Gou Zai Fei Men made up myths

Elder Lengyue's charming expression suddenly changed as she sensed the terrifying penetrating power and sharpness contained in the sword energy, enough to pierce through the protective spiritual light of a Golden Core cultivator. At the critical moment, she forcibly twisted her body at an incredible angle, while simultaneously crossing a pair of ice crystal spikes in front of her to protect herself.

"bite--!"

A crisp, ear-piercing metallic clang rang out! Sparks flew from the ice crystal spikes, and Elder Lengyue groaned as his body was sent flying back several dozen feet by the immense force contained in the sword energy. His blood surged, and his arm holding the spikes went slightly numb. Looking down, he saw that two thin white marks had been cut into the spikes, which were made from the essence of thousand-year-old Xuanbing ice!

"Who goes there?!" Fairy Ling Shuang's figure flickered, already blocking Leng Yue's path. Her clear, cold eyes were sharp as swords, sweeping towards the shadow from which the sword energy came.

The ability to unleash such pure and sharp sword energy, and to conceal it so skillfully, is something that cultivators of the Xuan Yin Sect who practice sinister techniques could never achieve!

From the shadows came a faint, seemingly emotionless snort.

Immediately afterwards, more than ten figures appeared out of thin air, slowly emerging from the shadows and behind several boulders in the distance.

These people were all dressed in uniform moon-white sword robes, with small, sharp sword-shaped patterns embroidered in silver thread on the sleeves and hems. Each of them had an upright posture, a refined aura, and sharp eyes, with longswords of various shapes and all gleaming coldly hanging on their backs or at their waists.

The leader was a middle-aged man with a cold face and sharp eyes like a hawk. The fierce sword energy that had just launched the sneak attack was from him. His cultivation level was clearly at the late Golden Core stage!

The people behind him were at least at the mid-Foundation Establishment stage, and three of them were at the early Golden Core stage!

"Heavenly Sword Sect, 'Hall of Enforcement,' Deputy Hall Master, Jian Wuhui." The middle-aged man's cold gaze swept over Fairy Ling Shuang and Elder Leng Yue, then glanced at the fierce battle at the valley entrance below, and the towering altar in the valley further away. A cold, almost mocking smile curled at the corner of his lips. "Pavilion Master Ling Shuang, Elder Leng Yue, instead of cultivating in seclusion on Xuanbing Mountain, you've come to this desolate Northern Desert, wading into this muddy water. You're truly... courting death."

"Heavenly Sword Sect! Sword Without Return!" Fairy Ling Shuang's pupils shrank suddenly, and her body erupted with uncontrollable cold energy, freezing the surrounding air into fine ice crystals.

She never expected that the people from the Heavenly Sword Sect would appear here, and it seemed that they had been lying in ambush all along! What made her even more uneasy was that the timing of their appearance was exactly when they were creating a breakthrough opportunity for Shen Mo and their own strength was slightly dispersed!

Moreover, the one coming is the "Enforcement Hall," known for its formidable combat power and ruthless style. The deputy hall master, Jian Wuhui, is a renowned late-stage Golden Core sword cultivator, whose strength is probably even greater than his own!

Elder Lengyue also abandoned her seductive demeanor, her expression becoming extremely solemn. She quietly stood back-to-back with Fairy Ling Shuang, warily scanning their surroundings. The sudden intervention of the Heavenly Sword Sect, and the fact that they were clearly enemies, instantly plunged them into an extremely dangerous situation!

With the Xuan Yin Sect's pursuers still at large ahead, and the even stronger Tianjian Sect's Enforcement Hall lurking on their flanks, they were in dire straits! To make matters worse, they were currently somewhat separated from the main force, essentially operating as a lone force deep in enemy territory!

"Sword Without Return! Does your Heavenly Sword Sect also intend to collude with the Profound Yin Sect and commit such perverse and harmful acts against the common people?!" Fairy Ling Shuang questioned sharply, her voice trembling slightly with anger and coldness.

"To collude with evil? To bring disaster to the common people?" Jian Wuhui scoffed, his eyes indifferent. "Pavilion Master Ling Shuang, you flatter me. Why should my Heavenly Sword Sect need to explain its actions to you? This matter has nothing to do with your Xuanbing Pavilion. Considering we have no deep-seated grudges, if you two swear an oath of inner demons now, lead your men back a hundred miles away, and cease your interference, I can decide to spare your lives. Otherwise…"

He slowly raised his right hand, his fingers forming a sword-like shape, the tip radiating a sharp, piercing sword light. "This place will be the burial ground for your Xuanbing Pavilion's elite!"

As soon as he finished speaking, more than ten disciples of the Heavenly Sword Sect's Enforcement Hall stepped forward in unison. With a clang, their swords were drawn half an inch from their sheaths. The chilling killing intent was almost tangible, mixed with the pure sharpness of the sword, spreading out and locking onto Fairy Ling Shuang and Leng Yue!

The pressure descended suddenly like a mountain! The dozens of remnants of the Xuan Yin Sect, seeing the sudden appearance of the Heavenly Sword Sect's strong reinforcements, were greatly encouraged and shouted as they regrouped, forming an encirclement with the Heavenly Sword Sect members!

Ling Shuang and Leng Yue's hearts sank to the bottom. Besieged on all sides, the balance of power had instantly reversed!

Although the two of them were strong, they had no chance of winning against the combined attack of Jian Wuhui, a late-stage Golden Core sword cultivator, several Golden Core cultivators from the Heavenly Sword Sect, and dozens of Xuan Yin Sect cultivators! They would even have difficulty escaping!

Shi Tie's troops at the valley entrance below were already engaged in a fierce battle with the Xuan Yin Sect's defenders. If the Tian Jian Sect were to attack from the flanks or rear at this moment...

Fairy Ling Shuang bit her lower lip so hard it almost bled. She instantly understood why the people from the Blazing Sun Sect hadn't shown themselves! The Blazing Sun Sect and the Heavenly Sword Sect had likely reached some kind of tacit agreement, and they might even be colluding with the Profound Yin Sect!

The Heavenly Sword Sect ambushed them here, while the Blazing Sun Sect might be secretly waiting for a better opportunity, or... setting up an even bigger trap on the outer perimeter!

"Sister..." Elder Lengyue's voice trembled slightly, not out of fear, but out of helplessness and anger at the sudden deterioration of the situation.

Fairy Ling Shuang took a deep breath; the icy air stung her lungs, but it only made her more alert. She glanced towards the altar in the valley; Shen Mo and the others should have already infiltrated and were carrying out the most crucial mission.

They absolutely cannot retreat here! If they do, the Heavenly Sword Sect and the Profound Yin Sect will join forces, and Shi Tie's troops will surely collapse. Shen Mo and the others will be trapped like turtles in a jar, and they will lose everything!

"Disciples of the Xuanbing Pavilion, heed my command!" Fairy Ling Shuang's clear, cold voice, carrying a resolute chill, resounded through the night sky, "Form the 'Xuanbing Heavenly Net Formation'! Fight to the death... do not retreat!"

"Yes!" Below, more than twenty elite female cultivators from the Xuanbing Pavilion, who were fighting against the remnants of the Xuanyin Sect, shouted in unison upon hearing this. They quickly broke free from their opponents and moved towards the location of Fairy Ling Shuang and Leng Yue. Instantly, they formed a strange ice formation. As soon as the formation was complete, the cold air intensified, and a constantly rotating ice and snow domain covered with ice shards was formed around them!

"Stubborn to the end." Sword Without Return's eyes flashed with murderous intent. Without another word, he pointed his fingers like a sword, and commanded, "Kill! Leave no one alive!"

"Zheng—!"

Amidst the ear-piercing clang of a sword, a silver sword light, refined to its utmost, descended like the Milky Way from the heavens, carrying the resolute determination to sever everything, and struck directly at Fairy Ling Shuang's face! At the same time, the other disciples of the Heavenly Sword Sect and the cultivators of the Profound Yin Sect roared and launched a siege!

The battle escalated instantly! The western night sky was illuminated by sharp sword light and dazzling ice flowers, and the sounds of fierce collisions and battle cries even faintly drowned out the direction of the valley entrance!

Inside the valley, on the east side of the altar.

Shen Mo and Ying San had quietly crept into the shadows of a dilapidated building less than fifty feet from the gap in the "Gate of Life" of the formation.

Ahead lay the last hidden obstacle that Su Xiao and his two Shadow Guards had agreed to eliminate—a small, defensive barrier built upon a broken stone pillar, serving both as a warning system and an attack device. According to the plan, Su Xiao and his team should have already succeeded and left a safety signal.