Heavenly Demon Hall! Lu Tian!

The man wore a lavish black robe embroidered with shimmering gold thread. The tailored garment accentuated his slender frame, making him appear even taller and more imposing. He possessed strikingly handsome features, with long, narrow eyes that angled slightly upward at the corners, and thin lips that held no hint of cruelty. His high, straight nose gave his gaze an unfathomable depth. Crossing one leg over the other as he sat in the seat of honor, the man spoke in a low voice. "Right, let me introduce myself. "My name is... Lu Tian, Hall Master of the Heavenly Demon Hall." Cold sweat beaded on Yu Hua's forehead. Her hands rested against the double doors, yet she did not dare move a muscle, much less look back. Feeling the pure, potent demonic energy surging through the grand hall, everyone present turned pale. Yu Hua bitterly regretted coming today. She knew that opening the door right now meant certain death! Yet refusing to open it... would leave her hopelessly ensnared in this deep vortex of conspiracy. *Damn you, Zhao Pei!* *How dare you set me up!?!* Zhao Pei stood behind the man, gripping his crescent blade and bowing with the obsequious deference of a servant. Lu Tian watched Yu Hua with keen interest, and in the blink of an eye, he materialized right behind her. A slender, pale hand crept onto the woman's flat abdomen. Pressing close to her back, the corners of his mouth curled into a slight smile as he tilted his head to look at her. "Leaving so soon?" Yu Hua's entire body went rigid. The touch of the man's hand disgusted her to her core, yet she did not dare show the slightest hint of revulsion. Her throat bobbed slightly as she allowed his finger to guide her head around. Gazing into his profound eyes, Yu Hua felt her consciousness waver for a fraction of an instant. Yet the moment she regained her senses, an inexplicable terror surged from the depths of her heart! Just a single glance had been enough to suppress her divine sense! Lu Tian's fingers slid slowly up from her waist before gently clasping both of her hands. Squeezing her hands, he eased them down from the door, his cool voice drifting softly into her ear. "That's better. Hear what I have to say before you decide whether to leave." Gritting her teeth, Yu Hua had no choice but to turn around slowly, walk to a chair, and sit down. A faint smile touched Lu Tian's lips. Closing his eyes, he lightly inhaled the lingering fragrance on his fingertips. Standing in the center of the room, he swept a calm gaze over the crowd, his voice carrying an irresistible demonic magnetism as he spoke. "The Heavenly Demon Hall has too few members at present. Your joining comes at just the right time." With a single sentence, he swallowed six ancient clan forces whole! Lu Tian casually hitched up his hem and sat down in a chair, appearing to thoroughly relish his current body. The Heavenly Demon Physique... had finally achieved initial formation! Glancing around at the frozen gathering, Lu Tian chuckled. "What? Aren't you pleased?" No one dared utter a word. Forced under another's roof, one had no choice but to bow one's head; not a single person dared step forward to voice an objection. Lu Tian smiled, seemingly well satisfied with their reaction. With a flick of his raised hand, six black threads shot straight into the glabella of everyone present! As if endowed with a life of their own, the black threads squirmed slightly between their brows before burrowing directly into their seas of consciousness. No matter what defenses they raised, it was entirely futile! A flash of cold light crossed Yu Hua's eyes. Her primal energy surged violently, yet she was still powerless to stop that maggot-like black thread from boring into her sea of consciousness. In the next instant, everyone felt an immense surge of power erupt within their bodies! Every single person's cultivation broke through by a minor realm on the spot! Yu Hua's cultivation surged straight toward the peak of the Body Integration Realm! The glamorous, seductive woman whipped her head toward Zhao Pei, instantly understanding why his strength had skyrocketed so dramatically in such a short time! Leaning back in his chair, a playful smirk curled Lu Tian's lips, and he chuckled in a mild tone. "Don't be afraid. It's just a little trinket. "Of course, such things are precious; even I do not possess many. "You have no idea how many resources it takes to refine these little playthings. "Back to business." Lu Tian slowly sat upright, his expression gradually darkening. "Starting this very moment, mobilize every ounce of your strength to locate Li Guanqi's sword coffin. "The second matter: assemble the forces of your six sects tomorrow to march upon the Great Xia Sword Sect! "The objective... capture Li Guanqi! I want him alive!! "Once the deed is done, all the resources of the Great Xia Sword Sect will be yours to divide as you see fit." With that, Lu Tian rose, clasped his hands behind his back, and vanished into thin air with a single stride. *Buzz!!* The moment Lu Tian disappeared, the domain of the Blood Blade Hall cleared once more. *Boom!!!!* Yu Hua drew her longsword and erupted in sheer fury! Zhao Pei's face changed drastically, his crescent blade slashing out in rapid succession! Yet the woman's sword strikes came like a tempest fueled by pure rage, swift as the howling wind. A dense rain of sword strikes slashed down relentlessly! *Clang! Clang, clang, clang!* *Boom!!* The grand hall was instantly sliced to pieces, shattering with a deafening roar as the two figures crossed paths in mid-air. Zhao Pei's chest heaved violently, covered in a mess of bloody wounds. Yu Hua was knocked back dozens of zhang, a bone-deep blade wound carved across her waist and abdomen. Zhao Pei narrowed his eyes and hissed, "You crazy bitch, have you lost your mind?" Blood dripped steadily from Yu Hua's sword. Hearing his words, she spat venomously, "Screw your mother!! "You dog-spawned bastard piece of filth, how dare you plot against me? "You spineless freak, I never should have set foot in this godforsaken place today!!" The moment the words left her mouth, dozens of spirit swords condensed around her and shot violently toward the disciples of the Blood Blade Hall! The terrifying spirit swords plunged from the heavens, exploding almost the instant they pierced through the disciples' bodies! In a flash, the Blood Blade Hall's pavilions collapsed, and dozens of disciples blew apart into clouds of blood mist. Zhao Pei's expression shifted drastically. Treading upon empty air, he soared upward to intercept Yu Hua's frenzied vengeance, snarling, "Are you insane?!" Shifting her form, the woman nimbly evaded his biting blade light. Spirit swords continued to materialize around her as she kept hurling curses. "That's right! I'm fucking insane!! "You had the guts to set me up, so I'll make your entire Blood Blade Hall die with me!!! "Fuck your mother, you filthy cur!! What kind of beast did your mother sleep with to spawn a monstrosity like you?!" Yu Hua's words were vicious and cut to the bone. With her hair flying wildly about her shoulders, not a trace remained of her earlier poised dignity. Her eyes were entirely bloodshot, the fury in her heart beyond words as her sword cleaved out again and again. The terrifying sword light nearly decimated the pavilions and mountain peaks of the Blood Blade Hall. A burly, bearded man sat cross-legged in mid-air, straining with all his might in an attempt to extract the black worm from his body. The others also wore expressions dark as thunder, glaring at Zhao Pei with naked hostility. *Rumble!!* *Boom! Boom!* *Clang, clang, clang! Clang, clang, bang!!* The relentless clash of weapons echoed through the sky. Neither held back in the slightest, every move aimed to kill! Suddenly! The bearded man's eyes widened in sheer terror as his body began to swell rapidly beyond his control. A terrifying aura surged into the surroundings! Zhao Pei's pupils constricted. Without time to entangle himself further with Yu Hua, he raised a hand to teleport the remaining disciples away while throwing himself into a violent retreat of several thousand zhang. Layer upon layer of primal energy barriers enveloped his body, and he even flung out several defensive magic treasures. Seeing this, the others fled madly, terrified of lagging even half a step behind. Amidst the man's despairing howl, an earth-shattering boom erupted. The entire domain of the Blood Blade Hall was torn apart by the raw force. Mountains and rivers shattered, and everything across a radius of tens of thousands of zhang was swallowed in the blast!