The Fish Took the Bait, Counter-Encirclement

As Lin Heng unhurriedly answered the Kill Heng Society Members' questions, the Cloud Sword Palace Experts who had stepped aside earlier also sprang into action.

They took out chains prepared long ago, piercing the Kill Heng Society Martial Artists' limbs and collarbones. Then they fed them all Blood Coagulating Qi Dissipating Powder, a poison that suppressed inner force, severed their Qi Meridians, and locked them up.

These people could not die yet. There was still much intelligence to be extracted from them.

The intelligence they uncovered could later be used to uproot all the legacies and contingencies they had left behind, and many Spoils of War could also be obtained from them.

Of course, they could not simply be left unattended.

To prevent them from causing unforeseen complications in the coming battle, their Combat Power had to be crippled before they were kept under guard.

"Master, send the signal. The people from Heavenly Star Valley and Ice Frost City are here."

At this moment, Lin Heng turned his gaze into the distance and spoke.

He could sense many powerful Martial Artist auras suddenly appearing far away, rushing toward the Cloud Sword Palace Mountain Gate without making any attempt to conceal themselves.

The Kill Heng Society was merely an appetizer. Tonight's biggest fish had taken the bait.

At the speed they were approaching, the net could be drawn in within seconds.

"So it should be."

Xiao Rang replied, then used the Ethereal Immeasurable Sword Technique to unleash several hundred streams of sword qi into the sky in rapid succession.

The sword qi radiated a luminous white glow, illuminating the pitch-black night sky for all those watching this battlefield to see.

The instant the Kill Heng Society Members clashed with Lin Heng, the Heaven and Earth Origin Energy throughout the Cloud Sword Palace Mountain Gate region became chaotic.

All manner of formidable Artistic Conception auras shot into the heavens like lighthouses in the night sky, detectable even from a great distance.

"Looks like it is time for us to act."

"Pick up the pace."

Not far from the Cloud Sword Palace Mountain Gate, the people of Heavenly Star Valley and Ice Frost City had already silently made their way here.

After sensing the sounds of battle in the distance, An Nian, the master of Heavenly Star Valley, gave the order.

Martial Artists fought at tremendous speed. Although opponents of similar strength needed to exchange many moves before deciding victory, defeat, life, or death, their attacks were as swift as lightning, and battles often ended in an extremely short time.

Though the battle had only just begun, by the time they arrived, it would most likely already be nearing its conclusion.

Even if only several hundred Grandmaster Martial Artists remained to guard the Cloud Sword Palace Mountain Gate, that was not a force the so-called Kill Heng Society could possibly contend with.

Barring any surprises, the final outcome should be the total annihilation of the Kill Heng Society. With the support of their sword array, the many Cloud Sword Palace Experts should not suffer heavy casualties, but their inner force would be greatly depleted and their Combat Power severely diminished.

Then the two of them could play the fisherman reaping the benefits, stepping in to harvest all the remaining Cloud Sword Palace Experts and realize their ambition of Dividing the World in Two.

Thus, the more than two thousand experts in their party no longer concealed themselves.

The Heavenly Star Valley group formed the Myriad Stars Array, while the Ice Frost City group formed the Wind Frost Array.

Their auras linked together, their Movement Art speed rising to its Peak. Their bodies became phantoms invisible to the naked eye as they charged toward the Cloud Sword Palace Mountain Gate, leaving even the sound of their robes cutting through the wind far behind them.

The closer they came to the Cloud Sword Palace Mountain Gate, the more their emotions surged.

Closer. Victory was almost at hand. They were about to begin a glorious chapter that belonged to them, and a new history would be written.

Their Essence, Qi, and Spirit were raised to their Peak, and everyone's Combat Power was ascending.

"Heavenly Star Valley and Ice Frost City have come to pay a visit!"

A long howl rang out. An Nian arrived even faster than his voice.

Before he had finished speaking, the more than two thousand people from the two Martial Arts Holy Lands had already formed their arrays and taken their positions firmly upon the Training Ground.

The situation before them was exactly as he had imagined.

The Kill Heng Society Members had already been wiped out. They had not posed much of a threat to the Cloud Sword Palace, and had even been disgracefully captured alive. The Cloud Sword Palace Martial Artists were currently using chains to pierce their limbs and collarbones, nailing them down.

Yet what An Nian and his group had not expected was that they saw no weakness from depleted inner force among the Cloud Sword Palace people, nor any panic on their faces.

Instead, their expressions were somewhat mocking. They were calm and composed, as if watching a pack of monkeys performing tricks.

In an instant, the soaring spirits of the Heavenly Star Valley and Ice Frost City people, who had arrived brimming with confidence, were abruptly cut short. An inexplicable unease welled up in everyone's hearts.

Were those Kill Heng Society people simply too useless, unable even to drain the Cloud Sword Palace people's strength? Would we suffer greater losses than expected in the coming Great Battle, and was that why we felt uneasy?

This thought arose in everyone's minds.

Yet before they could reach any conclusion, their keen Martial Artist senses caught the continuous sounds of robes slicing through the wind from all directions.

Experts were approaching at extreme speed. Judging by that speed, they were at least Grandmaster Realm experts, and there were many of them—roughly two thousand.

Before they could think any further, these experts had already arrived within the Cloud Sword Palace Mountain Gate, encircling the people of Heavenly Star Valley and Ice Frost City instead.

"Impossible! How could you possibly be so united!"

At the sight of these suddenly appearing experts, An Nian, master of Heavenly Star Valley, underwent a drastic change of expression. He could no longer maintain his calm confidence.

Many of the Grandmaster Martial Artists who had arrived had white hair and faces full of wrinkles, so old that they could no longer even maintain the appearance of White-Haired Youthful Face.

Their appearance was normal. They were Cloud Sword Palace experts who had completed their training, but had grown old, descended the mountain, and returned to their families to spend their twilight years in peace.

However, the appearance of another group left An Nian utterly incredulous. The Grandmaster experts dispatched by the Cloud Sword Palace higher-ups to deal with disturbances across various regions had returned ahead of time.

Beyond that, many experts unaffiliated with the Cloud Sword Palace had come to lend their aid. They came from the Five Vassal States under the Cloud Sword Palace's jurisdiction, as well as several Neutral Forces. They were all leaders and upper echelons of those powers.

There were even many leaders of Neutral Forces from within Heavenly Star Valley and Ice Frost City territory. These people had united in support of the Cloud Sword Palace, becoming enemies of Heavenly Star Valley and Ice Frost City alike.

Such thorough preparations made it clear that their scheme had long since been seen through. The Cloud Sword Palace had even played along with their plan, turning their own stratagem against them and allowing matters to reach this point.

With the Combat Power that had suddenly appeared, together with the Cloud Sword Palace's many Great Grandmasters, today's operation had become a complete joke.

They could neither kill Lin Heng nor wipe out the Cloud Sword Palace.

After expending such immense effort, even sacrificing considerable manpower and resources, they had gained nothing aside from killing a large number of Demonic Heretics.

"Why are we so united? That is an easy question to answer."

"If we do not support Young Sect Master Lin Heng, whose Peerless Talent allowed him to become a Supreme Great Grandmaster at merely fifteen, should we support a pack of withered bones in their graves like you?"