The situation had reversed. What had originally been two against two was now three against three.
There was no joy on Xia Yunzhao’s face, however. He, Shang Shuangze, and Brother Du had only recently entered the Nascent Soul stage. All three were at early Nascent Soul, while Qi Zhengyan and Ancestor Yuanzhen on the other side were at mid and late Nascent Soul respectively.
Ancestor Yuanzhen in particular had been stuck at late Nascent Soul for who knew how long. His accumulated foundation had to be terrifying.
Even so, Xia Yunzhao was not afraid.
He and Shang Shuangze exchanged a glance and attacked Ancestor Yuanzhen together. The Seven-Star Ring and Mingyun complemented each other perfectly, making them a formidable pair.
On the other side, Qi Zhengyan found himself badly constrained against Du Yan. He had no idea why Qianyuan Sect had closed its mountain gates for so long while this man was still outside, but that Heaven-Measuring Ruler and Earth-Vein Book were unmistakably genuine!
Du Yan did not press him, merely exchanging a few leisurely moves to drag out the fight.
Below them, the Qingxi City Guard and Yunjiangguan’s disciples had already begun fighting. Victories went back and forth, but the Guard had yet to break through Yunjiangguan’s gates.
For a time, battle raged across both heaven and earth.
Just then, Qi Zhengyan glanced downward and suddenly burst out laughing. “You ignorant brat surnamed Xia, why don’t you look down there? Your people are about to die! You brought them all this way to Yunjiangguan just to send them to their deaths?”
Du Yan thought, Not good. He struck a palm toward Qi Zhengyan’s shoulder, and Qi Zhengyan drifted backward with the force, but it was already too late. Xia Yunzhao dodged one of Ancestor Yuanzhen’s attacks and looked down.
The Qingxi City Guard had already fought its way to Yunjiangguan’s mountain-protection formation. Xu Nuo stood behind the formation with all the inner disciples. In front of them was a strange magical treasure shaped like a tall iron barrel. Its outer wall had already been heated red-hot, and even from a distance, waves of scorching heat rolled outward.
Xia Yunzhao frowned. Qi Zhengyan laughed loudly. “What do you think Yunjiangguan is? Somewhere you can come and go as you please?”
At Xu Nuo’s command, everyone poured their spiritual power into the strange magical treasure. It swayed several times, then began tipping outward.
“This is bad!” Xia Yunzhao shouted toward Zhong Yundu and the others ahead. “Get out of the way!”
Zhong Yundu and the others were not fools. They immediately tried to retreat, but the magical treasure was far too high-grade for their speed to compare. They had barely taken a few steps when the treasure tipped over and lava came pouring out from inside!
The lava flowed through the mountain-protection formation like red tongues of flame and surged toward the people of Qingxi City. The heat rising from it alone roasted the surrounding spirit flowers and grasses into ash!
Xia Yunzhao gritted his teeth and was about to fly down to save them when Ancestor Yuanzhen seized the opportunity and wove that enormous green net again, dropping it over both of them!
Clang!
Sword light suddenly blazed. The sea of clouds churned as though the roar of waves had sounded beside their ears, and Mingyun, carrying spiritual power like a raging sea, tore viciously through the giant net!
Everyone present seemed to catch the scent of seawater, but only Xia Yunzhao knew what was happening. Sevenfold Raging Waves!
His heart instantly eased. Without looking back, he rushed downward. Sure enough, Shang Shuangze blocked every one of Ancestor Yuanzhen’s attacks behind him. Not only that, the surging clouds and sea-tide force created by Sevenfold Raging Waves were gathering overhead.
Xia Yunzhao landed in front of the Qingxi City group, formed a hand seal, recited the incantation, and pointed toward the sky. “Nine-Heavens Cloud-Walking Art!”
Crack!
Thunder exploded abruptly within the clouds. The white clouds turned black, and rain came pouring down in a rapid patter!
From the magical treasure tipping over, to Ancestor Yuanzhen’s sneak attack, to Shang Shuangze unleashing Sevenfold Raging Waves and Xia Yunzhao immediately following with the Nine-Heavens Cloud-Walking Art, the entire sequence had taken only a few breaths.
Qi Zhengyan’s smug smile was still on his face, and Zhong Yundu and the others were still thinking about how to escape, yet the rain was already falling.
One Guard member wiped rainwater from his face. “When did our City Lord and Senior Shang plan this? One uses Sevenfold Raging Waves, and the other instantly knows to use the Nine-Heavens Cloud-Walking Art?”
Someone beside him said, “When would they have planned it? Didn’t you see just now? They didn’t even have time to talk. That’s just how in sync they are!”
Another person muttered, “That level of coordination is kind of terrifying…”
Drops of spiritual rain fell like a broken string of pearls. Hissing sounds rose from the ground as the glowing-red lava gradually darkened. At this rate, it would not be long before it was extinguished completely.
That magical treasure was indeed high-grade, but it still could not withstand the Nine-Heavens Cloud-Walking Art Xia Yunzhao had only recently mastered.
Seeing that everything below was under control, Xia Yunzhao waved at Zhong Yundu and Xiang Moyue. “Be careful. I’m going to help Shang Shuangze!” Then he flew back into the sky.
Shang Shuangze had actually fought Ancestor Yuanzhen to a standstill all by himself. Shang Shuangze was already wounded, yet Ancestor Yuanzhen’s injuries were even worse!
Blood seeped from the sword wounds across Ancestor Yuanzhen’s body. Even his hair ribbon had been severed, leaving his disheveled white hair whipping wildly in the wind. He looked like a mad old man with one foot in the grave, forming a sharp contrast with the handsome Shang Shuangze opposite him, whose hair was only slightly mussed. As he stared at Shang Shuangze, the jealousy and viciousness he had concealed so well slowly seeped into view. “Wonderful. It must be wonderful to be young, with limitless prospects, profound cultivation, and a sword pointed straight toward ascension, hm?”
Shang Shuangze remained expressionless. He rarely spoke even under ordinary circumstances, much less to an enemy.
Ancestor Yuanzhen’s skin gradually sagged. Green light emerged from all ten fingertips. “Once I cripple your cultivation and drain away your lifespan, you’ll understand that being young isn’t necessarily such a good thing!”
The green light turned purple and twisted toward Shang Shuangze like snakes.
Shang Shuangze faintly sensed that this purple light was unusual and could not be met head-on like the green light. He spun aside, but the purple light suddenly scattered, ten strands dividing into a hundred, a thousand, ten thousand… The tiny lights drifted chaotically like willow fluff in a breeze, making them even harder to avoid.
Shang Shuangze frowned as sword intent guarded his entire body. Mingyun was in his hand, and the sword intent of the Fuli Annihilation Sword was about to erupt when a whirlwind swept in from behind and stopped beside him. His brows relaxed, and the hand gripping Mingyun loosened as well.
Xia Yunzhao rushed over in a fury. The moment he saw the malicious purple light filling the sky, he exploded. “You filthy old bastard! You even dare drain other people’s lifespan and spiritual power? No wonder you can’t break through to Soul Transformation. You’ve done so many rotten things you deserve to go straight to the fiery hells!”
Ancestor Yuanzhen sneered. His flesh grew increasingly shriveled, yet more and more purple light streamed from his fingertips. “Sharp-tongued little beast! Go on, keep shouting. One touch from my Essence-Devouring Purple Extremity Light will suck you dry. Let’s see if you have the ability to escape this entire stretch of heaven and earth!”
As his voice grew louder, the whole sky turned purple. His body became more and more desiccated, leaving only his eyes shining with vicious light. “I’ve never drained geniuses like you before. Let me see what makes you any different!”
Far away, Qi Zhengyan, still tied up fighting Du Yan, was shocked. “Ancestor Yuanzhen! What did you just say? Could those missing disciples from the sect have…”
Du Yan looked over as well. Xia Yunzhao shook his head at him. “Brother Du, don’t come over. We have a way!”
Du Yan barely stopped himself, but Qi Zhengyan ignored the warning and started rushing toward them.
Xia Yunzhao stared at Ancestor Yuanzhen with a cold smile. “You really think we have no way to get close to you?”
Ancestor Yuanzhen said, “What could you possibly…”
Before the words possibly do could leave his mouth, Xia Yunzhao and Shang Shuangze had already clasped hands and activated the Five-Element Heavenly Escape Art, appearing directly in front of him in an instant.
Ancestor Yuanzhen stammered, “Y-you!”
Xia Yunzhao and Shang Shuangze struck at the same time, their palms thrusting forward together with a thunderous impact. “You really object when I call you an old beast? You even prey on your own sect’s disciples, and you think you deserve to be called an Ancestor? Hurry up and change your name to Old Undying Yuanzhen!”
Ancestor Yuanzhen had converted all the spiritual power in his body into Essence-Devouring Purple Extremity Light and released it. How could he withstand a joint palm strike from the two of them? He immediately spat blood and flew backward for dozens of li. “You dare!”
Xia Yunzhao and Shang Shuangze vanished again. The Five-Element Heavenly Escape Art left not even a trace of spiritual energy behind. When they reappeared, they were already behind Ancestor Yuanzhen. Both raised a foot and kicked him in the back. “This old thing is pretty hard to kill.”
Ancestor Yuanzhen: “…”
Qi Zhengyan arrived just in time to see this and flew into a rage. “This is an internal matter of Yunjiangguan! Who gave you permission to humiliate an elder of my sect?”
A sharp gleam flashed through Ancestor Yuanzhen’s eyes. He reached out. “Zhengyan, save me!”
Qi Zhengyan did not actually want to save him. He merely did not want to lose face in front of so many disciples, so he had no choice but to block for him.
Qi Zhengyan said, “Ancestor, don’t be afraid. Our mountain-protection formation isn’t so easy to break. Let’s retreat for now and make a longer-term plan!” As he spoke, he reached out to support Ancestor Yuanzhen and take him back to the mountain.
He tried to help him, but Ancestor Yuanzhen did not move. Qi Zhengyan frowned in confusion. “Martial Uncle? You…”
Ancestor Yuanzhen moved one finger. “Hehehe…”
Qi Zhengyan’s expression changed. His flesh rapidly collapsed and sagged, while the spiritual power throughout his body poured out beyond his control like floodwater through an opened gate. “Martial Uncle, you… No, Yuanzhen! You dare… plot against… me…”
Yuanzhen twitched a finger, and a strand of purple light peeled away from Qi Zhengyan and returned to his fingertip. His body swelled back like a sponge soaking up water, rapidly recovering its former vitality until even his hair turned black. “If you hadn’t managed the sect reasonably well, I would have drained you long ago.”
Qi Zhengyan tried to speak again, but no sound came out. He collapsed like a clay figure.
Yuanzhen’s spiritual power rapidly filled again. He flicked his fingers repeatedly, and the purple light in the sky began moving once more. This time it did not drift toward the Qingxi City group, but toward Yunjiangguan’s own mountain-protection formation. He had stopped pretending entirely. “Good children, for the sake of Yunjiangguan’s ten-thousand-year foundation, let me take a little from you. Once I reach the peak of Nascent Soul, I’ll kill these people and send them down to keep you company!”
The Yunjiangguan disciples inside the formation immediately went pale. “A-Ancestor! What are you doing?!”
“Help!”
“I don’t want to die!”
“Why does Yunjiangguan possess such an evil art?!”
Some even began begging the Qingxi City Guard outside the formation for help.
Zhong Yundu’s expression was complicated. “Funny. A moment ago they didn’t think it was an evil art.”
Xiang Moyue had even started leisurely fanning himself. “Such is human nature. You never know how much the needle hurts until it pierces your own flesh.”
In the sky, Xia Yunzhao shook his head as well. “I can’t watch this anymore. Let’s clear the field.”
Shang Shuangze looked at him. “Are you certain?”
Xia Yunzhao nodded firmly. “It isn’t our territory anyway. I won’t feel bad if we tear it down.”
Shang Shuangze smiled faintly. “All right. Whatever you say.”
Xia Yunzhao’s eyes curved. He half-closed them and began reciting an incantation. One vortex after another appeared around him, seven in total, each of a different attribute.
The moment the seven vortices appeared, Zhong Yundu and Xiang Moyue, who had still looked completely relaxed, both changed expression and retreated at once.
Several Guard members behind them who had not gone to Duxu City were confused. “Elder Zhong, why are we running?”
Zhong Yundu snapped, “If you don’t want to die, stop asking questions!”
Xiang Moyue still wore a smile, but he was running faster than anyone. “Hurry up. Your City Lord is about to unleash a major move!”
Xia Yunzhao had been watching them from the corner of his eye and happened to hear them talking about him. He pouted, waited until they had run far enough, then flicked one finger.
At the same moment, Shang Shuangze drew his sword. Sword intent surged from the ground, magnifying the power of the vortices. They expanded rapidly until they towered toward the heavens, spiritual energy churning as they swept across the entire area and thundered toward Ancestor Yuanzhen, who was happily draining his own disciples!
Ancestor Yuanzhen cried in shock, “How can you possibly…”
Xia Yunzhao kept pouting. “Everyone has a trump card or two. You think we’re all like you, flinging some broken spiderweb all over the sky?”
Ancestor Yuanzhen: “…”
He did not even have time to retort before the Myriad Phenomena Tide-Raising Invocation tore him to pieces. The vortices rolled over him as easily as a carriage crushing a tiny stone and did not slow in the slightest. They continued onward, collapsing four or five spirit mountains, grazing the edge of a sixth, and only finally stopping against the seventh.
Xia Yunzhao stared at the stones rolling everywhere with a twitching mouth. He would be lying if he said it did not hurt! He certainly had not cared about destroying someone else’s territory, but this place was about to become theirs!
No. Until he learned to control the Myriad Phenomena Tide-Raising Invocation properly, he had better use it less often.
The purple light had vanished completely from the sky swept clean by the vortices. Even the clouds were gone, leaving only endless blue beneath a clear sky.
Under the sunlight, the spirit mountain housing Yunjiangguan’s main complex remained completely enclosed by the mountain-protection formation. The iron-barrel-like magical treasure from earlier still lay toppled on the ground, its temperature already fallen. With the clouds gone, the spiritual rain had stopped as well, but fortunately the lava had already been extinguished completely. It had turned blackish brown and clung to the ground like ugly birthmarks, completely out of place amid the beautiful scenery and abundant spiritual energy of the spirit mountain.
Inside the formation, the few remaining Yunjiangguan disciples clustered around Elder Xu Nuo, every one of them trembling.
Many of them still had not processed what had happened. It made sense. Yunjiangguan had always been such an exalted existence that everyone in the surrounding region treated it with reverence. Yesterday they had still been swaggering around in triumph, so how had their mountain gates suddenly been breached today? Were they still asleep?
Then there was their sect master, drained to death by Ancestor Yuanzhen, and the Ancestor who had tried to drain them as well… Never mind. They were all dead. Better not to think about it.
Still holding hands, Xia Yunzhao and Shang Shuangze descended to midair and looked coldly at them.
Elder Xu Nuo nearly shook apart from fear, but he forced himself to cup his hands. “C-City Lord Xia, since you have defeated our sect master and Ancestor, w-we are willing to submit to Qingxi City. I only ask that City Lord Xia promise n-not to harm our sect’s disciples. Otherwise, Yunjiangguan’s mountain-protection formation i-isn’t something to be taken lightly e-either.”
All the inner disciples lowered their heads in unison and cursed inwardly. Why did the elder left alive have to be this one? Everyone knew Elder Xu Nuo was timid and excessively cautious. He could not even get through a perfectly good speech without chopping it into pieces.
Xia Yunzhao did not mock him. He merely said coldly, “I already told you. I came here to collect a debt, not beg for food. Yunjiangguan is in no position to negotiate terms.”
“You won’t open the gates? Do you really think you can hide inside that turtle shell forever?” He lifted one hand, and the enormous phantom of Cloudwater Ferry appeared in the air. As his palm dropped, he said calmly, “Ram it.”
Countless formation lights instantly flared across Cloudwater Ferry. Carrying overwhelming force, the ship smashed straight toward Yunjiangguan’s mountain-protection formation!