Chapter 99: Pointing the Sword to Exorcise Demons

Thousands of disciples from the Shu Sword Sect gathered below the Sword-Pointing Platform, the air buzzing with chaotic noise, yet the platform itself was suffused with a chilling, murderous atmosphere.

For this assembly, in addition to Sect Leader Li Xingjian, the Second Elder of the Shu Sword Sect sat prominently in the seat of honor, his eyes closed in meditation. Qin Feng recognized him; he was the white-haired old man who had occupied the elder’s chair on the very first day Qin Feng arrived at the sect. This elder was also a master of the Tiangang Realm, though his cultivation was a notch below Li Xingjian’s.

As for the Great Elder of the Shu Sword Sect, rumor held that he had long been in secluded cultivation, vowing not to appear unless the sect faced an existential crisis. This only deepened the aura of mystery surrounding him. Because the Great Elder was detached from worldly affairs, the Second Elder generally managed the daily operations of the Elders' Hall. His authority even superseded that of the Sect Leader, which explained why even Li Xingjian treated him with utmost deference. So long as the Second Elder remained silent, the various Di-gang Realm elders on the platform dared not breathe a word.

Li Xingjian, sitting beside the Second Elder, had his silver eyebrows arched in fury, clearly still incensed by the recent incident. When the crowd had gathered and the appointed hour arrived, Li Xingjian leaned over to whisper a few words to the Second Elder. The latter nodded, signaling that Li Xingjian had full authority to handle the matter.

Li Xingjian rose and strode to the edge of the platform. He swept his gaze—sharp as a blade—across the audience. Wherever his eyes landed, the crowd fell silent in terror until a deathly hush descended upon the square; one could have heard a needle drop. A single look had such an effect—it was a testament to the profound authority Li Xingjian had cultivated over the years.

Satisfied with the silence, Li Xingjian’s expression turned cold and somber. "A few days ago, two mysterious individuals infiltrated our Shu Sword Sect to commit murder. Many of you here witnessed this catastrophe firsthand. To eliminate these two demonic intruders, our sect tragically lost Elders Luo Ping and Bai Ping, and hundreds of our disciples were slain! Do you remember this humiliation?"

"We remember!" the disciples below shouted in unison, their faces filled with indignation. The disciples under the command of the fallen elders were particularly incensed, their eyes brimming with tears as they joined the chorus.

"The ones who killed our people—it was the Corpse Sect!"
"This is a disgrace to our Shu Sword Sect!"

"If this blood debt is not repaid, Elders Luo Ping and Bai Ping will not be able to rest in peace, and the souls of our hundreds of fallen brothers and sisters will find no solace! We must avenge them! Even if it means mobilizing the entire power of the Shu Sword Sect, we will swear to avenge them! We will defend the Shu Sword Sect and uphold the dignity of our school!"

"Avenge them! Avenge them! Avenge them!" The thousands below roared as one.

Qin Feng felt speechless. Watching his fellow disciples being stirred into a frenzy by Li Xingjian’s few words, he felt a profound pity for them; they were being used as pawns without even realizing it. Li Xingjian was truly despicable. He knew full well that the two mysterious intruders had used Silver Puppet Corpse Talismans to animate the bodies, yet he was deliberately obscuring the truth, shifting the blame to the Corpse Sect, and pushing the long-standing tensions between the two sects to a breaking point.

Could this have been premeditated? Was the intrusion merely a convenient excuse for Li Xingjian to launch a sect-wide war? It was highly likely. He had seen many shameless people, but none quite this brazen.

Li Xingjian’s hypocrisy—the way he wore a mask of righteousness while acting as a vile, petty man—made Qin Feng feel physically ill. It was no wonder that the Heavenly Demon held such contempt for the so-called "righteous sects." While one could not paint them all with the same brush, there were far too many hypocrites who preached justice while plotting schemes in the shadows, inciting wars for their own selfish gains. How was this any different from the ways of the demonic path?

As Qin Feng pondered this, Li Xingjian began to lay out his justification. A war always required a foundation—a motive for murder—to silence the doubts of the clever. Seeing that the disciples were sufficiently riled up, Li Xingjian changed his tone.

"I have sent people to investigate the reason for this demonic intrusion. In the Tianhuan Mountain range, a massive vein of mystic stones has been discovered. While that region serves as the border between us and the Corpse Sect, the vast majority of the vein lies on our side. Furthermore, it was our sect that discovered it first, so the mining rights belong to us. Yet, the Corpse Sect has been eyeing it with covetous greed for days! They sent people to infiltrate our sect, cause chaos, and attempt to kidnap my son to force my submission. Look, these two corpses are the proof! The garments they wear are those of the Corpse Sect, and their identities are none other than the Corpse Sect’s Di-gang Realm elders, Heisang and Gangxi."

"Although the two culprits have been brought to justice, their audacity in infiltrating our sect to commit murder is an unforgivable insult. I, Li Xingjian, swear that if this debt is not repaid, I am not a man! Disciples of the Shu Sword Sect, hear my order: follow me to the Tianhuan Mountains to reclaim the mystic stone vein that belongs to us! Show no mercy to any Corpse Sect disciple you encounter. Follow me, wipe out these demons, and kill, kill, kill!"

"Kill! Kill! Kill! Kill!"

The cry of "kill" ignited the entire sect, and the atmosphere reached a boiling point.

"Good!" Li Xingjian shouted, seeing the morale of his troops. "Where are our sect’s Great Divine Swords, Tianque and Pojun?"

"Tianque is here! Pojun is here!" Two middle-aged men emerged—one carrying a broad, golden-glowing sword on his back, who knelt on one knee; the other, carrying a narrow purple sword, stepped out from the ranks and answered in unison.

"Good!" Li Xingjian nodded, satisfied. "Where are our Zijing and Tianlei twin swords?"

"Zijing is here!" A beautiful female cultivator with an ethereal temperament stepped out from the crowd, knelt before the platform, and answered clearly. Li Haoran leaped from behind Li Xingjian, landed before the platform, and stood tall with burning eyes. "Tianlei is ready to depart at any moment!"

"Good!" Li Xingjian nodded with satisfaction at his son’s fighting spirit. "Where are our Three Maidens of the Ancient Sword—Yuehua, Ziyun, and Lanyao?"

"We are here!" Three heroic-looking young women stepped out. Qin Feng noticed Huo Siyan, carrying the Lanyao sword, among them; she looked truly formidable.

"Good!"

"Where are the Four Clouds of Liuyun?"

Four identical young women stepped out of the ranks and chirped in unison, "Sect Leader, we are here!"

"Good!"

"Where are the Five Stars of the Mother-Son Swords?"
"We are here!"

"Where is the Six-Kill Sword?"
...

"Where are the Seven Sons of the Cloud Sword?"
"The Seven Sons of the Cloud Sword are here!"

However, only five people stepped forward. Qin Feng noted the absence of Zhan Bai and Gu Yunchuan. Zhan Bai was serving penance at the Ghost Sword Cliff, and Gu Yunchuan’s corpse lay upon the platform; the seven were two short, which made for a poor sight. Li Xingjian’s brow furrowed.

Just then, a thunderous voice echoed from the distance.

"Zhan Bai, leader of the Seven Sons of the Cloud Sword, is here!"

A flash of sword light streaked in. The light faded, and a man appeared. Zhan Bai, tall and imposing, stood steadily before the platform. He stepped forward to the position of the leader of the Seven Sons, knelt, and bowed his head to request battle. "Disciple Zhan Bai requests to fight. I ask for Master’s permission!"

Although Zhan Bai’s appearance was unexpected, this was no time to dampen morale. After a brief flicker of hesitation in his eyes, Li Xingjian readily agreed.

"Good! Take your place!"
"Thank you, Master!"

"Is that... Zhan Bai? He came too?"
"Indeed, wasn't he punished to face the wall at Ghost Sword Cliff?"
"Yes, I heard he had fallen into a demonic state, which is why he was sent there."

The crowd whispered among themselves, but Zhan Bai acted as if he heard nothing. He stood proudly at the head of the Seven Sons, his entire presence like an unsheathed sword, his aura soaring.

*What strong sword intent,* Qin Feng thought. *It seems his cultivation has improved.*

"But why did Zhan Bai come out this time?"
"Could it be that he has had a change of heart?"