80: Crimson Clouds

Liuyun City, once a bustling and prosperous giant city, was now completely shrouded in panic and blood.

Liu Qingfeng and Ye Chen rode their sword lights. Before reaching the city walls, they could already sense the chaotic aura rising to the sky. The pale blue city protection barrier that originally covered the entire city was already shattered, with ominous dark red light flickering in many areas like festering wounds. Fires raged within the city, thick smoke billowed, and the sounds of violent explosions, fighting, and crying mingled together, forming a doomsday-like elegy.

Atop the city walls, the flags of Tianfeng Academy and the City Lord's Mansion that originally fluttered there had been torn down, replaced by Dark Hall flags inscribed with twisted runes and emitting a cold aura. Countless Dark Hall Cultists in black robes with fanatical eyes and Blood Blade Assassins in blood-colored tight-fitting clothes were surging like a tide against the guards putting up a desperate struggle inside the city. Further away, towards the City Lord's Mansion, the light of energy collisions exploded continuously like fireworks; clearly, the battle there was the most intense.

"We're half a step too late!" Liu Qingfeng's face was ashen, and the killing intent in his eyes was almost tangible. "Straight to the City Lord's Mansion!"

Their sword lights turned, like two meteors tearing through the night sky. Ignoring the chaotic battle below, they charged straight for the core of Liuyun City—the City Lord's Mansion!

However, just as they were about to arrive above the City Lord's Mansion—

"Buzz—!"

A massive barrier composed of countless dark red runes suddenly rose around the City Lord's Mansion, like an upturned giant bowl, completely sealing off the entire City Lord's Mansion area! On the barrier, blood-light flowed, and countless vengeful Souls could be seen struggling and wailing within, emitting a sickening bloody stench and powerful energy fluctuations!

"Blood Sacrifice Spirit-Sealing Formation!" Liu Qingfeng's pupils constricted. "They actually used the blood Qi of the entire city's living beings as a catalyst to set up such a malicious Formation! If this Formation isn't broken, external forces cannot enter, and those inside cannot escape!"

He tried to swing a sharp sword qi at the barrier. The sword qi struck the barrier, only stirring a ripple before being completely dissolved by the dense blood-red baleful Qi.

"Hahaha! Liu Qingfeng! You've come too late!"

A wild laugh rang out from within the barrier. On the tallest watchtower of the City Lord's Mansion, several figures appeared. The leader was none other than Elder Blood Dove, who had previously been defeated by Ye Chen's sword and lost an arm! At this moment, a bizarre arm composed entirely of dark red energy had been attached to his stump, and his aura was even colder and more tyrannical than before. Beside him stood two Dark Hall Elders whose auras were not at all weaker than his, as well as several high-ranking members of Blood Blade.

In the center of the City Lord's Mansion square, an even larger and more complex dark red Formation was slowly operating. At the center of the Formation floated a pulsing, heart-like dark red crystal—the core of the "Demon Summoning Grand Array"! Countless blood-colored energy threads were converging from all directions of the city, injecting into that crystal and making its pulsing stronger and stronger!

Around the Formation lay many corpses of Tianfeng Academy Disciples and City Lord's Mansion guards, clearly having undergone a tragic battle. The survivors were forced back into a corner, protected by a blood-soaked old man in City Lord's Mansion robes (the Liuyun City Lord) and Elder Li of the Formation Hall, among others. They were struggling to hold on, and the situation was critical!

"Blood Dove! You of the Dark Hall act against heaven; you will surely face divine retribution!" Liu Qingfeng's hair and beard bristled with rage as he shouted sternly.

"Divine retribution? Once the Demonic Lord descends, we shall be heaven!" Elder Blood Dove grinned savagely, his energy arm pointing abruptly at Ye Chen outside the barrier. "Little beast, you're actually not dead yet! Just as well, today you shall be sacrificed along with the rest. With your Nirvana Sword Intent, it will surely greatly accelerate the Demonic Lord's awakening!"

Ye Chen's eyes were cold. The guixu sword sensed its master's killing intent and let out a low hum. He could feel the sword containment pendant in his robe, which had only two Sword Qi left, becoming slightly hot.

"Elder Liu, can this Formation be forcibly broken?" Ye Chen asked via spiritual sense transmission.

"This Formation is based on the blood Qi of the entire city. Forcibly breaking it might trigger a backlash of blood Qi, harming the innocent lives in the city." Liu Qingfeng's brow furrowed deeply, clearly hesitant to act for fear of collateral damage. "The only plan now is to find the Formation nodes and destroy them from internal or external key points!"

Just as the two were rapidly thinking of a way to break the situation, another change occurred!

In various parts of Liuyun City, dozens of thick dark red light pillars suddenly rose. These pillars echoed the core Formation of the City Lord's Mansion, causing the "Blood Sacrifice Spirit-Sealing Formation" barrier to glow brightly and become even more solid! At the same time, the Dark Hall Cultists and Blood Blade Assassins in the city seemed to receive some kind of empowerment, becoming even more crazed and fearless of death. The defenders' line became instantly precarious!

"Not good! They are forcibly extracting the power of the ley lines and living beings to accelerate the process!" Liu Qingfeng's expression changed again.

They couldn't wait any longer!

A flash of determination crossed Ye Chen's eyes, and he said to Liu Qingfeng, "Elder, I might have a way to temporarily tear an opening! Please provide me with Protector and keep Blood Dove and the others occupied!"

Liu Qingfeng took a deep look at Ye Chen. Seeing the determination and confidence in his eyes, he no longer hesitated. "Fine! Do what you must; leave the outside to me!"

Before his voice had even faded, Liu Qingfeng's figure expanded. A vast, sea-like azure sword domain erupted with him as the center, instantly enveloping the sky above the City Lord's Mansion! Within the sword domain, ten thousand swords hummed in unison. Boundless, righteous sword qi poured down like a rainstorm, striking the blood-colored barrier. Although it failed to break through, it caused the barrier to vibrate violently and ripple continuously! At the same time, several condensed sword qi, as if possessed of life, bypassed the barrier and shot directly at Blood Dove and the others on the tower!

"Liu Qingfeng! You're looking for death!" Elder Blood Dove roared, striking out simultaneously with the two Elders beside him. Three powerful attacks—dark red, pitch black, and ghastly green—met Liu Qingfeng's sword qi, resulting in a terrifying explosion in the air!

Taking advantage of the moment Liu Qingfeng pinned down the enemy's strongest combatants, Ye Chen moved!

He did not attack the barrier. Instead, he raised the guixu sword high, his mind completely sinking into it, drawing upon the power of the ancient sword phantasm deep within his Soul, as well as the vast intent of the Nirvana Sword Venerable's Legacy!

"Guixu... is not just about devouring and annihilation..."

He chanted in a low voice. The Chaos luster on the guixu sword flowed at an unprecedented speed. At the tip of the sword, a point of ultimate "darkness" began to condense. It was not the darkness of energy, but an absolute "nothingness" that seemed to erase even the concept of "existence"!

"Moment of Nirvana... is also the guide to Guixu..."

Facing the solid blood-colored barrier ahead, he slowly thrust the guixu sword forward.

There was no sound, no burst of light.

The tip of the guixu sword lightly touched the barrier.

In the next moment, with the sword tip as the center, a tiny, spinning, and expanding "void" appeared on the barrier! This void was not pierced through by brute force, but rather its very "concept" of existence was forcibly "erased" by the Guixu Sword Intent!

"What?! This is impossible!" Elder Blood Dove, who was fighting Liu Qingfeng, sensed the anomaly in the barrier and looked back in horror. He saw the expanding void and Ye Chen standing with his sword, his eyes filled with disbelief!

"Now!"

Ye Chen gave a low shout, his body turning into a streak of light, instantly passing through the void that could only fit one person and entering the barrier! After he entered, the void began to slowly shrink and heal.

"Stop him!" Elder Blood Dove was both shocked and furious. He wanted to break free from Liu Qingfeng's entanglement but was held fast by the righteous sword qi that clung to him like a shadow.

Ye Chen landed in the City Lord's Mansion square. His gaze instantly locked onto the pulsing dark red core crystal in the center of the square, as well as several Dark Hall Deacons and Blood Blade Leaders with powerful auras guarding the crystal.

Without any nonsense, the guixu sword let out a hungry roar, and the dark Chaos sword light surged!

"Those who stand in my way shall die!"

The slaughter erupted instantly!