236: The destruction of Haoyang Sect

Sacred Domain, Haoyang Sect.

"By the Empress's command, the remnants of Haoyang Sect shall be killed without mercy!"

"Kill!"

An army of eight thousand Cultivators surged like a tide into the main headquarters of Haoyang Sect.

Ice and Snow Sect Elder Xue Zhibai led the charge, wielding her Twin Ice and Snow Swords. With every swing, a pool of hot blood would spill, instantly freezing and scattering across the Sect's ground.

Another Ice and Snow Sect male Disciple, Yuwen Ying, swept his sword horizontally, instantly turning hundreds of approaching Haoyang Sect Disciples into ice sculptures.

"Kill~"

An Imperial City military general, holding a horizontal saber, charged into the crowd and began a frenzied slaughter.

Wherever his saber passed, both men and horses were torn apart. None of the Haoyang Sect Disciples could withstand even a single Move from him; all were sent to Yellow Springs.

After another Saber Qi blast, the Immortal Dynasty military general's vision suddenly cleared. He had, by himself with a single saber, forcefully cut through the battle formation.

"Who else can withstand three Moves from my Shangguan Wuji?"

As his voice fell, Shangguan Wuji swung his saber back.

Instantly, a forty-meter Saber Qi swept across, raising a cloud of blood mist.

With intent against the unprepared, no one in Haoyang Sect could have predicted that the original three-way power struggle in the Sacred Domain would be completely shattered by an external force.

Even more unexpected was that the newly established Yintian Imperial Dynasty, without any warning, launched a decapitation strike against Haoyang Sect immediately after reorganizing the Xuan Sheng Immortal Dynasty army, while both internal and external affairs were unstable.

In that instant, the completely unprepared Haoyang Sect was caught off guard. Within just a few days, thirty-seven strongholds had all fallen.

Shangguan Wuji raised his horizontal saber, pointing it directly at the trembling Haoyang Sect Disciples before him, revealing a cruel, sinister smile.

"The Empress has commanded: kill without mercy!"

Wherever the saber's light passed, blood flowed like a river.

Sounds of slaughter were everywhere, and corpses littered the ground.

The Disciples of Haoyang Sect, facing the crushing might of regular Cultivators, were beaten back repeatedly, utterly powerless to retaliate.

"No, don't kill me, don't kill me!"

Just as Xue Zhibai's sword was about to pierce a Haoyang Sect Disciple's face... "Primordial Universe Technique!"

A Two Polar Qi barrier swept across the battlefield, directly forcing Xue Zhibai's sword strike back.

"Lin Yu?"

A questioning sound. Lin Yu, clad in white robes purer than snow, arrived, treading on air.

His lithe figure slowly descended, his Feather Fan gently swaying in his hand, as he stood in the middle of the battlefield.

"Lin Yu, you've finally shown yourself."

Lin Yu put away his Feather Fan, and with a lift of his hand, a golden Imperial Sword gracefully fell into his grasp.

"Although this Sect Master has already stepped down, since you've come knocking, this Autumn Water in my hand naturally must defend the Sect's final dignity."

As his voice faded, Shangguan Wuji, who was nearby, had already spun his horizontal saber and directly slashed towards Lin Yu.

Shangguan Wuji's saber strike was powerful and imposing, carrying extreme pressure, giving Lin Yu no chance to breathe.

However, Lin Yu settled his Qi into his Dantian and focused his mind.

Just an instant before Shangguan Wuji's saber strike could reach him.

Autumn Water unsheathed, emitting a dazzling and brilliant Sword Aura, which instantly spread across the battlefield.

Shangguan Wuji's offensive was immediately forced back by the chilling glare of the Sword Aura. He dared not advance rashly and quickly shifted from offense to defense.

"Dragon Severing Stab."

With a single stab, the Sword Aura flashed instantly, directly forcing Shangguan Wuji back more than ten steps.

At the same time, as the lingering Sword Aura swept through, over twenty former Ice and Snow Sect Disciples behind him instantly fell into eternal silence.

"What sharp Sword Qi, what a Dragon Severing Stab."

Shangguan Wuji, who had been pushed back dozens of steps by a single sword, stabilized himself and looked at Lin Yu, his eyes filled with killing intent.

With the Autumn Water Sword Aura retracted, Lin Yu held the sword in his right hand and the sheath in his left. Facing an army of thousands, he calmly crossed the sword and sheath behind his back, sweeping his gaze across all beings with disdain.

"Putting on airs. Let's see how long you can last."

Xue Zhibai soared with her sword, raising her hand and pointing a sword directly at Lin Yu's glabella.

"Snow Melt into Frost!"

As the sword struck, frost and snow fell in abundance.

The swirling Sword Qi, like overturning clouds and churning rain, rushed straight for Lin Yu's vital points.

"Phantom God - Extreme."

Lin Yu, however, responded calmly. As his opponent's Move approached, Autumn Water swept out, stirring up boundless Dao Rhyme, which spontaneously formed a vast primordial energy, instantly blocking all of Xue Zhibai's Sword Intent.

At the same time, the residual force of Autumn Water's Sword Aura pushed back, causing Xue Zhibai to spit out crimson blood and retreat repeatedly.

"With me here in Haoyang Sect, none of you shall desecrate it in the slightest."

At this moment, Lin Yu was like a savior turning the tide, becoming the most revered figure among the remaining Haoyang Sect Disciples.

"Is that so?"

But just as his voice fell, a cold question echoed from the sky.

Immediately after, the weather changed, and rolling clouds churned.

Lin Yu's brow unconsciously furrowed. He felt an Aura Pressure descending from the air, far exceeding his own endurance limit, causing his vital Qi and blood to surge and his Spiritual Qi to gradually lose control.

Looking up, amidst the sun-obscuring dark clouds, a snow-colored Ice Phoenix slowly descended.

And standing atop the Ice Phoenix was a beautiful, moon-like maiden he had never seen before, cold and noble.

"Greetings, Yintian Empress!"

The moment the Ice Phoenix appeared, both Xue Zhibai and Shangguan Wuji immediately led their troops to kneel and bow.

Yu Xiyan was draped in a snow-colored cloak, her eyes slightly closed, her entire body enveloped in an invisible Dao Rhyme glow.

With the Ice Phoenix still a hundred zhang from the ground, she lightly leaped.

Her light footsteps, her graceful posture, she floated down onto the earth.

The instant her jade feet touched the ground, the surrounding temperature plummeted rapidly.

In just a moment, the Cultivators behind Lin Yu, who had lower cultivation, were frozen to death on the spot.

Even Lin Yu, facing the Aura Pressure emanating from Yu Xiyan, felt a lingering fear, his body covered in a thin layer of frost.

"You are the most outstanding prodigy in the Sacred Domain in the past hundred years, as Nalan Shu called you, and also the Sect Master of this Haoyang Sect, Lin Yu?"

Yu Xiyan's tone was bone-chillingly cold. Every word and phrase was filled with a Law, pressing down on Lin Yu, making him sweat profusely.

But he still mustered his courage and replied, "Yintian Empress, you are truly peerless in grace. To meet you today is indeed extraordinary."

Yu Xiyan showed a hint of mockery: "To start begging for mercy from me now, don't you think it's a bit too late?"

Lin Yu pointed Autumn Water: "Beg for mercy? Wrong. Although I, Lin, am untalented, I took over Haoyang Sect from my foster father a hundred years ago.

While I haven't made the Sect prosper greatly, I still know the meaning of 'shame.' Begging for mercy from you? That's impossible."

As his voice fell, a chilling sensation pierced him. Lin Yu suddenly felt his hand frozen, making it difficult to grip the Autumn Water Spirit Sword.

"I will give you one chance. Kneel before me, and you may live."

"Apologies, I cannot do that."

"Then, what a pity. I cherish talent, but for those unwilling to be loyal to me, I can only destroy them."

After Yu Xiyan finished speaking, with a slight lift of her hand, a fierce hurricane rose behind her, slowly sweeping towards Lin Yu.

"This... what kind of cultivation is this? To be able to mobilize the power of heaven and earth's Laws for her own use with just a raise of a hand?"

Lin Yu's eyes widened in disbelief.

He knew the gap between him and his opponent, but he never expected it to be so immense, completely beyond what his current self could contend with in the slightest.