"Zhi zhi!"
A sharp screech rang out, freezing the four mid-battle. Hua Xuánzǐ, Senior Brother Zhao, and Zong Hao instinctively clutched their heads. A heartbeat later, the oppressive force of a second-tier beast's pressure crashed down on them.
All four staggered under the weight. Yun Xi was the only one who managed to stay on her feet. The other three dropped to one knee, instantly overwhelmed.
Yun Xi had felt a sharp tension in her forehead just moments before. Then, a wave of cool clarity spread from her sea of consciousness, helping her recover almost instantly. Even so, she was still forced two steps back by the Foundation Establishment-level pressure. It took two full breaths before she steadied herself.
The second-tier Sand Mouse's sonic attack had targeted her sea of consciousness directly, but it had been blocked by the suspended redwood plaque within her spiritual sea. She had discovered another use for the plaque—it shielded her sea of consciousness from mental attacks.
The Foundation Establishment pressure, however, was real and solid. Though Yun Xi's true cultivation was at the ninth level of Qi Refining, she was still one stage below a Foundation Establishment beast. Fortunately, with her unaffected sea of consciousness and stronger physical body compared to the others, she had managed to remain standing.
While the others were still suppressed, the first-tier Sand Mice seized the opportunity and swarmed toward them.
Without hesitation, Yun Xi unleashed "Flowers Scattered to the Wind", throwing nearly all the first-tier talismans from her storage pouch. The space erupted in a cascade of explosions. Colorful auras of spell energy surrounded the incoming mice in a blinding storm.
The mice struck by the talismans scattered chaotically, and their sudden disarray gave the four some breathing room.
The others quickly got to their feet and began counterattacking with their swords. The second-tier Sand Mouse clearly did not appreciate Yun Xi's interference. With a flash of movement, it charged straight at her.
It was the size of a Tibetan mastiff, nimble and agile. In just a few blinks, it was in front of her. Before she could react, its claw came crashing down.
Bang!
A shimmering barrier flared to life around Yun Xi, absorbing the blow. Her waist pendant, a defensive artifact, cracked with a fine line—it had taken the hit for her.
Cold sweat broke out across Yun Xi's back. She leapt into the air, flipped midair, and landed behind the Sand Mouse, continuing to draw its attention away.
Zong Hao and the others gritted their teeth and used the time Yun Xi bought to swiftly eliminate the scattered first-tier Sand Mice. Unless they cleaned out the swarm, there would be no way to mount a proper counterattack.
At this life-or-death moment, no one dared to hold back. Everyone pulled out the items they had hidden away for emergencies.
Senior Brother Zhao shouted, "Yun Xi! Move aside!"
He needn't have called. Yun Xi had just been swatted away by the Sand Mouse's tail and had already been flung across the field. It was the most battered she'd been in a long time.
Using the force of the blow, she spun into a backflip and landed among another cluster of first-tier Sand Mice. The moment she touched down, she threw out another stack of first-tier talismans, culling another wave.
At the same time, Senior Brother Zhao hurled a second-tier talisman treasure into the air. It was clearly aged and worn, its power nearly spent. It must have been his most treasured item.
As the talisman activated, a spectral form emerged from within—the soul of a beast, a pitch-black Cloud-Swallowing Leopard.
Roar!
The leopard let out a furious howl, and even the rampaging second-tier Sand Mouse faltered. Perhaps out of instinct, it did not immediately resume its attack.
The group finally let out a breath of relief. But Senior Brother Zhao was struggling. With his current cultivation and spiritual reserves, controlling a second-tier talisman treasure was exhausting. Hua Xuánzǐ moved to guard him with her sword, fending off any sneaky first-tier mice that got too close.
Yun Xi rubbed her sore hip from the earlier blow and shouted, "Brother! We need to move faster. Senior Brother Zhao can't hold out much longer!"
"Got it!"
Zong Hao understood the situation well. With the talisman treasure keeping the second-tier beast in check, now was the time to act. If they delayed any longer, they would fall back under pressure, and then there'd be no chance to counterattack.
The two of them coordinated fluidly, sweeping through the remaining first-tier Sand Mice. Yun Xi cast large-scale Ice Needle techniques, freezing the fleeing mice solid. Then she used her spiritual sense to quickly collect their corpses into her storage pouch.
Zong Hao gritted his teeth and swung his sword nonstop. The high-grade Nourishing Spirit Pill in his mouth had already been swallowed. Each of them had entered the formation with one tucked in their cheek, prepared for the exact moment when there would be no time to down pills.
"Yun Xi, Senior Brother Zhao can't hold on!" Hua Xuánzǐ called out urgently.
"Coming!"
With a flash, Yun Xi appeared beside her, unintentionally activating Thousand Shadows Riding the Wind. Her body moved so fast it left afterimages, and in the next breath, she handed a stack of second-tier low-grade talismans to Hua Xuánzǐ.
"Senior Sister, hold out just a bit longer. The first-tier ones are almost all gone. Use these when you can. They're low-grade, but still second-tier. They should help support Senior Brother Zhao."
Hua Xuánzǐ didn't argue. She immediately threw out two Thunderstrike talismans to the left and right of the second-tier Sand Mouse. Twin explosions rocked the battlefield, startling the beast. Its golden fur was scorched black in patches.
"It works! The beast's afraid of lightning! Keep going, Junior Sister. We can hold a little longer!"
Hua Xuánzǐ's eyes sparkled with renewed hope.
Yun Xi sighed inwardly. Of course the beast feared lightning. No spirit beast could ignore the terror of a tribulation. Just like human cultivators, they had to undergo lightning tribulations to advance. It was the harsh judgment of heaven that spared no one.
"Alright. Brother Zong Hao and I will end this quickly."
Without wasting another second, she blinked back to Zong Hao's side. He had just flung a Sand Mouse off his shoulder. Yun Xi immediately cast Ice Spike, piercing the creature's skull. With a practiced motion, she swept the corpse into her pouch.
With the two of them reunited, they began eliminating the last of the first-tier mice.
On the other side, Senior Brother Zhao was still grappling with the second-tier beast through the talisman treasure, while Hua Xuánzǐ continued tossing in support talismans when possible. For now, they were managing to keep it at bay.
But the good fortune didn't last. The floating talisman treasure was dimming rapidly. Senior Brother Zhao's face had gone pale as a sheet. He had clearly reached his limit.
Yun Xi had been keeping part of her attention on the situation and noticed immediately. She clenched her jaw.
"Brother, hold this area for now. I'm going to assist the others."
"Go. I've got this!"
"Alright."
With another flicker, Yun Xi returned to Hua Xuánzǐ's side. She slapped her storage pouch and took out the rest of her resources, splitting them evenly with her.
"Senior Sister, when Senior Brother retrieves the talisman treasure, we'll detonate all of these at once. Throw them straight at the Sand Mouse. Let's hit it hard before it can recover."
"Got it!"
There was no time to waste. It was the only plan they had left.
Just then, Senior Brother Zhao coughed up a mouthful of blood. The talisman treasure lost its light completely. The spectral Cloud-Swallowing Leopard vanished slowly, letting out one last reluctant roar toward the Sand Mouse before disappearing.
Sensing the pressure on it disappear, the Sand Mouse immediately grew bolder. It squeaked sharply, flailing its tail before lunging at the four of them.
"Senior Sister! Now!"
"On it!"
The two of them hurled the second-tier talismans in their hands toward the charging beast. Twin arcs of energy ripped through the air, heading straight for their enemy.