Chapter 516: Tian Bei, Battle Begins
A sky-piercing bloody light shot up from the City Lord’s Mansion in Tian Bei City into the firmament, dissipating upon reaching a thousand feet high. Afterward, beams of killing aura, one after another, emerged from all corners of the city, converging into a formidable spiritual wall that enveloped Tian Bei City, turning it into an inescapable abyss.
On the plaza outside the Bei Tian Pavilion, Gong Yimo sat cross-legged at the center of an exceedingly complex formation diagram, his hands forming seals to activate it. Six Nascent Soul cultivators from Tian Bei City stood guard around him.
City Lord Gong Yue, clad in a robe adorned with some armor and carrying a black long halberd on his arm, stood outside the formation diagram, gazing at his adopted son with a hint of satisfaction in his eyes.
Indeed, the most secure course of action now was for him to act as the formation’s core and defend Tian Bei City to the death. For the Moon Shadow Sword Sect and Yun Tianchong, breaking through Tian Bei City would be almost a laughable impossibility.
However, just as his newly recruited subordinate to the Gong Family, “Liang Daliu,” had previously advised.
If he held Tian Bei City, as long as he held out for seven to eight days, the demonic sect disciples from the surrounding areas of Tian Bei City would arrive, leaving the Moon Shadow Sword Sect with no chance of victory.
But the price would be that the Gong Family could not exclusively enjoy the spoils of defeating the Moon Shadow Sword Sect, and other demonic sects in the Eastern Domain would consider him, Gong Yue, merely a slightly tougher turtle, afraid to directly confront even the mediocre Yun Tianchong.
After all, although Yun Jian Shang Xian had once split the Four Domains with a single sword, striking fear into the hearts of cultivators and demonic cultivators in the Eastern Domain, his only son, Yun Tianchong, was known throughout the Five Domains as a mere nobody who relied on his father’s prestige to cultivate to the late Deity Transformation stage.
Whether for profit or for fame, it was the most optimal choice for him, the City Lord of Tian Bei City, to personally lead his forces to battle.
Moreover, even if he truly couldn’t handle Yun Tianchong’s sword intent and divine abilities at that time, there was still the “Blood Sea, Sure-Kill Formation” of Tian Bei City as a backup.
Just as Gong Yue was contemplating this matter, a sudden roar, like that of a dragon, emanated from eight spiritual swords as they flew over the southern sky curtain, slicing through the dark clouds above Tian Bei City and striking directly at the spiritual wall defending the city.
Boom—!!
Following the tremor and the loud noise, Yun Tianchong’s roar, amplified by spiritual energy, echoed:
“Gong Yue, get out of your turtle shell, you bastard!!!”
Gong Yue turned to look in the direction of the voice, casting a long-distance visualization spell. Bypassing the obstruction of the city’s pavilions, he arrived outside the chasm. There, he saw Yun Tianchong standing alone before dozens of Immortal Ships from the Sword Sect, his body imbued with golden spiritual energy.
However, he merely let out a cold sneer:
“Heh heh…”
Turning to the more than twelve Nascent Soul demonic cultivators standing behind him, he swept his gaze over them one by one and said with a nonchalant air:
“Follow this seat to vanquish the immortals!”
“““Yes!”””
The more than twelve Nascent Soul cultivators cupped their fists in agreement and then raised their magical artifacts.
In an instant, countless figures, like ink blots, rose from various locations, flying on their swords and surging out of the city. Gong Yue, along with his twelve confidantes, stepped onto flying swords of their own, forming a formation and charging towards the Moon Shadow Sword Sect beyond the chasm.
Gong Yimo, who was still meditating at the center of the formation, wore a playful smile after Gong Yue’s departure. He formed hand seals.
“Activate the formation!”
With his command, the six surrounding Nascent Soul cultivators who were protecting him simultaneously channeled their killing aura into his body. He then mobilized it, sending it soaring into the sky.
Waves of dense killing aura gathered around Gong Yimo before he soared thousands of feet into the air. In a short while, a serpent’s eye, resembling the size of the moon, was constructed, gazing indifferently upon everything below.
Simultaneously as the serpent’s eye appeared, a flying sword approached from the direction of the Princess’s Mansion.
The six individuals surrounding Gong Yimo frowned, becoming vigilant. However, upon seeing that it was Gong Tianchan arriving on the sword, they quickly relaxed.
Ye Anping, with Gu Mingxin’s waist in his embrace, posed as a newly arrived cultivation couple. They landed before the grand formation, their gazes slowly sweeping over the six people around Gong Yimo, a hint of vigilance appearing in Ye Anping’s eyes as he contemplated which one to deal with first.
Seeing them arrive, Gong Yimo raised an eyebrow and greeted them:
“Sister Gong, aren’t you enjoying the night with Daoist Liang? What brings you here?”
Although Gu Mingxin was impersonating Gong Tianchan, she seemed to be acting naturally. With a wicked grin, she appraised the seven of them and said,
“I wanted to, but unfortunately… Daoist Liang couldn’t handle my teasing and insisted on coming over to see if he could help with anything?”
?
Ye Anping was taken aback by her words. He turned to look, seeing Gu Mingxin playfully glancing at him. His eye twitched, but he ignored it, showing a bitter smile.
“After all, I have also joined the Gong Family. It would be truly inappropriate for me not to be here guarding at a time like this, but rather to be indulging in pleasure with Miss Gong.”
Gong Yimo smiled as he raised his eyebrows, not showing any surprise.
“Daoist Liang need not worry. Since you’re here, you can simply guard this Young Master.”
“As the Young Master Gong commands.”
Ye Anping cupped his fists in a bow and then, like the six beside him, took out his spiritual sword from his storage bag and stepped onto the formation platform.
Gu Mingxin naturally followed behind him. The moment she stepped onto the platform with him, seeing that they were close enough to the six, she immediately put on an act of being eager to impress Ye Anping, preparing to strike down the six directly.
However, Ye Anping immediately stopped her.
These six were not individuals Gu Mingxin could deal with in a single breath. Even if the six were currently unguarded against them, once an attack was launched, the remaining five would instantly react the moment the first person was killed.
The most optimistic scenario would be that Gong Yimo was surrounded by mere low-level cultivators. But clearly, that was not the case now.
Thus, he had to resort to his backup plan.
Ye Anping gave Gu Mingxin a look, signaling her to wait, and then also sat down, placing “Bai Yue” flat on his lap. He looked up in the direction of the southern city wall.
His deep purple eyes were as calm as a deep well, reflecting the city lights of Tian Bei City and the magnificent spiritual light emanating from the clash between Yun Tianchong’s sword intent and Gong Yue’s killing aura in the sky above the city.
Golden snakes danced among the clouds on the horizon, and the brilliance of spells and sword light intertwined and shifted in the sky.
Roaring—!!
A gale washed over Ye Anping’s face, causing his black hair to flutter gently.
Ye Anping slowly closed his eyes, centering himself and waiting for the opportune moment.
After waiting for no more than the time it took for an incense stick to burn,
Roar—!!
A dragon’s roar that resounded throughout Tian Bei City was heard.
Everyone present, except for Ye Anping and Gu Mingxin, was shaken by the dragon’s roar and instinctively looked towards the sound. They saw, from the direction of the southern city gate of Tian Bei City, a golden dragon hundreds of feet long ascending from below, leaping up and violently crashing into the spiritual wall that enveloped Tian Bei City.
With a single strike, it left a crack in the city-defending spiritual wall.
Ye Anping let out a soft breath, looking at the dumbfounded six people, his eyes narrowing slightly as he murmured,
“Saint Emperor Dragon Body?”
A Nascent Soul demonic cultivator beside him heard his murmur and asked,
“Daoist Liang, do you know this golden dragon?”
“I’ve heard of it,” Ye Anping replied with a glance. After a moment of thought, he stood up and faced Gong Yimo, pointing to two of the cultivators beside him. “Young Master Gong, I request permission for these two seniors to accompany me to investigate?”
Upon receiving Ye Anping’s request, the two individuals exchanged glances and immediately refused, stating,
“Daoist Liang, we are under orders from City Lord Gong to guard the Young Master here and absolutely cannot leave our posts.”
Ye Anping remained silent for a moment, then feigned defeat, nodding.
“Then I shall go alone…”
At the same time, he signaled Xue E, who was perched on his shoulder, with his eyes. Xue E immediately understood what he meant and promptly directed her “Mingxin”:
“Mingxin, quickly help me with the conversation.”
Gu Mingxin pursed her lips slightly and smiled,
“The two of you shall accompany my husband. I will watch over your posts here. If Father asks when he returns, tell him that I, this young lady, sent you.”
Gong Yimo looked at Gu Mingxin, who was wearing his sister’s mask, and then at the golden dragon causing a commotion in the southern part of the city. He did not refuse.
“Elder Yue, Elder Sikong, you may accompany Daoist Liang to investigate. Father is currently leading our forces out to confront the Sword Sect. Tian Bei City will be managed by my sister and me. Go.”
The two elders still hesitated slightly, but seeing that both Gong Yimo and “Gong Tianchan” had spoken, they no longer refused. They cupped their fists and replied,
“Yes…”
Ye Anping gave Gu Mingxin a look, signaling her to find an opportunity to act. Then, he nodded and gestured with his hand.
“Two seniors, please.”
… …
——-
About fifteen minutes earlier—
On the main street of the southern city, the demonic cultivators within the city continued their revelry as usual. The sounds of laughter and revelry from the taverns on both sides were incessant, as if they were unconcerned, discussing the matters of the Sword Sect outside the city with not the slightest trace of tension.
At the entrance of a dark alley on one side of the street, Feng Yu Die, dressed in white and with silver hair cascading behind her, peered out, stealthily observing the demonic cultivator disciples coming and going on the street.
Suddenly, a serpent’s eye materialized out of thin air in the sky.
Xiao Tian looked up and murmured,
“Yu Die, that’s the formation aspect Anping mentioned earlier. He said once it appears, we can make our move.”
“Mm!”
Feng Yu Die nodded, retracting her head and Xiao Tian, who was perched on her head, back into the alley. She took out some pills prepared by Ye Anping from her storage bag and swallowed them, then drew her spiritual sword, holding it in her right hand.
Ye Anping had said to use the serpent’s eye as the signal.
She and Yun Jiujiu would act separately. She would be responsible for opening the city gates, while Yun Jiujiu would go to the places Ye Anping had taken her to before for destruction and killing.
Feng Yu Die placed a hand on her chest and let out a slight breath, then walked out of the alley alone, stopping in the center of the street, facing the southern gate of Tian Bei City.
The demonic cultivators on the street noticed her and were initially puzzled, but paid no further attention, mostly glancing at her before continuing on their way.
Feng Yu Die looked left and right, then slowly raised her left hand, removing the mask from her face, revealing her naturally beautiful features.
In an instant, it was as if a drop of white ink had been placed on a piece of black paper.
Amidst the demonic miasma filling the street, Feng Yu Die’s unique spring aspect immortal spirit instantly permeated the spiritual senses of all the demonic cultivators on the street.
“…”
The street instantly fell silent. Pedestrians stopped in their tracks, conversations in the taverns abruptly ceased, and the wine cups raised by the patrons hung suspended in mid-air.
Feng Yu Die scanned them from left to right. Her golden eyes narrowed slightly.
Xiao Tian, who had been using her spiritual sense to scan the demonic cultivators around them with her eyes closed, now opened her eyes and frowned, pointing at a demonic cultivator not far ahead.
“Yu Die, deal with that person first. He’s at the late Core Formation stage.”
Feng Yu Die looked in the direction Xiao Tian pointed, and her gaze met that of the late Core Formation demonic cultivator.
“…”
The demonic cultivator frowned slightly, while Feng Yu Die bared her teeth and smiled.
“Hee hee~”
Immediately holding her spiritual sword tightly, her body transformed into a beam of golden light.
*Swish*—
Her spiritual sword flashed past the demonic cultivator’s chest, where his demonic core was, as easily as slicing tofu.
Feng Yu Die landed behind him, letting go of her spiritual sword. The demonic cultivator, in his bewilderment, was cleaved in two, his demonic core shattered, and he died.
*Whoosh*—
The moment the other demonic cultivators on the street reacted, their eyes widened, and they took a step back.
However, Feng Yu Die casually flicked the blood off her spiritual sword and softly called out,
“Xiao Tian, next.”
“Twenty feet ahead, those two female demonic cultivators in front of that magical artifact shop.”
The instant the words fell, the two individuals Xiao Tian pointed to, like the one before them, were flashed by golden light in an instant, their demonic cores in the center of their abdomen severed.
After the third person fell, the other demonic cultivators around them finally reacted and summoned their magical artifacts. However, most of the Foundation Establishment stage cultivators couldn’t even see Feng Yu Die’s figure clearly. Magical artifacts, talismans, and spirit swords became a chaotic mess, and screams continued to erupt.
Feng Yu Die pursed her lips, but she had no intention of killing those low-level demonic cultivators. Throughout the entire engagement, she remained focused, accurately following Xiao Tian’s guidance and swinging her sword towards those who had a certain level of cultivation or carried powerful magical artifacts and spirit swords.
This street was a thousand zhang long, but she traversed its entire length in little more than the time it took for an incense stick to burn.
By the time Feng Yu Die reached the city gates of Tian Bei City, chaos had erupted behind her. Those low-level demonic cultivators, either out of fear or excessive panic, were now attacking each other indiscriminately, regardless of friend or foe.
Feng Yu Die flicked her silver hair, which remained unstained by any dirt, and looked up at the ten thousand-jin city gates that stood open before her.
It was at this moment that Xiao Tian, who was on her head, suddenly warned,
“Yu Die, left rear!”
*Clang*—
The moment Feng Yu Die heard the warning, she turned and raised her sword to block. She saw a red-haired Nascent Soul cultivator had already reached her side. But the instant she blocked him, a hint of surprise appeared in his eyes.
“…”
Though it was only for a brief moment, Feng Yu Die could feel that this person was by no means a mere grunt like the others, and not someone she could solve in a few sword strikes.
Her golden eyes narrowed slightly.
He raised his left hand, forming a sword finger before his chest, and laughed,
“Old Jiu!!”
“Hm?”
Before the Nascent Soul cultivator could react, he was shaken by a dragon’s roar and then swallowed by the golden dragon that suddenly appeared beneath his feet. Without even a chance to scream, his Nascent Soul shattered, and he perished.
… …
