Equal in cultivation, equal in talent.
Du Ge shouted the new slogan.
The disciples of Tianlan Valley grew increasingly frenzied, standing opposite Du Ge, raising their arms and chanting the new slogan.
Their voices echoed throughout the entire valley.
Watching the disciples of Tianlan Valley who had previously been at loggerheads now eagerly joining the Seven Stars Sect, the seventh junior brother sneakily glanced at the back of the third senior brother, his admiration for Du Ge deepening.
Such a thing would have been unimaginable before, just as he couldn't have imagined reaching the peak of the Qi Refining Stage in a single day…
With the Sect Leader's tepid and kind nature, he would never achieve such a feat in his lifetime. The decline of the Seven Stars Sect was inevitable.
At this moment.
The seventh junior brother truly experienced the joy of cultivation.
One should aspire to be like the third senior brother.
***
No matter how strong Ling Ping Shuang was, he was only at the mid-stage of Foundation Establishment.
After helping six or seven people reach the peak of Qi Refining, his realm and spiritual power were both dragged down.
To equalize spiritual power again would mean Du Ge would have to bleed from his own reserves.
He still needed to maintain his combat strength to face the strongest fighter of Tianlan Valley, the Valley Master. Naturally, he couldn't afford to weaken himself for a group of newly joined disciples.
Moreover.
Now that these people had joined the Seven Stars Sect, their fate was no longer in their own hands.
The attire of Tianlan Valley was uniform.
To distinguish between the Seven Stars Sect and Tianlan Valley, Du Ge ordered the newly joined disciples to tear off the left sleeve of their robes, and then led them mightily into the valley, chanting the slogan "Equal in cultivation, equal in talent" as they charged.
Ling Ping Shuang had long since awakened, but feeling his realm fall and his spiritual power vanish, he met Du Ge's smiling eyes with a dry throat and also chanted the slogan "Equal in cultivation, equal in talent."
Then.
His face turned beet red in an instant.
Seeing Du Ge's gaze move away from him, Ling Ping Shuang breathed a sigh of relief, feeling ashamed of his own cowardice.
However, seeing his own severed arm and recalling his previous ordeal, he couldn't help but feel a surge of sorrow. With a hardened heart and clenched teeth, he walked naked among the Tianlan Valley disciples, joining in the chanting of the slogan.
He had no choice.
If he didn't join the Seven Stars Sect, looking the way he did now, he would be completely ruined.
At this time.
Ling Ping Shuang's greatest resentment was towards the person who had proposed seizing the Seven Stars Sect's territory. If he had known that such a terrifying monster was hidden within the Seven Stars Sect, only a fool would have provoked them!
***
Such commotion naturally alarmed those in closed-door cultivation and other disciples at the Foundation Establishment stage.
There were over a thousand disciples in Tianlan Valley, and only a small part of them were on the training grounds, taking turns maintaining the valley's security.
Otherwise.
If over a thousand disciples had attacked the seventh junior brother at once, he might not have survived long enough for rescue and would have been hacked to pieces.
Everyone rushed out of their dwellings to see what was happening outside.
Tianlan Valley had a total of thirteen Foundation Establishment cultivators.
On normal days, most of them were in closed-door cultivation, with only three managing the valley's affairs.
This month, it was the turn of the Enforcement Hall Elder Ling Ping Shuang, the Sect Leader's first disciple Lu Dong, and the fourth Elder Qian Dajin. Qian Dajin had noticed the commotion at the same time as Ling Ping Shuang and had seen the fight between Ling Ping Shuang and Du Ge.
At that time, he had been ready to support Ling Ping Shuang.
But before he could act, he saw Ling Ping Shuang stripped bare, even his arm torn off.
Qian Dajin's realm was comparable to Ling Ping Shuang's. Seeing this scene, he dared not show himself and immediately fled to the Sect Leader's retreat.
The opponent was too strong; apart from the Sect Leader, he feared no one could subdue him.
***
Qian Dajin had fled.
The remaining ten Foundation Establishment cultivators were unaware of what had happened. Emerging from their retreats, they saw at first glance that the disciples of Tianlan Valley were rebelling, with a leader who was clearly not one of their own, and the Sect Leader's disciple's arm seemed to have been severed by the enemy…
How could the proud Foundation Establishment Elders swallow such an affront after being attacked at their own doorstep?
Ling Ping Shuang had lost an arm and couldn't dress himself, hiding in the crowd, too ashamed to show his face. These Foundation Establishment Elders didn't even notice him.
Isn't cultivation all about being able to exact revenge when bullied?
Then.
These Foundation Establishment Elders, one after another, charged down to confront the invading enemy.
Ten Foundation Establishment cultivators together might have caused some trouble for Du Ge.
But the Elders had their own residences and different places for closed-door cultivation, so they came out at different times, giving Du Ge the opportunity to exploit.
That was to pick them off one by one.
Moreover, after defeating two Foundation Establishment cultivators in a row, Du Ge had gained experience.
Upon engaging, he would risk injury to first seize their weapons, then their arms. After disabling their arms, these fellows became his large-capacity power banks, completely at his mercy.
Now, there were plenty of Seven Stars Sect disciples, no fear of having nowhere to channel the power.
Absorb first, then distribute.
It was a windfall from heaven, and the disciples of Tianlan Valley who had switched to the Seven Stars Sect were suddenly thrown into a frenzy.
Being stripped by Du Ge didn't matter.
Enjoying the thrill of rapidly increasing power, these rebellious disciples felt more than ever that the Seven Stars Sect was their true home.
Then.
The chanting of the slogan grew even louder.
After six Foundation Establishment cultivators were sent packing, the disciples of Tianlan Valley on the hillside were dumbfounded.
The outward expression of acting on behalf of heaven wasn't obvious.
Without Du Ge saying anything.
Even though the disciples of the Seven Stars Sect were chanting "Equal in cultivation," they didn't understand what was happening.
They only saw their own Elders being stripped of their arms, and after being disrobed, those traitorous disciples entered a frenzy…
Du Ge's brutality and madness made them afraid to charge down, fearing they would follow in the Elders' footsteps.
After all.
The defeat of the Elders was too pitiful!
Some sharp-eyed disciples had already spotted the seven armless Elders, naked and hidden among Du Ge's troops, their mouths agape in shock.
What kind of Demon Head had attacked them?
Too brutal.
Tianlan Valley might not survive today…
***
"Elder Chu, don't go."
"Elder Chu, run, you'll be stripped…"
"Elder Chu, watch your arms!"
As a result, when another Foundation Establishment Elder emerged to face the enemy, the disciples of Tianlan Valley on the hillside offered all sorts of heartfelt advice.
Afterwards.
A confused Elder Chu fell victim as well.
It must be said, without witnessing it firsthand, no one knew the principle behind Du Ge's fighting method, and there was no way to prepare a defense…
When the Valley Master of Tianlan Valley finally arrived late, only two unharmed Foundation Establishment Elders remained in Tianlan Valley.
These two Elders lived the farthest away, and by the time they arrived, they had just witnessed Du Ge's brutal treatment of others.
Clothes scattered everywhere.
More than a dozen severed limbs, eight clean and possibly dead Elders were thrown in front of the formation, nearly scaring their souls away, and they didn't dare to confront the enemy.
***
A figure dashed out from the deepest part of the valley at a speed almost like a flash, standing in front of Du Ge's troops, and upon seeing the shocking scene, exclaimed furiously, "Who are you? Why are you slaughtering the Elders of my Tianlan Valley?"
The voice thundered like a storm.
The Seven Stars Sect disciples who had been shouting loudly just moments ago suddenly fell silent, their gazes flickering, not even daring to meet the eyes of the newcomer.
"The Valley Master of Tianlan Valley?" Du Ge stepped forward fearlessly, cupping his fists, "I am Wang Chong, the Sect Leader of the Seven Stars Sect, here to seek justice for my sect."
"Seven Stars Sect?" The Valley Master of Tianlan Valley furrowed his brows, "What Seven Stars Sect?"
At this moment, the two Foundation Establishment Elders who were too afraid to step forward gained courage from the Valley Master and approached.
One of them timidly glanced at the Valley Master and said, "Valley Master, the Seven Stars Sect is a small sect to the northwest of Danyang City. As the number of disciples in Tianlan Valley has been growing and the spiritual energy within the valley is insufficient, before you went into retreat, you mentioned finding more blessed lands to expand our sect. We learned that the Seven Stars Sect was in decline, with only seven or eight people, and even the highest cultivation level of their Sect Leader was merely at the Qi Refining Stage, so we thought of taking over the Seven Stars Sect…"
Qi Refining Stage?
The Valley Master of Tianlan Valley looked at Du Ge opposite him, then at the several sect Elders behind him, who had been stripped of their arms and clothes, his mouth going dry. He turned and glared fiercely at the Elder, as if to say, is this the Qi Refining Stage you spoke of?
The Foundation Establishment Elder was too embarrassed to speak.
Taking a deep breath, the Valley Master of Tianlan Valley looked at Du Ge and cupped his fists, saying, "Sect Leader Wang, this may be a misunderstanding. I was unaware of this matter. You've had your revenge, and several of my sect's Elders have been slain, our reputation tarnished. How about we call it even and let bygones be bygones?"
Proofreader & Editor: Lotas