"Wu Yu's escaped?"
The Ninth Spirit, Jiang Xie, the Scarlet Sea's Seven Ghosts, and the others had returned to a chaotic assembly.
The Ninth Spirit returned to the palanquin, and could not find Wu Yu.
"Where is Xiao Wei!?" Ninth Spirit's face was extraordinarily black as her cold gaze swept the crowd. Instantly, all the demons fell to their faces on the floor. They knew how terrible the Ninth Spirit's wrath could be.
They had not been in the 10,000 Swords Formation for very long, returning after just an hour.
"Xiao Wei was afraid of retribution, and she escaped with her sins!" A demon piped up.
"Keh."
The Ninth Spirit's expression changed.
Hearing this news, Jiang Xie secretly celebrated her misery. After all, he was not in a position to deal with Wu Yu at the moment either.
"Ninth Spirit needs not panic. It's said that Wu Yu entered the 10,000 Swords Formation. As long as he is still in the Bipo Mountain Range, then won't he still be yours once we break the 10,000 Swords Formation?"
Jiang Xie observed mildly, stroking his beard.
The group of them converged and began to discuss.
Tian Yijun said, "Today, all have witnessed the power of the 10,000 Swords Formation. The opposing nine are throwing their lives to fight us with this. If we charge in, we will pay a high price in death. At most, we will secure a pyrrhic victory."
Jiang Xie conceded. "That's true. We have underestimated the power of the 10,000 Swords Formation."
This was indeed a headache for them.
As for Wu Yu, where could he have escaped to from within their midst?
"Without a way to break the 10,000 Swords Formation, there is no sense in us lingering here. We must think of a plan," an elder from the Zhongyuan Dao Sect urged.
The Ninth Spirit was angry now, like a bitter fox. There was not a hint of a smile on her face as she said, "Tian Yijun seems to have an idea."
The Scarlet Sea's Seven Ghosts exchanged smiles, and then Tian Yijun spoke as their representative. "The seven of us alone are naturally helpless. But the East Sea is a vast place. We have countless good ghostly cultivator friends. One of them is extremely interested in formation design, and has been researching Spirit Design for close to a century."
Hearing this, both the Ninth Spirit and Jiang Xie were on their guard.
Jiang Xie said, "Tian Yijun, the Heavenly Sword Sect is only enough for us to divide three ways. With more entering the alliance, our rewards will be diminished."
This was also what the Ninth Spirit was thinking.
From the side, Shen Erjun gave a sly snicker. "Both of you are overthinking this. Honestly, that person is only at the ninth tier of the Qi Condensation Realm. Some small treat thrown his way will do. No need for equal shares. Besides, we have a good relationship with him. He will likely help us for such a small matter."
"A ghostly cultivator of the Qi Condensation Realm can break this 10,000 Swords Formation?" Jiang Xie was doubtful.
"To each art its secrets. I daresay that given his abilities, this will be no difficult matter."
Jiang Xie and the Ninth Spirit exchanged glances. In truth, they were not completely sold by the ghostly cultivators' words. Ghostly cultivators were infamous for double dealing and betrayal.
But the 10,000 Swords Formation before their very eyes indeed posed a veritable problem.
"Please, both of you, relax. Once that brother comes, I guarantee that this 10,000 Swords Formation won't last a few days. We've seen his work before."
Shen Erjun added.
To the Zhongyuan Dao Sect, they wanted the Bipo Mountain Range, and the sooner the better.
And as a result, Jiang Xie expressed his consent first, while the Ninth Spirit still stood by, undecided. But after considering that Wu Yu was now back with the Heavenly Sword Sect, she also assented eventually.
"Seems like I've underestimated you. But do you think that you've escaped from Jiu Er's clutches because you’ve returned to the Bipo Mountain Range? Hmph!" The Ninth Spirit stared out in the direction of the Bipo Mountain Range.
Following that, Tian Yijun immediately wrote a letter.
"For the message to reach, and that person to arrive, will roughly take two months."
The East Sea's islands were a considerable distance from them.
Nobody actually knew how many ghostly cultivators there were in the vast expanse of the East Sea.
"Two months? Alright. We will let the dogs of the Heavenly Sword Sect live for two more months."
Jiang Xie brandished his sleeves, a malevolent look in his eyes.
Looking at the Bipo Mountain Range covered in immortal mist, it was truly a much more majestic sight compared to the Zhongyuan Immortal Mountain.
That expanse of bountiful ground stirred Jiang Xie's heart into a frenzy.
...
Ever since Wu Yu's return, Jiang Xie, the Ninth Spirit, and the others would come clashing with Feng Xueya almost every day in the 10,000 Swords Formation.
Because of the 10,000 Swords Formation, even though the opponent was more than twice as strong, they had still managed to hold out.
However, they were under tremendous strain everyday. Feng Xueya and the others had no chance to rest. They were held at the Stone Gate of a Thousand Swords every single moment.
Fight. Recover. No rest.
Wu Yu and the others were getting increasingly worried, but helpless to do more. This was a high-level battle, and they, the juniors, would have to leave their lives in the hands of their elders!
Feng Xueya and the others tired themselves out daily against the combined onslaught of three armies against the 10,000 Swords Formation, and it was difficult for them to watch as well. The fires of hatred burned in their hearts, but they could only repress it!
Just as Feng Xueya had said, if even they joined the battle, then it meant that the Heavenly Sword Sect was on its last legs, and about to be finished.
"A pity that we cannot help Master and kill these villains!" Night Wishes for Snow sighed.
"Master said that they don't know how long they can last. If we want to help, then our only option is to cultivate!" Su Yanli said.
To fight for every second and minute of time.
The stench of blood that the three armies had brought already carried over into the Bipo Mountain Range.
The howls of demons, the shadows of ghostly cultivators....
Feng Xueya and the others' protection made every disciple realize why they had to hold on and fight until the end!
As they returned to their individual mountains, they did as Feng Xueya had bid them. All the disciples entered a frenzied state of cultivation!
The will of the sword blossomed within the heart of every sword cultivator!
With an external enemy so close at hand, even the disciples with quarrels set them aside to enjoy cultivation resources in peace.
Amongst them, Heaven's Equal Peak and Yanli Mountain were densest in spiritual qi, so Wu Yu and Su Yanli had invited many disciples to their mountains to cultivate. Eventually, a majority of the disciples were gathered at the spiritual qi spring.
All of them were immersed in the spiritual qi!
Their will formed an impregnable castle!
Night Wishes for Snow and the others at the ninth tier of the Qi Condensation realm personally mentored all the disciples, from their way of sword cultivation, to methods of killing.
"We sword cultivators revere the sword! Sword users are straight of heart and just!"
"We sword cultivators have the will of the sword! We will die before we bend. We will fight to the last!"
"We sword cultivators bear the wish of the sword! To take care of each other, in death and life we stand fast!"
"We of the Heavenly Sword Sect are supreme! Our sword dao reigns as we slay demons! None shall shake our resolve! None shall harm our brethren!"
In the sky above, thousands of swords glittered, the sword qi dense and in constant movement.
On the ground, the sword cultivators chanted loudly, their sword qi overflowing. Their will and passion soared!
They had already readied themselves to die.
To a majority, the Bipo Mountain Range was the place that had raised them. It was their roots! One could not leave one's roots. Neither could one allow it to be invaded.
The Heavenly Sword Sect disciples cultivated their sword everyday. An unimaginable will manifested within each of them.
In such an environment, Wu Yu himself had been supported greatly.
Cultivating brethren were everywhere the eye could see. All were carefully teaching each other. The Heavenly Sword Sect had never been as blessed as it was at this point. And all of this had been under the guidance of Night Wishes for Snow.
He had an impressive reputation amongst the disciples, and everyone was willing to follow his lead, even unto death.
Wu Yu understood even more thoroughly - when faced with the imminent genocide of the Heavenly Sword Sect - that only strength brought the right to speak. He descended into an even more frenzied cultivation state!
He wanted power. The desire was so intense that it was driving him insane.
Around him were Qing Mang, Su Yanli, Mo Shishu, and the others. As well as all the disciples that admired Wu Yu.
Wu Yu could not bear to see them die before his very eyes, torn apart by demons, and sullied by ghostly cultivators.
That was why he pushed on with singular focus. Aggressive focus!
At least, everyone around him was on the same page. They continued to push hard, and even Lan Shuiyue had reached the fifth tier of the Qi Condensation Realm. In the crisis, Lan Huayi bent the rules, allowing her to inherit the Aquacore Reflection immortal root.
Wu Yu's cultivation was many times more agonizing than others'. He was using the Inner Vajra Buddha Sutra to rebuild himself day and night.
Before, he had found it difficult to bear, and had stopped for a while. But with powerful enemies roaming around, everyone had forgotten their own weaknesses, and him most of all. His world was nothing but the 1,000 words of the Inner Vajra Buddha Sutra. The sutras were constantly torturing his body. For 24 hours a day, Wu Yu let the golden light of the sutra words torment his body, and no one dared to approach him.
Occasionally, Wu Yu's miserable groans drew the eye.
But regardless of the pain, he pressed on. And that earned him even more admiration.
Even Night Wishes for Snow was impressed by him. He was very aware that Wu Yu's time with the Heavenly Sword Sect was relatively short, yet his determination was comparatively much stronger than that of many others.
"His talent is extraordinary, and he has the heart for dao. His will is uncommon, and his mind pure. If such a person as Wu Yu cannot succeed, then who in this world can?"
Night Wishes for Snow exclaimed to those around him.
"Indeed...."
Wu Yu, completely bathed in the torturous, golden light, had become something of an avant-garde cultivator to the other sword cultivators.
Wu Yu's thoughts were direct. His only goal was to get stronger!
"She says that the strong dominate. That is justice. That's right. I don't want to lose this place. I have to become stronger."
The Ninth Spirit's words were still ringing in his ear.
The Invincible Vajra Body was the foremost body strengthening immortality art in the world. And Wu Yu was just a novice at it. As long as he persevered with a resilient will and withstood the torture, he would emerge in a godlike state!
Pushing himself to the height of his limits, his Inner Vajra Buddha had grown to two zhang and six feet within a month's time!
Time passed. The Bipo Mountain Range was a flurry of activity.
Two months had passed.
In these two months, Feng Xueya and the others were bitterly resisting the attacks of the three mighty powers.
Their enemies were strange. Although they fought every day, they would not use their full strength.
And on this day, everyone had stopped their training. Because they could see that there was a golden silhouette three zhang tall on the outside of Wu Yu's body. The figure was incomparably majestic. Just looking at it compelled one to bow and defer to it.
"Two months’ time, Inner Vajra Buddha third realm, complete!"
This was the result after two months of forgetting his own limits. Wu Yu had to thank those around him. They had given Wu Yu great encouragement.
"In terms of physical power, I have at least forty or fifty thousand warhorses worth of power. My flesh has become even more resilient and impregnable. I should be able to push for the sixth tier of the Qi Condensation Realm...."
This was the most rapid improvement that Wu Yu had seen since he began cultivating.
But for now, he had no Spirit Concentration Pills.
1. 1 zhang=10 feet