The Turning Tide of Wits

As the demonic sect sealed off the outside and slaughtered the heroes of the Four Swords Sect within the formation, Liu Yunshen, Lei Zhaoye, Gong Liefeng, Cao Langao, and Cai Yuelin stood atop trees a hundred zhang away, staring into the formation.

"Why did Brother Ouyang have to come now of all times?!" Gong Liefeng was frantic. "I'm going!"

"Wait!" Lei Zhaoye stopped him. Gong Liefeng cried anxiously, "Brother Ouyang doesn't know about those human puppets. If anything happens to him..."

"We'll control the human puppets with our minds and do everything we can to keep Brother Ouyang safe!" Liu Yunshen was the first to sit down. The other four followed suit. Lei Zhaoye frowned. "If we all send our consciousness into the human puppets, what if those villains have another trick up their sleeves?"

"I'll have to trouble Brother Lei to guard us!" Liu Yunshen closed his eyes once more.

"Brother Gong, control my puppet!" Lei Zhaoye cut his finger. Gong Liefeng took hold of it, summoned his sword intent, connected with the human puppet, and fought Yan Chen fiercely!

Lei Zhaoye watched the others. After a moment's thought, he secretly nodded. "This is even better. If we give it everything we have, we can wear down those villains' core energy. When we launch our sneak attack later, we'll get twice the result with half the effort! Come to think of it, the talismans Gu Jingchuan gave us really are useful!"

Several days earlier, when Gu Jingchuan, Gu Feibai, and Shui Xuanshuang had parted ways with the heroes, they suddenly called everyone to a halt.

"Everyone, wait!"

"What is it?"

"Brother Liu, you've now thoroughly offended the demonic sect! Are you truly unafraid?" Gu Jingchuan stared at Liu Yunshen. Liu Yunshen frowned. "I've implicated everyone. Perhaps we should part ways..."

"What nonsense are you saying, Brother Liu? Your business is my business!" Gong Liefeng threw an arm around his shoulders.

"Even so, we need some countermeasures!" Gu Jingchuan was about to continue when Gu Feibai immediately pulled five talismans from his elder brother's robes and tossed them over. "Everyone, these are Human Puppet Talismans unique to our clan. You need only silently recite the incantation and channel three-tenths of your power into them. They will fill themselves with core energy according to your cultivation, and you can control them with your minds."

Gu Jingchuan flew into a rage. "You brat, I haven't even spoken yet! Why did you give them away already?"

Gu Feibai grinned. "It's a favor either way. Better to give it early than late!"

Shui Xuanshuang snickered from the side.

Lei Zhaoye accepted the talismans and gave a solemn bow. "Brother Gu, this kindness is too great. Our Four Swords Gate has no way to repay it. Should you ever need anything in the future, just say the word!"

Gu Jingchuan stepped forward with a smile and clasped their hands. Just as he was about to speak, he saw his second brother preparing to interrupt again and immediately barked harshly, "Shut your mouth!"

Gu Feibai grumbled as he walked aside. "Big Brother Xie treats his second brother so well. Who's like you? All you know is how to yell at me every day!"

Cao Langao and Shui Xuanshuang were chatting animatedly nearby.

"Little Sister Shui, could the Xie Clan be..."

"Yes, one of the Eight Great Clans of the Chu Kingdom!"

"These talismans can be used tonight, once no one is around!"

"But won't the human puppets' power disperse ahead of time?" Liu Yunshen was greatly surprised. Gu Jingchuan smiled. "No. When their power is depleted, they replenish it themselves. Unless the human puppet is completely destroyed, even if its head is severed, its back split open, or its chest pierced through, it can still hold out for a while as long as its core energy has not run dry. Its vitality rivals that of a flying corpse!"

"There is another benefit to using these human puppets: they conceal your auras, so long as you do not stray farther than ten li from them!" Gu Feibai rushed to speak.

"So we can hide like ordinary people?" Cai Yuelin was astonished.

Gu Jingchuan and Gu Feibai nodded solemnly.

Liu Yunshen asked in confusion, "Can't we usually conceal our auras?"

Gu Jingchuan was greatly surprised. "Brother Liu, your cultivation is impressive. Has your master never taught you?"

Cao Langao smiled. "Senior Brother Liu, once cultivators cross the first stage of the first realm, Energy Refinement, the energy in their dantians shines against that of ordinary people like the bright moon among stars on a night sky! Demonic sect villains who are also cultivators need only investigate a little to easily discover our tracks!"

"So that's how it is!" Liu Yunshen was utterly shocked.

"But once these talismans are used and the human puppets appear, your auras will become exceptionally clear and faint, no different from ordinary people's. With a little disguise, others will simply take you for merchants traveling the road."

That night, the group used the human puppets to travel ahead while they disguised themselves and followed several li behind. Sure enough, after entering Guanhe Commandery of the Qin Kingdom for barely more than ten li, the demonic sect appeared. Without even glancing at the group several li behind, they directly ambushed the human puppets traveling up front!

Lei Zhaoye stared intently at the battle and watched in alarm as three human puppets exhausted their core energy and "died on the spot." Gong Liefeng, Cao Langao, and Cai Yuelin had all awakened. He immediately carried the four Liu Yunshens on his back and lightly leapt to a spot more than ten zhang from the demonic sect, concealing their auras once again!

Liu Yunshen opened his eyes, stared at Ouyang Qingcang within the formation, drew his rusty iron sword, and silently gathered his strength!

"From Cao Huan's stance, Brother Ouyang's life is not in immediate danger. But his chest has been grievously wounded. If it is not treated, it will eventually affect his future cultivation!" Lei Zhaoye looked at the others. "I'll count to three. Together, we'll kill Cao Lie and Zhao Tanlang!"

"Why not kill the strongest ones, Cao Huan and Yan Chen?"

"Those two have lost no more than twenty or thirty percent of their power, and their techniques are unusual. They surely possess ultimate arts that can preserve their lives! Even a sneak attack would have difficulty killing them! Better to remove their claws and fangs first!"

"Among those fifty-odd people maintaining the formation, more than ten are second-realm experts! Leave them to me!" Liu Yunshen opened his eyes, drew in the fierce energy, and his aura rose without stop!!

Everyone was shocked and delighted. "Brother Liu actually still has another trump card!"

"One... two... three!" Lei Zhaoye shouted and charged straight at the demonic formation. Just as he was about to touch the barrier of the outer formation, screams rang out behind him. Seven clusters of stars revolved around Liu Yunshen, arranged like the Northern Dipper, while one blazed even brighter than the scorching sun. Any demonic sect disciple who so much as brushed against it was roasted into charred black ash!

More than twenty people in the outer formation died in an instant! The formation broke at once!

Cai Yuelin and Lei Zhaoye pierced Zhao Tanlang with their swords. Dozens of streams of Sword Qi blasted him into mangled pieces! The two felt an indescribable exhilaration in their hearts!

"You vile traitor, may you die without a burial ground!"

Meanwhile, Cao Langao and Gong Liefeng worked in flawless coordination. Their two five-foot swords transformed into a raging wind—one pierced through the chest, the other severed the head!

The situation reversed in an instant!!

"What the hell is going on?!" Cao Huan roared in fury, sending two ten-zhang palm strikes hurtling at Lei Zhaoye and Gong Liefeng!

The two twisted aside to evade, staring at Cao Huan with shock in their eyes. "Cao Huan still hadn't used his full strength just now!"

"What is there to fear? We've fought countless battles these past days and even made breakthroughs several days ago! Even if we cannot win, we can still give it our all!" Gong Liefeng's spirit soared as he pointed his sword at Cao Huan, Yan Chen, and Qin Xiong!

"I'll deal with him!" Liu Yunshen leaped into the field and stared at Cao Huan!

Qin Xiong looked back at the outer formation. Corpses already carpeted the ground, and blood flowed in channels. He staggered back in shock and rage. "That little bastard killed all our brothers by himself!"

"Where did you learn the Heavenly Pivot Sword Technique?!" Cao Huan stared at Liu Yunshen.

Everyone in the field was horrified. Yan Chen's eyes widened. "Impossible! The Heavenly Pivot Elder died over a thousand years ago! His inheritance was severed long ago!"

Cao Langao and Cai Yuelin grabbed Liu Yunshen, overjoyed. "Brother Liu/Senior Brother Liu! You truly know the Heavenly Pivot Sword Technique!"

"This is the Star Spiral Swift Sword my master taught me, specially made for slaughtering dogs!" Liu Yunshen gathered his aura and lunged sword-first at Cao Huan!

"Bear-dog, come play another round with your grandpa!" Lei Zhaoye bellowed, striking at Qin Xiong with his sword. Qin Xiong flew into a rage and manifested his giant bear avatar once more. Countless claw strikes collided with Sword Qi, ringing with the clang of metal against iron!

Yan Chen stared at the people before him and sneered. "The three of you, come at me together!"

"Junior Sister! Go treat Junior Brother Ouyang!" Gong Liefeng and Cai Yuelin leaped up at the same time, their swords stabbing toward Yan Chen!

Cao Langao rushed to Ouyang Qingcang's side, where blood poured without cease. With a cry of alarm, she hurriedly took out a medicinal pill and shoved it into his mouth, then tried to stop his bleeding. "Junior Brother Ouyang! Wake up!"

"Junior Sister Cao! You... aren't dead? Or is this the underworld..." Ouyang Qingcang coughed up blood, vomiting out the pill Cao Langao had fed him!

"What do we do?!" Cao Langao burst into tears. "Junior Brother Ouyang isn't going to make it!"

Gong Liefeng was distracted for a moment in his shock and was stabbed through the shoulder by the bone sword. Cai Yuelin's lightning sword struck in a furious barrage, like thunder and lightning! Yan Chen was shocked numb all over. For a moment, his bones went soft and his sinews weak, leaving his arms without strength. He dodged the Sword Qi in a miserable state and cursed loudly, "If I hadn't exhausted my core energy first, you two would already be dead!"

Lei Zhaoye fought Qin Xiong and barely held a sliver of advantage, caught in a painful dilemma. Junior Sister Cao's core energy is already weaker than ours, but if I go save Junior Brother Ouyang, how can Junior Sister Cao withstand that demonic fiend, fierce as a wolf and savage as a tiger?

Liu Yunshen looked back, then hurried to Ouyang Qingcang's side. He reached out, and a stream of pure, profound core energy penetrated straight into Ouyang's chest. Ouyang Qingcang expelled a mouthful of black vapor and slowly sat up. Cao Langao was overjoyed and fed him the pill again, but Cao Huan's mountain-shattering, peak-cleaving palm force came once more. The three rolled away in disarray! Ouyang Qingcang vomited blood again!

"Should we retreat first?" Liu Yunshen signaled with his eyes. Lei Zhaoye shook his head. "If we leave now, those three fiends will pursue us without relent. Most likely, everyone will perish!"

Liu Yunshen raised his sword again, and the seven stars rose once more! Ten-zhang Sword Qi blasted toward Cao Huan!

"And you still say it isn't the Heavenly Pivot Sword Technique!" Cao Huan shouted. A strange wheel appeared in his hand. It spun larger and larger until it became a giant wheel ten zhang across, crushing toward the Sword Qi with irresistible force!

Boom!!

After the thunderous impact, Liu Yunshen and Cao Huan both retreated five steps. The two stared at each other in astonishment!

Cao Langao gave a sorrowful smile and pressed her palms together. "It seems I can only use the Soul-Release Ritual to preserve Senior Brother Ouyang's life for now!"

Gong Liefeng was horrified. "Junior Sister, you must not use that forbidden art!"

Cao Langao looked at everyone, then immediately closed her eyes and breathed rapidly. Just as she was about to press her palm against Ouyang Qingcang's chest, a large hand seized her slender jade arm. "There is no need to seek death!"

"That voice!" Liu Yunshen turned his head and stared.

Jie Xiao, his body surging with murderous intent, appeared in the field!