The blood-colored giant hand descended like a collapsing mountain.
The sky turned pitch black in an instant.
The earth trembled violently, rocks crumbling down from the surrounding cliffs.
Azure Cloud Sect's protective formation shattered into countless fragments with a deafening crack.
Every disciple and elder was pressed flat to the ground.
The overwhelming Soul Formation pressure crushed their bones, making it impossible to breathe, let alone move.
They could only close their eyes, waiting for death to come.
Blood Wuya, the crippled former Tower Lord, laughed wildly on the ground.
His blood-stained face twisted with vicious malice.
"Die! All of you must die! This is the price of offending Blood Moon Tower!"
The giant hand closed in, ready to crush the entire square into a pool of blood mist.
The Supreme Elder on the sacred peak shot forward like a lightning arrow.
He burned his lifelong cultivation to unleash the sect's supreme treasure — a glowing golden ancient sword.
"Stop right there!"
The golden sword soared into the sky, slamming straight into the blood-colored giant hand.
Boom!
A deafening explosion shook the entire mountain range.
The golden sword shattered into pieces.
The Supreme Elder was thrown back violently, his body broken, blood gushing from his mouth.
He crashed onto the ground, his life force fading fast.
Despair spread through the entire sect like a deadly plague.
The sect leader closed his eyes, tears streaming down his face.
"We're too weak… we can't save anyone…"
Elder Mu trembled, his hands clawing at the ground, desperate but completely powerless.
Just as the giant hand was about to strike the final, fatal blow —
A calm voice cut through the chaos.
It was soft, but sharp enough to pierce the overwhelming pressure.
"You dare to touch my sect?"
Everyone's eyes snapped open.
Chen Fan stood up slowly.
His white robe fluttered in the violent wind, completely unruffled by the Soul Formation pressure.
He walked forward step by step, his figure straight and unshakable.
The descending blood-colored giant hand froze for a split second.
The air around him turned completely still.
The Soul Formation Ancestor hidden in the clouds let out a cold, mocking laugh.
"A mere Foundation Establishment ant? You dare to stand before me?"
His voice was like rolling thunder, laced with bone-chilling cold.
The giant hand accelerated downward.
"Die."
Chen Fan raised his right hand.
His Chaos Sword Intent condensed into a transparent long sword in his palm.
He swung the sword lightly, without any fanfare.
A sword light that seemed to split the very heavens shot forth.
It hit the giant hand head-on.
Crack.
A tiny fissure appeared on the surface of the blood-colored hand.
Then another.
And another.
Boom!
The entire giant hand shattered into countless blood droplets, dissipating into the air without a trace.
The sky cleared slightly.
The suffocating pressure vanished in an instant.
The entire sect fell into dead silence.
Every disciple and elder stared at Chen Fan, their mouths hanging open, unable to make a single sound.
He… he destroyed a Soul Formation attack?
With a single strike?
A Foundation Establishment cultivator?
It was impossible.
But it had happened right in front of their eyes.
The dark clouds rolled violently.
A figure slowly descended from the sky.
He was an old man with snow-white hair, wearing a pitch-black robe, his eyes as cold as frozen blood.
Blood Ancestor.
The true Soul Formation powerhouse, the hidden founder of Blood Moon Tower.
He stared at Chen Fan, his eyes filled with shock and unbridled fury.
"You… you broke my attack?"
Chen Fan looked up at him, his expression completely unchanged.
"Soul Formation Realm? You're just an old fool with a fancy title."
Blood Ancestor's killing intent exploded to the extreme.
"Arrogant little beast! I'll tear you to pieces with my own hands!"
He raised his hand, and a blood-colored ancient bell appeared in his palm.
The Blood Soul Bell.
A supreme Soul Formation treasure, forged to destroy a cultivator's divine soul.
The bell rang.
Dang —
An invisible sound wave spread outward, attacking the divine soul of every living thing in the sect.
Ordinary disciples fainted on the spot, their souls almost shattered.
The Supreme Elder on the ground convulsed violently, his life force fading even faster.
Even the sect leader felt his head splitting apart, unable to stand.
But Chen Fan remained completely motionless.
His Eternal Supreme Insight activated to its limit.
He saw every single flaw in the Blood Soul Bell's attack.
He saw the weak points in the old man's soul defense, clear as day.
At the same time, his Chaos Root spun wildly.
It absorbed the destructive soul waves greedily, turning them into pure, untainted power for himself.
His divine soul grew stronger with every passing second.
His aura soared, pressing right against the threshold of Golden Core.
"How is this possible?!" Blood Ancestor's voice trembled with disbelief.
No one in the world could absorb soul attacks.
No one.
Chen Fan moved.
In the blink of an eye, he appeared right in front of Blood Ancestor.
His speed exceeded the reaction limit of a Soul Formation powerhouse.
The old man's eyes widened in shock.
"Too fast —"
Chen Fan stabbed out with his sword.
The transparent sword light pierced through Blood Ancestor's spiritual defense like a hot knife through butter.
It stabbed straight into his dantian.
Splash.
Bright red blood spurted out.
Blood Ancestor's body staggered backward violently.
His cultivation — the Soul Formation Realm he'd spent a hundred years cultivating — collapsed in an instant.
He plummeted from Early Soul Formation, all the way down to Late Golden Core.
Then to Early Golden Core.
Finally, his aura vanished completely.
His dantian was crippled.
He was no different from a mortal now.
The entire sect exploded into an earth-shaking uproar.
"Senior Chen! Senior Chen!"
"He defeated a Soul Formation Ancestor!"
"Unbelievable! He's a god sent to save us!"
Disciples knelt down one after another, tears of joy streaming down their faces.
Elder Mu fell to his knees, sobbing uncontrollably.
The sect leader struggled to his feet, bowing deeply to Chen Fan with the utmost reverence.
"Thank you… Senior Chen… you've saved Azure Cloud Sect."
All the elders and disciples knelt in unison.
Their voices merged into a single thunderous roar that echoed across the entire mountain range.
"Senior Chen is invincible! Long live Senior Chen!"
Chen Fan landed slowly on the square, looking down at the crippled Blood Ancestor kneeling on the ground.
His voice was cold and unyielding.
"You came to destroy my sect. This is your punishment."
Blood Ancestor stared at Chen Fan, his eyes filled with terror and unhinged madness.
He suddenly burst into wild, hysterical laughter.
"You think you've won?!"
He slammed his palm into his own chest with all his might.
A blood-red ancient seal burst forth from his body.
It was the Blood Moon Tower's inheritance seal, forged with the power of the ancient demon clan.
It exploded with a power far beyond the Soul Formation Realm.
"This seal has already sent a message!"
"The ancient demon clan behind my Blood Moon Tower is coming for you!"
"You'll die… along with this entire rotten sect!"
Chen Fan's eyes turned cold.
He raised his sword.
A flash of sword light cut through the air.
Blood Ancestor's head fell to the ground.
The blood-red seal shattered into pieces.
But the damage was already done.
A moment later, several earth-shaking roars echoed from the distant sky.
Multiple terrifying auras — each far stronger than Soul Formation — were speeding toward Azure Cloud Sect at lightning speed.
The air trembled violently.
The mountains shook.
The disciples who had just stood up turned pale once again.
The sect leader's face collapsed into despair.
"More… more powerhouses are coming…"
Chen Fan looked up at the distant horizon.
His eyes were as calm as still water.
But deep within them, a stronger fighting spirit burned brighter than ever.
He whispered softly, his voice carrying unshakable confidence.
"Let them come."