Ling Tian eliminated Yun Chongxiao, who had come to intercept him. After observing and confirming there were no other attackers, he confidently approached and began studying the third protective mountain array before him.
After a long while, Ling Tian finally decided to act. He approached the outer ring of the protective mountain array. Almost instantly, a massive, invisible energy net enveloped him. Ling Tian dodged and weaved, narrowly slipping through the gaps in the net. He then quickly charged forward over ten meters, only for another array of spiritual power to surge towards him.
Ling Tian weaved left and right, quickly finding more gaps and passing through them.
...
At the headquarters of the Tianshan Sword Sect, within a meditation room, Yun Qiuyue, an elder of the Tianshan Sword Sect, suddenly felt a pang of unease. Soon, he realized where this unease was coming from, as he sensed that Yun Chongxiao, whom he had dispatched earlier, was also dead!
Yun Qiuyue was well aware of Yun Chongxiao's strength. Yet, such a person, fighting on home ground and within the protective mountain array, had been killed. Who was this intruder?
As far as he knew, even the alliance on the right had no one like this. Even great families like the Xuanyuan family might not have someone capable of barging into their mountain gate so brazenly!
"This is bad, it's on fire..." Suddenly, shouts came from outside the room, followed by a flurry of activity.
At this moment, someone hurriedly pushed open the door and reported to Yun Qiuyue.
"Great Elder, something terrible has happened, the Martial Scripture Pavilion is on fire!"
Upon hearing this, Yun Qiuyue's face turned green. The Martial Scripture Pavilion was no ordinary place; it was where the Tianshan Sword Sect stored various martial arts classics and the sect's genealogy.
It could be said that the Martial Scripture Pavilion was to the Tianshan Sword Sect what the Sutra Depository was to Shaolin – a sacred and inviolable forbidden area.
If the Martial Scripture Pavilion were to burn down, it would be disastrous. It was possible that much of the Tianshan Sword Sect's thousand-year heritage would be lost. This would make him too ashamed to face his ancestors even in death.
"Quick, quick, go and save the fire! Spare no expense, the fire must be extinguished, and the Martial Scripture Pavilion must not suffer any damage!"
Yun Qiuyue roared in exasperation, and his subordinates could only mobilize personnel and rush to extinguish the fire.
Yun Qiuyue gasped for breath. He felt that this matter was somewhat suspicious. Had the intruder already broken in?
That shouldn't be the case. If that were so, the protective mountain array should have reacted, but Yun Qiuyue had not sensed anyone breaching the third layer of the array.
Suddenly, Yun Qiuyue felt his hair stand on end, as if someone were watching him. Yun Qiuyue spun around abruptly and found a man sitting on the windowsill of the meditation room.
This man was Ling Tian!
"You... how did you get in!"
"Of course, I walked in. Do you think I could fly in? Are you senile, old man, to ask such a simple question!"
"No, that's impossible. You couldn't have broken through our Tianshan Sword Sect's formations!"
"This broken formation, a maze array, a phantom array, and then a sword array. This last layer is somewhat interesting; the rest are just to fool ordinary people! This flimsy thing is meant to stop me? How ridiculous!"
"Three disciples of our Tianshan Sword Sect went to patrol earlier, but now all three are missing. Is this matter related to you!"
"You mean those three scoundrels who sneak-attacked me with flying swords? Yes, it is indeed related to me! I have no grievances with them, yet they attacked me. What kind of logic is that? So, I sent them to repent before King Yama! What, do you miss them badly and want to join them?"
"You... you..."
Yun Qiuyue had spent his entire life in the Tianshan Sword Sect. He was an elder and the highest-ranking honored guest in the sect, and everyone spoke to him with utmost respect.
He had never encountered someone as sharp-tongued as Ling Tian and was almost angered to death.
"Who exactly are you!"
"Someone who acts on behalf of heaven! The Tianshan Sword Sect has degenerated, colluding with evil ways and doing many wicked deeds, causing many deaths. I, this young master, am here to settle accounts with you today!"
"Settle accounts? That depends on whether you have the life for it!" Yun Qiuyue roared and prepared to control the flying sword placed on the sword rack nearby. However, at this moment, Yun Qiuyue suddenly felt the temperature in the room rise by several tens of degrees Celsius.
Immediately, a human-shaped flame of yellow color lunged towards the sword rack by the wall. The five flying swords displayed on this rack were Yun Qiuyue's weapons; his entire life's cultivation was invested in these five flying swords.
The large mass of human-shaped flame quickly enveloped the five flying swords. What Yun Qiuyue found terrifying was that the five flying swords were completely engulfed by this flame, and Yun Qiuyue felt his connection with them severed!
Even more terrifying things followed. The swords engulfed by the flame began to melt slowly after more than ten seconds. Instantly, Yun Qiuyue felt a needle-like pain in his brain, as the destruction of the flying swords and the spiritual imprints left on them vanished into smoke.
Ling Tian walked forward with a smile and extended his hand.
"Give me the thing in your怀, the device that controls the protective mountain array!"
"No... I won't give it to you!"
"If you don't give it, I'll take it by force. Now that your flying swords are destroyed, do you think you can be my opponent? Give me this thing, and I'll spare your life. You're old and have lived a long time; you should cherish it."
"I won't give it to you. I'll activate the array now and perish with you!" Yun Qiuyue said fiercely.
"Very well, go ahead and activate it. There are several hundred people in this valley. Having them as my burial companions isn't bad either!"
"You!" Yun Qiuyue trembled with rage. He had fallen into despair. He had intended to use the protective mountain array to threaten Ling Tian, but Ling Tian didn't care at all.
It should be known that the headquarters of the Tianshan Sword Sect, with all its members and their families, numbered nearly 500 people. It was like a small village. As Ling Tian said, he dared not activate the protective mountain array! To have these 500 people buried with him, this deal was not worth it; it was a huge loss!
Suddenly, the old man, who had seemed near death, sprang up and lunged directly towards the window of the meditation room. The window of the meditation room was not made of glass but of bamboo and Xuan paper. He intended to break through the window and escape.
However, at that moment, a flame, a living flame, drifted and blocked the window!