Pitter-patter-
Lightning flashed, and the rain grew heavier, showing no sign of stopping.
Amid the curtain of rain, blades and swords flashed and crossed. Even the downpour was drowned out by the chaos beneath the night sky: footsteps, battle cries, curses, screams, and the ringing clash of steel all mingled together.
Blood soaked the ground before the rain washed it away, and its pungent stench filled the air.
"Sect Leader, there are too many court lackeys! We can't hold out much longer!"
At the center of the battlefield, a group of Wudang Sect disciples huddled together, fending off the surrounding Embroidered Uniform Guard and Demonic Gate disciples.
But there were simply too many people. With the heavy rain and dark clouds blotting out the moonlight, the night was so dark that they could barely see. They could not distinguish court lackeys from Demonic Gate disciples, or even fellow disciples of the Righteous Path sects, and sometimes wounded their own allies by mistake.
Of the nearly hundred Wudang Sect disciples who had come, fewer than half remained.
Song Yuanqiao, Yu Lianzhou, and the others guarded the perimeter, trying to shelter their disciples in the middle. At those words, they glanced at the corpses strewn around them, their expressions grim.
Daoist Chongxu drove back an attacking Embroidered Uniform Guard expert with his sword, then drew close to Song Yuanqiao and said breathlessly:
"Sect Leader, we can't keep fighting. We need to find a way to retreat!"
"But Wuji..."
Song Yuanqiao's brow furrowed tightly. He glanced toward a sand dune a short distance to his left, worry written across his face.
There, Zhang Wuji, clad in white and wielding a folding fan, was locked in combat with the red-robed Dongfang Bubai. The aftershocks of their powerful energy had blasted an empty space through the rain. No one dared approach within several yards of their battle.
"Eldest Senior Brother, Wuji has mastered the Nine Yang Divine Skill and has the Bright Moon Cult's inherited martial art, Heaven and Earth Shift, at his disposal. Even if he can't defeat Dongfang Bubai, he can certainly escape unscathed. Right now, we should focus on saving our Wudang Sect disciples. Otherwise, how will we answer to Master when we return?"
Yu Lianzhou saw Song Yuanqiao's concern and tried to persuade him.
Yet Song Yuanqiao still hesitated. After a moment's thought, he looked at the Wooden Daoist beside him. "Martial Uncle, what do you think?"
The Wooden Daoist glanced at him and said calmly, "You're the sect leader. Whatever you decide, we'll do. Why ask me?"
As he spoke, his sword swept sideways, cutting three Embroidered Uniform Guards in half at the waist. Yet Wooden Daoist remained completely at ease, as though he had barely exerted himself.
At his words, Song Yuanqiao let out a long breath and finally made his decision:
"All right. We'll retreat first."
Delighted, the surrounding disciples immediately shouted:
"The sect leader's orders! Retreat!"
"Retreat!"
Amid the chaos, the Wudang Sect disciples fought as they withdrew toward the edge of the battlefield.
Swish-
Just then, sword energy flashed through the rain. A Wudang Sect disciple near the rear was struck and screamed, clutching his chest as he fell. He twitched twice, then went still. Clearly, he would not survive.
"Watch out!"
Song Yuanqiao's expression shifted. He darted to the rear and blocked another streak of sword light. When he recognized the attacker, his heart sank. "Yu Huatian!"
Everyone immediately grew wary. Yu Lianzhou, Daoist Chongxu, and the others hurried back as well, staring gravely at the white-robed figure standing opposite them with a sword.
To their surprise, however, Yu Huatian did not strike again after that failed attack. He merely gave the Wooden Daoist beside Daoist Chongxu a long look, then turned away with his sword and joined another battle.
"What..."
They were puzzled.
After observing him carefully for a moment, the Wooden Daoist frowned. "He's deliberately killing the various sects' disciples."
At those words, they looked into the distance again. Amid the rain, that white-robed figure with his sword resembled White Impermanence, sent from hell to reap souls. His agile form darted across the battlefield, and wherever he went, someone invariably died beneath his blade.
He also seemed to be deliberately choosing weaker targets. If he encountered an enemy he could not dispatch with a single strike, he did not linger, but darted elsewhere to continue slaughtering others.
"That fiend is even more ruthless than the Demonic Cult! He truly intends to catch us all in one net!"
Song Yuanqiao's face was grim.
"If this man isn't eliminated, he will become a great scourge upon the martial world!"
Daoist Chongxu's voice was heavy.
The Wooden Daoist shook his head and reminded them, "How many people he kills is none of our concern. But if we don't leave now, we may never get away."
"Besides, he can kill without restraint. We cannot."
"We cannot afford to cross the court."
At those words, everyone's heart tightened.
The Wooden Daoist was right. Even if Yu Huatian truly wiped out everyone here tonight, no one would dare seek revenge against him, because he represented the court.
But if they killed too many of the court's men and earned its resentment, its armies might surround Mount Wudang afterward.
However powerful the Wudang Sect was, it could never stand against hundreds of thousands of imperial soldiers!
Song Yuanqiao stared hard at the white figure weaving through the distant crowd, forcibly suppressed his anger, and turned away. "Move!"
Without a word, everyone followed him toward Dragon Gate Pass, soon disappearing into the rain.
The Wudang Sect's departure quickly drew the attention of the other sects.
Many immediately understood its intentions and made the same decision, fighting as they withdrew toward the battlefield's edge.
The first to leave were the people from Shaolin Temple and the Kongtong Sect.
Shaolin Temple had sent only elites: the two divine monks, Kong Jian and Kong Zhi, along with the Eighteen Arhats. They had suffered virtually no losses. The Kongtong Sect had brought few people as well, so they soon broke free of the Demonic Cult and the Embroidered Uniform Guard, leaving the battlefield and retreating toward Dragon Gate Pass.
The Mount Song Sect had suffered the heaviest losses. Eight of its Thirteen Guardians had fallen, and even Zuo Lengchan had sustained internal injuries.
Noticing that the major sects were all retreating, Zuo Lengchan's face darkened. He glanced at Duan Tianya and his two companions, who were fighting fiercely against the Great Song's Four Great Constables nearby, and said coldly, "Retreat!"
With that, he too began protecting his disciples as they withdrew.
Elsewhere, the Emei School disciples noticed the other major sects' movements. One immediately called out to Abbess Miejue, "Master, the other sects are retreating!"
Hearing the call, Abbess Miejue glanced back. Her gray brows drew together, and she too began considering retreat.
But just as she was about to give the order, another sword flashed toward her. It was Li Zhenzhen, the Heavenly Venerable's Rakshasa Fairy, who refused to leave her alone.
Abbess Miejue's face darkened, and she shouted sharply, "Li Zhenzhen, what are you trying to do? Do you really intend to watch the Emei School perish here? How can you face Master?!"
Li Zhenzhen sneered. "Master was biased. From the day you became sect leader, I was no longer an Emei Sect disciple. What does Emei Sect's survival or destruction have to do with me?"
"You ungrateful bitch!"
Abbess Miejue flew into a rage. Sword energy surged from the Heavenly Sword in her hand as she shouted to the disciples behind her, "Withdraw first! Once I've killed this she-devil who betrayed our school, I'll come find you!"
"Yes!"
As though a great weight had lifted from them, the disciples immediately began organizing their retreat.
But soon, someone noticed that quite a few people were missing and cried out:
"Senior Sister Minjun is missing!"
"Junior Sister Li is missing too!"
"And Junior Sister Zhao..."
Hearing them, Abbess Miejue nearly lost her composure. She turned and shouted, "Find them! Find out where Minjun is!"
She could afford to care less about the others, but nothing could happen to her core disciples, and Ding Minjun was among them.
"No need to look. She should be cold by now."
Suddenly, an indifferent voice sounded beside them.
The Emei Sect disciples turned, and their expressions immediately changed:
"Watch out! It's Yu Huatian!"
Abbess Miejue looked back as well, her gaze sharpening. "Yu Huatian, what have you done to Minjun?!"
Yu Huatian strolled through the rain, his robes white as snow. Even now, not a drop of blood stained him, though he carried its scent. Even the edge of the Three-Pronged Sword in his hand had curled from all the hacking.
By now, he could no longer remember how many people he had killed, though he reckoned the number must have reached three digits.
According to the system notifications, some of that fate energy seemed to have come from Ding Minjun.
Yu Huatian said indifferently, "Barring any surprises, she should already be dead."
As he spoke, his gaze swept over Abbess Miejue and Li Zhenzhen, pausing briefly on the Heavenly Sword in Abbess Miejue's hand. An unusual glint flashed in his eyes:
"Not just Ding Minjun. You two as well. If you don't want to leave, then stay forever."
Abbess Miejue's expression twisted with fury. "You killed Minjun? I'll kill you!"
With that, she abandoned Li Zhenzhen, gripped the Heavenly Sword tightly, and attacked Yu Huatian.
"You overestimate yourself!"
Disdain flashed in Yu Huatian's eyes. Abbess Miejue was reasonably powerful, but that was only with the Heavenly Sword enhancing her strength.
Without the Heavenly Sword, she probably could not even defeat Ding Xiu.
Even in swordsmanship alone, she was far inferior to Jing Wuming.
And powerful as the Heavenly Sword was, it still mattered whose hands held it.
Swish-
Yu Huatian darted forward with his sword, swift as racing thunder. In an instant, he appeared before Abbess Miejue, evaded her descending blade, and swept Returning Wind Seizes the Moon across her throat.
A muffled grunt escaped Abbess Miejue's throat. She staggered forward several steps, finally bracing herself with the Heavenly Sword to keep from falling.
But a line of blood soon opened across her neck, and blood stained her robes red...
"Master!"
The Emei Sect disciples turned pale with shock and hurried forward to support her.
Abbess Miejue's pupils shrank to pinpoints. Gasping heavily, she stared at the white figure opposite her in terror, shoved away the disciples supporting her, and cried with difficulty, "Hurry... go!"
As her words fell, her body went limp. Unable to hold on any longer, she collapsed to the ground.
"Master!"
The disciples cried out in grief and fury.
[Fate energy from Abbess Miejue +5,050.]
Yu Huatian's expression remained calm. He reached out with his left hand and grasped forward, drawing the Heavenly Sword into his palm.
He examined the Heavenly Sword. Its blade shone like a mirror; even the raindrops that landed on it quickly slid off, leaving it spotless.
He tried releasing his true qi and coating the blade with it. To his surprise, the true qi was absorbed the instant it touched the sword. A white glow then lit up along the blade, its keen sword light poised to strike.
With the Heavenly Sword's enhancement, this sword energy had become at least fifty percent more powerful!
"What a fine sword!"
Yu Huatian could not help praising it.
Then he turned his gaze toward Li Zhenzhen beside him, the corner of his mouth lifting slightly. "Your turn."
As he spoke, Yu Huatian could no longer resist testing the Heavenly Sword's power. He raised it and swung at Li Zhenzhen.
Swish-
A streak of white light swept from the Heavenly Sword, slashing straight toward Li Zhenzhen.
Li Zhenzhen had already been scared out of her wits by the sight of Yu Huatian killing Abbess Miejue with a single strike. Now that he swung at her, how could she dare block it? Her pupils contracted sharply, and she immediately turned and fled for her life.
But before she had gone even a few yards, the sword energy caught her. Icy sword energy penetrated her body. Li Zhenzhen stiffened briefly, then exploded with a thunderous burst, spraying a rain of blood across the sky.
An innate peak expert, killed in a single strike!
Yu Huatian's eyes shone brightly.
(End of chapter)
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