The middle-aged man in jade robes was named Wang Tu, and he was the palace master of Jixia Academy!
The gaunt elder with the disheveled hair was Helian Hai, the palace master of Watermoon Academy!
Both were Xiantian Martial Ancestors, and they’d long since joined the ranks of the Ten Great Xiantian Martial Ancestors!
Especially Wang Tu. He was in his prime, and his ‘Gentle Soaring Blade’ was superb!
The Ten Directions Pavilion had once praised him, saying that thirty percent of the Great Zhou’s world of swordsmanship’s ingenuity had gone into the Gentle Soaring Blade!
When they saw that these two had come here with Lu Dongliu, Ning Sihua and the others realized that they were in for trouble!
Lan Suo didn’t recognize them, but she could tell that they were in deep trouble. Her pretty painted brows knit together, and she readied herself for battle.
“Everyone, look! Su Yi is controlling the power of the restriction to refine medicine. Those are methods reminiscent of a god or immortal. If I hadn’t seen it with my own two eyes, I wouldn’t dare believe someone like him existed,” said Lu Dongliu. As he spoke, he pointed at Su Yi and sighed.
However, he seemed perfectly at ease.
“Heh heh, all I see is that he’s exhausted all of his strength; he’s like a lamp on the verge of running out of oil. I almost can’t bear to disturb him,” laughed Li Cang, stroking his beard.
“I wonder what pill he’s refining? The smell of medicine is so clear and dense. How about… we wait for him to finish, then kill him?” Liao Yunliu said lightly, her bright eyes fixed on the glittering pill furnace, Violet Palace. She was extremely tempted.
“No, we cannot delay!” the disheveled Helian Hai immediately rejected the idea. “Who knows what will happen if we wait? If you ask me, we’d best attack and kill him immediately!”
Every inch of the palace master of Watermoon Academy was brimming with killing intent.
“But what about these three?” The graceful-looking, middle-aged Wang Tu glanced at Su Yi’s companions inquisitively.
Lu Dongliu pondered briefly, then said, “Ning Sihua, do the three of you plan to leave now? Or shall we send you on your way?”
By “send you on your way” he naturally meant “their way to the underworld.”
“We’ll just have to fight,” said Ning Sihua. Her expression was tranquil, and her tone was flat, yet both revealed her determination.
Mu Xi smiled too. “I’d actually rather like to see just how tough cultivators of the Hidden Dragon Sword Sect really are!”
Lan Suo’s response was rather simple. “They’re worried we’ll go all out. Otherwise, they would have attacked right away.”
As she said this, this supremely beautiful, lofty and elegant inheritor of the Donghua Sword Sect broke into a disdainful grin and said lightly, “But I…. am not worried!”
Whoosh!
She raised her hand, and the Heavennet Rope rose into the air, spreading out like a silver current and forming a barrier in front of Su Yi.
Practically simultaneously, Lan Suo waved both hands, flinging dozens of origin talismans.
Boom! Boom! Boom!
In an instant, hurricanes howled, lightning wrought havoc, seas of flame blazed into being, water formed arrows and shot forth, and massive boulders… All kinds of magic surged forth, like floodwaters breaking through a dam, covering both heaven and earth.
Although each individual attack couldn’t compare with that of a true Earthly Immortal, they were about thirty percent of the way there, enough to leave a Xiantian Martial Ancestor grievously wounded!
When they fought the monks earlier, Lan Suo had relied on this very indiscriminate, explosive style of attack to deal them an incomparably heavy blow.
As Lan Suo attacked, Ning Sihua and Mu Xi readied themselves for battle, prepared to strike wherever it was needed.
But against all expectations, in the face of an attack of this level, Lu Dongliu suddenly opened a bronze umbrella.
Boom!
As the bronze umbrella opened, it was like a radiant curtain of light protecting Lu Dongliu and his allies.
The golden curtain surged with complex and inscrutable glyphs and cloud markings and burst with searing light.
The Qianyuan Umbrella!
This was an origin treasure, the work of an Origin Dao cultivator. It could block wind and rain, but it could also neutralize all sorts of attacks. Its defenses were almost impregnable.
Years ago, an Earthly Immortal of the Hidden Dragon Sword Sect had used this very umbrella to effortlessly ward off a relentless rain of arrows in a border skirmish!
And now, this same treasure appeared in Lu Dongliu’s hands. He held it before him and—
Rumble!
The various attacks of the origin talismans collided with the golden curtain and burst apart like fireworks. The resulting destructive power shook the golden light, producing violent ripples on its surface.
Nonetheless, from beginning to end, none of the attacks broke through.
Ning Sihua and Mu Xi’s hearts sank.?Lu Dongliu even brought a treasure like the Qianyuan Umbrella with him. He obviously came prepared.
Lan Suo’s painted eyebrows knit together in mild surprise.
“Those origin talismans are all treasures. It’s really a shame to waste them like that,” said Lu Dongliu, closing his umbrella with a sigh.
Li Cang said with a kindly smile, “It’d be an even bigger shame if we died.”
Clang!?Liao Yunliu drew her massive sword and said crisply, “Attack!”
Her voice still echoed through the air as she pressed off against the ground and shot forth like lightning, bursting toward Ning Sihua.
Whoosh!?The massive sword glinted like frost and shone with radiant light, stirring up towering sword qi.
Almost simultaneously, Lu Dongliu smiled faintly, then shot toward Lan Suo in a flash. His sleeves billowed around him, and he punched.
He was the elder of the Hidden Dragon Sword Sect’s Text Transmission Pavilion. When he attacked, he was as overbearing as a demon or god. It was just one punch, but its momentum threatened to crumble both heaven and earth.
Meanwhile, the white-haired, white-bearded Li Cang’s sleeves swayed, and he threw a black flying knife at Mu Xi.
It seemed they had reached a tacit agreement, as the three experts of the Hidden Dragon Sword Sect instantly split up. They coordinated without leaving the slightest opening.
Boom!
As combat broke out, Ning Sihua, Mu Xi, and Lan Suo instantly called upon everything they had at their disposal. They held nothing back.
Why? The situation was too urgent and too dangerous for that!
Ordinarily speaking, they wouldn’t have risked everything like this, but there was no way they’d miss that Lu Dongliu and his companions were trying to hold them up so that Wang Tu and Helian Hai could go deal with Su Yi!
Su Yi was currently refining pills; he had no time or energy to spare on anything else!
The worst part was that even if he gave up on this batch of pills, Su Yi was already running on empty; they’d caught him at his weakest, most vulnerable moment.?If their attacks landed under these circumstances, the consequences would be simply unimaginable!
As a result, none of his companions held back. They fought with everything they had, right from the start, all to prevent their worst fears from becoming a reality.
However….
How could their foes fail to realize what they were worried about?
When they attacked, they held nothing back either!
As a result, as soon as combat broke out, it turned into a brutal, perilous, life-or-death struggle!
The heads of Jixia and Watermoon Academies, Wang Tu and Helian Hai, seized the opportunity to charge straight toward Su Yi.
Wang Tu drew a three-foot-long sword the color of lake water. Its edge was as dazzling as the sun, and his sleeves billowed as he suddenly slashed downward.
Boom!
The silvery, flowing Heavennet Rope was hovering in front of Su Yi like a barrier.
But now, it shook beneath Wang Tu’s sword. It wouldn’t be able to hold out much longer.
Soon, the rope fell to the floor like a dead snake. Helian Hai seized the opportunity, bellowing and waving his red spear as he shot toward Su Yi like an arrow loosed from a bowstring.
“Die!” Helian Hai suddenly raised his spear. Illusory spears filled the sky, tearing through space as their sharp points flew directly toward Su Yi.
Su Yi was still seated cross-legged, as if unable to give up on this batch of pills, or perhaps, as if he had no idea what was going on. ｎ𝚘𝚟ｌ.ｃｏ𝚖
In Helian Hai’s eyes, he was like a lamb to the slaughter!
Irrepressible excitement arose on his face.
But right at the most critical juncture, a figure appeared out of nowhere.
Clang!
A deafening impact rang out.
The person who’d charged over right in the nick of time was sent staggering back, coughing up blood.
Ning Sihua!
Earlier, she’d sensed that something was amiss, and with no regard for her injuries or for the danger, she rushed over, blocking Helian Hai’s otherwise fatal attack just in time.
However, she was severely injured in the process.
First, Liao Yunliu’s attack had cut open her back, ripping the skin and tearing into her flesh. The resulting wound was so deep that even her bones were visible.
Then, due to attacking with excessive haste, Helian Hai’s attack threw her blood and qi into turmoil, resulting in significant internal injuries. Her pretty, youthful face was now deathly pale.
Blood gushed from her back like water from a geyser.
But it was as if she didn’t even realize it. Her expression remained calm as she stood protectively before Su Yi. One hand held the Waning Blueflame Moon Halberd, while the other manipulated a red, fish-shaped flying sword.
Calm even in the face of death!
“You’re the lofty and esteemed palace master of Heaven’s Origin Academy, yet you’re willing to throw your life away to save Su Yi. What a pity… You still can’t stop us.” Liao Yunliu seemed stunned, but then, she shook her head.
Even as she spoke, she charged, swinging her sword and striking like lightning.
Wang Tu and Helian Hai attacked alongside her, one more ruthless than the other. There was no way they’d let this opportunity slip past them.
In the face of three such experts’ joint attack, Ning Sihua took a deep breath. A frenzied light flashed within her eyes, but her expression turned increasingly calm.
It seemed she’d made up her mind.
Within her body, a long-sealed power awakened, bit by bit….
But it was then that a calm voice resounded in her ears. “It’s not worth using your trump cards against a group of ‘jumping fleas’ like them.”
Ning Sihua was stunned.
As that calm voice rang out, the seated Su Yi suddenly turned and swept his gaze across Liao Yunliu, Wang Tu, and Helian Hai.
His gaze was distant and unreadable. His dark eyes were like twin black holes, but if you looked closely, you’d see a streak of peerlessly sharp sword light flickering through them.
Boom!
The group charging over shook as a sword intent as vast and majestic as a mountain bore down on their souls. All of them grunted in agony.
A moment later, they retreated explosively backward, blood dripping from the corners of their lips. Their faces contorted with pain, surprise, and disbelief, and cold sweat poured down their backs.
A secret soul art!
Just now, Su Yi had merely glanced at them, yet an invisible power had struck and injured their souls!
If they hadn’t dodged in time, their souls might well have been obliterated!
This sudden change stunned all of the experts locked in brutal combat.
“What’s going on?” Lu Dongliu and Li Cang furrowed their brows.
“It seems… Su Yi has already recovered?” Mu Xi and Lan Suo’s eyes shone with a hint of delight, and their initially tensed hearts instantly relaxed.
But it was then that Ning Sihua seemed to discover something, and she couldn’t help but glance at Su Yi.