As the first sword qi swept through, a series of sword qi followed, slashing into the crowd.
"Damn it, these people had been lying in wait!"
Iron Flying Horse cursed under his breath, realizing that they had been preparing for a massacre.
Up ahead, chaos erupted. Among these local hunters, there were many skilled individuals, but some of the weaker ones were immediately shredded by the sword qi.
"Sky-shattering Thunder Sword!"
Suddenly, a sword qi imbued with lightning energy blasted out, knocking several experts in the hunters' ranks flying.
A massive sword mark scarred the ground, with visible traces of lightning around it, leaving the surroundings scorched black. The domineering thunderous energy was still crackling in the air.
"Thunder Sword Master, Song Yanqing."
Iron Flying Horse gasped, and the group's pace instinctively slowed.
After all, Song Yanqing was one of the top ten experts of the younger generation in the Sky Sword Sect.
To be titled Sword Master meant they were peerless geniuses in the sect, the pride of their school.
"Song Yanqing."
A surge of intense hatred filled Zhu Yue's eyes.
A young man in blue appeared, holding a sword crackling with thunder in one hand. Behind him, experts from the Sword Sect surrounded the hunters and began to engage them in battle. The sound of killing was deafening.
"That was your arrow earlier, wasn't it?"
Song Yanqing's gaze landed on Lin Ye. Though Lin Ye had been hiding in the shadows, Song Yanqing had keenly observed all their movements, already recognizing his earlier attack. But by the time he had decided to help, it was too late.
"I'll handle him."
Zhu Yue whispered fiercely.
She stepped forward, and her figure blurred, turning into multiple afterimages. At the same time, she drew a long sword from her back.
The sword unsheathed, radiating a sharpness that spread through the entire forest, and a chilling aura erupted from the blade.
"Boom!"
Zhu Yue swung her sword, and the power she released was enough to rival Song Yanqing's might. The force was overwhelming, surpassing even the limits of the Moonwheel Fifth Realm.
Clang!
The two sword qi collided. Song Yanqing's thunderous sword aura surged, effortlessly shredding Zhu Yue's sword qi. But Zhu Yue's movements were lightning-fast, and in an instant, she closed the gap with Song Yanqing, launching a flurry of over a hundred strikes. For a moment, she had him on the defensive, unable to raise his head.
Iron Flying Horse and the others stared in disbelief. Even Luo Gui, usually so unflappable, looked stunned. The mysterious woman's strength was far beyond what they had imagined. Her aura alone reached the Moonwheel Fifth Realm.
Her attack's momentum was so powerful that even a Moonwheel Sixth Realm cultivator might struggle to resist.
However, despite her ferocity, Luo Gui could tell that Zhu Yue's battle experience seemed somewhat lacking. In contrast, Song Yanqing was far more seasoned.
As expected, once Song Yanqing figured out her attack pattern, he struck decisively, breaking her footwork.
Condensing his energy, a fierce thunder serpent burst from his sword.
"Thunder Serpent Strike!"
Boom!
Zhu Yue was sent flying by the strike. But the force was absorbed by a pendant on her chest, and though she was thrown far back, she remained unharmed.
"Oh? So you're the one who escaped. You were the one who killed Luo Fusheng from the Tianxu Sect yesterday?"
At first, Song Yanqing didn't recognize her, but seeing the necklace that absorbed spiritual energy, he immediately understood her identity.
With her strength, escaping the blockade of the Three Sects should have been impossible. But this necklace had given her that chance. Even the attacks from several elders had been absorbed by it. It was most likely a divine artifact!
A greedy gleam appeared in Song Yanqing's eyes. If he killed her, he could seize this artifact. Such a treasure could allow him to battle opponents several realms stronger than him. It could even secure his place as the leader of all Sword Masters in the Sky Sword Sect—an honor he had long desired.
"No way, with your strength, you couldn't have killed Luo Fusheng!"
Zhu Yue gritted her teeth.
Then, Song Yanqing suddenly turned around, as if realizing something, just in time to see a dark-red long sword slicing toward him.
Reacting quickly, he raised his Thunder Sword to block.
"Roar!"
The sound of sword cries erupted from his blade, as if a ghostly claw had seized his face, plunging him into darkness.
Bang!
Song Yanqing's Thunder Sword shattered on impact!
Lin Ye's sword was so domineering that it not only broke Song Yanqing's blade but also pierced through his spiritual armor. The inner armor Song Yanqing wore, crafted with great expense to withstand the attacks of a Daylight Realm cultivator, was instantly torn apart by Lin Ye's weapon.
"Not good."
Song Yanqing's heart sank, and he quickly retreated. His inner armor had cost a fortune to make, able to withstand even the might of Daylight Realm power. But Lin Ye's sword had nearly cost him his life.
"Explosion!"
Lin Ye growled.
The Eight Desolate Slaughter Blood Technique instantly erupted.
Although Song Yanqing had managed to react, it was too late.
Boom!
Song Yanqing was blasted into the air, his armor shattered. The internal force exploded within him, leaving only half of his head remaining on the ground.
This scene stunned everyone.
Many hunters and even disciples of the Sky Sword Sect stood dumbfounded.
Iron Flying Horse's eyes widened. Even if he had fought Song Yanqing, the outcome would have been a 50-50 chance. And though he might have been able to win, he would never have dared to kill Song Yanqing. Yet, now Lin Ye had slain the Thunder Sword Master in one strike.
Lin Ye… his power was terrifying.
Iron Flying Horse had never expected this.
This was the first time he had witnessed Lin Ye fight. With one strike, he had slain the Thunder Sword Master of the Sky Sword Sect. Such power was extraordinary.
"I… I'm getting out of here!"
One of the remaining disciples from the Sky Sword Sect tried to send a signal to call for reinforcements.
However, Luo Gui exploded into action, unleashing the power of the Moonwheel Third Realm. With one thrust of his spear, he impaled the disciple.
His energy surged like a black serpent, instantly tearing the disciple apart.
Zhu Yue also calmed down.
She quickly killed a few of them to collect interest.
Together with Luo Gui, they slaughtered the remaining Sky Sword Sect disciples. One attempted to flee but was shot dead by Lin Ye with an arrow!
Though the Windbreaking Crossbow wasn't especially powerful, when combined with Lin Ye's Daylight Energy, it became an unstoppable force.
The scene was drenched in blood. Half the bodies belonged to hunters, while the other half were from the Sky Sword Sect.
Luo Gui fought ruthlessly, with every shot lethal. After all, Luo Gui was no saint. He had a bitter vendetta with the Sky Sword Sect, which had no intention of forgiving him. After breaking through the Fengyu Town's Guardian, the Sky Sword Sect would undoubtedly hunt him down. But for now, they were too busy to handle it.
"Roar!"
Suddenly, a roar came from the dense forest in the distance.
The sound was as deafening as thunder, echoing in their ears.
"Not good, a wild beast! Everyone, hide!"
Iron Flying Horse immediately reacted.
The remaining hunters scattered, realizing it was not safe to linger here. The bloodshed had already drawn the wild beasts, and they were rushing to the scene.
"This way."
Iron Flying Horse led the group swiftly through the dense forest.
"Climb that tree!"
He pointed to a black, thorn-covered tree, and quickly leapt up.
Whoosh!
As they climbed, three shadows darted past below, heading straight for the battle site.
Their speed was so fast that even Lin Ye could only make out a rough outline.
"Are those the wild beasts?"
Luo Gui looked astonished.
These creatures were incredibly fast, and every step left deep claw marks on the ground, indicating immense strength.
"They are Flesh-eating Beasts, drawn by the scent of blood. They are fast, strong, well-armored, and live in packs. They're nearly unbeatable."
Iron Flying Horse spoke in a low voice.
None of the wild beast hunters wanted to encounter Flesh-eating Beasts. Often, the beasts they hunted would be snatched away by these creatures.
"Move this way, and suppress your energy signature."
Iron Flying Horse instructed.
The seven members of the Iron Horse Gang led Lin Ye and the others as they swiftly moved through the forest, mostly leaping from tree to tree.
Whoosh!
Iron Flying Horse led the way, but just as he leaped forward, a black whip suddenly shot toward him.
Bang!
Caught off guard, Iron Flying Horse was sent flying.
Whoosh! Whoosh! Whoosh!
A dozen black whips followed, whipping toward Lin Ye and the others.
"It's the Eight-Limbed Golden Mantis!"
Almost everyone was sent flying.
Only Lin Ye, when the whip struck, immediately drew his sword and sliced through the whip.
It was a creature resembling a cockroach's leg.