In the broad daylight, under a cloudless sky.
Or rather, there should have been clouds, but they had all been swept away by that earlier sword strike, revealing the vast spectacle above the dome of heaven.
However, at this moment, no one cared.
Compared to the bright sky, all eyes were focused on the sword light of 【Abyss Sword】 in Lü Yang’s hand, feeling nothing but bone-chilling cold.
As Lü Yang’s gaze swept across the surroundings, everyone unconsciously held their breath.
Time seemed to freeze at this moment.
Even the previously furious Duobao Child, who had wished to kill him on the spot, now showed only wordless panic on his face.
Lü Yang did not speak.
Everyone remained silent.
“Splash, splash!”The clear sound of rain broke the silence, each drop transformed from the shattered Dharma body of the Dragon Hook Elder, merging completely into the spiritual energy of heaven and earth.
Looking around, one could see the spiritual tides surging.
It felt as if even heaven and earth were cheering, surrounding the cloaked young man holding the sword, making all the other True Persons seem dim in comparison.
“Swish!”
A streak of light flashed across the sky, shimmering in five colors.
It was the figure of the Five Elements True Person.
Yet, he turned his head not even once and disappeared from the battlefield.
It was only then that the others understood why the Five Elements True Person had dared to volunteer to cover the retreat.
It turned out he had a special talisman for escaping.
However, facing Lü Yang’s gaze, he was so terrified that he didn’t even dare to engage in combat and immediately activated the talisman to flee!
‘What is there left to fight for!’
The Five Elements True Person knew his own limits.
If he had taken the Dragon Hook Elder’s place just now, the best outcome would have been leaving behind only a remnant soul!
‘Mid-stage Foundation Establishment at its peak, possessing superior spiritual treasures, gifted divine powers that seem to seal others' abilities, and a life-bound divine ability that appears to manipulate hearts and minds.
The Demon Sect is truly shameless!
How could they let someone like this out?
Whose direct disciple has come to 【Kingdom of Qing】 to gain merit?’
‘What a beast!’
The Five Elements True Person cursed furiously in his heart while fleeing at top speed.
As for his earlier claim of covering the retreat, it had long been thrown to the back of his mind.
I am a demonic cultivator from Jiangbei, under the rule of the Primordial Saint Sect.
It is well known that I never keep my promises!
As the Five Elements True Person fled, it was like pressing a switch.
In the blink of an eye, Duobao Child and the others who had been huddled together scattered like startled birds and beasts!
Everyone began to flee!
However, the True Person of Yinshan had been waiting on the outskirts for a long time, along with Han Xiang and another heroic woman at the mid-stage Foundation Establishment Realm.
They struck together to block the fleeing enemies.
The other early-stage Foundation Establishment True Persons of Jiangbei also charged in with joy, as this was clearly a heaven-sent opportunity for merit!
At the same time, Lü Yang let out a deep breath, finally recovering his strength.
He had not refrained from attacking earlier just to show off.
In truth, he had expended too much energy in his full-powered strike that killed the Dragon Hook Elder and had yet to recover.
He had no choice but to stay silent and act like an expert.
To be honest, he had even prepared to use the 【Hundred Refinements Danger-Avoiding Cloak】 to endure a siege.
Yet, he never expected this group to be so frightened by him.
“Eastern Jiang rats.”
Lü Yang shook his head.
The 【Abyss Sword】 in his hand let out an extremely excited sword cry.
Countless sword lights rose from within, manifesting a profound mystery.
【Butcher of Men】!
The death of the Dragon Hook Elder had greatly enhanced this mysterious power.
As the sword’s master, Lü Yang could clearly feel that, since the Dragon Hook Elder’s Dao foundation was of the water element, from now on, the 【Abyss Sword】 would have an additional threefold restraint against all water-element beings!
“Just the right time to test it.”
Lü Yang’s gaze shifted, locking onto a fleeing streak of light.
Judging by its aura, that person’s Dao foundation was also of the water element, making them perfectly restrained by him!
With that thought, Lü Yang immediately raised the 【Abyss Sword】.
“A sword is not only for stabbing or slashing in combat, but it can also serve as a medium for casting spells.
Using the 【Abyss Sword】 to cast Dao techniques actually provides some enhancement.”
In the next second, a brilliant light radiated from the sword.
“【Mountain-Moving True Method of Commanding Peaks】!”
Lü Yang uttered the incantation, his voice like rolling thunder, heard by almost everyone present.
Yet in the next moment, all the fleeing lights suddenly sank!
It felt as though a great mountain had pressed down upon them!
The characteristic of the 【Mountain-Moving True Method of Commanding Peaks】 was that upon hearing the incantation, one would immediately feel as if bearing the weight of mountains and rivers, rendering their Dharma body immobile!
Among them, the most miserable was Fairy Yun He from the Cloud Climbing Sect.
For some reason, she felt that the spell’s weight was especially heavy on her!
Clearly, her 【Heavenly Union Cloud and Water Dao Foundation】 was of the softest yin nature, best at using force to overcome force and resolving disasters.
Yet now, facing Lü Yang’s spell, it was like soft silk encountering hardened steel, leaving her with no way to respond.
Thinking of this, she could not help but sweep her divine sense toward Lü Yang’s direction.
And then, she saw Lü Yang slowly forming a hand seal.
In the next moment, Fairy Yun He’s beautiful eyes froze at the instant of her rising terror.
Her red lips parted, wide enough to fit an egg.
The characteristic of the 【Mountain-Moving True Method of Commanding Peaks】 was that upon seeing the hand seal, one's heart would bear the weight of a great mountain, leaving their thoughts paralyzed!
Finally, Lü Yang pointed with his sword.
Fairy Yun He’s body was instantly covered in a layer of earthy gray.
Mud gushed from her seven orifices, and in an instant, she was transformed into a lifelike clay figurine.
“Boom!”
The clay figurine fell, took root upon landing, and countless stones gathered around, turning into a small mountain connected to the earth vein in the blink of an eye.
Only a muffled groan from Fairy Yun He remained in the heavens and earth.
Upon seeing this scene, the other True Persons fled even faster, not daring to linger for fear that they would be the next to be sealed.
Lü Yang, on the other hand, reversed his grip on the 【Abyss Sword】 and lightly landed atop the small mountain formed from Fairy Yun He.
Half an hour later.
The grand chase finally came to an end.
The True Person of Yinshan was the first to return, dragging a disheveled, spiritless middle-aged man behind him.
He was the patriarch of the Zhao Xia Clan, Xia Weiming.
He had been the first to be ambushed and wounded by the True Person of Yinshan, marked with a seal, leaving him with no way to escape, and was captured alive.
In addition, another patriarch of the Immortal Clans, the Foundation Establishment True Person of the Yuan Chen Clan, Chen Anze, had also been caught.
“What about the others?”
“That’s all. Three escaped,” the True Person of Yinshan replied with a smile.
“Especially that Duobao. I deliberately let him go and didn’t let anyone chase after him.”
Lü Yang nodded.
“That one’s rather foolish. He should indeed be let go.”
Such fools on the enemy’s side were actually their own good allies.
They must not be killed lightly; otherwise, what if the enemy replaced him with someone smarter?
“And the other two?”
“One was the Five Elements True Person, who fled quickly.
The other was a sword cultivator, probably from the Upper Profound Sword Sect, with backing from the Jade Pivot Sword Pavilion.
He had a life-saving item, making it difficult to pursue.”
At this point, the True Person of Yinshan chuckled.
“But regardless, this can be considered a great victory!”
“Shall we press the attack while we have the upper hand?”
“No rush.”
Lü Yang shook his head.
“This time, they came to attack us, and we were defending on our home turf.
If we pursue them, it will turn into us fighting on their territory.”
“Bring the captives over. I want to personally interrogate them!”
“Interrogate?”
The True Person of Yinshan was stunned when he heard this.
“There are two men and one woman among the captives.
The woman is understandable.
I know the Mending Heaven Peak has secret arts for harvesting essence.”
“But the men?”
“Don’t worry, I have my own methods.”
Lü Yang waved his hand, then brought Fairy Yun He and the two patriarchs of the Immortal Clans back to Gai Bamboo Mountain, where he prepared in a great hall.
He took out the All-Spirit Banner and summoned Chen Xin'an.
Immediately after, Lü Yang picked up Fairy Yun He and said, “I’ll trouble myself a bit and personally interrogate her.”
After speaking, he pointed at the two patriarchs of the Immortal Clans on the ground, formed a hand seal, and cast the 【Heavenly Mother Transformation Mysterious Light】.
Then he said to Chen Xin'an:
“These two are yours.”
Chen Xin'an: “...”