"Is the power really that great?"

The shocking effect of a head exploding with one sword strike stunned everyone present and also caught Qi Xiu, the one who attacked, off guard.

However, after the initial surprise, Qi Xiu calmed down and considered it. He realized it actually made sense.

Firstly, the Golden Flower Maternal Sect backbone had been in a fierce battle with the one-armed Lv Shuai for a long time, and their Body-Protecting True Gang was already severely damaged, leading to a significant drop in defensive power. Secondly, this Formless Sword Mantra specializes in breaking through Body-Protecting True Gang. My stealthy attack from the shadows was silent and undetectable, making the invisible Sword Qi impossible to guard against. Moreover, the destructive power of this Sword Path of Carnage was indeed formidable. All these factors combined to create the one-hit kill!

But regardless, Qi Xiu's sudden intervention had indeed thrown the already imbalanced battlefield into renewed chaos.

"Hahaha, which heroic figure lent a hand? I, Chu Zhao, thank you for your assistance here!"

In mid-air, Chu Zhao laughed with delight, his arms wrapped around his opponent like a vise as he relentlessly pounded him with fists the size of earthenware pots.

"It is often said that Sword Cultivators are all honorable and forthright individuals. Now it seems that is merely a baseless rumor. Since you have come, why not show yourself and fight openly? Hiding and skulking like a rat is truly contemptible."

After a moment of silence, the Saintess of Chiling finally spoke. Her calm, composed tone betrayed little emotion, yet her voice resonated with extraordinary clarity across the entire battlefield.

She knew that Sword Cultivators were all exceedingly proud individuals. Taunted by her words, he was bound to be indignant. Once this person revealed himself, the rest would be easy to manage.

"PAH! Brother Sword Cultivator, don't listen to that stinking old crone's crap! You people are so righteous, so honorable, are you? Releasing demonic insects, slaughtering civilians... and you still have the gall to utter words like 'truly contemptible.' Do you have any shame at all? PAH! PAH! PAH!"

Chu Zhao, whose skills in verbal sparring matched his combat prowess, fought fiercely while pointing at the Saintess of Chiling and spewing curses. Though his curses were vulgar, they drew a round of cheers from the soldiers below.

Qi Xiu, concealed within his misty Escape Light, heard the loud curses from outside and chuckled. Ever since he embarked on the path of cultivation, his greatest strength had always been his shamelessness... oh, no, his ability to discern when to advance and when to retreat.

"Since you claim that I, Qi, lurk in the shadows and act like a rat, then I, Qi, will show you what a true 'schemer' is!"

Squinting his eyes, Qi Xiu searched around and soon locked onto a Golden Flower Maternal Sect backbone engaged in fierce combat with the female Lv Shuai.

Suddenly, he raised his hand! Malevolent and bone-chilling invisible Sword Qi shot out like a venomous snake hidden in a shadowy corner, striking straight for the head of the Golden Flower Maternal Sect backbone.

The Golden Flower Maternal Sect backbone fighting the female Lv Shuai had just witnessed his comrade's head explode from a sword strike and was already wary of an attack by that invisible Sword Qi. But if the Formless Sword Qi was so easily defended against, how could it have been included in the "Sword Shocking Heaven" compendium and ranked one hundred thirty-seventh among Sword Path of Carnage techniques?

Unleashing several golden flower vines to block the female Lv Shuai's sweeping kick, the Golden Flower Maternal Sect backbone was about to counterattack when a fist-sized hole suddenly burst open in his Body-Protecting True Gang from behind.

Trapped!

Realizing he had been ambushed by that insidious Sword Cultivator, the Golden Flower Maternal Sect backbone hastily tried to dodge. But the Formless Sword Qi, already upon him, was not so easily evaded.

SCHLICK—

The sharp Sword Qi, like a cutting machine, instantly severed the left arm of the Golden Flower Maternal Sect backbone. A torrent of blood gushed out, accompanied by a piercing scream that echoed through the sky.

Seeing her opponent grievously wounded, the female Lv Shuai's eyes flashed with brutal intent. Seizing the critical opportunity, her martial arts techniques erupted. Surging vital energy, blood, and True Gang coalesced into a long whip covered with serrated steel blades. It whirled and roared, tightly ensnaring the Golden Flower Maternal Sect backbone!

"Die!!!"

BOOM—

Like hundreds of steel saws grinding simultaneously, dazzling sparks exploded. His Body-Protecting True Gang was shredded to pieces, and the Golden Flower Maternal Sect backbone instantly disintegrated into a bloody mist and minced flesh, which rained down upon the ground.

In less than half a minute, Qi Xiu struck twice: one kill and one assist.

The loss of two key members not only diminished the Golden Flower Maternal Sect's strength but also sent a bone-deep chill through the remaining backbones, their expressions taut with anxiety. They feared that the treacherous Sword Cultivator lurking in the shadows would target them next. But in a life-and-death battle, how could one afford to be distracted?

For a time, the Golden Flower Maternal Sect's Initiate Realm cultivators, unable to cover all their bases, were steadily pushed back by the Lv Shuais, their defeat growing increasingly apparent.

"A bunch of trash."

Seeing her side, which clearly had the numerical advantage, being pushed back and suppressed, the Saintess of Chiling could no longer remain seated. She took a light step, barefoot, and a sacred white radiance extended from beneath her feet, imbuing her with an aura of unworldly transcendence. Above her, in the void, three True Gang Marks resembling flower pistils radiated a brilliant light, further enhancing the Saintess of Chiling's already ethereal presence with a touch of immortal grace.

A peak Initiate Realm cultivator!

Seeing the three True Gang Marks above the Saintess of Chiling's head, the Lv Shuais' expressions all turned grim. The disparity was too great. Among them, the strongest, Chu Zhao, had only managed to cultivate two True Gang Marks. If the Saintess of Chiling personally joined the battle, none of them would be her match.

Atop the city tower, Li Jiufang clenched the jade pendant in her hand, a look of grim resolve in her eyes as she abruptly stood up.

Father, please forgive your child for not...

BOOM—

The ground suddenly began to shake! It was as if an ancient subterranean dragon was stirring and roaring in fury. Countless cracks spread rapidly like a spiderweb, radiating outwards. From between the fissures, streams of black Yin Qi surged from the earth, permeating the air. They resembled an endless black mist, intertwining and swirling in the sky.

As the tremors and the black Yin Qi emerged, the surrounding atmosphere grew heavy and silent. At that moment, the Yin Qi began to flow, like an invisible force drifting everywhere. In the stillness, faint yet heavy breathing could be heard, creating a sense of oppression and unease. Surrounding objects also seemed to lose their vitality, appearing pale and lifeless in the cold.

Earth Vein eruption! Yin Qi proliferation!

The sudden cataclysm stunned everyone. Especially Li Jiufang and the Saintess of Chiling. As the two most powerful cultivators present, they knew that such a massive Earth Vein eruption could not possibly occur spontaneously. It had to be deliberate.

That Sword Cultivator!

Li Jiufang and the Saintess of Chiling simultaneously arrived at the same conclusion.

Meanwhile, the instigator of this widespread shock watched the Earth Vein eruption with serene satisfaction, his hands clasped behind his back, a faint smile on his lips.

A great success. Accomplished.

The Yin Qi roiled and surged, transforming into countless small, black, serpentine forms.

Yin and Yang attract each other. The excessive Yin Qi from the Earth Vein that had dispersed into the void, after a brief moment of hesitation, began to frantically surge towards all living beings.

This is... Not good!

Gazing down as the Yin Qi infiltrated the bodies of the cultists below, the Saintess of Chiling's pupils constricted. A potent sense of dread instantly exploded in her heart. But before she could utter a word, the cataclysmic change, capable of reversing the tide of battle, had truly begun!

Overwhelmed by the influx of Yin Qi, the delicate Yin-Yang balance within the Golden Flower Maternal Sect cultists—who had been transformed into women through a perverse reversal of Yang to Yin—was completely shattered.

Amidst roars of agony, strangely mingled with a hint of liberation, the Golden Flower Maternal Sect cultists reverted to their original male forms.

Astonishment, surprise, disbelief, then uncontainable joy! In an instant, a myriad of expressions flickered across their faces like blooming flowers.

"Hahahaha! I've finally changed back!"

"You've changed back too, haha, congratulations, congratulations! Finally don't have to squat to pee anymore!"

"My brother! You're finally back! You have no idea how much I missed you."

The moment they transformed back, nearly all the Golden Flower Maternal Sect cultists simultaneously unfastened their belts. Seeing their 'long-lost brothers' again, they all wept with tears of joy!

"Hey, are we still fighting or not?"

Raising their blades and spears, the soldiers on the city walls stared in bewilderment at the Golden Flower Maternal Sect cultists, who had abruptly turned back into men and were now weeping profusely. After a long pause, one soldier, unable to restrain his impatience, finally shouted the question.

"No more fighting! No more! I'm going home to find my wife!"

"Fight? Fight for what! If there's any fighting to be done, it's against those damned women who turned us into this monstrous state! If I ever get my hands on them, I'll break their legs!"

"Let's go, let's go! This is no place to linger!"

As their bodies returned to normal, their psychological distortions also dissipated. In an instant, large numbers of Golden Flower Maternal Sect cultists scattered in a chaotic retreat, fleeing for their lives. Only a very small fraction remained, observing the situation.

"HAHAHAHA! Little girl, your soldiers have all fled! What will you use to attack the city now?"

This sudden, complete reversal of fortunes sent the Lv Shuais into roaring laughter.

Deliverance from a desperate plight! This was truly deliverance from a desperate plight!

Who would have thought that this gamble, which had seemed a path to certain death, would conclude in such a theatrical fashion? Even if this were written into a novel, readers would likely find it too exaggerated.

"Your Holiness, Saintess, now that things have come to this, I believe it is time for you to depart."

The heavy burden on Li Jiufang's heart finally lifted. A relaxed smile appeared on her face as she felt the world around her suddenly brighten. She walked onto the city wall, her gaze clear as she looked at the Saintess of Chiling.

"You think you've won?"

Calmly observing Li Jiufang, the Saintess of Chiling suddenly raised her hand, sending a beam of light into the sky. It exploded, transforming into a dazzling, resplendent golden flower that radiated immense brilliance.

"Wrathful Killing Arhat! What are you still waiting for?"

"Wrathful Killing Arhat?"

Li Jiufang's expression tightened abruptly, and she gripped her jade pendant once more.

But as everyone stood on high alert, cautiously scanning their surroundings for any sign of the demon for a long while without success, puzzled glances began to fall upon the Saintess of Chiling.

Also sensing that something was amiss, the Saintess of Chiling turned to look back at the mountains behind her.

This old demon... he actually broke his promise...

...

「At this time,」

Eight hundred li from Qingliu County, in Corpse Luo Mountain, a tombstone-shaped mountain where demons congregated, the ancient demon, Wrathful Killing Arhat, sat upon his lotus throne. His gaze was heavy, his expression grim as he stared at a small hill opposite him, a hill composed entirely of the corpses of his demonic underlings.

Atop this corpse mound, Daoist Qingya, clad in a dark blue Taoist robe, his face ruddy with health, contentedly scratched an itch on his back with a wooden sword, his eyebrows arched in satisfaction.

"The Blood-Stained Realm is forbidden to interfere in worldly conflicts. What, you little demon, do you intend to break the rules?"

Sitting up straight, Daoist Qingya craned his neck and casually flicked his gaze upwards. The icy glint in his eyes sent a chill through Wrathful Killing Arhat, making his vital energy and blood almost freeze solid.

"I... I did not..." Suppressing the violent tremor in his body, Wrathful Killing Arhat began to explain.

"That's for the best. After all, while those in the Blood-Stained Realm cannot interfere in worldly conflicts, the battle between good and evil, subduing fiends and eliminating demons, is an exception to this rule. Wouldn't you agree?"

A gentle smile touched Daoist Qingya's lips. With a light flick of his wooden sword, a thin line of blood instantly appeared on Wrathful Killing Arhat's neck across from him.

...

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