Chapter 28: Sima's Furious Outburst-Eu só aceitei discípulos por acaso, como eles se tornaram Grandes Imperadores?(Espalhadas como estrelas sobre o rio inteiro.)

The Holy Master frowned, acutely aware of the gravity of the situation. On one hand, he trusted in the character of Ye Xinghe and his disciples, refusing to believe they would stoop to stealing the secret techniques of others. On the other hand, the Sima family was pressing in with aggressive momentum; if not handled with care, it could spark a far greater conflict.

After a moment of contemplation, the Holy Master spoke slowly: "Clan Leader Sima, this matter cannot be decided based on your word alone. Since Ye Xinghe and his disciples maintain that their cultivation method has a different origin, they must produce evidence to prove it. Until the truth is clear, you must not act rashly."

Clan Leader Sima jumped up at these words. "Holy Master, you are showing them favoritism! How could I possibly misidentify my own family's secret technique? In your eyes, is the reputation of the Sima family truly so worthless?"

The Holy Master’s expression darkened, and he said sternly, "Clan Leader Sima, I am the Lord of the Holy Land, and I will handle this matter with impartiality. If you continue to act so unreasonably, do not blame me for being discourteous."

Hearing this, a sinister glint flashed across the Sima Clan Leader’s face. He tilted his head back and let out a wild, arrogant laugh. "Ha! Ha! Ha! Ha! Holy Master, do not think that I fear you. You say you will be discourteous? Then I shall see exactly what means you have at your disposal!"

With that, his spiritual energy surged violently. The Sima clansmen behind him responded in kind, and the entire Holy Land seemed to tremble under the force of their power. The Sima Clan Leader waved his hands, and his elite disciples quickly formed a phalanx, weapons gripped tightly, their eyes filled with undisguised malice.

"Holy Master, if you do not hand over Ye Xinghe and his disciples today, my Sima family will bathe this Holy Land in blood and strike your so-called holy ground from the annals of the cultivation world!" The Sima Clan Leader’s voice was chillingly cold.

Seeing this, the Holy Master raised his hands slowly. "Clan Leader Sima, you are openly challenging the majesty of the Holy Land. As its Lord, how could I ever allow such insolence?" His voice resounded through the heavens.

As his words fell, the defensive formations throughout the Holy Land erupted with light. Columns of spiritual energy shot into the sky, interweaving and connecting to form a massive, shimmering shield that enveloped the entire domain. Simultaneously, disciples from every peak, led by their respective Peak Masters, rushed to their defensive stations, ready for battle.

Seeing the Holy Master refuse to retreat and instead adopt a firm defensive posture, the Sima Clan Leader’s fury was fully ignited. Abandoning all courtesy and restraint, he waved his hands and roared, "Form up! The Immortal-Slaying Array!"

At his command, several experts of the Sima family moved with lightning speed. They occupied their positions and produced from their robes a series of formation flags that emitted a cold, eerie light, radiating powerful fluctuations of spiritual energy.

As they thrust the flags into the ground, the banners grew in the wind, instantly transforming into giant standards several zhang high, upon which sinister, malevolent patterns flickered in and out of existence. Suddenly, the spiritual energy of heaven and earth seemed to be drawn by a powerful force, rushing madly toward the flags.

Between the banners, black mist began to coalesce, and from within it came the faint, blood-curdling sounds of ghosts wailing and wolves howling. The mist spread rapidly, shrouding the vast area in front of the Holy Land and creating an immense, ghastly formation space.

Everyone felt a deep tremor of fear; they were well aware of the notoriety of the Immortal-Slaying Array. Once established, the array would generate a powerful, grinding force of spiritual energy, as if countless sharp blades were weaving through space, capable of easily tearing any trapped cultivator to shreds. Furthermore, the array would continuously erode the victim’s spiritual energy, leaving them to lose their ability to resist in agony and despair.

The Holy Master’s complexion grew somber. He knew the deadliness of this array well. "Clan Leader Sima, to deploy such a vicious formation—have you truly discarded all morality of the cultivation world?" he shouted.

The Sima Clan Leader merely sneered. "Holy Master, if your Holy Land does not surrender Ye Xinghe and his disciples today, I will use this Immortal-Slaying Array to annihilate you all! This is the price for crossing the Sima family!"

Watching the formation take shape, Ye Xinghe’s gaze grew grave. He turned to Zhao Changsheng and Ximen Feixue and said, "Disciples, this array is formidable, but I will not let it harm the Holy Land in the slightest. You two stay aside and assist the Holy Master in stabilizing the defenses." Though Ye Xinghe had little desire to get involved, he could not allow them to destroy the place that served as his home.

"Yes, Master!" Zhao Changsheng and Ximen Feixue replied in unison.

By now, the grinding force of the array had begun. Black blades of spiritual energy whipped through the space like lightning, carving deep trenches into the ground and tearing through the air with a piercing hiss. Ye Xinghe took a deep breath, his internal spiritual energy circulating wildly. He closed his eyes, channeling his full power and divine sense to probe for a flaw in the formation.

A moment later, he opened his eyes, which blazed with light; he had found a glimmer of weakness. In a flash, Ye Xinghe surged forward like a streak of light, diving directly into the Immortal-Slaying Array.

The moment he entered, he was met with the crushing pressure and the grinding force of the spiritual blades. Countless blades whistled toward him, but he swung his sword rapidly, creating a seamless curtain of steel that blocked them one by one.

Seeing Ye Xinghe dare to charge into the array alone, the Sima Clan Leader sneered, "Ye Xinghe, you are seeking your own death! Within this Immortal-Slaying Array, there is no escape for you!"

Ye Xinghe ignored the taunts. Deflecting the onslaught of blades, he moved toward a critical point within the formation. If he destroyed the eye of the array at that position, its power would be drastically reduced.

Standing outside the formation, the Sima Clan Leader ordered with a malicious glint in his eyes, "Activate the array to full power! Slay Ye Xinghe! Today, I shall ensure not even his bones remain!"

The spiritual energy within the array erupted into chaos. Black blades poured down on Ye Xinghe like a torrential storm, shattering the very fabric of space. The howling of ghosts grew more piercing, and the wind roared with fury. Yet, standing at the heart of this death storm, Ye Xinghe remained calm, for he knew he still had a trump card left to play.

Ye Xinghe’s hands moved in a blur, forming seals as he chanted. A powerful aura began to radiate from his body. Then, he let out a thunderous shout: "Manifest, Divine Artifact!"

In an instant, a blinding light erupted from his sea of consciousness, and from within that brilliance, a divine weapon slowly emerged. Its appearance unleashed a suffocatingly powerful aura that instantly forced the black mist of the Immortal-Slaying Array to retreat. The once-raging blades of spiritual energy, upon touching this aura, dissolved like snow under the scorching sun.

The Sima Clan Leader’s eyes widened in disbelief. "This... what kind of weapon is this? How can it be so powerful?" He could not fathom that Ye Xinghe possessed such an earth-shattering divine treasure.