The thunderous cheers that echoed through the broken ruins of Azure Cloud Sect abruptly vanished, replaced by a suffocating, bone-chilling silence that weighed heavily on every cultivator present. The ecstatic grins and relieved expressions on the disciples' and elders' faces froze in an instant, replaced by pale, terrified countenances as they all craned their necks to stare at the distant sky. The strange, oppressive auras that had torn through the clouds just moments ago were rapidly approaching, carrying a cold, alien power that was completely foreign to the entire cultivation world, making even the most battle-hardened elders feel a primal sense of dread creeping up their spines.
The sect leader's face turned grave in an instant. Without a moment's hesitation, he gestured to two of the most trusted inner disciples, and together they carefully lifted Chen Fan's unconscious body. His body was covered in dried blood, his breathing shallow and weak, but the faint golden glow lingering beneath his skin proved that his life force was still intact. They carried him quickly to a barely intact stone chamber at the back of the sect's ruins, laying him gently on a simple stone bed covered with clean linen.
The sect leader pulled out a top-grade spiritual healing pill from his storage pouch, pried open Chen Fan's lips, and placed the pill inside. He watched quietly as the pill melted into a warm stream of medicinal energy that slowly flowed through Chen Fan's meridians, soothing the severe damage caused by overexerting his power. He then lowered his voice, his tone filled with unshakable solemnity as he instructed the two disciples guarding the chamber door, "You two stay here and guard Young Hero Chen with your lives. No matter what kind of chaos happens outside, you must not leave his side for even a second. He has just saved the entire cultivation world from the Demon Emperor's tyranny, and we cannot let him come to any harm."
The two disciples nodded firmly, their hands tightening around the hilts of their spiritual swords as they stood straight at the door, their eyes scanning the surroundings vigilantly, ready to fend off any intruder at all costs. The sect leader took one last look at Chen Fan's unconscious face before turning around and striding back to the main square, joining the other elders as they stood in a tight formation, all gazing up at the sky with tense, guarded postures. Though their spiritual powers were still severely depleted after the brutal life-or-death battle with the Demon Emperor, they knew they had no choice but to stand their ground; this mysterious new threat was already at their doorstep, and they would fight to the death to protect Chen Fan and the last remnants of their sect.
In the blink of an eye, five pitch-black streamers tore through the thick clouds, stopping abruptly hundreds of meters above the Azure Cloud Sect ruins, their movements eerily synchronized and without any sound. The figures slowly descended slightly, floating motionlessly in the air, and the cultivators below finally got a clear look at them. All five were dressed in dark, unfamiliar robes that shimmered with a faint metallic luster, the fabric woven with strange patterns that no one recognized, and their heads were covered with deep hoods that completely hid their facial features, leaving only a cold, oppressive aura radiating from their bodies.
What terrified the cultivators most was that these figures exuded neither the demonic qi of the demon realm nor the pure spiritual energy of immortal cultivators. Instead, it was a strange, icy power that distorted the surrounding air slightly, making the space around them feel stiff and heavy, as if it was about to collapse at any moment. Every breath filled with this power made the disciples feel their meridians constrict, and their own spiritual power become sluggish and hard to control.
"Who are you? What is your purpose in coming to Azure Cloud Sect?" The sect leader took a step forward, raising his voice to break the oppressive silence, his hand resting firmly on the hilt of his spiritual sword, ready to draw it and fight at any moment. His eyes swept sharply over the five hooded figures, trying to find any clues about their origins, but he found nothing familiar at all. The other elders spread out slightly behind him, forming a loose defensive formation, their depleted spiritual powers surging with all their might, preparing to face an unexpected attack.
The leading figure among the black-robed invaders slowly raised his head, and the edge of his hood slipped back a little, revealing a pair of cold, emotionless golden eyes that looked like two lifeless gemstones carved from cold metal. He glanced down indifferently at the ruins of Azure Cloud Sect and the group of cultivators below, his gaze carrying a distinct sense of condescension, as if he was looking at a group of insignificant ants.
"The residual aura of the Ancient Chaos Root," he spoke in a cold, mechanical voice that carried clearly across the entire square without any fluctuation, making everyone's ears ring slightly and their hearts feel heavy. "Hand over the human who carries the Chaos Root in his body, and we will spare the lives of everyone in this place."
As soon as these words fell, the elders and disciples of Azure Cloud Sect exchanged looks of shock and disbelief. These mysterious invaders had come specifically for Chen Fan, and what was even more terrifying was that they knew the secret of the Ancient Chaos Root hidden within Chen Fan's body—a secret that had been buried deep and known to almost no one in the entire cultivation world.
A surge of anger and determination rose in the sect leader's chest. Chen Fan had just risked his life to save them all from the Demon Emperor's slaughter, and he would never hand over this young hero to these malicious, unknown strangers. "Your words are nonsense! There is no one here with any so-called Chaos Root," the sect leader retorted firmly, his voice ringing out with unyielding defiance. "This is the territory of Azure Cloud Sect. If you refuse to state your true origins and leave immediately, we will not show you any mercy!"
As he spoke, he secretly signaled the other elders with his eyes, and they immediately worked together to activate the last remaining fragment of the sect's ancient defensive formation. Faint blue spiritual runes flickered to life around the square, slowly weaving into a thin but solid barrier that wrapped around the cultivators, trying their best to block the intruders' oppressive aura.
The leading black-robed figure let out a low, cold chuckle that sent a piercing chill down everyone's spines, filled with undisguised disdain. "Overestimating your own capabilities," he said coldly, raising his pale, slender hand slowly. A wisp of pitch-black strange energy coiled around his fingertips, exuding a destructive power that far surpassed that of ordinary Nascent Soul realm cultivators, making the entire air tremble. "Since you choose to protect him and refuse to cooperate, then we will kill everyone here and take him away by force."
Before the last word faded into the air, the black-robed leader flicked his finger lightly, sending that wisp of black strange energy shooting toward the defensive formation like a sharp arrow. The seemingly solid blue runic barrier, which had once resisted the Demon Emperor's attacks, shattered instantly like fragile glass, letting out a crisp cracking sound. The sect leader and elders were caught completely off guard by the terrifying power, their bodies shaking violently as they were sent stumbling back several steps, a trace of bright red blood spilling from the corners of their mouths.
The disciples behind them let out panicked cries, their faces growing even paler, and despair began to spread through the crowd once again, just like it had during the battle with the Demon Emperor. The gap in strength was simply too vast; these five black-robed intruders were far more powerful than they had imagined, even more terrifying than the Demon Emperor at his peak.
Inside the quiet stone chamber, Chen Fan, who had been lying unconscious on the stone bed, suddenly let out a low, pained groan. His eyebrows furrowed tightly, and the Ancient Chaos Root hidden in his dantian began to emit a faint, gentle golden glow, as if it was instinctively reacting to the strange, hostile energy invading outside. A faint golden light seeped through his skin, and his fingers twitched slightly, showing clear signs of waking up early from his deep slumber.
The leading black-robed figure's golden eyes suddenly lit up with a sharp light, locking onto the direction of the stone chamber instantly. "The Chaos Root is reacting," he said coldly, waving his hand sharply to order the other four black-robed figures. "Capture that person immediately. Do not kill him unless you have no other choice." The four figures beside him moved in an instant, turning into four black streamers that shot straight toward the stone chamber where Chen Fan was resting, their speed so fast that they left faint afterimages in the air.
The sect leader's face changed drastically, and he ignored his injuries, rushing forward desperately to block their path, roaring as he unleashed all his remaining spiritual power. "Stop!" But before he could get close, one of the black-robed figures casually waved a hand, sending a burst of black strange energy that knocked him flying violently. He crashed heavily into a pile of broken rubble, unable to get up for a moment. The other elders rushed to help, but they were no match for the intruders' overwhelming power, being pushed back one after another, their injuries worsening.
Just as the black-robed figures were about to break through the stone chamber door, a dazzling golden light suddenly burst out from within, accompanied by a weak but extremely resolute surge of chaotic power that pushed back the incoming black energy. Chen Fan, who had been unconscious for a long time, finally struggled to sit up slowly, his eyes fluttering open. His gaze was still filled with exhaustion from the previous battle, but it burned with unyielding determination, ready to face this new, terrifying threat head-on.