Xu Linglong swept her divine sense outward, trying to determine exactly how many people had come to surround her.
But the formation was bizarre — stars arrayed like a net, wrapped in countless layers. The information her divine sense could probe was extremely limited.
However, she did notice that Jiaxi Town nearby had been relocated entirely.
Truly the hallmark of a great sect — clearing the area before making a move, showing a sliver of mercy.
Xu Linglong stared down at Chu Xingchen, buying herself a moment's time.
"Fellow Daoist Chu, what a grand display — so many people just to besiege little old me."
"You were acting plenty fierce in there just now, weren't you? Didn't you say you were going to beat me to death?" Chu Xingchen laughed obligingly twice, then continued.
"I played along with your little joke. Now I hope you'll play along with my action — how about dying like a good girl?"
Xu Linglong replied with playful mockery. "That won't do..."
Chu Xingchen did not wait for whatever Xu Linglong wanted to say next. He slashed down with Wanban.
The formation tracks that blanketed the sky crashed down in an instant, their overwhelming might sweeping forth as though to destroy heaven and earth.
The densely packed energy swept across. Xu Linglong had no room to maneuver. The black current wrapped around her as she simply and decisively stood her ground to weather the blast.
Over a dozen cultivators took positions in all four directions. Once the formation's power had somewhat dissipated, they jointly formed a sword array and charged toward Xu Linglong in a pincer attack.
These cultivators, apart from their personal cultivation, spent most of their time studying and practicing combined formations together.
After extended training and coordination, calling them of one mind and one body would not be an exaggeration.
With Xu Linglong at the center, spiritual lights of every color flickered ceaselessly. They even gathered the scattered spiritual energy in the surroundings into tidal waves of power.
In Chu Xingchen's eyes, Xu Linglong was essentially in turtle mode — dodging what she could and blocking what she could against the relentless barrage of attacks, without seizing any opportunities to counterattack or exploit openings.
As if... she was waiting to die.
Chu Xingchen felt something was off. He sent a voice transmission to Yuyang Daozi beside him.
"Fellow Daoist Yuyang, could you trouble yourself to call one or two of your sect's Tribulation Transcendence Supreme Elders? Get a group of a hundred or so to help surround this demoness?"
Yuyang Daozi shot Chu Xingchen a look of bewilderment and shock, and replied via voice transmission.
"You think I can just do that?!"
Chu Xingchen immediately gave him a thumbs-up via voice transmission.
"Truly worthy of being a core disciple of Taodao Sect's current generation — your status is truly extraordinary. The situation is urgent — call them now, quickly."
Yuyang Daozi did not even lift his eyelids.
"Then why don't you call Bai Xuanling? With that goddess of slaughter here, you could carve this demoness into as many pieces as you please."
"Naturally, I can't call her."
"And you think I can?" Yuyang Daozi lightly pinched a jade slip, channeled spiritual energy into it, and triggered it. "I've already called everyone I can. Even at the fastest, it'll still take some time."
Chu Xingchen nodded slightly and tightened his grip on Wanban.
"The demoness is about to enter her third phase. This time, we might actually have to risk our lives."
Yuyang Daozi fixed his gaze firmly on Xu Linglong.
Xu Linglong observed calmly. Black current surged around her body, and she gripped the weapon in her hand — part sword, part bow.
A moment later, a smile suddenly appeared on her face.
Facing the multiple sharp sword lights bearing down on her, her figure moved forward without the slightest hesitation.
Xu Linglong clenched her left hand into a fist. Her Great Vehicle aura fully stabilized as she slammed her fist down toward the mountain-severing, sea-splitting sword light. Black current surged and splashed.
Chu Xingchen seemed to sense something. Azure light flared from Wanban in his hand as his figure pressed toward Xu Linglong.
Black current surged around Xu Linglong, obscuring all vision. This black current also had the ability to block divine sense probing.
But the formation was already active — minor disturbances would not be enough to change the situation.
Several sword lights of terrifying might arrived in the blink of an eye, slashing toward Xu Linglong.
"Not straight..."
Xu Linglong's voice was impossibly soft, yet it carried clearly.
The next moment, a brilliant black light pierced through the black current, followed by another and another. Countless black lights shot forth, streaking toward the sword cultivator who led the formation.
The attacked sword cultivator's expression remained calm. The larger the formation's numbers, the more energy it could command.
Had he encountered Xu Linglong alone, he would have turned and run without attempting to receive this blow.
But with the formation active... in terms of raw power, he was confident he would not necessarily lose!
Sword intent surged in his hand. The sword cultivator slashed toward the dense volley of incoming black arrows.
His sword intent could level mountains, his spiritual energy fierce as fire.
Beneath his blade, every black arrow dissolved into nothingness.
Xu Linglong's expression remained calm. Enduring the massive sword strike from behind, she continued to draw her bow, aiming at the original sword cultivator.
She drew the bow to full moon.
A silent twang of the bowstring rang in Xu Linglong's ears.
But the bow released nothing — not the slightest ripple or fluctuation of spiritual energy.
The sword cultivator naturally sensed something was wrong. He had endured a sword strike just to fire this shot — and it was a blank?
His divine sense swept the area. His sword intent formed a protective barrier. He was on maximum alert.
At the same time, several cultivators beside him moved to cover him.
They waited for a moment, but nothing came.
Xu Linglong's smile was as warm as could be, yet it carried an unmistakable edge of mockery.
For reasons unknown, the sword cultivator's previously steady heart began to seethe with impatience and fury, as though he were a child being toyed with and mercilessly ridiculed.
His instincts kept warning him to stay calm.
But his body moved faster than his thoughts.
The sword cultivator's long sword blazed with soaring spiritual energy. The next moment, crimson firelight erupted, blotting out the sky like a cliff, as he brought his blade crashing down toward Xu Linglong.
Xu Linglong's smile grew even warmer. She spoke softly.
"Pop..."
The sword cultivator felt a sudden chill in his abdomen. Without looking down, his spiritual senses alone told him that a massive hole had been punched through his stomach.
"Pop..." Xu Linglong continued to murmur softly.
The sword cultivator now understood the situation. His expression returned to calm as he swung his sword at Xu Linglong with all his might.
He did not care whether a second arrow was coming, or whether that second arrow was aimed at his head.
All he needed to do now was land this one strike!
"Not worth it. Stay calm."
Chu Xingchen's voice appeared calmly at his side.
The next moment, a wisp of blue light flashed before his eyes. When the sword cultivator looked at Xu Linglong again, her warm smile had been replaced by a cold, frosty gaze.
The sword cultivator understood that Chu Xingchen had blocked the killing blow for him.
But before he could even thank him, Chu Xingchen stuffed a pill into his hand.
"A supreme healing pill. Once your wounds are mostly recovered, disperse the medicinal effects."
With those words, Chu Xingchen charged toward Xu Linglong with Wanban in hand.
The sword cultivator looked at the pill in his hand, clearly aware of its special property. But he still steeled himself and swallowed it without hesitation.
Yuyang Daozi also shifted position rapidly. His divine arts rained down like scattered beans — half directed at Xu Linglong, half at Chu Xingchen.
Black current surged around Xu Linglong on all sides. The attacks did not stop just because one person was injured. She still had to divert her attention to dodge and block.
But that did not stop her from adding a note of mockery to her voice.
"Fellow Daoist Chu, getting personally involved now? That won't do either."
Chu Xingchen's expression remained unruffled.
He did not know whether Xu Linglong had a third phase or not.
But his own "calling for backup" phase was already on its way.
Whether it worked or not — that was Taodao Sect's problem now!
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