A blood-red killing intent swept over every inch of Azure Cloud Sect in an instant, as if the sky itself had been dyed with thick blood.
The originally clear sky turned dark and gloomy, and a suffocating, heavy pressure pressed down on every disciple and elder in the sect, making it hard for them to breathe, let alone move.
Everyone in the square, on the peaks, and in the cultivation rooms stopped what they were doing, their faces filled with terror and panic.
They looked up at the sky with trembling eyes, and a black-robed figure slowly appeared above the main peak of Azure Cloud Sect.
This figure stood quietly in the air, and a terrifying late-stage Golden Core aura spread wantonly, shaking the entire mountain range, and even the protective formation of Azure Cloud Sect began to buzz faintly.
It was Hall Master Xie of Blood Moon Tower, the top assassin hall master of the most feared assassin organization in the entire region.
He did not hide his tracks at all, nor did he sneak in secretly.
He came openly and directly, with a killing intent that could drown the entire Azure Cloud Sect, as if he had come to carry out a massacre.
"Chen Fan! Come out and die immediately!"
Hall Master Xie's voice was like thunder exploding in the sky, echoing through every peak and every corner of Azure Cloud Sect, sharp and cold, full of boundless murderous intent.
The moment his voice fell, the entire Azure Cloud Sect fell into unprecedented panic.
The disciples whispered in horror, their bodies trembling uncontrollably.
"It's Blood Moon Tower's Hall Master Xie! Why did he come to our sect?"
"I heard that he is a late-stage Golden Core powerhouse, only one step away from the Nascent Soul Realm! He kills without blinking an eye!"
"We're done for... A powerhouse of this level, our sect can't resist at all!"
Elder Mu's face turned extremely pale in an instant, and he rushed to the main square with several other outer and inner sect elders, looking up at the figure in the sky with deep dread in his eyes.
"Late-stage Golden Core... This is a level we can't even touch. What should we do?" Elder Mu's voice was full of powerlessness. He knew that even if all the elders of Azure Cloud Sect joined forces, they would not be a match for Hall Master Xie.
Almost at the same time, the sect leader of Azure Cloud Sect appeared in the square in a flash, his expression extremely heavy, and he looked up at Hall Master Xie in the sky.
"Hall Master Xie of Blood Moon Tower, my Azure Cloud Sect has no grievances with you, why do you invade my territory and release such a strong killing intent?" The sect leader's voice was steady, but there was a hint of tension hidden in it.
Hall Master Xie sneered coldly, his eyes full of disdain and cruelty.
"No grievances? Your sect's handyman Chen Fan crippled my elite Golden Core assassin of Blood Moon Tower, and humiliated my Blood Moon Tower's reputation. This is a blood feud!"
"Hand over Chen Fan to me immediately, and I can spare the lives of the disciples in your sect. Otherwise, today, I will slaughter every living thing in Azure Cloud Sect, and turn this place into a sea of blood!"
His words were cold and ruthless, without any mercy, and the killing intent in his voice made all the disciples present break out in cold sweat.
Everyone knew that Hall Master Xie was not joking. His reputation of cruelty and ruthlessness was well-known throughout the cultivation world, and he would definitely do what he said.
"That boy dared to attack my Blood Moon Tower's assassin, he deserves to die! Today, only his head can wash away the shame of my tower!" Hall Master Xie shouted again, his voice full of anger.
The sect leader's face turned completely cold, and he shook his head firmly.
"Chen Fan is now a member of my Azure Cloud Sect. I will never hand over my disciples to others to be killed. If you want to touch him, you have to step over my corpse first!"
As soon as the sect leader's words fell, all the elders of Azure Cloud Sect stood beside him, their eyes firm, ready to fight to the death to protect the sect.
Hall Master Xie's eyes turned cold, and his killing intent soared to the extreme.
"Since you are looking for death, then I will fulfill you!"
He raised his right hand high, and a huge blood-red spiritual blade condensed rapidly above the square, exuding a destructive aura. The blade was dozens of feet long, and it pressed down heavily, as if it was about to crush the entire square in an instant.
The faces of the sect leader and all the elders turned ashen. They tried their best to activate their spiritual energy to resist, but they were completely suppressed by the late-stage Golden Core aura, and they couldn't even move a step.
They knew that once this blade fell, not only the square, but also half of the outer sect would be turned into ruins, and countless disciples would die on the spot.
Just when the blood-red blade was about to fall, and everyone was desperate——
A calm, unhurried voice suddenly sounded from the direction of the outer sect courtyard, breaking the deadly silence.
"You want me? Come and get me. Don't hurt the innocent people of Azure Cloud Sect."
Everyone's eyes instantly turned to the source of the voice.
Chen Fan was wearing a simple white robe, walking slowly into the main square step by step.
His expression was still calm and indifferent, without any panic or fear. He did not burst out a strong aura, nor did he hold any weapon, just like an ordinary person walking in a courtyard.
But he just stood there calmly, facing the late-stage Golden Core Hall Master Xie in the sky, without flinching at all.
All the disciples and elders stared at Chen Fan in shock. They didn't understand where a mere Foundation Establishment handyman got the courage to face a late-stage Golden Core powerhouse.
Hall Master Xie looked down at Chen Fan from the air, his eyes full of extreme disdain and contempt, as if he was looking at an ant that could be crushed to death at any time.
"You are the trash handyman who dared to cripple my assassin? You really have the guts to show up."
Chen Fan raised his head slightly, looked at Hall Master Xie, and said calmly: "I am Chen Fan. You came for me, so don't involve the innocent people of the sect."
"Bold words! A mere Foundation Establishment ant dares to talk to me like this. Today, I will tear you to pieces personally, and hang your head outside the gate of Azure Cloud Sect to warn others!"
Hall Master Xie was enraged by Chen Fan's calm attitude. He descended from the sky in an instant and landed steadily in front of Chen Fan, only ten steps away from him.
The late-stage Golden Core aura around him raged like a storm, sweeping towards Chen Fan, trying to suppress him to the ground.
The surrounding disciples were so oppressed that they stepped back again and again, their faces pale. Elder Mu wanted to step forward to help Chen Fan, but he was stopped by the terrifying aura, unable to move at all.
Only the Supreme Elder on the sacred peak watched this scene quietly, with a faint smile on his lips. He did not make a move, but wanted to see how far Chen Fan's real hidden strength had reached.
Hall Master Xie did not hesitate at all, and directly launched a fatal attack.
He raised his palm, and a huge blood-colored palm print condensed instantly, carrying the full power of the late-stage Golden Core, blasting towards Chen Fan's chest fiercely.
The ground under their feet cracked instantly under the pressure of this palm, and the air seemed to be torn apart, making a sharp whistling sound.
Everyone's hearts were raised in their throats, and they closed their eyes involuntarily, thinking that Chen Fan would be turned into a blood mist by this palm in an instant.
But at this moment, Chen Fan moved.
He gently stepped on the ground, and the Eternal Shadow Steps were activated to the extreme. His body turned into a faint black smoke, and he dodged the attack effortlessly, as if he had predicted this palm long ago.
Boom!
The blood-colored palm print slammed on the ground, blasting a huge crater several feet deep on the square, and rubble flew everywhere.
Hall Master Xie's expression changed slightly, and a trace of surprise flashed in his eyes. He didn't expect that a Foundation Establishment boy could dodge his full-strength attack so easily.
But the surprise was only fleeting, and he was still full of disdain.
"Some tricks, but in front of absolute strength, it's all useless!"
He attacked again and again, faster and more ruthless each time. Blood-colored lights exploded around him, and all kinds of assassin techniques were displayed to the fullest, covering Chen Fan's entire body.
But Chen Fan's figure was like the wind and like a shadow, shuttling freely among the attacks, not touching any of the blood-colored lights. Every dodge was just right, calm and casual.
Hall Master Xie became more and more angry as he fought. He was a majestic late-stage Golden Core hall master, but he couldn't even touch the corner of a Foundation Establishment boy's clothes. This was a great humiliation to him.
"You trash! Stop hiding and fight me head-on! You're just a coward!" Hall Master Xie roared angrily, his eyes red.
Chen Fan suddenly stopped dodging, stood still, and looked at Hall Master Xie calmly.
"I've had enough of playing with you."
In an instant, Chen Fan's aura changed quietly.
A faint, extremely sharp sword intent spread silently from his body. This sword intent was not strong, but it was extremely pure, as if it could cut through everything in the world.
Even Hall Master Xie, a late-stage Golden Core powerhouse, felt a bone-chilling crisis in an instant, and his hair stood on end.
"What kind of power is this? How can you have such a terrifying sword intent?" Hall Master Xie exclaimed in shock, his face full of disbelief.
Before he could react, Chen Fan casually raised his right hand and flicked his finger gently.
Whoosh!
An invisible sword intent shot out instantly, faster than lightning, sharper than a divine weapon, and it was impossible to guard against.
Hall Master Xie's pupils shrank sharply, and he tried his best to block it with spiritual energy, but it was too late.
Ping!
A crisp sound sounded.
The invisible sword intent directly pierced through Hall Master Xie's spiritual defense and hit his dantian fiercely.
The Golden Core in his dantian trembled violently, and then cracked a tiny gap. All the spiritual energy in his body collapsed instantly, and the late-stage Golden Core aura disappeared without a trace in an instant.
"Ah——!"
Hall Master Xie let out a heart-wrenching scream, his body softened, and he knelt heavily on the ground, his face pale as paper, cold sweat pouring down like rain.
In just one move, the majestic Blood Moon Tower Hall Master, a late-stage Golden Core powerhouse, was crippled by Chen Fan and lost all his cultivation.
The entire square fell into a dead silence.
Everyone stared at this scene blankly, their mouths wide open, unable to make a sound.
A Foundation Establishment handyman actually crippled a late-stage Golden Core powerhouse with a single flick of his finger?
This completely subverted their cognition of the cultivation world, and it was like a dream to them.
Chen Fan looked down at the kneeling Hall Master Xie, his tone still calm.
"You came to kill me, and now you have suffered the consequences. This is your fate."
Hall Master Xie looked up at Chen Fan, his eyes full of endless fear and regret. He finally understood that he had not provoked an ant, but a hidden monster with unfathomable strength.
On the sacred peak, the Supreme Elder smiled faintly, and nodded slightly: "As expected, his strength has already far exceeded his own realm, and he is a once-in-a-millennium genius."
In the square, the sect leader and all the elders looked at Chen Fan with reverence and awe, as if they were looking at a supreme powerhouse.
Chen Fan turned around, ready to return to his quiet courtyard, not wanting to pay attention to the shocked eyes of the crowd.
But at this moment!
An even more terrifying, darker, and colder aura suddenly descended from the sky, covering the entire Azure Cloud Sect in an instant. This aura was far more powerful than Hall Master Xie's, and it carried endless killing and tyranny.
A low, cold voice, filled with boundless rage, resounded through the sky.
"You dare to cripple my hall master and destroy the prestige of my Blood Moon Tower... All of you in Azure Cloud Sect deserve to die!"
In an instant, the sky turned completely dark, and a black figure loomed in the clouds.
The true leader of Blood Moon Tower, a Nascent Soul Realm powerhouse, had arrived in person!
The real, deadliest crisis had just begun.