As Yan Zhaoge was headed north, he indistinctly saw a small island in the horizon. Smoke arose from the small island, shooting straight up into the sky.
Carefully gazing over, there were blazing flames that visibly enveloped the island, dyeing the surrounding sky completely crimson.
Arriving nearby, concealed amidst the clouds, Yan Zhaoge saw numerous figures on the island, many of the martial practitioners being equipped with armour.
Judging by the armour and helmets, they were precisely troops of the Grand Xuan Dynasty.
The leader of the group was a Martial Grandmaster who had mainly Martial Artists as well as a few Martial Scholars under his command.
Before them was a courtyard that had already turned into a sea of flames.
On a signboard that blazed on the ground in front of the gate could be seen the words 'Lishan Sect'.
Outside the courtyard was a group of people, some old, some young, who were being held captive by the troops of the Grand Xuan Dynasty.
They could only watch helplessly on as the courtyard was devoured by the sea of flames.
Some of them appeared fearful. Some glared at the Grand Xuan Dynasty with hatred in their eyes. Some were seriously worried. There were even a few young children who were bawling out loud.
All of them were people of the Lishan Sect.
Or perhaps it should be said that they had once been people of the Lishan Sect. From this day forth, the Lishan Sect was likely to have become mere history.
The leading Martial Grandmaster of the Grand Xuan Dynasty said coldly, "This is the fate of all rebels. Currently, we are in need of talent and will grant special leniency. Obediently head to the various pill concocting rooms and do as you as told. Those who resist will be unquestionably slain."
There were numerous corpses in this courtyard that had been transformed into a sea of flames. Those were Lishan Sect martial practitioners who had resisted and been slain on the spot.
Someone of the Lishan Sect said angrily, "Our sect did not participate in the rebellion against the Xuan. It is just that we have to listen to the words of the North Sea Sword Pavilion in this northern region of the Royal Reed Sea. We have never truly attacked martial practitioners of the Grand Xuan Dynasty before. Why do you have to force us so?"
That Grand Xuan Dynasty Martial Grandmaster swept his gaze over, instantly exerting suffocating, heavy pressure on those of the Lishan Sect as if they bore incomparable weight on their shoulders.
He said mildly, "I have no need at all to explain things to you. You need only do as you are told. Still, I am in a rather good mood today, so I'll make a slight exception."
"Listening to the rebels of the North Sea Sword Pavilion is already an unforgivable crime. Of course I know that your mere Lishan Sect lacks the guts to attack warriors of my Grand Xuan. Otherwise, I would have directly exterminated all of you today. Where would I still have the patience to be wasting words with you here?"
The Lishan Sect martial practitioners all felt agonised to the brink of despair.
That Martial Grandmaster waved his hands nonchalantly, "Take them all away. Same old rules. Do not let them remain in this local region. Divide them up and send them five a squad to the pill concoction rooms of the other regions. If one of them sneaks off, the other four will all get it."
The Grand Xuan Dynasty martial practitioners under him responded simultaneously in the affirmative, hauling away those Lishan Sect martial practitioners, preparing to leave the island.
Seeing this, Yan Zhaoge knit his brows slightly, "Shen Lingzi's descendants having entered the battle, this has really left the Grand Xuan Dynasty full of confidence. Previously, they still tried both subtle and hard-handed methods. Now, however, they are no longer being soft, only being brutal alone."
Now, a few majestic sword-qis attacked from the distance, resembling long rainbows that shocked the sky as they instantly arrived in the vicinity of the small island.
The Grand Xuan Dynasty warriors on the island were simultaneously taken aback, "People of the North Sea Sword Pavilion?"
The newcomers who arrived were garbed in white, broadswords slung behind their backs.
Yan Zhaoge looked at them, feeling the sword-qi surging from their bodies. They were not sharp, instead being vast and vigorous, resembling the tides of the ocean.
Arriving on the island and seeing troops of the Grand Xuan Dynasty, the people of the North Sea Sword Pavilion did not waste time on words as they directly made their moves.
They unsheathed their broadswords, sword-qi instantly surging madly once more which shot towards their enemies on the island with a momentum that surged to the heavens.
That Martial Grandmaster had still yet to speak when their sword-auras had already arrived before him.
Greatly enraged, he unsheathed the twin sabres by his waist to block the sword-auras in preparation for a counterattack.
Under his command, the Grand Xuan Dynasty martial practitioners immediately entered a battle formation that was used to trap the enemy.
However, those people from the North Sea Sword Pavilion immediately formed a sword formation of their own to stand against the Grand Xuan Dynasty's battle formation.
The one leading the North Sea Sword Pavilion group was a Spirit Vessel Martial Grandmaster who was even more powerful than that Grand Xuan Dynasty Martial Grandmaster, the latter pressured to the point of being unable to raise his head.
While those of the Grand Xuan Dynasty fought fiercely, they were unable to resist the many experts amongst their enemies as they were defeated very quickly.
Yan Zhaoge shrugged, "It looks like they are disciples of the North Sea Sword Pavilion who were out adventuring and tempering themselves. Having heard that their sect is being attacked by the Grand Xuan Dynasty, they hurried back from wherever they were."
The North Sea Sword Pavilion had already been surrounded by the Grand Xuan Dynasty. Having met its disciples at the outskirts of their territory, they had clearly just returned from outside after having heard the news.
It would be very hard from them to break through the layers of encirclement of the Grand Xuan Dynasty. Thus, rushing back to their sect would be like attacking a stone with an egg. Instead, they had remained in the outskirts, waiting and seeing if there was anything they could do for their sect.
Still, they should not be clear on the situation within the encirclement.
"It looks like I will still have to capture someone of the Grand Xuan Dynasty and interrogate him," Yan Zhaoge shrugged as the corners of his mouth arched slightly upwards, "The one over here is still somewhat insufficient in position."
Those of the Lishan Sect were feeling excited as well.
The next moment, however, powerful auras arose from the surroundings all around.
The expression on the faces of the North Sea Sword Pavilion martial practitioners changed slightly, "Ambush! It's a trap!"
The Lishan Sect martial practitioners watched on blankly as a streak of light flew across the horizon, arriving in the air above the small island, that terrifying aura that suppressed the entire area causing people to naturally shiver.
That Grand Xuan Dynasty expert was shockingly a mid Essence Spirit Martial Grandmaster.
He smiled coldly towards those of the North Sea Sword Pavilion, "Rebels of the North Sea Sword Pavilion, still daring to act arrogant with your destruction right at hand?"
"It was precisely to get you to easily throw yourselves into our nets that we have been doing this. Otherwise, with all of you hiding left and right, it would take up too much effort looking for you."
As he said this, he clapped down with his palm, numerous hurricanes arising.
Who knew that while the martial practitioners of the North Sea Sword Pavilion appeared astonished, they would exhibit no fear at all as they were instead smiling coldly.
The gaze of that Essence Spirit Martial Grandmaster grew focused as he instinctively realised that something was wrong.
A sword-light suddenly lit up within the air, breaking through the numerous hurricanes with a single sword and dissipating the attack of this Essence Spirit Martial Grandmaster completely.
The other Grand Xuan Dynasty martial practitioners, the Spirit Vessel Martial Grandmaster who had been leading their group earlier included, all shook slightly.
This was closely followed by sword-light that simultaneously flashed by their necks.
Apart from this Essence Spirit Martial Grandmaster, all the other Grand Xuan Dynasty martial practitioners present, regardless of cultivation base, perished instantly.
The body of this Essence Spirit Martial Grandmaster grew cold. Having seen the other party's methods, he knew that it was not because he was strong that he was still alive. It was merely because the other party had not been aiming to kill him.
A figure now appeared out of thin air. It was a girl, similarly garbed in white clothes and with a broadsword slung behind her back.
"Wanting to bait a fish, yet baiting out one that is much more powerful than you," Yan Zhaoge had still been intending to watch on in amusement when he was involuntarily rendered speechless upon seeing the features of this female expert of the North Sea Sword Pavilion.
"What a coincidence."
Yan Zhaoge blinked.
The girl before him appeared to be in her early twenties, with her actual age being quite a bit higher than her external appearance. Still, comparing it to her cultivation base, she could still be considered outrageously young.
This was still not what Yan Zhaoge was most concerned about.
What he was most concerned about was the fact that this was clearly yet another 'Sikong Qing'.