The people watching the livestream were completely stunned.
The entire stream went silent.
Even the streamer himself was frozen.
The oppressive might of the black smoke, which had pierced through an immeasurable distance, left everyone with a lingering sense of dread.
The streamer, in particular, was completely paralyzed.
Then, on the livestream, they watched as the Sword Cultivators began to flee. But it was useless. They couldn’t escape the black smoke’s lock.
Then, the second Sword Cultivator vanished with a bloodcurdling scream.
The third.
The fourth.
In a single exchange, all four Sword Cultivators present were annihilated. They had no power to resist.
Every last one of them perished, their bodies and Daos obliterated.
Afterward, the black smoke began to surge out frantically.
The streamer watched it all unfold, his eyes filled with nothing but a terror he had never known before.
He was facing more than just death. He was facing a power that was irresistible, unimaginable, and utterly incomprehensible.
Just then, the turtle shell on his body began to flash at an extremely high frequency.
The shell’s power granted him a sliver of mobility.
With a bizarre shriek, he scrambled away from the spot.
His pathetic, disheveled escape was broadcast live, but no one laughed. No one made a single sarcastic remark.
After all, those watching from the safety of their screens knew they wouldn’t have even been able to run.
The fact that he was on-site and could still escape was worthy of their admiration.
The stream kept running. The streamer was long gone, but the broadcast continued.
After a long while, comments finally started trickling in with donations: "Wha- what just happened?"
"That... that was a grand senior from the Sword Cultivation Lineage, wasn’t it? H-He’s dead?"
In that instant, the stream’s chat exploded.
The clip of what just happened instantly went viral.
Everyone who saw the clip was stunned, especially those who had been keeping an eye on the Sword Cultivation Lineage.
Perception No. 1 Group
Xiao Xiaomo: "Something big happened. See for yourselves."
He posted a link.
Chi Xue Child immediately replied: "We haven’t even reached the Sword Cultivation Lineage yet. Wasn’t the first one killed their second-ranked grand senior? I heard he was an Entering Dao Level expert."
Liuyue Xue: "Yes, I’ve confirmed it. He was Entering Dao Level."
Demon Cultivator Mo Yan: "Say no more. I’m out of here. I don’t want to go get myself killed."
An Entering Dao Level expert was killed in a single exchange. The entire Celestial Permanence Seven Veins isn’t safe anymore. And you want to go watch the show now?
That’s just asking to be killed.
She, Demon Cultivator Mo Yan, was no fool.
Chu Qing: "We’re at the Celestial Secret Lineage right now. My parents are planning to pull us out, too. You all should stay away."
Chi Xue Child: "@Chu Qing, what’s the situation over there? Is it really that dangerous? Blade Master Hai Bian and Liu Yiyi are still inside. Do you think they’re in danger?"
Demon Cultivator Mo Yan: "Of course they’re in danger! Even a 7.1 isn’t enough to survive this. Good heavens, the Sword Cultivation Lineage really picked a fight with the wrong people.
Yiyi Fairy and Blade Master Hai Bian are probably dead and gone. I’d better start looking for a safe place for myself."
Xiao Xiaomo: "Not necessarily. Boss Po Xiao is still in there. There might still be a chance."
Demon Cultivator Mo Yan: "An Entering Dao Level expert died in a single exchange! Boss Po Xiao is only a 7.1, that’s not nearly enough. Looks like I’ll have to set up a Clothes Tomb for Boss Po Xiao for real this time. That makes three of them all at once. This is getting tiring."
Liuyue Xue: "Mo Yan, can you stop running off on your own? We’re going to go take a look. We’ll find Chu Qing and the others first."
Demon Cultivator Mo Yan: "I’m not going. You guys can go if you want. Someone’s got to stay behind to collect your bodies."
Po Xiao: "Don’t come any closer. Get as far away as you can."
Liuyue Xue: "Fellow Daoist Po Xiao, are Yiyi and the others okay?"
Po Xiao: "I don’t know. If they’ve met up with Blade Master Hai Bian, they might have a chance of survival. Otherwise, it’s hard to say."
As long as Blade Master Hai Bian could get away from here, and as long as his relic held out, he could last for a while.
————
On the wooden walkway clinging to the side of the mountain, Curse Power rampaged wildly.
Xueyu trembled as she held Xiaoxiao, murmuring, "Don’t be afraid. It’s okay, it’s okay. Senior Sister will protect you."
Xueyu, Xiaoxiao, and the sibling-like pair of Chen An and his junior sister all sat on the edge of the walkway, their backs pressed against the mountainside.
It wasn’t that they didn’t want to leave; they simply couldn’t.
The Curse Power had already surpassed their ability to endure. The terrifying aura made them tremble uncontrollably.
They couldn’t even stand.
If they hadn’t discovered a peculiar power protecting them at the critical moment, they would already be dead.
Indeed, Jiang Zuo had left the power of a Purification Bead on them, but facing such a potent Curse Power, even that wouldn’t last much longer.
They had watched with their own eyes as many people were assimilated by the Curse Power and ultimately vanished.
This terror constantly enveloped them. Anyone with a weak mind would likely have gone mad on the spot.
Chen An had knocked his junior sister unconscious, while he himself was almost numb from the horror.
This place was a true Unwarranted Hell.
Down at the foot of the mountain, Qing Lian held Yiruo while Blade Master Hai Bian used his relic to protect everyone.
Blade Master Hai Bian said, "I can’t hold on for much longer. If we can’t find a way to escape, we’ll all die here."
Zhong Yiyang and Liu Yiyi sat on the ground back-to-back. If they hadn’t run into Blade Master Hai Bian just in time, they might have been dead already.
It was too terrifying.
"We will buy you some more time," said one of the two Tier Six Sword Cultivators who had initially been following Jiang Zuo. "But if you dare abandon our Miss, you will die a miserable death."
They had come looking for Liu Yiyi—or more accurately, to protect her.
Unfortunately, they had only just found her, and now they lacked the power to protect her properly.
On their own, they could have lasted for some time, but protecting others was a great strain on them.
Zhong Yiyang said, "Sister Liu, do you have any powerful Life-Protecting Treasures on you? Hurry up and use one!"
Liu Yiyi said, "I have an offensive one. It could probably blast a Tier Five or Six cultivator to death. Should I use it?"
Blade Master Hai Bian said, "Better not. We might end up blowing ourselves up, and that would defeat the purpose."
Liu Yiyi shook her head. "Then I’m out of options. I don’t have any shields or anything like that. Besides, against this level of Curse Power, a normal Shield would be useless anyway."
Qing Lian, however, said to them, "Thank you, fellow Daoists, for saving our lives."
Qing Lian was very worried about the Saintess and the others, but Yiruo was an even greater concern. She was still unconscious, but perhaps being unconscious was a blessing in this situation.
Blade Master Hai Bian nodded, then said, "Let’s move back. The farther away we get, the longer we can last."
The male Tier Six Sword Cultivator said, "Yes. But this relic is truly incredible. To think it can even block the fear caused by the Curse Power."
Blade Master Hai Bian sighed inwardly. The relic was starting to crumble. He didn’t feel much about that, but if these two Sword Cultivators were to snatch it, it would be a terrible loss.
Fortunately, he had been cautious enough to bind the relic to himself beforehand. Otherwise, heaven knew if these two would attack him in order to protect Liu Yiyi.
Outside the Sword Cultivation Lineage’s territory, some of the high-ranking Sword Cultivators who had been waiting for news suddenly saw people below fleeing in a mad panic. Only a small number remained, watching from a distance.
Just then, a disciple rushed over to them in a panic. "Seniors! T-terrible news!"