biàn qǐ cāng cù ， gāi pài de xiū shì yì diǎn zhǔn bèi yě wú ， shuō lè jí shēng bēi yě méi yǒu cuò 。
变起仓促，该派的修士一点准备也无，说乐极生悲也没有错。
The situation arose suddenly, leaving the sect's cultivators unprepared. It was no wonder someone might say that joy brought misfortune.
méi rén zhī dào jiū jìng fā shēng le shén me 。
没人知道究竟发生了什么。
No one knew exactly what had happened.
lián lìng yī wèi tài shàng zhǎng lǎo tiān yǎ shū shēng yě shì mǎn liǎn cuò è ， jī hū bù xiāng xìn zì jǐ de yǎn jīng le 。
连另一位太上长老天雅书生也是满脸错愕，几乎不相信自己的眼睛了。
Even the other Supreme Elder, Tianya Scholar, looked bewildered and almost couldn't believe his eyes.
dà zhǎng lǎo de xìng gé tā qīng chǔ ， suī rán yǒu yì diǎn gū pì ， dàn duì běn mén dì zǐ xiàng lái shì hé ǎi dì ， zěn me kě néng zuò chū làn shā wú gū zhè zhǒng shì ？
大长老的性格他清楚，虽然有一点孤僻，但对本门弟子向来是和蔼地，怎么可能做出滥杀无辜这种事？
He well understood the personality of the Grand Elder; although a bit reclusive, he was always kind to the sect's disciples. How could he possibly do something like indiscriminately killing innocents? And even his own direct disciple wasn’t spared. Unless he witnessed it with his own eyes, no one would believe such a thing.
shèn zhì lián zì jǐ de qīn chuán dì zǐ dōu bù fàng guò ， ruò fēi qīn yǎn mù dǔ ， zhè zhǒng shì qíng ， bù lùn shuí shuō yǔ tā tīng ， dōu bú huì xiāng xìn 。
甚至连自己的亲传弟子都不放过，若非亲眼目睹，这种事情，不论谁说与他听，都不会相信。
However, reality was staring him in the face. There was no time for hesitation; the cries of agony continued to reach his ears. Even if things were unclear, this place was where the sect's elite gathered. A moment’s delay could mean being slaughtered by the Grand Elder.
rán ér shì shí bǎi zài yǎn qián ， nǎ ér yǒu shí jiān gěi tā chí yí ， cǎn jiào shēng hái zài bù tíng de chuán rù ěr lǐ ， suī yún lǐ wù lǐ ， dàn běn mén jīng ruì jǐn jí yú cǐ chù ， ruò shāo yóu yù dān gē ， fēi bèi dà zhǎng lǎo tú jǐn bù kě 。
然而事实摆在眼前，哪儿有时间给他迟疑，惨叫声还在不停的传入耳里，虽云里雾里，但本门精锐尽集于此处，若稍犹豫耽搁，非被大长老屠尽不可。
The loss would be too great.
nà sǔn shī kě jiù dà le 。
那损失可就大了。
He wouldn’t allow such a situation to arise under any circumstances.
zhè zhǒng jú miàn ， wú lùn rú hé ， tā yě bú huì rèn yóu qí chū xiàn de 。
这种局面，无论如何，他也不会任由其出现的。
First, he would stop the eldest senior and make a decision later.
xiān lán xià dà shī xiōng zài zuò dìng duó 。
先拦下大师兄再做定夺。
But as he said it, he felt some doubt in his heart.
rán ér huà shì zhè me shuō ， zhēn yào zuò ， tā xīn zhōng què yǒu xiē dǎ gǔ 。
然而话是这么说，真要做，他心中却有些打鼓。
Although he was an old ancestor at the Tribulation Transcending stage, his strength compared to the Fallen Spirit Ancestor was beyond measure.
suī rán tā yì shì dù jié jí bié de lǎo zǔ ， rán ér shí lì yǔ zhuì líng lǎo zǔ xiāng bǐ ， chā jù bù kě yǐ dào lǐ jì 。
虽然他亦是渡劫级别的老祖，然而实力与坠灵老祖相比，差距不可以道理计。
The eldest senior must have experienced something during his seclusion. But right now, the spiritual pressure emanating from him was undoubtedly late-stage Tribulation Transcending.
dà shī xiōng zài bì guān de shí hòu ， shēn shàng kěn dìng fā shēng le shén me ， dàn cǐ shí cǐ kè ， tā suǒ sàn fà chū lái de líng yā jué duì shì dù jié hòu qī méi cuò 。
大师兄在闭关的时候，身上肯定发生了什么，但此时此刻，他所散发出来的灵压绝对是渡劫后期没错。
Stopping such a formidable opponent would be like trying to stop a car with an arm.
yào zǔ zhǐ zhè yàng de qiáng zhě ， jiǎn zhí jiù yǔ táng bì dǎng chē chà bu duō 。
要阻止这样的强者，简直就与螳臂挡车差不多。
He wasn’t afraid, but he couldn’t retreat; otherwise, the sect would be destroyed for no reason. So, despite his hesitation, he had to give it a try.
shuō bù pà shì piàn rén de ， dàn què bù néng tuì suō ， fǒu zé běn mén fēi mò míng qí miào de huǐ yú cǐ chù ， suǒ yǐ yìng zhe tóu pí yě yào shì yī shì le 。
说不怕是骗人的，但却不能退缩，否则本门非莫名其妙的毁于此处，所以硬着头皮也要试一试了。
Thoughts raced through his mind as Tianya Scholar rushed forward.
gè zhǒng niàn tou rú diàn guāng huǒ shí yì bān zài nǎo hǎi zhōng zhuǎn guò ， tiān yǎ shū shēng chōng guò qù le 。
各种念头如电光火石一般在脑海中转过，天雅书生冲过去了。
His movements were lightning-fast, fingers firing off in rapid succession. A series of treasures—brushes, inkstones, paper, and an jade fan—were revealed. These items shimmered with spiritual light or had intricate talisman inscriptions, swirling around him like streaks of lightning, clearly not ordinary objects.
zhǐ jiàn tā de dòng zuò kuài rú shǎn diàn ， shuāng shǒu shí zhǐ fēn dàn ， bǐ mò zhǐ yàn ， yī lián shí yú jiàn bǎo wù yìng rù yǎn lián 。 zhè xiē bǎo wù huò líng guāng shǎn shǎn ， huò biǎo miàn fú wén biàn bù ， huà wèi dào dào jīng hóng rào zhe tā pán xuán fēi wǔ ， yī kàn jiù bú shì fán wù 。
只见他的动作快如闪电，双手十指纷弹，笔墨纸砚，一连十余件宝物映入眼帘。这些宝物或灵光闪闪，或表面符文遍布，化为道道惊虹绕着他盘旋飞舞，一看就不是凡物。
Especially the Golden Ripples Brush and the Jade Fan. When they were released, they emitted a dazzling glow, subtly shaking the nearby primordial energy. If his guess was correct, these were likely imitations of先天灵宝 (Primordial Treasure).
yóu qí shì nà jīn lán bǐ ， yǔ yī bǎ yù shàn 。 yī fàng chū jiù guāng máng sì shè ， bìng yǐn yǐn dài dòng fù jìn de tiān dì yuán qì dōu wèi zhī chàn dǒu ， ruò shì méi yǒu liào cuò ， duō bàn shì fǎng zhì de xiān tiān líng bǎo le 。
尤其是那金澜笔，与一把玉扇。一放出就光芒四射，并隐隐带动附近的天地元气都为之颤抖，若是没有料错，多半是仿制的先天灵宝了。
Tianya Scholar had no choice but to act; after all, his life was precious too, so he needed to be cautious.
tiān yǎ shū shēng zhè me zuò yě shì bù dé yǐ ， bì jìng zì jǐ de xiǎo mìng ér yě shì hěn bǎo guì dì ， dāng rán yào fáng fàn yú wèi rán le 。
天雅书生这么做也是不得已，毕竟自己的小命儿也是很宝贵地，当然要防范于未然了。
He now had several theories in mind. The one that sent shivers down his spine was the Foreign Heavenly Demon.
cǐ shí tā xīn zhōng yǐ yǒu jǐ zhǒng cāi cè 。 zuì lìng qí tóu pí fā má de jiù shì yù wài tiān mó 。
此时他心中已有几种猜测。最令其头皮发麻的就是域外天魔。
After all, the风波 (trouble) in Ten Thousand Mountains hadn’t been resolved yet.
bì jìng shí wàn dà shān de fēng bō shàng wèi jiē guò 。
毕竟十万大山的风波尚未揭过。
More than a dozen Tribulation Transcending cultivators had fallen during that battle, including the beloved daughter of the Ten Thousand Jiaoshou King. Could it be that the sect’s luck was so bad as to attract Foreign Heavenly Demons?
nà yī yì yǔn luò de dù jié qī xiū shì kě shì yǒu shí jǐ rén zhī duō ， shèn zhì bāo kuò wàn jiāo wáng de ài nǚ ， nán dào běn mén de yùn qì jū rán dǎo méi dào rú cǐ dì bù ， bèi yù wài tiān mó dīng shàng le 。
那一役陨落的渡劫期修士可是有十几人之多，甚至包括万蛟王的爱女，难道本门的运气居然倒霉到如此地步，被域外天魔盯上了。
That didn’t make sense. Although the Fallen Spirit Sect had developed rapidly over these years, in the entire Rainy Pine World, they were still unknown and hadn’t offended any Foreign Heavenly Demons. How could such a disaster strike them now?
méi dào lǐ a ， zhè xiē nián zhuì líng mén fā zhǎn suī rán xùn sù ， dàn jiù zhěng gè yǔ tóng jiè lái shuō 。 yī jiù shì míng bú jiàn jīng zhuàn ， gèng bù céng dé zuì guò yù wài tiān mó ， zěn me kě néng zhāo lái rú cǐ hèng huò 。
没道理啊，这些年坠灵门发展虽然迅速，但就整个雨桐界来说。依旧是名不见经传，更不曾得罪过域外天魔，怎么可能招来如此横祸。
With his mind racing, he bravely rushed forward.
nǎo hǎi zhōng luàn qī bā zāo de niàn tou zhuǎn guò ， tā hái shì yǒng gǎn de chōng shàng qù le 。
脑海中乱七八糟的念头转过，他还是勇敢的冲上去了。
The process seemed complicated but took only an instant.
zhěng gè guò chéng shuō lái fán fù ， qí shí bù guò shùn xī de gōng fu 。
整个过程说来繁复，其实不过瞬息的功夫。
---
zhuì líng lǎo zǔ zhuǎn guò tóu lú ， è hěn hěn de mù guāng zài tā liǎn shàng sǎo guò ， tiān yǎ shū shēng jìng yǒu yī bù hán ér lì de gǎn chù 。
坠灵老祖转过头颅，恶狠狠的目光在他脸上扫过，天雅书生竟有一不寒而栗的感触。
The Fallen Spirit Ancestor turned his head, his fierce gaze sweeping across Tianya Scholar’s face, giving him a chill.
kě xiàn zài tuì yǐ jīng wǎn le 。
可现在退已经晚了。
But it was too late to retreat.
duì shǒu yòu shǒu tái qǐ 。 bìng zhǐ rú jiàn ， hěn hěn de xiàng zhe tā yì diǎn 。
对手右手抬起。并指如剑，狠狠的向着他一点。
His opponent raised his right hand, fingers like swords, and pointed at him with malice.
fǎng fú bù jǐn bèi sī pò ， lìng rén yá suān de shēng yīn chuán rù ěr duǒ 。
仿佛布锦被撕破，令人牙酸的声音传入耳朵。
A sound as if silk were being torn filled the air.
tiān yǎ shū shēng hài rán shī sè ， liǎn sè dà biàn zhī xià shuāng shǒu lián lián huī wǔ ， tóng shí yī dào qīng qì yóu tā de zuǐ bā zhōng pēn chū 。
天雅书生骇然失色，脸色大变之下双手连连挥舞，同时一道青气由他的嘴巴中喷出。
Tianya Scholar was shocked, his face changing. He waved his hands frantically while a green aura spewed from his mouth.
suí zhe qí dòng zuò ， jǐ jiàn bǎo wù líng guāng dà qǐ ， lián chéng yī piàn guāng mù ， níng hòu yǐ jí ， yī kàn jiù yōng yǒu fēi fán de fáng yù lì 。
随着其动作，几件宝物灵光大起，连成一片光幕，凝厚以极，一看就拥有非凡的防御力。
As he moved, several treasures emitted bright light, forming a dense protective barrier of extraordinary defensive power.
kě méi yǒu yòng tú ， yī dào ér bì cū de guāng zhù yóu xū kōng zhōng shǎn xiàn ér chū 。 huà zuò wú shuāng jiàn qì ， yī xià jiù jiāng nà guāng mù guàn chuān diào le 。
可没有用途，一道儿臂粗的光柱由虚空中闪现而出。化作无双剑气，一下就将那光幕贯穿掉了。
But it was useless; a beam of light as thick as an arm appeared out of thin air, transforming into unparalleled sword energy and easily pierced the barrier.
tiān yǎ shū shēng duǒ wú kě duǒ ， xiōng kǒu chū xiàn le yī wǎn dà de dòng 。
天雅书生躲无可躲，胸口出现了一碗大的洞。
Tianya Scholar had nowhere to hide. A large hole appeared in his chest.
xuè liú rú zhù ！
血流如注！
Blood gushed profusely!
shēn wèi dù jié qī xiū xiān zhě ， tā jū rán yī zhāo jiù shēn shòu zhòng shāng le 。
身为渡劫期修仙者，他居然一招就身受重伤了。
As a Tribulation Transcending cultivator, he suffered severe injuries with just one move.
hǎo zài méi yǒu yǔn luò ， bù guò tā yě shì tàn qīng chǔ 。 shī xiōng bìng bú shì yù jiàn le yù wài tiān mó ， ér shì zǒu huǒ rù mó 。
好在没有陨落，不过他也试探清楚。师兄并不是遇见了域外天魔，而是走火入魔。
Fortunately, he hadn’t fallen. However, he realized that his elder brother wasn’t encountering Foreign Heavenly Demons but was possessed by the demon.
méi cuò ， jiù shì liàn gōng de shí hòu chū le chā cuò ， suī rán shùn lì jìn jí ， dàn nǎo dài què chū le wèn tí ， jiǎn dān de shuō ， jiù shì fēng le 。
没错，就是练功的时候出了差错，虽然顺利晋级，但脑袋却出了问题，简单的说，就是疯了。
Indeed, during practice, something went wrong, and although he successfully advanced, his mind had gone awry. Simply put, he had lost his sanity.
táng táng dù jié hòu qī de xiū xiān zhě ， jū rán fēng le ， tīng shàng qù dōu lìng rén wú yǔ ， rán ér què shì shì shí 。
堂堂渡劫后期的修仙者，居然疯了，听上去都令人无语，然而却是事实。
A Tribulation Transcending late-stage cultivator losing his mind sounded absurd, but it was a fact.
běn mén zěn me huì yù jiàn zhè zhǒng shì ， suī bú shì yù wài tiān mó ， dàn běn mén de chǔ jìng ， què yě bú huì yīn cǐ ， jiù hǎo shàng shén me 。
本门怎么会遇见这种事，虽不是域外天魔，但本门的处境，却也不会因此，就好上什么。
How could such an event happen to the sect? Although not Foreign Heavenly Demons, their situation wouldn’t improve because of this.
bì xū gǎn kuài lí kāi cǐ chù ， cǐ shí dà zhǎng lǎo shì bú huì jiǎng lǐ de 。
必须赶快离开此处，此时大长老是不会讲理的。
They must quickly leave; the Grand Elder wouldn’t be reasonable now.
tiān yǎ shū shēng xī le kǒu qì ， cóng huái zhōng qǔ chū yī zhāng líng fú ， wǎng xiōng kǒu tiē qù 。
天雅书生吸了口气，从怀中取出一张灵符，往胸口贴去。
Tianya Scholar took a deep breath and pulled out a spirit talisman from his pocket, pressing it against his chest.
zhǐ jiàn jīn guāng yī shǎn ， xuè liú dùn shí biàn huǎn ， shāng kǒu yě xiāo shī bú jiàn ， dàn tā de liǎn sè què biàn dé fēi cháng cāng bái ， xiǎn rán zhè zhǒng liáo shāng de shǒu duàn suǒ xū fù chū de dài jià yì shì fēi tóng xiǎo kě ， dàn cǐ shí cǐ kè ， tā yǐ jīng gù bù dé 。
只见金光一闪，血流顿时变缓，伤口也消失不见，但他的脸色却变得非常苍白，显然这种疗伤的手段所需付出的代价亦是非同小可，但此时此刻，他已经顾不得。
A golden light flashed, slowing the bleeding, and the wound vanished. However, his face turned pale, indicating that such healing came at a great cost. But he couldn’t afford to hesitate now.
“ kuài zǒu ！”
“快走！”
"Quickly leave!"
tiān yǎ shū shēng yī shēng dà hē ， jiù bù zhī dào jīng cǐ jié nàn ， běn mén dì zǐ néng gòu táo chū duō shǎo le 。
天雅书生一声大喝，就不知道经此劫难，本门弟子能够逃出多少了。
Tianya Scholar shouted, hoping many of the sect’s disciples could escape this disaster.
rán ér huà yīn wèi luò ， tā tū rán gǎn jué dòng tán bù dé ， zhè cái fā xiàn ， zì jǐ bù zhī hé shí ， yǐ bèi dà zhǎng lǎo de shén shí suǒ dìng zhù 。
然而话音未落，他突然感觉动弹不得，这才发现，自己不知何时，已被大长老的神识锁定住。
But before he could finish, he suddenly felt immobilized and realized that the Grand Elder had locked his mind.
tiān yǎ shū shēng yòu jīng yòu nù ， gǎn jué zì jǐ jiù xiàng shì bèi lǎo hǔ dīng zhù de liè wù 。
天雅书生又惊又怒，感觉自己就像是被老虎盯住的猎物。
Tianya Scholar was both terrified and angry, feeling like a prey being hunted by a tiger.
bǐ cǐ chā jù tài dà le ， yī shí jiān tā bù zhī dào gāi zěn me zuò 。
彼此差距太大了，一时间他不知道该怎么做。
The gap between them was too great. He didn’t know what to do.
suí hòu jiù jiàn zhuì líng lǎo zǔ yī shēng dà hē ， yòu shǒu tái qǐ ， zhè me cháo zhe zì jǐ yī zhuā 。
随后就见坠灵老祖一声大喝，右手抬起，这么朝着自己一抓。
Then, the Fallen Spirit Ancestor roared, raising his right hand and grabbing towards him.
xū kōng yī zhèn mó hú ， yī jiāo shǒu shī shēn de guài wù fú xiàn ér chū ， dà zuǐ yī zhāng ， jiù pēn chū sān zhǒng bù tóng yán sè de mó huǒ 。
虚空一阵模糊，一蛟首狮身的怪物浮现而出，大嘴一张，就喷出三种不同颜色的魔火。
---
yī shǎn jí shì ， jiù jiāng tiān yǎ shū shēng tūn mò diào le 。
一闪即逝，就将天雅书生吞没掉了。
A blur appeared in the air as a monster with the head of a dragon and the body of a lion emerged. It opened its mouth and spat out three different colored flames.
“ shī xiōng ， kuài zhù shǒu ！”
“师兄，快住手！”
In an instant, Tianya Scholar was engulfed by these flames.
tiān yǎ shū shēng yú qiān jūn yī fà zhī jì jiāng fáng yù de fǎ bǎo fàng chū ， dàn gēn běn jiù méi yǒu yòng tú ， yǎn kān hù zhào jiù yào xiāo róng diào le 。
天雅书生于千钧一发之际将防御的法宝放出，但根本就没有用途，眼看护罩就要消融掉了。
"Brother Senior, please stop!"
zhè shí hòu ， tā zhǐ néng jì xī wàng yú shī xiōng rèn chū zì jǐ 。
这时候，他只能寄希望于师兄认出自己。
Tianya Scholar released his defensive talisman at the last moment but to no avail; the protective barrier was about to dissolve.
ér yě bù zhī dào ， shì bú shì lǎo tiān yé tīng jiàn le tā de qí qiú ， zhuì líng lǎo zǔ de liǎn shàng ， fú xiàn chū yī sī chí yí 。
而也不知道，是不是老天爷听见了他的祈求，坠灵老祖的脸上，浮现出一丝迟疑。
He could only hope that his elder brother recognized him.
bì jìng tā bú shì bèi duó shě ， ér shì liàn gōng zǒu huǒ rù mó ， ruò shì yùn qì hǎo ， yě yǒu kě néng huī fù rú chū 。
毕竟他不是被夺舍，而是练功走火入魔，若是运气好，也有可能恢复如初。
And perhaps, heaven heard his plea. A hint of hesitation appeared on the Fallen Spirit Ancestor’s face.
mó yán de wēi néng yī xià zi biàn ruò 。
魔炎的威能一下子变弱。
After all, it wasn’t a possession, just a case of practice-induced madness. If he was lucky, he might recover.
“ shī xiōng ， shì wǒ ， nǐ rèn chū wǒ lái le me ？” tiān yǎ shū shēng dà xǐ ， zhè shí hòu yǐ dào le shēng sǐ yī xiàn de shí kè ， tā nǎ gǎn yǒu fēn háo de xiè dài zhī yì 。
“师兄，是我，你认出我来了么？”天雅书生大喜，这时候已到了生死一线的时刻，他哪敢有分毫的懈怠之意。
The power of the demon flames weakened.
“ nǐ ……”
“你……”
"Brother Senior, I am you… Did you recognize me?"
zhuì líng lǎo zǔ wēi wēi cè guò tóu lú ， yǎn zhōng yì guāng bù tíng shǎn shuò ， dàn hěn kuài ， jiù bèi xiōng lì qǔ dài diào le ， yòu shǒu yī wò ， nà běn yǐ wēi lì dà jiǎn de mó huǒ zài cì xióng xióng rán shāo qǐ lái le 。
坠灵老祖微微测过头颅，眼中异光不停闪烁，但很快，就被凶厉取代掉了，右手一握，那本已威力大减的魔火再次熊熊燃烧起来了。
Tianya Scholar was overjoyed; at this critical moment, he couldn’t afford any distractions.
“ shī xiōng ， bù ……”
“师兄，不……”
"You…"
tiān yá shū shēng dà shēng cǎn hū ， dàn hěn kuài ， shēng yīn jiù bèi mó huǒ tūn mò 。
天涯书生大声惨呼，但很快，声音就被魔火吞没。
The Fallen Spirit Ancestor turned his head slightly, his eyes flickering with strange light. But soon, fierce anger replaced it. He clenched his hand, and the weakened flames burst into a raging inferno again.
“ wǒ ， wǒ shì shuí ？”
“我，我是谁？”
"Brother Senior, no…"
zhuì líng lǎo zǔ tóng yàng shuāng shǒu bào tóu ， liǎn shàng de biǎo qíng mǎn shì tòng kǔ ， suí hòu yī duò jiǎo ， xū kōng bèi tà pò ， yī dào ròu yǎn kě jiàn de bō wén fú xiàn ér chū 。
坠灵老祖同样双手抱头，脸上的表情满是痛苦，随后一跺脚，虚空被踏破，一道肉眼可见的波纹浮现而出。
Tianya Scholar screamed loudly but was quickly devoured by the flames.
suǒ guò zhī chù ， méi yǒu xiū shì dǐ dǎng dé zhù ， chú le shǎo shù yùn qì bù sú ， qí yú de ， quán bù yǔn luò 。
所过之处，没有修士抵挡得住，除了少数运气不俗，其余的，全部陨落。
"Who am I?"
“ fēng le ， dà zhǎng lǎo fēng 。”
“疯了，大长老疯。”
The Fallen Spirit Ancestor held his head in pain, then stomped his foot, breaking through the air. A visible wave rippled out, leaving no cultivator unscathed; all who remained were killed.
“ kuài zǒu ， liú zài zhè lǐ bì dìng yǔn luò ！”
“快走，留在这里必定陨落！”
"Foolish, the Grand Elder is mad."
……
……
"Quickly leave! Staying here means certain death!"
jīng jiào shēng cǐ qǐ bǐ fú ， shèng xià de xiū shì quán dōu bèi xià pò le dǎn ， zuò niǎo shòu sàn 。
惊叫声此起彼伏，剩下的修士全都被吓破了胆，做鸟兽散。
...
rán ér xiǎng táo yě bú shì nà me jiǎn dān ， tā men de shí lì ， xiāng duì yú dù jié hòu qī de xiū xiān zhě ， shí zài tài ruò ， lián yī zhāo yě dǎng bú zhù ， hěn kuài ， jiù yòu yǒu shù rén hún guī dì fǔ 。
然而想逃也不是那么简单，他们的实力，相对于渡劫后期的修仙者，实在太弱，连一招也挡不住，很快，就又有数人魂归地府。
Cries echoed as the remaining cultivators fled in panic.
ps： qiú tuī jiàn piào ， xiè xiè dà jiā
ps：求推荐票，谢谢大家
But escaping wasn’t easy. Their strength was too weak compared to late-stage Tribulation Transcending cultivators; they couldn’t even withstand a single move. Soon, more souls returned to the underworld.
Postscript: Please vote for recommendation tickets, thank you!
The situation arose suddenly, leaving the sect's cultivators unprepared. It was no wonder someone might say that joy brought misfortune.
No one knew exactly what had happened.
Even the other Supreme Elder, Tianya Scholar, looked bewildered and almost couldn't believe his eyes.
He well understood the personality of the Grand Elder; although a bit reclusive, he was always kind to the sect's disciples. How could he possibly do something like indiscriminately killing innocents? And even his own direct disciple wasn’t spared. Unless he witnessed it with his own eyes, no one would believe such a thing.
However, reality was staring him in the face. There was no time for hesitation; the cries of agony continued to reach his ears. Even if things were unclear, this place was where the sect's elite gathered. A moment’s delay could mean being slaughtered by the Grand Elder.
The loss would be too great.
He wouldn’t allow such a situation to arise under any circumstances.
First, he would stop the eldest senior and make a decision later.
But as he said it, he felt some doubt in his heart.
Although he was an old ancestor at the Tribulation Transcending stage, his strength compared to the Fallen Spirit Ancestor was beyond measure.
The eldest senior must have experienced something during his seclusion. But right now, the spiritual pressure emanating from him was undoubtedly late-stage Tribulation Transcending.
Stopping such a formidable opponent would be like trying to stop a car with an arm.
He wasn’t afraid, but he couldn’t retreat; otherwise, the sect would be destroyed for no reason. So, despite his hesitation, he had to give it a try.
Thoughts raced through his mind as Tianya Scholar rushed forward.
His movements were lightning-fast, fingers firing off in rapid succession. A series of treasures—brushes, inkstones, paper, and an jade fan—were revealed. These items shimmered with spiritual light or had intricate talisman inscriptions, swirling around him like streaks of lightning, clearly not ordinary objects.
Especially the Golden Ripples Brush and the Jade Fan. When they were released, they emitted a dazzling glow, subtly shaking the nearby primordial energy. If his guess was correct, these were likely imitations of先天灵宝 (Primordial Treasure).
Tianya Scholar had no choice but to act; after all, his life was precious too, so he needed to be cautious.
He now had several theories in mind. The one that sent shivers down his spine was the Foreign Heavenly Demon.
After all, the风波 (trouble) in Ten Thousand Mountains hadn’t been resolved yet.
More than a dozen Tribulation Transcending cultivators had fallen during that battle, including the beloved daughter of the Ten Thousand Jiaoshou King. Could it be that the sect’s luck was so bad as to attract Foreign Heavenly Demons?
That didn’t make sense. Although the Fallen Spirit Sect had developed rapidly over these years, in the entire Rainy Pine World, they were still unknown and hadn’t offended any Foreign Heavenly Demons. How could such a disaster strike them now?
With his mind racing, he bravely rushed forward.
The process seemed complicated but took only an instant.
---
The Fallen Spirit Ancestor turned his head, his fierce gaze sweeping across Tianya Scholar’s face, giving him a chill.
But it was too late to retreat.
His opponent raised his right hand, fingers like swords, and pointed at him with malice.
Sizzle…
A sound as if silk were being torn filled the air.
Tianya Scholar was shocked, his face changing. He waved his hands frantically while a green aura spewed from his mouth.
As he moved, several treasures emitted bright light, forming a dense protective barrier of extraordinary defensive power.
But it was useless; a beam of light as thick as an arm appeared out of thin air, transforming into unparalleled sword energy and easily pierced the barrier.
Tianya Scholar had nowhere to hide. A large hole appeared in his chest.
Blood gushed profusely!
As a Tribulation Transcending cultivator, he suffered severe injuries with just one move.
Fortunately, he hadn’t fallen. However, he realized that his elder brother wasn’t encountering Foreign Heavenly Demons but was possessed by the demon.
Indeed, during practice, something went wrong, and although he successfully advanced, his mind had gone awry. Simply put, he had lost his sanity.
A Tribulation Transcending late-stage cultivator losing his mind sounded absurd, but it was a fact.
How could such an event happen to the sect? Although not Foreign Heavenly Demons, their situation wouldn’t improve because of this.
They must quickly leave; the Grand Elder wouldn’t be reasonable now.
Tianya Scholar took a deep breath and pulled out a spirit talisman from his pocket, pressing it against his chest.
A golden light flashed, slowing the bleeding, and the wound vanished. However, his face turned pale, indicating that such healing came at a great cost. But he couldn’t afford to hesitate now.
"Quickly leave!"
Tianya Scholar shouted, hoping many of the sect’s disciples could escape this disaster.
But before he could finish, he suddenly felt immobilized and realized that the Grand Elder had locked his mind.
Tianya Scholar was both terrified and angry, feeling like a prey being hunted by a tiger.
The gap between them was too great. He didn’t know what to do.
Then, the Fallen Spirit Ancestor roared, raising his right hand and grabbing towards him.
---
A blur appeared in the air as a monster with the head of a dragon and the body of a lion emerged. It opened its mouth and spat out three different colored flames.
In an instant, Tianya Scholar was engulfed by these flames.
"Brother Senior, please stop!"
Tianya Scholar released his defensive talisman at the last moment but to no avail; the protective barrier was about to dissolve.
He could only hope that his elder brother recognized him.
And perhaps, heaven heard his plea. A hint of hesitation appeared on the Fallen Spirit Ancestor’s face.
After all, it wasn’t a possession, just a case of practice-induced madness. If he was lucky, he might recover.
The power of the demon flames weakened.
"Brother Senior, I am you… Did you recognize me?"
Tianya Scholar was overjoyed; at this critical moment, he couldn’t afford any distractions.
"You…"
The Fallen Spirit Ancestor turned his head slightly, his eyes flickering with strange light. But soon, fierce anger replaced it. He clenched his hand, and the weakened flames burst into a raging inferno again.
"Brother Senior, no…"
Tianya Scholar screamed loudly but was quickly devoured by the flames.
"Who am I?"
The Fallen Spirit Ancestor held his head in pain, then stomped his foot, breaking through the air. A visible wave rippled out, leaving no cultivator unscathed; all who remained were killed.
"Foolish, the Grand Elder is mad."
"Quickly leave! Staying here means certain death!"
...
Cries echoed as the remaining cultivators fled in panic.
But escaping wasn’t easy. Their strength was too weak compared to late-stage Tribulation Transcending cultivators; they couldn’t even withstand a single move. Soon, more souls returned to the underworld.
---
Postscript: Please vote for recommendation tickets, thank you!