Chapter 112: Zhao Zixiong

Before absolute power, everything else appears pale and impotent. At this moment, the middle-aged man and the remaining elders stared at the scene below, which resembled a Shura hell, their hearts and souls chilled with terror.

Streaks of crimson light darted toward those men, reaping their lives in an instant. As the crimson light merged into Yin Tianfang’s body, a low roar erupted from within him, and his aura surged violently.

Inside his dantian, the white lotus had withered, and a white lotus seed was gestating within the lotus throne. As the crimson light flowed into him, a new seed began to form within the crimson lotus throne, glowing like a polished ruby. Although Yin Tianfang’s cultivation remained at the early stage of the Golden Core realm, his actual power had long since surpassed that level.

With a flicker of movement, Yin Tianfang headed toward the place where Elder Xuanyin was imprisoned. Moments later, he reached the depths of the Discipline Hall. Three years had passed, and the elder, kept in isolation, was now at the very end of his life.

"Elder Xuan..." Yin Tianfang’s heart ached at the sight. He struck his storage bag, and a long golden sword appeared in his hand.

Boom!

The sword slashed against the gate, shattering it instantly. Yin Tianfang rushed to the elder’s side, his voice trembling: "Elder Xuan, I am sorry. I am late."

Elder Xuanyin struggled to lift his head. As he looked at Yin Tianfang, his clouded eyes filled with excitement and joy.

"Young Master, you are alive. That is wonderful." A look of relief washed over the elder’s face. "I could not hold on much longer, but to see you safe... it is truly a blessing."

"Elder Xuan!" Yin Tianfang’s expression changed drastically as he watched the elder’s form begin to turn ethereal. He poured his spiritual energy frantically into the elder’s body.

"It is useless, Young Master. Do not waste your efforts. Seeing you safe is enough for me." Elder Xuanyin slowly closed his eyes, his expression serene. Under Yin Tianfang’s gaze, his body dissolved into specks of light, vanishing into the world.

Yin Tianfang stood still for a long time before slowly turning to leave.

"Elder Xuan, rest assured. I will make them pay with their lives!" His cold, chilling vow echoed through the prison.

Thousands of miles away, at the Azure Cloud Sect, a figure rushed toward the main peak.

"Elders, something terrible has happened! I fear the Xuandao Sect has fallen." The messenger burst into the Great Hall, shouting to the elders gathered there.

Upon hearing this, Daoist Huanglong stood up abruptly. With a swift movement, he exited the hall and headed straight for the Xuandao Sect.

"Summon the disciples! We head to the Xuandao Sect!"

"I will go inform the Great Ones," the Fifth Elder said, rushing toward the back mountain. There, in a bamboo grove thick with spiritual energy, several figures sat in meditation. They appeared young, yet their cultivation was terrifying. The Fifth Elder slowed his pace as he approached, bowing respectfully. "Great Ones, a disturbance has occurred at the Xuandao Sect."

"What kind of disturbance?" one of the youths asked, opening his eyes calmly.

"The details are unclear. We will only know once we arrive," the Fifth Elder said cautiously. "I came specifically to report it."

"In that case, I shall accompany you," a youth in black robes said, standing up.

"Junior Brother Zixiong, be careful."

"What could possibly happen in such a remote backwater?" Zhao Zixiong chuckled. "If it weren't for the item the Master desires, we wouldn't have come to this barren land, let alone stayed for so long."

"I am off!" With a sharp cry, Zhao Zixiong transformed into a streak of light and vanished into the horizon.

"Senior Brother, we have searched for so many years and still haven't found that place. Could it be that it doesn't exist at all?" one of the youths asked after the Fifth Elder had departed.

The youth in white opened his eyes and pondered for a moment. "The Master would not be mistaken. Keep looking."

With that, the youth in white closed his eyes again, returning to his meditation. The others exchanged helpless glances and fell silent.

Back at the Azure Cloud Sect, countless streams of light ascended, racing toward the Xuandao Sect.

Days later, a thousand miles from the Xuandao Sect, a streak of light sped through the sky. Suddenly, it stopped, and the light dissipated to reveal the black-robed youth, Zhao Zixiong.

Standing in mid-air before him was a figure with striking white hair and a handsome face etched with frost.

"Who are you? Why block my path?" Zhao Zixiong asked coldly.

"I am the one who will take your life," Yin Tianfang replied. Although he had never interacted with this youth, he remembered him clearly from when the Azure Cloud Sect had come for the grand tournament.

These people were not mere disciples of the Azure Cloud Sect; they hailed from a different faction. It was because of them that the Xuandao Sect had suffered this calamity.

"Arrogant!" Zhao Zixiong snorted. He waved his sleeve, summoning a fierce gale. A surge of immense spiritual power, heavy with killing intent, rushed toward Yin Tianfang.

Yin Tianfang remained calm. He raised his right hand and pressed gently against the void. Under that single motion, everything returned to stillness. Zhao Zixiong’s pupils contracted. To dispel his attack so nonchalantly made him grow cautious.

"Who exactly are you?"

"Yin Tianfang of the Xuandao Sect!" With a tap of his foot, Yin Tianfang moved like lightning, appearing a hundred meters before Zhao Zixiong. He formed seals rapidly, and nine phantom images split from his body.

"Nine-Shadow Clone Technique!"

The nine shadows took their positions, and in an instant, Zhao Zixiong was submerged in a barrage of attacks. The air roared with explosions, and the space where Zhao Zixiong stood became a blur of chaos, from which his angry roars could be heard.

When the dust settled and the sky cleared, the nine phantoms vanished, revealing Zhao Zixiong.

He looked disheveled, having lost his former composure. His face was dark as water, his eyes cold and murderous as he glared at Yin Tianfang. A jade disc hovered above his head, casting down a veil of light to protect him.

"Kid, you have some skill. But do you think this guarantees you a win?" Zhao Zixiong’s expression turned savage. As his black hair danced, a faint, malevolent black mist began to emanate from his body.

"Demonic energy?" Yin Tianfang’s eyes widened in surprise as he saw the mist swirling around Zhao Zixiong.

"Boom!" A terrifying aura exploded from Zhao Zixiong, one that was not in the least inferior to Yin Tianfang’s. A demonic mark shimmered on his forehead, giving him a sinister, otherworldly appearance.