High above, Gui Delun and the Sect Master slammed together in a burst of bright light. Waves of magic blew out from their clash, slamming down on the disciples below as a physical blow. Hui stumbled back, and beside him, Tang Fei bent over, hands over her head. For a few seconds, all but the fifth-stage Peak Lords stopped fighting and did nothing but fight against the pressure from the experts clashing overhead.

“Legacy Treasure!” Sect Master Lan shouted, and waved his sleeve. A 3,000 meter long red-eyed crow shot out from a blurry shape behind the fifth mountain and charged at Gui Delun, claws bared.

Blurry shape? It looked like… the sixth mountain, Hui remembered suddenly. He put a hand to his head, frowning. I was imprisoned there for three years, in that cave. That’s where I developed the skin shed technique. How could I forget…?

Gui Delun stared down the black crow, unruffled. He stretched his hand out, palm flat. A sun-like halo appeared behind him. Like light spilling through a clouded sky, beams of light burst from his back. He stepped forward, and an imperial crown appeared on his head. Another step, and golden brocade robes embroidered with dragons draped over his body. He pushed out toward the crow, emanating the absolute authority of an emperor. “Qiu Xuanwu, I rebuke you!”

Golden chains wrapped around the crow, binding it in place. A shocking aura emanated from the chains. Even from this distance, Hui was left panting, his mind trembling. The chains’ pressure weighed down on him, threatening to seal his cultivation and plummet him to the earth, even from this distance. Under his feet, his sword trembled, clattering against his shoes.

If the chains are that terrifying… how terrifying is the crow, that Gui Delun needs to use the chain against it?

The crow cried out, clawing and biting at the chains. Its cry spread out as shockwaves, buffeting the cultivators below. No one under fifth stage continued to try to fight. Even if they did, their magical techniques were dissolved under the might of the two beings clashing overhead, and their physical attacks faltered along with their bodies.

As the crow thrashed, the chains began to dissolve. It fought harder, on the verge of breaking through.

Gui Delun pushed his hand out again. “Qiu Xuanwu, I rebuke you!”

The chains revived, wrapping the crow once more. This time, a golden aura began to glow behind the crow as well, but where it strengthened Gui Delun, the gold aura harmed the crow. It cried out again, but its cry only made hearts flutter, rather than blowing the cultivators back.

Sect Master Lan grit his teeth and stepped back. His hand grasped, as if he searched for something, anything, to turn the tide. “How do you know the name of our sect’s reserve spirit beast?”

“Your Starbound Sect and our All-Heavens Sect… have an unfortunately lengthy history. But today, by wiping away your sect, I cut off that hideous past of ours.” Gui Delun pushed out a third time. “Qiu Xuanwu, I rebuke you!”

A golden satsuma tree appeared atop the crow. Only a sprout at first, it sunk its roots into the crow. As it grew rapidly, the crow withered away. Barely able to protest, it wriggled and let out a dry squawk. The satsuma tree grew to its full height, and fruits ripened on its branches.

Only the feathers and dry bones of the crow remained. It stopped fighting and closed its eyes.

In the same instant, ripe satsumas fell from the tree’s branches. Gui Delun made a grasping gesture and summoned the fruits to his hand. He looked down his nose at the Sect Master mockingly, staring at the fruits for a moment before he tucked the fruits into his bag. “Karma Satsumas only grow once in a thousand years, but thanks to you, we’ve harvested these early. All-Heavens Sect appreciates your cooperation, Sect Master.”

The crow’s feathers rained down, black and limp. Sect Master Lan clenched his jaw. He took a step back. Power gathered around his hand, and in the distance, some great power trembled, answering the call. “Red-bladed—”

“Rebuke!” Gui Delun replied. He strode forward evenly across the air, in no rush. The summoning power faded from Sect Master Lan’s hand as his foot landed.

Sect Master Lan drew his sword. “Seven Forms of—”

“Rebuke!”

Shackles appeared around Sect Master Lan’s wrists, weighing them down. His sword fell from his hands. He grit his teeth and lifted his foot. “Dance of the Crow God—”

“Rebuke!”

Shackles formed around his ankles. Sect Master Lan faltered, his foot slamming back down.

Before he could speak again, Gui Delun stepped forward, closing the gap between them. His palm landed on Sect Master Lan’s chest. Gui Delun turned a stern face toward Sect Master Lan. “For the seventh time, rebuke.”

Gui Delun’s aura shimmered. All the brilliant sunlight converged on his palm and burst out, through the Sect Master’s chest. A hole the shape of a palm appeared, clean through his back. The Sect Master fell back, spitting mouthfuls of blood. His dantian trembled, and his cultivation fell still, sealed! Sect Master Lan’s eyes widened, and he had the time to look shocked before he fell from the sky.

“Father!” Lan Taijian screamed, breaking away from his fight to charge toward the Sect Master. His opponent, a woman with a pair of short daggers, snorted and darted in front of him to block his path.

Halfway there, Lan Taijian slammed his foot down and turned around. He ignored his father and reached toward Li Xiang instead. The power of teleportation wrapped around her. Her form flickered, suddenly immaterial. She slashed at the enemy, but her sword passed through.

“Master! Let me fight!” she shouted, turning toward Lan Taijian.

He grit his teeth and closed his hand. The power of teleportation intensified, and Li Xiang vanished.

Lan Taijian closed his eyes, supreme relief on his face. “After all this… I won’t let you die.”

“Li Xiang!” Hui shouted, stepping forward, temporarily forgetting the battle, Tang Fei, everything. Where did Lan Taijian send her? Where did she go? Why… why would he… send a powerful swordswoman away? Is this a betrayal? But Lan Taijian, why would he…

Two daggers pierced his chest from behind. Lan Taijian’s eyes widened. White light burst from the daggers, and his skin boiled. Blood bubbled from his mouth. He turned toward his father and reached out, smiling. “Sorry, Father. To the end, I’m a disappointment who can only care about her, not the sect.”

A bitter expression on his face, Sect Master Lan turned his head away and closed his eyes. With one last dry laugh, Lan Taijian’s eyes closed as well.

Father and son, dead in the space of a breath!