The main hall was quiet, the only sound being the clinking of bottles and jars as Kuang Zhu prepared medicinal paste.
Mo Tiange and Ye Jingwen stood before Zhan Bai, facing the Ancient Sword Sect cultivators across from them. Both wore calm expressions, yet it was precisely this calmness that made the others uneasy.
Wan Hong'an, having witnessed their capabilities firsthand, felt a flicker of anxiety, especially with Kuang Zhu—the only Late-Stage Foundation Establishment cultivator present—in the mix. He glanced at his fellow disciples, a flash of ruthlessness crossing his eyes, then stepped forward and shouted, "Senior Brother Kuang, these two ambushed and killed my fellow disciples! I demand an explanation on behalf of our Ancient Sword Sect!"
Kuang Zhu heard his voice, looked up briefly, then lowered his head again to continue stirring.
This reaction made Wan Hong'an's face flush with embarrassment. He angrily barked, "Kuang Zhu! What is the meaning of this?!"
"Meaning?" It was Zhan Bai, who rarely spoke, who answered. His cold gaze swept over the group, his voice flat. "What is the meaning of your words? Is it necessary to say things that will only make everyone lose face?"
The bluntness of the remark instantly enraged Wan Hong'an. "You—"
Mo Tiange lifted her eyes slightly, a mocking smile touching her lips. How ridiculous. Everyone clearly understood the farce being played out. Wouldn't it be better to just speak plainly? In the end, a fight was inevitable, so why bother pretending?
Wan Hong'an glanced at his fellow disciples again, that ruthless glint returning. In an instant, the five green-robed Ancient Sword Sect cultivators simultaneously drew their swords and began shifting their positions.
Seeing this, Mo Tiange and Ye Jingwen immediately summoned their Magical Tools, aiming to disrupt their formation.
Mo Tiange's Flying Shuttle darted with agile, unpredictable movements, heading straight for one of the early Foundation Establishment cultivators while she simultaneously released several flying needles. Ye Jingwen's flying sword shot directly toward Wan Hong'an.
Their sudden attack disrupted the enemy's positioning. Seizing the opportunity, Mo Tiange flicked her wrist, unleashing a dense cloud of flying needles.
Unfortunately, the space here was too confined to use talismans effectively. This wasn't a significant disadvantage for sword cultivators, but for ordinary cultivators like them, it diminished a portion of their combat strength.
"Hold your positions! I'll block them!" Wan Hong'an yelled.
Ye Jingwen sneered. "Do you think you can?"
Disciples of the Xuanqing Sect were not pure sword cultivators, and Ye Jingwen was no exception. As his flying sword shot out, he gripped another Magical Tool in his hand, directing all his attacks squarely at Wan Hong'an.
He had been the one ambushed by Wan Hong'an earlier, and now this villain was accusing him first. Resentment burned in his heart, and every move he made was aimed at Wan Hong'an.
Mo Tiange glanced at him, understanding his intent. She focused her full attention on disrupting the footwork of the others, preventing them from successfully forming the Myriad Phenomenon Star Formation.
By now, the battle was in full swing. Zhan Bai stood guard protectively in front of Xiaoguzi and Xiaozui, deflecting any stray attacks that came their way. Kuang Zhu, however, remained bent over his desk as if he saw nothing, still fiddling with his bottles and jars.
Both Mo Tiange and Ye Jingwen possessed strength surpassing ordinary mid-stage Foundation Establishment cultivators. Even facing five opponents, they fought on equal terms. Before long, the Ancient Sword Sect cultivators grew impatient. One of them, noticing Xiaoguzi and Xiaozui cowering in the corner, shouted, "Attack those two Qi Refining ones!"
Mo Tiange and Ye Jingwen both frowned. Zhan Bai looked up, his gaze shifting to Kuang Zhu. Finally, Kuang Zhu stopped his work with the medicinal paste.
Ye Jingwen recalled his flying sword, channeling Spiritual Qi into the blade. A nearly visible aura suddenly rose from the gleaming sword, strand by strand, clinging to the metal and swirling like a vortex. The process of the Spiritual Qi taking form lasted only an instant. Ye Jingwen then swung his arm, and the Spiritual Qi vortex suddenly expanded to a square ten feet wide, solidly blocking the space before them. All attacks from the Ancient Sword Sect cultivators were sucked into the vortex, their Spiritual Qi deflected. As the vortex slowly dissipated, their previous barrage of attacks vanished completely.
The faces of the Ancient Sword Sect cultivators turned ashen, but they quickly retrieved their flying swords and resumed their assault.
Mo Tiange summoned her White Silk Handkerchief. Suddenly, countless bricks fell from the air, piling up to form a brick wall that once again blocked all incoming attacks.
Panic began to show on the faces of the Ancient Sword Sect cultivators. If they weren't sword cultivators, whose combat prowess surpassed ordinary cultivators, they would have already fallen. "Sword Qi! Use Sword Qi!" Wan Hong'an yelled.
As soon as he spoke, the Ancient Sword Sect cultivators shifted their sword stances. Immediately, waves of Sword Qi filled the main hall.
Even before the Sword Qi reached them, a chilling cold could be felt. The stone pillars and jade tiles of the hall were scored with deep grooves under its assault.
Mo Tiange summoned her White Silk Handkerchief again. However, the Sword Qi now permeated the entire hall. No matter which direction she blocked, some slipped through.
Ye Jingwen faced the same problem. This Sword Qi wasn't particularly threatening to Foundation Establishment cultivators like them; even if it hit, it couldn't penetrate their personal Spiritual Qi defenses. But for Qi Refining cultivators, it was deadly. Despite Zhan Bai's frantic efforts to block left and right, wounds began to appear on Xiaoguzi and Xiaozui.
Anger surged in Mo Tiange's heart. She withdrew her White Silk Handkerchief and even recalled her Flying Shuttle, extending her divine sense, ready to kill!
At that moment, she caught a glimpse of a robe's hem fluttering before her eyes. Kuang Zhu had appeared in front of them in the blink of an eye. With a shake of his sleeves, countless powdery substances flew out, gradually weaving into a net. This seemingly light, misty powder solidly blocked their flying swords.
When the powder settled, Wan Hong'an, now dusted head to toe in white, roared, "Kuang Zhu!"
Kuang Zhu curled his lips into a faint, elegant smile, even in his anger. "Get out. You are not welcome here."
This provoked not just Wan Hong'an, but all the Ancient Sword Sect cultivators. Another shouted, "Kuang Zhu, what right do you have to drive us away?!"
Kuang Zhu snorted coldly, not bothering to hide his disgust. "The right of your lives! I turned a blind eye to your underhanded scheming, pretending not to see. But now you dare to bring it into the open? Then let's tear off the pretense. There's no need to play this game any longer!"
"You—" Wan Hong'an's face twisted. "Don't think being at Late-Stage Foundation Establishment makes you so great! With our numbers, we might not lose to you!"
Kuang Zhu smiled lightly. "Say one more word, and I will take your lives."
It sounded like a mere threat, and the Ancient Sword Sect cultivators understood it as such. But the icy, deathly intent in Kuang Zhu's expression rendered them speechless.
It was Ye Jingwen who finally broke the silence. He took a step forward. "Senior Brother Kuang, your intentions are good, and by rights, I should comply. But I wish to keep them all here."
Anger flashed across Wan Hong'an's face again, mixed with a trace of fear. In truth, he was beginning to regret his actions. He had assumed that, with the superior combat power of sword cultivators, they could gain the upper hand. He hadn't expected these opponents to be anything but ordinary. He already knew Kuang Zhu and Ye Jingwen were formidable, but he hadn't anticipated that this newly arrived female cultivator from the Xuanqing Sect would also be so powerful. These three were already at a higher cultivation stage. Even with the inherent combat advantage of sword cultivators, their chances of winning were pitifully small.
Kuang Zhu gave Ye Jingwen a bland look. "If you want to kill them, then kill them. Saves me the annoyance of looking at them."
A smile appeared on Ye Jingwen's face. He gave Kuang Zhu a slight bow, then glanced at Mo Tiange, who returned his smile. The two of them summoned their flying swords and Magical Tools once more, killing intent radiating from them.