The body was pulled in by a soft yet irresistible force. Passing through the barrier gap felt like squeezing through a thick cold water membrane. The war cries and explosions outside suddenly became clear and sharp.
A strong nauseating smell of blood, burnt smell, plus demonic aura's cold corrosive quality mixed into a despairing tide, instantly choking Tang Xiao Qi awake from deep coma.
He felt like a sandbag thrown, heavily falling on hard cold ground, rolling several times before stopping. All his bones seemed disjointed. His vision swam with blackness.
But he fiercely bit his tongue tip. The intense pain forcefully stimulated him to maintain the last thread of consciousness.
He struggled and raised his head. Entering his vision was a hellish scene.
The originally smooth white jade stone slabs were shattered, covered with dark red blood and scorch marks. Limb fragments everywhere. At the plaza center, the ancestral founder statue had broken at the waist.
Further ahead, Qingxu Temple's majestic mountain gate had become a bloody grinding machine!
Beyond the gate, demonic aura like a tide. Countless terrifying demonic creatures and Shadow Snake Pavilion cultivators, like an endless black tide, crashed against the defense line.
The defense line was retreating step by step. The disciples' faces full of exhaustion and fear, but more determination to coexist with the sect.
At the front of this battle line, at the core of the swaying defense, a familiar figure, like a stabilizing pillar, firmly planted there! It was Master! True Person Xuan Lin!
He was no longer the elder who always had gentle concerned eyes. At this moment, his Taoist robe soaked through with blood. His left sleeve was empty, severed at the shoulder!
But the hand gripping the sword was still steady as a rock! That Shouzheng Sword following him for years hummed, spewing fierce cyan sword aura.
His swordsmanship no longer pursued intricate variations, only the simplest, most direct slashes, chops, pierces, sweeps! Every sword swing carried desperate determination!
Sword light passing, demonic cultivators at the front were either cut in half, or pierced through the brow, or torn to pieces. A brief death zone formed within ten zhang around him.
He, alone with one sword, forcefully held the defense line's most pressured gap!
However, Xiao Qi clearly saw Master's exhaustion and weakness. His face was pale without a trace of blood. His breathing was urgent and disordered. His footsteps no longer steady.
Clearly, Master was already at the end of his strength! He was completely relying on an unyielding will, forcefully supporting this about to collapse defense line!
"Master...!" Xiao Qi's heart felt like grabbed by an invisible giant hand. He saw a Shadow Snake Pavilion cultivator attack from the flank toward Master's ribs!
Master seemed to detect it, but his body reacted a beat too slow. That black attack grazed his right ribs, leaving a burn wound reaching to the bone!
Master grunted. His body stumbled. But he did not even have time to treat the wound. A backhand sword hacked a demonic creature, splitting it in two.
He was like a wall about to collapse, using his final bricks and his own bone and blood, desperately held back the surging destructive flood.
Xiao Qi's vision blurred with tears. He wanted to rush up, but could only helplessly lie on the cold ground, watching Master struggled to hold on alone in blood and fire.
Just then, from the other side of the defense line, a wave of panicked shouts and even more intense explosions sounded. A formation base was found. Large groups of demonic creatures surged in!
The defense line was about to completely collapse!
True Person Xuan Lin suddenly raised his head. Despair flashed in his eyes, then was replaced by even crazier determination. He took a deep breath. The sword aura on Shouzheng Sword blazed again, carrying a color of burning life!
He was preparing to fighting desperately! To use his final strength to fill that breach!
"No! Master!!!"
Xiao Qi let out a heartrending cry. He scrambled forward desperately.
At this critical moment, a deep and authoritative voice suddenly rang out throughout the entire mountain gate sky:
"Xuan Lin Junior Brother! Retreat! Leave this to me!"
Before the voice faded, a thick golden-yellow beam of light, like a meteor from beyond heaven, slammed down from the sky, precisely striking that breach!
"BOOM!!!" The violent energy crushed dozens of demons and cultivators into minced meat!
A tall figure, surrounded by solid earth-yellow spiritual light, like a war god, heavily landed in front of True Person Xuan Lin.
It was the Temple Master, True Person Xuan Xuan!
His appearance was like injecting a shot of adrenaline into the about-to-collapse defense line. The surviving disciples' spirits surged.
The Temple Master did not look back, only said: "Carry Xuan Lin Elder down for treatment! All disciples, form 'Small Five Elements Rotation Formation,' defend and await reinforcements!"
Xiao Qi watched Master being helped away. His heart finally slightly settled. But he knew the crisis was far from over.
And he must quickly inform the Temple Master about Black Wind Mountain Range's truth!
He struggled, attempting to crawl toward the Temple Master direction. Every movement accompanied intense pain and dizziness. Blood spread beneath him. Consciousness began to blur again...