BOOK 2: CHAPTER 466: JUST CAUSE, CRUSHING VICTORY

Vol 2 Chapter 466: Just Cause, Crushing Victory

"What is the Jiushan Sect trying to do?"

A Haori Mountain disciple mustered his courage to shout at the sky, and the other Haori Mountain cultivators joined in the clamor.

A slender figure with a sword at her waist emerged from the glowing portal, standing before the fleet.

It was Xie Qingxue.

Her sword aura filled the air, instantly silencing the Haori Mountain disciples who retreated nervously.

Ignoring them, Xie Qingxue solemnly declared to all present:

"By order of the Hundred Immortals Alliance leader, the Jiushan Sect's Divine Thunder Army marches on Haori!"

Her voice rang like clashing weapons, echoing through the mountains.

The Haori Mountain disciples fell quiet, but an elderly man flew over from afar, his face furious: "How dare the Jiushan Sect bully our Haori Mountain?"

"Elder Yun!"

The other Haori disciples instinctively gathered around him as if seeing a savior.

This was a Corpse Liberation stage cultivator from the Yun clan, the highest-ranking figure currently at Haori Mountain.

Seeing Haori Mountain's representative arrive, the quick-witted rogue cultivators sensed danger and began fleeing in panic.

Behind them, Xie Qingxue's reply came: "This action is to help Haori Mountain rectify wrongs and purge corruption!"

"Xie Qingxue, as a sword cultivator, do you even believe your own words?"

Even the fleeing rogue cultivators found this claim strange - a top disciple from Tianhe Sect carrying out Jiushan Sect's orders to "help" Haori Mountain?

Xie Qingxue chuckled lightly:

"Of course I believe it!"

"Shameless!"

"Bring them out!"

At Xie Qingxue's command, a dozen dejected cultivators were escorted out by Jiushan Sect disciples and made to stand before the crowd.

The Yun clan elder's expression changed slightly.

"You seem to recognize them."

"Nonsense! I don't know them!"

"Yet they claim they were sent by Haori Mountain elders to plunder our Hundred Immortals Alliance!"

Some curious rogue cultivators turned back and gasped in surprise.

"Isn't that Master Wu? I wondered why we hadn't heard from him lately."

"Old Monster Chen, Sect Leader Qian... these are all famous Nascent Soul cultivators from Haori territory. How did Jiushan Sect capture them?"

"What else? Who else could mobilize so many people?"

The onlookers exchanged glances, already seventy percent convinced - it really did seem Haori Mountain had provoked the tiger's whiskers.

Though even they were surprised Jiushan Sect dared retaliate - despite rumors of the Xuanwei Sea battle, most still believed Jiushan Sect far weaker than established powers like Haori Mountain. ȑＡＮ𝐨ВΕ𝓢

These were indeed rogue cultivators Haori Mountain had previously sent.

Many had been recruited, while these remaining were either stubborn or particularly vicious.

"How do we know where you captured these people? You're slandering us!" The Yun clan elder's expression shifted constantly, knowing he must deny everything. "Besides, none are Haori Mountain disciples - how can their words be trusted?"

"Using some rogue cultivators' nonsense to condemn Haori Mountain - how absurd!"

Xie Qingxue fell silent, seemingly at a loss for words.

The Yun clan elder looked slightly smug - they'd prepared for this when sending those people!

As he prepared to continue, Xie Qingxue spoke:

"Originally, Jiushan Sect didn't believe them either... we've held these people for over a decade without blaming Haori Mountain."

The Yun clan elder's expression changed again, sensing danger as Xie Qingxue continued:

"We thought, how could noble Haori Mountain - model of righteousness - employ such underhanded tactics?"

Her praise carried not an ounce of respect, only thinly veiled contempt.

"Moreover, our sects have an alliance - surely Haori Mountain wouldn't betray it?"

The Yun elder opened his mouth but could only say stiffly: "Then why is Jiushan Sect acting so recklessly today?"

"Though we trusted Haori Mountain, we never stopped investigating." Xie Qingxue bowed slightly, expression grave. "And we discovered something terrible!"

Seeing Jiushan Sect's seemingly reasonable approach, some rogue cultivators gathered to listen:

"What did they find?"

"Who knows? But they must have real evidence to wait decades before acting."

"True..."

The Yun elder coldly demanded: "What exactly did Jiushan Sect discover?"

"It wasn't Haori Mountain scheming after all!"

"Then why are you here?"

"No, Haori Mountain is also a victim! Infiltrated by the Demon Ancestor to sow discord among immortal sects!"

The Yun elder's mind reeled.

Since when did their schemes against Jiushan Sect involve the Demon Ancestor?

Xie Qingxue clapped her hands.

Disciples brought several wooden boxes containing Gu insects, blood pills, and bone artifacts.

The insects tore at each other, black mist seeped from the bones, and the pills emitted a thick fragrance.

Even ignorant observers recognized these as unmistakably demonic.

"Through their confessions, we discovered these came from the Zao Hua Demon Ancestor, Gu God, and Hundred Bones Demon Ancestor!"

"And they originated from Haori Mountain!"

The Yun elder found this utterly ridiculous.

True, these items existed in Haori markets.

True, these men were Haori agents.

But what did that prove?

"Thus we realized Haori Mountain harbors demonic spies!" Xie Qingxue's voice cut like steel. "As immortal sect members and victims of demonic schemes, bound by the Six-Sect Alliance, we march not to disrespect Haori Mountain, but to eradicate demons!"

The Yun elder still struggled to process this, but the rogue cultivators nodded:

"The Six-Sect Alliance does mandate joint action against demons."

"Does Haori Mountain really have a Demon Ancestor?"

"Fairy Xie produced evidence - it seems plausible."

The Yun elder finally shouted: "Lies!"

"Dare you swear on your heart demon and cultivation path that Haori Mountain has no Demon Ancestor?"

The elder fell silent, while confused Haori disciples murmured - the Demon Ancestor's presence was top secret.

Xie Qingxue drew her Qingping Sword, pointing at Haori Mountain:

"Haori disciples hear this - those blocking us collude with demons! Those innocent, step aside!"

The Yun elder's face darkened further. He couldn't fathom how the Demon Ancestor secret leaked - those captured rogues couldn't have known!

While others found this plausible, he knew the truth - though Haori Mountain did have a Demon Ancestor, they'd done nothing wrong before being framed.

Some disciples even asked:

"What should we do? Return to purge demons?"

"I don't know..."

His expression darkened further.

Now, how Jiushan Sect knew didn't matter - this would sow panic throughout Haori Mountain.

Had Jiushan Sect attacked outright, Haori would unite against them.

But this "demon purge" pretext caused division - exactly as intended.

Xie Qingxue watched coldly, her eyes conveying one message:

The instigator shall reap what he sows.

She'd personally requested this vanguard role from Zheng Fa to pin the demon collusion charge on Haori Mountain, making them suffer what Tianhe Sect endured under Lu Mo.

Seeing the Yun elder about to speak, Xie Qingxue raised her sword:

"Divine Thunder Army, hear my command!"

Behind her, a thousand ships ignited with purple lightning.

"Follow me to slay demons! Those resisting are demonic spies - show no mercy!"

Her Qingping Sword became a rainbow streak shooting toward the Yun elder.

"I've alerted the sect! Hold them off!"

"Yes!"

Though outmatched, the Yun elder believed he could delay Xie Qingxue briefly.

As for the ships, most held only Foundation Establishment cultivators - hardly a threat.

Did Jiushan Sect think numbers mattered in cultivator battles?

If he could just stall Xie Qingxue...

"Elder!"

A scream made him dodge Xie Qingxue's sword beam and turn - freezing in horror.

In mere minutes, thirty to forty percent of Haori disciples had fallen, raining down like leaves.

Those ships... those Foundation Establishment disciples...

He finally saw - the ships operated in squads of ten, with a flagship commanded by a Golden Core disciple.

The squad moved as one with military precision.

"Aim!"

A cold order came from one squad as a light beam shot from ground to flagship, where a concave bronze mirror concentrated and fired it at a panicking Haori Nascent Soul - severely wounding him instantly!

These Divine Thunder squads, each led by a Golden Core specialist wielding thunder-based innate treasures, could harness underground primordial magnetism through formation arrays.

Though weaker than natural magnetic mountains, their flexibility compensated.

One squad could match late-stage Nascent Soul power with the Profound Earth Primordial Magnetism Array's aid.

Witnessing this, rogue cultivators stopped fleeing to gape openly.

"Since when are Jiushan's Golden Cores so strong?"

"It's those ships!"

"Whatever the reason, turning Golden Cores into Nascent Souls explains their confidence."

They recognized the key advantage - Golden Cores leading Foundations could rival Nascent Souls under the array's protection.

But they didn't realize this wasn't the army's limit!

Seeing his disciples fall, the Yun elder turned to mist, evading Xie Qingxue to strike at the fleet.

Clouds coalesced into a massive dragon that reached for the ships.

"Shields up!"

A command rang out as a thousand ships emitted blue light, forming a colossal protective dome connected to underground magnetism.

The dragon's claw rebounded violently, shattering the construct completely.

The stunned Yun elder finally understood - Jiushan Sect wasn't like any sect he'd known.

They truly could overthrow Haori Mountain!

As panic set in and he tried contacting headquarters, a sword beam pierced his chest from behind.

Meeting Xie Qingxue's cold gaze as his vision dimmed, her words followed:

"You won't be alone."

With their elder dead, remaining Haori disciples either fled or surrendered.

Within an incense stick's time, the battle ended.

As thunder faded, only scorched earth and corpses remained as testament.

Xie Qingxue surveyed the prisoners and minimal Jiushan casualties before addressing the rogue cultivators, her killing intent subdued:

"Jiushan Sect comes only to purge demons. Ordinary citizens need not fear unless resisting."

The rogues glanced at the Yun elder's corpse - eyes wide, chest gaping, spiritual energy still leaking as blood mist.

From first strike to hundreds dead - less than an hour. Jiushan's assault had been utterly crushing.

The rogues could only nod fearfully, one thought shared:

Haori Mountain's reign was ending.