Tiancang Era: Year 245
For most people, one would have guessed that the Taiyi Sect would have lasted forever. Or at least forever in the eyes of the mortals.
The leader of the Taiyi Sect was Rui Hongchang, a mighty expert at the peak of Core Shaping, strong enough that he could kill even others at Core Shaping with but a single strike.
It was thought, that if he was to further break into the Golden Core stage, then the Taiyi Sect could perhaps one day become a Heavenly Abode, alas, the Cultivation World was filled with both treasures and misfortunes...
---
"Si'er! Where are you!" Zhangsun Shan shouted out, though only an outer disciple, his past had resulted in him having an impressive physical body. Because of this, his shout was heard loud and clear even with all fire around him.
"I'm right here!" Qiu Si replied, just as she withdrew her sword from the body of the enemy in front of her. It was strange, it was her first kill, but it felt so easy. She had fought other people before and killed animals, but, never another human being, perhaps because it was their enemy?
Regardless, she had no time to think as Zhangsun Shan continued to shout, "Come over here, Elder Mei is trying to get the rest of us to escape!"
Hearing it, Qiu Si began to run to Zhangsun Shan, she ran as quickly as she could, easily outmaneuvering anyone trying to attack her.
Just as someone tried to attack her, she saw as the attacker's arm was suddenly chopped off, looking up, it was of course Elder Mei, her eyes watching the battlefield as she attacked all the invaders she could.
Elder Mei was also however watching something else, it was the Sect Leader, he had just killed four invading cultivators with a single slash, and was now shouting, "Kill those running!" As he himself was killing those running and the Sword Shield also began to do its work.
Perhaps there was hope, but, still she had to make sure everyone in the Sect was safe.
"Is there anyone---" Elder Mei stated, but was interrupted, as a formation appeared, "That's..." Recognising the formation, she knew what she had to do.
Gathering all four of them, she immediately began to escape, she dared not to look back, the Taiyi Sect was as good as dead, the Sect Leader did his best to hold on, but, he would soon enough fall.
---
"You brought me out here? To afraid to fight me in my own Sect?" Rui Hongchang stated as he was now in the forests.
"Hahaha, Leader Rui, you managed to breakthrough into the Golden Core stage? It is good then that we attacked you now, and not a year later!" One of the invaders laughed.
While the invader himself was only in the Core Shaping stage, he was in the famed Dragon-Killer Formation with four others, with all of the their power combined, they were strong enough to even crush Golden Core stage cultivators.
However, it was only those Golden Core stage cultivators that either had low grade Cores or had just entered into it. Rui Hongchang was of course, the latter and not the former.
"Tch, tch, whether you attacked me now or next year, the result would have been the same! Taste my Celestial Sword!" Rui Hongchang stated that as beams of energy came forward in the shape of swords towards the formation.
The speed at which was so quick that even the people within the formation could not notice, however, they found themselves relatively undamaged due to the formation's defenses.
"What!" Rui Hongchang noticed, his attack should have at least resulted in some of them bleeding.
"Don't you recognise this formation?"
There was a look of despair in Rui Hongchang's face as he realised what it was. But, it did not matter.
His only chance was to escape back to his Sect, perhaps if he had the Sword Shield with---
"Arrrghhh!" Rui Hongchang screamed, he looked at his own body, his chest was just hit with a sword from the formation. It was even quicker than his own sword!
"This formation truly can kill Golden Core stage cultivators!" One of the invaders shouted, however, they also felt their Qi draining, they would have to end this quickly as it was exhausting with such a formation.
Rui Hongchang also knew this, but he could not win. So, he flew as high as he could, as he did, the invaders followed, as far as away from the Sect he could, he thought.
---
"Elder Mei, your Sect Leader is likely dead by now! Why don't you join our Sect?" An invader chasing Elder Mei shouted.
"Join your Sect, I would never leave the Taiyi Sect to join yours!" Elder Mei replied.
"So be it then!" The invader replied, his sword matching Elder Mei, though they were on evenly matched, Elder Mei had to protect also four outer disciples.
Knowing herself unable to do both, she exhausted herself for a few seconds, travelling as quick as possible.
Eventually finding an area she deemed safe, she dropped off the four.
"Zhangsun, Qiu, Wenren, Sui, you four, must continue the Taiyi Sect, it is both the end for both me and the Sect Leader, so you must carry the future..."
Zhangsun Shan did not know what to say, Qiu Si was quiet, Wenren Yu wanted to say something but could not and Sui Wenyan thought of the past.
With that, she then travelled as quickly as possible back, going through multiple forests, she saw the invader, and both clashed. Both had the same sword, a Jade Sword, both their cultivations were matched as well, however, the invader seemed to have the edge.
As there battle continued, the invader eventually gained the advantage and struck the shoulder of Elder Mei, leading her right arm unusable.
"After this, I'll use Soul Mastery and use your own body to kill your disciples!"
Soul Mastery... It was a technique used only by the Evil Sects, it was to "awaken" the dead bodies, use them for whatever purpose the user decided. The sole act of it was against the Heavens, and the Heavens, never forget.
The battle continued on then for nearly an entire hour, but, Elder Mei could feel herself becoming more and more weaker. Then as her guard was down, her stomach area was pierced, falling down, she was not dead yet, but, was close.
Minutes passed, the invader laughed, wanting to see how his enemy would die. As he was getting prepared to use Soul Mastery, a voice came out.
"You should not have waited so long..."
The invader looked behind him and saw a Mysterious Cultivator, he focused on attacking, but noticed that he himself was frozen.
It was overwhelming, as if nothing he had ever faced, even watching the Taiyi Sect Leader's breakthrough to Golden Core was not like this.
"Golden Core..." The invader said to himself as he realized his opponent. He did not seem to be any Golden Core stage cultivator as well, was he at the Middle Stage or higher?"
He stopped thinking as his own head was chopped off.
The Mysterious Cultivator looked towards Elder Mei, she was dead, he was to late. But, perhaps he could at least help those left...