Chapter 2525: Betraying the Master

Boom! Rumble!

As the words fell, nine ancient copper pillars pierced through the heavens and earth.

It was a barrier that sealed off the four directions of the world, trapping Huashan Zhenren and his companions. The dim heavens and earth could barely withstand the overwhelming pressure, rumbling incessantly. This was because there were too many powerful beings present. Without exception, they were all Zhun Di, many at the peak level. Their combined auras shook the universe.

Gazing up at the sky, those figures in black robes appeared ethereal and ghostly, like spirits of the night. Their eyes were filled with sinister light, as if a pack of wolves eyeing a piece of fresh meat.

“What kind of Dao friends are you, with such a grand formation?”

Huashan Zhenren spoke calmly, already summoning an immortal sword in his hand. As the sect leader, he possessed keen insight. The current situation was clearly premeditated, and even the passage to the Di Dao domain gate had been easily located. These attackers were no ordinary force.

“Who we are does not matter. What matters is that you cannot go back.”

The leading black-robed figure gave a faint smile. From his voice, he seemed to be an elderly man with profound cultivation. His words were ethereal and desolate, carrying an irresistible demonic power.

Huashan Xianzi’s expression grew grave. She feared no one in single combat, but a group assault was another story.

What she could see were only those on the surface; hidden in the darkness were even more foes. Shadows materialized on mountain peaks all around, including powerful experts from the Upper Immortal Realm, as well as great demons and devils from the Scattered Immortal Realm. This alliance was evidently well-planned.

“The sect must be in turmoil.”

Huashan Shennü murmured.

She did not need to say it; Huashan Zhenren had already guessed. Earlier, Huashan Shenzi had fled, which was the best proof of their connection to these mysterious figures.

In other words, a coup had likely occurred in Huashan, and it had probably been seized by a certain faction. Killing him, the sect leader, would complete their deed, and Huashan would change hands from this night onward.

“Truly underestimated those old fools.”

Huashan Zhenren’s laugh carried a hint of tragic indignation. For the sake of seizing the sect leader position, they had resorted to borrowing others’ hands and colluding with external forces.

“Senior brother is still Huashan’s sect leader. If we break through, we might still have a chance to turn the tables.”

Huashan Xianzi transmitted her voice.

“Keep the green hills, and there will be wood to burn.”

“I am prepared.”

Huashan Zhenren shook his head with a bitter smile. Tonight’s massive formation was clearly aimed at taking his life, and the chances of escaping were almost zero.

“Take Ye Chen and go. Do not return to Huashan. Flee as far as you can.”

Huashan Zhenren took a deep breath, his eyes resolute.

These words were directed at Huashan Shennü. His old bones still had some use; he would carve out a clear path for her and Ye Chen, the juniors.

“Uncle-master…”

“No need for more words.”

Before Huashan Shennü could finish, Huashan Zhenren’s aura had already surged to its peak. At the same time, Huashan Xianzi did the same, activating her forbidden technique. Her flowing hair turned white strand by strand, her aura no less than that of Huashan Zhenren.

“Kill them all, leave no one.”

The leading elder laughed eerily.

Buzz! Boom! Boom!

With the order, figures filled the sky. Some wielded magical artifacts, others cast immortal techniques, and still others activated killing formations. Their attacks blanketed the heavens and earth, brimming with destructive power. Before they even landed, the universe began to crumble. No mercy was shown—all were lethal moves.

Huashan Zhenren snorted coldly and instantly unleashed his Dao phenomenon as a defense.

In the same instant, Huashan Xianzi performed a heaven-defying forbidden technique, tearing an opening in the barrier. With a sword strike, she carved out a path and flicked her hand to push Huashan Shennü into it.

Boom! Bang! Boom!

The onslaught descended, shattering Huashan Zhenren’s phenomenon in an instant.

“Uncle-master…”

Huashan Shennü’s eyes brimmed with tears as she witnessed Huashan Zhenren and Xianzi both spattered with blood amid the devastating immortal light. There were far too many enemies; even one wave of attacks nearly exterminated them both.

“Go to Kunlun.”

Huashan Zhenren waved his hand to seal the passage, then activated his own forbidden technique. Gripping his sword, he charged heavenward against the odds.

“A cornered beast’s struggle.”

The leading elder sneered, surging with overwhelming murderous energy as he descended personally. His combat prowess and aura were in no way inferior to Huashan Zhenren’s—utterly formidable.

Beings of his caliber were numerous, creating a deadly trap.

A world-shaking battle erupted, with booms echoing through the skies. Huashan Zhenren and Huashan Xianzi were clearly suppressed, outnumbered and frequently drenched in blood as they fought in the void.

In the passage, Huashan Shennü wiped away her tears and fled without looking back.

She was not afraid of death; she had a mission—to seek aid in Kunlun. And Ye Chen, who was undergoing tribulation, could not be lost. If Huashan Zhenren fell, Ye Chen would be their hope.

Thinking of this, she glanced into her magical artifact.

Ye Chen’s form was terrifying to behold. His body was no longer whole, his skin peeling away completely and his bones shattering. He was covered in blood, unrecognizable as human, on the brink of being consumed by the dreadful power of the heavenly tribulation’s five decays.

Without hesitation, she quickened her pace.

However, after only a few steps, a sword light flashed, severing the passage.

Huashan Shennü darted out like a shooting star, but before she could steady herself, a dark glow shot toward her—a lethal strike aimed at her primordial spirit, intending to destroy her true form.

“Break!”

Huashan Shennü snorted coldly and smashed the dark glow with a palm strike.

In that moment, chilling winds howled as dozens of figures materialized, all in black robes, their faces hidden, only their pairs of desolate eyes gleaming with sinister light.

“Shennü, where are you rushing off to in such a hurry?”

A mocking laugh echoed as a figure slowly appeared in the void—the only one not wearing a black robe. It was Huashan Shenzi, his tone leisurely and amused, as if he had been waiting here for some time.

“Hua Du, I truly underestimated you.”

Huashan Shennü snorted coldly.

“The victor writes history; a thousand years from now, people will only remember the winner.”

Huashan Shenzi smirked.

“Since we are from the same sect, hand over Ye Chen, and I will grant you a peaceful death.”

Huashan Shennü said nothing and stepped forward, soaring into the sky to escape.

“Where do you think you’re going?”

A black-robed figure laughed coldly and unleashed a vast sea of blood with a palm strike, engulfing the sky.

Huashan Shennü swung her sword, cleaving through it and leaping out, only to collide with another attacker and be sent flying by a palm. Before she could regain her footing, two divine lights struck.

Thud! Thud!

Blood splattered as Huashan Shennü suffered consecutive heavy blows, her immortal body pierced through and nearly plummeting from the void.

“Suppress!”

Another black-robed figure arrived, activating a bronze furnace to press down from above.

Huashan Shennü bled again. It was not that she was weak; it was that her assailants were too powerful. The weakest were at Zhun Di eighth heaven, with three at the peak level—strength comparable to Huashan Zhenren’s. Under such a siege, one person could hardly hold out.

“Why bother?”

Huashan Shenzi watched with mocking eyes, not joining the fight, merely observing leisurely.

“Bullying the master and annihilating the ancestors—retribution will come.”

Huashan Shennü snorted coldly.

“Exterminate!”

A peak Zhun Di descended from the sky, his palm covering the heavens.

Huashan Shennü silently chanted an immortal incantation and vanished in an instant, dodging the palm. When she reappeared, she was on a distant mountain peak, not daring to linger as she fled with her blood-soaked immortal body.

“Pursue!”

Boom! Rumble!

The night grew tumultuous.

Ahead, Huashan Shennü was enveloped in immortal light, fleeing at full speed.

Behind her, over a dozen Zhun Di gave chase, attacking relentlessly. Wherever they passed, mountain peaks collapsed one after another.

Such a scene was also unfolding for Huashan Zhenren and Huashan Xianzi.

The sect leader of Huashan and its elder were both covered in blood and bones, fighting and fleeing. They had broken through the encirclement multiple times but had come close to annihilation each time—utterly wretched.

Rumble!

Another mountain peak crumbled as Huashan Shennü was blasted away. Before she could steady herself, an immortal light from behind pierced her jade shoulder.

Huashan Shennü ignored the pain and cast another immortal technique, fleeing at top speed.

“You wretch, you can’t escape!”

Huashan Shenzi’s shrill roar echoed through the heavens, like a mad dog, his face twisted in rage. And his mouth was foul, cursing nonstop along the way, the word “wretch” rolling off his tongue.

It was fortunate there were other pursuers; otherwise, Huashan Shennü would have turned back to fight him to the death. After all, he was a sect’s Shenzi—how could his mouth be so vile?

Alas, the situation forced her hand. No matter how furious she felt, Huashan Shennü dared not stop. If surrounded again, death was certain. The escape technique she used earlier might work once, but not a second time—they would be prepared.

“You cannot escape.”

A cold, desolate voice rang out as a peak Zhun Di employed a heaven-defying divine ability, crossing the universe in a single step. He flipped his hand to unleash a sky-covering seal, shattering yin and yang.

Thud!

Huashan Shennü spat blood and plummeted from the void, smashing a mountain peak to rubble. Amid the flying debris, her immortal body cracked open once more.

In two breaths, over a dozen Zhun Di arrived, blocking all directions.

Huashan Shennü staggered to her feet, gripping her blood-stained immortal sword, barely able to stand. Her gaze was dim, and the protective immortal light around her had faded. That single palm strike had been world-shattering; her survival was already a miracle. Even a suppressed peak Zhun Di represented the pinnacle of the Scattered Immortal Realm—his full strike was not something an ordinary person could withstand.

“Run—why aren’t you running anymore?”

Huashan Shenzi, the one cursing the most, arrived last, his grin grotesque and terrifying, his bloodshot eyes betraying a lecherous gleam.

“You are truly pitiful.”

Huashan Shennü steadied herself with effort, staring coldly at Huashan Shenzi. After so many years as fellow disciples, she was seeing the true face of this beast in human clothing for the first time—utterly repulsive. His skill at hiding proved how deeply insecure he was inside.

Huashan Shennü fell silent and raised her killing sword, intending to end her own life.

Unfortunately, a beam of immortal light descended from the sky, sealing her in place. In the presence of a peak Zhun Di, she did not even have the right to take her own life.

“I will cherish you well.”

Huashan Shenzi stepped forward, extending his demonic hand toward Huashan Shennü’s cheek.

“I will also cherish you well.”

Suddenly, a voice emerged from Huashan Shennü’s body.

More precisely, from her magical artifact. It was like a divine decree from the heavens—cold and authoritative. Listening closely, it was Ye Chen’s voice, laced with a demonic power.