598: Chapter 598 Even the peak Saint Realm cultivators arrived defeated; were they afraid of a mere Hehuan Sect?

The mountain gate of the Taixu Sect was built on the mountainside of Cangwu Mountain. Flanked by steep stone walls, a heavy stone gate stood in the middle. The lintel was engraved with the three characters "Taixu Sect," the gold paint on which had faded, revealing the mottled stone underneath.

Above the mountain gate hovered a layer of light green light screen—this was the Taixu Sect's Mountain Protection Array. It resembled an inverted glazed bowl, covering the entire mountain gate along with the halls and pavilions behind it.

This Formation had been passed down for six generations and was said to have been personally set up by the Ancestral Master. It could withstand a full-force strike from a Saint Realm Peak.

Although the Taixu Sect was small, this tortoise shell was quite sturdy. Among the small Sects within a radius of several hundred miles, their Mountain Protection Array was the most capable of withstanding attacks.

The two Disciples guarding the gate leaned against the doorposts, bored out of their minds. One was yawning, while the other was picking the dirt from under his fingernails.

The one yawning was named Sun Quan, a Golden Core Initial Stage cultivator who had joined fifteen years ago. His daily routine consisted of guarding the gate, patrolling the mountain, eating, and sleeping, occasionally getting scolded by an Elder. His life passed like a bowl of cold white porridge—bland and tasteless.

The one picking his nails was named Ma Ping. He had joined two years before Sun Quan and had similar Cultivation and aspirations—it would be a blessing if he could reach the Nascent Soul Stage in this lifetime.

"Senior Brother, how do you think Elder Liu will deal with Senior Sister Lu Yao, whom he captured?"

Sun Quan yawned again, tears welling up in his eyes.

Ma Ping flicked the dirt from his fingernails and pursed his lips toward the inside of the mountain gate.

"How else would he deal with her? The Sect rules are clear: traitors have their Cultivation crippled and are expelled from the mountain gate. She, however, must be interrogated before her Cultivation is crippled. I heard that Senior Martial Uncle Sect Head intends to make her confess in front of the entire Sect, admitting to the unspeakable deeds she committed at the Hehuan Sect. Interrogate first, then cripple, then expel. It serves as a warning to others."

Sun Quan clicked his tongue and shook his head.

"Senior Sister Lu Yao was actually quite kind to us before. When I first joined, I couldn't master the sword techniques, and she taught me a few moves. She was beautiful and had a good temper; how did she end up in this situation?"

"Keep your voice down." Ma Ping glared at him. "Elder Liu said that we are not allowed to discuss this privately. She is no longer our Senior Sister; she is a traitor, a demoness of the Hehuan Sect. If you don't want to be called in for a 'chat' with the Elder, keep your mouth shut."

Sun Quan shrank his neck and fell silent.

Just then, a silver light suddenly illuminated the distant horizon.

The light grew brighter and closer, like a silver river pouring down from the edge of the sky.

Sun Quan rubbed his eyes and looked closely; his jaw nearly dropped to the ground. They were people—densely packed people—stepping on Flying Swords, wearing uniform silver-white battle armor, emerging from the clouds and flying toward the Taixu Sect.

There were at least two or three hundred of them, their sword lights merging into one, shimmering with a cold, piercing glow under the setting sun.

"Senior Brother! Look!" Sun Quan pointed at the horizon, his voice cracking.

Ma Ping looked in the direction he was pointing, and the nail clipper in his hand clattered to the ground.

He opened his mouth wide, stunned for a full three breaths, then turned and ran into the mountain gate, shouting at the top of his lungs: "Enemy attack! Enemy attack! Someone is attacking the mountain!"

The alarm bell of the Taixu Sect was rung.

The bronze bell hung in the bell tower in front of the Main Hall and hadn't been rung for decades. When the bell hammer struck it, it emitted a dull hum, like the groan of an old man startled from a deep sleep.

Disciples ran out from all corners; some were disheveled, some hadn't even managed to grab their swords, standing on the Martial Arts Arena empty-handed, gazing blankly at the sky.

Sect Leader Qing Fengzi walked quickly out of the Main Hall, his face as gloomy as a sky about to rain.

He looked up at the approaching sword lights on the horizon, his pupils constricting sharply—he recognized those silver-white battle armor.

That was the Hehuan Sect's Source Energy Armor; he had seen it on a yingxi stone in the market, where people from the Tianxuan Sect were beaten so badly they cried for their parents.

"Why are you ringing the bell!" He turned and roared. "Activate the Mountain Protection Array fully! Hurry!"

Elder Liu also ran out from the Side Hall. His Daoist robe was not yet fastened, his belt dragging on the ground, and his face still bore the bruises from being shaken by the Grand Elder's cane at Luoxing Ferry yesterday.

He ran to Sect Leader Qing Fengzi's side, his voice trembling: "Senior Brother Sect Head, it's the people from the Hehuan Sect. They have come for someone; it seems they have come with ill intent!"

"Nonsense, do you think I need you to tell me that?" Sect Leader Qing Fengzi gritted his teeth. "Pass the order down: all Disciples to their posts, activate the Mountain Protection Array to maximum power. I don't believe they dare to force their way through the Taixu Sect's Mountain Protection Array! Back then, even a Saint Realm Peak from the Tianyan Sect returned in defeat before our Formation. No matter how powerful the Hehuan Sect is, can they be more powerful than a Saint Realm Peak?"

His voice was loud, loud enough for the entire Martial Arts Arena to hear.

But after he finished speaking, no one responded.

The Disciples looked at each other, their faces filled with unease.

They had heard about the affairs of the Hehuan Sect—the Righteous Path Alliance coalition of over a thousand people was wiped out, a Saint Realm expert was trapped in an array and used as target practice, and even a Half-step True Immortal like Tian Jianzi was exhausted to death.

Could the Taixu Sect withstand such an opponent?

But Sect Leader Qing Fengzi didn't believe it. Or rather, he didn't want to believe it.

His greatest talent in this life was self-deception; by burying his head in the sand, he felt the outside world had nothing to do with him.

The last time he drove Lu Yao away in front of the entire Sect, it was the same logic—as long as the "filth" was cleared out, the Taixu Sect would be clean.

As for whether Lu Yao would be wronged, whether she would be driven to a dead end, or whether the Hehuan Sect would come looking for trouble, he didn't want to think about any of it.

The Hehuan Sect's team landed on the open ground outside the Taixu Sect's mountain gate.

Three hundred Disciples lined up in three rows, as neat as if measured by a ruler.

Everyone was wearing Source Energy Armor, with an Array Pattern shield embedded on their left arm, holding a qi-breaking gun or a Chuanyang Gun in their hands, the Array Pattern on the guns shimmering with a cold silver light under the setting sun.

Their movements were uniform: landing, sheathing swords, and forming ranks, all done in one go. No one spoke, and no one moved out of line.

Only the slight humming of the battle armor and the clicking sound of gun safeties being disengaged sounded rhythmically in the mountain breeze.

Zhao Yan drove the Spirit Beast cart and stopped in front of the team.

The City-Breaker Cannon was mounted on the Spirit Beast cart—the barrel was over two meters long, as thick as a bowl, and the cannon body was engraved with layers of Array Pattern. Every groove was embedded with a Spirit Stone, emitting a faint golden light under the setting sun.

The cannon carriage was an alloy of black iron and piglets Star-patterned steel, as sturdy as a lump of iron. The four wheels were engraved with shock-absorbing Array Pattern, pressing against the bluestone slabs and leaving four shallow indentations.

Zhao Tiezhu carried the Thunder Roar Cannon on his shoulder, standing next to the City-Breaker Cannon.

Li Ergou held his Chuanyang Gun, squatting beside a large rock, with the muzzle aimed at the Taixu Sect's mountain gate.

Zhou Daniu stood behind Xu Ruyu, holding the qi-breaking gun, his finger on the trigger, his knuckles turning white.

Xiao Nianyin landed on the ground, not standing in the Formation, nor striking any pose.

She just stood casually behind and to the side of Xu Ruyu, her white clothes like snow, her long hair like a waterfall, her hands hanging at her sides, without even drawing her sword.

But the faint, almost imperceptible chill around her made even Zhao Yan subconsciously move half a step to the side.

Xu Ruyu stood next to the City-Breaker Cannon, one hand resting on the barrel.

His outer robe was whipped by the mountain wind, and charcoal ash from the Weaponry Workshop was still stained on his cuffs.

He raised his eyes, surveying the Taixu Sect's mountain gate, the faded plaque, the light green light screen of the Mountain Protection Array, and the Taixu Sect Disciples peeking out from behind the light screen.

His expression was very calm, so calm that it looked like he was here for a visit, not to fight.