"You have only the right to obey, or to die!"
The middle-aged man from the Qingyang Sword Sect stepped forward, his powerful aura sweeping out and pressing down on the group before him, forcing them back several steps involuntarily.
A cold smile appeared in his eyes. With just one step, he could make over a dozen people retreat. No matter how many times he experienced it, this feeling was always so wonderful!
However, in the next moment, his gaze sharpened slightly, and a hint of displeasure appeared on his face, unconcealed.
In fact, even Li Buwei didn't know why he hadn't retreated like the others. It was as if by taking that step back, he would lose something.
Clearly, he had experienced similar situations before and had long grown accustomed to such humiliation as a daily occurrence.
After thinking of a possibility, he couldn't help but give a wry smile. If he hadn't longed for a life where he no longer had to bow and scrape to others, and no longer had to endure unprovoked humiliation, he might have been the same as before.
But that vision was within his reach. He was just one step away from shedding his identity as a rogue cultivator. How could he possibly retreat again?
Meeting those slightly angry eyes, Li Buwei knew that if he retreated now, even if he became an elder of a sect in the future, he would still be unable to change his inherently humble nature.
He endured the powerful aura pressing down on him and even took a step forward defiantly. Under the shocked gazes of everyone, he fearlessly faced the disciples of sects whom rogue cultivators feared most on a daily basis.
"Whether you believe it or not... I actually still have the right to refuse!"
He spoke slowly, the latter half of his sentence directed not only at others but also at himself.
In the next moment, scorching flames roared to life, and a crimson brazier was held aloft by Li Buwei, who then hurled it forward without hesitation!
The distance was barely a few meters. It crossed in the blink of an eye and appeared before the middle-aged man.
Fierce flames erupted from the brazier's opening, their scorching heat seeming capable of incinerating all things. The waves of heat that surged out were enough to wither and ignite the surrounding vegetation!
Clang!!
A sword cry pierced the sky. Bright sword light severed the scorching flames and heavily struck the crimson brazier.
The surging crimson brazier was instantly sent flying back at an even faster speed, and with the infusion of spiritual energy, it slowly returned to Li Buwei's palm.
"You dare..."
"Dare your mother!"
The middle-aged man had just begun to speak when he was interrupted by a sharp retort.
Li Buwei sneered with disdain, his eyes full of contempt. He used to think rogue cultivators should be submissive, but now he just wanted to vent his frustrations.
"Are sect members so great!"
"Fellow Daoists, since we can't escape anyway, if you don't want your hard-earned wealth to be seized, and don't want to be trampled to death..."
"Then let's all take down these guys who have their eyes in the sky!"
He shouted with all his might and then, without regard for whether those behind him would join in, he hurled the crimson brazier in his hand forward again.
The fist-sized brazier flew into the air. The moment its lid opened, scorching flames erupted, transforming into waves of fire that swept forward.
Seeing this, the two youths standing beside the middle-aged man immediately stepped forward three to four paces, threw the long swords in their hands, and quickly formed hand seals.
In just a few finger snaps, the two long swords suddenly emitted brilliant light, like miniature suns, releasing scorching heat.
Controlled by the Qingyang Sword Sect disciples, the two sword wheels charged into the oncoming fire waves without hesitation. In just a moment, they tore through the surging, tumultuous fire waves!
The scorching flames, enough to incinerate ordinary cultivators in the early to mid-stage of the Spirit Manifestation realm, became fragmented. Under the power of the two sword wheels, they were utterly ineffective.
Li Buwei's gaze deepened upon seeing this. He could feel that the opponent's cultivation techniques seemed to have a significant counter-effect on his own methods.
However, his expression remained unchanged, as if he didn't care at all.
Just as the two Qingyang Sword Sect youths were about to manipulate their sword wheels to shred the person who dared to offend their senior brother, a bone-chilling sensation suddenly arose in their hearts.
In the next moment, the two men quickly looked up and saw various spiritual lights flashing as over a dozen spells descended from the sky!
They immediately changed their hand seals, blocking the two sword wheels in front of them, and then unleashed several bursts of spiritual energy, making them even more powerful.
However, despite fully activating their spiritual artifacts and utilizing their Qingyang Sword Sect's inheritance techniques to their fullest, the chilling sensation in their hearts did not diminish in the slightest. It felt as if death could descend upon them at any moment.
Suddenly, they saw their senior brother, the middle-aged man with late-stage Spirit Manifestation realm cultivation, step forward with a grim expression.
With a sword cry, a sword beam as thick as a thigh shot out. Its sharp aura made even them, fellow disciples, feel as if they were being threatened by a sharp blade.
Puff!
Suddenly, the two youths felt as if they had been struck by a heavy hammer, spitting out several mouthfuls of blood uncontrollably.
In the blood splattered on the ground, there were wisps of spiritual energy flowing, clearly the precious essence blood of the two, which was not abundant to begin with!
They looked up in horror and saw their respective long swords sent flying. Not only could they no longer maintain the form of sword wheels, but even the spirituality within their artifacts was mostly scattered in an instant!
In the blink of an eye, the two youths realized that these lowly rogue cultivators, whom they had always regarded as ants, possessed the strength to kill them!
Rumble!
As a brilliant sword light slashed out, over a dozen spells detonated simultaneously. Surging spiritual energy fluctuations swept out in all directions. Several trees as thick as barrels were broken in half by this rampant force!
Just as the violent fluctuations were about to engulf them, the two youths felt a large hand grab their shoulders, pulling them rapidly backward.
Ten breaths later, as the violent spiritual energy gradually subsided, the area within a radius of several meters was a mess. More than a dozen trees were broken, and the ground beneath their feet looked as if it had been plowed.
Li Buwei and the others retreated more than ten meters. They looked at the devastated ground and then slowly turned their gaze to the sect cultivators more than ten meters away.
In the eyes of the group of rogue cultivators, although some still held a hint of fear, there was more of a burning rage.
They could endure some humiliation because, in terms of cultivation or background, they were far inferior to the high-and-mighty "important figures."
No!
As rogue cultivators, they had no background at all!
They were merely the mud underfoot or the weeds by the roadside, doing everything they could to obtain a little nourishment to walk a bit further on the path of cultivation.
They had nothing significant to lose in the first place, so they didn't care about their lives. However, no one could take away the wealth they had painstakingly accumulated!
Not even a single copper coin, not even a sliver of silver!
Because besides their own lives, all they had left was subservience and the small possessions they had exchanged for with their last shred of dignity in the face of death!
They could be insulted, and their possessions could be seized.
But even as rogue cultivators, they would not allow their little dignity to be trampled upon, only to have all their possessions stripped away and then be killed amidst endless mockery!
They were already desperate individuals, and everything they did was forced by circumstances. When they truly became fierce, who would be afraid of whom? They would simply bet their lives!
As eyes filled with rage fell upon them, the sect cultivators were suddenly startled, unable to comprehend why these people, who had always been submissive and allowed them to be humiliated, had suddenly transformed from sheep into wolves.
"You court death!"
The middle-aged man from the Qingyang Sword Sect's eyebrows shot up, and he suddenly threw the long sword in his hand.
A green sun rose, and sharp sword light crisscrossed. Its aura alone was enough to overwhelm the spirit of the rogue cultivators.
After all, they were sect members. The Qingyang Sword Sect was a powerful sect with a heritage of nearly a thousand years. Its inheritance had its own unique aspects, and in terms of lethality, it ranked among the top in Luoxia County!
Moreover, this middle-aged man possessed a late-stage Spirit Manifestation realm cultivation. Now, in his rage and performing at his full strength, even cultivators of the same realm would not dare to easily contend with his sharpness.
"Cautious for decades, I finally couldn't resist acting impulsively."
As the green sun rose and unleashed its sharp sword light, a middle-aged Taoist priest muttered to himself with self-mockery.
As his words fell, a powerful aura suddenly erupted from his body. Although it was only at the mid-stage of the Spirit Manifestation realm, it was already not much weaker than an ordinary late-stage cultivator.
This person, known as the Mountain Daoist, was the most profound among the rogue cultivators.
"Fellow Daoists! Let us fight together!"
He roared loudly, and the long staff in his hand erupted with immeasurable light, then transformed into a beam of light, shooting towards the green sun sword wheel in mid-air!
His speed appeared slow, but in reality, it was quite fast. It only seemed a bit slow because it gave a sense of being as heavy as a mountain.
In just a few blinks, the staff shot into mid-air. Facing the fiercely slashing green sun sword wheel, the Mountain Daoist let out a sharp cry!
In the next moment, the staff spun in the air and then, as if carrying immense force, it slammed into the sword wheel with radiant light!
Rumble!
Blinding light erupted, so intense that people had to cover their eyes or quickly turn their heads away.
And under the surge of powerful fluctuations, cultivators with weaker cultivation were uncontrollably forced backward.
A few breaths later, as the light gradually faded, the Mountain Daoist suddenly spat out a mouthful of blood, and his aura was inevitably weakened by nearly half.
Puff!
A long staff fell from the sky, half of it embedded in the ground. Traces of green sun power and wisps of sword light still lingered on it.
"Mere insects, daring to rebel?"
The middle-aged man spoke slowly, his face showing undisguised disdain.
In his eyes, there was also a deep contempt, as if to him, insects with power were still just insects.
He let out a soft breath and pointed at the sword wheel in mid-air. With a surge of potent spiritual energy infused into it, a sharp aura immediately rose.
However, before he could utter the word "slay," his expression suddenly changed. In that instant, a deathly aura suddenly enveloped his entire body!