253: Fierce battle

The Corpse Demon Sect Master's face was unsightly, but it was quickly replaced by a deeper ferocity: "Hmph! You're just relying on sneak attacks and elemental restraint! To destroy so many of this Sect's corpse puppets... this Sect Master will make them pay a hundredfold! Heavenly Corpse! Go! Flatten that place! Golden Corpses, steady the Formation and continue the advance! All corpse puppets, drown them at any cost!"

That "Heavenly Corpse," which had remained silent, slowly raised its head at the Corpse Demon Sect Master's harsh shout. Its ghostly green Soul fire locked onto the core of the rocky slope where the lightning light had not yet completely dissipated. It let out a dull, thunderous roar, Death Qi erupted from its body, and it began to take steps that made the earth tremble!

Simultaneously, Zhongli Wu also coldly commanded: "Members of the Yin Demon Sect, did you see that? The opponent is not without the power to fight back. Three Mid-stage Martial Emperor Elders, move out! Cut in from the flanks, coordinate with the Heavenly Corpse, and end this quickly! The rest of you, maintain the Formation, blockade all directions, and don't let a single fly escape!"

"Steward Blue Nightmare, have your people keep a close eye on any potential reinforcements from Medicine King Valley, and... don't let any 'accidents' interfere with this hunt."

"Naturally," Blue Nightmare replied coldly, his figure appearing even more blurred.

As the orders were given, the true hunt had only just begun. Although the lightning traps had achieved brilliant results, they had also completely infuriated the opponents. An even more powerful force was about to descend.

Inside the rocky slope, Qin Feng took a deep breath as he watched the enemy surge forward again, now joined by a terrifying Heavenly Corpse. The first wave of counterattacks was successful, but... the even more difficult battle was only truly beginning now.

The Golden Corpses howled in rage, the Heavenly Corpse stomped the ground, and Death Qi surged like a tide. Three Mid-stage Martial Emperor experts from the Yin Demon Sect, surrounded by black Qi, their Martial Emperor pressure like three moving volcanoes, slowly approached in a triangular Formation. Their eyes were cold, filled with the cruelty of a cat catching a mouse and a hint of annoyance provoked by the previous lightning traps.

Facing this terrifying pressure that far exceeded their own Realm and numbers, Qin Feng took a deep breath, his gaze as resolute as iron.

"Everyone, life or death depends on this one gamble! Swallow the pills, form the array!"

As his voice fell, the four of them unhesitatingly swallowed the Bodhi Pill they had been holding under their tongues!

The Medicinal Pill dissolved, like sweet rain falling into a parched Dantian, or a clear spring washing a weary Divine Soul. A vast and gentle cool current instantly swept through their limbs and bones. Their nearly half-depleted true essence recovered and expanded at an incredible speed, even faintly exceeding their original limits! Their spirits were clearer and more focused than ever before, as if everything around them had slowed down, and their perception was magnified to the extreme. With the pill's effects, the auras of Qin Feng, Ji Ruxue, Xia Ya, and Xiao Chun surged, temporarily breaking through their Bottlenecks and steadily climbing to the Late Stage Martial King level! Although it was only temporary, forced by the Medicinal Pill, and placed a massive load on their Meridians, at this moment, it was their only chance for survival!

"Four Symbols Battle Array, rise!"

Without any delay, the four figures flickered and instantly took their positions.

Xia Ya (Black Tortoise) stood at the front with her giant shield, her earthy yellow true essence as heavy as a mountain, with the faint phantom of a giant tortoise raising its head.

Ji Ruxue (Vermilion Bird) blurred her figure, merging into the shadows of the flank. Her purple moon dagger flickered with ghostly light, like a red bird spreading its wings, waiting for an opportunity to strike.

Xiao Chun (Azure Dragon) coordinated from the center, the yan luo umbrella spinning lightly. The cool Qi of the northern darkness star essence pearl spread out, and the mystic yellow mountain-suppressing mirror hovered overhead, shedding chaotic brilliance to stabilize the array's core. Vibrant vitality, like the breath of an Azure Dragon, connected everyone.

Qin Feng (White Tiger) stood at the array's eye, his ink plum sword pointing forward. A sharp killing aura soared into the sky, like a White Tiger emerging from its cage!

Although the phantoms of the Four Symbols were not yet fully solidified, a vast array momentum had already soared into the sky, perfectly linking the auras of the four people into a single whole, with power far exceeding a simple summation!

"Hmph! They do have some tricks, no wonder they dare to resist!" A Mid-stage Martial Emperor Elder from the Yin Demon Sect snorted coldly, but his eyes held a bit more gravity. "So what if you form an array? An increase from external forces is ultimately a castle in the sky! Kill!"

He was the first to act, striking out with a palm. A Yin wind howled, condensing into a massive pitch-black ghost claw with nails as sharp as knives, reaching straight for Xiao Chun at the core of the Formation! The other two Mid-stage Martial Emperors moved simultaneously; one flickered like a ghost, circling to the flank with finger winds like swords, pointing at Ji Ruxue's hiding place. The other formed hand seals, and the ground surged as several black chains condensed from Yin Qi burst out, coiling towards Xia Ya's giant shield and Qin Feng's lower body.

Almost at the same time, the injured but still menacing Heavenly Corpse let out a roar. Under the control of the Corpse Demon Sect Altar Master, it ignored its injuries and swung its pitch-black claws. With a whistle that tore through the air, it crashed head-on into Xia Ya's giant shield! Four scarred but completely enraged Golden Corpses also roared in unison, lunging from different directions, their crimson Soul fires locked onto the people in the array!

"Black Tortoise · Mountain-Suppressing Sky-Prop!" Xia Ya shouted. With the support of the Bodhi Pill's medicinal power and the array's force, she felt more powerful than ever before! The giant shield, "black tortoise carrying mountain armor," shone brightly, and the heavy earthy yellow Qi wall instantly solidified several times over, rising like a real mountain to take the brunt of the Heavenly Corpse's impact and the Yin Qi chains' entanglement!

"Boom! Crackle!"

The Heavenly Corpse's claws collided with the giant shield again, erupting in a deafening roar as a shockwave exploded in a ring! This time, Xia Ya only retreated one step before standing firm. The giant shield's light flowed, dispersing and channeling the violent impact into the ground beneath her feet. The Yin Qi chains coiled around it but made a "sizzling" corrosive sound, being rapidly worn away by the shield's innate earth spirit power and the array's protective brilliance.

"Azure Dragon · Endless Vitality!" Xiao Chun's eyes were clear as she fully activated the vitality of her Myriad Medicine Body and the essence of the heart of the wood spirit. Through the array, she continuously injected pure recovery power into Xia Ya's body to help her withstand the massive force. At the same time, the yan luo umbrella spun, shedding patches of green light to neutralize the cold erosion brought by the black ghost claw. The mystic yellow mountain-suppressing mirror vibrated slightly, and an invisible Soul-suppressing force spread out, causing the lunging Golden Corpses and the distant Yin Demon Sect experts to feel their Divine Souls momentarily stagnate.

"Vermilion Bird · Shadow-Flicker Heart-Burn!" At the moment the finger wind was about to reach her, Ji Ruxue's figure disappeared like a true flame phantom, then reappeared beside the other Mid-stage Martial Emperor who was attempting a sneak attack! The purple moon dagger no longer clashed head-on; instead, it pushed the speed and agility granted by the array to the limit, turning into dozens of ghostly purple cold stars that were hard to distinguish as real or fake. They enveloped the opponent's vital points, each strike being tricky and ruthless, pointing directly at the nodes of their Cultivation Technique's operation, forcing them to defend and interrupting their subsequent attacks.

"White Tiger · Void-Rending Slash!" Qin Feng as the array eye bore the greatest pressure and also controlled the strongest offensive power. He ignored the Yin Qi chains coiling around his lower body, as the ink plum sword condensed most of the four people's offensive power at this moment, turning into a brilliant white Sword Gang that was as bright as the rising sun yet contained endless slaughter! The Sword Gang was no longer just the sharp metal attribute; it fused Xia Ya's stability, Ji Ruxue's speed, Xiao Chun's vitality, and his own primordial Killing Intent, appearing as a chaotic grayish-white color. It tore through the air, emitting a piercing whistle as it slashed straight at the Mid-stage Martial Emperor Elder who had struck first with the ghost claw!

This sword was fast! Powerful! Tricky! Fusing the Four Symbols, it was extraordinary!

The Mid-stage Martial Emperor Elder's expression changed drastically. He hadn't expected the power of this temporary, array-reliant combined attack to be so terrifying! In his haste, he thrust out both palms, laying down layers of black light shields with surging cold true essence.

"Screeech—!!!"

The chaotic Sword Gang slashed onto the light shields. It didn't make a thunderous sound but instead, like a hot knife through butter, it tore through and penetrated with a domineering and sharp posture! The light shields shattered one after another! Finally, the Sword Gang's remaining momentum did not fade, and it slashed heavily onto the Elder's crossed arms!

"Pfft!"

Blood splattered! The Elder groaned, his figure flying backward. The sleeves on both his arms were completely shredded, revealing two deep wounds that reached the bone. The grayish-white Sword Qi lingering at the wounds continued to erode his cold true essence! His eyes were filled with shock, anger, and disbelief. A kid who had temporarily boosted himself to the Late Stage Martial King level with a pill could actually wound him, a Mid-stage Martial Emperor, with the help of an array?!

The Four Symbols Battle Array showed its ferocity for the first time! It actually blocked the first round of fierce attacks from the Heavenly Corpse, Golden Corpses, and three Mid-stage Martial Emperors, even counterattacking and wounding an enemy!

This scene not only made the members of the Yin Demon Sect feel a chill in their hearts but also caused the Corpse Demon Sect Master, watching from the high slope in the distance, to frown deeply.

"What a powerful combined attack array! Medicine King Valley really gave them many good things!" Ghost fire flickered in the Corpse Demon Sect Master's eyes, showing both greed and a hint of impatience. "We can't delay any longer! This Sect Master will personally..."

Before his voice could fall, two figures shot over from the flank like streaks of light, one on the left and one on the right, blocking his path!

It was Tao Yuanyi and Cold Peach Blossom! Both of them also had surging auras, having clearly taken the Bodhi Pill as well, temporarily pushing their cultivation to the Mid-stage Martial Emperor level, infinitely approaching the threshold of the Late Stage Martial Emperor. Especially since their Qi was connected, there was a faint sense of Yin and Yang flowing and endless vitality.

"Corpse Demon Sect Master, your opponents are us." Tao Yuanyi pointed his spear diagonally. Faint crimson patterns flowed on the spear's body; he had secretly activated a wisp of Crimson Sun Dragon Blood Fruit essence obtained from the Medicine King Valley treasury. Although it couldn't be used directly for attack, it was enough to give his fire-attribute Cultivation Technique a stronger Yang intent, which happened to faintly restrain the Corpse Demon Sect Master's Death Qi technique.

Cold Peach Blossom said nothing, her thin sword trembling slightly. Within the peach-colored sword light, besides the icy coldness, there was a strange fluctuation targeting the Divine Soul. This was a secret technique cultivated with the help of the Soul-Nurturing Warm Jade, which also had an interfering effect on the Corpse Demon Sect's techniques that controlled corpse puppets and combined Divine Souls with corpses.

The Corpse Demon Sect Master was first stunned, then he laughed in extreme anger: "Just with you two Martial Emperors propped up by pills? You want to stop this Sect Master? You're looking for death!" Although he saw that Tao Yuanyi's technique had some tricks, the absolute gap in Realm made him full of confidence. The three Half-step Martial Emperor Altar Masters and eight Martial King Protectors behind him also stepped forward, brimming with Killing Intent.

"Whether we can stop you, you'll know after trying." Tao Yuanyi's expression was calm. He exchanged a glance with Cold Peach Blossom, and their figures suddenly moved! They didn't charge straight at the Corpse Demon Sect Master but instead, like butterflies flitting through flowers, they attacked the three Altar Masters and eight Protectors! Spear shadows like dragons and sword light like rain instantly turned this area into a chaotic mess. They knew well that it was unwise to clash head-on with the Corpse Demon Sect Master, but to stall him, the best way was to attack his subordinates, forcing him to be distracted for rescue, or... to enrage him!

"Bastards!" The Corpse Demon Sect Master was indeed furious. He was about to act to swat these two "flies" first, but from the corner of his eye, he glimpsed the other side—

Zhongli Wu, who had been standing still, finally moved his gaze from the deadlocked Four Symbols Battle Array and slowly landed it on Tao Yuanyi, who was faintly targeting the Corpse Demon Sect with his fire-attribute aura and had successfully thrown his subordinates into Chaos. Under the hood, a cold arc curled on his lips.

"A fire-attribute Cultivation Technique... quite rare. Since you've jumped out, I'll use you to sacrifice to the flag first."

Zhongli Wu slowly raised that hand burning with "Netherworld Yin Fire." This time, the flames did not cover the sky but were condensed and compressed, turning into a deep ink-black fire arrow, no more than a foot long, locking onto Tao Yuanyi, who was currently fighting a Corpse Demon Sect Altar Master!

The fire arrow was silent, yet it emitted a dual terrifying aura of freezing the Soul and incinerating all things. Its speed was so fast it exceeded sight!

Tao Yuanyi instantly felt a crisis of death envelop his entire body, his hair standing on end!