Immortal Bleeding Fist Luo Ye fell from the top of the tower. He was momentarily stunned by the backlash of the protective array being destroyed far too quickly. His muddled mind considered all the possibilities but there was only one. The failure started at one of the anchors and the senior disciple assigned to that anchor was…
His cloudy eyes flashed with fury and sorrow. A surge of martial might erupted from his wounded body as he landed on his feet.
"Disciples of the Mount Brilliance School! Fight for your lives! Fight back with everything you have!" His immortal aura flashed across what remained of the sect, signifying his defiance.
Boom! Boom! Boom!
The air above exploded as two streaks of red light met with a pale white one.
Immortal Soaring Mist Xu Kaicheng had engaged with the bald twins. His Dao had something to do with the attribute of water as well as air. He covered the battlefield in a thick, rolling mist. Using it, he darted in and out of view. A treasure sword was in his hand, flashing brilliantly with an immortal aura.
His opponents, Immortal Red Dawn Wang Yibo and Immortal Red Dusk Wang Yipo, utilized the element of fire. Their Dao covered their entire body in red flames. They were like two meteors that zoomed around the sky. They slashed through the mist with the power of fire and clashed against Xu Kaicheng's sword with their blazing fists.
Taking advantage of the momentary situation, sect master Luo Ye arrived at the location of the failed array in the blink of an eye. A group of five bandits led by Wang Landi was busy fighting against ten or so disciples led by Huang Ducai. Although one side had more numbers, they were made up of many weaker members and were being heavily pushed back.
Luo Ye's aura fell upon the combatants and they all froze. Against the cold fury of an immortal, they were all nothing more than ants.
He extended his hand and wrenched Huang Ducai into the air, to the surprise of the other disciples.
"Master!"
"Master, what are you doing?"
He ignored them and stared at the impassive face of his senior disciple. Huang Ducai had always been an untalented but trustworthy person. He had raised this disciple up for many decades but he suddenly felt as if he was looking at a totally different person.
"Why did you do it?" He whispered.
"No reason." Huang Ducai said under Chen Wentian's will.
Luo Ye grimaced, "Then you can go to hell."
With another surge of anger, he clenched his hand together and crushed the traitor's head to a pulp.
"Master!"
"Master!"
"Huang Duaci was a traitor, he caused the protective array to fail. Don't worry, master will protect you all." Luo Ye said.
As he spoke, he descended towards the bandits. He locked onto them with his spiritual energy, rooting them in place.
"Which one of you turned my disciple? What did you offer him, money, women?" His voice rose steadily until he was shouting, letting loose his anguish at the betrayal, "What could you bandits have that he didn't have at the Mount Brilliance School? Answer me!"
He grabbed the nearest bandit and shouted in his face, "Answer me!"
When he got no response, he ripped the frightened mortal's body into pieces and moved on to the next.
Chen Wentian, as Wang Landi, was at the rear of the rapidly diminishing bandit party. He didn't fear the death of a soul, particularly when the soul was a mortal. They were merely chess pieces and easily discarded. Yet he couldn't help but study the emotions of the forlorn elder immortal.
Luo Ye was unremarkable and his sect was even so. But he was someone who had established the Mount Brilliance School with his own hands. Everything here, he had built up brick by brick. Every disciple here, he had accepted and raised up year by year. Now everything was crumbling, everyone was dying before his eyes, all due to an unexpected betrayal.
As a master himself, Chen Wentian could understand Luo Ye at this moment, just a little bit. He wondered how he would feel if one of his disciples did the same to him. It seemed inconceivable and he certainly hoped that something like that would never happen.
However, absolute obedience and loyalty were impossible unless someone was under mind control or another Dao like his soul art. His disciples were free to love him, respect him, or perhaps one day hate him. Placing any of them under his soul art was impossible, he would never do that. He could only do his best every day and hope.
While Chen Wentian pondered the profundities of the moment, Luo Ye finished with the rest of the bandits and arrived before Wang Landi.
"You seem like their leader, any last words?"
Chen Wentian didn't respond and simply closed his eyes.
But death didn't come. As soon as Luo Ye finished speaking, a jet of scorching flames arrived. This was mixed together with a cacophony of screams and noise.
"Wang Landi!" A harsh voice shouted. It was one of the bandit lords, unclear which, "Regroup with the rest, clear out the sect. We'll handle these immortals!"
"Yes, my lord!" Chen Wentian responded, somewhat relieved.
Having a soul survive was always better than having one die. Assimilating a soul took a large amount of soul power and it was rarely an enjoyable experience. He didn't do it casually just for the heck of it.
As he rushed away, the battle in the sky resumed in earnest. One of the flaming bald heads forced Luo Ye and the four immortals properly faced off for the first time. On one side were the two bandit lords, their bodies totally ablaze, even down to the tip of their beards. On the other was a wounded and old immortal and an auction agent whose golden robes had already suffered a great number of burns.
"Lord Xu, please leave! I will hold them off!" Luo Ye transmitted his voice by spiritual energy.
"What about you? You'll die!" Xu Kaicheng shot back.
"Maybe, but my sect is done for and I didn't have long to live anyway. You can still escape!"
"What about the flower?"
"I'll destroy it!"
"No!" Xu Kaicheng shouted, "I'll stay, I'll help you. For the flower, I will defend this sect."
"Alright!"
With that, the pair charged at the two bandit lords.
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