Translator: CinderTL
The group moved swiftly through the forest, using the freshness of the corpses at White Dragon Temple to gauge their proximity to the Qian Kingdom's forces.
To avoid being easily spotted from the air, they traveled on foot, keeping low to the ground.
Xu Sanyan brought up the rear, tearing off a sleeve from his robe to cover his face as a precaution. Though the Qian Kingdom's forces wouldn't recognize him, it was best to conceal his identity.
Suddenly, the great elder at the head of the group halted, and the others stopped in succession. All fifteen of them were at the Soul Refining Realm, moving with perfect silence.
Xu Sanyan twitched his nostrils, detecting a faint metallic scent of blood lingering in the air. The lingering odor indicated their quarry was nearby.
The great elder retrieved nine small swords from his storage pouch, distributing them to the nine members of the Wang Family. Xu Sanyan and the Feng Clan Patriarch received none.
The nine Wang Family members clearly understood the swords' purpose, nodding silently as they accepted the weapons.
With preparations complete, the group resumed their pursuit at full speed. Moments later, faint voices drifted through the trees ahead.
"Sister Mei, Xu Sanyan could be hiding anywhere. Don't you think we should split up to cover more ground?" Princess Zheyun's voice, which Xu Sanyan recognized from earlier, carried through the air.
"You are not to leave my side, not even for a moment," a cold, feminine voice replied.
Suddenly, the woman called out softly, "Someone's coming!"
The great elder knew he had been discovered. He hadn't intended to launch a sneak attack anyway. Even if he could conceal his aura, the Wang Family members beside him couldn't escape the perception of a void harmony realm expert.
"Heh, who do we have here? Miss Mei, as I live and breathe."
The great elder flicked his sleeves and turned to face the middle-aged woman in Daoist robes. They were old acquaintances.
Miss Mei bristled at his familiar address, sneering, "Wang Huishu, you still dare show your face before this Daoist?"
The great elder's eyes narrowed. "Those words should come from me. How dare you trespass on Chaotic Cloud Mountains? Aren't you afraid of never leaving alive?"
"You? It seems the lesson I taught you last time wasn't thorough enough."
Xu Sanyan raised an eyebrow, sensing from her words that they had clashed before, and the great elder had suffered a defeat.
"Let's not dwell on events from two centuries ago," the great elder said, his eyes flashing with danger. "You've been running rampant in Wang Family territory these past few days. If I let you escape now, what face would my family have left?"
As he spoke, the great elder clenched his hand in a void grip, and a brilliant golden sword aura materialized in his palm.
Princess Zheyun gazed at the Wang Family members, her eyes gleaming with anticipation. It was hard to tell if she was genuinely naive or simply fearless.
Xu Sanyan silently retreated a few steps. The battle between void harmony realm cultivators was far beyond his ability to intervene; it was safer to keep his distance.
"Since you're so eager to die, this Daoist will grant your wish!"
The Daoist Nun raised her hand and grasped at the void. A tear in space materialized before her, and as her fingers closed, a flash of lightning erupted. She drew a longsword from the air!
Xu Sanyan narrowed his eyes. What kind of technique was this?
Telekinesis?
Her method differed from the great elder's. The great elder's sword was nurtured within his body, ready to be drawn at any moment, just like Xu Sanyan's own.
But the Daoist Nun's technique seemed to tear through space, summoning the sword from an unknown realm—a form of spatial mystical arts.
"The feud between us, a century unresolved, ends today!" The great elder's spiritual power surged, his robes billowing in the tempestuous energy. His beard fluttered, lending him an imposing air.
"Activate the formation!"
The great elder uttered the command softly. The nine cultivators wielding small swords spread out, each slicing their palms and dripping crimson blood onto their blades.
Instantly, the swords blazed with golden light, bathing the twilight sky in a blinding radiance that forced onlookers to shield their eyes.
"Miss Mei," the great elder declared, "after my defeat last time, I've spent over two centuries painstakingly researching and refining the Nine Extremes Immortal Slaughtering Formation. Today, as its power is first revealed, I shall offer you as a sacrifice to this formation!"
A hint of solemnity flickered in the Daoist Nun's eyes, but her expression remained disdainful. "Heh, should I call you foolish or just plain stupid? No wonder you're still at the Initial Stage of void harmony after two centuries—your cultivation level hasn't improved one bit."
"A fool who chases after trifles while neglecting the essentials," she sneered.
The great elder remained unperturbed, a smile playing on his lips. "Let's see if you'll still be so defiant later."
As his words faded, nine golden beams of light shot skyward, forming radiant pillars. The golden sword in the great elder's hand soared into the air, hovering amidst the golden light and vibrating with a resonant hum.
"Attack!"
Realizing she couldn't allow him to complete his preparations, the Daoist Nun hurled her longsword forward. Azure lightning crackled as it streaked toward the great elder's head.
Upon hearing the Daoist Nun's command, Princess Zheyun's face lit up with excitement. She charged directly at the great elder, her sword drawn.
The four Soul Refining Realm cultivators guarding her were startled. They hadn't expected the princess to be so reckless—daring to challenge a void harmony realm expert with her mere Dao Seeking Realm cultivation!
"Princess, be careful!"
The young guard shouted, leaping forward to intercept her. Their duty was to protect the princess at all costs; Zheyun's safety was paramount.
Zheyun glared at him, her voice rising in anger. "What are you doing blocking me? Go kill the enemy!"
The guard didn't reply. The four cultivators formed a tight circle around her, shielding her from harm.
Xu Sanyan surveyed the entire battlefield, refraining from immediate action. The battlefield was divided into two sectors: the great elder, along with nine Soul Refinement Cultivators, besieged the Daoist Nun, while the remaining members of the Wang Family were surrounded by cultivators from the Qian Kingdom.
"Come with me and kill him!" Zheyun's eyes darted around wildly until she spotted Xu Sanyan hiding in the rear. Her face lit up with sudden delight, and she charged forward, sword in hand.
The four guards glanced at Xu Sanyan, and upon confirming he was only at the Soul Refining Realm, they breathed a collective sigh of relief. After exchanging a quick glance and a subtle nod, they followed closely behind the princess.
As long as the princess didn't interfere in the battle between the two void harmony realm experts, they could manage.
Xu Sanyan watched the battle unfold. The great elder formed a sword gesture with two fingers, and golden light erupted from above his head, responding to some unseen command. Like a surging flood, the light crashed into the lightning-infused longsword.
In an instant, the lightning was extinguished, and the azure sword flew backward, caught by the Daoist Nun who had been trailing behind. She immediately thrust the sword at the great elder once more.
Xu Sanyan pressed his lips together. The battle between the two was exceptionally fierce, each strike a lethal move. In contrast, the nine Soul Refinement cultivators from the Wang Family wore grim expressions, as if controlling their miniature swords was draining their mental energy.
Before he could discern the outcome, his peripheral vision caught five figures charging toward him. Xu Sanyan frowned slightly. Can't I even catch a moment's peace?
"Die, you little thief!" Zheyun roared, her eyes burning with cruel ferocity—a stark contrast to her pure, gentle features.
Truly, appearances can be deceiving.
Xu Sanyan had no time to dwell on this. The dark halberd materialized in his hand, and with a backhanded motion, he blocked the oncoming sword strike without even a tremor.
Her strength was pitifully weak. In a one-on-one fight, Xu Sanyan was confident he could kill her in three moves.
Whoosh—
A sharp, piercing sound tore through the air as a crimson streak shot toward Xu Sanyan's head.
(End of the Chapter)
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