and something new appeared in his hand.
Just as everyone thought the matter had ended, the old man’s sword-like brows knitted, his face turning instantly frigid.
“How dare you!”
Tianming, about to thank the old man, was stunned into silence by that thunderous voice.
Perhaps Xie Xin had anticipated this. Blood spurted from his lips again, for the moment the old man’s gaze fell upon him, he bit his own tongue.
“Hahaha… What wouldn’t I dare?”
Bang!
Even as Xie Xin laughed madly, a pitch-black, murky token in his hand exploded in an instant, giving no one time to react.
Boom!
A sinister, twisted laughter swept across the sky.
In that moment, the heavens darkened, thunder roared wildly, and black mist engulfed the entire Hanchen District in the blink of an eye. A colossal black hand, as large as a building, descended from the heavens, shrouding Tianming and his companions in utter darkness.
Crackling black lightning chains danced around the falling handprint, and as the winds churned, a crushing, visible aura pressed down on Tianming’s group, as if they were trapped in an endless desert, unable to escape. The mysterious black-robed figure had launched a direct attack on Tianming.
“What realm is this?” The force of the giant hand’s descent was so overwhelming that Tianming’s senses were utterly obliterated.
It was as if all of heaven and earth had vanished, leaving only his tiny, insignificant form adrift, unable to find direction—a mere ant, about to face judgment and the coming of death.
“It’s over, brother Tianming, we…” Leng Yuansheng and Leng Zhide slumped in despair.
“Don’t panic. With Elder Yue here, we should be safe,” You Ao, eyes closed, suddenly interjected.
Among the cultivators present, those below the Spirit Void Realm were left utterly isolated, like castaways in a vast ocean.
Screams and cries erupted from those registering for the examination, as if the end of the world had come.
“Hahaha, scream all you like! Tianming, you’ve disrupted the lord’s plans. You should have been dealt with long ago. Since you’re so stubborn, disappear into this darkness!” Xie Xin laughed maniacally, his disheveled form standing atop a far-off building in wild delight.
“So this is a great cultivator of the Dark Cultivator Clan—someone who communes with the laws of heaven and earth. Unbelievable…” Han Kai was struck with awe.
Pei Xu…
Next to Han Kai, Pei Xu’s fists clenched until his knuckles cracked audibly, his entire body radiating silver elemental energy. His eyes were cold and vengeful. To think that the creatures of the Dark Cultivator Clan from the distant Southern Wilds Continent had already infiltrated the sect—it was terrifying to imagine what chaos might erupt during a great war if such traitors acted from within. No wonder the sect had dispatched this elder…
Pei Xu involuntarily glanced toward Elder Yue.
Tendrils of black qi invaded the golden space that Elder Yue dominated.
“It’s been many years, and you have grown old,” a voice sneered.
Hmph!
A voice as clear as a bell, full of righteous and ethereal power, issued from the old man’s lips and spread to every heart, driving out the darkness.
Without hesitation, the old man drew a golden sword from its sheath. Thousands of strands of golden elemental energy gathered at the tip, and a majestic wave of power burst forth, instantly scattering the onrushing black mist.
His eyes were deep and radiant, paying no heed to the voice in the sky.
“A mere projection dares to run rampant here?”
Golden swords appeared beneath his feet, emanating a natural aura of authority. Waves of golden energy surged around him. Just as the black handprint was about to crush Tianming and his companions shrouded in darkness…
A brilliant sword light flashed across the sky.
The ghastly laughter ceased abruptly.
The darkness dissipated instantly, and the area once shrouded in gloom was clear again. Waves of golden power drove out the dark aura, eradicating it in a blink. The golden light, rich with the power of law, spread to every corner.
Tianming, like a grain of sand in the vast ocean, was drawn upward by the surrounding radiance. The sky was bright and clear once more.
“Thank you, Senior!”
“Thank you…”
“…”
The disciples who had come to register, overwhelmed by a newfound sense of freedom, bowed deeply toward the old man floating in the sky.
“You’re welcome.”
The old man’s gentle voice echoed in every heart. He stroked his white beard as he stood, sword in hand, his face serene with a kindly smile. He nodded in Tianming’s direction, and the golden sword in his hand dissolved into countless golden lights that vanished into the air.
“The Central Divine Continent is about to fall into chaos again…”
Descending slowly, a hint of sorrow creased the old man’s brow as he glanced at the place where Xie Xin had stood.
“Where’s Xie Xin?” muttered Leng Yuansheng as You Ao searched the area.
“He was taken by that so-called black-robed figure. What a pity,” You Ao sighed.
Tianming nodded grimly.
Trouble would surely follow—this time, they had provoked a formidable foe. If a mere projection was this terrifying, the true body’s arrival was unimaginable. No wonder Dora had designated this as the second target for elimination.
Everyone present felt a deep heaviness settle in their hearts. The occupation of the Southern Wilds Continent was no longer a secret; it had been made public knowledge.