Chapter 199: Moving Mountains
The scene in the city sent a chill down the spines of those on the mountain. Before the insect army of Sanqi Fort could even stir, they were engulfed by a sea of fire and a forest of swords, routed and broken.
The insect army of Sanqi Fort was originally extremely formidable, but they were caught completely off guard. People were burned to death, and the insects were also burned to death.
The female army of Liqing Palace was incredibly fierce, but in an instant, they suffered a devastating blow. Countless swords shot down from the air, piercing through the bodies of those women. They were already dead while still standing, their bodies riddled with holes.
By the time they fell, the swords that had slain them had already flown back, returning to the sword cases on the backs of the cavalry.
The various rebel factions and their disciples had no time to react before they were scattered by the elephant corps among the infantry, forced into isolated battles.
But no matter how high their cultivation, facing the siege of the formation assembled by the Yan Kang soldiers, they were beheaded in an instant!
The combat ability of individual sect disciples surpassed that of ordinary soldiers, but their cohesion was too poor. They scattered at the first charge. Even though some rebels were originally from the Yan Kang army, well-trained and regular troops, they were caught off guard. Once the army was scattered, everything was already too late.
This was absolutely a massacre. Under the transmission flags of the Heavenly Demon Sect, a surprise attack could be achieved. Any army facing such a surprise attack had only one outcome.
Total annihilation.
On the mountain, the bronze-masked man’s body trembled, and he said in a quavering voice, “Two paths, two paths…”
The Yan Kang National Teacher had given them two paths. One path was for the Yan Kang army to push forward in a straight line, driving them to the Southern Sea to be wiped out—this was the court’s rule.
The other path was to follow the rules of the martial world: they would challenge the Yan Kang National Teacher, and the main generals would fight to the death!
They had always thought they would choose one of these two paths, but they never expected to have to choose both at once. The Yan Kang National Teacher intended to both kill them and annihilate the rebel army.
“When did the Heavenly Demon Sect defect to the court?”
The Palace Master of Liqing Palace shouted harshly, “When did the supreme holy land of the demonic path become the court’s hunting dog?”
The Lihen Heaven Sword Technique of Liqing Palace required the practitioner to sever emotions and resentments from the heart, to have no love, hate, or grudges within, to achieve the highest state of swordsmanship. Only when the heart was free of external things could it be like a flawless mirror, reflecting the outside world.
But now, Qiu Dieyi, the Palace Master of Liqing Palace, saw the disciples of Liqing Palace being slaughtered, and her state of mind was disturbed.
Once her state of mind was disturbed, the consequences were dire. The Yan Kang National Teacher pointed a finger, and the primordial energy at his fingertip transformed into a sword light. The sword light swelled and in an instant reached her throat!
Not only was the Palace Master of Liqing Palace’s mind disturbed, but the minds of others were also disturbed. When the Yan Kang National Teacher struck at the Palace Master of Liqing Palace, no one had time to block him.
“We’re going to die…” Shen Wanyun and the others had the same thought.
This mountain was sealed by the eight hundred acres of Heavenly Prison Seal. The fluctuations of the battle could not be transmitted outward; they would only collide back and forth. It was likely that the moment the Yan Kang National Teacher and the others clashed, they would be shaken to death and shattered.
Just as the Yan Kang National Teacher made his move, suddenly a large banner appeared in front of Qin Mu and the others, flapping loudly. It draped over them, and with a single tremor, the banner, the people, and even the Dragon Qilin vanished together.
The next moment, Qin Mu and the others appeared at the foot of the mountain. Shen Wanyun, Yun Que, and Yue Qinghong looked around and saw that beside them stood several hundred strange figures wearing bamboo hats, who were just unfurling their banners.
These several hundred strange figures stood in a circle around this mountain within the city. The banners fluttered, enveloping the mountain. An aged voice shouted, “Go!”
Swish—
Hundreds of banners waved. When the banners passed by, the mountain behind them, along with the sect master-level existences on it, including the Yan Kang National Teacher, were all sent away!
Where the mountain had been, only a patch of bare ground remained, with the crushed City Lord’s Mansion on the ground!
Shen Wanyun, Yun Que, and the others were startled and uncertain, but they saw those strange figures raise their banners again, covering themselves, and covering them as well.
Before Shen Wanyun and the others could come to their senses, a banner had already covered them. They felt the world spin, and when they set foot on solid ground, they found themselves far away from the war-torn Daxiang City, standing on a mountain peak.
The peak was extremely high. A fierce wind howled, making their clothes flap. Beside them stood several hundred strange figures wearing bamboo hats, surrounding them in a circle.
Shen Wanyun and the others suppressed their shock and exchanged silent glances: “They are experts of the Heavenly Demon Sect. They’ve kidnapped us, and we don’t know what they intend to do…”
The mysterious Heavenly Demon Sect, the supreme holy land of the demonic path and the greatest sect, had always acted in secrecy. The Yan Kang court had investigated this demonic holy land more than once, but had never found much useful information.
This time, the Heavenly Demon Sect had helped the Yan Kang National Teacher and had also taken them away from the battlefield where the National Teacher and the others were fighting. Now they had snatched them out of the battle. They must have some scheme.
Suddenly, one by one, the strange figures took off their bamboo hats, assumed the posture of disciples, and bowed to them, saying in unison, “Subordinates pay respects to the Holy Lord and Saintly Teacher! Pay respects to the Saintly Maiden!”
Shen Wanyun and the others were at a loss, looking at these Heavenly Demon Sect experts who were bowing with the posture of disciples, their hearts filled with fear and unease. Monk Yun Que quickly closed his eyes and shouted, “I saw nothing! I didn’t see your faces! Don’t kill me to silence me!”
Just then, a familiar voice sounded beside them: “Rise. No need for such formalities.”
“Thank you, Holy Lord and Saintly Teacher.”
The strange figures rose, while Shen Wanyun and the others looked in horror at the person who had spoken beside them.
The first abandoned child of the Great Ruins to enter the Grand Academy, the first Grand Academy Doctor of the Grand Academy—Qin Mu. Was he the Holy Lord of the Heavenly Demon Sect?
Qin Mu’s expression was gentle, and he smiled at them.
“If the Doctor is the Holy Lord, then which one is the Saintly Maiden?” Yue Qinghong asked in a trembling voice.
Si Yunxiang smiled shyly at her, and Yue Qinghong’s hair stood on end.
“My Grand Academy’s Hanguang Hall’s National Academy Supervisor, Jian Sansheng! And the Zhenyuan Hall’s National Academy Supervisor, Chen Yunting!”
Shen Wanyun saw the Sword Hall Master and the Formation Hall Master, his heart sinking as he murmured, “We’re dead. We’re definitely dead…”
Monk Yun Que spat angrily, “You saw their true faces, so you’re dead! Why did you say their names? Monk had his eyes closed, but now I’ve heard their names, so I’m dead too!”
The Sword Hall Master glanced at the four of them and said, “Holy Lord, they have seen our true appearances. Should we kill them to prevent future trouble?”
Monk Yun Que quickly opened his eyes, looked at Qin Mu, and said with a flattering smile, “Doctor… Holy Lord, we’re classmates! You even hit me once, remember? Sister Fox, Sister Fox, for the sake of all the money I’ve given you, please put in a good word for me, okay?”
Fox Ling’er tilted her head and wagged her tail, indicating she couldn’t help.
Qin Mu comforted them, “Scholar Yun, rest assured. All of you, be at ease. I’m here, I’m here.”
He turned to the Sword Hall Master and said, “Sword Hall, they are, after all, classmates from the Grand Academy. Ask them if they are willing to join the Holy Sect. If they are unwilling, bury them in this scenic place.”
Qin Mu turned back and comforted them, “Don’t worry, don’t worry. I’ll handle it properly.”
Monk Yun Que was scared out of his wits, his hair standing on end—fortunately, his head was bald, or his hair would have been standing up too.
Qin Mu turned around again and said, “Sword Hall, when you kill them later, don’t do it in front of me. Wanyun, Qinghong, rest assured. We’re not the kind of demonic path that murders, burns, loots, and robs. Put your hearts at ease. It’s fine… Make the sword strike quick, so they suffer less…”
“I heard that!”
Monk Yun Que shouted, “Sword Hall, don’t come near me! I’m already a member of the Demon Sect… Bah, I mean the Holy Sect!”
Yue Qinghong exchanged a glance with Shen Wanyun. Yue Qinghong said softly, “Senior Brother, what should we do?”
Shen Wanyun hesitated for a moment, then said, “This time, the Heavenly Demon Sect helped the National Teacher, which shows that the Heavenly Demon Sect is also on the court’s side. Joining the Heavenly Demon Sect isn’t a bad thing. If we don’t join…”
The corner of his eye twitched, and he didn’t finish.
Yue Qinghong breathed a sigh of relief and said, “Joining the Heavenly Demon Sect isn’t a bad thing. We’ll join the sect.”
Since she had spoken, Wolf Slave naturally had no objection.
Yue Qinghong blinked her eyes and said to Si Yunxiang, “Saintly Maiden, if we hadn’t joined the Holy Sect, you definitely wouldn’t have killed us, right?”
Si Yunxiang chuckled softly, “The Holy Lord is kind-hearted. He was just joking with you.”
Monk Yun Que breathed a sigh of relief and shouted, “Little monk knew it was a joke! Doctor, you were joking just now, right? Doctor?”
Qin Mu laughed heartily but said nothing. Monk Yun Que’s face turned ashen.
Qin Mu walked to the edge of the cliff and looked toward another mountain peak. That was the battlefield of the Yan Kang National Teacher and those dozen or so sect master-level existences, about ten li away.
The Heavenly Prison Seal set up by the bronze-masked man and the others had been broken through, with holes appearing one after another. From time to time, terrifying storms came through those holes, howling winds blowing away patches of forest, lifting countless trees into the air and shredding them to pieces.
The battle on that mountain peak was too terrifying. It was a life-and-death struggle between sect master-level existences. Even from this distance, separated by the Heavenly Prison Seal, they could still feel waves of terrifying tremors.
Whoosh—
Another gust of wind blew. Shen Wanyun and the others finally understood why the wind was so strong on the mountain they had just landed on. The fierce wind was actually created by the battle more than ten li away.
Moreover, the wind was getting stronger, bending the trees on the mountain. Wave after wave of wind came. Before the previous gust had stopped, the next one arrived. The trees had just sprung back when they were bent again. Some trees were snapped in half.
That mountain peak should have already crumbled. Qin Mu saw that the place where the battle was taking place was getting lower and lower, now almost level with the ground.
Even from this distance, using the Shenxiao Heavenly Eye and Qingxiao Heavenly Eye, he could see the battle, but not clearly. Their movements were too fast. Even the Qingxiao Heavenly Eye could barely capture their trajectories, let alone their techniques.
Qin Mu could only judge how many people were still on the mountain by the trajectories formed by these experts as they moved.
“Another sect master-level existence has fallen.” Qin Mu’s heart trembled slightly.
Yue Qinghong looked around and saw that all the Heavenly Demon Sect experts were silently standing on the mountaintop, watching the distant battle from afar, with no intention of going to help. She asked in confusion, “Aren’t you going to help?”
“No.”
Qin Mu explained, “The Yan Kang National Teacher can handle it alone. Three old monsters from the old era ambushed him and could wound him when he was unprepared amidst an army. But if the Yan Kang National Teacher ambushes someone, basically no one is his match. Where our Heavenly Saint Sect helps the National Teacher is in creating the opportunity for him to strike. The moment those sect masters lose focus is the best time for the National Teacher to ambush them.”