Chapter 21: Attacking the Asura Gate

Outside the great protective formation of the Asura Sect, the Azure Dragon felt perplexed as to why Liao Chen had delayed the order to attack. After all, the Asura Sect was a fourth-tier power; surrounding it without striking would surely invite ridicule. Impatiently, he asked, "Master, when shall we attack the Asura Sect? As long as you give the word, I can shatter their protective formation with a wave of my hand!"

Liao Chen rolled his eyes at him and replied, "No rush! It is not us who should be anxious right now, but them. We departed in such haste that other factions are unaware of our intent today. If we attack immediately, we might invite gossip. While our strength is undeniable, being branded as a heinous demonic sect is hardly a desirable reputation."

Upon hearing this, the Azure Dragon understood his master's intentions. Soon enough, many sects dispatched scouts to observe the scene, though Liao Chen and his followers pretended not to notice.

Meanwhile, the Asura Sect reached a consensus: they would surrender to the Morning Light Sect. The Sect Master, Ye Tiance, had anticipated this; no one would sacrifice their life for the sake of the sect’s pride. They believed that by surrendering, they could not only preserve their lives but perhaps even keep their sect intact.

Ye Tiance led his elders out from the formation, knelt on one knee before Liao Chen, and bowed. "Sect Master of Morning Light, the Asura Sect is willing to follow your lead and become an affiliate. I beg you to spare our lives; we would be eternally grateful."

Liao Chen laughed aloud. "Ye Tiance, your sect lacks discipline and has offended my disciples. According to our laws, the Asura Sect must be destroyed today! You are far from qualified to become an affiliate of the Morning Light Sect. Return now, inform your disciples, and await our judgment!"

"Sect Master, why push things to such an extreme over a trifle? Our sects have not reached the point of no return. When my disciples attacked the Jiang family, your disciples were not yet part of your sect, so there was no offense committed against you," Ye Tiance argued, desperate to avoid death or the necessity of awakening the sect’s ancestor.

Liao Chen sneered, "Sect Master, you are only half right. It is true that my disciple was not yet with us when she was bullied, but only days ago, when we sought justice from the Su family, your sect dispatched a large force and a Blood Elder to harass her. You cannot escape your culpability. Since you have offended the Morning Light Sect, death is your only proper destination. Now, prepare yourselves!"

Just as Liao Chen prepared to order the attack, Ye Tiance shouted, "Wait! Sect Master, we have terms to offer. Hear me out!"

Liao Chen, seeing the man would not give up, allowed him to continue.

"We hold three members of the Jiang family captive. They are still alive. If you attack, we cannot guarantee their safety. If you withdraw now and promise not to harass us further, I will release those three safely."

Liao Chen frowned. Beside him, the sisters Jiang Qian watched him intently, waiting for his decision. If handled poorly, it would indeed reflect poorly on the Morning Light Sect. While he usually cared little for the consequences of his actions, these three were clearly important to Jiang Qian—likely her cousins. They had remained behind to cover the sisters' escape from Su Wudao's pursuit. Knowing they were still alive, Jiang Qian looked at her master with desperate eyes.

"Master, please save my cousins. If it is impossible, we can forgo the destruction of the Asura Sect," she pleaded, fearing her master would choose the sect's honor over their lives.

Liao Chen comforted her, "Qian'er, do not worry for their safety. I will find a way to rescue them."

"Thank you, Master!" Jiang Qian, knowing her master's profound abilities, felt a sense of relief.

Liao Chen handed the Void Mirror to Zhu Wuneng and gestured for him to activate the supreme imperial artifact, which could transport him into the sect's formation without a sound. Zhu Wuneng understood, activated the mirror, and vanished. He soon appeared within the Asura Sect’s formation. Instead of revealing himself, he carefully tracked the location of the three Jiang men.

Having quickly located them, he rescued the trio and used the Void Mirror to bring them out. When he returned, Liao Chen asked, "Are they safe?"

Zhu Wuneng nodded. "Master, they have been rescued and are now in a safe location a hundred miles away."

Satisfied, Liao Chen looked down at Ye Tiance. "Sect Master, no matter what you do, the Asura Sect shall be destroyed today!"

"Morning Light Sect, hear my command: annihilate the Asura Sect!"

"Yes, Sect Master!" The members of the Morning Light Sect cheered and unleashed their weapons upon the enemy.

Seeing that the Morning Light Sect had ignored his terms, Ye Tiance’s heart sank. He retreated into the formation, resisting desperately. Realizing that if he did not awaken the sect's ancestor, the ancestor might suffer the consequences as well, he crushed the ancestor’s token.

Suddenly, Ye Tiance remembered the hostages and ordered his disciples to bring them forth. They returned shortly, shouting in shock, "Sect Master, it is dire! The three Jiang remnants are gone!"

Ye Tiance felt a chill. "How? Did they grow wings and fly away?"

The disciple replied, "We checked the dungeon. There are no signs of forced entry, but the iron chains were snapped by sheer force!"

Ye Tiance realized the Morning Light Sect had used some extraordinary method to rescue them silently. Such divine means were beyond even the capabilities of his own ancestor. Knowing the end was near, he prepared a teleportation talisman, waiting for an opportunity to flee.

The great protective formation was soon shattered by the combined might of the Morning Light Sect—a feat made easier by the fact that the true powerhouses like Liao Chen had not even truly exerted themselves.