Chapter 354: Longyan City Changes Hands

Not much different from the previous Huayang branch, the Free and Unfettered Sect’s branch in Longyan City was also located on the city’s outskirts. It was situated near a legendary mountain rumored to be home to a python that had transformed into a dragon.

Zou Zeyu and the Evil Moon Sect’s Second Elder strode confidently up the steps leading to the Free and Unfettered Sect’s main gate.

After glancing at the exquisite and grand architecture, both men nodded in approval.

“It’s not bad. After we take over, we’ll renovate it a bit. It’ll be a suitable base for our operations.”

Zou Zeyu said with his hands clasped behind his back. Then, he and the Second Elder transformed into a gust of wind and entered the Free and Unfettered Sect branch.

The two Free and Unfettered Sect disciples guarding the gate looked at each other in confusion. S~eaʀᴄh the Novelƒire(.)ne*t website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality.

They hadn’t even had time to react.

“Did…did something just enter?”

“It seemed like it, but it also seemed like nothing at all.”

…

In the courtyard where the head of the Free and Unfettered Sect’s Longyan branch resided, Zou Zeyu and the Second Elder appeared instantly.

The head of the branch, whose cultivation was only at the early stage of Golden Core, was completely unaware of their arrival.

“Yang Chuan, come out here.”

Standing in the sect master’s yard, Zou Zeyu shouted directly at the closed door.

It was clear that when they chose Longyan City, they had already thoroughly investigated everything about it.

They knew who the head of the branch was, his cultivation level, how many disciples he had, everything was under Zou Zeyu’s control.

As soon as his voice fell, a surge of Golden Core early-stage aura rose up.

Then a burly middle-aged man in a black robe appeared in the yard with a slightly panicked look on his face.

He looked at Zou Zeyu and the Second Elder, feeling a little confused, as he did not know these two people.

“Who are you two? Why are you trespassing on the Free and Unfettered Sect?”

Yang Chuan clearly sensed that Zou Zeyu and the Second Elder were not friendly.

They were already in his courtyard, and he hadn’t even noticed. Their cultivation must be far beyond his own.

His voice trembled slightly as he spoke.

He was racking his brain, wondering if he had offended any powerful enemies recently.

However, after thinking about everything that had happened in the past two years, he still couldn’t figure out who he had offended.

Zou Zeyu curled the corner of his mouth into a gentle smile. “Three hours. Is that enough time for your Free and Unfettered Sect’s seventeen hundred disciples to evacuate this place?”

“Who are you? What do you mean by that?”

Yang Chuan’s brow furrowed even tighter, still not understanding Zou Zeyu’s words.

Zou Zeyu smiled again. “It seems I need to introduce myself. Evil Moon Sect, Zou Zeyu! Can these three words convince you and your disciples to leave? I truly don’t want to cause such bloodshed right from the start.”

His voice remained calm, even with a hint of friendliness.

When Yang Chuan heard the three words “Evil Moon Sect,” a flicker of horror appeared in his eyes.

“The Free and Unfettered Sect’s Longyan branch has always prided itself on having no dealings with the Evil Moon Sect.

You’re being rather domineering, aren’t you?

The Evil Moon Sect is powerful, but the Free and Unfettered Sect isn’t a pushover either.”

Yang Chuan’s words were laced with bravado, but he was actually already feeling the urge to retreat.

He didn’t want to confront the Evil Moon Sect head-on.

He had never heard from the main sect about any plans regarding the Free and Unfettered Sect, but he had heard about the destruction of the Huayang branch in Linjiang City by the Evil Moon Sect.

He had never imagined that such a thing would happen to him. But if he were to be intimidated and forced to retreat by the Evil Moon Sect with just a few words, the main sect would surely punish him.

Although he wouldn’t dare to fight the Evil Moon Sect directly, he had to retreat, but he still wanted to say a few tough words before doing so.

“It seems my Evil Moon Sect has been away for too long, causing you to forget the meaning of fear.”

Zou Zeyu muttered to himself again, and in the next instant, his smile remained gentle, but his aura suddenly erupted.

A pitch-black magic sword shot out from his body instantly.

Yang Chuan was horrified. Before he could utter another word, the magic sword pierced through his chest.

Until his death, Yang Chuan couldn’t understand how his last words had led to such a tragic end.

In his imagined scenario, Zou Zeyu should have threatened him again, displayed his overwhelming power, and then he, unable to resist, would be forced to retreat with his disciples.

He had never considered resisting head-on.

According to the rumors he had heard, although the Huayang branch was destroyed, it was not so direct.

As Yang Chuan fell, countless venomous insects shot out from Zou Zeyu’s body.

In the next instant, countless figures in black appeared in every courtyard of the Longyan branch.

The slaughter began in an instant.

In less than an hour, the Free and Unfettered Sect’s Longyan branch was wiped out.

Not a single one of the seventeen hundred disciples survived.

Longyan City had changed hands.

…

At the same time, on a beautiful, spiritual mountain.

The palace stretched endlessly, its aura majestic even in the dead of night.

This was the main sect of the Free and Unfettered Sect.

At this time, dozens of figures gathered in a tower.

Here were the soul talismans of all the disciples of the Free and Unfettered Sect.

At this moment, all the soul talismans representing the Longyan branch were shattered.

Occasionally, one or two soul talismans would break, and it wouldn’t attract much attention.

Every day, many disciples would die while traveling, which was the most common law of the weak being preyed upon in the cultivation world.

No one would want to make a fuss over such things.

But a massacre like this was extremely rare.

All those gathered here were high-ranking members of the Free and Unfettered Sect, with the weakest cultivation being at the late stage of Golden Core.

There were even four or five Nascent Soul cultivators.

“Hong Sen and his group of hundreds of disciples who went to the Spiritual Medicine Sect have just been wiped out, and now the Longyan branch has been destroyed.

The Free and Unfettered Sect hasn’t suffered such losses in over a thousand years,”

A young man in purple standing at the front said gloomily.

This was Ling Xiao, the current head of the Free and Unfettered Sect.

He looked young, but in reality, he was an old monster. The Free and Unfettered Sect valued appearance and had mastered the art of staying young.

As soon as he spoke, no one dared to reply.

The atmosphere in the pavilion where the soul talismans were displayed grew heavy.

After a long silence, a beautiful woman in blue, exuding the aura of a mid-stage Nascent Soul, suddenly spoke.

“This must be the work of the Evil Moon Sect, to be precise, the work of Zou Zeyu and his lineage. Recently, he provided us with information about the Spiritual Medicine Sect.

As a condition for the exchange, we had previously agreed to give him a piece of land within our Free and Unfettered Sect’s sphere of influence to establish a branch.

After Hong Sen and his group were wiped out, we didn’t mention this matter again…”

As she spoke, the woman’s expression showed a hint of worry.

The moment her words left her mouth, the headmaster Ling Xiao let out a cold snort.

“I have already received firsthand news from the Spiritual Medicine Sect. The information Zou Zeyu provided was inaccurate.

It caused all the disciples we sent to be wiped out, and even a Nascent Soul mid-stage elder was lost. We didn’t even take the initiative to hold him accountable for this, and he dares to directly seize territory here.

Does he really think that there is no one in the Free and Unfettered Sect!”

Regardless of how Zou Zeyu had initially connected with the Free and Unfettered Sect, before the incident at the Spiritual Medicine Sect, the two sides could be considered to be in a state of covert alliance.

Both sides benefited from the arrangement: the Free and Unfettered Sect wanted the resources of the Spiritual Medicine Sect, while Zou Zeyu wanted to use this opportunity to cause trouble for Luo Yuebai’s Linjiang branch.

It was a win-win situation.

However, with the annihilation of Hong Sen and his group at the Spiritual Medicine Sect, the relationship had irrevocably broken down.

The Free and Unfettered Sect had suffered a huge loss, and there was no way they would allow the Evil Moon Sect to establish a branch within their sphere of influence.

As Ling Xiao said, they had already swallowed their anger and not taken the initiative to confront the Evil Moon Sect before, which was already a great concession.

Ling Xiao immediately said, “No matter whether it was the Evil Moon Sect or not, if the Free and Unfettered Sect continues to swallow this injustice, it will be a betrayal of our sect’s legacy that has stood tall on the Qingzhou land for thousands of years!”

After saying this, Ling Xiao’s fighting spirit surged.

“Set off immediately! This time, I will lead the way myself. Let’s see if the Evil Moon Sect is truly as domineering as they claim!”