Boom!
Huo Yan's Sacred Flame Domain continued to clash with the barrier restlessly. Compared to Qi Ximing's Tempest Domain, Huo Yan's Sacred Flame Domain was many folds fiercer and faster.
A large hole kept appearing on the barrier from time to time, but it could still hold on without a sign of breaking anytime soon.
"How many casualties?" Yun Qianxue asked.
One of the leaders in a younger generation stepped forward with a heavy expression. "Report to Sect Master. We've lost one hundred and seventy-six sisters."
Several young girls in the group started to sob silently when they heard this report. The reality was entirely different from their imagination. No matter how well-prepared they were, they won't be able to suppress the emotions when seeing their close one died in front of them. However, they could not be blamed since this was the first time they had experienced the actual war on this scale.
Yun Qianxue was no exception, but her emotion control ability was far stronger. Every single disciple was akin to her daughter. When she recruited them to the sect, she wanted to give them warmth and a place to call home. Now, 176 of her daughters were dead. How could she not feel anything?
She turned to Yun Ruanyu and said, "I want to start the next plan."
Yun Ruanyu understood Yun Qianxue's mood, and she did not plan to stop her. She nodded her head and turned to everyone. "Everyone below the Earth Profound Realm should retreat to the main hall, and the rest will follow us."
"We are refused to retreat! Please give us permission, First Hall Master!" All the disciples below the Earth Profound Realm said in unison.
Yun Ruanyu's eyes turned cold, and her aura immediately enveloped them. She said, "This not the time to be brave. I know everyone wants to avenge your fellow sisters, but all of you are too weak! You will only become a burden to us. Step back!"
The girls gritted their teeth, endured the pressure, and stubbornly looked at Yun Ruanyu. They were still refused to retreat as they were overwhelmed by a strong thirst for revenge.
Yun Qingrou stepped forward to appease, "Leave this duty to us." Seeing some of them wanted to say something, Yun Qingrou said further, "You don't believe us?"
All the stubborn girls hurriedly shook their heads, denying and obediently retreated to the main hall in the end.
This series of actions was seen by Ji Muchen and Huo Han and caused the frowns between their brows to grow deeper. They racked their brains up but still could not figure out what Yun Qianxue would do next.
Boom! Boom!
Huo Yan increased his attack power further, and the barrier had now trembled violently as if it was about to break in the next second.
Yun Qianxue turned to look at the trembling barrier and waved her hand slightly. The barrier suddenly cracked open, and her figure shot forward in the air at lightning speed.
A trace of surprise appeared on Huo Yan's face, but it lasted only a second. He didn't care what the plan Yun Qianxue had in her mind was. All he knew was he could easily exterminate them with his strength.
Yun Qianxue floated steadily in the air, surrounded by the world of flame that painted the sky into crimson color. She raised the divine sword and released the Ice Phoenix projection toward Huo Yan.
"A small trick." Huo Yan sneered in contempt. He had already seen this move before when Yun Qianxue used it against Qi Ximing. Hence, he was confident to deal with it.
Scree—
The Ice Phoenix flapped its wings, flying toward Huo Yan with ice mist trailing behind its tail. Huo Yan's Sacred Flame Domain was slightly affected by its frost aura, but the domain didn't shrink as Qi Ximing's.
Huo Yan exerted over seventy percent of his strength to increase his domain's power and controlled it to attack the incoming Ice Phoenix.
Boom!
The ice and fire aura clashed with each other and fell into a stalemate. The Ice Phoenix could go forward, and the same went to Huo Yan's flame.
Yun Qianxue took this chance to launch a long-range attack at Huo Yan by sending a deep blue beam, but it was burned into nothingness before arriving at the target.
"Let me help, ancestor!" Huo Han's wounds had already stopped bleeding. He flew toward Yun Qianxue and sent several fire palm prints on her.
Yun Qianxue skillfully avoided all the palm prints and executed the Misty Cloud Steps to arrive in front of Huo Han. She swung the divine sword down with a powerful sword force.
Ding!
Huo Han used his sword to parry hers, but his sword immediately shattered directly, causing him to avoid the slash hastily.
"Get out!" Ji Muchen shouted at Huo Han as he condensed sword intent by using an ordinary Heaven rank sword. He stabbed his sword in the air, and countless sword intents behind him swarmed toward Yun Qianxue.
Clang!
The majestic melody rang out to intercept Ji Muchen's sword intents. Ji Muchen was frustrated as he stared at Yun Ruanyu, who sat on the ground behind the white Guqin.
"Go stop her!" Huo Han yelled at a few Elders nearby, and they immediately rushed toward Yun Ruanyu. However, they were intercepted midway by the twelves Elders and Yun Qingrou.
Ji Muchen's face turned ashen and quickly ordered his subordinates to join the battle while his mind spun rapidly. A second later, he suddenly found the crux of this matter as he looked around the place. "Where are Yun Meilan and Yun Lingwei?"
Hearing this, Huo Han had also realized it was indeed both of them were missing. The uneasiness in his heart became more apparent at this moment.
"Don't tell me…." Huo Han exclaimed and quickly used a transmission jade to contact his disciples who stayed back in the sect. In the next moment, his face became horrified when he found out he couldn't contact any of them.
Ji Muchen saw this. His expression was also changed drastically as he hurriedly contacted one of his aides.
"We've been tricked! Everyone, retreat!" Ji Muchen yelled in anger and started to flee, but Yun Ruanyu seemed to step ahead of him as she appeared before him in a flash.
"Where are you going, Sect Master Ji?" Yun Ruanyu said with a faint smile that appeared as if she was mocking him.
"Go away!" Ji Muchen did not hesitate to swing his sword at Yun Ruanyu, but the latter simply blocked him with her Guqin.
Yun Ruanyu pushed the Guqin at Ji Muchen and forced him to retreat further and further until he almost reached the edge of the Grand Protection Formation's barrier.
Huo Han had a different thought from Ji Muchen. Since it was useless to go back to the sect now, he better continued to fight here.
A ruthless glint flashed across Huo Han's eyes. His figure disappeared from the spot and reappeared behind one of the twelve Elders.
"Be careful!" Yun Qingrou shouted and shot an arrow at Huo Han, but it was too late as Huo Han successfully punched on the back of the target before him, causing the latter to cough up blood and fell to the ground harshly.
Yun Qianxue saw this scene and prepared to take care of Huo Han, but suddenly, she heard the Ice Phoenix cried out loud in pain, making her look at it.
At this moment, Huo Yan had released his strength to the maximum. The flame's power instantly increased and started to force the Ice Phoenix back. A moment later, the Ice Phoenix could not resist the flame any longer and was completely engulfed by it.
"No!" Yun Qianxue exclaimed unwillingly when she saw the Ice Phoenix began to fade away. The droplet symbol on her forehead immediately shone brightly as she pointed the divine sword at Huo Yan, sending several ice swords at him.
"Hmph!" Huo Yan snorted, and the flame aura suddenly burst out like a volcano, quickly melting Yun Qianxue's ice swords into vapors
Seeing that the Ice Phoenix could not hold any longer as it disappeared under the raging flame, Yun Qianxue decisively told everyone to retreat.
"Still want to go back!?" Huo Yan spoke coldly, and his Sacred Flame Domain erupted with a deafening explosion.
Boom!
Yun Qianxue and the rest were directly blown away by the explosion and fell onto the top of the Misty Cloud Peak one by one.
Huo Yan made another attack on the barrier and successfully created a permanent hole in it.
"Hahaha! Everyone, go!" Huo Han laughed wildly and rushed into the barrier with his subordinates.
Ji Muchen hesitated briefly and decided to follow afterward. Since he could not save the people in the sect, he could only take revenge for them.
Huo Yan retracted his domain as it consumed too much energy and slowly followed everyone into the barrier.
Yun Qianxue stood up, wiping a trace of blood from the corner of her mouth. Her current appearance was quite miserable. Her snow-white robe was half burned by the explosion, revealing flawless skins beneath it.
When she saw Huo Yan and the rest passed through the barrier into the sect's territory. A cold smile emerged on her lips as she said calmly, "Open!"
Hong!
Following the ringing sound, a golden light suddenly enveloped the entire sect, and a tremendous pressure immediately fell upon Huo Han's group.
"What is this!?" Huo Han exclaimed in shock. He felt his strength had magically disappeared from his body. At this moment, his strength was equal to the tenth level of the Earth Profound Realm.
Ji Muchen was no exception. He was terrified to the core when he realized this and hastily turned around to flee.
"Damn it!" Ji Muchen cursed loudly when he found out he could not go out anymore as he had no way to break the golden light barrier.
Huo Yan frowned slightly. He lived for thousands of years, but this was his first time encountered such a bizarre formation. He felt his strength had been reduced to the third level of Ruler Profound Realm. Although it was not much, he still needed to be careful when facing the Ice Phoenix projection next time.
"Kill!" Yun Qianxue said loudly.
Everyone included the Earth Profound Realm disciples, charged at Huo Han and the rest with all their might.