19: Chapter 19 Pure Yang Skill

Night, dark and heavy.

In the ancestral hall, the flame of the oil lamp flickered amidst the heavy breathing of the crowd, casting shadows on the wall that stretched into eerie, ghost-like shapes.

A strip of cloth lay on the table, the blood-red characters ferocious.

"Three days later, at the Hour of the Rat, leave no one alive."

Nine characters, like nine ice awls, piercing into everyone's heart.

He Shan stood up abruptly, slamming his broken arrow onto the table: "Let's fight them to the death! Killing one is breaking even, killing two is a profit!"

Zhong Tiegu said nothing, merely planting his iron staff into the ground, causing the blue bricks to crack with a "crack" sound.

Yan Meng pressed his hand against an old wound on his chest, his face turning ashen, though his gaze swept over the shivering women and children in the corner of the hall.

Fight?

The Liu Family had three hundred Black Armor Guards, the Funiu Gang had dozens of remnants, plus an unfathomable Qinglan Sect Disciple.

Yangjiao Ravine could muster, at most, thirty fighting men, with over half of them wounded.

They couldn't win a fight.

Lu Zhao's gaze lifted from the cloth, sweeping over every face.

On those faces, there was anger, fear, and a desperate resolve to throw everything away.

He shook his head slowly.

"Do not fight."

"Then are we just waiting to die?!" He Shan roared in a low voice.

"Not waiting to die." Lu Zhao's voice was not loud, yet it suppressed all the restlessness in the ancestral hall. "But we cannot fight them head-on either. The Liu Family wants to root us out completely, leaving no future trouble. If we hold the village and defend it, we fall right into their trap."

He paused.

"They want to slaughter the village, so we will not give them a village to slaughter."

Everyone was stunned.

"Does Wen Qian mean... abandoning the village?" Wen Qian's voice trembled.

"Not abandoning the village, but making the village 'empty'." Lu Zhao pointed his finger at the cloth. "Three days from now at the Hour of the Rat, we have two and a half days left. In these two and a half days, what we need to do is not prepare for battle, but 'dismantle the house'."

"Dismantle the house?"

"Correct." Lu Zhao stood up, walked to the entrance of the ancestral hall, and looked out into the heavy night. "Grain, medicinal herbs, iron tools, everything that can be carried, pack it all up. The elderly, weak, women, and children will depart tonight under the leadership of Yan Meng, taking the secret path from the back mountain cave to the Mountain God Temple at Wild Wolf Slope."

He turned around, his gaze sharp.

"The young and able stay behind. We are not defending the village, we are 'setting the stage'. At the village entrance, the ancestral hall, and inside and outside every house, I want to set up a 'gift' that will make the Liu Family suffer."

Zhong Tiegu's eyes lit up: "Does Teacher mean... traps?"

"Not just traps." Lu Zhao walked back to the table, dipped his finger in the cold water in a bowl, and drew on the table. "The Liu Family relies on their troops and armor, so they will surely attack from the front. The Funiu Gang remnants are familiar with the mountains and forests, so they will likely circle around to the back. We are few, so we will not clash with them head-on."

His finger pointed toward the old locust tree at the village entrance.

"He Shan, take the three best archers and lie in ambush on the roofs east and west of the locust tree. Do not poison the arrows, but coat them with the 'Anesthetic' prepared by Granny Xue. The effect must be potent; anyone hit will fall within three breaths."

"Zhong Tiegu, lead the men to melt down all the iron pots and plowshares in the village, casting them into triangular caltrops, and scatter them on the only path into the village, especially the horse trails."

"Yan Meng, before you leave, teach the remaining young men the 'horse-tripping ropes' and 'pitfall' methods from the War Martial Hall. They don't need to be deep, but they must be dense and chaotic."

Each instruction was clear and calm.

As the others listened, the despair in their eyes was gradually replaced by a fierce ruthlessness.

Since the path to survival was blocked, then on this path of death, they would dig pits and plant blades, making those who came to step on them bleed enough first.

"Then, Teacher, you..." Qin Wan held the little girl, her eyes red.

Lu Zhao looked at her, his gaze softening slightly.

"I am staying."

"No!" Granny Xue said urgently. "The Liu Family hates you the most! It's too dangerous for you to stay!"

"It is precisely because they hate me the most that I must stay." Lu Zhao said calmly. "If I am not here, how would Liu Zhenxiong believe that the village is truly empty? He would search the mountains and chase them to Wild Wolf Slope. Only with me here will he be convinced that the elites of Yangjiao Ravine are 'holding the line' here, and the old and weak have long since 'fled'."

He paused, his voice low.

"Besides, there are some debts that must be settled face-to-face."

The news A-Fei brought back, about the "Qinglan Sect Disciple acting as an inside man," was like a thorn stuck in his heart. Staying behind was not just to lure the enemy, but also to clean house.

Once the plan was set, no one tried to persuade him further.

Everyone rose silently and went to prepare. The ancestral hall soon emptied, leaving only the crackling of the oil lamp.

Lu Zhao walked alone into the courtyard and looked up at the sky.

The night was like ink, with no stars or moon.

Within his spiritual platform, the Yin-soft True Qi of the Nine Yin Manual and the Pure Yang True Qi of the Nine Yang Divine Skill were slowly rotating in his Dantian like two swimming fish, generating and supporting each other.

In the past three days, he had been cultivating day and night, and with the aid of the extreme Yin Qi from the Yin-Shattering Crystal, his progress had been extremely fast. Although he was still at the first level of Qi Refining, the purity and condensation of his True Qi were already on par with an ordinary third-level Qi Refining cultivator.

But it was still not enough.

Liu Zhenxiong was at the fifth level of Qi Refining, and there were several others in the Black Armor Guard at the Early Stage of Qi Refining. Not to mention that unfathomable Qinglan Sect Disciple.

He had to advance further.

He sat cross-legged, closed his eyes, and focused his mind.

The Nine Yang Divine Skill Mind-Cultivation Technique circulated, and the Pure Yang True Qi rose from his Dantian, passing through the Twelve-Story Pagoda and coursing through his limbs and bones. A golden-red faint light gradually emerged around his body, as if he were draped in rosy clouds.

At the same time, the "Tendon-Changing and Bone-Forging Chapter" of the Nine Yin Manual also began to operate spontaneously. A wisp of extreme Yin Qi was drawn from the remaining connection with the Yin-Shattering Crystal, traveling up the Foot Shaoyin Kidney Meridian to converge with the Pure Yang True Qi at the Shanzhong Acupoint.

Ice and fire merged, Yin and Yang surged.

Fine beads of sweat seeped from Lu Zhao's forehead, and his body trembled slightly. Every convergence felt like steel needles scraping his bones, the pain drilling into his heart. But he gritted his teeth and persisted, guiding the two streams of True Qi to repeatedly wash and grind within his Meridians.

Gradually, the pain subsided.

The Yin and Yang energies no longer clashed violently but flowed like two small streams, distinct yet parallel.

As the Pure Yang True Qi completed one cycle, a wisp was transformed into extreme Yin energy; as the extreme Yin energy completed a cycle, another wisp was assimilated by the Pure Yang.

Mutually generating and supporting, cycling back and forth.

Unknowingly, the east began to pale.

Lu Zhao opened his eyes, the sharp light within his pupils retracted, and his breath was long and steady. After a night of cultivation, although his level had not broken through, his control over True Qi and his understanding of Yin and Yang changes had deepened by another layer.

He stood up, stretched his limbs, and felt his whole body light, with power contained within.

A slight movement came from outside the courtyard.

He Shan pushed the door and entered, his shoulder wrapped in freshly changed linen, the bloodstains already dried.

Behind him followed three youths, all children of hunters, with alert eyes, carrying bows and arrows.

"Teacher, everything is arranged," He Shan said in a low voice. "The elderly and weak left through the secret path half an hour ago, with Yan Meng leading the team. Everything in the village that could be dismantled or carried has been packed and moved away. Seventeen places have been sown with caltrops, twenty-three pits have been dug, and nine horse-tripping ropes have been set up."

Lu Zhao nodded: "Any movement from that Qinglan Sect Disciple?"

"None." He Shan frowned. "Since Deacon Zhao left him there that day, he has been staying in that empty house at the east end of the village, meditating and cultivating every day, occasionally coming out for a walk. I see nothing unusual."

"The calmer he is, the more of a problem there is." Lu Zhao looked toward the east end of the village. "Keep an eye on him. If he makes any unusual moves before the Hour of the Rat, strike first."

"Understood."

He Shan left with his men.

Lu Zhao walked out of the ancestral hall and slowly patrolled the village.

The Yangjiao Ravine of the past, though poor, was lively. In the early morning, there should be cooking smoke, rooster crows, children chasing each other, and men carrying hoes to the fields.

Now, it was empty.

Doors and windows of every house were wide open, and anything that could be moved inside had been emptied, leaving only some broken tables and chairs.

Grass clippings and cloth scraps that hadn't been swept up were scattered on the streets; as the wind blew, it stirred up a desolate chill.

The old locust tree at the village entrance was still there, the knife marks on its trunk becoming even more piercing in the morning light. Under the tree, Zhong Tiegu was leading men to bury the final trap—not a pit, but a tension string connected to a row of sharpened bamboo poles, which, when triggered, could sweep down a whole line.

"Teacher." Zhong Tiegu wiped the sweat off his brow. "It's all done."

Lu Zhao patted his shoulder: "You go too, and rendezvous at Wild Wolf Slope."

Zhong Tiegu glared: "I'm not going! I have great strength, I can kill a few more!"

"It is precisely because you have great strength that you must go." Lu Zhao said in a deep voice. "On the side of Wild Wolf Slope, there are many elderly and weak who need someone to protect them. Yan Meng alone is not enough. Only if you go can I be at ease."

Zhong Tiegu wanted to argue, but seeing Lu Zhao's expression was unquestionable, he had no choice but to stomp his foot heavily, shoulder his iron staff, and head toward the back mountain, looking back every three steps.

The sun climbed higher.

Only Lu Zhao, He Shan, and the three young archers remained in the village, along with that silent Qinglan Sect Disciple at the east end of the village.

At noon, A-Fei snuck back again.

The arrow wound on his shoulder had been simply bandaged, his face still pale, but his eyes were as sharp as an eagle's.

"Teacher, the Liu Family has moved." A-Fei panted. "Liu Zhenxiong is leading the team personally, with two hundred Black Armor Guards, having left Black Mountain City at the Hour of the Snake. The forty-plus remnants of the Funiu Gang, led by that deputy of Boss Wu, 'One-Eyed Wolf', have already reached the West Ravine and will arrive by noon."

"What about the Qinglan Sect side?"

"No movement yet. But..." A-Fei hesitated for a moment. "When I came back, I saw a paper crane fly out from behind that Disciple's house, heading toward Black Mountain City."

Sending a message via paper crane.

Indeed, there was an inside man.

Lu Zhao nodded: "Understood. You are severely injured, go to Wild Wolf Slope too."

"Teacher!" A-Fei said urgently.

"This is an order." Lu Zhao looked at him. "Your legs are fast; go to Wild Wolf Slope. If there is a change here, you will be the messenger. Remember, if we have not arrived to rendezvous at Wild Wolf Slope at this time three days from now, take everyone and head east, go to the Canglan River, find a boat, and go south—the further, the better."

A-Fei's eyes reddened, he gritted his teeth, nodded heavily, turned, and disappeared into the mountain forest.

At the Hour of the Monkey, the sun tilted west.

The door of that empty house at the east end of the village opened with a "creak".

The Disciple in green robes walked out slowly, his sword at his waist, his expression calm. He walked to the front of the ancestral hall, looked at Lu Zhao standing under the locust tree, and cupped his hands.

"Fellow Daoist Lu." His voice was gentle. "The time is approaching, Junior Martial Uncle Zhao ordered me to assist you in repelling the enemy."

Lu Zhao turned and looked at him.

"May I ask for your name, Senior Brother?"

"Outer Sect Disciple of the Qinglan Sect, Chen Song." The Disciple in green robes smiled. "Fellow Daoist Lu, to have fought consecutive fierce battles with the body of a Mortal, Chen admires you. Today, I am willing to stand side by side with you to resist the strong enemy."

The words were spoken beautifully.

But Lu Zhao noticed that his knuckles, gripping the sword, were slightly white. Deep in his eyes, there was a flicker that was hard to detect.

"Senior Brother Chen is righteous." Lu Zhao cupped his fists. "Since that is the case, please guard the left flank of the ancestral hall. If the Liu Family attacks, the left flank is the most critical."

A flash of surprise crossed Chen Song's eyes—the left flank of the ancestral hall was close to the back mountain, the predetermined "escape" direction. Lu Zhao placing him there—was it trust, or a test?

But he said nothing more, nodded in agreement, and walked toward the left flank with his hand on his sword.

At the Hour of the Monkey, the wind grew stronger.

In the forest to the west, startled birds flew in confusion.

He Shan lay in ambush on the roof, his arrow already nocked, and whispered to the youth beside him: "Remember, to shoot the man, first shoot the horse. Once the horse falls, the cavalryman is just a cripple."

The youths nodded nervously, their palms sweaty.

Lu Zhao stood alone at the village entrance, closed his eyes, and focused his mind.

[part:gemini-3.0-flash]

Within the spiritual platform, the Yin and Yang Qi slowly circulated; within three feet of his body, his aura was harmonious and smooth, like an ancient well without a ripple.

They're here.

The ground began to vibrate slightly.

First came the muffled thunder of hooves from the west, growing louder and denser. Then, a large flock of birds was startled from the forest, dark and oppressive like black clouds.

Dust and smoke shot into the sky.

The first rider of the Black Armor Guard burst from the forest path, his horse wearing a hideous face-plate and the knight holding a long spear, his iron armor glinting coldly in the setting sun. Immediately after, a second rider, a third... like a black torrent, they rolled out and reined in their horses to form a formation a hundred zhang outside the village.

Two hundred Black Armor Guards stood in silent, chilling solemnity.

In front of the formation, a single rider stepped forward at a slow pace. The man on horseback was about forty years old, with a face as red as a date and narrow eyes. He wore heavy dark iron armor and carried a horse-chopping saber as wide as a door panel.

Liu Zhenxiong.

His gaze swept across the empty village, finally landing on the solitary figure beneath the locust tree at the village entrance, a cruel smile curling at the corners of his mouth.

"Lu Zhao." His voice was loud and resonant, like clashing metal. "You killed my manager and poisoned my younger brother. Today, I, Liu, have come in person to take your head as a sacrifice to the departed souls of my Liu Family!"

Lu Zhao opened his eyes, his gaze calm.

"Liu Biao forcibly collected winter defense taxs and intended to slaughter the village to silence them; his death was well-deserved. Liu Three-Knives colluded with bandits; his death is not to be regretted. Liu Zhenxiong, you indulged your kin to terrorize the countryside; today, it is time for you to pay your debts as well."

"Hahaha!" Liu Zhenxiong laughed wildly. "Pay my debts? With just you and these few pieces of local refuse?"

He swung his horse-chopping saber.

"Black Armor Guard! Charge! Flatten this village, leave no chicken or dog alive!"

"Roar—!"

Two hundred Black Armor Guards shouted in unison, the sound shaking the fields. Hooves flew as they swept toward the village entrance like a black tide!

The ground trembled, and Killing Intent soared to the heavens.

He Shan stood on the roof, watching the approaching torrent of iron cavalry, his palms drenched in cold sweat. He took a deep breath and barked:

"Release!"

Four arrows shot out through the air!

The arrows weren't fast, but they were exceptionally tricky; two aimed for the lead knight's face, and two aimed for the horse's legs.

The knight swung his spear to parry, knocking one away with a 'clang,' but the other grazed his face-plate, leaving a deep scratch. The two horses hit in the legs collapsed with tragic screams, tripping a segment of the cavalry behind them.

The charging formation fell into slight disarray.

But the Black Armor Guards were well-trained; they quickly adjusted and continued their charge.

Eighty zhang.

Seventy zhang.

Sixty zhang.

The front rank of cavalry could already see the white steam snorting from the horses' nostrils and the cold Killing Intent in the knights' eyes.

Lu Zhao still hadn't moved.

Fifty zhang.

Forty zhang.

Thirty zhang!

"Rumble—!"

The hooves of the dozen or so riders in the lead suddenly stepped into empty space, and both men and horses tumbled into a pit trap! Sharpened bamboo poles were buried at the bottom; men screamed and horses neighed as blood splattered everywhere.

The following cavalry hastily reined in their horses, throwing the formation into chaos again.

At that moment, from the rooftops on both sides of the village road, arrows arrived again! This time, they aimed for the necks and armpits exposed by the knights in the confusion.

With several "puchi" sounds, several more men fell from their horses.

Liu Zhenxiong's face darkened.

"Spread out! Skirmishers flank them! Infantry, press forward!"

At the command, the cavalry split into several groups, no longer charging straight ahead but circling from the sides to suppress the archers on the rooftops with mounted archery. The infantry in the rear held shields and sabers, forming a phalanx and advancing steadily.

Traps and tripwires were triggered one after another, and cavalrymen continued to fall, but there were too many Black Armor Guards, and the defensive line was soon torn open in several places.

A small squad of cavalry broke through the right wing and headed straight for the ancestral hall!

Lu Zhao finally moved.

He tapped his toes and his figure drifted out like light smoke, intercepting that squad of cavalry in a few leaps. The lead knight grinned cruelly and thrust his spear rapidly!

Lu Zhao didn't dodge. He reached out with his left hand, catching and leading the spear shaft; the knight felt a strange, supple force transmit through it, and the spear involuntarily veered off. Simultaneously, Lu Zhao struck out with his right palm, hitting the horse's neck dead center.

With a crisp "crack," the horse's neck snapped, and it collapsed with a mournful cry. The knight tumbled off, but before he could get up, Lu Zhao had already stepped down; his sternum collapsed, and he died instantly.

The cavalry behind were shocked and swarmed around him. Lu Zhao's figure was like a swimming fish, weaving through the flashes of blades and spears, striking with palms and poking with fingers; every hit struck a vital point. In less than ten breaths, all seven riders were dead.

But more Black Armor Guards had already flooded into the village.

On the roof, He Shan and the three youths had emptied their quivers. They drew their waist sabers and fought with the infantry climbing onto the roof. They were skilled in archery, but they were at a disadvantage in close combat, and soon someone was wounded.

Lu Zhao caught sight of this and leaped onto the roof, striking with both palms. The palm wind was like waves, blasting several infantrymen off the roof.

But arrows shot from below like rain; he swept them aside with his sleeves, yet a stray arrow still grazed his shoulder, and blood seeped out.

"Mister!" He Shan called out urgently.

"Retreat if you can't hold!" Lu Zhao barked. "According to the plan, withdraw toward the ancestral hall!"

The four of them fought as they retreated, jumping off the roof and heading toward the ancestral hall.

The Black Armor Guards pursued relentlessly.

At that moment, a scream suddenly came from the left wing of the ancestral hall!

It was Chen Song!

Lu Zhao's heart tightened, and he leaped toward the sound.

He saw Chen Song lying in a pool of blood with a short sword plunged into his chest, the hilt held by a black-clad masked man.

Seeing Lu Zhao arrive, the masked man didn't hesitate, pulling the sword and leaving, his figure vanishing into the chaotic battle in a few leaps.

Lu Zhao propped up Chen Song.

"It's... the Liu Family's people..." Chen Song spat blood, his eyes unfocused. "They knew all along... I was the inside man... silencing me..."

Before he could finish, his head slumped, and he breathed his last.

Lu Zhao laid down his body, the cold light in his eyes like ice.

What a Liu Zhenxiong! He even kills his own people!

Just then, from behind the ancestral hall, a thunderous roar of battle suddenly erupted!

The remnants of the Funiu Gang had arrived!

Over forty bandits, led by the "One-Eyed Wolf," charged out from the dense forest on the back mountain and lunged straight for the ancestral hall. They weren't as disciplined as the Black Armor Guard's military formation, but they were more cruel and cunning, specifically picking the places where the elderly, weak, women, and children were hiding to attack—unaware that those places were already empty.

However, the few young men left to guard were still entangled by them, suffering heavy casualties.

Lu Zhao took a deep breath.

He couldn't retreat any further.

The ancestral hall was the final line of defense; once broken, all their preparations would be in vain.

He leaped onto the roof of the ancestral hall and looked around.

The Black Armor Guards had already controlled most of the village and were surrounding the ancestral hall from three sides. The Funiu Gang bandits were rampaging in the rear. Their arrows were spent, so He Shan and the others retreated inside the ancestral hall doors, holding their ground by the doors and windows.

The setting sun was like blood, reflecting a crimson hue across the world.

Liu Zhenxiong, surrounded by his personal guards, rode his horse forward slowly, pointing his horse-chopping saber at Lu Zhao on the roof with a cruel grin:

"Boy, what other tricks do you have?"

Lu Zhao did not speak.

He closed his eyes and circulated his Mind-Cultivation Technique.

In his Dantian, the Yin and Yang Qi rotated frantically; the Pure Yang True Qi rose steadily, and the Extreme Yin Qi surged along with it. His pores erupted with an intertwined light of golden-red and deep blue, making him look like a god or a demon.

Within his spiritual platform, a sensation emerged:

[The enemy is numerous while we are few; a desperate situation of certain death.]

[The "Nine Yang Divine Skill" is being pushed to its limit, triggering the prototype of the 'Pure Yang Strike.']

[Warning: This strike requires the exhaustion of all True Qi; Meridians will surely be damaged. Use with caution.]

Exhausting True Qi, damaging Meridians.

But there was no other choice.

Lu Zhao opened his eyes, the golden-red light in his pupils flaring up.

He leaped down from the roof and landed in front of the ancestral hall doors. Facing the rolling black torrent, he slowly raised both palms.

The blood color faded from his palms, turning into pure golden-red, as if he were holding two miniature suns.

"Big Brother He." His voice was calm. "Take the men into the ancestral hall and seal the doors and windows. No matter what happens outside, do not come out."

He Shan gritted his teeth: "Mister!"

"Go!"

With reddened eyes, He Shan dragged up the wounded youth and retreated into the ancestral hall, slamming the heavy doors shut.

Lu Zhao stood alone before the doors, his clothes fluttering loudly in the fierce wind.

Liu Zhenxiong's brow furrowed slightly. He sensed that the aura on Lu Zhao was climbing frantically; although he was still at the first layer of Qi Refining, it made even him, at the fifth layer of Qi Refining, feel a hint of palpitations.

"Playing the ghost!" he barked. "Release arrows! Shoot him dead!"

Dozens of arrows whistled through the air!

Lu Zhao clapped his palms together.

Golden-red light erupted violently, turning into a three-zhang wide flame shield that enveloped him. When the arrows hit the shield, they vaporized instantly, like snow meeting a blazing sun!

"What?!" Liu Zhenxiong's pupils shrank suddenly.

Lu Zhao moved.

He took a step forward, and the blue bricks beneath his feet shattered. His figure was like an arrow leaving a bowstring, charging straight into the Black Armor Guard's formation!

He pushed both palms out together.

"Pure Yang Strike!"

No technique, no variation.

Only the purest, most overbearing Extreme Yang True Qi, like a volcanic eruption, like a sun falling to earth, turned into a golden-red torrent that crashed into the military formation!

"BOOM—!!!"

The world lost its color.

The airwave swept outward like a tsunami! Dozens of Black Armor Guards in the front rank, along with their horses, were blown away like they were made of paper; their iron armor twisted, and their bones and tendons snapped! The ground cracked, earth and stone overturned, and dust and smoke soared into the sky!

With one strike, the military formation was shattered!

Liu Zhenxiong's mount reared up in terror; he gripped the reins tightly, his eyes full of horror.

The power of this strike was already comparable to a full-power blow from someone in the Middle Stage of Qi Refining! How could this be possible for someone at the first layer of Qi Refining?!

The dust settled slightly.

Lu Zhao stood alone amidst the field of corpses. The golden-red light around him had dimmed, his face was as pale as paper, and blood slowly seeped from his seven orifices. His figure swayed, and he had to lean on his sword against the ground to keep from falling.

His True Qi was exhausted, and his Meridians felt as if they were being scorched by fire, a piercing pain reaching his heart.

But he remained standing.

Liu Zhenxiong's expression shifted rapidly before he suddenly barked: "He is at the end of his rope! All troops press forward! Kill him!"

The remaining Black Armor Guards regained some of their composure and formed their ranks again, closing in step by step.

The Funiu Gang bandits also swarmed in from the rear.

Lu Zhao watched the approaching blades and spears, but a smile curled at the corners of his mouth.

He had done it.

He had bought enough time for the villagers of Wild Wolf Slope.

It was enough.

Just as he was about to close his eyes and accept death, a clear cry suddenly came from the roof of the ancestral hall:

"Stop!"

A green figure glided down like a bird, landing in front of Lu Zhao.

Her green robes were as clean as if washed, and her long sword was like frost.

Shen Qingqiu.

She stood holding her sword, her gaze sweeping across the mess of the field, finally landing on Liu Zhenxiong's face. Her voice was icy:

"Liu Zhenxiong, if you dare touch him, you will be an enemy of my Canglan Sword Sect." Liu Zhenxiong's pupils shrank: "Canglan Sword Sect?" Shen Qingqiu's sword tip trembled slightly, cold light flowing: "He is someone my Canglan Sword Sect intends to protect. Now, take your people and get out of Yangjiao Ravine." Before her voice had finished, the sound of rapid hooves suddenly came from the distant mountain path. A lone rider kicked up dust, the knight on horseback holding high a mysterious black flag, shouting sternly: "Urgent order from the Xuanshuang Sect! Liu Zhenxiong of Black Mountain, stop immediately! Those who defy this order shall have their entire clan executed!"