Azure Cloud in Peril

Ling Yunzi and Xu Bai quickly took their fight elsewhere, and no victor could be determined in a short time.

On the flying vessel, the young man in a bright yellow brocade robe glanced at Ling Yunzi and Xu Bai locked in battle, then turned to a red-robed eunuch beside him. "What realm?"

"Reporting to Your Highness, he should be Nascent Soul Late Stage!" the red-robed eunuch answered.

His Highness smiled faintly. "Nascent Soul Late Stage? The Azure Cloud Sect truly declined with every generation! Since that is the case, what right does the Azure Cloud Sect have to continue existing? A sect with five thousand years of history is no more than this. Activate the flying vessel. Advance on Azure Cloud!"

The flying vessel started up again and pressed toward the Azure Cloud Sect.

Zhang Yang frowned, then flew into the air and fixed his gaze on the flying vessel. "Are you looking to die?"

If their first approach to Azure Cloud could be blamed on ignorance of etiquette, then their second approach clearly carried no simple intent.

Especially after Ling Yunzi appeared to stop them and they sent Xu Bai out, everything indicated that the Cloud Mountain Empire intended to strike against the Azure Cloud Sect.

"Isn't this what your Azure Cloud Sect wanted?" His Highness stared at Zhang Yang and said calmly. "Your Azure Cloud Sect already went too far by seizing the Cloud Mountain Empire's mineral resources. Then you dared attack the Flying Dragon Guard and steal their flying vessel. That was a declaration of war against the Cloud Mountain Empire. Your Azure Cloud Sect provoked us first, so do not blame us for showing no courtesy."

An inexplicable fury rose in Zhang Yang's heart. What a shameless villain, accusing the victim first!

They had dug away the Azure Cloud Sect's mine, yet reclaiming the mine was called robbery? They had sent the Flying Dragon Guard to hunt them down, yet somehow Azure Cloud had become the provocateur?

"Can your opinion represent the Cloud Mountain Empire?" Zhang Yang asked in return.

The red-robed eunuch stepped forward and introduced him. "His Highness is the Third Prince of the Cloud Mountain Empire, fully responsible for dealings with the Azure Cloud Sect this time."

The Third Prince looked at Zhang Yang with a cold smile. "Now do you know whether I have the authority to represent the Empire?"

Zhang Yang nodded. "I'll satisfy you!"

"Fourth Martial Uncle, activate the formation!"

A Formation Disk appeared in Biling Zi's hand. The Laws of Heaven and Earth around the Azure Cloud Sect seemed to ripple, and mist began to rise, instantly veiling the sect in a layer of gauze.

"Fifth Martial Uncle, fill the gaps."

A spirit brush appeared in Hualingzi's hand. One rune after another materialized out of thin air, concealing themselves among the Azure Cloud Sect's mountains and waters.

Meanwhile, aboard the opposing flying vessel, the Third Prince waved a hand and instructed the chief red-robed eunuch, "Eunuch Xi, watch the changes in the Azure Cloud Sect's sect-protecting formation carefully. Find its flaw and shatter it in a single blow."

"This old servant understands!" The red-robed eunuch nodded.

"Flying Dragon Army, heed my command! Break the enemy!" the Third Prince shouted.

The three thousand Flying Dragon Army soldiers aboard the flying vessel received their orders. A thousand drew their bows and nocked arrows, every arrow wreathed in runes. They were all Talisman Arrows.

At a single command, a thousand flying arrows swept up the spiritual energy of heaven and earth and blasted toward the Azure Cloud Sect's formation.

Boom—

With a tremendous crash, the sect-protecting formation shuddered.

"Fire again!"

Another thousand Flying Dragon Army soldiers loosed their arrows, striking the formation once more.

"Third Squad, continue!"

The Third Prince sneered. "What is so remarkable about cultivation? I have wiped out more sects than I can count. We can cultivate your techniques too; the resources of my entire Empire can be used to support the Flying Dragon Army. With your Azure Cloud Sect alone, you think you can contend with us? We merely lacked an excuse to deal with you, which was why we deliberately waited until now."

He commanded the Flying Dragon Army as its three squads took turns firing arrows, endlessly bombarding the Azure Cloud Sect's formation.

Every arrow was a Talisman Arrow. It was nowhere near as easy for Flying Dragon Army soldiers to fire a Talisman Arrow as it was to shoot an ordinary arrow.

Therefore, only a thousand could fire at a time, with the three squads attacking in rotation.

Yet the Talisman Arrows fired by those thousand men carried greater force than a Nascent Soul Realm cultivator's single strike.

The Third Prince firmly believed that after only a few more attacks, the Flying Dragon Army would sooner or later blast through the Azure Cloud Sect's sect-protecting formation.

Inside the Azure Cloud Sect, the Formation Disk in Biling Zi's hand shone brilliantly as it mobilized the Laws of Heaven and Earth.

Biling Zi gritted her teeth. "Those damned bastards actually dare offend Azure Cloud. They must pay the price! Fifth, can you draw those talismans faster? The formation lines are about to lose their connections..."

Hualingzi replied irritably, "Am I not already drawing as fast as I can? Does your lousy formation even work, Senior Sister?"

"How does it not work? Didn't it block them?" Biling Zi snapped. "Third Senior Brother, give me Origin-Restoring Pills to replenish my spiritual power."

"Coming!" Danchენzi tossed over the pills.

Zhang Yang frowned deeply and asked, "Can this formation withstand them? Seventh Martial Uncle, is the Azure Cloud Sect's sect-protecting formation really only this strong?"

Had a sect with five thousand years of history truly declined to such a state?

Baiyun Zi shook her head. "This is not the sect-protecting formation. It is a formation Senior Sister cobbled together. Senior Sister, keep it up!"

Biling Zi said indignantly, "Shut up! It is easy to talk when you are standing on the sidelines!"

Zhang Yang shook his head helplessly. He had joined the Azure Cloud Sect only recently and barely knew anything about it.

Although he was called the acting sect master now, his martial uncles did not give him any face at all. He could not command a single one of them, so he had never come into contact with the Azure Cloud Sect's true secrets.

However, judging by how those people were still arguing at such a critical moment, the situation probably was not too serious.

At this time, Situ Mingyue and the disciples within the Azure Cloud Sect finally ran to the mountain gate.

Seeing the imposing force of the three thousand Flying Dragon Army soldiers outside the mountain, Chunxiao was deeply worried. "Miss, what do we do now? Should we have Senior Qin take us away? It is too dangerous here."

Situ Mingyue frowned tightly. She found it rather strange. Could the Azure Cloud Sect truly have only this much strength?

The sect-protecting formation had actually been flattened by three thousand Flying Dragon Army soldiers?

This was a sect that had been passed down for five thousand years. It had none of the bearing it should have had!

"Do not be afraid. Master has not made his move yet!" Situ Mingyue shook her head. "Rest assured, as long as he is here, these Flying Dragon Army soldiers pose no threat."

"But the battle has reached this point, and the sect master still has not appeared. What if he is not in the sect..."

"If Master is not in the sect, then that really would be troublesome." Situ Mingyue became worried as well.

Her greatest source of confidence was Azure Cloud Master. Since Azure Cloud Master had not appeared, she began to suspect that he might have gone off to handle something.

At the same time, those youths who had only recently joined the sect were also discussing matters among themselves.

Many of them looked outside with great concern.

They had only just joined the sect. Why did it look as though the sect was about to be destroyed?

"Do you see that? This is our Flying Dragon Army!" Cao Ying wore a proud expression, utterly unconcerned that others might discover her identity. "Our Flying Dragon Army is invincible. Once we appear, there is no enemy we cannot defeat."

In contrast to Cao Ying's pride, Wang Baole glared fiercely at the Flying Dragon Army.

Yet there was sorrow in his heart as well. The backer he had just found was about to be gone, and he likely would never be able to avenge himself.

"Senior Qin, should we lend them a hand?"

Outside the Azure Cloud Sect, Jiang Zhiqiu and Qin Yushu watched the Flying Dragon Army fiercely assault the Azure Cloud Sect, their expressions extremely grave.

They had long since been alerted by the Flying Dragon Army's imposing might. However, they did not dare reveal themselves openly and could only hide nearby to observe in secret.

As a Rogue Cultivator, Jiang Zhiqiu would have turned around and fled long ago if not for the Nascent Soul Realm cultivator standing beside him.

Although he had obtained a cultivation technique from the Azure Cloud Sect, his relationship with the sect was more like a transaction.

Therefore, he did not yet feel much sense of belonging toward the Azure Cloud Sect.

Qin Yushu frowned deeply, looking at the Azure Cloud Sect in confusion as well.

Why had Azure Cloud Master still not made a move?

Could it be that Ling Yunzi had been boasting, and there had never been any battle between Azure Cloud Master and Tan Qiushui?

And Ling Yunzi was actually evenly matched against Xu Bai... Why did the Azure Cloud Sect feel so weak, so very weak... What hidden trick was at work here?

However, Qin Yushu had no intention of acting for now. As long as Situ Mingyue was not threatened, he would not move.

By this point, the Flying Dragon Army's arrow rain had fired seventeen successive volleys when the red-robed eunuch suddenly made his move.

A red shadow flashed. A pitch-black long whip, like a bolt of black lightning, lashed against Biling Zi's formation. At the same time, another volley of arrows arrived.

Boom—

After a heaven-shaking crash, Biling Zi's formation was broken.

Biling Zi, who controlled the formation's core, suddenly felt a violent jolt in her hand, and the Formation Disk flew into the air.

Affected by the backlash, Biling Zi spat out a mouthful of blood.

"Senior Sister!" Baiyun Zi cried out and rushed to Biling Zi's side, supporting her.

She raised her head toward the flying vessel and said fiercely, "You dared injure my Senior Sister. You are in danger now."

The Third Prince gave a cold laugh. "Danger? I would like to see what danger Azure Cloud possesses. Charge into Azure Cloud! From this day on, Azure Cloud will be destroyed!"

The red-robed eunuch also laughed coldly. "Little girl, this servant sees no danger anywhe—"

Before he could finish speaking, a mass of white cloud drifting through the sky suddenly fell.

One moment, the cloud had drifted at the edge of the heavens; the next, it was above the flying vessel. Though it was a soft white cloud, it struck the flying vessel like refined steel.

Boom—

With a deafening crash, the flying vessel was slapped to the ground by that mass of white cloud, smashing out a deep crater.

When the flying vessel encountered the external force, its runes activated automatically, and an enormous protective barrier enveloped it.

Only then did the Third Prince and the red-robed eunuch realize that something was wrong.

"Defend quickly! Activate the flying vessel's defenses at full power!" the Third Prince cried out in panic. "Eunuch Xi, return at once and take charge of the Dragon Boat's defenses!"

The red-robed eunuch hurriedly flew toward the flying vessel, trying to return aboard it.

The white cloud suppressing the flying vessel instantly changed into the shape of a giant hand.

With a gentle flick of one finger, the Nascent Soul Realm red-robed eunuch, who was just about to return to the Dragon Boat, burst midair into a cloud of blood mist and vanished like smoke.

Then the giant hand seized the Dragon Boat and smashed it viciously toward the ground.

The three thousand Flying Dragon Army soldiers aboard the Dragon Boat had no power to resist at all. They could only watch helplessly as the flying vessel crashed toward the earth.

The Third Prince's face turned deathly pale, his eyes filled with Fear. He collapsed onto the deck, trembling so violently that he could not utter a single word.