Save?
The assembled experts were momentarily stunned.
Did Liu Wen have other helpers on Dragon Island?
And…
Helpers capable of defeating Bai Zihe!
There was no time to ponder.
For Liu Wen's life hung in the balance of Bai Zihe's whim.
The next moment.
Bai Zihe's right hand clamped around Liu Wen's neck, lifting him from the crater he had been embedded in.
"Die!"
Bai Zihe gazed at the experts, buried by wind, sand, and dirt, with only scattered bloodstains remaining. His heart ached, and a chilling killing intent flashed in his eyes.
As the words fell,
Bai Zihe's right hand began to tighten.
Suddenly.
Just as Liu Wen's neck was about to snap, a peculiar smile spread across his face.
Bai Zihe wasted no words.
Regardless of his smile, he increased the pressure.
"Crack…"
However, at this moment.
Bai Zihe heard a sound from behind him.
It was like…
a cracked eggshell, seemingly insignificant, yet like a tear in the fabric of the world.
It was as if…
a presence from eons past, evoking apprehension and bewilderment.
Concurrently.
A mighty oppressive force descended upon the area.
Silent waves of air rippled outwards, surging in successive crests.
Instantly, they swept over Bai Zihe's body.
"What is this?"
Bai Zihe's pupils constricted sharply. He halted his action, still holding Liu Wen by the neck, and looked behind him.
The sight made his eye twitch violently.
In the void.
A graceful ethereal figure materialized, hovering in mid-air.
Bathed in sword light, its features were indistinct, but its slender form and flowing robes exuded an air of mastery.
This person advanced upon the wind.
Seemingly carried by it,
In reality…
their sharpness blazed, like a colossal sword reaching towards the heavens.
"Esteemed One, save me!"
Liu Wen frantically worked his throat, calling out to the ethereal figure.
Bai Zihe's eyes turned completely cold.
It seemed…
the Guardian of the Imperial City harbored a secret.
Whether it was the golden sword bone from moments ago, or some other artifact he carried, it had managed to summon such a formidable presence.
However, Bai Zihe felt no fear!
This was Dragon Island, and the will of the Dragon Emperor reigned supreme.
All others,
regardless of their divine abilities, if they could not surpass the Dragon Emperor, they must yield.
"Release him."
The white figure spoke indifferently, devoid of any human warmth. "I can grant you a dignified death."
"Otherwise…"
"Though I am but an ephemeral projection, I can still obliterate your existence."
The speaker's tone was ancient and imposing.
"Bai Zihe, release me quickly!"
Now emboldened by the arrival of his backer, Liu Wen's face contorted with disdain. "Otherwise, should the Esteemed One be angered…"
"You will be reduced to dust in an instant!"
In the face of death, all beings are equal.
Liu Wen, the esteemed Guardian of the Imperial City, was no different from an ordinary person.
Birth, aging, sickness, death, joy, anger, sorrow, ignorance, greed…
He possessed no less than anyone else in the world!
"Is that so?"
Bai Zihe suddenly bared his teeth in a smile.
Then, he raised his head to the ethereal figure in the sky, utterly fearless, and exerted force with his right hand.
"Crack!"
"Crack crack!"
In the blink of an eye, he snapped Liu Wen's neck.
Even…
he severed the head and tossed it towards the figure in the sky.
Liu Wen, the once mighty Guardian of the Imperial City, met his demise!
"Insolent pup, you… dare!"
The ethereal figure roared in fury, its hair standing on end.
A single explosive shout unleashed a torrent of malevolent energy, accompanied by the wails of spectral phantoms.
"Shuuu…"
A sword energy, effortlessly piercing Liu Wen's severed head.
However, it then exploded.
Brain matter splattered, flesh flew, and the scene became a bloody, hellish spectacle.
Such brutality…
even Bai Zihe couldn't help but wince.
This was merely a test.
The result was clear.
The figure showed no concern for Liu Wen's head, treating it as if it were mere straw. Either this being was naturally indifferent to life and death, or Liu Wen was merely an expendable pawn.
"Die!"
The enraged man in white roared, then unleashed three streaks of sword energy.
The sword energies formed a triangle in the air, streaking like meteors across the sky, arriving in an instant, mere blinks of an eye away from Bai Zihe.
"Boom!"
Bai Zihe felt the unparalleled power radiating from them and unleashed a punch.
"Rumble…"
Thunderous explosions echoed through the area.
The sword energy dissipated into smoke.
However, Bai Zihe was also wounded by the sword energy, a wisp of blood trickling from his lip.
Too powerful!
The sword energy unleashed casually by this person was no weaker than Liu Wen's fully charged strike from moments ago, and perhaps even surpassed it.
Its condensed form, its sharpness…
exceeded Liu Wen's by an immeasurable degree.
Bai Zihe's heart tightened as he raised both fists again.
"Boom!"
"Rumble!"
One fist manifested dragon and tiger, the other condensed Tai Chi.
Simultaneously clashing with the remaining two sword energies.
"Puff…"
After the violent impact, Bai Zihe retreated several steps, spewing a mouthful of blood, his expression grim.
The power of this person's sword energy was astonishing.
Bai Zihe surmised that this person… was likely a cultivator beyond the Transformation Realm!
"Who are you?"
After the three sword energies, Bai Zihe coolly fixed his gaze on the opponent.
"Ignorant whelp."
The figure, seemingly confident of victory, coldly declared, "Listen well, I am Qin Changsheng, the Seventh Elder of the Tianshan Sword Sect!"
"When you reach the underworld, do not misreport your name!"
Killing intent dripped from every word!
Tianshan Sword Sect?
Bai Zihe had never heard of it.
But Zhuge Sheng, within his light cocoon, suddenly changed expression.
"It's… the Tianshan Sword Sect!"
"No wonder…"
Zhuge Sheng's eyes flickered, his voice filled with apprehension and a hint of realization.
"Your Majesty."
Elder Liu, noticing his solemnity and shock, quickly asked, "What kind of power is the Tianshan Sword Sect, and why would it appear on Dragon Island?"
As he spoke,
the other experts within the light cocoon also looked over.
Zhuge Sheng let out a wry smile and said with a dry throat, "It is an… immortal sect!"
Immortal?
Immortal!
The word alone sent a ripple of unease through everyone.
Since antiquity.
What ruler, what great achiever, did not desire immortality?
The First Emperor, a monarch for the ages, had mobilized countless resources, manpower, and wealth in his quest for immortality, yet ultimately found no path.
Subsequently…
the emperors of every dynasty in the Great Xia followed suit.
But without exception, all met with failure. Many even neglected state affairs, resulting in a tarnished legacy.
In recent years, with the advancement of modern science, it has been virtually proven that immortality is essentially impossible. Be it human, demon, or ghost, all have a lifespan.
But today.
These words were uttered by His Majesty, the current Emperor…
How could it not be shocking!
How could it not be alarming!
Elder Liu, almost instinctively, spoke with disbelief etched on his face, "Your Majesty, what you just said, is it an immortal sect?"