The Sect Protection Array activated.
The Demonic Cultivators moved with coordination to surround the Shangyuan Sect, ensuring that not a single person could escape as they launched their encirclement.
Elders, the Sect Leader — more and more people flew into the sky. Disciples below the Nascent Soul stage guarded the vicinity of the array, continuously channeling Spiritual Energy into the formation.
Beneath the black clouds was a mass of people treading upon dark souls, while the ground was swarming with Demonic Cultivators.
Leading them was a man looking down at the earth from a great height. It was the Sect Leader of the Saint Soul Sect, Shen Dingyi.
Half of the forces from the Five Great Demonic Gates were present. The rest were leading separate teams to attack the other major sects in Qingyang Prefecture.
“Shen Dingyi,” Sect Leader Yao Ping looked at him coldly. “You remained still for so long, only to make such a grand display. To plot against the entire Qingyang Prefecture today… I fear you have forgotten the lesson we taught your Demonic Sect several hundred years ago.”
“Demonic Sect?” Shen Dingyi sneered. “Cultivation should be focused solely on becoming stronger. Why speak of righteous paths or demonic sects?”
“Killing a few more people and absorbing a few more souls… these people are nothing but trash in your so-called righteous sects. Why shouldn’t I use them to their full potential?”
“Sect Leader Yao, both you and I are in the Integration Stage, but how many Emergence Stage experts does the Shangyuan Sect even have?”
Shen Dingyi spoke these words intending to encourage surrender. Even if Yao Ping was unmoved, it could still shake the morale of the disciples.
Yao Ping’s eyes narrowed. “Talk to me once you have the ability to break through the Sect Protection Array.”
The Shangyuan Sect’s Sect Protection Array could withstand the full bombardment of an Integration Stage cultivator. Even if Shen Dingyi attacked personally, it would take 1 day and 1 night for a single Integration Stage cultivator to break it. By then, reinforcements from the other prefectures would have already arrived.
“I do not wish to cause unnecessary sacrifice,” Shen Dingyi tsked. “Hand over the disciple possessing the Sword Core, and I might consider sparing the Shangyuan Sect. How about it?”
His voice, amplified by Spiritual Energy, spread clearly to every corner of the Shangyuan Sect.
“A Sword Core? We have a genius with a Sword Core in our Shangyuan Sect?”
“Forget the genius! If we just hand them over, we might have a chance to survive!”
“Who is it? I don’t want to die!”
The disciples fell into a commotion, and as their morale wavered, the light of the array dimmed slightly.
Shen Dingyi was satisfied with their reaction, but Yao Ping only shook his head. “Don’t think I will fall for your trick.”
Whether he handed her over or not, the Shangyuan Sect would be forced to fight this battle. If he truly handed that young girl over, the first thing Shen Dingyi would do is rip out the Sword Core and fuse it into his own body before ordering a full-scale attack on the sect anyway.
From a practical standpoint, the crisis facing the Shangyuan Sect would only grow if they surrendered her.
Yao Xining soared into the air on her sword. She understood this reality, but there was still a hint of bitterness in her eyes as she looked toward that small courtyard. If the Sword Core were within her, there was no way she would allow these Demonic Cultivators to be so arrogant…
“Then there is nothing more to discuss.”
Shen Dingyi waved his hand casually. “Break the array with everything you have.”
A roar erupted. Jiang Yueliu hesitated for 2 seconds before lifting her sword and activating her movement technique to rush toward the array.
Jiang Tong slipped into the bell, staying by her side.
Regardless of the circumstances, she was a disciple of the Shangyuan Sect. Part of the reason the Demonic Cultivators had come to their door was because of her. It was impossible for her to hide in her room while others were bleeding outside.
‘Be careful. If it isn’t absolutely necessary, do not reveal the existence of the Sword Core.’
“I know…”
Jiang Yueliu looked at the horizon, her expression complex.
How exactly did the Demonic Cultivators find out she existed?
She had long been prepared for this day to come, which was why she had shared so much with Jiang Tong by the lakeside that day. It was finally here.
Jiang Yueliu sighed and arrived before the array. Just as she was about to inject Spiritual Energy into the formation, she saw Shen Dingyi wave his hand, and eight black banners flew out.
The Ten Thousand Soul Banners!
Using the Shangyuan Sect as the center, one banner stood in each of the eight cardinal directions. As Shen Dingyi activated them, the formation created by the Ten Thousand Soul Banners began to operate, and streams of dark souls surged forth.
A moment later, the Sect Protection Array began to crack. Under the erosion of the dark souls, cracks spread across it.
Spells bombarded the array from the outside, while techniques were occasionally fired back from within. Yao Ping struck out several times, wiping out a large swarm of Demonic Cultivators, but his expression grew darker as he watched the cracks on the array grow.
The power of the eight Ten Thousand Soul Banners was beyond imagination.
“Hold on!” Yao Ping’s voice echoed across the sect. “Reinforcements from the major sects are already on their way. We only need to hold out for 1 hour…”
Shen Dingyi, however, let out a cold laugh.
Behind him, another figure appeared, holding a treasure in his palm.
Yao Ping’s pupils constricted.
Another Integration Stage cultivator, and what he held was…
The Break-Array Shuttle!
The demonic cultivator tossed it lightly. The Break-Array Shuttle expanded as it caught the wind, slamming violently into the Sect Protection Array!
*Crack! Crack!*
A few breaths later, under the combined power of the Ten Thousand Soul Banners and the Break-Array Shuttle, the array collapsed.
“Everyone, break out!”
Yao Ping gritted his teeth and flew forward to face the two Integration Stage cultivators alone.
An overwhelming tide of Demonic Cultivators swarmed toward the Shangyuan Sect. Bodies fell along with the heavy snow, and the ground was soon stained with blood.
Jiang Yueliu cut down several demonic cultivators and flicked the blood off her blade, intending to force her way out. Since the array was broken, there was no point in staying to defend; they would only be surrounded and annihilated.
Watching the crowd attempting to break out, Shen Dingyi’s figure flashed as he pulled out a soul fragment — the soul fragment of Gu Nianxian.
“Hold him off. I will be right back!”
Shen Dingyi laughed loudly. Yao Ping was being forced back by his two opponents, his palms already soaked in blood.
The other demonic cultivator snorted and attacked Yao Ping. Shen Dingyi refined a wisp of soul energy from the fragment. With a flick of his finger, the soul energy turned into points of light that flew toward Jiang Yueliu’s location.
“Found you.”
Shen Dingyi laughed, turning into a streak of light as he followed the soul energy through the sky.
‘Watch out!’
Sensing someone was tracking her, Jiang Tong warned her from within the bell. He performed a soul power technique, wrapping it around Jiang Yueliu, and her figure instantly vanished.
Shen Dingyi let out a surprised sound but was not overly shocked. Like a cat chasing a mouse, he leisurely searched in her direction.
Without realizing it, Jiang Yueliu had broken through the encirclement, but Shen Dingyi followed her like a lingering ghost. Soon, he used another wisp of soul power to lock onto her position and landed directly in front of her.
Jiang Yueliu was forced to a halt.
Behind her, more and more demonic cultivators noticed her and began to close in. In front of her was Shen Dingyi, a master of the Integration Stage.
She could challenge opponents above her level at the Nascent Soul stage, but with such a vast disparity, he could easily crush her to death.
“So, you are the one with the Sword Core?”
Shen Dingyi had a smile on his face. He didn’t look like a demonic cultivator at all; instead, he looked like a senior uncle from a righteous sect leading the way.
Jiang Yueliu said nothing. She gripped her sword tightly as a snowflake landed on the tip of her nose.
Her black hair was dusted with white snow, and her long sword was stained with red frost. Everywhere she looked, she was surrounded by wolves. There was no longer any path for retreat.
‘Master,’ the girl said softly in her heart. Jiang Tong could hear her transmission. ‘The name you gave me… I don’t think I can use Xianyu anymore.’
Her voice was calm, as if she had rehearsed this ending countless times in her mind. Now, she was simply accepting it.
‘Master, promise me… Do not come out. Stay alive, okay?’
Jiang Tong remained silent.
Seeing that she did not answer for a long time, Shen Dingyi lost his patience. He reached out to seize her and rip out the Sword Core.
Jiang Yueliu only had time to raise her sword before her vision blurred. Shen Dingyi was already in front of her.
But at the very moment he was about to grab her, he was frozen in place.
A sharp, piercing pain shot through his soul, as if a needle had been thrust into his brow and stirred around. Shen Dingyi’s brow furrowed, and he retreated several steps.
Looking again, a blurry, illusory figure stood quietly amidst the swirling snow.
Jiang Tong stood before Jiang Yueliu.
He had no sword and no flowing robes. He was merely a soul standing in the heavy snow.
‘This isn’t quite like the stories,’ Jiang Tong thought regretfully.
He was about to exit the stage, yet he didn’t have a cool way to go out.
Shen Dingyi looked at Jiang Tong with suspicion. This unknown shadow was gushing with thick soul power.
“A mere soul,” he suddenly laughed. “You think you can interfere? Even if your soul power is profound, how long can you last?”
He was right. Jiang Tong could expend his soul power to erupt with great combat strength, but it was a finite resource. In the end, he would dissipate into nothingness.
Jiang Tong did not answer Shen Dingyi. He really wanted to look at Guanye Lake one more time. The sky was turning dark; he wondered when the fireworks would go up.
He wouldn’t be able to see them.
But he wanted his little disciple to see them.
“Yueliu.”
Jiang Yueliu’s eyelashes trembled. She stood as still as a piece of wood. She knew that from the moment Jiang Tong emerged, he had already decided his fate.
“Right here… cross your Sword Tribulation.”
‘If I could… I would wish that I never met you.’