Di She, with a smile, had already set his puppet substitutes in motion, utterly indifferent to the unassuming young man across from him who could communicate with the gods. The unpleasant temperament of the "No True Body" Di She was somewhat reflected in these people.
However, Yu Ci was even quicker. As he revealed Di She's identity, Yu Ci had already invoked his sword energy, slashing through the air.
"No True Body" Di She was a significant figure in the Cultivation World, but Yu Ci knew him because of the encounter with the Azure Void Demon Shadow outside the Sect's Mountain Gate, which he had heard about from Wang Jiu. Yu Ci knew this man was the second strongest among the rising stars of the Light Demon Sect, with a particularly unsavory personality, but a truly pure cultivation level, enough to stir the fighting spirit of the stoic Wang Jiu.
With such a person present, the attack must be swift and decisive!
Yu Ci's mindset was extremely focused, and when he swung his sword, he truly gave it his all. Originally, his sword energy could ripple thirty feet away, which was already impressive, but now, as his Life Death Talisman constantly transformed Primordial Qi, the power he could mobilize had increased many times. With one swing of the sword, the void in front of his Xi Guang Sword was slightly hazy, the deep cold within it reaching a hundred feet away, still unceasing in its momentum, and even more impressively, it was accurate!
With a low grunt, one of the six auras that were gathering was immediately missing. Yu Ci's sword energy had broken through ten feet away, and with one sword, the weakest Nature-Connecting cultivator among them was cut down. The formation of the six people was broken in an instant, and the remaining five were all shocked. No one had expected Yu Ci to be so ruthless!
Yu Ci's grasp of the battlefield had already surpassed ordinary thinking and become the most instinctive reaction. But his excellent condition today was also one of the reasons. With one sword out, it felt as if his body and mind were extending with the sword energy. When it touched the person, it was a Criticize Arrogance and Strike the Void, stabbing at the weakest point of his aura flow, easier than slaughtering a chicken.
With one successful strike, Yu Ci quickly retreated. He had been building up this momentum for a long time and transformed his body into fog, using the method of the Light Extinguishing Escape method. His outward aura became more and more elusive, and most of the attacks from the substitutes fell on empty space. Only one person hit the mark by sheer luck, with his sword aura slashing down, but because it was a coincidence, his aura was scattered and posed no threat. Yu Ci glanced at him and saw several flaws.
Without a second thought, Yu Ci counterattacked with a sword, and the sword auras of both sides crisscrossed in the void. The opponent was a Golden Elixir cultivator, but Yu Ci had seized the initiative. With a muffled grunt, he retreated.
Having forced back a Golden Elixir cultivator with a single sword, there was no hint of joy on Yu Ci's face. Just as his sword momentum was not yet exhausted, he suddenly dragged his sword around, and the air sharply whistled as he slashed towards the depths of the fog. Where the sword pointed, someone lightly exclaimed, then the tip of Yu Ci's sword energy seemed to sink into the depths of the void, as if an endless suction force was trying to swallow it.
"Di She!"
Indeed, this Di She was as rumored; his cultivation level was profound, yet he never ventured into danger. He always gained the upper hand with his substitute puppet before making his move to reap the benefits, hence his notorious reputation as the "No True Body". Now it seems the rumors are true. Despite his status as an advanced golden elixir cultivator, he still chose to participate in the siege, starting with a sneak attack. Had Yu Ci not been quick to react, he would have been unfortunate.
The force he used to draw in outside energy not only targeted the sword energy released by Yu Ci, but also boasted an enormous power, like a giant hand, intending to use his cultivation level advantage to forcibly shift Yu Ci's aura, disrupting the flow of his internal Qi. This was a strange move that Yu Ci had never seen before in his life.
Fortunately, Yu Ci's body was now full of the concept of "wholeness". In the center of his Dantian organ, various auras were densely wound together, forming a solid foundation that was no longer ordinary. The sucking force could not move him. With a turn of Yu Ci's sword aura, he was able to shake it off.
Then, he swiftly followed with another sword strike!
With a booming sound, Yu Ci's sword strike was entirely responsive, like a giant bow vibrating its strings, a meteor-like arrow. He seized the opportunity of the changing aura between them, his sword aura emerged from the sword, solid yet not dispersing, like a cold star, suddenly appearing before Di She.
Di She intended to resist with his cultivation level, but when the sword energy hit him, the chill was piercing, going straight to his skull, almost freezing his brain. At this critical moment, he realized that the cold star was indeed condensed sword energy, but its core was the nearly invisible Foggy Sword Divine. He felt the cold light constantly changing, not knowing what complex changes it contained. He thought of a long-famed sword move, his scalp tingled, and he finally retreated.
"So, the Mirage Light Nine Transformations is the rising star of Half Mountain Island!"
To Di She's mistaken call, Yu Ci turned a deaf ear, pushing off the ground and moving backward.
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He had the upper hand and moved with ease. The pure Primordial Qi constantly circulating in his body provided him with a steady stream of momentum. The pressure in the center of his Dantian organ became smoother. At this moment, his condition was even more perfect than before he exerted his full strength to strike with his sword.
At this point, Di She's puppet substitutes had taken advantage of their master's move to form an encirclement. However, Yu Ci came with the momentum of victory, his aura was drawn but not released, like a strong bowstring or a giant crossbow arm, as if the next moment would be an earth-shattering sword strike. These puppet substitutes were highly skilled, but their fighting spirit was the same. They hesitated for a moment and were broken through by Yu Ci.
Seeing this, Di She was furious. No matter who Yu Ci was a disciple of, he was a long-established advanced golden elixir cultivator. Being pushed back by two sword strikes could be attributed to his usual cautious style, but if Yu Ci really escaped, where would he put his face?
"Leave two to guard, the rest pursue and shred that lad into a thousand pieces!"
As he spoke, his eyes flashed open, emitting two crimson beams. With the secret Sect technique "Red Fire Demon Eyes", he was treating Yu Ci as a formal adversary. Knowing one's enemy as well as oneself ensures victory in every battle, and this was precisely Di She's style.
Regardless of Di She's intentions, Yu Ci, led by the Sword Light, seemed to be flying just above the ground. Despite the formidable enemy at his heels, his spirits were high. His four-sword attack, a testament to his highest level of skill, was deployed at opportune moments. Even more impressively, the Sword Aura varied in strength, each strike fiercer than the last, continuously escalating. Even Di She, a Golden Elixir Upper Level cultivator, had to momentarily retreat. The four-sword attack was invigorating, causing a restless surge in his Aura.
Stranger still, each sword strike seemed to resonate with the Life Death Talisman within the Inner Void of his Heart. Its surrounding Rune Patterns subtly changed. However, due to the pressing situation, Yu Ci had no time to delve deeper.
While Yu Ci was invigorated, Di She was disgruntled. He merely brewed in the background, still letting a few substituting slaves take the brunt of the attack. These individuals were technically his junior brothers, but the strict hierarchy of the Light Demon Sect left them little chance to rise. They dared not resist his orders. Of course, if they were in his position, they would be even more ruthless.
Regardless of what others thought, Di She pushed his "Red Fire Demon Eyes" technique to the extreme. The gap in their Cultivation Levels allowed him to see through Yu Ci completely. He sneered, "So that's how it is. The youngster has just condensed the Sword Embryo and is already so arrogant he knows not the meaning of death!"
His words, delivered through a soul-shaking technique, reached Yu Ci's ears with the wind. Yu Ci was taken aback, "Sword Embryo? Is he referring to me?"
But soon, he dismissed the thought. "I cultivate the Primordial Root Qi Method, my Taoist Foundation is gradually stabilizing, my future lies in Forming the Golden Elixir. This Sword Embryo is utter nonsense!"
Although he was retreating, he was not blindly running. From the beginning, he had Fish-Dragon scout the surroundings. He had a good grasp of the terrain, and after several twists and turns, he deliberately chose complex terrains. His Body and Sword as One, along with his exquisite Sword Aura, made him flexible and unpredictable in flight. In the deep mountains, Controlling Instruments for Flight was not very effective, giving him a slight advantage.
Of course, escaping from Di She's clutches with this alone was wishful thinking. Yu Ci was merely trying to prolong the situation and complicate the circumstances. Di She, a bully who feared the strong, had clear character flaws, and there were opportunities to exploit.
As long as he found an opportunity...
But Yu Ci did not expect the opportunity to come so quickly and so conveniently.
The four pursuers were all of Golden Elixir Level. While Yu Ci was calculating his moves, Di She was no fool. During the chase, he had already maneuvered his forces into a semi-encirclement, intending to trap Yu Ci sooner or later. At the same time, he did not let his mouth rest, constantly jeering to disrupt Yu Ci's Heart-Mind. Unfortunately, he underestimated Yu Ci's background, assuming he was from Half Mountain Island. His taunts were like scratching an itch through a boot, completely ineffective.
Seeing no response from Yu Ci, Di She became increasingly irate, his words unfiltered, "Is the fearlessness of Half Mountain Island's elite disciples just a farce? Ah, I see. Just like your Island Master Ye, who is hailed as the top figure among female immortals, isn't she still up for sale? Publicly, she fights tooth and nail with the Rakshasa Sect, but her secret dealings are just so-so!"
Finally, Yu Ci's anger flared. Although his acquaintance with Ye Bin was fleeting, his Sword Aura Cultivation Level was mostly derived from the female immortal. Even if there were some embarrassing matters, they only deepened his impression of Di She's shamelessness.
"Shameless scoundrel!"
A sudden roar echoed through the mountains, clear and resounding. The ensuing Sword Energy cut through the atmosphere with a thunderous boom. Yu Ci, Di She, and the others were taken aback, feeling the echo in the valley, like Bi Chao coming and going, the water intent deep and profound, yet the force was so strong that it seemed capable of piercing through rocks and causing waves to crash.
"Azure Water Three Thousand Sword Technique?"
Di She recognized the opponent's sword path and saw the person. After a moment of surprise, he laughed heartily, "No wonder you ran here, your lover is here, Azure Wave Flying Flame Fairy Su Yu, it's even better to meet you in person! Island Master Ye's mantle, I'm afraid, will be inherited by you!"
No one spoke this time. Amidst the chaos, Yu Ci turned back to see a red figure charging straight into Di She and the others' encirclement. Her sword stirred up a tide, catching all four of them off guard. The magnificent Sword Energy was like a surging tide, its rumbling sound echoing through the mountains.
In such a situation, it was actually a good opportunity to escape. However, Yu Ci was not so despicable as to let a woman shield him from disaster, especially when this person seemed to be from the East Sea, a pathway of Half Mountain Island!
Yu Ci immediately turned back, paused slightly on the periphery, found a node of Aura change, and with Body and Sword as One, he also plunged in.
The collision of Sword Energies caused a chaotic Aura, but it also gave each of them a sense of assurance. Yu Ci found that this red-robed female cultivator had a superb Cultivation Level, capable of contending with Di She. As long as he seized the opportunity, he might not be unable to retreat unscathed. However, the red-robed female cultivator was taken aback, waved her sword to fend off the joint attack, and turned back in surprise:
"Mirage Light Sword Embryo? Are you a disciple of my Half-mountain Sect?"
...