Lu Xuanyuan had barely moved away from his original spot when he realized something was off. He was shocked that Wang Ping dared act so boldly, and a longsword instantly appeared in his hand to block the incoming whip.
But the very next moment, he saw that senior lightly flick her round fan. In a blink, he, his guards, and even the distant disciples of the Purple Sky Sect were all swept straight out of the back mountain.
"Not good!"
Lu Xuanyuan fired a purple flare into the sky as a call for aid, then slapped a defensive talisman onto himself. He quickly ordered his attendants, "Go to Guest Peak and alert the cultivators of the Heavenly Demon Palace to be on guard."
When he turned back, his pupils shrank. A crimson Manjushahua slowly bloomed, spreading across the entire sea of flowers behind the mountain.
Inside that sealed domain, Jian Dan still sat calmly, untouched. The one who faced Wang Ping's whip was the willow tree behind her.
The willow branches clashed with the black whip, sparks bursting out as the whip's assault didn't pause. Countless whip shadows enveloped both the willow and Jian Dan, trading a hundred moves in just a few breaths.
Wang Ping saw her attack fail, took a step back, and her gaze turned icy.
"Why've you stopped pretending? If you'd kept up the act a bit longer, I might've actually believed you."
Jian Dan's opponent clearly wasn't just a late Nascent Soul cultivator. What burst forth now was late Unity stage power. Smirking, she said, "How'd you figure it out? My 'Veiling Heaven Technique' is pretty flawless."
"The technique's decent, sure. But no matter how well you hide your realm, you can't cover up the stench of blood on you. Who knows how many lives you've slaughtered for that smell to sink so deep."
Jian Dan walked leisurely out from beneath the willow, smiling as she spoke.
"Hmph! Like you've killed fewer people than me."
The other woman sneered.
"How could I? I'm way too kind."
Jian Dan's reply was so careless it didn't even sound serious.
"You talk too damn much. You've been stalling this long, I wonder if your people have already kidnapped Bi Shu by now!"
The jab struck home, and Wang Ping's face twisted. She lashed out again, whip shadows raining down on Jian Dan.
Meanwhile, Guest Peak was eerily quiet, as though nothing was happening.
In truth, the Tian Squad had already clashed with a group of masked men in black. These enemies moved like ghosts, wielding curved blades, every strike aiming to kill. Their offensive was vicious and fast, clearly meant to end the fight in one sweep.
Blood-red light flickered across their blades, as if they'd been soaked in gore for ages. The aura was sinister, the destructive power immense. Several of Guest Peak's pillars had already been cut clean through.
But the Tian Squad wasn't made of soft persimmons. Under Jian Dan's training, their combat power had sharpened further. They quickly formed a small "Heavenly Constellation Moon Formation," shielding Bi Shu at the center while launching their counterattack.
The two sides fought fiercely, neither gaining the upper hand, but the squad's battle formation started showing its edge.
Tian Yi narrowed his eyes, locking on the enemy leader. With one swift slash, he cut the man down. Without their commander, the masked attackers fell into chaos, and Tian Yi quickly led his squad in slaughtering the rest, breaking their rhythm completely.
Crash!
The sound barrier shattered, and the noise finally spilled out.
The Purple Sky Sect cultivators stationed at Guest Peak had been distracted earlier by the flare over the back mountain and the blooming Manjushahua. They never expected trouble right under their noses. Faces darkened, they immediately crushed their alarm jade talismans.
The next instant, a Void Refinement stage cultivator appeared, ready to activate the peak's protective barrier. But he froze, sensing an overwhelming pressure bursting from Guest Peak itself.
Boom!
The mountain shook as a Mahayana-level strike crashed down.
"Damn it, they're silencing witnesses!"
Guest Peak crumbled instantly under the power of that blow. At that moment, Zi Qing Zhēnzūn teleported in. Her brow furrowed as he waved a hand, dispersing the lingering force before it spread to the surrounding peaks.
She reached out, seizing one of the black-robed attackers. Without hesitation, she cast Soul Search.
Yet in the blink of an eye, the man's sea of consciousness detonated. Blood gushed from all seven orifices, leaving nothing but a corpse.
Zi Qing's expression darkened. The enemy had dared to act inside Purple Sky Sect territory with a "success or die trying" mentality.
"Kill them all!"
Zi Qing Zhēnzūn's voice was cold as ice. That earlier strike had come from an attack talisman. If it'd been a real Mahayana Zhēnzūn, everyone here would've been wiped out.
"Yes, Zhēnzūn!"
Disciples of the Purple Star Pavilion moved at once, chasing down the six surviving enemies who were trying to flee in the chaos.
Zi Qing swept her gaze over the collapsed mountain, praying that the Heavenly Demon Palace cultivators were unharmed. Otherwise, it'd be impossible to explain.
A thunderous crack split the rubble. The Tian Squad's nine members emerged, battered and bleeding, their spiritual energy clearly drained. The figure they'd protected, Bi Shu, was nowhere to be seen.
"Zhēnzūn, please take us to Mo Yue Zūnshàng."
Tian Yi swallowed a Great Rejuvenation Pill and cupped his fists.
Zi Qing flicked her sleeve, wrapping the nine in spiritual power, and the next instant they appeared amid the sea of flowers behind the mountain.
The Manjushahua still bloomed bright red, its petals spread wide. The Tian Squad finally let out a breath. Tian Yi gestured, and the more heavily injured were shielded at the center to heal with pills, while the others remained on guard, tense despite Zi Qing Zhēnzūn's presence.
Zi Qing watched and nodded to herself. No wonder the Heavenly Demon Palace's strength could rival the Heavenly Sword Sect. Just their battlefield discipline already outshone the Purple Sky Sect.
As for Wang Ping, she wasn't panicked. Her aim had only been to stall Mo Yue. Yet after so long, her opponent still hadn't drawn a weapon. The willow alone was parrying her whip, and Jian Dan looked completely unbothered by her comrades' safety. That realization made Wang Ping's heart skip.
Both women felt the tremors from Guest Peak. They paused briefly. Wang Ping's face paled. Clearly, her people had chosen the worst option, killing Bi Shu and her guards outright.
Jian Dan's expression also darkened. With a wave of her hand, Mó Yuè Zhǎn surged forth. Under the moonlight, it gleamed colder than frost. Demonic energy roared, knocking Wang Ping's whip aside before transforming into a streak of light that circled her, unleashing hundreds of slashes in an instant.
Overwhelmed, Wang Ping's rhythm shattered. Blood trickled from her face as her robe's protective glow flickered, nearly extinguished.
Jian Dan's toes tapped the air, and she appeared behind Wang Ping, fist aimed straight at her dantian. Alarmed, Wang Ping twisted aside just in time, dodging the strike.
But the next moment, Mó Yuè Zhǎn severed her arm. Before her scream could leave her throat, a transparent thread coiled around her neck. Her last sight was her own head flying, body shredded into dust by the raging slash.
Yet no gore followed. The remains collapsed into splinters of wood, only a puppet substitute.
Jian Dan's eyes stayed cold. She stared at the wisp of Primordial Soul clinging to the head. With one flick of her hand, Mó Yuè Zhǎn obliterated both head and soul completely.
"Ahhh!"
Inside a cave mansion, a purple-robed female cultivator collapsed onto her cushion. Her face went pale, veins bulged in her eyes, and she clutched her head, shrieking hoarsely, "Damn you! Mo Yue!!!"
Only then did Jian Dan retract her domain, reappearing before the others. Midnight had arrived, and the purple night-blooming flowers behind the mountain all blossomed at once.
Standing in that sea of flowers, clad in her black Manjushahua robe, Jian Dan looked dazzling and untouchable. Her aura was overwhelming, her presence breathtaking. Beside her, Mó Yuè Zhǎn shimmered with a chilling glow, circling her once before sinking back into her dantian.
That image seared itself into the minds of the Purple Sky Sect disciples who arrived just then. They knew they'd never forget the sight of this peerless powerhouse.