Translator: Cinder Translations
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"Don't think that just because your companions sent out a distress signal, you'll be saved. Before reinforcements arrive, I will break through this turtle shell of yours. Hand over the Frost Bone Wood, and I'll spare your life."
The female cultivator spoke while manipulating her flying sword to relentlessly attack the defensive formation's barrier.
Inside the formation, Si Xi sat cross-legged. Before him floated a formation disk, and around him were nine formation flags embedded in the ground.
In one corner of the formation, a cluster of sea silk grew.
Beneath the sea silk, there was a small tree about a meter high. The tree was entirely colorless and transparent, resembling a sculpture of crystalline ice. This was none other than the Frost Bone Wood.
Si Xi's hands continuously formed seals, maintaining the operation of the formation.
"My companions are Ji Qing and Zhu Yin, the two strongest Golden Core cultivators on Wu Ji Island. If they arrive, your fate will likely be sealed. Zi Yun, I advise you to retreat while you still can to avoid losing your life."
Upon hearing the names Ji Qing and Zhu Yin, Zi Yun's expression subtly shifted, becoming more serious for a brief moment.
"Stubborn fool."
Zi Yun's gaze turned icy. Her hands moved swiftly as she formed incantation seals.
The seals landed on the flying sword one after another. The sword began to tremble violently, as if released from some kind of restraint, emitting a crisp sword hum.
The blade suddenly expanded in size, transforming from a one-meter-long sword into a giant sword thirty meters in length.
"Mountain-Cleaving Slash!"
Zi Yun uttered the words softly.
The giant sword sliced through the vast seawater and descended with a thunderous force.
Boom!
The giant sword struck the formation's barrier.
The barrier shattered instantly, like glass breaking apart.
A surge of violent energy erupted, forcibly parting the seawater and creating a massive vacuum zone hundreds of meters long.
"Pfft!"
Si Xi spat out a mouthful of blood.
The formation had been forcibly breached from the outside, inflicting serious internal injuries on him.
The giant sword shrank back to its original size of one meter and returned to Zi Yun's hand.
Her aura wavered slightly, indicating that the powerful attack had drained her significantly.
Zi Yun, holding her longsword, casually swung it.
A sword light about ten feet long burst forth, heading straight for Si Xi's face!
Faced with the imminent threat of death, Si Xi hurriedly summoned a shield and placed it in front of him.
Bang!
The sword light struck the shield.
Si Xi, along with the shield, was sent flying like a tumbling gourd, crashing through several rocks on the seabed.
Severely injured, Si Xi's aura grew feeble, and he lay on the ground, unable to rise.
Zi Yun didn't pursue him. Instead, she turned toward the Frost Bone Wood. Pulling it from the ground, she prepared to place it into a narrow jade box.
At that moment—
A black spear broke through the water with a sharp whistle.
The spear was shrouded in corpse energy, and wherever it passed, the seawater retreated, forming a straight underwater pathway.
Zi Yun's expression tightened. Abandoning her attempt to place the Frost Bone Wood into the jade box, she instead stored it directly into her spatial ring.
Clang!
Her longsword hummed and swept upward sharply!
The spear and sword clashed midair!
Although Zi Yun managed to deflect the spear in her haste, the impact forced her to retreat several meters.
Ji Qing emerged from the dark seawater, catching the spear as it flew back to him.
He raised the spear, its tip pointed directly at Zi Yun.
"Hand over the Frost Bone Wood, and I'll overlook your assault on my sect mate."
Zi Yun replied coldly, "Foolishness! Just you, Ji Qing? You're not enough to threaten me."
"Oh, then what if I join in as well?"
Zhu Yin's voice echoed from behind Zi Yun.
Zhu Yin and Ji Qing, one in front and one behind, surrounded Zi Yun from all sides.
"In that case, I'll experience the Corpse Dao secret techniques of Wu Ji Island today!"
Facing both Ji Qing and Zhu Yin, Zi Yun remained unafraid.
Her longsword hovered by her side, its sword light swirling, ready to strike.
"Courting death!" Ji Qing said coldly.
He let go of his spear, which shot forward like a vicious dragon, heading straight for Zi Yun.
Zhu Yin, meanwhile, summoned a third-tier peak-level corpse puppet, which charged at Zi Yun like a ferocious tiger.
Zi Yun's mind moved, and her longsword turned into a silver streak of light, intercepting Ji Qing's spear.
In an instant, her body shot upwards, rapidly ascending towards the sky.
"Trying to escape? The renowned Zi Yun of the Liangyi Sect, is nothing more than a foolish braggart."
Zhu Yin sneered, a cold smile appearing on her lips.
Under her control, the corpse puppet also shot up into the sky, chasing Zi Yun relentlessly.
Zi Yun raised her hand and pointed. A sharp sword Qi burst forth.
The sword Qi was incredibly sharp, striking the corpse puppet's chest.
Immediately, its decayed flesh flew apart, revealing the golden bones beneath.
The corpse puppet was also slowed by the massive force of the sword Qi, its speed significantly reduced.
Seizing the opportunity, Zi Yun accelerated, quickly putting distance between herself and the corpse puppet.
On Ji Qing's side, having just knocked Zi Yun's flying sword away, he saw her figure slip into the water above, almost escaping his spiritual sense's range.
He hurriedly activated his movement technique and gave chase.
Zhu Yin looked at the figures of the two, gradually disappearing, and a meaningful smile appeared on her face.
She didn't chase after Zi Yun but instead walked over to the injured Si Xi, her face full of concern as she asked, "Si Xi, how are your injuries?"
Si Xi had already taken a healing pill and was sitting cross-legged, recovering.
"Thanks to you and Ji Qing arriving in time, I'm not in any danger."
"That's good. Rest assured and heal. I'll guard you," Zhu Yin said.
At that moment, Song Wen emerged from the sea silk forest and walked over to Zhu Yin's side.
The two exchanged a brief glance without much communication.
After about a cup of tea's time, Ji Qing returned.
His expression was dark, his eyes as cold as frost.
"Junior Sister Zhu Yin, why did you let Zi Yun go?"
Zhu Yin appeared surprised, "Brother Ji Qing, what do you mean?"
"Don't try to act! Your corpse puppet is at the peak of the third tier, how could it be easily repelled by a sword Qi?" Ji Qing asked sharply.
Zhu Yin responded, "Zi Yun is the strongest Golden Core sword cultivator of the Liangyi Sect. The sword Qi she unleashed is not something that can be easily blocked."
Ji Qing was not satisfied with Zhu Yin's explanation and continued questioning, "Even if what you say is true, why didn't you join me in chasing after Zi Yun?"
Zhu Yin replied, "Si Xi is seriously injured. If we leave now, who will protect him?"
Ji Qing glared at Zhu Yin, his anger evident.
After a long stare, he suddenly turned to look at Song Wen.
"Ji Yin, was it you who triggered the warning jade talisman?"
Song Wen nodded, "Yes."
"You and Si Xi were searching in a different direction. How did you know about the battle between him and Zi Yun?"
"I was searching for Frost Bone Wood when I saw a blood-red pillar of light rise. But before it could rise too high, it was destroyed. I guessed that Si Xi had encountered danger, so I activated the warning jade talisman," Song Wen explained, partly truthfully, partly not.
Ji Qing couldn't find any fault with Song Wen's explanation and turned away, dissatisfied, heading toward Si Xi.
Song Wen, looking ashamed, continued, "I only regret that my strength is too weak to do more. I could only issue a warning, but couldn't join Si Xi in dealing with the enemy. If you were there at the time, Brother Ji Qing, Si Xi wouldn't have been injured, and the Frost Bone Wood wouldn't have been taken."
(End of the Chapter)
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