As Fu Yan's chilling laughter echoed, and the true, horrifying scope of his betrayal was laid bare, the battle for the Crimson Pill Sect began in earnest.
A handful of loyalist elders, four in total, their faces pale with rage and disbelief, did not hesitate. They roared in defiance and shot through the air, their own Core Formation auras flaring as they formed a tight, defensive circle around their besieged Sect Mistress.
"Protect the Sect Mistress!" one of them, a stout man named Elder Guan, bellowed, his voice thick with fury. "To the death!"
"Traitors! You will all die today!" another, Elder Ping, shrieked, his sword already drawn.
They unleashed their spiritual energy, but it was a visible, painful struggle. The air around them felt like thick, heavy water, resisting their every action.
