These are vampire bats from Kongsang Mountain!" Zhang Xiaofan shouted. "They drink human blood.
There are too many of them ..fighting in the air is too dangerous! Go down!"
His fire stick blazed, cutting a path through the swarm as he dove toward the ground.
The others followed, slashing their way down through the screeching horde.
But once they landed, Zeng Shushu gasped:
"Xiaofan! Junior Sister Lu...she's gone!"
Zhang Xiaofan turned sharply.
Through the endless wave of bats, a hundred meters away, he saw....
Lu Xueqi, completely surrounded.
"Kill!"
Zhang Xiaofan roared, his fire stick glowing as it unleashed a violent strike, cutting down hundreds of vampire bats as he charged toward her.
The night was suffocatingly dark.
High above the dense forests of Kongsang Mountain, countless vampire bats wheeled in the sky, blotting out the moonlight.
Their wings flapped in a storm of black, and their blood-red eyes gleamed with hunger.
Lu Xueqi stood in the middle of that nightmarish swarm, the Tianya Divine Sword shining cold in her grip.
Sword-light surged as she moved, slashing left and right, felling dozens of bats at a time. Each stroke was precise, ruthless, and filled with the aura of an ice-cold immortal.
Yet, even someone of her skill and cultivation felt the crushing pressure.
The vampire bats weren't strong individually, but there were too many.
For every one she cut down, two more appeared.
Their numbers seemed endless, stretching across the entire sky.
She frowned, her pale face calm yet solemn.
If this continues, my spiritual power will eventually run dry.
Once that happens, no matter how fine my swordsmanship is… I'll be overwhelmed.
She understood well the old saying: "Many ants can kill an elephant."
Even she, a genius of Qingyun, was not above this principle.
The tide of bats closed in tighter and tighter, shrieking. Their claws reached for her, their sharp teeth ready to sink into her skin.
Then, suddenly....
A blazing streak of sword energy shot across the night!
The attack tore through the swarm like lightning, blasting apart hundreds of vampire bats in one sweep.
The air shook with the force of it. For the first time, a gap opened in the suffocating wall of wings and fangs.
Lu Xueqi's eyes lit up. Without hesitation, she rushed toward the opening.
But before she could reach it, a figure charged in from the side.
"Be careful, Naiqi!"
The familiar voice startled her.
Zhang Xiaofan, wielding his heavy firestick, crashed into the swarm like a wild beast. Fiery light burst from the weapon as he swung, scattering bats into ashes.
He positioned himself right before her, his back shielding her completely.
Lu Xueqi's lips parted slightly. For once, instead of frowning at him for calling her Naiqi, she whispered softly:
"…Alright, Xiaofan."
The two stood back to back in the storm of wings, blades flashing and fire flaring. Their movements, though different,
complemented one another: her graceful swordsmanship slicing with elegance, his brute force smashing with raw power. Together, they carved out a fragile circle of safety amidst the chaos.
Still, Lu Xueqi's brows tightened.
This isn't a solution. For every bat we kill, more swarm in. If this goes on, we'll both be exhausted…
At that moment....
"Junior Brother! Junior Sister!"
Two streaks of light shot down from the sky. Qi Hao, gripping the cold and sharp Ice Sword, and Zeng Shushu, wielding the Xuanyuan Sword, forced their way through the gap Zhang Xiaofan had opened earlier. They landed beside them, blades already raised.
The four disciples now formed a small ring, their backs facing one another. Sword energy and spells surged outward in waves, felling bats by the dozens.
The air around them became a storm of steel, ice, and fire.
But even so, the endless swarm pressed closer.
Qi Hao's expression was grim, sweat glistening on his forehead.
"These vampire bats… their numbers are endless. The hundreds of thousands in the air earlier weren't an illusion. At this rate, our situation is dire!"
The shrieks of the bats grew louder. The swarm pressed in again, and the disciples' circle wavered.
Then....
Zhang Xiaofan suddenly reached into his robes and drew out a round ancient mirror. Pouring spiritual power into it, he flung it into the air.
A deafening boom erupted as dazzling golden light burst forth.
The light spread like waves, scattering the surrounding bats and forming a shimmering protective barrier nearly five meters wide around the four of them.
The vampire bats shrieked and recoiled. Their blood-red eyes flickered with fear.
Qi Hao's pupils shrank. His lips moved as he recognized the artifact.
"The Six-Combination Mirror…"
This was the supreme prize of the Seven Peaks Martial Arts Tournament, a defensive treasure created by the Tenth Patriarch of Qingyun Sect, Wu Fangzi. With enough spiritual power, it could reflect all attacks. It was known as a treasure of invincibility.
If not for Zhang Xiaofan's unexpected rise at the tournament, this mirror would have belonged to Qi Hao.
Now, watching it shine brilliantly in Xiaofan's hands while his own injuries still lingered from their duel, Qi Hao's heart twisted painfully.
That mirror… should have been mine…
Zhang Xiaofan, however, didn't notice Qi Hao's turmoil.
He stared out at the repelled swarm and said calmly:
"These blood bats are afraid of light. Stay within the mirror's protection!"
Lu Xueqi, Zeng Shushu, and even Qi Hao nodded, moving closer.
They raised their swords, watching warily as the bats circled beyond the golden light, unwilling to come near.
Soon, the swarm began to shift.
Unable to approach, the countless bats turned mid-air and streamed away in one direction...toward a cave up ahead.
The vast black tide of wings poured into the mouth of the cavern, their screeches echoing ominously.
The disciples followed their flight with their eyes.
The cave entrance yawned before them, pitch-black and bottomless, like the open maw of a beast.
Zhang Xiaofan pointed forward.
"That cave must be our destination....the Ancient Cave of Ten Thousand Bats at Kongsang Mountain."
But before they could move....
"Four Qingyun Daoists, please wait!"
A thunderous voice rang from above.
The four disciples looked up sharply.
In the distance, four figures streaked across the night sky, descending rapidly. In moments, they landed with a rush of air.
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