At the critical junction between life and death, Wang Ba did not hesitate.

With a focused thought, he triggered the jade pendant, unleashing the single strand of Sword Qi stored within.

And Zhao Feng’s Sword Qi delivered a surprise that defied all logic.

The ochre-robed cultivator, whose Spiritual Power fluctuations had just sent shivers down Wang Ba’s spine, didn’t even have time to blink. There was no resistance, no clash of spells—just a flash of light, and his head was severed from his shoulders.

Until his dying breath, this powerful cultivator never had the chance to unleash his true strength. He died a stifled, resentful death, falling “unjustly” at the hands of a mere Qi Refining First Layer novice.

Wang Ba’s only regret was that the jade pendant was a one-time consumable. As the enemy fell, the flowing light within the jade dimmed and vanished forever.

He stowed the now-empty pendant.

Before Wang Ba could even catch his breath, a streak of treasure light roared toward him from the distance!

Standing atop the flying artifact was a figure in blue robes. Seeing the headless corpse on the ground, the newcomer’s eyes bulged until they looked ready to split with rage.

“Father—! You… Damn you! Pay with your life!”

Seeing that the blue-robed cultivator radiated power similar to the one he just killed, Wang Ba didn’t dare to linger for a second. Without hesitation, he slapped his only life-saving talisman onto his chest: the Top Grade Divine Movement Talisman!

Sizzle!

The talisman burned to ash instantly, transforming into a stream of flowing light that merged into Wang Ba’s body. A surge of boundless power flooded his limbs, pushing him forward.

Wang Ba didn’t hesitate. He turned and ran.

BOOM!

A blast of magic smashed into the spot Wang Ba had occupied a fraction of a second prior, excavating a deep crater in the mud.

He had missed death by a hair’s breadth. With no time to feel relief, Wang Ba pumped his legs, his entire body transforming into a swift wind as he tore across the landscape.

The blue-robed cultivator urged his flying artifact to its limit, chasing frantically, but he could only watch in disbelief as the laborer’s figure shrank rapidly into the distance.

“A Top Grade Divine Movement Talisman?! On a laborer?! Damn it!”

…

The sudden violence at the Sect’s periphery seemed to have finally startled the core area into action.

By the time Wang Ba arrived at Ding-Ten Manor, the sky was filled with myriad streams of light streaking upward to meet the invaders.

Lin Yu hurried out of the main house, gripping a sharp hairpin artifact, her expression fraught with wariness.

When she saw the ragged, mud-caked Wang Ba rush into the manor, she tensed, raising her weapon. Fortunately, he shouted in time.

“It’s me, Wang Ba!”

“You?”

Lin Yu didn’t lower her guard completely, keeping the hairpin leveled. She frowned. “What happened to—”

“The Heavenly Gate Sect is attacking!”

Lin Yu’s face drained of color. She looked up at the chaotic lights painting the night sky, though denial still lingered in her voice.

“This… surely not? Isn’t the Heavenly Gate Sect an external faction…”

Wang Ba had absolutely no intention of wasting breath on explanations. He shoved past her and barged directly into the resident cultivator’s room.

Moments later, he stormed out, his expression ugly.

“These people… they didn’t leave a single talisman behind! Cleaned out!”

“You… Wang Ba, you impudent cur! How dare a mere Laborer Disciple barge into…”

Seeing Wang Ba ransack the cultivator’s quarters, Lin Yu’s shock turned to indignation, and she instinctively began to scold him.

Wang Ba cut her off with a cold, piercing glare. He strode past her toward the exit.

Before, forced by the cruelty of his station, he had to bow and scrape before this woman. But now, with the apocalypse raining down and survival a coin toss, why bother with the charade?

If he weren’t so pressed for time, he would have summoned Alpha-Seven to teach her a painful lesson.

Lin Yu recoiled, intimidated by the sudden ferocity in Wang Ba’s eyes. She took two involuntary steps back, her face flushing red with embarrassment, then green with fear.

Just as she opened her mouth to chase him down and assert her authority, a blood-red beam of sinister light, reeking of iron and death, roared down from the heavens, aiming straight for her!

Immediately after, a barrage of powerful spells followed in its wake.

Fortunately, a massive spirit beast leaped into the sky from a nearby peak, intercepting the attack with a roar.

But Lin Yu was already scared out of her wits—it was as if two of her three souls had fled her body. Trembling violently, she fished out a Divine Movement Talisman and, operating on pure instinct, ran wildly in Wang Ba’s wake.

Running one after the other, they didn’t travel far before arriving at Ding-Nine Manor.

Ding-Nine was currently sealed beneath a shimmering light curtain.

“Who goes there?!”

The nervous voice of Senior Brother Shi called out from within.

“It’s me! Wang Ba!”

“And me!”

Wang Ba didn’t care about Lin Yu trailing behind him; he rushed straight to the formation’s edge.

Gritting her teeth, Lin Yu caught up.

Inside, Senior Brother Shi and Tao Yi stood guard, visibly on edge. Only after confirming their identities did they open a gap in the light curtain.

“What is happening? Where is the sound of fighting coming from?” Shi asked impatiently as they stumbled in.

Wang Ba opened his mouth to speak, but Lin Yu beat him to it. “It’s the Heavenly Gate Sect!”

Wang Ba’s eyes darted between the three of them. His hand slipped into his robe, fingers crushing the jade pendant to dust—it was useless now, but he needed a weapon ready.

“What? The Heavenly Gate Sect?”

Shi was both shocked and furious. “Why would they suddenly launch a raid on the Eastern Sage Sect? Is this retaliation for the duel between the Elders? But the one injured was clearly Elder He…”

Tao Yi frowned, shaking his head. “At a time like this, does the reason matter? …Not good!”

A blinding blood-colored flare detonated against the barrier outside Ding-Nine!

“Don’t… don’t panic!” Shi shouted, channeling energy. “My Small Golden Bell Formation can withstand attacks below the Qi Refining Eighth Layer! As long as my Spiritual Power holds out, it can… Uh…”

Shi’s voice choked off.

He looked at Tao Yi in disbelief, clutching his neck. Blood spurted between his fingers, dark and hot. His other hand trembled as he pointed accusingly at his Junior Brother.

“You… hiss… you…”

But the sentence remained unfinished. The Qi Refining Sixth Layer cultivator collapsed, the light in his eyes fading rapidly before he could utter a final word.

“With this, you won’t be able to summon that troublesome black weasel, right?”

Tao Yi withdrew his blood-slicked magic sword. On his face, he wore a smile that was terrifyingly harmless—innocent, even.

The sudden betrayal stunned Lin Yu into silence.

She stared at Tao Yi, her mind unable to process the scene. “You… you’re crazy?! You actually killed Senior Brother Shi?!”

Wang Ba was also jolted by the sudden treachery.

But unlike Lin Yu, his paranoia was a honed reflex. The moment the sword moved, Wang Ba had already retreated several steps, Spiritual Power surging through his veins, ready to summon Alpha-Seven instantly to counter an ambush.

But then—

CRACK!

Without Shi to maintain the anchor, the Small Golden Bell Formation couldn’t withstand the bombardment. The light curtain shattered into sparks!

A cultivator with a jagged scar across his face burst in. His eyes burned with bloodlust as he thrust a blood-colored alms bowl directly at Lin Yu.

It had to be said, Lin Yu’s luck was absurdly good.

Just as the bowl descended, an Eastern Sage Sect disciple charged onto the scene from the flank. Dozens of ice spikes rained down like a violent storm, forcing the scar-faced invader to defend.

The scar-faced cultivator cursed, reversing his alms bowl to deflect the ice, and retreated rapidly. The sect disciple gave chase, and the two were instantly locked in a chaotic duel.

“Now… it’s your turn.”

Tao Yi turned back to the room, a ferocious grin splitting his face. Spiritual light pulsed along the edge of his bloody sword as he leveled it at Lin Yu.

His former amiability, his sharp tongue, his love for gossip—it had all been a perfect, meticulous mask.

Lin Yu finally reacted. Horror washed over her face.

“You… you’re one of them…”

Panicked, she frantically waved her hairpin artifact, which expanded in size. She poured Spiritual Power into it madly, shooting out streams of scorching fire.

At the same time, her hands became a blur as she raided her own Storage Bag. She stuffed pill after pill into her mouth and grabbed handfuls of low-level talismans, throwing them out in a desperate, uncoordinated frenzy!

Armor Protection Talismans! Blazing Flame Talismans! Sword Qi Talismans! Thunder Method Talismans!

She even threw Root Strengthening Talismans and Illusionary Attire Talismans into the mix, creating a chaotic storm of magical effects.

Caught in the barrage of trash and treasure, Tao Yi couldn’t close the distance.

He gritted his teeth, glaring at the hysterical woman. Then, an idea seemed to strike him. He turned his head sharply toward Wang Ba.

“Help me kill—”

The words died in his throat.

From the core of the Sect, a massive pillar of Sword Qi erupted, shooting straight up into the zenith. It spanned the heavens, a blinding vertical line that looked as if it intended to split the entire sky in two!

High above, numerous streams of hostile light were extinguished instantly, falling like dead meteors.

At the same time, an aged, domineering voice rolled out from the center of the mountains, echoing with enough force to shake the soul.

“Heavenly Gate Sect… do you truly wish to make an enemy of my Eastern Sage Sect?”

(End of Chapter)