"Tsk, tsk, Seven Mysteries Sword Formation?!"
In an instant, the Five Peaks Ancestor was trapped within the sword formation. A sky full of sword rain continuously descended, "Chichichichi" piercing his body. However, the Five Peaks Ancestor was protected by wisps of potent undefeated inner demon flames, rendering the flying swords harmless. Instead, it ignited his ferocity. With a flurry of punches, he smashed the flying swords away, his eyes blazing with rage as he sneered, "Can this broken sword formation block five immortal mountains? Or can it withstand my Five Finger Cage?!"
As he spoke, the phenomena of mountains appeared in the sky, dragged by the Five Peaks Ancestor's fingers.
"Hurry up and go!"
Xie Yiying, while controlling the Seven Mysteries Sword Formation, roared at her disciples, her gaze filled with reluctance and sorrow.
"Master!"
The young disciples of Lingyan Sword Sect watched the scene before them, seeing their Master Xie Yiying's body begin to disintegrate under the onslaught of mountain phenomena. Their eyes turned red, wishing they could rush forward and take their master's place.
"Go!"
Chen Mengjun, with a choked sob, raised her hand and summoned her natal flying swords, enveloping her sisters' bodies. She cried out, "Master, we're leaving. If I have a next life, I wish to be your disciple again..."
Xie Yiying endured the heavenly pressure of the undefeated inner demon, tears streaming down her face as she desperately held up the Seven Mysteries Sword Formation. "Go, Mengjun..."
The next moment, Chen Mengjun, dragging her sisters, transformed into a dazzling sword light in the night sky and shot straight north.
She could only do this; otherwise, it would be a betrayal of her master's sacrifice. In the wind, Chen Mengjun's tears fell like rain, wishing she could die with her master. But she knew she shouldn't and couldn't, lest her master's sacrifice be in vain.
...
"Boom!"
With a deafening roar, under the Five Peaks Ancestor's dragging, an immortal mountain fiercely struck the Seven Mysteries Sword Formation. Dozens of flying swords instantly shattered. Then, the second and third immortal mountains pressed down consecutively. In an instant, more and more flying swords shattered. Xie Yiying's blood vessels exploded one by one. The body of a twelfth-realm sword cultivator could not withstand the pressure of three immortal mountains. Her body was on the verge of disintegration in mere moments. Yet, Xie Yiying knew that Chen Mengjun and the others could not have gotten far in such a short time. She needed to delay them for a while longer.
Two natal flying swords leaped out and fiercely slashed at the Five Peaks Ancestor's head, but they caused no harm. The Five Peaks Ancestor's strength was beyond the Three Realms, and his physical body was the remains of an ancient wind god, incredibly sturdy. With a swing of his fists, wisps of undefeated inner demon flames filled the sky, instantly igniting Xie Yiying's sword-wielding arm.
One arm was consumed by flames, a pain that would be unbearable for anyone.
Xie Yiying wept, but her movements did not stop. Controlling a Seven Mysteries Sword Formation, she continuously attacked the Five Peaks Ancestor. She did not know where this demonic apparition came from, what it was, but she knew it deserved to die!
"Hmph, a mayfly shaking a tree, truly laughable!"
The Five Peaks Ancestor spread his left arm, and wisps of inner demon flames coiled around his fingers. With a sneer in his eyes, he looked at Xie Yiying and said, "Stubborn fool, since you wish to die, let me let you taste the might of my Five Finger Cage!"
As he spoke, the Five Peaks Ancestor suddenly reversed his hand. The earth and his palm switched places. Xie Yiying, who had been standing on the earth atop a Seven Mysteries Sword Formation, felt the world invert. The next moment, she was in the palm of the Five Peaks Ancestor. The sky-high inner demon flames spread, igniting her arms, back, chest, waist, and other parts. In an instant, Xie Yiying was burned into a human torch, no longer possessing her former beauty.
"Ugly, despicable creature."
The Five Peaks Ancestor sneered, "This is the consequence of resisting me."
In his palm, Xie Yiying gritted her teeth. Only when Chen Mengjun and the other disciples were far away did she, with her five fingers spread, control the entire Seven Mysteries Sword Formation with one hand, while holding her long sword with the other and pointing it to the sky. Instantly, a sword heart "hummed" and trembled, about to detonate this quasi-immortal grade sword heart. Even in death, she, Xie Yiying, wanted to die with dignity, not be burned into a charred corpse.
"You?!"
The Five Peaks Ancestor gritted his teeth, truly not expecting a female sword immortal of the human world to be this resolute.
The next moment, he tried to close his hand, but it was too late.
"Boom—"
The heavens and earth shook. A brilliant sword light shot into the sky. The dignified twelfth-realm great sword immortal of Furong Prefecture, Xie Yiying, self-detonated her sword heart, her glorious life ending here.
Accompanied by the thunderous explosion, sword energy raged across heaven and earth. The entire arm of the Five Peaks Ancestor was blown to smithereens by Xie Yiying's self-detonated sword heart, exposing bone. But this was the remains of an ancient wind god. Though it pained him, in the next moment, wisps of golden divine power gathered, reconstructing the Five Peaks Ancestor's shattered body. An arm covered in white rock instantly grew back.
Between heaven and earth, only Xie Yiying's sword dao destiny was reflected back upon the Southern Wilderness.
...
"Master!"
In the distant forest, the female disciples of Lingyan Sword Sect looked back, their eyes teary.
Chen Mengjun's tears fell like rain, but she still controlled her natal flying sword, enveloping her sisters and speeding towards the distant forest. The farther the better, so her master's sacrifice would be meaningful.
In the distance, a majestic mountain range stretched across the horizon.
Wutong Mountain, the Southern Peak of the human realm.
At this moment, a mountain lord on Wutong Mountain, with a golden body, suddenly rose, connecting heaven and earth. Holding a great golden sword, he roared, "Disciples of Lingyan Sword Sect, quickly return to the human realm. This matter is now entrusted to me, Duan Sheli!"
Saying this, the Southern Peak Mountain Lord fiercely swung his sword. A golden sword light split heaven and earth, heading straight for the figure of the Five Peaks Ancestor in the distant forest.
The Southern Peak guarded the mountains and rivers; it was his duty. No matter how strong the opponent, he, Duan Sheli, had to unleash this sword!
In an instant, mountain phenomena flowed. Duan Sheli's sword pierced the night sky and struck the newly formed arm of the Five Peaks Ancestor. The Five Peaks Ancestor's arm trembled slightly. He lightly shook his arm, dispersing all the sword intent he had received, and sneered, "A mere Southern Peak Mountain Lord, still dare to court death?!"
Saying this, the Five Peaks Ancestor leaped into the air and, at a speed of a hundred miles per step, rushed towards the Southern Peak.
In the mountain, a grey, indistinct figure stood up.
It was the soul of Xie Yiying. The soul of a twelfth-realm sword immortal was incredibly resilient. She had just died but her soul had already reformed. At this moment, Xie Yiying was a dead person, her body destroyed, her Dao extinguished. She looked north, unable to speak for the time being, still unaccustomed to this ghostly existence. She only wondered how her disciples were.
Just then, in the distant forest, Xie Yiying saw the figure of a scholar. He was very young, wearing a grey long robe, possessing both the elegance of a scholar and the immortal bearing of a mountain deity. Upon seeing Xie Yiying's sacrifice, the scholar bowed deeply to Xie Yiying and said softly, "Sword Immortal Xie, you were worthy of heaven and earth."
Instantly, Xie Yiying's eyes welled up with tears.
With these words, her life was complete.
...
Changming Mountain, Yuehua Pavilion.
Su Qingjiu suddenly stood up, her beautiful eyes looking south, having sensed what had happened. The dignified Sect Master of Lingyan Sword Sect, the twelfth-realm great sword immortal of Furong Prefecture, Xie Yiying, had self-detonated her sword heart and sacrificed herself to the world just moments ago. The one fighting Xie Yiying wielded extremely powerful, bizarre techniques, and did not seem like a creature of the human world.
"Master!"
Su Qingjiu looked up at the sky and said softly, "Xiao Jiuer should have been obedient, but... at this moment, if I don't act, no one in the south will be able to stop that fiend!"
Saying this, she trailed a sword light and headed straight south, her voice echoing in the wind: "Sword Immortal Xie Yiying has sacrificed herself, and the human world is about to face great calamity. I implore my sisters to defend Changming Mountain to the death. Su Qingjiu will be back soon!"
...
Wutong Mountain.
The Mountain Lord's Shrine on Wutong Mountain, the Southern Peak of the human realm, was built magnificently and had considerable incense. At this moment, the golden Dharma body of the Southern Peak Mountain Lord Duan Sheli stood atop the mountain peak. With a swing of his long sword, another sword light was cast straight towards the south. However, thunderous sounds continuously echoed in the night sky, and a power that could be described as "great terror" was breaking through the wind.
The Five Peaks Ancestor had arrived. With a punch, he shattered Duan Sheli's second sword. Then, he raised his fist, dragging an immortal mountain in the air and fiercely smashing it towards Duan Sheli's body!
"..."
Duan Sheli's gaze was cold. He was a deity in the early twelfth realm, and guarding Wutong Mountain was comparable to the early thirteenth realm. However, facing this immortal mountain of the Five Peaks Ancestor, his Dao heart trembled incessantly; he was completely unable to resist!
Just then, a peerlessly beautiful figure descended. In a red dress and white blouse, she held out her long sword. The tip of the sword hummed and trembled. Above the sword tip, a star-like Dharma image lay across it. With a "clang," it blocked the incoming immortal mountain in the wind. Instantly, the sword tip bent slightly, forcefully resisting the immortal mountain.
Su Qingjiu had arrived.
"Sword Immortal Su!"
Duan Sheli's gaze was sharp. He looked at the man in the wind, radiating a faint golden light, and frowned, "What exactly is that thing? Why can it drag immortal mountains and wield ancient divine power?"
"Just a sinful inner demon."
Su Qingjiu gently held the immortal mountain with her sword and frowned, "Duan Sheli, immediately head north, leave Wutong Mountain, and go to Furong Prefecture."
"Why?!"
Duan Sheli gritted his teeth, "As the Southern Peak Mountain Lord of the human realm, how can I retreat without fighting?"
"I told you to scram, so scram!"
Su Qingjiu slightly raised her eyebrows and said, "Eastern Peak's Ning Hao Shou has already died once. Do you, Duan Sheli, also wish to die again? I do not possess the Heavenly Dao Shifting technique of the Revered Saint. I cannot save your life, Duan Sheli. Your death here will be meaningless. It's better to quickly return to Furong Prefecture and prepare for a comeback."
"But..." Duan Sheli hesitated.
"Scram!"
Su Qingjiu's gaze was cold, "Don't distract me here."
"Understood!"
Duan Sheli gritted his teeth, a look of humiliation on his face. Embodying the forms of myriad mountains, he instantly left Wutong Mountain and headed north. His title as Southern Peak Mountain Lord sounded impressive, at the thirteenth realm, but his true combat power was incomparable to this peak twelfth-realm great sword immortal. She was Su Qingjiu!
...
In the wind, the Five Peaks Ancestor, with one immortal mountain, made the tip of Su Qingjiu's Xunlu Sword slightly bend. He lightly opened his hand, dragging the second and third immortal mountains, and chuckled, "Killing a minor character like Xie Yiying is meaningless, but if I can kill a Su Qingjiu, tsk tsk, it would be worthwhile."