Attack on the Tranquil Waterfall Sect

Evening falls on the Tranquil waterfall sect. While it was only the inner disciples that filled the more than spacious gathering hall, the seats were still packed. And at the announcement stage, 10 of the core disciples sat at a large varnished mahogany chair with dragon carvings, such grandiose seats fit their status well. The sect master in front of them, whose seat was slightly larger than the rest, was a bit antsy due to the fact that the supposed elder who's going spearhead their line up at the inter sect tournament, was late. She could not begin the announcement of the chosen fighters with him missing. Whatever business he was doing in the Alchemist association in the city, it didn't warrant for him to be this late. 

Absolutely confident that the blue haired woman sitting right next to her won't dare touch her while on the stage, Liu villainously grinned as she taunted, "Hey, you, lightning dyke. Aren't you worried that Xiao might have already forgotten about you? For all we know, that whore might already be in bed with another woman."

Lin was close to popping a vein. If she wasn't wise to the stunt that Liu was trying to pull, her electric charged fist would've already collided into the annoying red-head's face. Lin remained silent, not even sparing the woman next to her a glance. If Liu thinks it would be that easy to get her disqualified then she's got another thing coming.

"The silent treatment, huh. I'd keep quiet too if my mouth was only good for eating…"

Before Liu could even finish her sentence, the sect master who was sitting in front, rebuked her.

"Liu, if you don't shut up I'm going to rescind your seat on the team. Learn to work with each other since the two of you will be chosen."

Although Liu's taunts were ineffective, the fact that Liu is going to be chosen alongside her to represent their sect was something that got a rise out of Lin.

"Wait a minute, why is she going to be on the team? She's the weakest core disciple!"

Lin's protest was answered by the woman in question. 

"Weak? What you did last time was nothing but a cheap shot! I dare you to fight me again and see how that goes for you." Liu kept the villainous grin on her face as she issued her challenge. She had no idea why cultivation elixirs were disregarded and were seen as 'shortcuts' when at the end of the day, it still did its job of increasing her cultivation base.

"Such overconfidence." Lin smiled. The redhead must have taken something to increase her cultivation. The fool, there's a reason why cultivators preferred to unlock their stars through battle, because with every skirmish adds experience and knowledge that they could use on future battles. Lin knows that Liu's experience so far was being Xiao's punching bag. How arrogant of Liu to think that she could best her. Maybe Lin could use that Arrogance to her advantage? "Then how about this, let's wager a bet, whoever loses shall revoke her right to represent the sect. Unless of course, you're afraid?"

"You're on, beaver eater."

Sect master Meixiu grimaced, "Stop acting like children! If the both of you won't shut up I'm going to truly remove you both from the team! Don't test my patience!"

The gathering hall's door suddenly burst open. 

Meixiu breathed a sigh of relief, they could finally start, she wished to retire for the evening soon. 

That relief however, turned to worry. As Elder Bi's steps had been irregular, zigzagging left and right as if he was drunk. What's more, his countenance looked unnaturally green. What was going on? 

The sect master stood up, anticipating elder Bi to get close enough for her to ask the reason for his strange behavior. 

Halfway through the stage, Elder Bi stood in place. His demeanor contorted to that of absolute pain, like he wanted to scream but he was unable. 

Meixiu's heart rate intensified as her instincts told her that something was horribly wrong. Her instinct couldn't be more on the nose. 

Elder Bi's face bloated like a meatballoon, until it exploded. His flesh scattered, while green, noxious fumes emerged from his headless neck. It never ceased even as the corpse fell onto the floor. 

It didn't take more than a second for the reality to set in for Meixiu. They were under attack. 

The sect master's gaze fell upon one of his Elders below the stage, "Elder Rou, Neutralize the poison immediately!"

With a nod, the old man with a goatee jumped onto the stage and sucked the poison from the air, carrying a much more potent poison within him, it was only natural that the stronger poison would subsume the lesser. 

As the air was once again free from poison, Meixiu immediately inquired, "What kind of poison did they use?"

Possessing a poison type Qi aside, Elder Rou was immediately able to discern and pick apart the poison through knowledge alone. 

"It is alchemy based. But it's odd, although lethal, its major effect seemed to be paralyzation, with death only occurring hours later if left untreated."

The information was a breath of fresh air for Meixiu, it means that the disciples that collapsed can still be saved. 

"Elder Rou, begin treating the affected disciple." 

Halting Elder Rou's rescue, the ceiling collapsed, and from the dust of the rubble emerged 2 balefully strong individuals. 

Meixiu became wide eyed as she sensed the cultivation of the huge muscular freak. The monster was a whole realm above her! She can put up a fight against him but she could throw out the window the notion of emerging victorious. Her elders would be massacred if she let them take him on. 

The sinister aura that she felt from their qi could only mean that they're demonic cultivators, they will suck her soul from her body if she is defeated. Her tribulation as a sect master begins now. Risk death and hold the bald cultivator at bay, or flee?

A resolute gaze appeared on Meixiu's face, she commanded, "Half of the elders, go with the core disciples and carry out the 'Lian Hua formation' . The other half, kill that red headed young man. I will keep that bald bastard from interfering."

"But sect master, are you sure you're going to take on that demonic cultivator alone?" Elder Rou was unable to hide the concern in his tone. 

Meixiu wryly grinned, "Then would you take him on for me, elder Rou?" A mere jest to ease the tension, but it appeared to have the opposite effect on his elder since his jaw almost fell to the floor due to the incredulity of the suggestion. "It was a joke, elder Rou. Don't underestimate me, I'm your sect master for a reason."

The confidence in Mexiu's words inspired the elders and core disciples. Since Meixiu's win condition was simply holding out until their formation had taken effect, she was truly confident that she could pull off the task. If it had been defeating the invaders outright, then she would have wasted no time in evacuating every disciple out of the sect.

With the fate of their very sect hanging in the balance they steel their resolve as they turn their attention to the two monsters in their midst. They must do battle here and now, any attempt at relocation would render their backs open to what the demonic cultivators might pull off.

As the wind blows with the promise of a life and death scuffle, Qiang's bloodlust manifested in the form of a sinister smile. He looks at the sect master on the stage.

"Such an exquisite soul, virtuous and strong. I MUST devour her!"

"Be careful brother Qiang, my instincts are telling me that this sect is different from last night."

The crimson haired young man's warning was ignored as Qiang's demonic hunger took over. Sinister qi, powered by the souls of the damned, reverberated across the entire sect, making the weaker disciples piss in terror, while some outright passed out. Those on stage did their best not to succumb to the malice.

Qiang's freakishly ginormous muscles were covered in iron in the blink of an eye. The demonic cultivator dashed with his hand outstretched, closing in on Meixiu. Unable to resist the urge, he would go all out from the start, he would grab that pretty little head of hers and smash it over and over at death's door. Then, he would dine on the soul that would undoubtedly take him to the next cultivation realm.

Qiang's euphoria was through the roof. At last, the True Immortal realm is finally close at hand!