Combined assault

Although the sudden turn had caught her off guard, Lu Mingyue understood what Bai Zishan meant.

Only by channeling Origin Power into Meng Hai and the others could she wake them!

Otherwise, with the three people fighting so fiercely nearby, how could she have failed to wake up earlier?

It sounded simple, but there was one crucial prerequisite-it had to be someone else's Origin Power!

That was why Lu Mingyue had been unable to wake herself, let alone Meng Hai and his group of mortal escorts.

"Mm!"

"Ah!"

"Master, save me!"

Sure enough, after Lu Mingyue's Origin Power surged into their bodies, Meng Hai was the first to jolt awake.

His son Meng Qing and the other escorts followed immediately after.

They were all pale and drenched in cold sweat. Clearly, like Lu Mingyue earlier, they had dreamed of what terrified them most and could not calm down right away.

"Chief Escort Meng! Guo Ding and Yang Qin are evil cultivators! Hurry and help Brother Bai and me fight them!"

But Lu Mingyue had no time to let Meng Hai and the others slowly recover. Seeing them wake, she immediately shouted and pointed at the three fighting cultivators, explaining the stakes.

Then Lu Mingyue turned around. Looking at Yang Qin and the ten ghostly figures fighting Bai Zishan, she fixed her gaze on Guo Ding, who was gathering power for a spell.

Even though Lu Mingyue had only just awakened, she could tell that Guo Ding had been preparing his spell for some time-at least ten breaths had passed already!

If it takes this long, this spell must be tremendously powerful. I can't let him cast it!

Lu Mingyue's gaze steadied. She immediately looked at Meng Hai and the others and said gravely,

"Chief Escort Meng, do you have any means of attacking from a distance? Help me stop that evil cultivator!"

Bai Zishan had asked Lu Mingyue to wake Meng Hai and the others because, deep down, he intended to use them as cannon fodder, having them risk their lives to hold Guo Ding and Yang Qin back.

But to Lu Mingyue, Meng Hai and the others were people too. She had never intended to use them as cannon fodder.

And the reason Lu Mingyue had continued to keep a low profile after becoming a cultivator was that she knew very well that mortals also had ways of dealing with cultivators.

The most formidable of these were deadly ranged weapons such as bows and crossbows!

But Lu Mingyue had overestimated Meng Hai and the others. Hearing her question, Meng Hai looked troubled as he replied,

"Deadly weapons like crossbows are strictly controlled by the authorities. Although we're permitted to travel beyond the pass, we don't possess such deadly ranged weapons!"

If everyone could own crossbows and bows, could they not rebel whenever they pleased?

So Meng Hai was telling the truth.

Yet he had no intention of simply fleeing. Instead, he looked at Meng Qing and the others and said in a voice that brooked no argument,

"Qing'er, take Seventh and Eighth and leave. Everyone else, come with me to fight that evil cultivator!"

"Father-"

"Go!"

Meng Qing's eyes reddened, but Meng Hai had already drawn his iron staff and charged at Guo Ding ahead of the others.

"Hurry and go!"

"Seventh, Eighth, remember to fulfill my filial duties to my parents when you get back!"

"Since these two are evil cultivators, none of us will get away unless we kill them!"

The remaining five escorts had no objections to Meng Hai's decision. For one thing, their martial skills were second only to Meng Qing's, whereas Seventh and Eighth had joined too recently and were far less skilled.

For another, they were all relatives, and when they joined the Evergreen Escort Agency, Meng Hai had passed down his ancestral rule to them.

When danger struck, sacrifice the older ones to protect the younger!

"Damn evil cultivator! I'll slaughter you!"

"We can't let them live!"

"Miss Lu, we'll lead the charge. Find an opening to kill this bastard!"

Thus, those five did not hesitate either. Each drew his iron staff and darted like an ape toward Guo Ding, who was still casting his spell.

"You damned ants! Do you truly think this immortal can't kill you? Die, all of you!"

Guo Ding had heard their discussion long ago. Furious, he felt that this band of mortals before him had challenged his dignity as a cultivator. Thus, even though he needed to concentrate on preparing a spell that could kill Bai Zishan in a single strike, he still could not resist opening his mouth and spitting toward Meng Hai and the others.

Whoom!

A fireball four or five meters across appeared, radiating waves of scorching heat, ready to burn Meng Hai and the others to ashes.

This was a very ordinary spell in the cultivation world, one anyone could learn. Its power merely varied according to the attributes of their Origin Power.

Yet at that moment, the sight of this simple Fireball Technique filled Meng Hai and the others with profound despair.

"So this is an immortal..."

"That immortal killed our senior brothers the same way back then..."

"We really can't even get close to an immortal..."

Even Meng Hai felt unwillingness and despair rise within him. He prepared to grip his iron staff tight and hurl it with all his strength before he died, hoping at least to disrupt the evil cultivator.

But just then!

A mirror formed from water abruptly materialized in front of them!

"Water Mirror Shield!"

Lu Mingyue had acted.

She needed these people to help her hold Guo Ding back, not throw their lives away!

Naturally, Lu Mingyue would not stand by and watch Guo Ding easily kill Meng Hai and the others with a single spell!

Bang!

Hiss! Hiss! Hiss!

In a flash, the fireball collided with the Water Mirror Shield Lu Mingyue had conjured. Amid a billowing cloud of steam, Guo Ding's Fireball Technique was extinguished, and Meng Hai and the others survived.

"Kill!"

Meng Hai's spirits lifted. Clutching his iron staff, he leaped up to smash it down on Guo Ding.

"You damned little bitch! You deserve to die!"

Guo Ding's expression was terribly dark. If he had not needed to gather most of his Origin Power to cast that spell, how could Lu Mingyue's cultivation at the Third Layer of Qi Refining have blocked his Fireball Technique?

But this was clearly no time to dwell on that.

"Yellow Springs Nightmare!"

Seeing Meng Hai swing his staff down at him like an old ape descending a mountain, Guo Ding hurriedly formed a hand seal with one hand and pointed at Meng Hai from a distance.

Thud!

Meng Hai was struck instantly while still in midair. His eyes rolled back, and he crashed heavily to the ground.

"Master!"

The other five escorts cried out in alarm. Afraid that Guo Ding would deal Meng Hai a killing blow, they swung their staffs at him from five directions.

"Hmph!"

His expression dark, Guo Ding felt his Origin Power draining rapidly and hurriedly jabbed his fingers toward the five men.

Bang! Bang! Bang!

In an instant, another three escorts were struck, falling into nightmares as they dropped to the ground.

But just as Guo Ding's Yellow Springs Nightmare was about to strike the remaining two escorts, vines suddenly shot up beneath his feet, coiling around his ankles and hoisting him upside down.

"You little bitch, you really deserve to die!"

"Die!"

Guo Ding's roar was cut off by the two escorts' furious shouts. Carrying the full strength of both men, the two iron staffs slammed viciously into Guo Ding's head and lower back.