System's Super Sect Chapter 1027 954: Return to Thousand Mechanism Lake (Second Update)

The demise of Celestial Traveler meant Hei Zhao and Lan Feng hesitated to trespass into East Lake.

However, Thousand Mechanism Lake was now under the dominion of the Covering Sky Pavilion.

How could these mere four individuals presume to arrive here?

Whoosh—

The duo transformed into streaks of light, rapidly reaching the city gates.

As they suspended themselves above the city tower, gazing down at Wen Pingchong and his companions, the terrified citizens of Vast City slowly ceased their panicked movements.

The Earth Unrestricted experts from the Covering Sky Pavilion had arrived.

What cause was there for fear?

"To launch a sudden assault outside Vast City, hoping to catch us unaware, what a jest! We have Earth Unrestricted experts from the Covering Sky Pavilion within our city!"

"Hold on, is that Chen Xie?"

"It truly is Chen Xie, that very traitor!"

"Traitor Chen Xie, how dare you return. The Hundred Sects Alliance treated you with kindness, yet you turned traitor and sided with the Immortal Sect."

"Traitor Chen Xie, prepare to meet your end!"

A multitude, recognizing Chen Xie, hurled accusations at him with fury.

Their animosity towards the Immortal Sect was profound.

Yet, their hatred for the traitor ran even deeper, down to their very bones.

Their animosity intensified upon realizing that Chen Xie's intelligence network now served the Immortal Sect, feeding them information.

Truly a scoundrel devoid of any worth!

When had the Hundred Sects Alliance ever treated him unfairly?

Yet he proved so unfeeling and treacherous.

Upon learning that one of the four was a turncoat from the Hundred Sects Alliance, Hei Zhao and Lan Feng found themselves observing Chen Xie with intrigued gazes.

They maintained a wait-and-see approach for the moment.

Since the four were essentially fish on a cutting board, their arrival time mattered little.

Amidst the surrounding chorus of condemnations and curses, Chen Xie remained unfazed, offering a slight chuckle as he calmly responded, "You are not me, so how can you ascertain that joining the Immortal Sect constitutes betrayal? You are not me, so how can you know the Hundred Sects Alliance treated me justly?"

Chen Xie retorted with two pointed questions.

These only served to ignite further accusations.

Chen Xie intended to continue his response, but Wen Pingchong intervened.

Wen Pingchong surveyed the surroundings before remarking, "Why expend effort explaining to them? If you spent your existence constantly justifying yourself to others, wouldn't that become tediously monotonous? Besides, their sole desire is to criticize and vent their frustrations upon you; your words would make no difference either way."

Chen Xie nodded, then directed his gaze skyward towards Hei Zhao and Lan Feng. He spoke in a deep tone to Wen Pingchong and the others, "The individual in black on the left is named Hei Zhao, and the one in blue on the right is called Lan Feng. According to their own assertions, the prowess of these two is equivalent to that of Celestial Traveler."

Hei Zhao and Lan Feng, upon hearing this.

Froze abruptly.

According to their own words?

Had Chen Xie truly infiltrated their inner circle with spies?

How could such a thing be possible?

Anyone who appeared within his private quarters was brought there by him directly from the Covering Sky Pavilion.

Could it have been some other method at play?

"A most impressive maneuver, to even know what I uttered. It appears your purpose in coming here today is linked to the events of last night, is it not?" Hei Zhao, though momentarily taken aback by Chen Xie's tactic, remained unperturbed. In the face of absolute power, what utility could such trivial tricks possess?

Chen Xie offered no reply.

It was Wen Pingchong who spoke next, "Only possess Celestial Traveler's strength?"

Considering Celestial Traveler's combat capability as Half-Step Celestial Unrestricted, Wen Pingchong did not even consider employing the system to retrieve brief information on Hei Zhao and Lan Feng.

What Vein Technique they cultivated.

What Spirit Body they practiced.

None of it mattered.

"Sword Demon, select one."

Wen Pingchong addressed Sword Demon.

Sword Demon, still yearning for more after his intense battle with Celestial Traveler, brightened with sheer delight upon being granted permission by the Sect Leader to choose an opponent.

It was akin to a shopper picking a favored item from a stall.

Sword Demon appraised Hei Zhao and Lan Feng for a moment before declaring, "I previously heard the name Hei Zhao mentioned on the battlefield. Today, allow me the honor of facing him!"

Hearing this, Hei Zhao, initially disregarded and seething with anger, erupted into boisterous laughter, as if confronted with the most comical jest.

"Sword Demon, the desire to confront me signifies your impending demise! While I may not surpass Celestial Traveler, you are certainly not formidable enough to provoke me."

With those words, a chilling killing intent gradually materialized on Hei Zhao's visage.

To dare utter such arrogance from the Earth Unrestricted Upper Realm!

Hei Zhao, with a frigid tone, commanded, "Lan Feng, leave that Upper Realm Demon God to your charge. The remaining two shall be dealt with by Di Ting and the others. Ensure they are not killed; keep them alive! As they are affiliates of the Immortal Sect, they undoubtedly possess greater knowledge of its workings than anyone else. We require more intelligence on the Immortal Sect at this juncture."

Lan Feng offered a slight nod, replying, "Rest assured, I shall not allow them to perish too swiftly."

Following this, Lan Feng instantly materialized on the opposing side.

Directly confronting Huaikong.

The human and demon faced each other, the fires of conflict instantly ignited.

Just as Huaikong prepared to make his move, Wen Pingchong’s voice cut through the air, "Huaikong, go open the exit to the Demon Realm, and then proceed to Demon Emperor Lake to make preparations."

Huaikong immediately withdrew his battle intent, pulling his lingering gaze away from Lan Feng. He then bowed deeply, replying, "Yes, Sect Leader!"

At this submission.

Hei Zhao and Lan Feng’s expressions turned drastically grim.

The faces of those from the Hundred Sects Alliance, who had anticipated a grand spectacle, also grew ashen.

The Sect Leader of the Immortal Sect!

A figure shrouded in mystery and radiating magnificence.

How could the Immortal Sect possess such formidable power now?

It was all because of his leadership that they had reached this stage.

Hei Zhao and Lan Feng were acutely aware that the appearance of the Immortal Sect Leader meant far more than a simple confrontation.

Could the Immortal Sect Leader have arrived to meet his demise?

That was utterly impossible!

"Battle!" Amidst the shock, Sword Demon eagerly took the initiative, charging towards Hei Zhao. His saber, imbued with Holy Light Blade Intent, descended upon Hei Zhao.

Boom—

The Meridian Gate reverberated.

The battle had officially begun.

Huaikong, transforming into a streak of light, swiftly flew towards the direction of the Demon Realm.

Lan Feng, who had intended to pursue, witnessed Wen Ping casually launching a Flying Ship, swiftly bringing Huaikong aboard. As they boarded, a Magic Wand materialized in Wen Ping's hand, which he then waved while intoning arcane phrases.

This display thoroughly deterred Lan Feng from daring to pursue Huaikong.

Bang!

All four of Lan Feng's veins opened simultaneously, and he cautiously observed Wen Ping, as if facing an insurmountable foe.

In the ensuing moment, an intense death Qi began to emanate from Wen Ping’s vicinity. It spread like the morning mist carried by the wind, rapidly expanding outwards to engulf half the sky above Vast City within moments.

Within this pervasive death Qi, the Gate of Hell reappeared!

Dark Stream Annihilation, morphing into wisps of black smoke, emerged wielding a colossal and terrifying Black Scythe. It swooped out with incredible speed, sweeping towards Lan Feng.

Di Ting was taken aback by the sudden turn of events.

Lan Feng, too, was stunned.

The assembled members of the Hundred Sects Alliance were even more astounded.

The hard-won confidence they had mustered moments before crumbled instantly upon the manifestation of Dark Stream Annihilation.

They began to scatter and flee, overwhelmed by the terrifying aura radiating from Dark Stream Annihilation, which far surpassed Lan Feng's own power.

"It's it!"

Lan Feng recognized the entity that had been responsible for Celestial Traveler’s death.

If it possessed the power to kill Celestial Traveler, it could undoubtedly end him as well!

Lan Feng hastily countered the immense Black Scythe wielded by Dark Stream Annihilation, then urgently shouted to Hei Zhao, "Never mind Sword Demon, come and assist me immediately. It dispatched Celestial Traveler in mere moments; I absolutely cannot face this alone."

As these words were spoken, the Black Scythe descended with crushing force.

The defensive barrier Lan Feng struggled to erect was obliterated by a single sweep of the scythe, shattering like brittle parchment.

Lan Feng, resembling a falling star, was flung backward, crashing into Vast City. He obliterated two to three streets consecutively before managing to regain his footing.

Witnessing this devastating display, Hei Zhao's face turned deathly pale.

Just one blow!

Lan Feng could not even withstand a single strike from that entity.

It was undeniably true that the Immortal Sect had arrived fully prepared!

"Get out of the way!" At this critical juncture, Hei Zhao had no inclination to engage with Sword Demon any longer. After delivering a forceful punch that sent Sword Demon reeling backward, he prepared to aid Lan Feng.

However, preventing his departure was precisely Sword Demon's intention.

The magic wand swung once more.

The Space Seal was activated anew!

It ensnared the surrounding space, effectively blocking Hei Zhao's intended path.

Simultaneously, the Holy Light Barrier responded and came to life!

Within a thousand-foot radius of Sword Demon, Hei Zhao found himself utterly incapable of utilizing any Vein Techniques.

This development completely negated Hei Zhao's means of breaking through the formidable Space Seal.

"You intend to depart?"

Sword Demon’s voice, accompanied by the unleashed Holy Light Blade Intent that manifested as countless flying blossoms, surged towards Hei Zhao.

Hei Zhao recoiled in shock after his collision with the Space Barrier. He then attempted to employ a Vein Technique to shatter the invisible spatial confines blocking his escape.

However, the Meridian Gate remained disconcertingly silent.

It was as if the very Gate had fallen into a deep slumber.

"What is this—" Hei Zhao stammered, a chilling wave of fear coursing through him.

This technique undoubtedly belonged to Sword Demon!

It had to be a skill acquired after his allegiance with the Immortal Sect, for on the battlefield, had Sword Demon possessed such a formidable method, he would surely have been a primary target for the elite warriors of the Battle Division. They would have pursued his elimination relentlessly, regardless of the cost.

"Your sole adversary is me." Sword Demon's declaration echoed, as the Holy Light Blade Intent, manifesting as a cascade of flying flowers, enveloped Hei Zhao.

Hei Zhao instinctively dodged, relying on his physical prowess and agility to evade Sword Demon's relentless Blade Intent assaults.

Though he initially believed his speed would be enough to evade the Sword Demon's Blade Intent, he discovered its pace was something he absolutely could not outrun.

He managed to dodge a few strands of the Blade Intent.

However, more Blade Intents relentlessly slashed towards his body.

Each Holy Light Blade Intent that impacted his Spirit Body began to corrode and dissolve it.

"What kind of Blade Intent is this?"

Overwhelmed by shock and dread, the Sword Demon's Meridian Gate trembled once more.

With swift movements, the Sword Demon's long saber carved a cross shape in the air.

Black in its horizontal sweep.

White in its vertical strike.

The Cross Blade Intent, rotating as it advanced, gained momentum and reached a terrifying velocity.

Hei Zhao successfully dodged the first manifestation of the Cross Blade Intent, but the second and third followed in rapid succession.

Without pause!

Leaving Hei Zhao with no opportunity to recover.

By the time of the fourth Cross Blade Intent, Hei Zhao could no longer evade in time. His left arm was grazed by its edge.

The graze tore away a chunk of flesh!

Blood erupted, drenching Hei Zhao's entire arm in a crimson tide.

"My Spirit Body cannot withstand this." Coming to this realization, Hei Zhao could hardly fathom that the Sword Demon before him possessed merely the power of the Earth Unrestricted Upper Realm.

His combat prowess registered at least at the Half-Step Celestial Unrestricted level.

It seemed only the realm breakthrough was pending.

Meanwhile, the Vein Techniques unleashed by Lan Feng were continually shattered by Dark Stream Annihilation, plunging him into sheer panic.

"Hei Zhao!"

"Help me!"

"Quick, come and assist me!"

These desperate pleas reverberated through the skies above Vast City.

The members of Covering Sky Tower remained in stunned silence.

The Hundred Sects Alliance stood equally mute.

Their silence, however, was not born of fear.

It stemmed from sheer speechlessness, an utter inability to comprehend what they were witnessing.

Both Hei Zhao and Lan Feng were recognized as Half-Step Celestial Unrestricted experts.

Considered peerless!

They were revered as deities by many inhabitants of Vast City.

Yet, faced with the prowess of the Immortal Sect's experts, this was the outcome.

Was the Immortal Sect simply too formidable?

Or were Hei Zhao and his counterparts just too weak?

(That's all for now... Goodnight.)