117: Chapter 117 Jointly Defending Against the Enemy, Ye Chen Displays His Power Once Again

Su Yuwei also brandished her water-blue thin sword, shooting out condensed ice cones and water arrows in coordination.

Ye Chen's target was within the "Six Harmonies Killing Array."

It was the gray-robed man holding a longbow, positioned at the rear of the Formation, responsible for long-range support and interception.

This person's movement technique seemed relatively weak, and he was the key to maintaining the Formation's long-range attacks.

As long as he was defeated, a loophole would surely appear in the Formation.

Activating Phantom Step, Ye Chen's figure was like smoke as he threaded through the chaotic battlefield, avoiding the incoming streaks of Yin-Yang Evil Qi and charging straight for the archer.

"Seeking death!"

The archer noticed Ye Chen's intention and let out a cold laugh. The bowstring twanged repeatedly as three arrows, arranged in a triangular pattern with arrowheads flickering with faint blue poisonous light and unpredictable trajectories, instantly blocked all angles of Ye Chen's advance.

Simultaneously, two gray-robed men beside him immediately swung their sabers and thrust their weapons, attacking Ye Chen to provide cover.

However, Ye Chen's forward momentum suddenly halted. With a change in his footwork, he actually passed through the gaps between the three poisonous arrows in the blink of an eye, while his ice scar sword drew a strange arc.

"Primal Chaos Defense!"

The gray Sword Qi formed a small vortex, slightly parrying and neutralizing the Saber Qi from the left and the short spear force from the right.

And he himself, using this force, accelerated his figure and instantly closed in to within three feet of the archer!

A hint of shock finally appeared in the archer's eyes; he hadn't expected Ye Chen's movement technique to be so strange or his Breakthrough to be so swift.

He retreated hastily while drawing his bow again, the arrow pointing straight at Ye Chen's face. At such close range, it was unavoidable.

But Ye Chen seemed to have anticipated this. While charging forward, his left hand had already formed a sword finger, with a condensed gray glow flickering at the tip.

It wasn't the Primordial Chaos Destruction Stab, but a piercing strike that extremely compressed Hunyuan True Essence to simulate the Concept of the "Armor-Piercing Awl."

Puff!

The finger-sword arrived first, precisely hitting the bow arm the archer had hurriedly used to block.

The annihilation property of Hunyuan True Essence erupted, and a dent was actually poked into the bow arm made of extraordinary material, causing the flow of spiritual energy to instantly stagnate.

The archer's arm shook violently, and the arrow's trajectory inevitably shifted, whistling past Ye Chen's ear.

Meanwhile, Ye Chen's ice scar sword was already like a venomous dragon emerging from its cave, stabbing straight at the man's throat!

Seeing that he was about to succeed.

From a diagonal angle, a blazing, explosive palm print and a bone-chilling finger wind simultaneously attacked Ye Chen's back and temple.

It was the Shadow Fiend leader and another assassin who, seeing the archer in danger, immediately returned to help.

If Ye Chen insisted on killing the archer, he would surely be heavily injured.

In a flash, a cold light flickered in Ye Chen's eyes. He didn't dodge or avoid it, but instead pushed his protective True Essence to the limit, the Ice Lotus Imprint glowing slightly as he prepared to endure the hit.

At the same time, his sword strike toward the archer's throat became thirty percent faster!

Trading an injury for a life!

"Arrogant!"

The Shadow Fiend leader shouted angrily, the power of his palm and finger becoming even stronger.

However, at the very moment their attacks were about to hit his body.

A green, gentle yet swift wind swirl appeared behind Ye Chen without warning, spinning lightly.

The blazing palm print and bone-chilling finger wind were actually led slightly astray by this seemingly gentle wind swirl.

They grazed past Ye Chen's body, their power greatly reduced.

It was Bai Yu!

He had appeared behind Ye Chen at some point, lightly shaking his iron fan with a smile on his face; that wind swirl was his masterpiece.

In that split second of delay.

Puchi!

The sound of a Sharp Weapon entering flesh rang out.

Ye Chen's ice scar sword precisely pierced the archer's throat.

Hunyuan True Essence instantly annihilated his life force.

The archer's eyes widened, filled with disbelief. The longbow fell from his hand as his body slowly collapsed.

Due to the death of one person, the "Six Harmonies Killing Array" instantly fell into disorder, and the connection of its aura was no longer smooth.

"Old Five!"

The Shadow Fiend leader let out a shrill, angry roar. His gaze toward Ye Chen and Bai Yu was filled with overwhelming killing intent.

"I want you dead!"

He no longer paid attention to Murong Bai and the others. His figure moved like a ghost, carrying a terrifying aura of intertwined heat and cold as he lunged straight at Ye Chen and Bai Yu.

The remaining four assassins behind him also roared as they broke away from their opponents to attack with all their might.

Clearly, Ye Chen's killing of the archer had completely infuriated them.

"Come then!"

Ye Chen's eyes were cold and fearless. His ice scar sword shook, gray light flowing as he took the initiative to meet them.

Bai Yu gave a light laugh, unfolding his iron fan. His figure was elusive as he also met another assassin.

The pressure on Murong Bai, Shi Yue, and the other two lightened. Their spirits rose instantly, and seizing the Opportunity of the enemy's disordered Formation and agitated minds, they launched a fierce counterattack.

Lei Zhen's thunder hammers danced wildly, forcing an assassin to retreat repeatedly.

Jing Wuming's broadsword was like the Grim Reaper's scythe, every Move seeking to take a life.

Shi Yue fought steadily, firmly entangling another person.

Murong Bai's sword light was like a rainbow, going straight for the Shadow Fiend leader to prevent him from focusing all his efforts on Ye Chen.

The long-range attacks from Zhao Feng, Han Li, and Su Yuwei also became more precise and ruthless.

Mo Ling exerted all her strength to control the Formation, interfering with and delaying the opponents.

The battlefield instantly became more chaotic and tragic.

Ye Chen exchanged a Move with the Shadow Fiend leader.

As sword and palm met, Ye Chen felt a strange and overbearing Yin-Yang Evil Qi rush into his body along his arm. Ice and fire intertwined, tearing at his Meridians, and a sharp pain followed.

He let out a muffled groan and slid back several steps. His throat felt sweet, and a trail of blood seeped from the corner of his mouth.

The opponent was, after all, at the Peak of the Fifth Level of the Wheel Sea Realm; the gap in cultivation was not small, and the "Yin-Yang Evil Art" was strange and overbearing.

If not for the unique properties of Hunyuan True Essence neutralizing most of it, he would have been heavily injured by this one hit.

The Shadow Fiend leader also took a step back, the shock in his eyes deepening.

He felt that after his Yin-Yang Evil Qi invaded the opponent's body, it was actually quickly neutralized and annihilated for the most part, failing to cause the expected damage.

"What strange True Essence! I cannot let you live!"

His killing intent intensified. He advanced again, his palms one Yin and one Yang, transforming into a sky full of palm shadows that completely enveloped Ye Chen's vital points.

Ye Chen's expression was solemn as he pushed Phantom Step to its limit, weaving and dodging through the palm shadows.

The ice scar sword occasionally poked out, using the Concepts of "Primal Chaos Defense" and "Armor-Piercing Awl" to neutralize and break the opponent's attacks.

But the gap in cultivation and the opponent's rich combat experience soon put him at a disadvantage, and he was constantly in peril.

On the other side, Bai Yu was locked in a fierce battle with an assassin at the Early Stage of the Fifth Level of the Wheel Sea Realm.

His movement technique was strange, and his iron fan Moves were tricky, always managing to avoid fatal strikes in the nick of time.

And he delivered sharp counterattacks; it looked easy, but it was actually dangerous.

Murong Bai was desperately entangled by another assassin at the Middle Stage of the Fifth Level of the Wheel Sea Realm, making it difficult for him to break away and help for the moment.

Shi Yue, Lei Zhen, and Jing Wuming each had their own opponents and were also in the midst of fierce battles.

"This can't go on..."

Ye Chen was anxious.

His injuries hadn't healed, and his True Essence consumption was enormous; a long battle would lead to defeat.

He had to end it quickly.

A hint of madness flashed in his eyes.

I'll risk it!

He intentionally left an opening, taking a hit from the Shadow Fiend leader's bone-chilling palm wind on his left shoulder.

He was thrown backward as if struck by a heavy blow, spraying blood from his mouth.

"Die!"

The fierce light in the Shadow Fiend leader's eyes intensified. His figure was like lightning as he pursued, a blazing palm striking hard toward the crown of Ye Chen's head.

It looked like Ye Chen was about to die under the palm.

Murong Bai's eyes nearly split: "Junior Brother Ye!"

Bai Yu's expression also changed.

However, at this life-or-death moment.

In the eyes of the backward-flying Ye Chen, there was an extremely cold calm.

His right hand held the ice scar sword, which he had quietly raised at some point, the sword tip pointing diagonally at the ground behind him.

Inside his body, the little remaining Hunyuan True Essence, along with the vitality of that jumping Dark Red Ember in his Wheel Sea and the chaotic clear light emitted by the Ice Lotus Imprint.

As well as a trace of "Nirvana" Sword Intent, began to frantically compress, gather, and collapse in a profound way...

At the tip of the sword, an imperceptible point of Chaos was forming.

The Shadow Fiend leader caught up, the blazing palm print descending.

Ye Chen suddenly twisted his body and swung his sword.

The point of Chaos at the sword tip detached from the blade, silently floating toward the descending blazing palm print.

And toward the Shadow Fiend leader's mask, which was close at hand and filled with killing intent and astonishment.

"Hunyuan Return to Void—Dot."

That tiny point of Chaos floated out from the tip of Ye Chen's sword, silent and without a trace of worldly aura.

It looked so small and insignificant, as if it would dissipate with a single breath of wind.

However, the moment it appeared, the surrounding light seemed to dim for an instant.

The chaotic battlefield, the violent energy, the churning mist.

Even space itself seemed to be stagnated and frozen by an invisible force, collapsing and returning to void toward that single point.

The blazing palm print the Shadow Fiend leader struck toward Ye Chen's crown, the moment it touched that point of Chaos.

Like snow under a scorching sun, it silently melted, disintegrated, and was annihilated.

No explosion, no loud noise.

Only a dead silence of all things reaching their end and returning to nothingness.

The cruel smile on the Shadow Fiend leader's face suddenly froze, and his eyes erupted with unparalleled shock and fear.

He felt his palm, along with the majestic Yin-Yang Evil Qi condensed upon it.

Even the connection between him and that palm strike was rapidly collapsing and disappearing under the touch of that strange point.

As if it had never existed.

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What was even more terrifying was an indescribable "Concept" that reached deep into the Divine Soul and ended everything.

Following the dissipating connection, like a maggot on a bone, it instantly invaded his body, spreading toward his Meridians, Wheel Sea, and Divine Soul.

"No—!"

He let out a shrill, desperate roar, wanting to pull back and retreat, wanting to circulate his True Essence to resist, but it was all too late.

That Concept of Return to Void was too overbearing, too pure.

It ignored the protective Evil Qi on his body surface and ignored the majestic True Essence of his Fifth Level of the Wheel Sea Realm Peak.

Like the coldest declaration of death, it rapidly erased his vitality.

The high-grade grey robe on his body decayed and weathered at a speed visible to the naked eye.

The black mask on his face shattered inch by inch, revealing a middle-aged face twisted by extreme fear and pain.

The Yin and Yang Evil Qi inside him, as if encountering a nemesis, frantically collapsed and annihilated.

His body, starting from his palm, rapidly became grey, withered, and lost its luster, as if it had experienced the erosion of thousands of years in an instant.

In just a single breath.

This Fifth Level of the Wheel Sea Realm Peak, notoriously famous "Shadow Fiend" leader, was like a sand sculpture that had all its support drained away.

He completely lost all vitality, turning into a corpse without any breath of life, standing stiffly in place, maintaining the posture of lunging forward with a palm strike.

Immediately, the mountain wind blew, and the corpse shattered and collapsed, turning into a cloud of flying ash, drifting away with the wind.

It merged into the surrounding grey-white mist, leaving not a trace behind, as if it had never existed.

Silence.

A deathly silence once again shrouded the battlefield.

Everyone stopped their movements, looking in disbelief at the place where the "Shadow Fiend" leader had disappeared.

They then looked at Ye Chen, who was leaning on his ice scar sword, kneeling on one knee, gasping violently, his face as pale as paper, and bleeding continuously from his seven orifices.

"Le-Leader... is dead?"

A surviving "Shadow Fiend" assassin spoke with a dry voice, carrying an undisguisable tremor.

"What was that ghostly thing..."

Another person's eyes were filled with terror, as if they had seen a ghost.

The remaining three "Shadow Fiend" assassins had no Battle Intent left in their hearts, only boundless fear.

They knew the leader's strength best: Fifth Level of the Wheel Sea Realm Peak, cultivating the "Yin and Yang Evil Art", ruthless in his methods, and experienced.

Even when facing an opponent of the Sixth Level of the Wheel Sea Realm, he had the strength to fight.

But just now, he was—lightly... erased—by that Tianyun Sword Sect Disciple who was only at the Fourth Level of the Wheel Sea Realm Middle Stage and looked already severely injured and dying?

With some kind of inconceivable, bizarre method?

Not even ash was left!

This had completely exceeded their cognition.

The unknown brings the deepest fear.

"Retreat! Retreat quickly!"

It was unknown who shouted first.

The remaining three "Shadow Fiend" assassins no longer cared about any mission or Formation, like startled rabbits.

They turned and fled desperately toward the depths of the thick fog, not even caring about their companion's corpse.

"Want to leave? Stay!"

Murong Bai was the first to react, a flash of murderous intent in his eyes, his lustrous white longsword turning into a streak of light.

He instantly caught up to an assassin who was fleeing slightly slower, the sword light sweeping past and cutting him into two segments.

Lei Zhen's thunder hammer also flew out of his hand, crashing into the back of another assassin.

He smashed him until his tendons snapped and bones broke; the assassin fell to the ground with a scream, twitched a few times, and then went silent.

Jing Wuming's broadsword was like the scythe of the Grim Reaper, silently slicing across the neck of the last assassin, and a head flew into the sky.

In the blink of an eye, the six attacking "Shadow Fiend" assassins were dealt with: five were executed, and one turned to ash.

The entrance to the valley was filled with a thick smell of blood and residual Yin and Yang Evil Qi.

The battle ended abruptly in a way that no one had expected.

Inside the valley, it was a mess.

Murong Bai, Shi Yue, Lei Zhen, and Jing Wuming were all unstable in their breathing, injured, and had consumed a huge amount of energy.

Mo Ling, who had been maintaining the Formation, looked pale.

Zhao Feng, Han Li, and Su Yuwei were almost exhausted; the long-range support just now had also cost them a lot of energy.

Bai Yu stood not far away, gently waving his iron fan, looking at Ye Chen with a complex and unreadable gaze.

And Ye Chen was at the end of his rope.

Forcibly executing the "Hunyuan Return to Void Point", he had almost exhausted his last bit of mental energy and True Essence.

It had also caused a huge impact and backlash to his Divine Soul.

At this moment, he felt his body was empty, his Meridians were aching as if they were splitting, and his Wheel Sea was dim and without light.

His Divine Soul felt as if it had been torn apart and then forcibly glued back together, with severe pain accompanied by waves of dizziness.

His vision went black, his ears were buzzing, and his throat was full of metallic, sweet blood foam.

If not for the ice scar sword supporting him, he would have collapsed long ago.

"Junior Brother Ye!"

Murong Bai was the first to rush to Ye Chen's side.

He supported his wobbling body and quickly injected a stream of pure True Essence into his body.

At the same time, he took out a milky-white Medicinal Pill radiating rich vitality and stuffed it into Ye Chen's mouth.

"Quickly take it! Solidify your Foundation and Cultivate your Yuan, stabilize your injuries!"

The Medicinal Pill entered his abdomen, turning into a gentle and mellow warm current.

It quickly nourished Ye Chen's riddled body, especially stabilizing his heart Meridians and Divine Soul that were on the verge of collapse.

Ye Chen barely mustered a trace of spirit to guide the medicinal power.

Cooperating with the operation of the "Hunyuan One-Qi Art", he repaired his damaged Meridians and Wheel Sea.

"Many thanks, Senior Brother..."

His voice was hoarse and weak.

"Don't speak, focus on healing."

Murong Bai said in a deep voice, his gaze toward Ye Chen filled with unprecedented gravity, shock, and a hint of indescribable depth.

He had seen that strike just now clearly.

That was definitely not a power that an ordinary Profound Rank, or even an Earth Rank Martial Skill could possess.

The "Return to Void" and "Nirvana" Dao Rhyme contained within it had already touched the edge of "Law" and even "Dao".

Just how many secrets was this Ye Chen hiding?

"Junior Sister Mo Ling, clean up the battlefield, check if there are any 'Shadow Fiend' identification marks or items left behind."

"Senior Brother Shi Yue, Senior Brother Lei Zhen, Senior Brother Jing, you all also seize the time to treat your injuries and recover your True Essence.

Everyone else, stand guard on the spot; this place is not suitable for a long stay, we must leave as soon as possible."

Murong Bai quickly gave the order, but there was a hint of imperceptible fatigue in his tone.

Two consecutive fierce battles, both extremely dangerous, even he felt immense pressure.

"Yes!"

The crowd responded and acted accordingly.

Mo Ling carefully checked the four intact "Shadow Fiend" assassin corpses.

She found the black skull tokens representing the "Shadow Fiend" identity on them, as well as some poisons, hidden weapons, Spirit Stones, and miscellaneous items, but did not find many valuable items or items that could provide clues.

Obviously, these were well-trained death soldiers; they would not carry things that could expose their identity or mission.

She put away the tokens and miscellaneous items, and then checked the place where the "Shadow Fiend" leader had turned into ash.

She also found nothing, only a trace of residual, heart-palpitating aura of Nirvana.

Shi Yue, Lei Zhen, and Jing Wuming each took their Medicinal Pills, bandaged their wounds, and adjusted their breathing to recover.

Zhao Feng, Han Li, and Su Yuwei also treated each other's minor injuries, their faces showing relief and lingering fear after surviving a disaster.

Bai Yu walked to a place not far from Ye Chen and sat down cross-legged, seemingly beginning to adjust his breathing as well.

But his gaze always unintentionally swept over Ye Chen.

Half an hour later.

Under the effect of the Medicinal Pill and his own powerful recovery ability, Ye Chen finally stabilized his injuries temporarily.

Although he was still weak, he could at least Move without hindrance.

He opened his eyes and saw Murong Bai standing to the side, looking at the churning mist outside the valley, his brows tightly locked.

"Senior Brother Murong."

Ye Chen stood up, his voice still a bit hoarse.

"Junior Brother Ye, how are your injuries?"

Murong Bai turned around and asked with concern.

"There is no major problem, it is just that my True Essence and Divine Soul were excessively consumed, and I need time to recover."

Ye Chen said.

"That is good."

Murong Bai nodded, pondered for a moment, and said, "Junior Brother Ye, that strike just now..."

He didn't finish his sentence, but the meaning was already very clear.

"It is something the Disciple obtained from an accidental realization; I have not fully mastered it yet, the consumption and backlash are enormous, and it damages my own Foundation.

If it is not a life-and-death moment, I dare not use it lightly."

Ye Chen knew he had to provide an explanation, but he could only speak vaguely.

Murong Bai looked at Ye Chen deeply and did not continue to ask.

Everyone has their own Opportunity and secrets, especially when cultivating to a high Realm, some things are indeed inconvenient to ask about.

As long as Ye Chen's heart is toward the Sect and he has not fallen into the demonic path, everything else can be put aside for the time being.

"This time, it is thanks to Junior Brother Ye; otherwise, the consequences would be unimaginable."

Murong Bai said sincerely.

"Senior Brother, you are overstating it; if it were not for all the Senior Brothers and Senior Sisters fighting to the death, the Disciple would not have had the chance."

Ye Chen shook his head.

"There is no need to be overly modest."