Chapter 506: Traveling a Thousand Miles Just to Get a Beating, What a Helpful Guy

"Going berserk? What kind of nonsense is that? Left Peak Master, if you're planning a coup, isn't it a bit too soon?" a Peak Master said with a sneer.

"I'd heard the rumors. Left Peak Master has always been ambitious, dreaming of becoming the Sect Leader before he'd made a single contribution. And now he can't even wait this long?" another Peak Master said, his voice dripping with sarcasm.

Zuo Fan glanced calmly at the two instigating Peak Masters.

He had learned of Sect Leader Xu Ziyang's accident ahead of time, which was why he had mobilized immediately.

However, his actions were far from subtle and were soon detected by many of the other Peak Masters.

He had been appointed to his position out of nowhere, and on top of that, he lacked the requisite age and seniority. His own network of allies was also insufficient.

This made him an outsider among the other Peak Masters, and his current actions did, admittedly, look a lot like a rebellion.

"The Sect Leader had an accident during his cultivation. I will be taking control of the Yanghuang Sect." Zuo Fan stressed the word "accident."

"Hah. Let's not even question how the Sect Leader, a master of Spiritual Techniques, could have an 'accident.' Even if someone had to take over, it wouldn't be your place," the first Peak Master to speak said mockingly.

"I don't have time for this. I have to—" Zuo Fan had no intention of wasting any more time on these fools. 'I know exactly how powerful a true Flame Demon is.'

'If the evacuation isn't completed in time, the consequences will be unimaginable.'

But before he could finish his sentence, he was cut off again.

Having been pushed this far, Zuo Fan's patience snapped. He reached out and crushed the life out of the chattering Peak Master in front of him.

At this, all the other Peak Masters fell silent. None of them had ever imagined Zuo Fan would dare to strike, let alone kill, so openly.

"You… How dare you kill…" another Peak Master stammered, pointing at him in utter disbelief.

"Get lost, or die," Zuo Fan said coldly.

"Zuo Fan is blinded by greed! He's murdering his own sect brothers! Everyone, let's get together and eliminate this traitor!" one Peak Master shouted as he came to his senses, a gleam of delight on his face.

He shouted without a moment's hesitation and was the first to strike.

For those who couldn't stand Zuo Fan, this was a joyous occasion. He had publicly murdered a guiltless fellow Peak Master.

It was as if Zuo Fan had just handed them the very blade they needed to get rid of him. Now, even if the Sect Leader himself were here, he couldn't protect Zuo Fan.

But they wanted to be even more ruthless: kill Zuo Fan on the spot and divide his piece of the pie among themselves.

It was a fine plan, but they had overlooked a critical detail: it all hinged on whether they could actually kill Zuo Fan.

The Li Huo Sword materialized in Zuo Fan's hand. With a single horizontal sweep, a sea of fire billowed forth.

The Peak Master leading the charge was instantly reduced to ash.

It all happened in a flash, leaving the remaining Peak Masters staring in horror.

They had heard of Zuo Fan's past victories but had paid them no mind. 'We're all Peak Masters, so how much stronger could he possibly be?'

But the truth was, anyone who cultivated these three Spiritual Techniques—the *Pure Yang Wuji Heart Method*, the *Innate Li Fire Sword Technique*, and the *Flame Demon Body Refining Technique*—was in a league far beyond their peers.

They were no longer on the same level as ordinary Spirit Masters.

The first death could have been dismissed as a sneak attack, but this one couldn't. The man was simply that strong.

And so, one by one, thoughts of retreat began to surface.

But now that it had come to this, even if they wanted to leave, Zuo Fan had no intention of letting them.

"A bunch of pathetic clowns. Useless parasites occupying their posts." A vicious light glinted in Zuo Fan's eyes. He swung his Li Huo Sword, and the sea of fire instantly swelled, consuming the Peak Masters in the blink of an eye.

They didn't even have a chance to beg for mercy before they were reduced to nothing but piles of ash.

"What a waste of my time." He spat disdainfully and turned, preparing to rush off.

But in the next instant, the murderous heat on Red Sun Peak began to retract, making it seem as if it were dissipating.

Zuo Fan knew better. Without hesitation, he raised his Li Huo Sword high to block.

A searing heat wave rolled over him, and a Li Huo Giant Sword came cleaving down at his head.

It was a good thing he blocked so quickly; otherwise, if the blade didn't kill him, the impact surely would have.

After parrying the attack, he decisively retreated.

The brief respite gave him a chance to see his attacker.

It was a true Flame Demon, composed of flesh and fire. Its appearance was savage and terrifying, with twisted, backward-curving horns wreathed in Flame on its forehead. Faintly, one could still see the resemblance to Xu Ziyang in its features.

It stood about three meters tall, its entire body covered in bizarre, fiery-red scales.

The Li Huo Giant Sword was inscribed with strange runes that made Zuo Fan feel uneasy just by looking at them.

"Sect Leader, it seems you are no longer yourself." Seeing this, Zuo Fan had no choice but to manifest his own true Flame Demon form.

'He's a true Flame Demon, while I'm just using a transformation.'

'I suspected there was something wrong with the *Flame Demon Body Refining Technique*, but the technique itself warned of the risks, stating they would only disappear upon reaching grand completion.'

'Zuo Fan had accepted that. After all, a Spiritual Technique this powerful was bound to have a price.'

'There must have been an issue with Sect Leader Xu Ziyang's progress, making an eventual mishap a distinct possibility.'

"Why would I not be myself? I've simply stopped caring about the opinions of the world," Xu Ziyang's voice rasped, carrying a force that seemed to make one's head spin.

As he spoke, his entire body became a streak of fire, shooting toward Zuo Fan.

The Li Huo Giant Sword in his hand swung down in a simple, heavy cleave.

Even though he wasn't using any moves from the *Innate Li Fire Sword Technique*, this simple attack still put immense pressure on Zuo Fan.

BOOM!

Four Li Huo Giant Swords smashed against each other. Zuo Fan was sent flying, tumbling several times before he finally came to a stop.

He was completely outmatched. The two Li Huo Giant Swords he had manifested shattered, and cracks even appeared on his true Flame Demon form.

"Using a fraction of a Flame Demon's power to fight a real one." Xu Ziyang didn't even wait for Zuo Fan to get up before slamming his foot on his head. "Isn't that just laughable?"

Zuo Fan tried to fight back, his head pinned underfoot, but the chasm between their power was simply too vast. He was helpless.

"Sect Leader, wake up! Don't let the true Flame Demon form's killing intent control you!"

"You are yourself! You're not a Flame Demon! You're a human, a Spirit Master!!!" Zuo Fan desperately tried to reawaken Xu Ziyang's former human consciousness.

But Xu Ziyang only gave him a mocking look. "You just don't get it, do you?"

"I am myself. I am both the Sect Leader of the Yanghuang Sect and a Flame Demon."

His consciousness had merged, not been possessed or suppressed. He was, in essence, still the same person—he had simply become one with the splintered personality of the Flame Demon.

So, he hadn't changed from the start; it was just that his mind and reason had undergone an irreversible transformation.

"See you in the next life, Left Peak Master."

"I'll send the rest of the Yanghuang Sect… no, the people of all Nine Great Sects, to join you." A bloodthirsty glee spread across Xu Ziyang's face as he lifted his foot to bring it crashing down.

But just as he finished speaking, before his foot could fall, a voice rang out.

"It seems I've arrived just in time," a disdainful voice commented.

Xu Ziyang's gaze followed the voice, and he saw another man with a Bone Evil Flood Dragon circling around him, watching the scene with rapt interest.

"Who are you? A Seven Kills Disciple?" Xu Ziyang recognized the Bone Evil Flood Dragon as the unique Life-taking Saber of the Seven Kills Disciples, though he had never seen one so large or powerful.

"The Blood Sea Demon Dragon, Mu Can," the man introduced himself, then added, "Please, continue. Don't mind me…"

Before he could finish, Mu Can leaped back, his Life-taking Saber flashing out to block Xu Ziyang's lightning-fast attack.

Flame exploded outward. The Life-taking Saber couldn't fully stop the blow, and Mu Can was sent flying by Xu Ziyang's Li Huo Giant Sword.

"As expected of the world's greatest sect. Truly powerful." Mu Can sprang back to his feet without hesitation. He swung his Life-taking Saber, which transformed into a storm of endless blades as he clashed with Xu Ziyang. "The Tower Master of the Purple-Gold Tower isn't fit to lick your boots!"

The two traded blows, and the scale of their battle rapidly expanded.

Meanwhile, Zuo Fan decisively scrambled to his feet and disengaged from the battle without a second thought.

For him, the most urgent priority was to evacuate the people of the Yanghuang Sect.

He didn't know why the Blood Sea Demon Dragon of the Seven Kills Disciples was here in Yanghuang Sect territory—it wasn't the man's usual stomping grounds.

But it didn't matter. As long as the man could stall Xu Ziyang… well, maybe he couldn't.

Xu Ziyang was starting to get serious.

In the fighting up until now, Xu Ziyang hadn't used a single move from the *Innate Li Fire Sword Technique*.

When Xu Ziyang unleashed the Fire Tree and Silver Flower technique, the man known as the number one disciple of the Seven Kills, the Blood Sea Demon Dragon, was utterly unable to defend against the brilliant, sky-filling display of flames.

If Zuo Fan hadn't already begun his retreat, he feared he would have been caught in it as well. The technique's range was vast enough to engulf an entire mountain peak.

The Life-taking Saber carried Mu Can out of the terrifying conflagration. The intense heat had burned him down to a skeleton, but his Blood Sea Body had kept him alive.

He had lost. Miserably.

"Trying to run? Since you're here, you may as well stay forever." Xu Ziyang's voice echoed from behind Mu Can, his figure swelling to an even more monstrous size within the flames.

At this point, Mu Can could think of nothing but escape. Even his Life-taking Saber was covered in cracks from the intense heat, a clear sign of grievous damage.

But the searing heat was closing in from behind. The suffocating killing intent brought Mu Can back to a time when he was young and weak.

BOOM!

The cleave of the Li Huo Giant Sword shattered the Life-taking Saber and slammed into his body, sending him pitching forward uncontrollably.

Fortunately, his Blood Sea Body was durable enough for him to weather the blow.

He used the momentum from the impact to fling himself out of attack range.

Then, he bolted. But Xu Ziyang had no intention of letting him escape alive.

'You show up, act all high and mighty, and now you want to run away just because you're losing? Things don't work that way.'

Xu Ziyang wouldn't be satisfied until he had butchered the man.

As for Zuo Fan… the monk could run, but the temple couldn't. It wouldn't be too late to deal with him later.

Mu Can, on the other hand, would not be so easy to find again if he managed to escape.