"Wha-?!"
"Fellow Cultivator Ren?!"
Ren Xiexing's actions did not go unnoticed by the members of the Righteous Coalition, but it was too late by then.
Not only were they already drained from the earlier battle, but they had also just channelled all of their remaining energy into attacking the red-haired woman. Physically, their conditions were undoubtedly at the lowest point since the start of the battle.
On top of that, they had also decided to place all of their hopes on Ren Xiexing, willingly acting as a distraction while betting on his ability to take down the red-haired woman once and for all. Psychologically, they were caught completely off-guard and were already lucky enough not to have frozen up in shock.
All things combined, there was simply no time for them to execute any defensive or evasive techniques. The most they could manage was to activate some sort of quick defensive item at the very last minute.
But how could such scrappy defensive moves be enough to stop Ren Xiexing's calculated attack?
Pierce-! Pierce-! Pierce-! Pierce-!
...
The hundreds of black tendrils made quick work of the defensive items, slapping them aside before drilling into the already-tattered bodies of the members of the coalition. Blood spurted out everywhere, like tributaries to the river of blood that was quickly forming under their feet.
Not just that, but this unexpected attack from behind also disrupted many of their attacks, resulting in powerful energy backlashes that caused further internal injuries.
They were already not in their best state, so this combination directly brought most of them to their knees, teetering on the brink of death.
"Ren Xiexing, what on earth are you doing?!" Nian Qin yelled in rage – a yell that was accompanied by a cough of blood.
"Are you really asking me that? I would have thought that it's obvious by now," Ren Xiexing shrugged nonchalantly.
"Bastard, are you colluding with the Scarlet Leaf Sect as well?!" another shouted.
"You traitor!"
"Hahaha! You can call me all the names you want; I don't mind," Ren Xiexing laughed. "After all, it would be inhumane of me to rob you of even your last words."
"Aren't you the Hunter of Unorthodox Cultivators? How could you have colluded with the Scarlet Leaf Sect of all people?!" Fei Qing questioned.
Fei Qing had not been targeted by Ren Xiexing earlier, likely because he was still within his defensive barrier, which made it impossible to sneak an attack on him. However, he was still horrified by what just transpired before his very eyes.
With a single move, they had gone from almost certain victory to complete defeat!
"Hunter of Unorthodox Cultivators? Hah, I'm surprised that you can still bring yourself to call me that at this point. Just how old are all of you?" Ren Xiexing mocked. "As experienced cultivators, maybe you shouldn't have trusted others so easily!"
"Damn it, are you not afraid that word will get out about what you did here?" Nian Qin spoke through his blood-soaked teeth. "The cultivation world would not let this betrayal go unpunished. When that happens, you will no longer be the hunter, but the hunted!"
"Funny. With all of you dead, how could word possibly get out? When I step out of this cave after getting the benefits today, I will still be the Hunter of Unorthodox Cultivators," Ren Xiexing smiled. "In that regard, I guess I still have to thank you for helping us do the dirty work of silencing all the Scarlet Leaf Sect minions. Well fought!"
"You...!"
"Just what exactly did they promise you that is enough to tempt you into betraying all of us here?!" Nian Qin asked.
"I am a generous man. If you really want to know, I guess there is no harm in fulfilling your final wish," Ren Xiexing spoke in a completely relaxed manner. "The array in this chamber is powered by blood and life energy, using that as fuel to summon forth powerful artifact spirits capable of granting sentience to even Dao Rune level weapons! Do you get it now? Not to mention you lot, I'd do it even if I have to sell out the entire Thousand Autumn City!"
"This...!"
His words were followed by a momentary silence as everyone tried to suppress their shock.
The cultivators present were all aware of just how amazing this was. To be able to grant sentience to a Dao Rune level weapon – that was almost equivalent to creating a mythical tier Dao Rune level weapon!
The appearance of such a weapon would certainly create huge waves throughout the entire Duyuan Empire, drawing the interest of all factions!
In terms of benefits, they could now understand why Ren Xiexing would do such a thing. But this was an unorthodox path that sought to gain strength by sacrificing the lives of others!
This was completely unacceptable, especially since even they were being implicated right now!
"Ke Huofen! Time to stop acting as a spectator!" Fei Qing shouted resolutely. "Make sure that you get everyone out while we distract the two of them!"
Everyone present had still been in a state of shock, but his words immediately snapped them out of their daze. Hope returned to the minds of not just the main strike force, but also the members of the trailing group and vanguard party.
"T-That's right! Sir Ke is still here!"
"Save me, Sir Ke! I don't want to die here!"
"I'm not even here for the fight! I just wanted to sell my wares!"
"I didn't want to be here either! My boss forced me to come!"
"My family is still waiting for me back home! I can't die here!"
Countless pleas sounded out from among the ordinary mortals present, all of them desperately trying to stand out among the crowd. Considering the number of people here, they were well aware that not everyone might get the opportunity to escape.
In that case, wouldn't Ke Huofen save the ones closest to him first?
They had to get closer to Ke Huofen! Now!
From amongst the crowd, Zhao Yunxiao could see Xiao Chan desperately shouting as well. Her doll-like face was now unrecognisable, hidden beneath the layer of tears and blood. Her originally luscious hair was now a dishevelled mess. In such a state, she viciously elbowed and punched others as she tried to squeeze forward, inching closer and closer to Ke Huofen's group.
She was not the only one either.
Suddenly finding a glimmer of hope in this situation of absolute despair, the members of both the vanguard party and trailing group no longer cared about propriety and order.
Punches.
Kicks.
Elbows.
Knees.
All sorts of attacks were thrown at one another just to get ahead. The old, young, and weak were heartlessly thrown to the ground, doomed to be trampled upon by those rushing up from behind.
It was like a crazy mob that was trying to rush forward at all costs. As long as they could increase their chances of survival by even the slightest, they were willing to step upon others to achieve their aim!
What good were propriety and order if they no longer had the life to adhere to those rules?
What good was reputation in the face of overwhelming benefit?
In a subtle way, their actions were actually reflective of what Ren Xiexing was doing as well. To achieve their goals, they had no qualms about using others as mere stepping stones, even if these stepping stones would end up getting crushed in the process.
However, what they heard next instantly ended this crazed stampede.
"Greetings, Lord Ke," the red-haired woman bowed. "Your subordinate awaits your orders."
Her words caused everyone to freeze up in horror, including Fei Qing.
Subordinate?
But wasn't she the leader of the Scarlet Leaf Sect outfit? If the red-haired woman was a mere subordinate, then did that mean Ke Huofen was the true leader?
No way!
Such a thought was like a thunderbolt that struck directly into everyone's minds, causing them to freeze up in a mix of confusion and despair.
"I-Is that true?"
"No way that's true! Right, Sir Ke? Tell us that she is lying!"
"Hahaha!" Ren Xiexing suddenly laughed. "At this point, you are actually still going to him for help? I really have to admit defeat here! Don't you know that all the slaves he bought from you in the past have been sent here as sacrifice? Not just that, but all of you have been led here as the final wave of sacrifices to complete the summoning process!"
"Sir Ke...?"
"Please, tell us they are wrong!"
Ke Huofen let out a helpless sigh as all eyes fell upon him, "Maybe you shouldn't have trusted others so easily."
With that, he stomped his foot and the entire red emblem started to glow.
Weng-!
A low hum could be heard as the array buzzed into life. Everyone immediately felt a powerful suction force pulling them downwards – straight into the ground. The rocky ground suddenly felt like a soft swamp, allowing everyone to sink at a rate much faster than the ones whom they had seen earlier.
"Damn it!"
The members of the main strike force tried to fly into the air but were simply unable to overcome the powerful suction force. Despite using all of their strength, all they did was to slow down the process, and not by much.
Since even cultivators were unable to put up any meaningful resistance, the ordinary mortals present need not be mentioned. They started sinking at a terrifying rate, causing looks of terror to appear on all their faces.
"No! Save me!"
"I don't want to die!"
"I will give you everything you want! I won't breathe a word about what happened here! Please let me go!"
"Please!"
Screams of despair filled the chamber while Ren Xiexing and the red-haired woman watched on with smiles on their faces.
Ke Huofen and his companions had a stoic look on their faces, not showing any hint of emotions. Compared to the always amiable Sir Ke, it was almost as though his personality had undergone a 180-degree change.
Fei Qing and Cong Liexian had extremely ugly looks on their faces as they, too, started to sink into the ground. However, they remained calm while exchanging solemn glances.
As everyone started sinking into the ground, they could feel their vitality and energy being drained away, feeding into the array that in turn channelled everything to the very centre of the chamber. An ominous feeling could be felt throughout the chamber, as though a terrifying entity were about to descend upon them.
But as this was happening, something else ended up drawing everyone's attention.
Zhao Yunxiao Two suddenly stuck out like a sore thumb as he stood firm on his two feet, completely unaffected by the array.
Zhao Yunxiao: "..."
It would appear that the array only affected those of flesh and blood. Because of that, the earthen clone Zhao Yunxiao Two had naturally been excluded.
Now then, what should he do next?
Dispel the clone?
No, he could do that anytime.
The situation here had taken a dire turn for the worse, but he was still in a safe place. Rather than rushing into it, he should try to gather as much information as he could before being forced to do so.
This way, he would be able to report back to the Black Tortoise Sect and aid the seniors in hunting down these evil perpetrators!
"Hmm? What's going on?" Ren Xiexing frowned as he extended his spiritual sense to investigate Zhao Yunxiao Two. "What's this? A clone?"
"Seems like it," Ke Huofen nodded.
"You knew? You knew, and you still let it happen?!" Ren Xiexing's smug look vanished in an instant. "Don't you know that my reputation is at stake here? He could expose my deeds! Quickly get rid of him!"
"Watch your tone," Ke Huofen shot him a glare. "I am not your subordinate."
"Tch! Fine, I will do it myself!" Ren Xiexing harrumphed unhappily.
With a wave of his hand, three black tendrils shot out from the shadows towards Zhao Yunxiao Two. Zhao Yunxiao Two immediately dashed away, hiding behind Cong Liexian's barrier that was still active.
Bang-!
The black tendrils struck the barrier, but the latter held strong, not even rippling in response.
"Give it up; this barrier won't last long against me! Not just that, but you are not even within the barrier, so how do you expect to hide from me?" Ren Xiexing flew forward while forming mudras with his hands. "Disappear!"
He knew that not all was lost just yet. Even if the owner of this clone spoke out against him, it would become a matter of word against word. With the reputation that he had built up over the years, it was unlikely that others would question his integrity.
However, he had to get rid of this clone as soon as possible to avoid any further complications!
Rage and bloodthirst filled his eyes as he flew forward, wanting to directly bypass Fei Qing's shield by engaging Zhao Yunxiao Two in close quarters. His essence energy erupted like a volcano as he prepared to end Zhao Yunxiao Two in a single blow.
But just as he flew past Ke Huofen towards Zhao Yunxiao Two, Ren Xiexing suddenly felt a sharp pain in his chest.
Pierce-!
He looked down in shock, only to see a red sword now embedded in his chest.
"Y-You!" Ren Xiexing spat out a mouthful of blood as he tumbled to the ground, rolling a good few dozen metres from the momentum of his flight.
"Oh?" the red-haired woman revealed a look of surprise as well. "Lord Ke, are we not sharing the rewards with him anymore?"
"That's right," Ke Huofen replied matter-of-factly. "And neither will you be getting a share."
"E-Eh? Wait, what?" the red-haired woman widened her eyes in terror. "Surely, you don't mean...?"
"I mean exactly what you are thinking," Ke Huofen said as he started walking towards her, a red sword slowly forming within his right hand.
"No way... this has to be a joke. Right, Lord Ke?"
Huu-!
Ke Huofen let out a disinterested sigh, "Maybe you shouldn't have trusted others so easily."
With each step, essence energy poured out from within him, suppressing all present. He was the lord of the area, and not a single person could even try to resist him.
This was the aura of a Transcendent – someone with a cultivation level even above the Dao Rune realm!