Luan Kong sacrifices himself to seal the Heavenly Cutting Abyss, preventing the Demon Clan's escape. Chen Nan self-destructs to deny his usage to others. Following the demons' disappearance, the Demon Sect launches a surprise attack on the Righteous Alliance, revealing Tu Wanshan's plan to eliminate both rival factions and seize control of the East Sea.
Dragon Fall Island became a brutal battlefield, with the clash between the Righteous Alliance and the Demon Sect unfolding unexpectedly. Cultivators of the Righteous Alliance found themselves in a complete state of unpreparedness, falling one by one instantly.
Furthermore, during prior conflicts with the Demon Clan, the Demon Sect's cultivators typically remained in the background, allowing those from the Righteous Alliance to bear the brunt of the fighting. This was due to the inherent sense of justice held by the Righteous Alliance members. Their cooperation with the Demon Sect, born of trust, now revealed its dire consequences.
It was likely that in the future, any mention of allying with the Demon Sect would provoke immediate and furious outrage from them.
"Zhao Qingxuan, I warned you that the moment you showed any sign of weakness, I would personally take you down," Blood Ash declared, his voice dripping with menace as he blocked Zhao Qingxuan's path, a bloodthirsty glint in his eyes.
"Hmph, you are not worthy!" Zhao Qingxuan retorted without hesitation. He immediately summoned the longsword in his grasp, unleashing a chilling aura that seemed to freeze the very air around them.
Meanwhile, Hua Nongying and Fan Wusheng commenced their own duel.
Fan Wusheng brandished a black banner, and the demonic figures depicted upon it appeared to awaken instantly. A torrent of black mist erupted, spewing forth ravenous monsters that trailed dark smoke as they lunged forward.
Hua Nongying's gaze sharpened slightly, recalling the memory of Chen Nan's reckless self-sacrifice. At the time, she couldn't comprehend his actions, especially since concealing himself within the Heavenly Cutting Abyss would have at least ensured his survival.
However, she now understood. From the moment Master Canglan revealed his Yin Yang Spirit Body, his survival was virtually impossible. As long as Chen Nan remained alive, those associated with him would face unending troubles, and even the Witch Tu Susu would not be exempt.
Therefore, his demise was the only way to safeguard the lives of those left behind.
"Alas, I had hoped to get to know him better. Such a pity," she murmured. As the black mist surged with grotesque, snarling monsters, Hua Nongying sighed. Suddenly, countless petals rained down around her, slicing through the monstrous apparitions like razor-sharp blades!
High above, Jiang Wuyue found himself in a dire predicament. Ambushed by Master Canglan while confronting Ao Hao, he sustained severe injuries. Unable to withstand Tu Wanshan's relentless assault, he was on the verge of being killed.
"Leave him to me! I must avenge my disciple!" Master Canglan suddenly intervened, his eyes blazing with hatred, his face contorted in fury.
His most hated enemy was Chen Nan. But with Chen Nan gone, his intense animosity now fixated on Jiang Wuyue. He believed that if Jiang Wuyue hadn't favored Chen Nan, his disciples would not have acted so recklessly, leading to their deaths.
Thus, in his distorted view, Jiang Wuyue bore the sole responsibility.
Tu Wanshan readily conceded, relinquishing the immediate battle to Master Canglan while he turned his attention to other Nascent Soul Realm cultivators.
"Jiang Wuyue, you never imagined it would come to this, did you?" Master Canglan snarled, his face a mask of hatred and seething rage.
Blood continued to drip from Jiang Wuyue. Panting heavily, he met Canglan's gaze, his heart aching with the realization of the Righteous Alliance's catastrophic downfall.
"Canglan, the Demon Sect will not harbor you. Return now, and I can guarantee your safety!" Jiang Wuyue pleaded.
Master Canglan scoffed, "Jiang Wuyue, save your pretenses. I see through you completely. Do not worry; I will ensure your disciples and descendants join you in the afterlife."
"I also want you to experience the agony of losing those you hold dear!"
Jiang Wuyue understood that Master Canglan was beyond redemption. He cast a weary glance at the embattled cultivators of the Righteous Alliance, a profound exhaustion washing over him.
He had never felt so utterly played, manipulated with such precision.
"Canglan, one day, you will regret this!"
With his final words, Jiang Wuyue hurled the treasure tower he held into the air. It erupted in a blinding golden light before detonating with a deafening roar.
The sheer force of the explosion caused half of Dragon Fall Island to sink.
Although Master Canglan managed to erect several spiritual artifacts for defense at the critical moment, they were instantly disintegrated. He himself was grievously wounded, his body torn asunder.
It was crucial to remember that the treasure tower Jiang Wuyue possessed was a fifth-grade spiritual artifact—a rarity even in the vast Endless Sea. The destructive power unleashed was, therefore, immense.
Seizing this chaotic opportunity, Jiang Wuyue, along with Hua Nongying, Zhao Qingxuan, and several other Nascent Soul Realm cultivators, swiftly escaped Dragon Fall Island using secret movement techniques.
The remaining cultivators of the Righteous Alliance were consumed by despair, abandoned by their Hierarch, facing only the certainty of death.
To everyone's surprise, Tu Wanshan commanded his forces to halt.
"Your Hierarch abandoned you to perish, taking only those he held dear. Can such a person truly warrant your loyalty?"
"Now, a path to survival is offered: vanquish a former comrade, and you shall be permitted to join the Demon Sect!"
Upon hearing Tu Wanshan's grim proposal, the cultivators of the Righteous Alliance remaining present faltered, their gazes then shifting towards their erstwhile allies.
Their desperate scramble for life unveiled the basest aspects of human nature.
Ultimately, half of the Righteous Alliance's cultivators were extinguished, and among those who endured, not a flicker of remorse marred their countenances. What radiated was the profound relief of having cheated death and the sheer luck of continued existence.
"Behold, the human heart is the most pliable of instruments,"
Tu Wanshan's cold chuckle echoed as he advanced slowly towards the grievously wounded Master Canglan.
"Sect Leader, my failure allowed Jiang Wuyue to flee, but I vow he shall not escape my grasp again!" Master Canglan hastily declared his fealty.
Despite the loss of half his body, as a martial expert at the ninth-layer of the Nascent Soul Realm, his recovery was all but assured.
Furthermore, within the Demon Sect, his formidable power would undoubtedly command significant deference, potentially yielding him a status superior to that which he held in the Righteous Alliance.
He never conceived, however, that Tu Wanshan would seize him by the throat, yanking him violently upwards, his overwhelming mana constricting into ethereal ropes that bound his very form.
Even the power swirling within him was utterly subjugated.
Had he not been so severely injured, survival against Tu Wanshan's grip might have been possible. Yet now, in his profoundly debilitated state, the strength to resist had completely deserted him.
"Sect Leader, what is the meaning of this?" he cried out, a tremor of fear in his voice.
Tu Wanshan's smile was as chilling as ice, "Meaning? For someone as treacherous as you, even the Demon Sect would hesitate to bring you in. You were merely a pawn, did you truly believe our intentions were sincere?"
"What?!" Master Canglan's eyes snapped wide open, utterly blindsided by this revelation.
He had betrayed Jiang Wuyue, inflicted grievous wounds upon him personally, believing he was avenging his disciples. Now, he faced the devastating truth: he had been nothing more than a fool, a pawn in a larger game.
Tu Wanshan had no intention of recruiting him; he was merely a disposable tool.
"Heh heh, hahahaha!"
A bitter, wracking laugh escaped Master Canglan. He felt adrift in a sea of absurdity, the ultimate punchline of a cruel cosmic jest.
