The Great Elder whispered, "It's Chou Yin."
"Damn it, this old bastard dares to come to our Fire Cloud Cave to cause trouble? He's tired of living!" Shi Haotian immediately became enraged.
Chou Yin was the sect leader of Centipede Mountain. He had cultivated for over a hundred years to reach the peak of the ninth level of Qi Refining.
Last year, while competing for a medicinal herb, he was severely beaten by Shi Haotian, a rising star.
Since then, wherever Fire Cloud Cave disciples appeared, Chou Yin would choose to take a detour.
And now, he had come to provoke them.
He had even posed a question of survival or destruction.
"Master, I will go down the mountain and kill Chou Yin!" Shi Haotian said indignantly.
"No! You seven must hold the formation flags of the Seven Star Dragon Slaying Formation. You absolutely cannot separate, or you will be picked off one by one by the enemy!"
Nangong He's expression was grave. "Chou Yin is a cowardly and bullying person who picks on the weak and fears the strong. Moreover, Centipede Mountain is inherently inferior to our Fire Cloud Cave. His provocation is absolutely not as simple as it appears!"
The Second Elder asked, "Does the Sect Leader mean Chou Yin has allied himself with those two Mid-stage Foundation Establishment experts?"
Nangong He nodded slightly. "It's not impossible!"
The Great Elder said, "It seems they are not here with good intentions!"
"Afraid of him? Nonsense!" The Second Elder snorted coldly and loudly responded, "Chou! If you dare to come up, I will make sure you never return!"
"Nangong He, it seems you refuse a toast only to be forced to drink a forfeit!" Chou Yin's cold laughter echoed. "Since you are so unappreciative, I will let you know the strength of my Centipede Mountain!"
The next moment.
Powerful auras surged towards the mountainside.
Nangong He whispered, "Prepare to fight!"
"Yes!"
In an instant, the disciples of Fire Cloud Cave drew their long swords.
Their eyes were firm, prepared to die, and just this aura alone caused the wind and clouds to change color.
Soon, Chou Yin and his entourage appeared on the mountainside.
He wore a blood-red robe, his beard and hair were all white, and he exuded a powerful aura.
Behind him followed eight disciples, each of whom had reached the peak of Qi Refining.
"Young Chou Yin, I didn't expect you to have entered the Foundation Establishment stage in just a year. Your Centipede Mountain has indeed improved rapidly!" Shi Haotian said with a cold smile.
Chou Yin did not get angry. "Are you surprised?"
"To be honest, we at Centipede Mountain have received great fortune, guided and rewarded by True Person Nanyang and True Person Liyuan. Not only have I broken through my limitations, but my eight disciples have also all reached the peak of the ninth level of Qi Refining."
"With such cultivation, can they be considered heavenly prodigies?"
"Alright, enough talk. Let's get to the point," Chou Yin said. "We are here on the orders of True Person Nanyang and True Person Liyuan to take over your Fire Cloud Cave."
"If you submit to the two seniors, they will surely bestow many treasures upon you!"
"Conversely, your Fire Cloud Cave will likely see a river of blood today!"
Nangong He said, "Fellow Daoist Chou Yin, you are the sect leader of Centipede Mountain with over a hundred disciples. Your strength is considered among the top in Zhongnan Mountain. Why do you wish to join others and become their lackey?"
Chou Yin replied, "The two seniors possess transcendent power and have astonishing backgrounds. My submission to them is a wise choice for a capable person."
Nangong He pressed, "What is their objective?"
Chou Yin answered, "To unify Zhongnan Mountain!"
The Great Elder snorted, "Unify Zhongnan Mountain? They are simply overestimating themselves. Do they have the ability to do so?"
"So, you refuse a toast only to be forced to drink a forfeit?" Chou Yin's eyes flickered with cold intent.
"Master, I will kill him!"
Shi Haotian spoke.
Chou Yin was stunned for a moment, then burst into laughter. "Shi Haotian, do you really think I am still the same as before? Although you defeated me once a year ago, I have now entered the Foundation Establishment stage."
"In my eyes now, you are nothing more than an ant. I can suppress you with a mere raise of my hand!"
"Master, let me deal with him for you!"
Chou Yin's eldest disciple, Dong Yao, stepped forward. He also possessed the peak cultivation of the ninth level of Qi Refining and could be considered a peerless genius among the younger generation.
"Good, you will kill him for me and avenge the past year. Otherwise, people will say that I, Chou, am bullying the young," Chou Yin said with a meaningful smile.
Even though Shi Haotian was considered the top genius of Fire Cloud Cave, his disciples were not weak.
"Die!"
Dong Yao roared.
He moved like an afterimage, appearing directly in front of Shi Haotian.
He intended to kill him with a single punch to avenge his master!
"Kill me? Are you worthy?"
Shi Haotian's eyes were full of disdain. He raised his hand and delivered a resounding slap.
*Bang!*
With a sound like a drumbeat, Dong Yao's head exploded like a watermelon hit by a bullet.
Blood mixed with whitish paste splattered everywhere. The headless corpse spewed blood.
The scene was horrifying.
Everyone below the Foundation Establishment stage is an ant; this saying is not just for show.
Even a peak ninth-level Foundation Establishment expert is no match for a first-level Foundation Establishment cultivator; they are not on the same level.
Silence fell upon the scene.
Chou Yin's eyes showed deep shock.
The seven disciples behind him were also stunned.
They had thought Dong Yao would be able to kill Shi Haotian, or at least fight him to a draw.
But the scene before them deeply shook their souls!
A peak ninth-level Qi Refining cultivator was simply slapped to death by him?
"You've also entered the Foundation Establishment stage?" Chou Yin's gaze became serious.
Otherwise, there was no explanation for his disciple being killed by a single slap.
Shi Haotian grinned. "You think only you have entered the Foundation Establishment stage? Don't be ridiculous. If an ant like you can enter that realm, why can't I?"
"Could it be that your talent is superior to mine?"
Chou Yin unleashed his terrifying killing intent. "Even if you have entered the Foundation Establishment stage, you will not escape death today!"
As he spoke.
A black long sword appeared in his hand. He wielded the sword and charged at Shi Haotian.
At the same time, he uttered cold words, "You guys, don't just stand there. Kill Nangong He and these elders of Fire Cloud Cave!"
"Yes!"
Chou Yin's seven disciples were like they had been injected with chicken blood.
While they might not be Shi Haotian's match, they should be more than capable of dealing with these old guys who were not in the Foundation Establishment stage, right?
Their thoughts coincided with Chou Yin's.
However, after they made their move, they realized how utterly wrong they were.
Because the strength of these people was terrifying.
To the extent that they could not resist at all.
"Ah!"
"Pfft!"
"Master, they... they have all entered the Foundation Establishment stage..."
A miserable cry reached Chou Yin's ears.
"What?"
Chou Yin, who was fighting Shi Haotian, felt his scalp explode.
Fire Cloud Cave had eight Foundation Establishment cultivators?
Damn it!
How could this battle be won?
Could I still win?