Just as the words left her mouth, a violent wave of spiritual energy suddenly erupted from the direction of Nine Saints Hall.
Crimson-gold and pale green spiritual light collided violently in the sky, exploding into a shower of light fragments as a surging shockwave rolled outward like a tidal wave.
Beneath Song Yao, the Bishui Sword shuddered violently. The shockwave sent her flying backward, the wind howling past her ears.
Suddenly, her waist tightened.
Xie Zhou extended his arm and pulled her close, neutralizing most of the momentum and landing them steadily on a nearby boulder.
The residual shockwave swept past his black robes, making them rustle loudly.
Song Yao wriggled out of his embrace and looked up in the direction of Nine Saints Hall, her brows furrowed. “Taiqing Pavilion's Yushan Spirit-Suppressing Sword Art? Why are they here so early?”
Xie Zhou's eyes darkened.
He had already calculated that Taiqing Pavilion would launch an attack ahead of schedule, which was why he had rushed back so early. He just hadn't expected them to be this early.
With a flick of his wrist, two half-person-tall paper talisman figures landed in front of him. “The townspeople should have been evacuated in advance. Follow them. They will take you to a safe place.”
Song Yao looked at him in surprise and suspicion.
Wasn't her Fourth Junior Brother supposed to have blackened? Why was he still looking out for his junior sister first?
His corruption wasn't very thorough, it seemed.
Re-gripping the Bishui Sword, her green robes fluttering slightly in the mountain wind, she shook her head. “No. Now that I'm here, I can't just leave. Lin Shui and the others are still on the main peak.”
Xie Zhou said, “...I will find a way to rescue them.”
Song Yao insisted, “No, I want to save them myself.”
Xie Zhou: “...”
He felt a deep irritation in his chest.
Hadn't she been clamoring about wanting to farm, raise chickens and ducks, and live as a commoner far away from the cultivation world?
Why was she still sticking her nose into a place like this?
Why did she never value her own life?
A flash of hostility crossed his eyes, and a few wisps of dark energy slipped out uncontrollably. The empty eyes of the paper figures glowed with a faint crimson.
But in the next instant, it all vanished.
Song Yao was different from everyone else.
Even if he had the paper figures lock her up right now, she would quickly find a way to escape. It was better to keep her by his side and watch over her.
He compromised. “You can come, but do not run off.”
Song Yao nodded like a chicken pecking at grain. “Of course, of course. Why would I run off?”
Before Xie Zhou could say another word, Song Yao tapped the spine of her sword. The Bishui Sword let out a hum and shot straight toward Nine Saints Hall with her on it.
His brows furrowed even tighter. With a quiet sigh, he could only follow closely behind.
The commotion had erupted from the direction of Fuguang Platform.
The closer they got, the more ear-splitting the rumble of colliding spiritual energy became, causing even the air to tremble.
Just as they reached the edge of the platform, another powerful shockwave rolled down the stone steps. This time, Song Yao was prepared and turned sideways to deflect the force.
She had barely stabilized herself when a bright red figure was sent flying out from the center of the platform, hurtling straight toward her face with a gust of powerful wind.
Reacting quickly, Song Yao leaned forward and caught the person by the waist.
However, the momentum was too fierce, dragging her and her sword backward by several feet. Just as she was about to be swept away, a cool palm pressed against her back, steadily supporting her. The remaining impact vanished instantly.
Song Yao didn't have time to thank Xie Zhou. She immediately looked down at the person in her arms.
It was Twelfth Elder.
Usually full of smiles, Twelfth Elder's dark hair was now disheveled, and a stark trail of blood stained the corner of her lips. Her eyes, typically soft and upturned, blazed with a fury as cold as a quenched blade.
She spat out two mouthfuls of blood, unable to stand up for a long moment. Gritting her teeth, she spat, “What a hypocritical righteous sect! How dare they make a move like this in broad daylight! I will definitely slice them to pieces!!”
Turning her head and seeing it was Song Yao holding her, she became even more furious. “Why did you come back?! Leave quickly!!”
Without a second thought, Song Yao fished out a healing pill, stuffed it into Twelfth Elder's mouth, and covered her lips to force her to swallow it. Then, she looked up at the scene on the platform.
The vast bluestone ground of Fuguang Platform was crisscrossed with fractures, and the tall monument inscribed with the sect rules had been shattered, leaving only the bottom half standing.
The disciples of Nine Saints Hall lay scattered all over the ground, curled up in pain, their breaths weak and shallow. Even Second Elder and Ninth Elder were barely standing, propping themselves up with their swords, clearly having sustained significant injuries as well.
Standing directly opposite them were five elders in plain Daoist robes. The spiritual energy swirling around them was dense and solid—they were the ruling elders of Taiqing Pavilion.
Behind them, Feng Qing sat lazily on a jade throne carved with golden dragons, wearing a long robe with woven gold patterns. Her hem hung completely still. A casual smile played on her lips as she looked down at the miserable scene below.
As her gaze swept over the newly arrived Xie Zhou and Song Yao, her smile deepened. Though her voice wasn't loud, it carried clearly across the entire Fuguang Platform. “This venerable one gave you opportunities long ago.”
She spoke with a mock sigh of regret. “But what did you do? You failed to rescue Young Master Ye, and you didn't deliver Wen Tang to Taiqing Pavilion either. Such incompetence has truly disappointed this venerable one, as well as Pavilion Master Ye.”
“Since you choose to remain stubborn, harboring evil cultivators and letting them run rampant within Nine Saints Hall...”
She raised her eyes, her smile fading into a cold, domineering indifference. “...then this venerable one shall temporarily take over Nine Saints Hall on behalf of Hall Master Fusheng, and properly clean up your sect's conduct.”
Song Yao had already moved Twelfth Elder to the side. She took a moment to assess the situation and get her bearings.
No wonder Taiqing Pavilion and Beiyao Sect dared to launch such a swift, high-profile assault on the mountain. These five elders possessed deep, restrained auras—every single one of them was at least in the mid stage of the Nascent Soul realm, and two had already taken half a step into the late stage of the Nascent Soul realm.
The five stood in positions that subtly aligned with the principles of the Five Elements Array. Their coordination was flawless; working together, they could easily stand toe-to-toe with a Deity Transformation cultivator.
In contrast, although the elders of Nine Saints Hall had high cultivation bases, the hall's philosophy had always been one of free-spirited independence. They had never trained together and were far more accustomed to fighting solo, making them no match for the combined force of the five.
As for the other disciples, they couldn't even touch a single hair on the enemy's heads.
Moreover, Feng Qing had stood by with her hands folded, not yet lifting a finger, while Ye Chongguang hadn't even shown his face.
Two pinnacle sects joining forces against Nine Saints Hall—whose Hall Master was missing and whose personal disciples were scattered—was a complete and utter mismatch.
Song Yao furrowed her brows and turned to Xie Zhou. “Is there a way out?”
As far as she knew, whether it was her master, Second Senior Sister, or Fourth Junior Brother, they were all exceptionally meticulous. They rarely fought battles they weren't prepared for.
Not to mention, her master used to spend all day predicting the future like an immortal who had peered into the secrets of heaven.
She didn't believe they had absolutely no backup plan.
Xie Zhou paused for a moment before saying, “There is, but the time is not yet ripe.”
Then, he quickly added, “Find a place to hide. Once this is over... I will come back for you, all right?”
It was rare for him to speak to her in such a pleading, collaborative tone.
Song Yao was stunned. Before she could respond or ask where the other disciples were hiding, an angry roar erupted from the mountain path behind Fuguang Platform: “In your dreams!!”
Chen He, Ming Ran, Cheng Yue, and several others, looking sharp in their moon-white disciple robes, rushed in from the side peak leading over a hundred sword-wielding disciples. Their heavy footsteps sent dust scattering off the bluestone steps.
Rate on N.U.
