Yu Hua Pleads for Help, Tantai Strikes!

Rumble! Four figures suddenly appeared outside the Great Xia Sword Sect's grand formation, one after another! As expected, the six sects had fully surrendered to the Heavenly Demon Divine Palace. Not only that, but Yu Hua had become the leader among Zhao Pei and the rest. The woman in the black gown now wore a frigid expression, the seductive charm in her eyes replaced by chilling murderous intent. With the demon insects thoroughly fused into their dantians and divine souls, every one of them experienced an explosive surge in power. The four remaining individuals had all reached the peak of the Body Integration Realm. The disciples under their command had likewise been completely demonized and subjugated by the boundless demonic qi. Within each disciple's body dwelled an Abyss Demon similar to Ye Feng's, except their consciousness had been erased, reducing them to mere instruments that bolstered the cultivators' power. Watching this unfold, Li Guanqi could not help but frown. This transformation was fundamentally different from that of the cultivators previously infected by Abyss Demons; the difference was like night and day. The aura radiating from these cultivators resembled Ye Feng when he unleashed the full power of his ghost hand. Wu Bing's expression was grave as he turned to Ling Daoyan and sent a voice transmission. "Can we draw upon the sword qi Senior Ye left behind in the mountain Sect Cemetery?" Ling Daoyan shook his head, his voice heavy. "That strand of sword qi was placed there solely to guard the Sect Cemetery. Unless they assault the cemetery itself, we cannot call upon it." Before his words even finished fading, the invaders outside gave the Great Xia Sword Sect no time to react. Her face frosted over, Yu Hua pointed coldly at the sect's barrier. "Kill! Leave none alive!" With those words, the four peak Body Integration powerhouses unleashed their attacks in unison. Along with them, nearly ten thousand densely packed cultivators began bombarding the sect-protecting grand formation! Boom! Boom! Boom! Rumble! Instantly, the heavens shook and the earth trembled. The Spirit Fish Clan and Fire-Eyed Demon Fox Clan also dispatched powerhouses to bolster the defenses! Their eyes narrowed at the sight before them, yet not a single one retreated. Even more figures poured forth as the Qifeng and Xiushui secret realms were flung open, a ceaseless stream of powerhouses surging into the air—every one of them at the Core Formation Realm or above! Disciples of Pill Peak darted madly among the ranks, distributing Spirit Burst Pills, primal energy restoration pills, and healing elixirs! Every disciple of the Great Xia Sword Sect placed a Spirit Burst Pill in their mouth, ready to bite down the moment their strength was spent in battle. Li Guanqi watched with a grim, darkened expression. He was certain Sha was pulling the strings behind this. Yet this time... something seemed different! Wu Bing reached behind him and drew an earth-attribute longsword, his voice steady and low. "Masters of the five peaks, take up your swords!" Li Guanqi turned to a resolute-looking disciple from Tianlei Peak and said, "Take me to the sect's Demon Suppressing Abyss!" "Elder Li, why go there at a time like this?" the disciple asked in confusion. "The barrier won't hold for long. You'll be safer staying here." "Take me," Li Guanqi insisted in a deep voice. Helpless, the young man had no choice but to lead Li Guanqi toward the long-abandoned Demon Suppressing Abyss. Li Guanqi pulled out his life-bound jade slip, his expression turning ugly. The sealing barrier was just as he had expected; even contacting Li Song was impossible. Not a single spatial ripple could escape, let alone any word to the outside world of what was happening to the Great Xia Sword Sect. There was no need to guess—to an outside observer, the sect currently appeared completely normal. Even if a passerby noticed something amiss, they would likely be eliminated instantly before any news could spread. Li Guanqi let out a bitter smile. When had he fallen into the habit of relying on others? Whoosh! The disciple looked at the dilapidated Demon Suppressing Abyss, confusion still lingering in his eyes. Suddenly, beside the fissure, he spotted the sword light Li Guanqi had left behind in the past to suppress the Abyss Demon! Li Guanqi glanced back and said, "You can go now. Stay far away." With that, Li Guanqi lunged forward, his hands gripping the lightning sword light he had once planted there. Boom! In an instant, lightning tore through Li Guanqi's arms, leaving them a mangled mess of flesh and blood. The broad sleeves of his robe shredded into countless tatters, and the sheer force lifted him off his feet into the air. Li Guanqi had concealed his aura precisely to use this strand of sword qi to stimulate his meridians and accelerate their recovery. Rumble! Crack! Crack! Outside, violent ripples spread across the blue-purple sect barrier from the very start. The disciples guarding the formation core watched in horror as the thousands of spirit stones they tossed inside lasted merely a breath or two. Shuddering in panic, they hurled even more spirit stones into the array. Whoosh! The Guanyun Pavilion's domain barrier opened, and dozens of formidable figures burst out from within. Gu Chuan took in the sight with a grim gaze and barked an order. "Cloud Shadow Guards, hear my command!" "Present!" "Join the disciples of the Great Xia Sword Sect and face the enemy!" "Understood!" Qianqiusui instantly soared forward with sword in hand, while Xi Yunhuai appeared beneath the skyward barrier. The old man looked at the crumbling barrier with fervent eyes and licked his dry lips. A low roar tore from his throat. "Apocalypse: Shenzha!" Boom! The already massive formation brush abruptly expanded to a length of a hundred feet. Primal energy surged through Xi Yunhuai as he wrapped his arms around Shenzha, darting through the void like lightning, leaving behind intricate formation runes in his wake. "Heavenly Radiance Crouching Dragon Formation!" Boom! A golden formation condensed into form, resembling nine dragons coiling across the sky. A cold light flashed in Yu Hua's eyes, and she frowned. "The array that old man is drawing is merging with the sect-protecting grand formation. When it breaks, our casualties will be catastrophic! Pick up the pace! Hold nothing back!" Boom! Before her voice had completely faded, Zhao Pei made the first move. Short in stature, his gaze was sharp as a shadow. Two blood-red crescent blades appeared in his palms. Stepping through celestial footwork, he instantly arrived at the highest point of the Great Xia Sword Sect's barrier. Spinning like a whirlwind, he unleashed a relentless torrent of terrifying red-black blade energy! "Dance of the Blood Moon!" Yu Hua and the others followed suit, their attacks crashing down in rapid succession! "Qionghua: Falling Death!" The violent sword light drifted like scattered petals—wild, beautiful, and devastatingly powerful. As the four attackers struck again and again, Xi Yunhuai's face paled. He watched helplessly as a spiderweb of dense cracks crept across the barrier! Even as he divided his focus to mend the formation, he knew it could not hold for long. Swish! A wisp of sword qi landed behind Li Guanqi. He instinctively glanced back, only for an unfamiliar woman's voice to sound directly in his ear! "I am Yu Hua, Palace Master of Xiaoxiang Palace! A demon insect is controlling my body! Can you help me?!" Under the stimulation of the lightning, the dantian within Li Guanqi's body was already showing signs of awakening. "Why should I trust you?" Suddenly! Tantai Yiting, who had been standing in midair just moments ago, appeared behind Li Guanqi without a sound! The swords in his hands pierced cleanly through Li Guanqi's body! The old man's eyes turned pitch-black as terrifying demonic qi surged violently from within him. That sheer power shattered his cultivation barriers, catapulting his aura from the Void Refining Realm straight into the Body Integration Realm! "Hahahahaha! Finally! I've finally found my chance!" Suspended in midair, Xi Yunhuai's face contorted in shock, and he roared in fury, "Tantai Yiting, how dare you?!"