Yun Jin frowned. The Tai'a Sword in her hand blazed with flames as it slashed forward to meet the attack.
Earlier, Mu Lan had watched Xue Daoren fall into a disadvantage and assumed it was simply because Xue Daoren was useless.
No matter how strange Yun Jin might be, a Mahayana stage cultivator should have no problem dealing with someone in the Unity stage.
Yet—
At the very first clash, Mu Lan couldn't help but feel a shock deep in his heart. The fire from the Tai'a Sword struck him and caused an actual burning pain. He stumbled back several steps and had to frantically channel his spiritual power just to suppress the damage.
"Elder Mu?" the others exclaimed, their voices filled with disbelief as they looked at Mu Lan.
Even Mu Lan was being pushed back?
What on earth was going on with Yun Jin?
"Don't waste any more time. Everyone, attack together," Mu Lan ordered, his eyes flashing with unease.
The four of them immediately surrounded Yun Jin from all sides.
Yun Jin's expression remained icy.
It seemed the Tai'a Sword would not leave this battle unstained by blood.
A cold smile touched her lips. The fire in her eyes was nearly tangible.
Some people still bore human bodies.
They hadn't practiced any demonic arts.
But their souls, their hearts, were already tainted.
Such people were not worthy of being called human.
The battle was moments away from erupting.
Xue Daoren's gaze shifted. Now was the perfect time.
He could use this chaos to slip away.
He hadn't succeeded in killing Yun Jin, but he had delayed her long enough for the Yuehua Sect to arrive. They would naturally find a way to eliminate Yun Jin. As long as the goal was achieved in the end, the Demon Sovereign would have no complaints.
As for Qin Ping—
Xue Daoren had no time to take him along.
Might as well kill him before leaving.
His eyes narrowed, and a sinister aura flared from his body.
Yun Jin had most of her attention on Xue Daoren. The moment she saw the change in his expression, she instantly understood what was about to happen.
Just as Xue Daoren struck—
Mu Lan and the other Yuehua Sect cultivators launched their attack at the same time.
Yun Jin's gaze sharpened.
The Tai'a Sword in her hand turned into a blazing meteor and pierced straight toward Xue Daoren's forehead.
At her feet, a road of flame burst into existence.
The Law of Fire.
With that power beneath her, her strength more than doubled.
Yun Jin raised her palm and met the attack head-on.
The moment Xue Daoren's blow was about to land, the Tai'a Sword slashed down. Alarmed, Xue Daoren instinctively released Qin Ping.
Qin Ping fell to the ground.
The people hesitated for a moment, then rushed forward and managed to catch him.
Qin Ping was barely conscious at this point.
But as he saw those anxious faces, the corners of his lips trembled slightly.
He looked up and caught a glimpse of a blazing red figure.
Sect Master Yun...
Please, you must not fall.
"They're ignoring Xue Daoren and going straight for Sect Master Yun?"
"That's ridiculous!"
"I've recorded all of this. Let's see what happens when the Demon-Slaying Alliance reviews it."
"Xue Daoren was about to kill the National Preceptor, and Sect Master Yun risked herself to save him. And yet those people, they immediately turned on her."
"They're clearly demon lackeys!"
"Is Sect Master Yun in danger now?"
"With this many witnesses, let's see if they really dare make a move on her!"
Whispers filled the air.
Though quiet individually, together they became a roaring wave that poured into the ears of Mu Lan and his group.
Their expressions shifted slightly.
They were from the Yuehua Sect, a righteous sect.
Even if they wanted to eliminate Yun Jin, they couldn't do so openly. At the very least, they had to make it look justifiable. If they killed Yun Jin in front of the masses, even if she died, they would not be able to walk away unscathed.
Hesitation gripped them. None dared to go all out.
Mu Lan tried to ease the tension. "Sect Master Yun, we're merely inviting you to return with us to the Yuehua Sect. Our goal is the same, to pass judgment on Xue Daoren. There's no need for violence."
Yun Jin narrowed her eyes. "Swear an oath to the Heavenly Dao, and I'll go with you."
Mu Lan's eyes flickered. "Must you be so aggressive?"
Yun Jin only responded with a cold smile.
The two sides stood locked in a tense standoff.
Suddenly—
"Sect Master!" a frantic voice called out.
Yun Jin looked up.
It was Feng Linglong.
She was riding a lava dragon.
At last, she had arrived.
The lava dragon flew at terrifying speed, descending rapidly in front of everyone.
Seeing Yun Jin looking pale, Lao Huo's heart surged with rage.
"Who dares harm the Sect Master!" After setting Feng Linglong down, Lao Huo didn't bother to transform into human form. In his full draconic glory, he launched a fierce attack.
The moment he attacked, Mu Lan and the others were stunned again.
In terms of pure combat strength, this dragon seemed even stronger than Yun Jin.
Lao Huo opened his mouth and unleashed a torrent of flames toward the enemy.
Yun Jin infused the fire with her own elemental power.
The combined assault caught the four off guard. They were too slow to evade and were struck head-on.
Even though they scrambled to put up defensive barriers, they still looked thoroughly disheveled.
"Master!" Feng Linglong knew she couldn't interfere in a battle like this. She landed beside Qin Ping and quickly propped him up, then began frantically feeding him pills.
Qin Ping slowly regained some clarity.
For a brief moment, he forgot his injuries. Once a sliver of spiritual power returned, his trembling hands summoned a golden book. His aura was unstable, and the book flickered, as if it might vanish at any second.
Anxious, Qin Ping bit his tongue and spat blood directly onto the book.
Then—
He tore out a page and flung it into the sky.
The page transformed into radiant golden light that surged into Yun Jin and the lava dragon.
Yun Jin paused for a moment in surprise.
She didn't know what kind of artifact Qin Ping had used, but in that instant, she felt her strength surge again.
The lava dragon clearly sensed the same. With their power amplified, the two pressed forward, completely overwhelming the Yuehua Sect cultivators.
Mu Lan was left reeling.
What was supposed to be a simple mission had turned into an absolute disaster.
Were they about to be publicly beaten down in front of everyone?
Xue Daoren saw all of this, and his gaze shifted.
He darted toward the prisoners still hanging from the city wall.
Yun Jin's eyes narrowed.
The lava dragon stepped forward. "Sect Master, go save them. Leave this to me."
Yun Jin gave a slight nod and immediately broke away from the fight to intercept Xue Daoren. His palm glowed crimson as countless blood blades shot toward the captives' vital points.
Yun Jin arrived just in time, her sword flashing through the air to block the deadly strike. In the next moment, she released their bindings, and the prisoners fell one by one. The civilians below had already prepared. They rushed forward and caught the victims safely. Seeing them all land unharmed, Yun Jin finally let out a breath of relief. But when she looked up, she saw an eerie smile forming at the corner of Xue Daoren's lips.
Yun Jin's heart dropped.
Something was wrong.
These people… something was wrong with them.
The very next instant—
A massive explosion rang out from within the crowd.
One of the rescued prisoners had chosen to self-destruct.