Chapter 23: A Single Strike to Obliterate the Deity Transformation Realm

"A bunch of scoundrels."

The remark made the Poison Master and Yao Mei flush with anger.

"You speak with such righteous indignation!" The Poison Master barked. "You have only been cultivating for twenty years; if you die, that is the end of it. But I have cultivated for hundreds of years. The hardships I have endured are beyond your comprehension. To abandon centuries of cultivation just for a fleeting reputation—that is the height of stupidity."

None of the cultivators present mocked him. If they were in his shoes, they would have made the same choice. The world of cultivation is brutal; if one is not selfish, they will be picked clean to the bone. No one would be foolish enough to fight to the death for a sect they had not even joined yet.

"Heh." Li Qingshan laughed aloud, looking down at Chen Xuan from his superior position. "Chen Xuan, you see the situation now. My three great sects currently command eight Nascent Soul experts, dozens of Golden Core masters, and thousands of Foundation Establishment and Qi Refining cultivators. And as for your Xuandan Sect," Li Qingshan said with a mocking tone, "you have only a few dozen Foundation Establishment and Qi Refining disciples, plus three Golden Core elders. Although you have entered the Soul Transformation realm, I stepped into it a decade before you. As long as I pin you down, your disciples will be reduced to nothing but bones."

"Oh?" Chen Xuan arched an eyebrow. "And what do you want?"

"It’s simple," Li Qingshan replied. "Either you sign a life-and-death contract and lead the Xuandan Sect to merge into the Qingyun Sect, or the Xuandan Sect will be wiped out."

"A life-and-death contract?!" Liyang Zi was horrified. A life-and-death contract meant placing one's very existence into another's hands. At any moment, the other party could decide to end Chen Xuan's life.

"Sect Master, don't do it!" Liyang Zi immediately pleaded. "Sect Master, you have already broken through to the Soul Transformation realm. No matter how many of them there are, they cannot do anything to you. You must not agree to this."

"Hmph, do you intend to stand by and watch every member of the Xuandan Sect die?" Li Qingshan's expression darkened. Although he was also in the Soul Transformation realm, he knew it was nearly impossible to kill Chen Xuan, which was why he chose to coerce him into signing the contract rather than attacking directly.

Li Qingshan resorted to moral blackmail: "Chen Xuan, as the Sect Master of the Xuandan Sect, if the sect is completely destroyed because of you, how will you have the face to face the past sect masters of the Xuandan Sect in the afterlife?"

"Sect Master," Liyang Zi urged, "as long as the green hills remain, there is no need to worry about firewood. As long as you are alive, there is hope for the revival of the Xuandan Sect. None of us will blame you, and neither will the past masters."

"He is right," Chen Xuan said, waving his hand. "If I were to abandon the Xuandan Sect, I would have no face to see my predecessors. Anyone who wishes to leave the Xuandan Sect now is free to do so. For those who stay, or those who wish to join, I will have great rewards for you afterward."

Shen Xuzi and Miao Shezi’s eyes lit up. Both had already defected to the three great sects and had been searching for an excuse to defect openly; Chen Xuan had just handed them the perfect opportunity.

"We two resign from the sect!" Shen Xuzi and Miao Shezi declared immediately.

"We also resign." Following their lead, the disciples under their wings also began to withdraw. In the blink of an eye, only Elder Liyang Zi and a few dozen loyal disciples remained.

"You traitors!" Liyang Zi could not believe his eyes. These two were elders of the Xuandan Sect, yet they were the ones leading the exodus. The Xuandan Sect was truly finished.

Chu Lingyun stood by, filled with indignation. Chen Xuan was such a good person, yet they still chose to abandon the sect. Li Rou, however, marveled at Chen Xuan’s brilliant strategy. She had already seen Chen Xuan’s sacred artifact; dealing with a few Nascent Soul experts, let alone a Soul Transformation one, would be effortless for him. She realized Chen Xuan had spoken those words specifically to flush out the fair-weather friends within the sect and drive them away in a justified manner.

Chen Xuan remained calm and collected. Li Rou’s guess was correct. Chen Xuan did this because his sect system only provided bonuses for fifty slots. Rather than wasting resources on these ungrateful wolves, it was better to keep a few loyal ones and nurture them. Fifty ordinary disciples were not worth as much as a single disciple with a filial piety rating of one hundred.

"Hahaha!" Li Qingshan laughed heartily. "Chen Xuan, your own elders have already left the sect. Do you still intend to resist?"

"You talk too much." With that, Chen Xuan reached out his hand, and a long staff appeared—crimson red all over, with dragon-serpent carvings hanging from both ends. He swept the staff horizontally. A dragon formed from spiritual energy surged toward Li Qingshan with irresistible force. When the energy dissipated, Li Qingshan had vanished without a trace.

Silence. Dead silence. The disciples of the three great sects, as well as Shi Hui and Dongfang Qiu, stood stunned, unable to believe what they had just witnessed.

Li Qingshan—the strongest Sect Master of the three great sects, a powerhouse in the Soul Transformation realm—had been swept into oblivion by a single strike of Chen Xuan’s staff. Hadn't Chen Xuan only just broken through to the Soul Transformation realm? Wasn't he a pill master, famous for alchemy? How was he so terrifying with a staff?

Li Rou’s eyes widened. Back in the main hall, she had seen a shattered sacred artifact; Chen Xuan had claimed he had accidentally broken it, a story she hadn't believed. Sacred artifacts were rare in this world; the mere appearance of one was enough to shake the foundations of the world. How could it be broken? But seeing the staff in Chen Xuan’s hands now, she felt that perhaps he hadn't lied. Could this be an immortal artifact? If a sacred artifact was already exaggerated, the fact that Chen Xuan might possess an immortal artifact made her realize that joining the Xuandan Sect was the right choice.

"Sect Master is amazing!" Chu Lingyun exclaimed with a face full of worship, completely becoming Chen Xuan’s little fan.

"Is he dead already? Wasn't he in the Soul Transformation realm?" Chen Xuan looked at the dragon-serpent staff in his hand, feeling a bit regretful. He hadn't intended to kill Li Qingshan immediately; he had planned to beat him into a near-death state and let Chu Lingyun finish him off so he could receive the filial piety reward. He had only used fifty percent of his power, yet it had blown Li Qingshan into smithereens.

"I didn't expect this dragon-serpent staff to be so strong," Chen Xuan muttered. However, this only proved that choosing to buy the staff had been the right decision.

"Now, it is your turn." Chen Xuan glanced at Shi Hui and Dongfang Qiu. The two men finally snapped out of their shock, trembling violently. Li Qingshan had been in the Soul Transformation realm, and they were only at the peak of the Nascent Soul stage. If Li Qingshan could be killed with one strike, they stood no chance.

"Thump." Both men fell to their knees.