"No, my strength is still not enough!"
In a secluded forest, Lin Xiao leaned against a tree, his expression grave.
Although he had now reached the Spirit Transformation Realm 1st Layer, and his Savage Bull Body had advanced to the sixth level, granting him a formidable strength of thirty-two thousand jin, and both his Gale Saber Art and Phantom Step Art had reached Transcendent Mastery, it was still far from sufficient.
His current strength might render him invincible within the Azure Light Sect, possibly even surpassing Zhang Yunyi, but when faced with the Kingdom Chu's massive army, he still felt a twinge of fear.
That was an iron-blooded legion numbering in the tens of thousands, if not more. Without absolute power, not only would he be unable to save the Azure Light Sect, but he might not even be able to save his own life.
"My cultivation must reach the Spirit Transformation Realm 2nd Layer, and the Savage Bull Body must reach the seventh level!"
Lin Xiao took a deep breath and then re-entered the Creation Space to continue training his Savage Bull Body.
The strength and defense of a powerful physical body were paramount, so he prioritized training the Savage Bull Body.
Time passed slowly, and the seventh level, the final level of the Savage Bull Body, was no easy feat.
Lin Xiao trained tirelessly for a full forty-two hours before finally mastering the seventh level of the Savage Bull Body.
Crack, crack!
Lin Xiao's body resounded with the sound of tendons and bones, echoing like the vibration of bowstrings.
His vital energy was robust, flowing through his body like boiling water.
Beneath his skin, within his flesh and bones, lay explosive power.
At the seventh level of the Savage Bull Body, his physical strength doubled again, reaching a staggering sixty-four thousand jin.
Without pausing, Lin Xiao ate some dry rations and began to circulate the True Brightness Art to enhance his cultivation.
The True Essence within him flowed through his meridians, completing cycle after cycle of circulation.
...
On this day.
The earth trembled.
A sea of red surged swiftly toward the mountain gate of the Azure Light Sect.
This was an army, numbering a hundred thousand strong, overwhelming like a tide, carrying a murderous aura that seemed to scatter the white clouds in the sky.
The elite corps of the Kingdom Chu, the Blazing Flame Army, had arrived.
Rumble!
With a ground-shaking roar, the hundred thousand Blazing Flame Army charged forward, reaching the foot of the Azure Light Sect's mountain.
"Surround them!"
A general clad in golden armor waved his hand, and the warhorses neighed once more.
The Blazing Flame Army encircled the entire Azure Light Sect, leaving no gaps.
"People of the Azure Light Sect, surrender immediately, or face annihilation!"
The golden-armored general sat atop a mighty Scarletblood Dragon Horse, shouting loudly, his voice echoing in all directions.
Inside the mountain gate, Sect Master Zhang Yunyi, accompanied by a group of elders and disciples, gathered in the sect's plaza, their expressions solemn as they stared intently at the Blazing Flame Army below.
At this moment, following Zhang Yunyi were less than a thousand elders and disciples.
Originally, the Azure Light Sect had over three thousand five hundred disciples, plus some elders and deacons, totaling nearly four thousand people.
But now, most had left, with only a thousand remaining to defend the sect.
At a glance, Peng Yue, Zhang Ruoling, Ye Qiudie, Feng Yuan, and other disciples were all present.
"Prince Zhennan, I, Zhang Yunyi, did not strike down the Ninth Prince. Why must you drive us to extinction?"
Zhang Yunyi shouted loudly. New chapters come out on g.com first.
The golden-armored general was none other than Prince Zhennan, a pillar of the Kingdom Chu, with a cultivation at the peak of the Spirit Transformation Realm 2nd Layer.
"Zhang Yunyi, words are futile. If you do not wish for the Azure Light Sect to be bathed in blood, then surrender quickly!"
Prince Zhennan's face was cold, his eyes filled with deep killing intent.
"Prince Zhennan, even if your Blazing Flame Army is a fierce tiger, if you wish to destroy the Azure Light Sect, you'll lose a few teeth today!"
Zhang Yunyi shouted fiercely, for there was no room for negotiation now.
"Hahaha!"
Prince Zhennan laughed wildly, his eyes flashing with murderous intent. "The mere Azure Light Sect dares to boast so shamelessly!"
As soon as he finished speaking, he waved his hand and shouted, "Exterminate the Azure Light Sect, leave no blade of grass!"
"Kill!"
"Kill!"
"Kill, kill, kill!"
Immediately, the sky was filled with the deafening cries of battle.
A black-armored general led the charge, taking ten thousand Blazing Flame soldiers to storm the mountain gate of the Azure Light Sect.
This black-armored general was none other than General Wu, who had previously accompanied the Ninth Prince, now seeking to redeem himself.
Senior Eunuch Xue Rong followed closely behind, also seeking redemption.
On the mountain, Zhang Yunyi looked at the crimson tide below. He turned to glance at his daughter, his two disciples, and the other true and inner disciples.
"I told you to leave, yet you stubbornly stayed. Why?"
Zhang Yunyi sighed softly.
"Master, we are not afraid of death. Your disciples will always follow you!"
Ye Qiudie's face was resolute.
"Father, we are not afraid of death!"
"Master, I, Peng Yue, was born a person of the Azure Light Sect, and I will die a ghost of the Azure Light Sect!"
"Defend the Azure Light Sect, fight to the death without retreat!"
The disciples spoke one after another. Although their faces were pale and their hearts held some fear, each stood with unyielding pride.
"Very well, today I shall accompany you to the netherworld!"
Zhang Yunyi shouted loudly, then stepped forward to charge at the incoming Blazing Flame Army.
"Kill!"
Over a thousand disciples and elders of the Azure Light Sect followed closely, their momentum soaring.
Whoosh, whoosh, whoosh!
Before the two sides even clashed, hundreds of arrows shot from the Blazing Flame Army like meteors.
Clang, clang, clang!
All the incoming arrows were either blocked or cut down by Zhang Yunyi and the elders, causing no casualties.
The mountain path was narrow, making it difficult for large-scale troop maneuvers, and the hundreds of arrows had little effect.
In an instant, the Blazing Flame Army and the Azure Light Sect clashed, and in a moment, blades flashed, swords danced, blood splattered, and limbs flew.
Within the Azure Light Sect, Zhang Yunyi, with his Spirit Transformation Realm 2nd Layer cultivation, and the Grand Elder, with his Spirit Transformation Realm 1st Layer cultivation, were immensely powerful. Ordinary Blazing Flame soldiers were no match for them.
However, the Blazing Flame Army also had many experts. Besides the black-armored General Wu and Senior Eunuch Xue Rong, there were two other generals at the Spirit Transformation Realm 1st Layer.
"Kill!"
Meanwhile, Xue Rong and the other two Spirit Transformation Realm 1st Layer generals joined forces to besiege Zhang Yunyi.
On the mountain path, the sounds of battle were deafening, cries echoed continuously, and blood splattered everywhere.
Prince Zhennan watched from below, showing no intention of intervening, nor did he send more Blazing Flame soldiers up.
After all, the mountain was not a flat terrain, and too many numbers would be ineffective. The ten thousand soldiers were sufficient to take the Azure Light Sect.
If the soldiers on the mountain showed signs of defeat, then more soldiers would be sent.
...
"Have they arrived?"
On the mountain, within the dense forest, Lin Xiao emerged from the Creation Space.
His cultivation had successfully broken through to the Spirit Transformation Realm 2nd Layer, and his strength had surged once again.
Donning a mask, Lin Xiao's figure flashed as he charged down the mountain.
Quickly, he saw the people of the Azure Light Sect engaged in a bloody battle.
The long mountain path was littered with corpses, the ground stained red with blood.
Fortunately, most of the corpses were those of the Blazing Flame soldiers, with fewer from the Azure Light Sect.
The ordinary soldiers of the Blazing Flame Army mostly had cultivation at the Qi Condensation Realm 4th or 5th Layer, with some lower or mid-level officers at the Meridian Opening Realm.
However, the soldiers excelled in joint attack techniques, significantly enhancing their combat effectiveness.
On the Azure Light Sect's side, their overall cultivation was much stronger, but their numbers were too few, and they would eventually be defeated.
Lin Xiao immediately spotted Senior Eunuch Xue Rong and the black-armored General Wu, both Spirit Transformation Realm experts with formidable strength.
Besides them, Lin Xiao also saw Prince Zhennan outside the mountain gate, clad in golden armor.
He sat atop a Scarletblood Dragon Horse, as immovable as a mountain, his powerful aura fully exposed.
Spirit Transformation Realm 2nd Layer peak!
Swish!
Lin Xiao ignored the Blazing Flame soldiers charging up the mountain and paid no heed to General Wu and Xue Rong. Instead, he charged directly at Prince Zhennan.
To capture the ringleader first, if he could slay Prince Zhennan, the Blazing Flame Army would be leaderless and naturally retreat.
If they did not retreat, then he would slay all the other generals.
Whoosh!
Lin Xiao's figure was like lightning, leaving a trail of afterimages.
He descended from above, leaping over the people of the Azure Light Sect and the Blazing Flame soldiers, heading straight for Prince Zhennan.
Now, with his Spirit Transformation Realm 2nd Layer cultivation, Lin Xiao's Phantom Step Art was even faster.
With a single stride, he could leap thirty to forty meters, almost like flying at low altitude.
"It's him!"
Xue Rong and the black-armored General Wu noticed the fleeting afterimage, their hearts filled with shock.
Although the speed was too fast for them to see the person's appearance clearly, the speed and technique were undoubtedly those of the person who had slain the Ninth Prince.
Zhang Yunyi, the Grand Elder, and other experts of the Azure Light Sect also noticed someone swiftly flying overhead, their hearts filled with surprise. However, since the person did not attack them, they felt somewhat reassured.
"Hmm?"
Below, Prince Zhennan frowned, seeing the figure rushing down from the mountain and simultaneously sensing a strong killing intent locking onto him.