The Extreme Alchemist of the Mighty Cauldron

Chapter 1681: Chapter 1778: Wipe Out in One Fell Swoop

The strings of the Black Zither shattered completely!

The Ninth-Fingered Zither Saint could hear the zither sound that only he himself could perceive. Each note pierced his ears, each reverberation shook his soul.

When the zither sound abruptly ceased, the Ninth-Fingered Zither Saint spat out a mouthful of fresh blood, staining his snow-white robe crimson.

His mental state plummeted—a crushing blow. Though his cultivation remained intact, he was no longer the proud and arrogant Ninth-Fingered Zither Saint.

Fang Lin witnessed the scene and understood immediately—Dugu Nian had shattered the Ninth-Fingered Zither Saint’s technique in the Tao of the Zither, breaking his mental state.

Without hesitation, Fang Lin thrust forth his ancient spear, beheading the Ninth-Fingered Zither Saint.

Not stopping there, the spear broke through the Ninth-Fingered Zither Saint’s forehead, annihilating his soul in the process.

The former master of Heavenly Zither Peak had fallen.

The eleven remaining Zither Masters, still fighting against Fu Yue Vajra, could only watch helplessly as Fang Lin killed the Ninth-Fingered Zither Saint. In that instant, horror gripped their hearts, and their focus shattered.

Fu Yue Vajra’s double fists fell simultaneously. A towering Buddha-like phantom emerged, sending two massive fist imprints hurtling toward the eleven Zither Masters.

The precious zithers of the eleven Zither Masters shattered into pieces as the eleven of them spat out blood and were sent flying. Their bodies were nearly torn apart.

“Master!!!” The eleven Zither Masters, gravely injured, roared in rage and despair as they charged toward Fang Lin.

Fang Lin’s expression remained icy. With one sweep of his ancient spear, the bodies of the three at the front were sliced apart instantly.

Laughing thunderously, Fu Yue Vajra refused to let Fang Lin intervene again, instead killing these self-proclaimed Zither Masters one by one with his fists.

Thus, the Ninth-Fingered Zither Saint, the Twelve Zither Masters, and all the zither practitioners of Heavenly Zither Peak perished to the last. Not a single one survived.

Even though Heavenly Zither Peak still stood steadfast on Giant Turtle Island, its reputation as a premier scholarly force was obliterated.

Heavenly Zither Peak was undeniably strong; with the Ninth-Fingered Zither Saint and the Twelve Zither Masters, even an Immortal-level powerhouse might find it impossible to trample over Heavenly Zither Peak.

However, Heavenly Zither Peak faced Fang Lin and his three companions. Fang Lin alone was capable of defeating an Immortal-level expert. Coupled with Zhen Yangzi and the three other Half-step Immortal cultivators, how could Heavenly Zither Peak possibly hold them back?

If the Ninth-Fingered Zither Saint’s mental state hadn’t collapsed, there might still have been some uncertainty to the battle’s outcome. After all, the Ninth-Fingered Zither Saint’s strength was remarkably formidable.

But Dugu Nian’s strike from tens of thousands of miles away shattered the Ninth-Fingered Zither Saint’s mind-state. As a practitioner of the Tao of the Zither, once his mind-state was broken, his zither’s power could no longer hold the same potency.

It could be said that the destruction of Heavenly Zither Peak hinged heavily on Dugu Nian’s indispensable contribution. Without Dugu Nian, Fang Lin and his group might have struggled greatly.

Jian Angxing gazed at Heavenly Zither Peak, now engulfed in flames with no survivors remaining, his eyes shadowed with gloom.

He had been the first to engage the Ninth-Fingered Zither Saint in battle. However, the combined force of the Ninth-Fingered Zither Saint and the Twelve Zither Masters had cost Jian Angxing dearly. After Fang Lin and the others joined, Jian Angxing felt a lingering sense of dissatisfaction, as though the fight hadn’t lived up to his expectations.

Fang Lin glanced at Jian Angxing, who remained silent.

“Next up are the Spirit Martial Chess Sect and Return to Sea Painting Studio. There are plenty of powerful foes for you to enjoy to your heart’s content,” Fang Lin said with a smile.

Jian Angxing nodded in agreement.

The four continued their deep incursion into the scholastic lands. Flattening Heavenly Zither Peak was far from enough to stop them. Setting aside the weakened Sea Saint Institute, there were still the robust Spirit Martial Chess Sect and Return to Sea Painting Studio.

Meanwhile, the Spirit Martial Chess Sect and Return to Sea Painting Studio were metaphorically ants atop a hot pan, overwrought with frantic anxiety.

When news of Heavenly Zither Peak’s downfall reached them, the leadership of both factions realized the dire situation—if even Heavenly Zither Peak had fallen, their turn was surely imminent.

In strength, Spirit Martial Chess Sect and Return to Sea Painting Studio were comparable to Heavenly Zither Peak. If even Heavenly Zither Peak could not withstand Fang Lin’s group, there was little hope for either sect to resist.

Thus, the two sects didn’t take long to decide. They naturally joined forces to confront the impending disaster together.

Not only that, but the two sects also called upon all those within the scholastic realm to lend their aid, gathering at the gates of the Spirit Martial Chess Sect to face Fang Lin’s group as one.

While this was far from an ideal plan—a desperate gamble more than anything—the situation left them no choice. The prospect of gathering more allies was undeniably better than none. Each additional person meant an extra sliver of strength.

Spirit Martial Chess Sect had a unique array within its realm, so the top practitioners of Return to Sea Painting Studio relocated there, planning to depend on the sect’s formidable array to maneuver with their enemies.

The Spirit Martial Chess Sect hovered atop an isolated island, supported by a massive chessboard beneath it.

This chessboard acted as an immensely powerful array, shielding the entirety of Spirit Martial Chess Sect within its boundaries.

Moreover, this colossal chessboard absorbed Universe Spirit Energy, continuously supplying the sect’s inhabitants with power.

Return to Sea Painting Studio brought with them one of their major treasures—a gigantic scroll floating above Spirit Martial Chess Sect, depicting countless ferocious Demon Beasts, densely packed as though ten thousand beasts had gathered.

This was one of Return to Sea Painting Studio’s prized artifacts, the Picture of Ten Thousand Beasts!

The two sects’ elites set up elaborate defenses and waited for hours, yet Fang Lin’s group remained unseen.

“What’s going on? Could they have decided not to attack?”

“That’s unlikely. They must be heading toward us.”

“Perhaps their battle with Heavenly Zither Peak drained them, and they’re recovering.”

“Possibly—it was quite the fight, given Heavenly Zither Peak’s masters.”

····

Just as the two sects’ elites whispered guesses, an unexpected message arrived.

Fang Lin and his companions had bypassed Spirit Martial Chess Sect altogether and stormed Return to Sea Painting Studio, slaughtering the few defenders left behind and completely wiping out the faction.

The news shocked Spirit Martial Chess Sect’s ranks, while the practitioners of Return to Sea Painting Studio were dumbfounded. Fury burned in their hearts, and they were desperate to return to their sect’s ruins.

Nobody had anticipated that Fang Lin’s group would be so cunning, avoiding a direct confrontation with the united elites of the two sects, instead diverting to attack Return to Sea Painting Studio.

Most of Return to Sea Painting Studio’s strongest practitioners had already moved to Spirit Martial Chess Sect, leaving their home virtually defenseless.

The outcome was disastrous—a once-grand Return to Sea Painting Studio was slaughtered clean, its gates crumbled to ruin, and all treasures and valuables were plundered entirely.

The old master of Return to Sea Painting Studio, a man famous for his graciousness and propriety, well-known for his calm temperament, lost his composure completely upon hearing of his studio’s destruction. He erupted in a barrage of curses, nearly fainting from rage.

ps: The third update is complete. Continuing to write.

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