Xenos knew that using such a powerful item would come at a cost, and also make his heart ache, this item has been with him for so long now, but for them to survive he need to use it. He nodded to Elder San, and they both backed away from Ghorm.
"Everyone, get back!" Xenos shouted to the rest of the group, as he raised the red orb in his hand.
He channeled his qi into the orb, and it glowed with a bright red light. He aimed it at Ghorm and released the attack.
A massive explosion rocked the room, and Ghorm let out a deafening roar as it was engulfed in flames. The attack was powerful enough to kill Ghorm in instant, without even bones left, he got evaporated by the extreme heat.
An attack by a Qi Gathering expert was not something an Opening Qi powerhouse can take on, even a casual attack would obliterate an Opening Qi powerhouse.
Because a Qi Gathering Realm was like a threshold for any creature, it was an upgrade of life rating. For any cultivator below this realm, in their eyes, a Qi Gathering expert was no different from a god. They can conjure spells of higher quality, they can fly, and their body was as strong as steel.
Xenos can't help but slump on the ground, he was exhausted from using the item, and he can't even move his body.
"Elder San, help them kill the wolf." Xena opens his mouth with difficulty.
Elder San hesitated, but eventually nodded.
"Ok... Take this healing pill first."
Elder San feeds the healing pill to Xenos, and shortly after, Xenos can feel his body starting to get better.
He slowly stands up, using his sword as a support. He looks around the room and sees that the rest of his companions had already started fighting the wolf.
The wolf was still formidable, even without Ghorm. Its massive body towered over them, and its claws and teeth glimmered in the light.
Xenos knew that he needed to join the fight, but his body still felt weak. He took a deep breath and started channeling his qi, feeling it flow through his body.
He raised his sword and charged toward the wolf, dodging its attacks with his nimble movements. With every strike of his sword, he felt his strength returning.
The battle was intense, and Xenos could feel his energy waning again as the wolf continued to resist their attacks.
Then suddenly, he was petrified in place, when he saw from the corner of his eyes that Elder Tan Zong impaled Elder San through the heart with his sword.
Xenos couldn't believe what he was seeing. He thought Elder Tan Zong had been their ally, and now he had turned against them. His mind raced with questions as he watched Elder San's lifeless body fall to the ground.
The wolf took advantage of their distraction and launched a powerful attack. Xenos quickly regained his focus and managed to deflect the attack with his sword. However, he was too exhausted and he was still not fully recovered. That attack made him fly, rolling through the ground as he fall.
Xenos looked at Elder Tan Zong, his face contorted with rage. "Why?" he shouted.
However, he calmed himself down, because Xenos knew that he had to act quickly before Elder Tan Zong could strike again. He summoned all the strength he had left and charged at the traitor, his sword at the ready.
"Tan Zong, why did you do this?" Xenos demanded as he engaged in a deadly dance of blades with the former ally.
"I have my reasons," Elder Tan Zong replied coldly, parrying Xenos' strikes with ease.
Xenos could sense that Elder Tan Zong's strength was far superior to his own, and he knew that he would not be able to defeat him in a straight-up fight. He had to come up with a plan.
He feinted a strike towards Elder Tan Zong's left, causing the traitor to shift his weight to that side. Xenos then quickly changed his stance and struck towards his right, catching Elder Tan Zong off-guard and grazing his shoulder.
"Hmm, you're pretty good for someone who just entered this realm." Tan Zong looked at Xenos deeply.
All the remaining soldiers and Patriarch Song snapped out of their shock and started encircling Tan Zong. The remaining teachers and students of the Blue Wind Sect struggled to choose what to do first, but eventually joined Xenos's group encircling Tan Zong.
Looking around, Tan Zong can't help but laugh out loud maniacally. Suddenly, to everyone's surprise, Tan Zong's appearance started to change. He changed from an amicable old man to a corpse-like old man, and his eyes turned a bright red.
Xenos and the others were shocked and taken aback by the sudden change in Tan Zong's appearance. They could sense a dark energy emanating from him.
"Yo-you're an evil cultivator?!!" Xenos looked at Tan Zong, with fear and anger on his face.
Although, all races were fighting with each other.
The idea of evil cultivation was universally condemned by all cultivators. Evil cultivators use dark, forbidden methods to gain power, often at the cost of innocent lives. They were seen as a scourge on the cultivation world, and anyone who practices such methods was hunted down and executed.
Tan Zong smiled wickedly. "Yes, that's right. I am an evil cultivator."
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