Chapter 78 — Six
劍問蒼天 · Page 4 of 8
By contrast, every soul among the Demonic Cult was wild with elation. For a hundred years and more they had been driven out of the Central Plains, penned up in the wild marches; now that they had at last won their breath and raised their brows, how could their spirits not soar?
Yuyang Zi felt that in presiding over this great undertaking, the Holy Cult had crushed the two colossal righteous sects in a single stroke; hereafter his standing within the Holy Cult would surely tower above all others. Perhaps from this very day he might raise the Changsheng Hall to the eminence the Lianxue Hall had known eight hundred years before under the Black-Hearted Elder.
At that thought, Yuyang Zi swelled with even greater complacency, and with insolent laughter he said to Daoist Daoyan, "Old thief Daoyan, hand over at once your sect's guardian treasure, the Immortal-Slaying Ancient Sword, and then submit yourself beneath the banner of our Holy Cult—and I shall spare your lives! Hahaha!"
The dozens of Demonic Cult masters behind him roared with laughter together, as though the century of pent-up fury could at last be vented fully this day.
And in the distance, from the Jietian Peak came unbroken the cries of alarm from the Qingyun disciples locked in slaughter there, as though they too supplied a dismal prelude to the fate now awaiting the Canglan Sect.
Yet upon Daoist Daoyan's ashen face there was a look of unyielding resolve. He scoffed at Yuyang Zi and said coldly, "Even if the Canglan Sect be destroyed at your hands this day, you shall never see us bend the knee and surrender."
So saying, he retreated several paces to stand among the ranks of the Canglan Sect. Tian Buhui, Shang Zhengliang, and the other elders at once gathered around him, and his prized disciple Xiao Yichen too took hold of him, saying in a low, anxious voice, "Master, your body—"
Daoist Daoyan gave a grunt and said urgently, "Calamity is at our brows. Junior brother Tian, junior brother Shang, junior brother Zeng, junior brother Tianyun—you four hold out here a while. Junior sister Shuiyue, take a few of the second-generation disciples and get the friends of the Fanyin Temple away first. They were wounded in aid of my Qingyun; we must not let them suffer further harm."
All those he had charged nodded at once in assent, and Tian Buhui added, "Senior brother sect master, we shall hold them off here. You are gravely wounded—go quickly. While there is green on the hills, another day—"
He broke off abruptly, but the meaning of his words was plain to all. Zeng Shuchang and several other elders nodded in agreement, but Daoist Daoyan gave a bitter laugh and said, "The foundations of our forebears—would you have me abandon them? I, Daoyan, would sooner die than be a traitor for all ages!"
Tian Buhui and the others fell silent. Daoist Daoyan glanced at the Demonic Cult, who were by now stirring restlessly, and suddenly seemed to have resolved upon some course; in a low voice he said, "Matters have come to this—there is no way but to defy the founder's prohibitions and use that final killing measure!"
The others, including most of the elders, were taken aback.
Daoist Daoyan drew a deep breath and said, "There is no time to spare. I shall go and summon forth the Immortal-Slaying Ancient Sword. As for you—" He looked around at them all, then suddenly lowered his voice. "Whatever you may think of me in your hearts, matters have come to this—take care, all of you!"
Tian Buhui and the others were moved, and were about to say something more, when suddenly came a gale of wild laughter, a flash of unearthly light from treasures, and the Demonic Cult at last struck.
In an instant, the Yuheng Hall—solemn and august but a moment before—was filled with flying treasures and crisscrossing beams of unnatural light, while thunderous crashes rang unceasingly upon the ear.