Fantasy: Immortality Begins with Absorbing Demons

Chapter 610 Shocking Change (Part 5)

"Master?!"

Several disciples of the Yangzhi Sect rushed over to check on Zongwu's specific injuries.

But after just one glance, they couldn't help but burst into tears.

The area in front of Zongwu's chest where his heart was located was completely blank, and one could even see the red, precious floral carpet below through the hole.

His heart was completely shattered.

Blood and other substances were drained in an instant.

Even a master-level expert would not survive such injuries.

Zongwu was no exception; he had already stopped breathing.

His eyes glared with resentment, filled with regret, pity, and rage at being unable to avenge his enemy who was right before him.

Everyone was stunned.

Neither Zhao Ziyang nor Kou Hu expected that what was originally just a friendly sparring match would end in a fatality!

"Master!!!! Blood must be paid for! I will take my revenge!!!"

A loyal disciple cried out, drew his longsword, and prepared to fight Fang Jiulian to the death.

But his companions held him back tightly, and he couldn't break through at all.

"Sorry, I used too much force and couldn't control myself." Fang Jiu didn't even look in this direction, but shrugged and said with a regretful expression, "It's a pity, he was just a little bit short, just a little bit more power, and he could have hurt me."

Buzz...

Instantly, the entire hall erupted in commotion. A sense of shared sorrow, like that of a rabbit mourning the death of its dog, filled the hearts of the remaining six sect leaders.

However, with Kou Hu suppressing everything above, they dared not act rashly and all cast their hopeful gazes aside.

Zhao Ziyang remained seated, observing everything that had happened.

Here, only he can rival Kou Hu.

"Master, no matter what... we are always of the same lineage..."

"That's right... We're being targeted and you don't care, Jingtian Manor is splitting up and you don't care... But now, shouldn't you at least do something about it?"

"Master of the Manor..."

The disciples who came with Zong Wu burst into tears, knelt down in front of Zhao Ziyang, and cried out loudly.

"Master, you must do us justice! Even if our Yangzhi Academy made mistakes before, it shouldn't have come to this. Besides, Zong Wu is the newly appointed sect leader. What do his past mistakes have to do with him? What wrong has he done?" *Bang!*

Bang! Bang!

bang bang bang! ! !

The sound of his forehead hitting the bluestone floor tiles was crisp.

The sounds echoed continuously in the empty hall.

"I beg you, Master, to do justice for my Yangzhi Academy!!!!!"

A shocking trail of blood slowly trickled down his forehead, quickly forming a small pool of red blood on the ground.

The hysterical cries were heart-wrenching.

Zhong Han turned her head away, unable to bear to look.

Not only her, but many others couldn't bear to turn their heads away, their eyes filled with sorrow and pity.

"..."

Zhao Ziyang slowly closed his eyes, remaining silent.

However, his breathing gradually became heavy, and a powerful aura slowly rose from his body.

It gives the impression of a volcano about to erupt after an earthquake.

Many of the original elderly residents of Jingtianzhuang are also beginning to rally their strength, waiting only for an order to completely break ties with the government army.

Even if Zhao Ziyang just admitted that the Jingtian Seven Academies, which have already split off, have no relation to the main lineage of Jingtian Manor.

But for the elderly who were born and raised in Jingtianzhuang, this feeling still exists.

They still believed in Zhao Ziyang and that he was forced to do this out of necessity due to circumstances.

"What... Brother Ziyang, are you going to interfere in the younger generation's playful sparring?"

At this moment, Kou Hu, who was high and mighty, smiled slightly and spoke casually.

"A friendly spar? You call this a friendly spar?" Zhao Ziyang suddenly opened his eyes. The air around him tightened abruptly, making it hard to breathe.

"Isn't this just a friendly spar?" Kou Hu smiled. "If the sparring gets too intense and you don't control your strength well, and your movements are a bit rough, you can't blame others. You can only blame yourself for not being skilled enough."

He glanced at the old man from Jingtian Village, who was in high spirits and eager to try, and a fierce aura flashed behind him.

"What, were the rules explained beforehand? If anyone disagrees, I'm open to discussing them with him."

Silence fell.

Compared to Zhao Ziyang, Kou Hu's ferocious aura was far more ruthless.

Fang Jiulian's formidable strength, enough to suppress any discontent, was the source of his confidence in delivering a deadly blow.

"You...?!" Zhao Ziyang clenched his fists, suppressing his anger.

He knew perfectly well that Kou Hu was just making excuses and trying to protect Fang Jiulian.

"Kou Hu, don't push your luck!" He stared intently at the other man, gritting his teeth.

"As I said, this was just an accident. Mistakes happen in sparring, just like on a battlefield where life and death are unpredictable and unexpected events can always occur," Kou Hu said calmly.

"Teacher, it was my mistake to start this. How about I experience the skills of the number one expert in Huayang City? Even if I am accidentally killed, I will have no complaints."

Fang Jiulian strode forward, his body still bearing traces of Zong Wu's blood, which dripped down, making him look like a murderous maniac, extremely creepy.

"Brother Ziyang, I really didn't lie to you. I truly didn't expect that a friendly sparring match would result in a death."

Kou Hu looked at him calmly and said seriously.

"If you don't believe me, you can question anyone here." He knew Zhao Ziyang wouldn't make a move.

Just like the previous attempts to pressure and test me, I will keep enduring it.

The air was deathly still, filled with a silent stillness.

Zhong Han looked at Zong Wu's corpse on the ground, whose skin was gradually turning blue and cold, the small pool of blood in front of Zhao Ziyang, and his tightly clenched fists.

Suddenly, I felt extremely sad, and a nameless sense of desolation and sorrow welled up inside me.

Sometimes, it's better to fight hard than to live a life of mediocrity.

She believed that not only she, but also the other deans, thought the same way.

At Jingtian Manor, everyone was watching Zhao Ziyang, waiting for him to make a decision.

On the other side of the imperial guards, following Huangfu Hong's gesture, a large number of soldiers clad in black armor appeared and dispersed in the corners of the hall. They were also waiting.

Waiting for Zhao Ziyang to make a decision.

"..."

After a long silence, Zhao Ziyang slowly stood up, as if he had made the most difficult decision of his life.

He glanced at Kou Hu, who remained calm, and then at the several academy leaders around him who were waiting for his orders.

"Let's retreat! Let's go!!!"

He waved his hand, as if he had used up all his strength to say those words, and with a flash, he staggered away in a panic.

"Manor owner?!"

The disciple of Yangzhi Sect, his forehead covered in blood and tears of blood welling up in his eyes, held Zongwu's corpse and howled in grief.

"I am not reconciled... I, Yangzhi Sect, am not reconciled... From this day forward, Yangzhi Sect will have no further connection with Jingtian Manor!!!" Lian Jin, the leader of the Arc Shadow Sect and the Three Absolutes Daoist, glared at Zhao Ziyang's figure and roared, "Zhao Ziyang, is this your choice? You are not worthy at all!"

"From this day forward, my Arc Shadow Sect will also sever ties with Jing Tian Manor and have no further connection with it."

"I will reprint the same."

"The Mingfeng Sect will also never return to Jingtian Manor."

"My Floating Light Sect..."

One by one, the former heads of the academy were utterly disheartened by Zhao Ziyang's choice, and with heavy hearts, they quickly led their men to evacuate.

Zhong Yunxiu, along with Zhong Han and Han Yi, left with sorrowful expressions.

In the night wind.

Han Yi looked back and saw the magnificent hall.

Zongwu's body lay there silently, while the disciples of Yangzhi Sect hung their heads, their eyes lifeless. There was no hope for the future in them.

Before Yangzhizong, it was the most powerful branch of Jingtianzhuang, but both of its two successive heads died unnatural deaths.

Soon, Yangzhi Sect, a major force that separated from Jingtian Manor, will gradually weaken due to insufficient strength and eventually disappear completely.

only…...

Han Yi sighed inwardly.

What was originally intended to establish authority has now turned into a tragedy.

It's impossible to say that someone like Zhong Han, a former head of the academy, didn't harbor hatred towards the government army.

He had a feeling that this wasn't over yet.

Neither they nor the government troops would let this go easily.

……………

As the crowd dispersed and the council hall gradually emptied, Kou Hu and Fang Jiulian did not stop them. They simply watched quietly as they left, a strange expression appearing on their faces.

"Ninth Company, you were indeed in the wrong this time. You acted rashly. You could have killed him, but not now." Kou Hu gently reprimanded him after most of the people had left.

“Teacher, in the past I shared your opinion that we should treat these martial arts sects gently and proceed slowly. But…”

Fang Jiulian shook his head: "You saw the behavior of those people from Jingtian Manor at the banquet just now. They were weak and incompetent, afraid of death. These people have become accustomed to a comfortable life, have no ambition, and are utterly corrupt."

I've given them countless opportunities, but the result remains the same. They sacrifice the greater good for petty gains, focusing only on their own small profits, showing absolutely no sense of unity, cooperation, or a broader perspective… What good are all those resources if there isn't a single outstanding individual among them? They're all just clowns.

A rotten wretch will never be able to be propped up. This amply demonstrates that conservative martial arts schools are no longer suited to the current situation and should be eliminated.

"Hmm...that makes sense." Kou Hu pondered for a moment. "What do you plan to do?"

"This is simple..." Fang Jiulian laughed. "Since Zhao Ziyang has made it clear that he's drawing a line, we won't touch Jingtian Manor. The remaining seven sects are naturally independent forces. We can start with these seven and seize all their money and supplies..."

I now realize that, compared to the loose cohesion of martial arts sects, aristocratic families bound by blood ties are the main force capable of resisting the demonic army, implementing new policies, and ultimately launching a counterattack against the demonic realm.

At this point, he grinned menacingly: "Teacher, do you believe it or not, the numbers those people just reported definitely have a lot more to hide?"

If all the resources harvested this time could be gathered together and supplied to the leading bloodline families, it would be enough to create several second-awakened bloodlines that could rival those of great demons. "Let me think about it..." Kou Hu closed his eyes and pondered.

After a while, he sighed and said, "Originally, I wanted to take this opportunity to establish the prestige of the Imperial Guard and recruit a group of skilled men from the Jingtian Manor lineage to serve as the vanguard of the army. Now it seems... never mind..."

Zhao Ziyang is indeed old; his ambitions have long been worn away, and the martial arts sects under his command are also disappointing... Let's do it your way.

"Nine Company, along with the Five Tigers, acted overnight before the news leaked out."

Having served in the military for many years and commanded countless men, this ruthless man, who had fought his way through countless bloody battles, naturally understood the principle of eliminating all threats.

Even though his initial intention for tonight's banquet was merely to use the opportunity to raise some supplies and establish his authority over the imperial army, things didn't go as planned.

Unexpected events still occurred.

They accidentally killed the old man from Jingtian Village. Although the group from Jingtian Village did not show any hatred towards the government troops while they were present.

But Kou Hu knew that this was only a facade.

This is a seed of hatred, and it could erupt at any time.

Especially considering the previously established plan, they would soon be breaking camp and heading to the front lines, leaving their rear vulnerable. Leaving behind such a powder keg would be inappropriate both morally and logically.

So now that things have turned ugly, let's not hold back and strike first.

After apprehending the person, simply fabricate a charge and consider the matter closed. These martial arts sects, after all, have committed various illegal acts in their daily lives, so finding a charge against them isn't difficult.

……………

……………

The night was bright and the stars were few. On the country road, trees stood on both sides, their shadows indistinct.

Zhou Yunsheng gripped the reins tightly, his face grim and his voice so low it seemed to drip water.

His eyes were red and swollen, as if he had just been crying, and there was a white bandage around his forehead with traces of blood seeping out.

"Senior Brother, what should we do..." the female disciple sitting next to him asked timidly.

"..."

Zhou Yunsheng looked back.

He was surrounded by men and women of similar age, their eyes filled with pessimism, helplessness, and confusion.

They were all watching him.

There was silence for a while.

Zhou Yunsheng said, "Let's go back first, settle Master's body properly, and then hide in the countryside. Once we've achieved some success in our cultivation, we'll find a way to avenge Master." After all, he was Zongwu's eldest disciple, and also the oldest and most prestigious person in this group.

With all the elders dead, it is now up to him to make decisions, take responsibility, and determine the future of Yangzhizong.

Fortunately, the true skills are still passed down, and the house deeds, land deeds, and flesh fields are still there. As long as we escape in time, there is always hope for survival.

“Okay…we will all listen to our senior brother…” The female disciple silently wiped away her tears and turned to look at Zong Wu’s body.