Yuan Lingjun stared at the menacing Fang Xian, his heart filled with despair and resentment, his face etched with struggle.
He knew the situation was dire; his strength was utterly insignificant before Fang Xian.
After much hesitation, he gritted his teeth and spoke, his voice trembling.
"What do you want from us?"
Fang Xian's face revealed a triumphant, wicked smile, like that of a cunning fox. He said slowly and deliberately:
"It's simple. Hand over Elder Tianqiong and Elder Tianlan to me, and this matter will be over."
These words caused an uproar throughout the hall.
Elder Tianqiong and Elder Tianlan stared wide-eyed, their eyes filled with disbelief. They couldn't believe that the sect they had risked their lives to protect was now facing such a choice.
They instinctively looked at Yuan Lingjun, a glimmer of hope still lingering in their eyes, believing that their sect leader wouldn't make such a decision.
The entire sect held their breath, all eyes fixed on Yuan Lingjun.
Yuan Lingjun was caught in a deep internal struggle and anguish. His brow was furrowed, sweat beaded on his forehead, and his hands clenched and unclenched unconsciously.
He knew that if he didn't agree to Fang Xian's demands, the entire Xiaotian Sect would likely be destroyed in this disaster.
But agreeing would be a betrayal of the two elders who had followed him for so many years.
After a painful struggle, Yuan Lingjun finally sighed and spoke with difficulty.
"I have decided to expel Elder Tianqiong and Elder Tianlan from the Xiaotian Sect. From this day forward, their lives and deaths are no longer the concern of our sect."
These words were like a sharp blade, piercing the hearts of Elder Tianqiong and Elder Tianlan.
Their bodies froze instantly, the expectation in their eyes turning into endless disappointment and anger.
They never imagined that their sect leader, who had fought alongside them, would abandon them so easily at this crucial moment.
Seeing this, Fang Xian smiled smugly, turning to the two elders with a flippant tone.
"Look at your sect leader, he certainly has 'courage'."
"From now on, you are my women. Speak freely, and I will do my utmost, after all, I am your 'husband.'"
A sinister glint flashed in his eyes, his words subtly implying that the two elders should harm Yuan Lingjun.
Elder Tianqiong and Elder Tianlan blazed with fury, their voices trembling as they glared at Yuan Lingjun.
"Since we have been expelled from the sect, all past favors are forfeited."
"Now, we want you to kill this traitor!"
Fang Xian agreed without hesitation: "Fine, as you say."
Upon hearing this, Yuan Lingjun's face instantly turned ashen, and he roared in anger.
"You two ungrateful bastards!"
The shouts echoed in the air, the atmosphere growing increasingly tense.
Suddenly, Yuan Lingjun's eyes turned bloodshot, and he recklessly ignited his own source energy.
Flames instantly erupted around his body, and his aura surged, unleashing ten times his usual power.
"I'll fight you to the death, you bastard!"
Yuan Lingjun roared as he charged towards Fang Xian.
Fang Xian, however, remained unfazed. He sneered, and chaotic energy surged forth from his body.
The power of chaos emanated a terrifying aura, distorting space beyond recognition wherever it went.
The two instantly clashed in mid-air, unleashing world-destroying power.
The power of chaos collided with the flames burning their very essence, producing deafening roars.
Each collision was accompanied by intense energy fluctuations, seemingly tearing the entire world apart.
The surrounding air was violently churned, forming massive vortexes that swept up sand, rocks, and trees from the ground.
As the battle continued, Yuan Lingjun's strength increased after burning his essence blood, but he was gradually becoming overwhelmed by Fang Xian's powerful chaotic energy.
Seizing an opportunity, Fang Xian suddenly condensed his chaotic energy into a black blade and stabbed it fiercely at Yuan Lingjun.
"Ah!"
Yuan Lingjun let out a scream, his body plummeting rapidly.
The instant his physical body was destroyed, a piercing scream tore through the sky. A phantom spirit shot out from the wreckage like a high-speed meteor, filled with boundless fear and a desperate will to survive, frantically fleeing into the distance.
The spirit flickered with a faint light, twisting and deforming in the air currents, like a candle in the wind, seemingly on the verge of being extinguished.
However, Fang Xian would not let him go so easily.
With a cold snort, Fang Xian raised his hand, and an invisible yet incredibly powerful force instantly enveloped the fleeing spirit.
This force, like an invisible giant hand, easily seized Yuan Lingjun's spirit.
Under the giant hand's control, the spirit struggled desperately, emitting painful howls, but all was in vain.
"Please, spare me!"
Yuan Lingjun's spirit pleaded in a tearful voice, filled with despair and fear.
Fang Xian, however, remained indifferent, unmoved, and turned to look at Elder Tianqiong and Elder Tianlan.
"This is for you. Refine his primordial spirit, and all the treasures on his body will be yours."
With that, he handed the struggling primordial spirit to the two elders.
Elder Tianqiong and Elder Tianlan looked at their once high and mighty sect leader's primordial spirit, now reduced to a stray dog, their hearts filled with mixed emotions.
The trust and loyalty they once shared had vanished the moment of betrayal; now, only anger remained.
"You've finally met your match!" Elder Tianqiong said through gritted teeth.
Upon hearing this, Yuan Lingjun's primordial spirit immediately pleaded desperately.
"Elders, please spare me for the sake of our past relationship!"
But Elders Tianqiong and Elder Tianlan ignored them completely. They took a deep breath, accepted the primordial spirit, and immediately sat down cross-legged to begin refining it.
At this moment, Fang Xian stood quietly to the side, providing them with the strongest protection.
With him present, no one dared to make a sound, only watching from afar, barely daring to breathe.
Fang Xian then beckoned Li Muwan and Luo Hongxia over, saying softly,
"You two have relatively low cultivation levels. Go to the side and absorb some of the edge power of the primordial spirit. Don't be greedy; absorb it slowly. It will strengthen you."
Li Muwan and Luo Hongxia exchanged a glance, their eyes filled with gratitude. They obediently went to the side, sat cross-legged, and began carefully absorbing the faint power emanating from the primordial spirit.
For a moment, the ruins were silent, save for the soft breathing of the four women as they refined their primordial spirits.
The surrounding cultivators were stunned by this scene, none daring to utter a sound for fear of attracting Fang Xian's attention.
Their gazes darted back and forth between Fang Xian and the four women, their hearts filled with awe and fear.
As time passed, the auras emanating from the four women gradually changed, growing increasingly powerful, all happening quietly under Fang Xian's careful protection.
This unprecedented sense of security caused a strange glint to appear in the beautiful eyes of Elder Tianqiong and Elder Tianlan.
When they looked at Fang Xian again, their feelings had completely changed.