143: Chapter 143 Sword light like snow, shaking all directions

Outside the mountain gate, the world was filled with a chilling solemnity.

Xiao Nianyin stood suspended in mid-air, her plain white robes fluttering loudly in the wind, the luoyun sword in her hand shimmering with cold light, its tip pointed directly at Situ E, who was a hundred feet away.

Terrifying Saint Realm pressure radiated from her entire body, like a ten-thousand-year-old iceberg spanning heaven and earth; even the air was frozen, making subtle 'crackling' sounds as it shattered.

Those were tiny cracks appearing because the space itself could not withstand the pressure.

Situ E stabilized himself in a pathetic state, wiped the blood from the corner of his mouth, his eyes filled with shock and disbelief.

Three hundred years.

Three hundred years ago, when Xiao Nianyin had first entered the Saint Realm, she was already able to heavily injure him.

Back then, although he lost, he could at least see the gap between them—the gap between the Early Saint Realm and the Mid-Stage Saint Realm, the gap between talent and Foundation.

But today...

Just one sword strike!

She hadn't even used a formal Move; with just a casual wave, she had shattered his Blood Fiend Heaven Shield, sent him flying a hundred feet away, and injured his internal organs!

This could no longer be described as a 'gap'.

This was... total suppression!

"Mid-Stage Saint Realm... how could it be this strong?"

Stormy waves surged in Situ E's heart, and his gaze flickered uncertainly.

He suddenly recalled the words of that enchantress Liu Rurao—"Xiao Nianyin took in a male Disciple, even let him Move into Ningyin Hall, and even accessed the Heavenly Charm Mysterious Maiden Heart Sutra for him..."

At that time, he had only assumed Xiao Nianyin had changed her nature, or that the male Disciple had something special about him.

But thinking about it now...

Something was wrong!

With Xiao Nianyin's Cultivation, if she were at her peak, would she need to use her Lifebound Treasure, the ice soul ningyin hairpin, to deal with that Nascent Soul Stage enchantress Liu Rurao?

If she were at her peak, would she have stayed hidden while the mountain gate was besieged for three days?

Unless... something really had gone wrong with her before!

And now, she had emerged from seclusion; her Cultivation had not only remained undamaged but had even taken a step forward, reaching the Mid-Stage Saint Realm!

"Liu Rurao... you bitch! You lied to me!"

Situ E roared in his heart, a trace of ferocity flashing in his eyes.

He had been deceived.

He had been used as a pawn by Liu Rurao!

That enchantress clearly knew Xiao Nianyin had a problem, which was why she egged him on to come here, wanting to use his hand to test Xiao Nianyin's reality, or even... use Xiao Nianyin's hand to get rid of him!

What a perfect 'killing two birds with one stone'!

"Good, good, good! Liu Rurao, I will remember this debt!"

Situ E gnashed his teeth, but the most important thing right now was how to survive under Xiao Nianyin's sword.

At this moment, Situ E was not the only one terrified.

Inside the Hehuan Sect, those Grand Elders who had originally hidden in the shadows, making all sorts of excuses to shirk responsibility while waiting to see Xiao Nianyin make a fool of herself, were now even more scared to the point of their Soul Flying Away and Spirit Scattering!

Deep within the Hehuan Sect, inside an exquisite pavilion.

Second Elder Zhao Wuji stared fixedly at the battle outside the mountain gate through a crack in the window.

His originally sallow face was now completely bloodless, his hands trembled slightly, and even his breathing became hurried.

"Mid-Stage... Saint Realm?!"

He muttered to himself, his voice full of terror:

"She broke through? How could she possibly Breakthrough?! It's been three hundred years; she was stuck at the Early Saint Realm for three hundred years, how could she Breakthrough at this time?!"

Behind Zhao Wuji, several of his trusted Disciples were also ashen-faced.

"Ma-Master... what do we do now?" one Disciple asked with a trembling voice. "Earlier, we used seclusion as an excuse to shirk our duties and didn't participate in the Mountain Protection Array. Will the Sect Master... settle scores with us later?"

Settle scores later?

Zhao Wuji's whole body shuddered.

Given Xiao Nianyin's personality, what she hated most was disloyalty and unrighteousness. Now that the Sect was facing a great enemy, they, the Elders, had hidden away to watch the show...

"No! We can't just sit and wait for death!"

A ruthless look flashed in Zhao Wuji's eyes, and he suddenly raised his hand, striking his own chest fiercely with a palm!

"Pfft—!"

A mouthful of blood sprayed out. Zhao Wuji's face instantly became as pale as paper, his aura withered, and his whole body teetered on the verge of collapse.

"Master!" the Disciples cried out in alarm.

"Shut up!" Zhao Wuji said sharply, wiping the blood from the corner of his mouth, his eyes sinister. "Support me... to the mountain gate!"

"But Master, your injury..."

"I hit myself; this injury won't kill me!" Zhao Wuji gritted his teeth. "Go to the mountain gate right now. Say that I was heavily injured while training outside earlier and had been in seclusion to heal, and only forced myself out of seclusion upon hearing the Sect was in trouble..."

He paused, a flash of cunning in his eyes:

"Remember, act it out well! Let everyone see that I am 'fighting despite my injuries'!"

The Disciples looked at each other, but they didn't dare to disobey. They could only support Zhao Wuji and hurry toward the mountain gate.

Meanwhile, inside another Immortal Cave.

Fourth Elder Chen Xuanfeng's face was also pale as he watched the battle reflected in a mirror.

He had always been at odds with Second Elder Zhao Wuji, but on the matter of 'watching Xiao Nianyin make a fool of herself', they were surprisingly consistent.

Earlier, when Liu Rurao was causing trouble and Xiao Nianyin used the ice soul ningyin hairpin, he had suspected something was wrong with Xiao Nianyin.

Later, when Situ E besieged the mountain and Xiao Nianyin didn't appear for three days, he became even more certain of his guess.

So he used 'Cultivation deviation' as an excuse to hide in the shadows and observe, waiting to see how Xiao Nianyin would handle the situation.

He had even prepared himself—once Xiao Nianyin was truly no match for Situ E, or if both sides were wounded, he would join forces with several other Elders to seize power!

But now...

Not only was Xiao Nianyin fine, she had actually broken through!

She had repelled Situ E with a single sword strike!

Seize power? My ass!

"Damn it... damn it!"

Chen Xuanfeng paced around anxiously, then suddenly stopped, a look of determination flashing in his eyes.

He took a deep breath, reversed his internal True Essence, and slammed it fiercely against his own Meridians!

"Ugh, ah—!"

Intense pain washed over him. Chen Xuanfeng let out a muffled groan, blood trickled from the corner of his mouth, and his face instantly turned sallow, as if he really had suffered 'Cultivation deviation'.

"Someone!" he called out weakly. "Support me to the mountain gate... the Sect is in trouble, how can I... stand by and watch!"

The same scene was playing out in various places within the Hehuan Sect.

The Sixth Elder and Seventh Elder had originally quietly left the Sect, but upon receiving the news, they were scared out of their wits and rushed back overnight, not forgetting to wound each other on the way to create the illusion of having been 'attacked while out'.

Those Elders who had previously shirked their duties for various reasons were all panicking now. They all put on 'Self-injury ruses', either harming themselves, faking illness, or creating traces of 'being attacked', and then 'struggled' to rush to the mountain gate.

For a time, Elders 'fighting despite their injuries' could be seen everywhere in the Hehuan Sect. Each one was pale-faced with a withered aura, yet they all put on an air of being 'loyal, devoted, and disregarding their own lives'.

Someone who didn't know better would have thought the Hehuan Sect had just gone through a tragic and fierce battle.