"Kill!"
The Tian brothers, radiating killing intent, charged at the Wu brothers, Wu Long and Wu Hu, in an instant. Their low-grade spiritual treasure swords swung mercilessly towards Wu Long.
Wu Long stood frozen, appearing as if he hadn't reacted at all. The Tian brothers felt a surge of smugness. They were both at the late Core Formation stage, yet the difference was clear! In the current cultivation world, cultivation wasn't the sole determinant of combat power. Within the same realm, there were vast disparities!
In that moment, they envisioned their low-grade spiritual treasure swords slicing through the necks of Wu Long and Wu Hu.
"Clang!"
However, just as their swords neared Wu Long's neck, Wu Long, from somewhere, produced a treasure sword and blocked their attack. The collision of the two weapons erupted into a shower of sparks.
"Huh? What's going on?"
"This is a spiritual treasure. How could an ordinary weapon block it?"
The elder of the Tian brothers was stunned. He had expected an easy victory, as a low-grade spiritual treasure sword was incredibly sharp and difficult to block. Even if the two late Core Formation cultivators intended to block, they would have needed to prepare their defenses beforehand. Yet, they had done so with such ease.
More importantly, was the opponent's weapon also a low-grade spiritual treasure? Otherwise, how could it have collided with theirs, producing sparks instead of being cleanly severed?
"Frogs in a well!"
"How dare you be arrogant in front of us with mere low-grade spiritual treasures?"
"Come, let me show you what a true spiritual treasure is today!"
Hearing the Tian brothers' questioning, Wu Long found it almost amusing. As an elder of the Blazing Fire Sect, the lowest-grade treasures he carried were mid-grade spiritual treasures. Low-grade spiritual treasures were beneath his notice. Yet, these Wu brothers considered them such prized possessions.
With a shared glance, Wu Long and Wu Hu charged towards the Tian brothers. Their swords, at that instant, blazed with dazzling light.
"This is... a high-grade spiritual treasure?"
"How is this possible?"
The Tian brothers stared in disbelief at the aura emanating from the two swords. As inner elders of the Tian family, they were knowledgeable and recognized the glow of a high-grade spiritual treasure. They could never have imagined that these two unassuming cultivators would possess such treasures.
What was their identity? How could ordinary cultivators possess high-grade spiritual treasures? Their Tian family, a vast lineage, owned only one.
"Clowns."
"How dare you bully our sir? You're asking for death!"
Wu Long and Wu Hu snorted, their attacks relentless. With a swing of their swords, the Tian brothers were sent flying backward, spitting blood, and lay on the ground, near death. Had it not been for their strong cultivation, they would have perished instantly!
"You... you are... who exactly?" Tian Gaofei stammered, his face etched with disbelief.
Two late Core Formation cultivators were not uncommon in the southwestern cultivation world, but for both to possess high-grade spiritual treasures was extraordinary. These two must have remarkable identities!
"Hmph, Blazing Fire Sect, Wu Long!"
"Blazing Fire Sect, Wu Hu!"
Wu Long and Wu Hu declared their names with arrogance. The mention of the Blazing Fire Sect caused Tian Gaofei's expression to change drastically. Two major events concerning the Blazing Fire Sect were currently unfolding in the southwestern cultivation world. The first was the death of Blazing Fire Sect's Supreme Elder Wu Quigui in a mutual kill with a half-step Nascent Soul stage Dragon Winged Serpent in the Trial Valley. The second was the escape of Blazing Fire Sect's Sect Master Wu Zhixiong, leaving the sect's authority in the hands of two inner elders. If he remembered correctly, those two inner elders were named Wu Long and Wu Hu.
"You... you... this is impossible?" Upon learning their true identities, Tian Gaofei's disbelief intensified. He had personally seen these two standing behind Lin Chen, acting as subservient followers. He had assumed they were from some minor faction, but now, they were inner elders of the Blazing Fire Sect!
"No wonder, no wonder they both possess high-grade spiritual treasures!" With this realization, Tian Gaofei swallowed hard and turned to look at Zhou Qianyuan beside him. He found Zhou Qianyuan's mouth agape, his expression one of shock. Clearly, he too was utterly astonished by the identities of the Wu brothers!
Zhou Qianyuan, being an elder in the cultivation world, knew that even though Wu Long and Wu Hu now controlled the Blazing Fire Sect, they had always shown utmost respect to Lin Chen. This could only mean that Lin Chen was the true master of the Blazing Fire Sect!
"Elder Zhou, do you... do you have a way?" Tian Gaofei pleaded with Zhou Qianyuan, on the verge of tears. He had thought this was a great opportunity, but instead, he had stumbled into a massive predicament!
"Young Master Tian, do not panic. The Blazing Fire Sect is effectively defunct now."
"What if they are inner elders of the Blazing Fire Sect? I will call for help immediately!"
Zhou Qianyuan's expression shifted rapidly. He immediately used the thousand-mile transmission to send out a message.
"Kid, so what if you're from the Blazing Fire Sect?"
"The Blazing Fire Sect is practically gone. Since you're here, we'll take care of you all today!"
After sending the message, Zhou Qianyuan spoke to Lin Chen with grim determination. He was currently trying to expand his influence, and besides taking control of the Chu family as his intelligence network, he saw an excellent opportunity to subjugate one of the former five sects and four families.
"Hmph, with just you?"
Seeing Zhou Qianyuan dare to speak to Lin Chen in such a manner, Wu Long and Wu Hu were enraged and moved to attack him.
"Wait!"
However, just as Wu Long and Wu Hu were about to strike, Zhou Qianyuan quickly retreated, calling out to stop them. His reinforcements hadn't arrived yet. Attacking two late Core Formation cultivators at this moment would be suicidal.