Volume 1, Chapter 109 – Ye Ling’er Is Surrounded and Attacked

Meanwhile, the team led by Ye Ling’er had run into trouble of their own.

While exploring the secret realm, they were ambushed by disciples of the Xuanming Sect.

The Xuanming Sect’s disciples were notorious for their bizarre soul attacks, and every one of them was ruthless.

They had already been itching to challenge Yaochi Immortal Palace, an ascendant new power currently enjoying a meteoric rise.

Then word spread that Huo Wushuang had suffered a setback at Liu Ruyan’s hands near the entrance to the secret realm.

That prompted several factions already hostile toward Yaochi Immortal Palace to join forces.

Ye Ling’er’s group consisted of nine people. She, a late-stage Foundation Establishment personal disciple, led Zhao Ling’er, Wang Zhaojun, Liu Lie, and five other outstanding disciples in the middle and late stages of Foundation Establishment. Their overall strength was not to be underestimated.

They had just crossed a treacherous region riddled with spatial rifts, which had taken a considerable toll on them, and had stopped in a relatively safe stone forest to rest.

As they took turns meditating and standing guard, danger struck without warning!

“Whoosh! Whoosh! Whoosh!”

Dozens of figures surged in from every direction like venomous snakes that had long been lying in wait!

They wore the garb of different factions but were clearly divided into three groups, each positioned to support the others as they completely surrounded the stone forest where Ye Ling’er and her companions had stopped!

On the left stood more than ten grim figures in gray, faint poisonous mist curling around them. They were disciples of Ten Thousand Poisons Ridge, and their leader had unmistakably reached early-stage Golden Core!

On the right were more than ten black-clad figures with cold expressions and eyes as sharp as hawks. The weapons in their hands gleamed with a chilling light. They were disciples of the Xuanming Sect, and their leader was likewise at early-stage Golden Core.

The largest group stood directly ahead, numbering around twenty. Dressed in scarlet, they radiated fierce, scorching auras. They were disciples of Heavenly Fire Valley.

The man leading them was none other than Huo Wushuang, who had tried to provoke Liu Ruyan at the entrance, only to have his arrogance crushed by her!

His expression was dark, rage and murderous intent churning in his eyes as he glared at Ye Ling’er and the others!

He had clearly redirected his resentment toward Liu Ruyan onto every disciple of Yaochi Immortal Palace.

The three factions had nearly fifty people between them. Even the weakest were at the middle stage of Foundation Establishment, and three Golden Core cultivators led their ranks!

Yaochi Immortal Palace, on the other hand, had only nine people. The strongest among them was merely at late-stage Foundation Establishment, and none of them was in peak condition.

“Yaochi Immortal Palace? We’ve finally found you!”

Huo Wushuang stepped forward, his voice icy and filled with undisguised killing intent.

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“Hand over your artifacts and Storage Pouches, then cripple your own cultivation. Perhaps I’ll let you keep your miserable lives!”

The young man leading the disciples of Ten Thousand Poisons Ridge cut in with a sinister smile.

“Why waste words on them, Brother Huo? Just kill them.”

“Several of my junior brothers from Ten Thousand Poisons Ridge died at Gu Luoli’s hands… We can start collecting that debt from them!”

The leading disciple of the Xuanming Sect, a stern, handsome young man, said nothing. But when his gaze swept over the artifacts in the hands of Ye Ling’er and the others, greed flashed in his eyes.

The three factions had evidently encountered one another by chance within the secret realm, and all of them harbored either hostility or covetous intentions toward Yaochi Immortal Palace.

Their interests had aligned, so they had joined forces to hunt down Yaochi Immortal Palace’s disciples.

Faced with this sudden, desperate predicament, all nine disciples of Yaochi Immortal Palace paled.

Zhao Ling’er and Wang Zhaojun instinctively moved closer to Ye Ling’er.

Liu Lie and the other male disciples immediately stepped in front of the female disciples, tightening their grips on their artifacts. Although shock filled their eyes, not one of them showed the slightest intention of retreating.

Ye Ling’er drew a deep breath. Her ice-blue eyes swept over the enemies on all three sides as she swiftly regained her composure.

They were badly outnumbered, and the disparity in strength was immense. They had no chance of winning a head-on battle.

But surrender was even more out of the question!

“Fellow disciples!”

Her cool, clear voice rang out, carrying a strangely soothing power to the eight people behind her.

“Master once told us that the disciples of Yaochi Immortal Palace do not seek trouble, but neither do we fear it!”

“Today, our enemies have come to our doorstep. What should we do?”

After a brief silence, grim resolve blazed in all eight pairs of eyes. They answered in unison.

“Fight to the death! Never retreat!”

“Fight to the death! Never retreat!”

Their voices were not loud, but they carried the fierce resolve of those prepared to die!

“Good!”

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A fierce glint flared in Ye Ling’er’s eyes. Her ice-blue hair stirred despite the still air as spiritual power erupted from her body!

“Form the formation!”

She shouted sharply. Drawing her twin Nether Moon blades, she charged straight at Huo Wushuang!

“Kill!”

Zhao Ling’er, Wang Zhaojun, Liu Lie, and the other five roared in unison, instantly forming a defensive formation.

Though few in number, the rapport they had developed through long-term training and sparring together inside the Myriad-Phenomena Tower now came fully into play!

The auras of all nine faintly linked together, their spiritual power complementing one another. In this desperate situation, they unleashed combat strength far greater than the sum of their individual abilities!

“A mantis trying to stop a chariot!”

Huo Wushuang sneered. The spear in his hand became a fiery dragon and thrust straight at Ye Ling’er!

The two Golden Core cultivators from Ten Thousand Poisons Ridge and the Xuanming Sect attacked at the same time!

In an instant, poisonous mist spread, sword light crisscrossed, and flames raged!

The nine disciples of Yaochi Immortal Palace were like a tiny boat amid towering waves, swallowed up in an instant!

Yet to everyone’s surprise, they managed to withstand the first wave of attacks!

Ye Ling’er’s figure flickered unpredictably, her twin Nether Moon blades becoming a storm of icy light.

Relying on the intricacies of the Lunar Canon and the sharpness of her yellow-rank supreme-grade artifacts, she held her own against Huo Wushuang!

For a late-stage Foundation Establishment cultivator to contend with a late-stage Golden Core cultivator was more than enough to demonstrate the terrifying power of Ye Ling’er’s Lunar Divine Body.

Huo Wushuang’s expression grew darker the longer they fought. He had clearly never expected a mere late-stage Foundation Establishment cultivator to possess such combat strength.

Although Zhao Ling’er, Wang Zhaojun, Liu Lie, and the others had lower cultivation levels, they relied on their formation and close coordination,

as well as the advantage provided by their yellow-rank supreme-grade artifacts, to barely withstand the others’ attacks.

However, the overwhelming disparity in numbers and cultivation was ultimately impossible to overcome!

As the battle dragged on, the disciples of Yaochi Immortal Palace began to suffer casualties!

One disciple was corroded by the poisonous mist of Ten Thousand Poisons Ridge. His arm rapidly festered, and he collapsed with an agonized scream.

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To protect Wang Zhaojun, Liu Lie took a soul attack from a Xuanming Sect disciple head-on. His face turned deathly pale, and he swayed on his feet.

A streak of flame grazed Zhao Ling’er’s shoulder, leaving it charred black. The excruciating pain drained all color from her face.

Ye Ling’er was under the greatest pressure of all.

Huo Wushuang was, after all, at late-stage Golden Core. His cultivation far surpassed hers, and he wielded the yellow-rank Scarlet Flame Spear.

If not for her special constitution, profound cultivation technique, and the support of her twin Nether Moon blades, she probably would not have survived even a single move.

But even with all those advantages, she was still only at the Foundation Establishment stage, and her spiritual power was limited. Gradually, she began to lose ground!

“Pfft!”

A spear beam grazed her ribs, tearing through her artifact robe and ripping open her flesh!

Blood instantly dyed her disciple uniform red!

“Junior Sister Ye!”

Zhao Ling’er cried out in alarm.

Ye Ling’er grunted and stumbled, but gritted her teeth and charged forward once more.

Her eyes held nothing but absolute resolve!

She glanced back at her fellow disciples, all struggling desperately to hold on, every one of them wounded. A wave of sorrow and bitter unwillingness surged through her heart.

Was she… truly going to die here today?

She had not yet repaid Master for giving her a new life…

She had not yet… told Master in person…

the secret she had buried deep within her heart…

The secret that made her cheeks burn and her heart race whenever she thought of it…

“Master…”

Ye Ling’er called out silently in her heart. A cold droplet slid from the corner of her eye, though she could not tell whether it was sweat or a tear.

At the very instant her emotions surged and her defense faltered for the briefest moment…

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“Die!”

Killing intent exploded in Huo Wushuang’s eyes. The Scarlet Flame Spear became a streak of crimson lightning,

hurtling toward Ye Ling’er’s heart with unstoppable force!

This thrust contained all his spiritual energy and killing intent!

Before the spear even reached her, its scorching, razor-sharp aura had already stolen Ye Ling’er’s breath and left her body ice-cold!

She could not evade it! She could not block it!

The shadow of death had never felt so tangible!

A hint of despair flashed through Ye Ling’er’s eyes, but she stubbornly raised her twin Nether Moon blades, determined to make one final stand.

Even if… all she could do was buy a single instant for the fellow disciples behind her…

At that critical moment…

“Hum!”

A strange ripple spread from the edge of the battlefield without warning!

Wherever the ripple passed, time itself seemed to thicken and slow!

Under its influence, Huo Wushuang’s killing thrust visibly slowed!

“What?!”

Huo Wushuang’s pupils abruptly contracted as he stared in disbelief toward the source of the ripple!

Several figures were racing toward them from outside the stone forest!

At their head was a woman in a white disciple uniform, her bearing gentle and composed. It was Liu Ruyan!

Nine disciples of Yaochi Immortal Palace followed behind her, among them Zhang Cheng, Liu Yuan, and Sun Qiao!

“Senior Sister Liu!”

“Senior Sister Liu is here!”