Chapter 593: Meeting Force with Force

By the same token, if Niu Youdao had never expected the imperial court to send an expert of Zong Yuan's level, Huang Lie naturally found it even harder to imagine that Niu Youdao could call in someone capable of matching him.

When Niu Youdao had been attacked on his return from Jinzhou, the flower-robed man had not gone all out. As soon as Xiaoyue Pavilion's people arrived, he had promptly stopped and left the interception of the assassins to them. The attackers, meanwhile, had fallen into the trap Niu Youdao had laid with himself as bait and were surrounded and annihilated by Xiaoyue Pavilion.

Apart from Niu Youdao's own party, the only people at the scene who had truly witnessed the flower-robed man's strength were disciples of Myriad Caves Heavenly Mansion. Once Xiaoyue Pavilion closed the net, no one from the imperial court could have remained on the perimeter to witness the man's later attacks.

Whether Xiaoyue Pavilion had seen clearly was another matter, but both Myriad Caves Heavenly Mansion and Xiaoyue Pavilion were presently on good terms with Niu Youdao. Neither had any reason to harm him. They should have kept the matter secret for him.

So as far as Niu Youdao was concerned, the imperial court should not have known that a top-tier expert was protecting him. He had never expected that after mobilizing such an enormous force, they would even send someone like Zong Yuan.

How could Huang Lie possibly believe that Niu Youdao had someone hidden at his side who dared exchange blows with Zong Yuan?

Zong Yuan? Guan Fangyi's heart pounded. One hand had already slipped into her sleeve and closed around a talisman, ready for an emergency at any moment.

The Heavenly Sword Talisman in her hand, together with the flower-robed man, was precisely why Niu Youdao could remain so calm here.

Likewise, the unruffled composure on this side made Zong Yuan, who was circling in the sky and observing below, narrow his eyes thoughtfully.

“Pull back and hold the inner line!” Yuan Gang shouted from the mountaintop where he was watching the battle.

Su Jieren did not hesitate. He immediately gave the order.

The defensive line below had already fallen into disorder. The arrow storm could cover only a limited range, and Feihua Pavilion's disciples had begun to find a way through. With no other choice, some had used the corpses of fellow disciples as shields and forced their way forward.

Not many survived the charge, but almost all who did were Feihua Pavilion's elite disciples. Large numbers of Foundation Establishment disciples had fallen beneath the rain of arrows and steel spears. Those who managed to break through were almost entirely Golden Core cultivators.

Fei Changliu and the Elders had all personally entered the fighting. Every disciple of Liuxian Sect had joined the melee and surrounded the survivors.

In terms of individual strength, they were no match for Feihua Pavilion's remaining elites. They benefited from the fact that the earlier arrow storm had consumed a good deal of the enemy's spiritual power, yet even so they were having enormous difficulty holding them back.

Feihua Pavilion and Zhenling Academy had once been capable of anchoring themselves in Nanzhou. Naturally, sects like Liuxian Sect could not compare with them.

Even with superior numbers and group attacks, Liuxian Sect was suffering grievous losses.

This time, Liuxian Sect truly was fighting for its life.

There was nowhere left to retreat. If they lost here, the sect itself might be destroyed. Driven to this point, if they did not fight desperately now, when would they?

The very people who had thought this was merely another drill only moments before had never imagined that in the blink of an eye it would become real, and that they would suddenly be facing the danger of their sect's annihilation.

Feihua Pavilion likewise had no path of retreat.

Its sect strength had already suffered catastrophic losses. Even if it managed to retake Nanzhou, if most of its disciples died in the process, it would still be extremely difficult to control the province afterward.

They knew all this perfectly well, yet they still could not withdraw.

If they retreated now and the imperial court refused to acknowledge their contribution, Feihua Pavilion's disciples would have died for nothing. A sect badly weakened and having angered the court would have no place left to stand anywhere in Yan.

Their only option was to fight desperately for a victory. If they could produce results, then with the court taking their merit into account, there might still be hope of rising again.

Cao Yuer was covered in blood, her hair already fallen loose. Surrounded by enemies, she shouted and screamed as she fought without pause.

The arrow formations had been shattered into chaos by the shockwaves from the fighting.

The soldiers had all been tempered on battlefields, yet against groups of cultivators charging directly into their lines, they simply could not hold.

No matter how fearless they were, one palm strike from a cultivator could blast down an entire patch of men. A sweeping sword could send flesh and blood flying from a whole group.

It was like a tiger entering a flock of sheep.

Large numbers of soldiers fell as easily as melons and vegetables under a knife.

In what seemed like a blink, perhaps a thousand soldiers had already gone down.

Their presence also prevented Liuxian Sect's disciples from fighting freely, while Feihua Pavilion's attackers cared nothing for that. Anyone who was not one of their own was simply an enemy to be slaughtered without restraint.

Clang! Clang! Clang!

The signal to withdraw rang out.

The battered soldiers immediately retreated up the mountain like a receding tide.

Signal flags waved from above.

The withdrawing troops rapidly re-formed halfway up the slope. Every man raised a bow and waited in silence. They allowed Liuxian Sect and Feihua Pavilion to continue fighting below, but the moment any Feihua Pavilion cultivator attempted to advance uphill, wave after wave of arrows immediately pressed them back.

The defensive line held fast.

Yuan Gang's jaw was tight.

He looked up and saw another flying mount pass overhead carrying a cluster of men. He could not help turning to glance toward Maolu Villa.

Uncle Chen and the others looked back as well, worry rising in their hearts.

Atop the pavilion inside Maolu Villa, everyone also noticed the enemy flying mounts approaching once again.

One of the black-clad masked men gave a sharp whistle.

The ten flying mounts resting inside the villa immediately beat their wings and rose again.

Groups of black-clad masked men flew toward them and leapt aboard. Once more, the ten mounts headed out to intercept the approaching enemy.

No one on this side would lightly allow the attackers to enter Maolu Villa.

The villa contained someone whom Xiaoyue Pavilion's upper ranks had issued a death order to protect.

High above, the cultivator guiding the lone flying mount that continued circling was also a eunuch cultivator dressed in ordinary clothes.

He looked back toward Zong Yuan and said heavily, “Mr. Zong, the man standing on the pavilion with his sword is Niu Youdao. There can be no mistake. Isn't it time you acted?”

Zong Yuan remained expressionless.

Of course he intended to act, but he had no intention of acting lightly.

The imperial court had laid hands on his people. How could he pretend nothing had happened?

He had seen the battle below and knew the defenses here were formidable. He did not mind letting the imperial court's men pay a heavier price first.

Did they really expect him to protect Yan's forces as well?

He was not so magnanimous.

Naturally, he did not say any of that aloud.

Instead, he said slowly, “Can't you see how calm the people below are? They must have something giving them confidence. If I don't act, so be it. But once I do, I intend to succeed. There are still many people inside the villa. To prevent interference, we should wait a little longer.”

The people atop the pavilion likewise found the situation strange, especially Niu Youdao himself.

If Zong Yuan had come for him, why had the man still not acted?

Had he come merely to watch the excitement?

They knew nothing of the grievance between Zong Yuan and the imperial court. Even with Niu Youdao's mind, he could not figure out the reason.

In the sky, just as before, the latest group of attackers jumped from their flying mounts and was immediately intercepted by black-clad masked men.

As the two sides descended while fighting, the masked defenders saw that the enemy once again outnumbered their people.

Two black-clad masked men inside the villa waved at the same time and led another two hundred men racing out to reinforce them.

In all, nearly four hundred masked men had now been committed against close to three hundred attackers.

Figures crossed and collided among the mountains. Booming impacts rolled without end, earth and stone flying everywhere, giving the impression that Heaven itself was collapsing and the ground splitting apart.

This was the first time Shang Shuqing had ever witnessed so many powerful cultivators locked in battle at once.

Her heart pounded at the sight.

Huang Lie's lips were pressed tight. From time to time, he glanced toward Niu Youdao, unable to understand where this man had found so many experts.

Even if Liuxian Sect, Fuyun Sect, and Lingxiu Mountain possessed cultivators of this level, there should not have been so many.

And if these truly were experts from the three sects, why would they all conceal their faces and refuse to be seen?

There was clearly another force behind Niu Youdao that Huang Lie knew nothing about.

He realized he had seriously underestimated the strength Niu Youdao actually controlled.

The fighting below seemed increasingly unfavorable to the attacking side.

The eunuch cultivator on the flying mount spoke again in a low voice. “Mr. Zong, there aren't many people left inside the villa. You should act now. If you delay any longer, I will have reason to suspect that you are deliberately exhausting the imperial court's strength.”

There truly were not many black-clad masked men left inside Maolu Villa.

Even so, about a hundred remained.

Xiaoyue Pavilion had assembled five hundred experts to protect Maolu Villa—or more precisely, to protect one particular person inside it.

Smack!

Zong Yuan suddenly struck.

He gave the eunuch cultivator a vicious slap across the face, hitting so quickly that the man had no time to dodge. Blood flew from the corner of his mouth.

“Do I need you chattering in my ear and teaching me what to do?” Zong Yuan asked coldly.

The eunuch cultivator dared to be angry but not to speak. He wiped the blood from his mouth.

Zong Yuan did not remain idle either.

The next instant, his figure flashed. He spread both arms and plunged headfirst downward, gliding rapidly toward Maolu Villa.

A stir passed through the pavilion.

Seeing Zong Yuan finally act, Huang Lie and the others drew their swords one after another, bracing themselves as though facing a great enemy.

The black-clad masked men stationed around the high pavilion also moved.

Several dozen figures leapt onto the pavilion roof and looked up at the man descending from the sky.

Niu Youdao still stood calmly with both hands resting on his sword.

His gaze left the sky for a moment. He looked back at Guan Fangyi, then toward Shang Shuqing, who had her head tilted upward.

Guan Fangyi understood and nodded.

She waved Old Thirteen over and quietly instructed him that if anything went wrong, he was to take Shang Shuqing immediately to Zhuang Hong's hiding place.

Zong Yuan came descending from the high sky like an immortal flying down from beyond the heavens.

More than a dozen masked men launched from the pavilion at once.

Together they unleashed crossing blades of sword qi, weaving a net that closed around Zong Yuan's descending figure.

Zong Yuan's broad sleeves unfurled and turned through the air.

To Dharma Eyes, yellow radiance spun around him.

The moment it entered the encircling net of sword qi, the dozen-plus blades were thrown into chaos. The fierce sword qi suddenly softened like thread wound around a finger and could not draw near Zong Yuan at all.

Zong Yuan thrust one palm downward.

The captured sword qi spiraled beneath him and slashed back toward the masked men rushing up from below.

The flower-robed man watched and murmured, “So it really is Zong Yuan.”

Boom! Boom! Boom!

A string of explosions tore through the air.

The dozen-plus cultivators shattered the sword qi they themselves had sent out after it turned back against them.

Under the enormous wave of force that followed, their upward momentum was exhausted, and they had no choice but to fall from the sky one after another.

A violent gale slammed down from above.

Everyone atop the pavilion was struck as though by a hurricane.

Shang Shuqing could not even keep her footing and staggered unsteadily.

Yin'er, still holding her food box, lifted her head.

Anger filled her eyes.

Niu Youdao glanced sideways at the flower-robed man.

His clothing was moving differently from everyone else's.

While the garments of the others snapped violently in the gale, the hem of the flower-robed man's robe slowly began to float upward, giving the strange impression that he might drift away at any moment.

An unusual aura spread across the pavilion.

Everyone who sensed it glanced toward him.

The next instant, their vision blurred.

The flower-robed man had already shot upward against the descending gale.

His speed was astonishing.

Boom!

A thunderous impact sounded in midair.

Directly above Maolu Villa, Zong Yuan and the flower-robed man collided head-on and exchanged a palm strike, force against force.

Alarm flashed through Zong Yuan's heart.

Using the impact itself, he immediately shot upward again and retreated toward the high sky to bleed off the force.

Huang Lie and the others were even more shocked.

Who was this man?

He actually dared meet Zong Yuan force for force!

The flower-robed man fell like a meteor.

He swept an arm outward, releasing an umbrella-shaped canopy of qi like a red cloud. His descent rapidly slowed until he had fallen only to the height of the pavilion.

He was almost level with everyone there.

His broad sleeves fluttered like dancing butterflies. His feet kicked repeatedly as though he were stepping upon empty air.

With a wild, unrestrained bearing, he accelerated upward again from the void.

The sight genuinely stunned everyone atop the pavilion.

Most cultivators could only descend once airborne. If they wanted to rise again, they had to borrow force from something.

This man, however, could climb again in empty air.

That was already close to true flight.

It meant the true qi within his body had condensed until it was nearly substantial, allowing him to control and wield qi with extraordinary freedom.

[End of Chapter 593]