Chapter 646: Chapter 398 Fire Demon_2
“This is not my fault; it’s your own stupidity, Sect Leaders. We simply bluffed a few words, and you all rushed headlong into a confrontation with the Saint Sky Sect,” Elliott Reynolds said without any pretense, his scorn undisguised.
“How could we not, with numbers on our side? Do you really think the Blood Drinking Sect fears you? At least I am a Sanctuary Powerhouse. I do not wish to be an enemy of the Saint Sky Sect, but dealing with you is a breeze,” he jeered.
“Keep up the act. Today is a good day to experience the might of a Saint Seat,” the Sect Leaders retorted with disdain. After Aurelius Azure’s guidance, they didn’t believe for a second that Elliott Reynolds was from the Holy See. Would a true member of the Holy See flee in such a sorry state, even abandoning the newly established sect?
A wave of anxiety swept through Elliott Reynolds. Why were these hundred or so people so fearlessly confident? It was as if they had seen through his guise as a false saint. How did they find out? Even within the Blood Drinking Sect, only a few Elders were privy to this secret, yet they certainly wouldn’t reveal it like these Sect Leaders had.
He considered a possibility: could it be that after Aurelius Azure’s breakthrough to the Saint Seat, he could easily see through his own cultivation level? Everything seemed to make sense now; no wonder even though he led over a hundred Sect Leaders to the Saint Sky Sect today, Aurelius Azure refused to reconcile despite Elliott’s concessions.
“Have you figured it out?” the Sect Leaders asked, amusement in their voices, “A fake saint still pretending? Let’s see how long you can keep this up. If you can withstand attacks from over a hundred of us for ten rounds, you can consider it a win.”
“So what if I’m not from the Holy See? The Blood Drinking Sect has twenty Quasi-Saints. You all together have forty. Can you assure me that none of you will slack off? Will you fight to the death with me? We of the Blood Drinking Sect can join forces in shared hatred, something clearly unachievable for your lot,” he countered.
With a deep look, Elliott Reynolds didn’t lose his composure: “Think carefully about whether it’s worth fighting to the death with the Blood Drinking Sect. You can’t afford the cost. It’s better to let us leave and drop past grudges.”
“Drop it? You make it sound so simple, after you’ve led us to this point!” everyone erupted in anger. Elliott’s words were brazen. The Blood Drinking Sect could escape unscathed if discovered, but these sects did not have that luxury.
Of course, the hundred-plus Sect Leaders knew that fighting the Blood Drinking Sect wasn’t worth it. Even if the Blood Drinking Sect were wiped out or fled, they would gain no benefit. However, the Blood Drinking Sect was currently their most crucial bargaining chip; they had to take action to mitigate the wrath of the Saint Sky Sect.
“Are you truly unwilling to compromise?” Elliott Reynolds took a deep breath, looking at the thousand plus members of his sect. He didn’t want to sacrifice them unnecessarily, but if these Sect Leaders were adamant, he would have no choice but to commence a slaughter, even if it meant his pretense as a member of the Saint Seat Realm would crumble.
More than a hundred Sect Leaders shook their heads. Everyone drew their Emperor Weapons. If the Blood Drinking Sect was to blame anyone, it would be the Saint Sky Sect for leaving them no way out. It wasn’t their concern; they only wanted to quell the anger of the Saint Sky Sect, as they still needed to survive in the Central Region.
Then Elliott Reynolds suddenly laughed, a cold glint in his eyes: “So what if I’m a fake saint? I’m still of the Holy See. Though not a match for a true member of the Holy See, I’m a hundred times stronger than you Quasi-Saints. If I’m willing to risk falling into the Demon Path, I don’t need the Blood Drinking Sect to make a move. I alone will face all of you.”
“What?” The Sect Leaders were stunned by his declaration. Elliott’s confidence was enormous, yet it sent a chill down their spines. Indeed, even if he wasn’t a true Sanctuary Powerhouse, the resources at his disposal were undoubtedly formidable, making the outcome of this battle unpredictable.
Elliott Reynolds displayed his Divine Skill, and in an instant, Law’s Force converged, striking out in the next moment. His display was impressive enough to intimidate over a hundred Sect Leaders, but among them were over forty Quasi-Saints. By employing their own methods, they managed to ward off the attack.
Even though it was just one strike, Elliott felt his Dantian churning, blood flowing backward. He had forced his breakthrough to the Saint Seat, standing on the brink of descent into the Demon Path, only stabilizing because of the unique meditative techniques of the Demon Path. But now, any exertion threatened to tip him over the edge.
An Elder hurried forward, urging, “Sect Leader, you must not act any further. Otherwise, you will surely lose your sanity and become a Demon Head. The thousand-plus disciples of the Blood Drinking Sect will carve a bloody path for your escape. As long as you live, there’s hope for the Blood Drinking Sect.”
“Ever since I forcibly broke through my realm, I knew I was a man bound for death. Instead of lingering on in agony for a few hundred years, I’d rather fight a decisive battle today and carve out a sliver of hope for the Central Sect.”
Elliott Reynolds sent an Elder flying with a single move and bellowed, “Disciples of the Blood Drinking Sect, listen up! All of you, retreat a kilometer away. After my battle with them, flee quickly from the Central Region. I hope you disciples will train diligently, and one day return to rebuild the Blood Drinking Sect in the Central Region.”
Watching the Sect disciples retreat, Elliott Reynolds turned and stared at the hundred-plus Sect Leaders, letting out a cold laugh before sacrificing his entire Dantian to the demons. In an instant, his body erupted with a terrifying aura, enveloping everything around, causing all the Great Laws and the Law’s Force to cower in fear.
“This is bad, he has truly succumbed to demonic possession,” everyone exclaimed in shock. They all understood that Elliott Reynolds had effectively offered his entire Dantian in a blood sacrifice, raising his pseudo-Saint realm to that of the Sanctuary Powerhouse. There was no doubt this would come at a great cost, even leading to his immediate fall.
Over a hundred Sect Leaders were frightened, fleeing in all directions while yelling, “Elliott Reynolds wants to take us all down with him. Run for your lives, or it’s over for sure.”
By then, Elliott Reynolds was beyond defeat, probably even by a true Sanctuary Powerhouse. Against an Elliott Reynolds consumed with frenzy, over a hundred Sect Leaders had to avoid direct confrontation. Sacrificing his entire Dantian meant that this surge of strength could not last long.
Elliott Reynolds looked contemptuously at these Sect Leaders. Escape from his grasp? In the blink of an eye, he had already appeared before a Quasi-Saint Sect Leader. With a single palm imbued with myriad demonic energies, he struck. Even the full might of the Quasi-Saint’s methods proved futile, leaving the target barely clinging to life after just one blow.
This scene was witnessed by the other fleeing Sect Leaders, only intensifying the dread in their hearts. Fearing they might be too slow to escape, they employed various Divine Skills to amplify their strength. However, those proved utterly ineffective before a demon-possessed Elliott Reynolds. Within a minute, he had already struck down four or five people in quick succession.
“What do we do?” the remaining Sect Leaders asked, faces etched with defeat. As some of the strongest in the Central Region, it had been far too long since they felt the kind of fear gripping them today.
Everyone knew that Elliott Reynolds intended to annihilate them all. Unless they could flee the Central Region within an hour, there might still be a glimmer of hope. Otherwise, escaping from Elliott Reynolds’ grasp was impossible, leaving them only to await their demise.
None of the many Sect Leaders naturally wished to fall, but faced with a Demon Head stronger than a Sanctuary Powerhouse and with a resigned heart, they were helpless. Just when everyone was on tenterhooks, suddenly one of the Sect Leaders called out a strategy.
“We can’t beat Elliott Reynolds, but we can lead the disaster to someone else. If we flee towards the Saint Sky Sect, Aurelius Azure will have no choice but to confront Elliott Reynolds. Let them battle it out amongst themselves!”
The remaining Sect Leaders, upon hearing this, brightened instantly, considering the plan a brilliant one. In the span of a moment, they had lost over thirty people. It probably wouldn’t take a quarter of an hour for the hundred-plus Sect Leaders to be wiped out. Only by heading to the Saint Sky Sect did they have a faint hope of survival.
“Everyone, escape towards the Saint Sky Sect!” Accompanied by the roaring command of one Sect Leader, the directionless crowd immediately shifted their escape route.
“Good, before dying, I’d like to slaughter the Saint Sky Sect as well!” Elliott Reynolds said with a sardonic smile as he chased after them, a bloodthirsty gleam in his eyes. He looked at them as if they were ants on a chopping board, not in a hurry to deliver the killing blow, preferring to relish in their desperate scurrying.
The Saint Sky Sect was over a hundred li away. Even the weakest of these Sect Leaders were at the Half-step Saint Seat Realm, with speeds reaching a kilometer a minute. In just less than a quarter of an hour, they had already reached the gates of the Saint Sky Sect, with less than half of the original hundred-plus surviving.
Seeing the Saint Sky Sect, the remaining sixty or so Sect Leaders’ eyes flickered with a glint of hope as they recklessly charged into the Sanctuary