261: reinforcements

Just as Blue Nightmare's sinister grin and Xiao Chun's tears of despair intertwined, and he seemed about to witness the mystic yellow mountain-suppressing mirror change hands—

An aged yet vigorous voice, brimming with boundless fury and awe-inspiring pressure, erupted over the battlefield like a thunderclap from the Nine Heavens, drowning out all clamor:

"How dare you touch my Disciple's belongings? What colossal gall!"

Before the echoes faded, four suffocating figures tore through space, abruptly appearing high in the sky at the four corners of the battlefield!

To the due east, a figure in a cyan robe, with a lean face, eyes sharp as lightning, and an aura of vast, ocean-like vitality and rosy glow of elixirs—Medicine King Valley's Valley Master, Li Changqing!

To the due west, white beard flowing, complexion ruddy, yet eyes sharp as blades, with faint silhouettes of silver needles swirling around him—Medicine King Valley's Vice Valley Master, Sikong Ye!

To the due south, a brawny old man, bare-chested, muscles gnarled like ancient tree roots, skin shimmering with a metallic luster, wielding a massive forging hammer taller than himself, its head crimson-red, radiating scorching heat and an unbearably heavy presence—Artifact Refining Hall's Chief Seat, Ouyang Zhi!

To the due north, an old man bearing a six or seven out of ten resemblance to him, yet appearing more rugged and formidable, with a huge dark-golden round shield strapped to his back—Ouyang Lie!

These four elders were all terrifyingly at the Late Stage of the Martial Sovereign! Merely standing there without deliberately releasing their pressure, the overwhelming aura and Law fluctuations they naturally exuded caused the Spiritual Qi of the entire world to stagnate! The fierce winds ceased, and the clouds scattered!

"Master! Master Sikong! Great Master Ouyang!" Xiao Chun cried out as if clutching a lifeline, tears streaming once more, but this time from joy and grievance.

Xia Ya, Cold Peach Blossom, and Ye Wuyou also instantly breathed a sigh of relief. Their taut nerves nearly snapped, and a sense of exhaustion from a narrow escape washed over them.

"Li Changqing?! Sikong Ye?! And the two old ghosts from the Ouyang family?!" Zhongli Wu's pupils contracted sharply as he exclaimed in shock, his face revealing unconcealable horror and disbelief for the first time. "You... how could you possibly be here?! I clearly had people closely monitoring the Medicine King Valley's movements, and there were scouts along the way. How could you appear here without a sound?!"

Li Changqing snorted coldly, his gaze sharp as a torch sweeping over the ravaged battlefield and the miserable state of his Disciples, his anger intensifying. "Hmph! When my Disciple and Named Disciple were in danger and called for help, how could I not come? Zhongli Wu, Corpse Demon Sect Master, and you scum from the Blood-Filled Tower—a bunch of centuries-old geezers ganging up to bully a few kids, have you no shame?!"

"Impossible! Absolutely impossible!" the Corpse Demon Sect Master also shrieked in terror. "We've been blocking all information, with eyes all along the route..."

Sikong Ye stroked his white beard, a hint of mockery on his face. "You think you're the only ones who can make secret arrangements? My Medicine King Valley has a ten-thousand-year Legacy. How could you vile creatures completely penetrate it?"

Ouyang Zhi, who had been silent, spoke with a voice like grinding iron, resonating deeply: "Did the brats think they were well-hidden? Ever since they left the Medicine King Valley and passed through the Ancient Forest, we old folks have been following from afar after receiving their message."

Li Changqing took over, his gaze falling on Qin Feng with a mix of complexity and approval. "We just wanted to see how far these youngsters could go and what storms they could weather once they left our protection." He paused. "Each with a 'Shadow Cloak' (a Heaven Rank concealment Magic Treasure), plus a few minor breath-suppressing tricks—it wasn't hard to evade you lot, who were too eager and focused solely on your prey."

"What?!" Zhongli Wu felt as if struck by lightning, suddenly recalling the earlier anomalies—the thunder trap with power far exceeding the norm, the terrifyingly precise poison setup, Qin Feng's unbelievable 'premonitions' and outbursts... Could it be...? Ouyang Zhi seemed to read his mind, grinning to reveal a mouthful of white teeth as he patted the massive crimson forging hammer in his hand. "Did you really think the Heaven and Earth Thunder summoned by that kid's newly-learned Thunder Roar Formation could truly be that powerful, enough to severely injure your Golden Corpse? Heh, I just... 'slightly' optimized and modified a few key runes at the Formation's core and the placement of those Lightning Stones. Otherwise, with their own tinkering, they'd be lucky just to repel the Golden Corpse."

The truth poured over them like cold water, chilling Zhongli Wu, the Corpse Demon Sect Master, Blue Nightmare, and the others to the bone! So their arrogant hunt, from start to finish, had been under the covert watch and even 'assistance' of these Medicine King Valley giants! They were like clowns on a stage, thinking they controlled everything, when in reality they had long fallen into a larger game!

"Now," Li Changqing's expression darkened, his authoritative gaze sweeping across the scene before finally settling on Blue Nightmare, whose face had turned deathly pale as he still thought to take a hostage for a final gamble, "this farce should come to an end."