With a failed strike, Chu Tianhan did not relent. Instead, he intensified his efforts, continuing his deadly assault on Lin Jichen!
The Golden Eagle wanted to help, but Luo Muxian suddenly attacked it, deliberately restraining it to allow Chu Tianhan to massacre his fellow sect members.
Without Elder Tianyuan's pet to assist, Chu Tianhan faced no obstacles, transforming into a demonic cultivator as he crazily charged at Lin Jichen.
Chu Tianhan's bloodshot eyes and murderous aura shocked all the Sword Sect disciples.
"Stop him!" Nangong Yue shouted, rushing forward to protect Lin Jichen.
However, the gap in strength between Nangong Yue and Chu Tianhan was too vast. She was repelled after a few moves, and the other disciples who came to help were no match for him either.
Chu Tianhan seemed fixated on Lin Jichen, merely pushing away the other disciples while delivering fatal blows to him without hesitation.
Lin Jichen used his movement technique to narrowly escape several times, but it seemed he could only struggle for a while.
When all his movement skills entered cooldown, Chu Tianhan closed in again!
Forced into a corner, Lin Jichen prepared to use his Blood Burn Shadow Escape to flee.
At that moment, the ground beneath them, the Land of Sealing Demons, suddenly shook violently!
The ground began to collapse and crack, with countless streams of black gas emerging from below.
"Not good, the seal is broken!"
Elder Tianyuan temporarily forced back the Shadow Demon and looked at the changes underground with a grave expression.
The Shadow Demon had no intention of continuing the fight. It was clear that the demonic sect's goal had been achieved.
"Haha, Nangong Yuan, the Land of Sealing Demons is finally broken. You righteous sects are doomed. I won't waste time with you now. Next time we meet, I'll take your head!"
With that, the Shadow Demon disappeared.
The disciples of the Shadow Soul Hall, including Luo Muxian, also withdrew simultaneously without any intention of lingering.
The other demonic sects did the same, retreating immediately without intending to fight the righteous cultivators to the end.
The elders of the righteous sects did not pursue them but quickly led their disciples to retreat.
Probably because if all the demonic creatures from the Land of Sealing Demons were released, no one here would be able to leave today.
"Sword Sect disciples, heed my command, leave the Land of Sealing Demons immediately and return to the sect!"
Elders Tianyuan and Tianjian returned to the Sword Sect disciples.
Nangong Yue, still worried about Lin Jichen's safety, hurriedly sought their help.
"Grandfather, Chu Tianhan has turned traitor and is harming his fellow disciples! Please save Junior Brother!"
Elder Tianyuan was stunned for a moment, then moved swiftly to restrain Chu Tianhan. He glanced at him and sighed, "This boy has been marked with the Shadow Soul Seizing Mark, no wonder he lost his mind."
With that, Elder Tianyuan struck Chu Tianhan's back with his palm, using his mana to remove the mark.
Chu Tianhan regained his senses, looking around in confusion, "What happened?"
"You were marked by the Shadow Soul Hall's Seizing Mark and turned against your fellow disciples. Didn't you feel it?" Elder Tianyuan asked.
Chu Tianhan said guiltily, "Disciple is ashamed! I fell for the demonic sect's trick and am willing to accept punishment!"
Elder Tianyuan looked into his eyes and said meaningfully, "You, the Senior Brother of the Sword Sect, how could you be so easily controlled? Do you really know nothing?"
Chu Tianhan's face changed, and he said with deep shame, "It's all my fault for being careless. Elder, I didn't cause any major trouble, did I?"
Elder Tianyuan smiled faintly, "No, you didn't."
"That's good. Then I'm relieved. It was my mistake. I'm willing to return to the Sword Sect and accept any punishment."
Chu Tianhan spoke righteously, seemingly taking all the blame upon himself.
But if you listened carefully, it was clear he was shifting all the blame to the Shadow Soul Hall.
Elder Tianyuan had no time to dwell on this. Elder Tianjian had already collected the bodies of all the fallen Sword Sect disciples, his expression pained.
"Let's go. If we don't leave now, it will be too late."
Elder Tianyuan nodded, leading the remaining Sword Sect disciples to quickly leave the Land of Sealing Demons.
Chu Tianhan walked at the front, expressionless. When no one was looking, he glanced back at Lin Jichen, a flash of killing intent in his eyes.
"Next time, you won't be so lucky..."
Lin Jichen followed behind the Sword Sect disciples, with Nangong Yue beside him, constantly asking about his injuries.
"Junior Brother, are your injuries okay? Do you need any elixirs? I have plenty."
Lin Jichen shook his head, "Senior Sister, I'm fine now. Don't worry."
"How can I not worry? That Senior Brother, he fell for that witch's trick and was bewitched, attacking you. That witch is truly detestable!"
Nangong Yue still naively believed that the culprit behind Chu Tianhan's betrayal was Luo Muxian.
Lin Jichen sneered inwardly. Is that really the case? He didn't believe it!
Chu Tianhan, as the Senior Brother of the Sword Sect, was at the peak of the Golden Core Realm, just like Luo Muxian. How could he be so easily tricked?
Was it really just a moment of carelessness?
In Lin Jichen's view, there was definitely something fishy about this.
He didn't believe Chu Tianhan could be that stupid!
If Chu Tianhan had deliberately fallen for the trick to use this opportunity to kill him, it would be a perfect case of using a borrowed knife to kill. The thought sent a chill down Lin Jichen's spine.
Although this suspicion couldn't be confirmed, Lin Jichen was more inclined to believe it was the truth.
If that were the case, Chu Tianhan would be terrifying. Not only was he exceptionally powerful, but he also had a deeply scheming mind.
Lin Jichen feared what Chu Tianhan might do to him next.
He decided he needed to quickly improve his cultivation. As soon as he returned, he would strive to break through to the Golden Core Realm. He didn't want to live in fear any longer.
This trip to the Land of Sealing Demons had its gains. He had killed many demonic cultivators, and although he didn't have time to collect Soul Burial Mounds, he had gained a lot of cultivation experience.
Now, Lin Jichen could break through to the mid-stage of Crystal Formation, but he needed a Body Refining Elixir to break through the bottleneck.
But he didn't have a Body Refining Elixir...
All his previous breakthrough elixirs were given by his treasured master.
This time, with his master in seclusion, he had to rely on himself.
He could obtain a high-grade Body Refining Elixir, but Lin Jichen wanted a supreme-grade one.
He had always relied on supreme-grade elixirs for his breakthroughs, using the advantages of these elixirs to gradually widen the gap.
He no longer cared for high-grade ones, even though in his previous life, he had only been fortunate enough to use high-grade breakthrough elixirs twice.
But times had changed, and Leng Feiyan had spoiled his taste.
Lin Jichen pondered where he could find a supreme-grade Body Refining Elixir for his breakthrough.
Returning to the Sword Sect, the atmosphere was somber.
This time, the Sword Sect had suffered heavy losses, with hundreds of Inner Temple disciples dead or injured, a significant blow to any major sect.
Elder Tianjian instructed the returning disciples to rest and heal, while he and Elder Tianyuan went to discuss matters with the other elders.
The loss of disciples was not the only issue. The escape of the demonic creatures from the Land of Sealing Demons was a more severe problem.
With Leng Feiyan, the Sect Master, still in seclusion, the twelve great elders needed to make decisions temporarily.