Zhu Xian: The way of heaven collapses, and I only have one sword!

Chapter 87 Three factions surrounded Changshengtang!
The night was as dark as ink, thickly enveloping the Death Swamp. The surroundings were eerily quiet, broken only by the occasional chirping of insects. Ji Zai, Jin Ping'er, and Qin Wuyan lurked in the darkness, silently watching the Changsheng Hall members rush towards the righteous pathers.

"It seems that Yu Yangzi can't sit still anymore and wants to take the initiative." Qin Wuyan gently waved his folding fan, a hint of a cold smile on his lips, "However, if he wants to deal with the group of righteous people with his own strength, he is really overestimating his own abilities."

Jin Ping'er's beautiful eyes moved, her eyes rippling like autumn water, and she laughed softly, "That's not necessarily true. Since Yu Yangzi dared to take action, he must have come prepared. Moreover, although those young people of the righteous path are extraordinary, in this dangerous Death Swamp, who will win and who will lose is still unknown."

Ji Zai remained silent, a faint light glimmering in his deep eyes, like the most mysterious stars in the night sky. His fingers gently stroked the Chenqing flute, the cool touch calming his thoughts. After a long moment, he slowly spoke, his voice low but clear, carrying far in the darkness: "Let's see, while the snipe and the clam fight, we, the fishermen, benefit."

The three men and their respective forces cloaked in darkness, their auras so well concealed that they seemed to blend seamlessly into the swamp of death. Ji Zai closed his eyes slightly, his consciousness spreading like a thread, attempting to capture every movement on the battlefield. He could sense the spiritual fluctuations of the righteous inhabitants in the distance—the familiar aura of the Qingyun Sect's Tai Chi Xuanqing Dao. Among them, one was particularly distinctive, causing his heart to tremble violently: it was Lu Xueqi.

At the same time, the righteous sect, led by Xiao Yicai, had already sensed the Changsheng Hall's approach. Clearly, they had been prepared, waiting for the Changsheng Hall to take the bait. As soon as they met, the two sides engaged in combat.

The righteous sect's arrival this time was comprised of the strongest of the younger generation. Furthermore, Chen Qiye had previously assisted Lu Xueqi in condensing the Three Flowers of the Heavenly Dao, enabling her to reach the Upper Purity Realm. Even Daoxuan Zhenren, the head of the Qingyun Sect, was somewhat unsure of Lu Xueqi's true strength after ten years of cultivation.

This night's battle ultimately ended in a crushing defeat for the Changsheng Hall. The night was as dark as ink, and only a ray of light flashed through the darkness. It was Yu Yangzi, who had been covering the retreat of the Changsheng Hall disciples. He was now seriously injured.

On the ground, Meng Ji was walking back and forth. Behind him were the remaining disciples of Changsheng Hall. There were less than fifty or sixty people left, and each of them had a look of fear on their faces until they saw the beam of light.

Yu Yangzi, carrying his heavy body, slowly landed in front of Meng Ji and the others. His face was as pale as paper, with a shocking trace of blood at the corner of his mouth. His once neat Taoist robe was now tattered and exuded a strong smell of blood.

"Master!" Meng Ji and all the disciples gathered around him, their eyes full of worry and concern.

Yu Yangzi waved his hand, signaling for silence. His gaze slowly swept over his long-serving subordinates, his heart filled with resentment and helplessness. "I never expected to fall into the trap set by the righteous, causing such heavy losses to Changshengtang." His voice was hoarse and low, revealing endless fatigue.

Meng Ji clenched his fists, an angry look on his face. "Master, it's all our fault for being incompetent and failing to protect you."

Yu Yangzi shook his head, looking off into the distance with a serious expression. "This isn't your fault. The Righteous Path has been planning this for a long time, and their younger generation's strength shouldn't be underestimated. However, things aren't desperate yet; we still have a chance. The arrow is on the string, and we have to fire it. When daybreak arrives, we'll head deeper into the Dead Marsh and search for treasures inside the inner marsh!"

Meng Ji couldn't help but say: "Master..."

Yu Yangzi waved his hand, interrupting Meng Ji and saying, "I know what you want to say, but if we withdraw from the Dead Marsh now, we will eventually perish at the hands of the other three sects. We might as well give it a try!"

Most of the Changshengtang disciples who had fought all night fell asleep tiredly, and the flames of the fire on the ground gradually went out. Yuyangzi was still meditating to recover. Meng Ji, who had been standing beside him just now, also went to inspect the disciples.

Three figures slowly emerged from the darkness. Ji Zai, Jin Ping'er, and Qin Wuyan appeared like ghosts at the edge of the Changsheng Hall camp.

"It seems that Changshengtang has suffered a serious blow this time." Jin Ping'er covered her mouth and chuckled. Her voice was as melodious as a nightingale, but it was a little chilly in the silent night.

Qin Wuyan closed his folding fan and tapped his palm lightly, a fierce look flashing in his eyes: "Now is the time to take advantage of his illness to kill him. If we don't act now, when will we act?"

Ji Zai narrowed his eyes slightly, and the purple-black demonic flames around him flickered slightly. He did not speak, but gently raised the Chen Qing flute in his hand. The cold touch made his heart even calmer, and a massacre seemed to be about to begin.

"I'll deal with Meng Ji." Qin Wuyan said, then slipped away.

After taking a look at Ji Zai, Jin Ping'er also slipped away and returned to her position. Everything happened silently, and the three of them surrounded Changsheng Hall.

Yu Yangzi suddenly opened his eyes with a fierce look and looked around. He slowly stood up and reached out to grab the magic weapon Yin-Yang Mirror. In the deep darkness, footsteps came from three directions at the same time.

For the first time, despair appeared on Yu Yangzi's face, and he suddenly shouted, "Get out of here!"

Yu Yangzi's voice immediately woke up the disciples of Changshengtang in the distance from their sleep, and they quickly gathered together.

Yu Yangzi's expression was uncertain. He turned around and was startled. He shouted, "Where is Meng Ji?"

Everyone in the Changsheng Hall looked at each other in bewilderment. No one answered for a long moment, clearly clueless. Just then, Qin Wuyan's voice rang out from the darkness: "Uncle Yuyangzi, are you looking for this person?" With that, a round object landed in front of Yuyangzi and the other Changsheng Hall disciples.

Illuminated by the firelight, the object was Meng Ji's head. His eyes were wide open with a look of horror, and he probably died with his eyes open.

Yu Yangzi took a deep breath and said coldly, "Qin Wuyan?"

Qin Wuyan slowly walked out and said with a smile, "Master, you really have a good eye. I was standing in the dark, yet you were able to recognize me." Yu Yangzi said coldly, "You are cruel, but you from the Ten Thousand Poison Sect treat fellow disciples of the Holy Sect this way. Aren't you afraid that you will be sent to the underworld by the Heavenly Demon King after you die?"

"Ah!" Qin Wuyan pressed his hand to his chest, pretending to be frightened, but his expression was calm and smiling, without a trace of fear. Turning to the other side, he said, "Ghost Master, Golden Fairy, we in the Ten Thousand Poison Sect cannot bear such a heavy crime alone. Why don't you come out?"

Yu Yangzi's face changed drastically. He turned his head suddenly and saw two figures slowly walking out of the darkness on both sides. One was Ji Zai in a black robe, and the other was Jin Ping'er in a goose yellow dress.

"Ji Zai, Jin Ping'er!" Yu Yangzi's whole body trembled slightly, and his face was pale. It seemed that at this moment, he was finally completely desperate. He laughed miserably and said, "So, the three of you have already agreed to work together to deal with my Changsheng Hall."

Jin Ping'er smiled sweetly and said, "Uncle Master Yuyangzi, it's been a long time since we last met. How have you been?"

Yu Yangzi looked at the three people before him, hatred surging in his heart, yet he knew full well that he was alone and helpless at the moment, and that the strength gap between them was too great. He gripped the Yin-Yang Mirror tightly, his spiritual energy circulating frantically as he tried to make a final struggle.

"The Changsheng Hall has run out of luck. The rest of you who know what's best for you should either surrender or die." Ji Zai said in a flat voice.

As Ji Zai finished speaking, countless disciples from the three sects holding magic weapons and sharp blades slowly emerged behind him, Qin Wuyan, and Jin Ping'er, and surrounded the people from Changsheng Hall headed by Yu Yangzi.

The disciples of Changsheng Hall looked at each other in dismay, fear spreading rapidly among the crowd. They looked at the desperate situation of being surrounded, then at Yu Yangzi, whose face was ashen, and began to struggle violently within themselves.

Just as everyone was hesitating, a young disciple of the Changsheng Hall felt his legs go weak and he fell to his knees with a plop. He shouted in a trembling voice, "I... I am willing to surrender!"

This sound was like a fuse, instantly triggering a chain reaction. More and more disciples followed suit, and the sounds of "thump, thump" of kneeling rang out one after another. In the blink of an eye, most of the disciples of Changsheng Hall had knelt down and surrendered.

However, there is still a small number of disciples who hold their weapons tightly, with unwillingness and loyalty flashing in their eyes. Although they know that the situation is unfavorable, they are unwilling to betray their sect and beliefs.

"Do you know what I have in my hand?" Ji Zai slightly raised the Chen Qing flute in his hand, and the purple-black magic light jumped and flickered on the flute, and the cold light reflected his stern face.

"As the ghost flute expresses its feelings, a bloody storm is about to begin!"

When the loyal disciples who were still standing in the Changsheng Hall heard Ji Zai mention the Chenqing Flute, their faces turned pale instantly and their bodies could not help but tremble slightly.

"I'll give you one last chance." Ji Zai's voice seemed to come from the Nine Nether Hell, cold and emotionless, echoing over the dead swamp.

He raised his head slightly, purple-black magic light flowing in his eyes, scanning the disciples of Changsheng Hall who were still resisting stubbornly. The powerful magic power emanating from his body made the air around him tremble.

Jin Ping'er and Qin Wuyan took a deep breath when they saw this. They knew very well how terrifying Ji Zai was. As the third young master, they could not actually be on the same level as Ji Zai.

In this oppressive and silent atmosphere, the hands of the remaining disciples of Changsheng Hall holding their weapons trembled more and more, and their joints turned white due to the force.

Seeing this, Ji Zai curled his lips into a cold smile, a smile that didn't reach his eyes, revealing a bone-chilling chill. He slowly raised the hand holding the Chen Qing Flute, and in an instant, the air around them seemed to be pulled by an invisible force, emitting a sharp whistling sound.

Purple-black demonic light surged out from the Chen Qing Flute like a surging black wave, instantly enveloping those Changsheng Hall disciples who were still resisting stubbornly.

Within the demonic light, the shrill cries of countless wronged souls could be heard faintly. The sound seemed to penetrate the soul, causing a deep fear to surge within everyone. The faces of the Changsheng Hall disciples, enveloped by the demonic light, showed expressions of extreme pain. Their bodies twisted and struggled uncontrollably, trying in vain to break free from this terrifying bondage.

"No, this is impossible!" Yu Yangzi watched his disciples struggling in agony within the demonic light, his eyes wide open, his face filled with disbelief and despair. He clutched the Yin-Yang Mirror tightly in his hand, frantically channeling his spiritual energy, attempting to use this last bit of strength to resist Ji Zai's attack. The Yin-Yang Mirror radiated a powerful light, counteracting Ji Zai's demonic light. For a moment, the lights intertwined, illuminating Yu Yangzi's distorted and hideous features.

Under the ravages of the violet-black demonic light, the remaining disciples of the Changsheng Hall, who had stubbornly resisted, let out screams. Their bodies gradually became ethereal within the demonic light, as if they would be devoured by this evil force at any moment. The demonic light was like a ravenous beast, constantly devouring their vitality. Each scream was like the final cry before the end of life.

Yu Yangzi's eyes were bloodshot as he watched his loyal disciples writhe in agony. His anger and despair reached a peak. He roared to the heavens, and the Yin-Yang Mirror in his hand erupted with unprecedented brilliance, attempting to break through Ji Zai's magical blockade and rescue his disciples. However, Ji Zai simply looked at him coldly, without a trace of pity in his eyes. He flicked his wrist, and the magical light emitted by the Chen Qing Flute grew stronger, colliding violently with Yu Yangzi's light.

As the demonic light surged, the resistance of the remaining Changshengtang disciples grew weaker. Some were pierced by the demonic light, blood splattering everywhere, and they instantly fell to the ground and died. Others were engulfed by the demonic light, their bodies twisted and deformed, their souls seemingly torn apart, and they let out heartbreaking wails.

In a moment, with the exception of Yu Yangzi, who was still struggling to hold on, all the other stubbornly resisting Changshengtang disciples had collapsed in a pool of blood, breathless. Yu Yangzi looked at the tragic scene before him, his legs weakening, and he nearly collapsed to the ground. His eyes were filled with pain and confusion, as if he had lost all strength.

(End of this chapter)