"Dead... someone's dead?"
"What in the world is going on! The immortal mansion! Aren't the seniors from the immortal mansion still up there!"
"Seniors, save us, seniors!"
"Help! I don't want to die!"
After the dead silence, only panic remained.
The situation that everyone had barely managed to suppress instantly descended into chaos.
Of course, if it were just some panic, it wouldn't amount to much.
But among the panic, there was also the smell of blood.
The Qi Refining cultivator who had just exploded was not the end, but the beginning of everything.
On the first high platform, cultivators died one after another.
Flesh and blood exploded like scattered scarlet fireworks.
"Senior Gong!"
On the eighth high platform, a Foundation Establishment cultivator panicked.
He looked towards the ninth high platform and quickly asked, "What... what in the world is going on?"
Gong Yushan naturally did not answer him.
The other Foundation Establishment cultivators, seeing this, seemed to sense that something was wrong and immediately scattered.
Some headed towards the lower platforms to regroup with the outer disciples, while others flew towards the edge of the formation, seeking a way to break it.
Except for... the white-robed man from the Sword Pavilion and the veiled woman.
These two stood together, as if they had reached a tacit understanding, and seemed unsurprised by everything that was happening.
Yun Ze frowned, staring at the veiled woman for a few moments, then finally left the eighth high platform and flew down towards the platforms below!
Although he could not see the woman's expression through her veil, he could sense that she would not act.
This woman and the fellow from the Sword Pavilion seemed to be waiting for something!
No matter what they intended to do, he needed to save himself!
Yun Ze could sense that the entire Immortal Ascension Assembly formation had changed.
Escape was impossible through ordinary means, but with spatial abilities, he could still take a few people out.
He flashed to the fifth high platform and directly pulled Zi Ji, "Let's go!"
Zi Ji did not resist and followed Yun Ze down to the platform, "Mr. Tu, this formation has already..."
"I know, let's get out first!"
Yun Ze, with Zi Ji, hovered above everyone and rushed towards Ji Xiu's direction, his eyes constantly searching for his location.
"Xiao Xiu! Xiao Xiu!"
Now that everyone was frantically trying to squeeze out of the formation, Ji Xiu's small figure had long since disappeared.
Yun Ze called out his name, but received no response.
Until...
A feminine, effeminate voice sounded close to his ear.
"You, are you looking for him?"
Yun Ze felt his hair stand on end and quickly turned to look behind him.
A streak of dark red met his eyes.
It was a blood shadow, and within the blood shadow was Ji Xiu, his mouth and nose covered, struggling desperately!
"What a good seedling."
The blood shadow slowly transformed into a woman.
She wore a mask, one hand gripping Ji Xiu's neck, while the other, pale as snow, gently stroked his face as if caressing a treasure. "If he were used as a ferry for that Lord to cross the world, He would surely be very pleased!"
Yun Ze frowned.
This feeling was... demonic cultivation!
A late-stage Core Formation demonic cultivator!
Why would a demonic cultivator appear in the Immortal Ascension Assembly?
"Hurry up, don't waste time!"
Before Yun Ze could speak, another voice rang out from the high platform.
Yun Ze followed the sound and looked up at the high platform, where a burly man with bulging muscles stood amidst the crowd!
This fellow was at least five meters tall. With a casual grab, he snatched a Qi Refining cultivator and crushed him into a pulp of flesh and blood in an instant!
Judging by his cultivation, he should also be a late-stage Core Formation cultivator!
"Gather these people together first! If you delay the main business, you won't be able to bear the responsibility!" the burly man's voice rang out again.
"Hmph, I naturally know what to do, why do you need to nag me about it?"
The woman snorted coldly, showing no intention of releasing Ji Xiu. She then looked at Yun Ze and asked, "Little brother, can you do me a favor?
Take your disciple and go back first. Perhaps I can even leave you a complete corpse later~"
"Dream on!"
Yun Ze snorted, drawing out his Zhen Dan.
But just as he was about to pluck the strings, a sound of breaking air exploded!
Crack~
The Zhen Dan instantly snapped into two pieces!
"Blood Charm, didn't I tell you? This person is mine to deal with!"
A familiar voice slowly sounded.
Yun Ze turned his head and his brow furrowed tightly.
Gong Li!
Was this to be expected, or unexpected?
Since the two late-stage Core Formation cultivators dared to make a move during the Immortal Ascension Assembly, Gong Yushan must have been involved. Thus, Gong Li, who was presumed dead, could not have died so easily.
It was just that Yun Ze never expected Gong Yushan to be so audacious!
Forging Gong Li's death was one thing, but to slaughter the immortal seedlings of the Immortal Ascension Assembly!
But then again, as a direct descendant of the Gong family, an inspector of the Immortal Mansion, and with his cultivation on the verge of breaking through to Nascent Soul, why would he do this?
"Fine, he's yours, but don't play with him to death, okay~"
The woman, known as Blood Charm, chuckled lightly, then transformed into a blood shadow and disappeared from sight, instantly appearing before another Foundation Establishment cultivator.
This time, she didn't waste any words. She directly swept him up and threw him back onto the high platform, not killing him.
"How is it, are you surprised to see me?"
Gong Li stood before Yun Ze, a smile he couldn't conceal on his lips. "I've wanted to smash that broken zither of yours for a long time. Now I finally get to do it!"
Yun Ze's brow furrowed, completely bewildered and unsure of the other's intentions. "What exactly do you want to do?"
"Want to know? Go up and wait to see!"
Gong Li drew a dark red long saber and swung its back towards Yun Ze!
Yun Ze's eyes narrowed.
This fellow's cultivation had also reached late-stage Core Formation!
But he didn't seem to want to kill himself?
Yes, from the conversation between the woman called Blood Charm and the five-meter-tall burly man, they seemed to be waiting for some opportune moment.
Their target was currently the Qi Refining cultivators, and it wasn't their turn yet.
Then...
Yun Ze stared at Gong Li, a killing intent flashing in his eyes.
Should he perhaps kill this fellow first and see what happens?
If one late-stage Core Formation cultivator was removed, their plan should be disrupted.
He thought to himself, his gaze inadvertently fell upon the veiled woman and the white-robed man.
By now, the two had also descended from the eighth high platform. However, instead of breaking out of the formation, they had plunged into the first high platform and launched an attack on the five-meter-tall burly man.
It was a pity.
The gap between Foundation Establishment and Core Formation was too great, and the two did not inflict any significant damage on the burly man, only slowing down his massacre of Qi Refining cultivators.
Buzz!
The saber edge arrived!
Yun Ze could only dodge sideways. His gaze flickered upwards.
At this moment, Gong Yushan had not made any move.
He was immediately caught in a dilemma.
Making a move now, even if he killed Gong Li, would likely put him directly in the line of fire from Gong Yushan!
He probably couldn't withstand it on his own!
But if he didn't kill him, then there would be no one to restrain Blood Charm later, and he would have even less of a chance!
No matter what, he would make a move first!
Yun Ze made up his mind and drew three Immortal Shards from his spatial ring!
Following the usage method in the Sword Canon, he channeled the spiritual energy within his body through their patterns, forging them into dagger shapes!
"Hmm?"
Gong Li sensed the aura of a third-tier spiritual weapon and frowned. "What is this..."
"Your death warrant."
Yun Ze flung out two sword energies!
One bright, one dark.
The bright sword energy was naturally the purest sword energy, while the dark sword energy utilized the Hidden Sword technique!
He had originally not wanted to reveal this move, but now, to break the deadlock, he had to use a ruthless tactic!
"Heh, just this... Pfft!"
Gong Li blocked the bright sword energy with his saber, but he never expected a sword energy from the dark!
The sword energy struck his vital point. As Gong Li sneered, he spat out a mouthful of blood, his face instantly turning pale.
He covered his mouth and nose, his palms stained crimson, his eyes filled with disbelief.
But in the next instant...
Boom!
Gong Li's body instantly exploded!
Flesh and blood scattered into the formation, and the pale purple illusory core in his sea of qi floated in mid-air.
"Truly a waste."
On the high platform.
Gong Yushan uttered four words, one by one, and with a wave of his hand, the illusory core flew into the air and hovered beside him.
And in the next instant!
He slowly raised his right hand and gently pressed it towards Yun Ze's direction.
Boom!
Yun Ze felt a buzzing in his head, as if a thousand-pound weight had fallen upon him, and ač „ē surged up his throat!
Before he could recover, a streak of crimson overflowed from the corner of his mouth.
Pressure!
Yun Ze looked up at Gong Yushan, the Immortal Shard in his hand trembling slightly.
If he were to strike again...
Bang!
Before Yun Ze could make a move, a crisp sound exploded behind his head.
Blood Charm had freed herself and, taking advantage of his inattention, struck his neck with a palm chop.
Yun Ze instinctively wanted to counterattack!
But after that palm chop, he could no longer sense any spiritual energy in his sea of qi!
What kind of technique was this!?
"Stop struggling, it'll be over soon."
Blood Charm lifted Yun Ze with one hand and threw him onto the eighth high platform.
As for Ji Xiu in her other hand...
After knocking him unconscious, she placed him safely on the ninth high platform, next to Gong Yushan.
When Yun Ze landed on the high platform, the Foundation Establishment cultivators who had fled from the platform earlier had all returned!
This naturally included the veiled woman and the white-robed man.
Yun Ze glanced at everyone and found that anyone who had clashed with Blood Charm could no longer feel any spiritual energy remaining, and three pale purple patterns flickered on the back of their necks.
This was... a seal?
Yun Ze frowned.
A seal from a late-stage Core Formation cultivator, how could he possibly play this game!
He could only turn to the slumped-over veiled woman and quietly moved closer to her, "What do you know? It's not the time to hide things now!"
"Didn't Daoist Tu also hide things from us?"
The veiled woman's voice rang out. "A Foundation Establishment cultivator at the early stage killing a late-stage Core Formation cultivator, and your name isn't even on the Heavenly Ranking. Isn't that too ridiculous?"
"...It's not the time to talk about this, is it?" Yun Ze said helplessly.
"Then what should we talk about?"
The white-robed man, who had been silent all along, suddenly spoke.
His eyes were fixed on Yun Ze. "Shall we talk about why my third brother is back from the dead?"
"Hmm?!"
Yun Ze was stunned.
He turned to look at the white-robed man, his eyes filled with surprise. "You... you are..."
Xiu Yun!