During this time, the Zhongyuan Dao Sect and the demons were all resting. The Scarlet Seas' Three Ghosts were convening with Jiang Xie and the Zhongyuan Dao Sect elders.
They had agreed on three months with the Ninth Spirit. That was almost up, and they were discussing if it was time to pressure the Ninth Spirit.
In these three months, they had not fought, and Feng Xueya had used this time to repair the 10,000 Swords Formation.
All was extremely quiet.
Suddenly, there was a huge noise that startled Jiang Xie and the others. When they raised their heads, they saw someone flying overhead with the Art of Sword Flight.
All of them were seated on hastily constructed chairs. They did not have time to even stand up, let alone react.
"That was Wu Yu!"
The demon Thunder Seabird yelled, shocking them all. Wu Yu had already charged into the 10,000 Swords Formation. After all, they were on its edge.
"Wu Yu? Impossible!" Jiang Xie's face changed. The group of experts stood up, stupefied. Just as they were about to chase, the Heavenly Sword Sect responded even more quickly. Feng Xueya whipped up the 10,000 Swords Formation, cloaking Wu Yu and allowing him to return safely to the 10,000 Swords Formation.
Jiang Xie and the others had already lost track of Wu Yu's position.
But in truth, Wu Yu could still see them. Within the 10,000 Swords Formation, he was finally on safe ground. In its protection, his face was deathly pale as he panted heavily for breath.
From within the palanquin, the Ninth Spirit had not chased him. Perhaps Wu Yu had wounded her....
Wu Yu had no way to ascertain it, and it was a very dangerous place for him to venture into. At this time, he heard the cheers coming from the Bipo Mountain Range. They had discovered his safe return, and the disciples that revered him were crying with joy.
Wu Yu turned back. The nine elders on the stone swords were laughing, a genuine, carefree laugh that told of their worry in the last three months. And there was a glimmer of pride for Wu Yu.
Even without speaking, he knew that they were astonished by, even respectful of, his deeds.
Feng Xueya smiled slightly. This proud, middle-aged man could not hide the trembling in his eyes. Perhaps he was as shocked as the rest.
He very quickly focused back on the 10,000 Swords Formation, because Jiang Xie and the others were in action now.
Wu Yu saw Su Yanli, Qing Mang, and all his other brothers and sisters. Seeing his safe return, some were whooping, others crying. But Wu Yu's name was echoing deafeningly through the skies of the Bipo Mountain Range!
Just as the Heavenly Sword Sect seemed to be in dire straits, Wu Yu had risen again like a legend, again stabilizing the crumbling Heavenly Sword Sect!
Although they were too far apart, and he could not hear their words, Wu Yu knew what they wanted to convey. He did not return directly to the Bipo Mountain Range. He knew that the 10,000 Swords Formation would be his battlefield!
When he had rushed from the palanquin, foiling the Ninth Spirit's scheme, he knew that she would not give up. Moreover, he knew that the final battle, which had been delayed for so long, was at long last upon them!
Pa!
Just at this moment, a huge sound erupted from the demons' side. Wu Yu lifted his head to see the palanquin blasted into smithereens. White smoke billowed out, and from within, a furious, vengeful persona grew larger and larger in size!
It was a Beautiful Fox of the Nine Heavens!
A pure white fox appeared before their eyes, at least three zhang in length. This was already a huge monster. But behind it were nine tails, each waving within the smoke like nine huge snakes.
As the Beautiful Fox of the Nine Heavens walked out of the mist, her eyes could be clearly seen - they were bloodshot, and directed hatefully at the 10,000 Swords Formation. This was a rage that the Ninth Spirit had never sunk into before. The present Ninth Spirit worked the demons into a frenzy. They shifted into their true forms, and hundreds of them unleashed their demonic auras, covering the skies in black clouds. The huge demonic beasts roared and bellowed. The Ninth Spirit's anger had also galvanized them into rage!
"Come then!"
Wu Yu was not afraid to stare at the Ninth Spirit.
In this battle, he was a prey who had escaped, not a groom who had betrayed. He was free of guilt. Each step in the last three months had been risky. And all in all, it was the Ninth Spirit who had been led around.
"Master, it's time to fight."
Wu Yu was clearest of the shifts in the situation. Feng Xueya would understand his warning as well.
He did not know what Wu Yu had been through, but he could clearly sense that Wu Yu had become stronger.
With the demons in a mad frenzy, they brought terrifying power, a lump of demons that could easily wipe out dozens of countries.
"Ninth Spirit, what is going on!?" Initially they had thought to use Wu Yu to trade for the Zhongyuan Dao sect disciples, until the Ninth Spirit had resolutely vowed that she had a way to destroy the Bipo Mountain Range. And now Wu Yu was suddenly gone. Jiang Xie felt like he was being played.
But in the face of Jiang Xie's questioning, the Beautiful Fox of the Nine Heavens only regarded him coldly. "Cut the crap. Directly break the 10,000 Swords Formation. Wu Yu already has the power of a 10th tier Qi Condensation cultivator. If we don't act now, it won't just be those 1,000 people. As long as Wu Yu is around, then your Zhongyuan Dao Sect doesn't even have the right to exist within a thousand li of him."
"WHAT!?"
Jiang Xie's voice was hoarse. The Scarlet Seas' Three Ghosts were all at the tenth tier of the Qi Condensation Realm. In this battle, they had witnessed Wu Yu's opponents grow from the fifth tier of the Qi Condensation Realm to the 10th tier. This fearsome rise showed just how terrifying he was.
Indeed, if they continued to delay, then perhaps in a few more months, even Jiang Xie and the Ninth Spirit would not be Wu Yu's match.
Right now, the Ninth Spirit was in a killing mood, and Wu Yu had no choice but to fight her. They could delay no longer, and Jiang Xie was truly afraid now. He even forgot to blame the Ninth Spirit at this point. Clearly, the Ninth Spirit had screwed things up, but in the end, they stood on the same side of battle.
The emergence of Wu Yu had put a scare into them.
Of them, the Ninth Spirit was the most resolute. She narrowed her eyes towards the 10,000 Swords Formation. The demonic aura of hundreds of demons filled the air, blanketing the entire Bipo Mountain Range!
The only one that was conflicted was Jiang Xie, because he still had hostages there.
But if they could acquire the Bipo Mountain Range, then those 1,000 would not be needed. With time and the spiritual qi of the Bipo Mountain Range, they would definitely recover.
Jiang Xie and the elders exchanged looks. A few of the elders were still hesitating. Jiang Xie said, "Stop that indecision. Kill. If we drag on any longer, all of us will die at Wu Yu's hands!"
Saying thus, he threw a loathing glance over at the Ninth Spirit. He had not expected that the Ninth Spirit would actually let Wu Yu grow stronger through his imprisonment. His resentment towards the Ninth Spirit would have to be kept under wraps for now. Jiang Xie would wait until the battle was over to take it up with her.
The Zhongyuan Dao Sect had already lost so much. What more was there to be afraid of?
"Charge!"
The Ninth Spirit, the Thunder Seabird and the other demons, the Scarlet Seas' Seven Ghosts, Jiang Xie, and the Zhongyuan Dao Sect elders all split up. After resting for a while, they again rushed the 10,000 Swords Formation!
This time around, the Ninth Spirit's rage changed their offensive power. The 10,000 Swords Formation had already been riddled, and had almost broken previously.
Before that, their goal had been Wu Yu, hidden within the 10,000 Swords Formation. But now, although Wu Yu was also in the 10,000 Swords Formation, they did not care about him! He was still hidden. He would definitely not catch the Ninth Spirit and Jiang Xie's eye. The Ninth Spirit would probably not aim to capture Wu Yu first either. After all, their strategy was to first break the 10,000 Swords Formation.
At this time, Wu Yu had nowhere to run!
The furious Ninth Spirit was all killing power and energy. The sweet little fox was gone now. Wu Yu looked on with alarm at the true face of the Ninth Spirit!
"Master, hold as long as you can. I'll kill as many as I can!" Wu Yu drew his Onyx & Pearl Dao Sword. In the face of such fury, Feng Xueya and the others could not spare attention for him anymore, and his advantage within the 10,000 Swords Formation was not as pronounced. At least, the 10,000 Swords Formation would not attack him.
The final battle had begun! Emotions ran high!
He could not possibly clash with the Ninth Spirit now, and Wu Yu kept his distance, looking for others to fight. Besides the Ninth Spirit and Jiang Xie, he could kill anybody.
Right now, Jiang Xie brought the Zhongyuan Dao Sect, attacking without restraint.
Night Wishes for Snow, with the thousand Zhongyuan Dao Sect disciples on hand, shouted in a panic, "Jiang Xie, I give you three breaths of time to back out of the 10,000 Swords Formation, or these thousand heads will roll!"
His voice was loud and clear, but the Zhongyuan Dao Sect people rushed in, maddened and deaf to his cries.
Night Wishes for Snow was stunned, and the three breaths of time quickly passed. No one heeded him. Jiang Xie was single-mindedly charging, and had become the strongest opponent of the 10,000 Swords Formation.
"Zhongyuan Dao Sect!" The Heavenly Sword Sect disciples were enraged now. Who would have thought that such a sect leader existed? In order to invade and conquer the Bipo Mountain Range, he would even let a thousand core disciples die. Evidently, Jiang Xie was unafraid that the thousand disciples would be killed.
Night Wishes for Snow yelled a few more times, but was still ignored. The Heavenly Sword Sect disciples with him were enraged and humiliated.
They looked at the kneeling Zhongyuan Dao Sect disciples, undone by their fear. They desperately called out for Jiang Xie to save them, and also turned their jeers on their captors.
"Night Wishes for Snow, is yelling cravenly all you can do? Doesn't the Heavenly Sword Sect pride itself on its benevolence? Do you dare to kill a thousand people?" some Zhongyuan Dao Sect disciple taunted.
He looked at Night Wishes for Snow, seized by his indecision, and could not keep back the steady stream of derision.
In truth, this was indeed a quandary for Night Wishes for Snow and the other Heavenly Sword Sect disciples. They had not expected Jiang Xie to pursue this course of action.
When it came to it, Feng Xueya had always taught them to be on the right side. They slaughtered demons and saved lives. They would not kill brethren of the orthodox dao. And to kill over a thousand of them right now was a predicament indeed.
Night Wishes for Snow's face was pale. To kill or not to kill? Seeing his indecision, the Zhongyuan Dao Sect disciples laughed loudly.
"Heavenly Sword Sect. Heavenly and always calling themselves benevolent. But they're just cowardly ignoramuses! Our Sect Leader may seem like he's giving up on us, but he's actually coming to save us!"
They congratulated each other.