389: Chapter 389 Sword Puppet Formation

Lin Jingyu shook his head. "I couldn't have held out alone. Situ Lan shared half the burden for me, Luo Li's zither stabilized my mind, Su Ning's buffer barrier made the Sword Intent less sharp, Chu Lan's Mind-Settling Leaf kept me conscious, Yao Guang's healing repaired the cracks in my Divine Sense, Tian Xin's Talisman cleared my Spiritual Platform, Lin Yue's shield blocked external interference, and Senior Brother Gao Feng... his War Gods Unity intent made that Sword Intent stop rejecting me so much."

He paused. "Without you all, I would have been crushed by the Sword Intent long ago."

The group was silent for a moment, and then they all laughed in unison. The laughter echoed on the empty bluestone road, dispelling the last trace of chill in the twilight.

Gao Feng walked at the very front without looking back, but the corners of his mouth curled up slightly.

The lights of the guest house lit up ahead like warm stars. Tonight, they could rest well. Tomorrow, more challenges awaited them. But he wasn't worried—with these people around, there was nothing to fear.

Early the next morning, the group rose early in the guest house.

Chu Lan stood by the window, watching the figures of the Heavenly Sword Sect Disciples practicing their swordsmanship in the distance. Those green-clad Sword Cultivators moved in perfect unison, their sword light like bolts of silk. She glanced back at Lin Yue, who was checking his Protective Jade Pendant. "Did you sleep well last night?"

Lin Yue grinned. "It was alright. I just dreamed about being chased by a pack of swords. When I woke up, my legs were weak."

"That's because you were scared by the Sword Intent during the day," Chu Lan exposed him bluntly.

After a simple breakfast, the group headed toward the Martial Arts Arena. Elder Li was already waiting there.

The Martial Arts Arena was more than three times larger than yesterday's square. Dozens of stone pillars stood around it, covered in Formation Patterns. The ground was paved with bluish-gray stone slabs, each marked with sword scars. The center of the arena was empty, with nothing there.

"The second trial: the Sword Puppet Array." Elder Li flipped open a ledger. "One hundred and eight Sword Puppets, each with a Foundation Establishment level six cultivation. They integrate offense and defense with perfect coordination. You need to hold out in the Formation for two hours or destroy all the Sword Puppets."

He closed the ledger and added, "The rules are simple—no limits on means or methods. Once you enter the Formation, you are responsible for your own life and death."

Chu Lan muttered softly, "He makes it sound so scary."

Elder Li heard her but didn't explain. He simply raised his hand and pressed it against a nearby stone pillar. The Formation Patterns lit up one by one, and the ground in the center of the arena cracked open. Bronze-colored Sword Puppets rose from underground. They were about seven feet tall, humanoid, and cast entirely from metal, holding standard-issue longswords. Their hollow eye sockets had no pupils, only two spheres of cold green light.

The one hundred and eight Sword Puppets were arranged neatly, like an army.

Elder Li retreated to the edge of the arena. "You can start whenever you're ready."

Gao Feng looked at the others. "Follow what we discussed last night. Lin Yue, set up the defensive Formation first. Chu Lan, spiritual plant support. Luo Li, weaken enemy defenses. Tian Xin, long-range Talismans. Su Ning, cut off their connections. Jingyu, Situ Lan, join me on the main offensive."

The group nodded in unison.

Lin Yue was the first to rush onto the field. His hands formed seals as an earthy yellow light surged around him. "Ten Thousand Array Rock Demon Formation!"

A massive Rock Demon Phantom instantly condensed behind him, ten zhang tall and completely solid. The phantom crossed its arms, blocking the group like an indestructible wall. Formation Patterns spread across the ground, enveloping them all.

At the edge of the arena, Elder Li pressed a second stone pillar. The green light in the eyes of the one hundred and eight Sword Puppets flared intensely as they took a step forward in unison. With a 'boom,' one hundred and eight feet hit the ground simultaneously, making the earth tremble. Their Formation shifted quietly as they moved—instead of rushing in haphazardly, they divided into three layers of encirclement, advancing step by step. This was a Trapping Killing Formation, specifically designed to counter team coordination and cut off everyone's retreat.

Lin Yue's Rock Demon Phantom bore the brunt of the attack. As the first wave of Sword Puppets reached it, dozens of longswords struck the phantom simultaneously, sending sparks flying. The Rock Demon Phantom didn't budge, but Lin Yue's body shook slightly—a portion of the impact from every sword strike was transmitted to him.

"I can hold!" he gritted his teeth.

Chu Lan crouched behind him, pressing both hands to the ground. "Iron Thorn!"

Countless silver-gray vines burrowed frantically out of the ground, spreading beneath the Sword Puppets' feet. These vines were covered in dense, fine thorns specifically designed to counter metal. The Iron Thorn coiled around the puppets' legs, their thorns piercing into the metal joints and slowing their movements. Some puppets were snagged by the ankles and stumbled; others slowed down, losing step with their comrades; some had their joints jammed, unable to lift their arms.

Luo Li sat cross-legged at the center of the defensive Formation, the flowing sound zither across her knees. She took a deep breath and struck the strings sharply—"Armor-Breaking Melody!"

The zither's sound was different from the melodious Pure Heart Melody or the stirring Star Battle Song. It was a sharp, dense rhythm, like countless fine needles stabbing out simultaneously. Everywhere the music passed, the metallic luster on the Sword Puppets dimmed visibly, their defense continuously eroding under the music's corrosion.

Tian Xin stood beside Luo Li, holding a stack of Talismans in each hand and throwing them out constantly. Explosive Talismans detonated in the densest parts of the puppet crowd, sending flames into the sky and debris flying. One puppet was hit in the chest, its bronze armor shattering to reveal internal Formation Patterns; another had its arm blown off, its sword falling to the ground; several others were knocked over by the blasts, struggling to get back up.

Su Ning formed hand seals, and Spatial Blades slashed silently into the puppet group. Her goal wasn't to kill, but to cut the connections between the puppets. Those Spatial Blades precisely struck the Formation links between the puppets, causing flaws to appear in the Trapping Killing Formation. The previously coordinated puppets began to fight individually; some rushed too fast, some fell behind, and some collided with their comrades while turning.

Gao Feng seized the opportunity. "Jingyu, Situ Lan, with me!"

The three of them charged into the puppet crowd simultaneously.

The vajra sword brought forth a golden sword light, sweeping out. With one slash, three Sword Puppets that had been weakened by the Armor-Breaking Melody and entangled by Iron Thorn were sliced in half, their upper bodies flying off and crashing into the puppets behind them. Lin Jingyu's sword was even faster, his sword tip tapping out countless silver points of light in the void. Those points struck the puppets' joints—wrists, elbows, knees—with precision as if measured by a ruler. Situ Lan's spiritual sword turned into a streak of silver light, each thrust piercing through a Sword Puppet's chest. Her sword was so fast it was almost invisible; only a flash of silver could be seen before a puppet collapsed.

But there were too many Sword Puppets.

There were one hundred and eight. Even though they had shattered over a dozen, more than ninety were still attacking. They were tireless and knew no fear; if one fell, another immediately took its place. Chu Lan's Iron Thorn began to wither—the consumption of spiritual power was too great. Luo Li's Armor-Breaking Melody couldn't be sustained for much longer; her fingers were already trembling. Tian Xin had run out of Explosive Talismans and could only throw ordinary attack Talismans, which were significantly less powerful. Su Ning's Space Cutting was exhausting, and her face began to turn pale.

And Lin Yue was bearing the greatest pressure.

The Rock Demon Phantom blocked over seventy percent of the attacks. Every time a sword struck the phantom, it felt like he was being slashed. Blood began to seep from the corner of his mouth, but his hands never dropped. The Formation shattered once, and he redeployed it; it shattered a second time, and he redeployed it again; it shattered a third time, and before the fragments even hit the ground, a new Rock Demon Phantom had already condensed.

"Lin Yue, fall back!" Yao Guang rushed to Lin Yue's side, desperately channeling healing power. Green light surged into his body, repairing his damaged Meridians.

"I can't fall back." Lin Yue's voice was hoarse, his eyes bloodshot. "If I fall back, the Formation collapses. If the Formation collapses, you'll all get beaten."

He gritted his teeth and redeployed it once more.

Gao Feng heard these words from within the puppet crowd. He didn't look back, but his sword became even faster.

"Jingyu, Situ Lan, push toward the center!"

The three of them exerted themselves simultaneously, forcing a gap in the puppet crowd. Gao Feng's sword light cleared a path, Lin Jingyu's sword light guarded the flanks, and Situ Lan's silver light pierced straight into the depths. In the very center of the Sword Puppet Array stood a Core Sword Puppet half a head taller than the others. The Formation Patterns on it were several times denser than the other puppets, and the green light in its eyes was even more intense. That was the core of the Trapping Killing Formation; as long as it was shattered, the entire Sword Puppet Array would collapse.

The Core Sword Puppet seemed to sense the danger. The dozen or so puppets around it converged toward it, forming an airtight wall of bronze and iron.

But Gao Feng's sword had already arrived.

Nine Styles of the War God, First Style—War God Slash!

The golden sword light swept out, and the dozen puppets guarding the Core Sword Puppet were shattered by a single strike, bronze fragments scattering like rain. The Core Sword Puppet didn't retreat; it raised its longsword to meet Gao Feng.

Clang!

The two swords collided. Gao Feng didn't budge, while the Core Sword Puppet was knocked back three steps.

Lin Jingyu struck from the side, his spiritual sword piercing the Core Sword Puppet's right arm joint. With a flick of the sword tip, the arm along with the longsword flew off. Situ Lan struck from the other side at the same time, her spiritual sword piercing the Core Sword Puppet's left leg joint. The Formation Pattern at the knee was pierced through, and the Core Sword Puppet fell to one knee.

Gao Feng didn't give it another chance. The vajra sword cleaved down from above, splitting the Core Sword Puppet in half from head to toe.

The green light in the Core Sword Puppet's eyes extinguished, and the Formation Patterns dimmed. The remaining dozens of Sword Puppets stopped their movements simultaneously, as if their Souls had been withdrawn, freezing in place.

A dead silence fell over the Martial Arts Arena.

Chu Lan plopped down on the ground. "Finally... it's over..." Tian Xin silently put away her remaining Talismans without responding. Su Ning withdrew the Spatial Barrier, her body swaying before being supported by Luo Li. Yao Guang was still treating Lin Yue, green light continuously surging into his body. Lin Yue leaned against his tattered Formation, panting heavily, the blood on the corner of his mouth not yet wiped away.

Lin Jingyu sheathed his sword and walked to Gao Feng's side. "That last strike of yours—if the angle had been an inch different, you could have cut directly through its Formation gaps without needing to cleave through the puppets guarding it." Gao Feng glanced at him. "You saw that?" Lin Jingyu showed a rare hint of a smile. "I was watching the whole time."

Situ Lan listened to the conversation silently from the side, looking down at her spiritual sword, lost in thought.