Chapter 1574: The Bright Flame Sect Arrives

“Hehehe, you’ve arrived quite quickly, even earlier than the Bright Flame Sect. Let me introduce you. Elder Zhou, you met him about a year ago. That is Elder Fang of the Pure Yang Hall. She and another elder are in charge of matters concerning the Bright Flame Sect. The other elder had something urgent to attend to and couldn’t come. This time, the three of us have come to judge the affairs of your two sects.”

Chongyangzi gently raised his hand, gesturing for Shangguan Tianque and the others to rise. He first pointed to the demonic-looking youth, then to another stunningly beautiful woman. That woman was dressed in a white palace gown that tightly wrapped around her exquisite figure, further accentuating her full chest and rounded hips. A section of her snow-white arm was exposed, whiter than lotus root and frost. She looked to be about twenty-seven or twenty-eight years old, devastatingly beautiful.

After a pause, Chongyangzi pointed to the tall, thin, silver-haired old man and continued, “This one, I imagine as a subordinate of the Blood Lantern Sect, you should know who he is. The Supreme Elder of the Blood Lantern Sect, Elder Wu. And the last one is Alliance Master Ding of the Seven Tigers Alliance, who has come to observe this time!”

Finally, Chongyangzi gestured to a tall, strong man sitting on the far left. He only said that he was the Alliance Master of the Seven Tigers Alliance and didn’t introduce him further. It was clear that the other was just here to observe and probably wouldn’t participate in any discussions. It was enough for Shangguan Tianque and the others to know who he was.

Hearing Chongyangzi’s introduction, apart from Elder Zhou, the other few Void Refining cultivators looked at Chongyangzi with some surprise. Chongyangzi, who was usually a man of few words, had explained things so clearly this time. He even mentioned in his words that a Void Refining elder hadn’t come. But they were only surprised and didn’t say anything.

And the group of people below, Shangguan Tianque and the others, after hearing the introduction, felt another wave of emotion in their hearts. It turned out that the Seven Tigers Alliance had also produced a Void Refining Realm expert. The foundation of an old third-rate sect was simply incomparable to theirs. While their own sect was working hard, others were also constantly striving to improve their sect’s strength.

Li Yan, however, could sense that the aura of the large man from the Seven Tigers Alliance was even more condensed and profound than Wu Gouzi’s. This meant that this person had likely been in the Void Refining Realm for a longer time.

Seeing Shangguan Tianque and the others pay their respects, the demonic-looking Elder Zhou chuckled lightly. “Alright, you’ve paid your respects. Go to the side and wait for the Bright Flame Sect to arrive. We still have some things to discuss here!” He was half-reclining in his wide chair, and his voice carried a lazy tone. As he gave the instruction, he raised his hand and pointed to an empty area to his right.

Shangguan Tianque and the others bowed respectfully again, not daring to say more, and walked over to that side. And the Spirit Transformation cultivators behind the few Void Refining Realm experts had various expressions on their faces. Some had playful looks in their eyes, some had disdain, and some had ridicule… But there were a very few who had smiles on their faces and nodded at Shangguan Tianque and Ren Yanyu, but that was all.

As a subordinate sect, Shangguan Tianque had not skimped on cultivating relationships with his superiors over the years. Those few were cultivators with whom they had some friendship. ‘These people are probably not all of the Blood Lantern Sect’s Spirit Transformation cultivators. Some must be unable to come due to other matters. This sect’s strength is truly formidable…’ Li Yan observed as he walked. From this, one could see that the strength of the Blood Lantern Sect was truly powerful.

At the same time, Li Yan guessed that since the first pass was guarded by the Blood Lantern Sect, then in a short while, some of these Spirit Transformation cultivators would probably make a move against their two sects.

About a quarter of an hour after Li Yan and his group arrived, the members of the Bright Flame Sect finally flew in. They also went forward to pay their respects to Chongyangzi’s group of five. The scale of the Bright Flame Sect’s contingent was not something the Broken Army Sect could compare to. It was truly a grand and imposing sight. They had six Spirit Transformation cultivators, seven Nascent Soul, and the one hundred Golden Core cultivators behind them were all present.

The Broken Army Sect had basically gathered clear information on this situation. So, although they were still shocked to see it in person, that was all. The Golden Core cultivators of the Broken Army Sect, after undergoing more than a year of tempering under Mu Guyue, although they couldn’t be called truly fierce soldiers, their understanding of group battle was greatly different from before. In their surprise, they no longer felt that the other side, with double their numbers, would definitely be able to defeat them. So, their Divine Senses continuously swept over those Golden Core cultivators, assessing their realm and cultivation.

Finally, someone among the Golden Core cultivators of the Broken Army Sect quickly gave their answer. If the two sides were to engage in a direct group battle, the Broken Army Sect would probably lose. Those one hundred people were also carefully selected, with Pseudo-Core Realm cultivators accounting for twenty percent. However, in a head-on clash, if the cultivators of the Broken Army Sect could properly utilize the combined assault tactics trained by Mu Guyue, even if they were defeated in the end, the remaining Golden Core cultivators on the other side would probably be less than twenty percent.

But this was just the thought of some people in the Broken Army Sect. Some Golden Core cultivators here didn’t think so, believing that in a group battle, their side would have no problem defeating the people before them. This was due to individual differences; everyone’s fighting spirit and mentality were certainly different.

As for Yu Banjiang and the other two, after seeing the other side’s seven people, Yu Banjiang’s face was calm, making it impossible to read his thoughts. But the expressions of the two Guest Elders became a bit unnatural. They were here, of course, because it was their duty. You can’t just take the Broken Army Sect’s cultivation resources and not do anything; there’s no such good thing in the world! On the other hand, they also knew that if Shangguan Tianque and the other four were all defeated in the first pass, then there would be nothing for them to do later. And in the second pass, there would definitely be at least one Spirit Transformation cultivator leading them to break through. However, in that situation, if they felt their lives were threatened, they would directly choose to surrender. As long as the Broken Army Sect didn’t ask the three of them to directly face the other seven, they would still completely obey orders and do their best.

And on the other side, when the members of the Bright Flame Sect saw the Broken Army Sect, many of them had mocking expressions on their faces. Because before the cultivators of the two sects came, they naturally knew that in the second pass, at least, they would be competing for top-tier resources. But the Broken Army Sect had exhausted all its strength and could only muster this much foundation. Many people were already laughing uncontrollably in their hearts. ‘Then we’ll just beat the Broken Army Sect until, apart from unwillingness, all that’s left is sorrow!’

The foundation of the Broken Army Sect was not deep to begin with. It was only after Li Yan’s return that they barely met the threshold for promoting the sect. And the Bright Flame Sect had been preparing for this matter all along, accumulating strength for many years. Although both were qualified to apply for a sect promotion, one was in the heavens, and the other was on the earth.

Li Yan and the other three had also been observing the Spirit Transformation cultivators of the Bright Flame Sect. The other side’s six Spirit Transformation cultivators were also evenly split between men and women, just like the Broken Army Sect’s side. Three men and three women. Among the three men, two were old men, and the other was a young-looking, effeminate middle-aged cultivator. Among these three, one old man was already at the Late-stage of Spirit Transformation.

And the other three Spirit Transformation women, from their appearances, seemed to be of the old, middle-aged, and young generations. The old woman’s appearance was ordinary, but the middle-aged and the youngest woman were both quite good-looking, not inferior to Ren Yanyu, just with their own unique charms and flavors. The youngest woman looked very pure, in her early twenties, with a pair of large, very lively eyes. However, among the three women, it was this woman who was the Late-stage Spirit Transformation existence. Of course, one couldn’t judge a cultivator by their appearance. If one went by cultivation level, the youngest-looking woman might, due to her youth-preserving arts, actually be the oldest of the three.

In his mind, Li Yan quickly cross-referenced the information the Broken Army Sect had gathered with these people, recalling the divine abilities and arts each of them was most skilled in. Four of these six had been famous for a long time, and the characteristics of their cultivation methods were no secret. Even for the remaining two Initial-stage Spirit Transformation cultivators, they could find out what they were skilled in when they were at the Nascent Soul Realm.

And the strength of these six was also such a coincidence: Late, Mid, and Initial-stage Spirit Transformation, each with two cultivators. And Li Yan was most concerned about the two Late-stage Spirit Transformation cultivators. The stern-faced old man was named Master Wei and was the Supreme Great Elder of the Bright Flame Sect. His name was a bit strange; it was unknown whether it was his real name or a nickname he had become accustomed to, like Great Master Lan, whose real name had sometimes long been forgotten. As the Supreme Great Elder of the Bright Flame Sect, his fire-system divine abilities were extremely domineering. And it was said that this person had refined a type of Exotic Fire of Heaven and Earth called “Scorching Blaze.” When he refined this fire, it had already developed great spiritual intelligence. It could be said that any cultivator below the Spirit Transformation Realm would be killed instantly upon contact!

After that Exotic Fire of Heaven and Earth was subdued by him, Master Wei even combined it with the inherited cultivation method of the Bright Flame Sect for re-tempering. This greatly increased Master Wei’s own strength, already surpassing the normal Late-stage Spirit Transformation level, and his combat power was extremely terrifying. Legend has it that his most talked-about battle achievement was when he was at the Mid-stage of Spirit Transformation, in the Heavenly Demon Prairie, where he fought against three fifth-rank demonic beasts and was undefeated. And among the three demonic beasts that besieged him, there was even a powerful peak fifth-rank existence. In the end, under their siege, he still retreated unscathed. Not only was he unharmed, but he also burned one fifth-rank demonic beast to death and seriously injured another. That battle caused heavy losses to two demonic beast clans.

In the end, the demonic beast clan whose elder had fallen even once attacked the Bright Flame Sect, but the result was still a crushing defeat. The other, the pure-looking young woman, was named Han Zhumei. Her appearance was indeed as beautiful as her name. And the cultivation method this person cultivated was a type that Li Yan was unwilling to encounter. This person’s spirit root attribute was the very rare wind spirit root. The divine ability she cultivated, called “Shadow-Treading Wind-Chasing,” was not only similar to Li Yan’s, being extremely skilled in concealment and tracking, but her attacks were also erratic and sharp, making them impossible to guard against.

Regarding this variant spirit root, after reading the information, Li Yan felt that this woman’s difficulty to deal with might be even greater than that of Master Wei, who had refined the Exotic Fire of Heaven and Earth. Li Yan was constantly thinking in his mind, if he encountered these two, how should he deal with them? If it were outside, a true life-and-death battle, Li Yan would think of all sorts of ways to deal with them. He didn’t care if his methods were sinister or opportunistic. As long as he could kill the other party, he would certainly stop at nothing. But this was an assessment evaluation, with so many people watching, and so many Void Refining Realm experts here. Li Yan felt that many of his methods could not be used.

And just as Li Yan was deep in thought, Chongyangzi’s voice came out. This time, although his voice was still calm, it instantly spread throughout the entire plaza. At once, everyone here fell silent and looked towards the high platform.

“Since everyone has arrived, let’s not delay any longer. You all, come over as well!” Chongyangzi just said this simple sentence. Instantly, everyone’s gaze also turned towards the members of the Broken Army Sect who had been sitting quietly in an area to the side.

After arriving in that area, these people from the Broken Army Sect, apart from occasionally sizing up others, had been whispering among themselves. Some people had simply closed their eyes to rest and conserve their energy. As Chongyangzi’s voice fell, Shangguan Tianque immediately led the way, standing up and striding towards the center of the high platform.

And the Spirit Transformation cultivators of the Bright Flame Sect, after paying their respects to Chongyangzi’s group of five, also looked at Shangguan Tianque’s group of four. They were relatively familiar with Shangguan Tianque and Ren Yanyu, and had the most related information and data on them. They were also very clear about the divine abilities and arts they were skilled in. But as for information on Li Yan, there wasn’t much. They only knew that this person’s origin was likely a cultivator who had ascended from a lower realm. And because of this, Li Yan’s combat power was quite fierce!

But to be specific, because Li Yan had made too few moves, they only knew about the battle where he killed Mang Yan. As for later, when Li Yan participated in the battle for the Great Nothingness Fruit, although cultivators from their Bright Flame Sect had also participated, not a single one had managed to return alive after that battle; all had died. Even their superior third-rate sect, the Spirit Subduing Manor, not only had the old woman surnamed He disappeared, but the entire Spirit Subduing Manor had also defected and left. This had led to the Bright Flame Sect being investigated quite a bit afterward. Even in these years, the tribute they had to pay had increased. The loss was truly great.