Top-tier Unruly Master

"With the Water Curtain, we indeed couldn't have come in, but what if the Water Curtain were to break?" Kou Yan's lips slightly curved upward, with a look as if he had everything under control.

Standing beside him, Qi Changran's expression turned grave.

A person like Kou Yan, with deep schemes, now daring to wreak havoc here so boldly, must certainly have made some preparations.

"Someone, go ensure the Water Curtain Array is well guarded. We must prevent outsiders from getting in," Qi Changran ordered his followers.

"Yes!" A disciple readily responded, then with a flicker, he dashed straight toward the gate of the mountain.

Off to the side, Kou Yan let out a cold laugh. "Do you think your preparations now are of any use? In just a quarter of an hour, the Water Curtain Array will completely collapse, and my troops outside will storm in. By then, everyone in Quanzhen Xuanmen, will die by our swords."

Qi Changran's complexion grew even uglier.

They were already having immense difficulty dealing with the few people like Kou Yan; if people from the outside swarmed in as well, Quanzhen Xuanmen would certainly fall.

"Father, even if we all die today, we cannot let these few dogs go. Within fifteen minutes, we'll just have to kill them all," Qi Luomei said, stepping forward from the side.

"You think you can kill us all in fifteen minutes? You're being too naive," Kou Yan retorted, and with a wave of his right hand, a very powerful gust of wind shot directly towards Qi Luomei.

Kou Yan's cultivation was formidable indeed, how could Qi Luomei dodge his attack?

However, just as the gust from Kou Yan was about to strike Qi Luomei, Qi Changran extended his right hand.

Boom… Qi Changran intercepted the oncoming gust midway, then swiftly moved to protect Qi Luomei behind him.

"It seems the Sect Leader of Quanzhen Xuanmen can't sit idle any longer, no matter. Killing all the protectors wouldn't be as satisfying as directly beheading the Sect Leader," Kou Yan said with an especially vicious smile.

"You want to kill me? We'll see if you have the ability," Qi Changran huffed coldly.

"Shadow, I'll leave Qi Changran to you," Kou Yan called out to a servant by his side.

The one called Shadow with a gloomy face stepped forward. Then, pointing his longsword at Qi Changran, he said, "I am here to kill you."

Kou Yan chuckled to the side. "Qi Changran, no matter what, you are the Sect Leader. If you were killed by one of my servants, you would really lose face. If I were you, I would surrender the Heavenly Book Fragment honestly and save myself from both embarrassment and death."

"Nonsense!" Qi Changran swung his right hand, and suddenly a powerful Sword Qi surged forth.

With a fierce shout, Qi Changran's sword struck directly towards the Shadow to the side.

"Interesting, it seems you do have some skills," Shadow snorted lightly, his longsword meeting Qi Changran's in combat.

The two engaged in a fierce battle, exchanging blows back and forth.

Ding Fan watched silently at the side.

Shadow's cultivation was peculiarly strong, Ding Fan could clearly sense that within Shadow's body lay numerous strands of Inner Strength, chaotic, yet compressed within his dantian.

This chaotic Inner Strength could be used by Shadow with ease.

From Ding Fan's experience, Shadow must have mastered an Art that allowed him to absorb others' Inner Strength for his own use; Ding Fan had heard of the Star Absorbing Great Technique on television. It seemed Shadow's technique was somewhat reminiscent of it.

Up in the Arena at this moment, Shadow and Qi Changran were locked in ferocious combat.

In Ding Fan's view, Shadow's cultivation was slightly superior to Qi Changran's. Moreover, Qi Changran was under great mental pressure, with the entire Quanzhen Xuanmen now depending on him. If he were to be slain by Shadow, then Quanzhen Xuanmen would truly be finished.

Because of the pressure on him, it did not take long for Qi Changran to show signs of faltering. In the Arena, Shadow was nearly overpowering him.

At this moment, all the Quanzhen Xuanmen disciples looked on with tense faces.

Qi Changran was not only the backbone of Quanzhen Xuanmen, but also its spiritual pillar. However, at present in the Arena, Qi Changran was continuously forced on the defensive, making the entire scene extremely oppressive.

Thump…

Just as all the disciples of Quanzhen Xuanmen were silently rooting for Qi Changran, Shadow kicked him to the ground in one blow.

"Die!" Shadow, not intending to give Qi Changran any further chance, saw his target lose balance. His longsword immediately struck out towards Qi Changran.

By this point, Qi Changran had completely lost his footing, and it was impossible for him to dodge at this stage.

Qi Changran closed his eyes.

But just when Qi Changran was certain of his death, a figure flashed by and swiftly carried him out of harm's way.

Swish, swish, swish… Seeing someone coming to Qi Changran's rescue, Shadow showed no mercy with his sword, thrusting pointedly towards them.

Witnessing this, the disciples of Quanzhen Xuanmen gasped in shock.

The figure dashed to save Qi Changran, but Shadow's swift and sinister Sword Beam enveloped them both under its curtain. In such a situation, it seemed no one could have evaded it.

What happened next in the Arena, left all the spectators agape in astonishment.

In the face of the black shadow's relentless assassination attempt, the figure skillfully evaded with Qi Changran, dodging back and forth under the onslaught of the sword beams.

Boom... As the figure continued to evade the incoming sword strikes while carrying Qi Changran, a strong gust of wind was sent forth directly in retaliation.

The menacing black shadow was immediately forced back by the inner strength of the newcomer. Seizing that moment, the figure had already returned to their own lines with Qi Changran in tow.

Qi Changran still felt a sense of disbelief even after being set down on the ground. He hastily looked to his side, and upon recognizing the savior who had rescued him, Qi Changran was all the more astonished.

The one who had saved Qi Changran was none other than Jia Tong.

Jia Tong was an ordinary sect disciple with mediocre cultivation, designated by Qi Changran to stand guard at the sect gates to make the best use of his capabilities.

And yet, it was this very Jia Tong who had managed to rescue him from beneath the sword qi of the assailant...

Qi Changran felt a wave of surrealness. Had he not seen it with his own eyes, he would have never believed what he saw; that he, a sect leader of such standing, had been saved by a disciples of his own sect.

Not only was Qi Changran shocked, the black shadow was equally taken aback.

The black shadow's swordsmanship was incredibly formidable, not only were the angles of his attacks tricky, but his inner strength was also immensely powerful. Under the circumstances just now, the leader of the Quanzhen Xuanmen Sect was at his wits' end against his sword, yet, surprisingly, he was rescued by a simple and most ordinary sect disciple.

"Sect Leader, handling a servant is a trivial matter, certainly not something you should bother with. Such a task can easily be left to me," Jia Tong said to Qi Changran.

Qi Changran felt a sense of unreality. Jia Tong was usually an incompetent planner, unable to defeat even ordinary disciples, let alone face such a formidable martial artist as the black shadow.

"You must not act recklessly..." Qi Changran said to Jia Tong.

"Sect Leader, there's no need to worry about me. Dealing with a servant is within my capabilities as a disciple of the Quanzhen Xuanmen Sect, like taking a drill to soft wood," Jia Tong said with confidence.

After finishing his words, Jia Tong no longer paid attention to Qi Changran and turned to walk directly towards the black shadow.

Qi Changran wanted to go after Jia Tong, but Luo Mei held him back.

Looking back at his daughter Luo Mei with confusion, all she said was, "Father, I feel that Jia Tong is different today, why not let him have a try?"

Considering Luo Mei's words and watching the back of Jia Tong as he walked towards the arena, Qi Changran ultimately chose silence.

By now, everyone's attention was focused on the arena.

The Quanzhen Xuanmen disciples began to whisper amongst themselves as Jia Tong stepped forward to confront the challenge.

"Jia Tong's cultivation isn't that impressive, is he just giving himself up for nothing?"

"Indeed, even Elder Zhang Shun and Elder Liu Peisen were no match for that black shadow, what can Jia Tong possibly do?"

"That Jia Tong usually likes to show off, it seems he's treating this as his stage to strut."

"Alas, after this showing off, I fear he won't have a life left to boast about..."

Within the confines of the Quanzhen Xuanmen, everyone knew each other well; Jia Tong stepping up was akin to seeking death in the eyes of his peers.

After all, if Zhang Shun and Liu Peisen were no match for their opponent, how could a mere Jia Tong stand a chance?

All present believed Jia Tong was still the same old Jia Tong. Little did they know, the current Jia Tong was already no longer who he used to be; he was compellingly transformed into Ding Fan.

"You piece of scallion! Register your name before you step up!" the black shadow said to the Ding Fan-disguised Jia Tong.

Imitating Jia Tong, Ding Fan rubbed his nose. "For a mere servant to ask for my name, you're thinking too much. You're not even qualified to carry my shoes. If you're afraid of death, then hurry down and call your leader, Kou Yan, to come over."

The black shadow's face darkened instantly at Ding Fan's blatant disdain.

"Boy, I won't rest until I kill you today, or I'll take your surname!" the black shadow said, brandishing his longsword.

Ding Fan shook his head with scorn. "You better not take my surname; having a descendant like you would kill me with shame!"

"You dare take advantage of me!" incensed, the black shadow lunged, his longsword striking swiftly towards Ding Fan.

The black shadow was fast, but in Ding Fan's eyes, he was insignificant. Even without using his Divine Sense, Ding Fan could easily dodge, and given that he was constantly monitoring the opponent with his Divine Sense, evasion was even simpler.

At that moment, Ding Fan swiftly sidestepped, and the black shadow's attack missed him entirely. Without any hesitation, Ding Fan's right hand transformed into a knife hand, slashing viciously towards the back of the black shadow's neck.

The black shadow, though cautious, quickly dodged. He intended to avoid Ding Fan's attack, but he could never have anticipated Ding Fan's agility. Before the black shadow could clear out of the way, Ding Fan's knife hand had already sliced through the black shadow's abdomen.

Splat...

Blood splattered in an instant, and entrails spilled to the ground. Looking at the black shadow, he was already cleaved in two by Ding Fan, dead beyond any doubt.

Ding Fan glanced indifferently at the black shadow on the ground and then looked up at Kou Yan. "Who else wishes to die..."