The clash of metal, battle cries, and screams rang out without pause.
Though the Plum Blossom Guards held no overwhelming advantage in numbers, every one of them was an elite fighter. With seamless coordination and the enemy caught off guard, they quickly gained the upper hand.
Göktürk warriors fell one after another, either subdued and captured or killed outright.
Amid the chaos, Granny Wuya saw that the tide had turned against her. A vicious gleam flashed through her eyes as she thrust her wolf-headed wooden staff into the formation markings on the floor. At the same time, she bit the tip of her tongue and spat a mouthful of blood essence onto the wolf skull atop the staff!
"Explode!"
Boom!
The stone floor shuddered violently. Then the mandala pollen remaining beneath the entire hall combined with Granny Wuya's blood-essence poison art, erupting into a cloud of toxic smoke ten times more potent, its colors so vivid they looked uncanny! This was the final measure she had held in reserve.
"Fall back!"
Year Baleful swept both hands repeatedly, unleashing several denser streams of Yinfeng Blade Qi in an attempt to cleave the poisonous smoke apart.
Most of the Plum Blossom Guards reacted swiftly and withdrew, but two who stood too close were grazed by the smoke. An unnatural flush immediately spread across their skin, their eyes grew dazed, and their movements stiffened.
Seizing the opportunity, Granny Wuya darted away, trying to escape through a ventilation opening on the other side of the stone hall.
"Where do you think you're going!"
Plum Blossom, foremost of the Twenty-Four Floral Periods, moved like a phantom. Though he struck later, he arrived first and thrust out a palm.
The wind from that palm was chilling to the bone, aimed straight at Granny Wuya's back!
Left