Time slipped by, and the sun sank below the western hills. A new moon hung in the sky, stars glittering around it—a place of perfect peace. In the grass, fireflies flickered, their wings trembling softly, adding to the stillness of the night.
But it was summer, and the weather could change in an instant. The sky had been clear, dotted with stars; moments later, dark clouds blanketed it, and torrential rain began to fall.
"Eh? It's raining?" The ancient trees were so dense that their leaves blocked the rain. Only after a while did a few drops land on Ling Tian's face, waking him.
"Ugh, don't tell me I still have to stand guard in the rain?" Ling Tian groaned inwardly.
"Brother Ling Tian, it's pouring outside. Hurry inside!" Hua Min'er's sweet voice called out.
Ling Tian looked toward the sound. Through the curtain of rain, he saw Hua Min'er anxiously standing in the doorway, unaware that raindrops were splashing against her lovely face. With a few light steps, he appeared inside the house-shaped magic treasure. His clothes were slightly soaked, and raindrops dripped from him; even his face was covered in rain.
"Look at you, your face is drenched." Ling Tian spoke gently, full of tenderness, and wiped the rain from Hua Min'er's face as he spoke.
"Yours is too. Hee-hee." Hua Min'er felt a warm sweetness in her heart and giggled, then wiped the rain from Ling Tian's face and body as well.
"So mushy. I can't take it anymore." Yao Yu's words were full of teasing.
"Senior Sister..." Hua Min'er's face flushed scarlet, her embarrassment boundless.
"This rain couldn't have come at a worse time. I'm afraid we're in trouble now." Yun Ying ignored their playful antics, her brows furrowing with worry.
"Mm, that's right." Ling Tian agreed, looking worried as well.
"What is it, Senior Sister?" Hua Min'er was focused entirely on Ling Tian and hadn't given anything else a thought. The words slipped out before she could stop them.
"With this torrential rain washing everything away, many of the formations Ling Tian set up will likely be damaged. Worse, even if those Earth Flame Formations aren't damaged, they probably won't do us any good." Yun Ying explained.
"Oh, I understand." Hua Min'er grasped the problem at once.
"Perhaps only the Mud Puddle Formations will retain a little of their power," Ling Tian added.
"Then what should we do? Go out and fight them? The weather puts us at a disadvantage." Yao Yu sounded exasperated.
"There's no good solution for now. Sigh, we'll just have to take things as they come." Yun Ying sighed helplessly.
"Ling Tian, you're the one with the most tricks up your sleeve. Do you have any ideas?" Yao Yu looked to Ling Tian as her last hope.
Ling Tian had no choice. A bow suddenly appeared in his hand, its surface marked by obvious cracks, as if it might break at any moment. He sighed. "If this bow were intact, I could pick them off from a distance. As it is, I'm afraid I can only shoot a few arrows."
"That damned old Huang Se! This is all his fault." Hua Min'er's little face turned cold, brimming with killing intent. She had always been hostile toward Huang Se.
"Sigh, shoot as many as you can. With rain this heavy, it won't be easy to hit a zombie in the forehead from a distance." Yun Ying's words spoke for everyone.
Ling Tian hesitated. He hadn't practiced archery much, and at long range he would probably have trouble hitting a zombie—especially in the forehead.
For a moment, everyone felt uneasy and afraid.
"Roar!" "Roar!"
Suddenly, several low growls came from all directions. More and more followed, gradually closing in. Before long, the zombies had surrounded them completely.
The group looked outside through the house. The zombies shuffled toward them, but when they crossed the outermost line, only a handful of formations gave off a flash of white light.
"Just as I thought. Many of the Alert Formations have stopped working," Ling Tian murmured.
His words made everyone even more nervous. They looked hopefully toward the Earth Flame Formations in the distance, but even the undamaged ones only kindled tiny flames, which the downpour quickly snuffed out.
"Sigh, just as expected. Sisters, stay alert. When the zombies come closer, form up and kill them." Yun Ying sighed, then her expression turned resolute.
At her words, the women swiftly summoned their flying swords and prepared to fight.
"Eh?! I didn't expect the Mud Puddle Formations to not only survive but grow much stronger." Yao Yu was delighted to see many zombies trapped in the mud.
"Mm, the weather has strengthened the formations a little, but the rain is so heavy that the mud will soon thin out. The zombies will probably be able to crawl free. You win some, you lose some." Ling Tian analyzed the situation carefully, then reached a conclusion that dampened everyone's spirits even further.
Sure enough, before long, as the zombies struggled in the mud, the thick sludge grew thinner and thinner. They were about to crawl free.
"We have to kill those zombies now. Otherwise, things will get even worse." Ling Tian's expression was grave. He darted outside and charged toward the zombies.
"Brother Ling Tian, don't!" Hua Min'er cried out, but she charged after him without a moment's hesitation.
Seeing this, Yun Ying, Yao Yu, and the others rushed out too, afraid the two would get into trouble. But how could they match Ling Tian and Hua Min'er's speed? They quickly fell far behind.
"Min'er, go back! I'll be fine." The rain poured in sheets. Ling Tian looked back, frantic with worry.
"No. I'm staying with you, brother." Hua Min'er was firm, leaving no room for argument.
"You..." Ling Tian grew anxious.
"Brother, watch your back! The zombies are crawling out. Hurry and attack!" Hua Min'er cut him off.
Ling Tian spun around. Not far away, a zombie was almost out of the mud, with only one foot still stuck. He had no time to argue with Hua Min'er. He hurled something with his right hand, and a streak of black light flashed. The zombie convulsed a few times, then stopped struggling.
"Hee-hee, that was easy enough. With our footwork, these ugly things can't hurt us. Don't worry, Brother Ling Tian." Seeing him deal with the zombie, Hua Min'er tried to reassure him. She didn't look the least bit afraid; as long as she was with Ling Tian, she seemed unafraid even if the sky fell.
"All right, but if things start looking bad, leave. Understand?" Ling Tian gave in helplessly, knowing how stubborn Hua Min'er was.
"Got it! I haven't even had a chance to fight yet. Watch me." As she spoke, Hua Min'er summoned her flying sword.
The sword howled through the air, flying toward a zombie's forehead. The zombie dodged, and the sword veered off, striking its shoulder instead with a clang like metal on stone. The zombie's shoulder bore only a shallow mark, and a thread of black blood seeped from the wound. The rain washed it away in an instant.
"Ugh, it's so tough." Hua Min'er pursed her little lips, displeased that she had barely hurt the zombie.
Thud!
A flying sword pierced the zombie's forehead. It convulsed a few times, then collapsed. The sword kept spinning, searching for its next target.
Hua Min'er turned around and saw Yun Ying controlling the sword. The others had finally caught up.
"Junior Sister Min'er, you still haven't learned to control your flying sword properly. The spiritual energy inside it should be held back until it strikes its target, then released in a burst. That way, you'll kill with a single blow." Yun Ying controlled her sword as she instructed Hua Min'er.
Hua Min'er listened and pondered for a moment. Suddenly, inspiration struck. Eagerly forming a hand seal, she directed her flying sword at another zombie. This time, the sword flew faster, Sword Qi whistling around it. With a thud, it plunged into a zombie's forehead, burying half a foot of blade in its head, but it couldn't go any farther. The sword trembled in place, yet the zombie fell all the same.
"Min'er really is clever. She understands as soon as she's taught. You're just a little out of practice. A few more tries, and I'm sure you'll do even better." Yun Ying couldn't help praising her, then pointed out where Hua Min'er still needed improvement.
"Mm, hee-hee, I understand, Senior Sister." Hua Min'er was overjoyed. She beckoned with her little hand, and the flying sword pulled free, continuing on in search of another target.
Meanwhile, Ling Tian saw the zombies growing more numerous, and several were beginning to crawl out of the mud. He attacked with both hands, black light flashing again and again. In an instant, several zombies had fallen.
"Hee-hee, little brother Ling Tian is so handsome. Big Sister adores you." Though Yao Yu kept talking, her hands never stopped. Her flying sword howled through the air, leaving black holes in the foreheads of two zombies. Neither would survive.
At Yao Yu's words, Ling Tian stumbled and nearly let a zombie claw him. Luckily, his footwork was nimble. He spun sharply, leaving layer upon layer of afterimages. The zombie's claws passed through them without coming close. Ling Tian turned, a flash of black light streaked by, and the zombie could move no more.
"That was close! Senior Sister Yao Yu, don't scare me like that." Ling Tian drew a long breath and complained irritably.
Yao Yu was frightened too. She had been terrified just now; if anything happened to Ling Tian, she would never be able to answer for it. She said no more and continued fighting.
Behind them, the Qingdie Peak disciples each sought out an opponent. Once they truly faced the zombies, the women weren't afraid anymore. For a time, Sword Qi crisscrossed the air, women cried out, zombies roared, and rain hammered the ground, all blending into a savage symphony of slaughter.
As the fierce battle continued, more and more zombies fell. But many had bypassed the formations and began to fight back. Before long, some of the lower-cultivated disciples could no longer hold on. Luckily, the zombies were slow, so they could still manage—but they were in constant danger, and it was only a matter of time before they collapsed.
"Quick! Form sword formations, with those at the Qi Solidification Stage at the center!" Yun Ying cried, giving the order.
Everyone obeyed, joining in groups of two or three to form sword formations, with those at the Qi Solidification Stage taking the offensive and those with lower cultivation focusing on defense. Sword shadows overlapped, and their power multiplied several times over. Gradually, the battle stabilized, and the disciples were no longer stretched to their limits. As time passed, the zombies grew fewer and fewer. Seeing this, everyone was greatly encouraged and fought even harder.
"Senior Sister Yun Ying, who knew we'd be so strong? This is pretty easy." Yao Yu began to relax, with enough spare time to chat with Yun Ying.
"That's because Ling Tian's formations held most of the zombies back at first, allowing us to kill a great many at once. Otherwise, how could it have been this easy?" Yun Ying replied irritably.
Ling Tian darted left and right with nimble footwork, his afterimages overlapping until not a single zombie could touch him. Hearing the two women, he couldn't help feeling pleased with himself. But then a thought suddenly struck him. "I'm afraid it's not that simple. That zombie lurking behind all this hasn't appeared yet, and it's the biggest threat of all."
Before you continue