Chapter 27: The Protective Array Before the Cave
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At the sight of their progress, a faint, almost imperceptible smile touched his lips. It was as though the dawn of victory had already appeared within reach, filling everyone with anticipation.
Just then, Wen Xiaochuan came running over, brimming with excitement. He clutched a heavy storage pouch in his hand and waved it before Su Hao like a child proudly displaying a beloved toy. His face was alight with triumph, and his enthusiasm was impossible to miss.
His voice brimmed with the joy and pride of someone tasting the fruits of victory for the first time. After all, this was the first time he had personally brought an evil cultivator’s life to an end. In the chaos of his flight, that evil cultivator had never imagined that Wen Xiaochuan would cut his throat with a single stroke. The accomplishment filled Wen Xiaochuan with immense satisfaction.
Su Hao looked at him, a trace of approval flashing in his eyes. He raised his thumb and said in the steady, encouraging tone characteristic of a captain:
“Xiaochuan, splendid work! This is the power of standing united. It can make ordinary people like us shine with extraordinary brilliance.”
At Su Hao’s praise, Wen Xiaochuan’s cheeks flushed slightly. He waved his hand modestly, somewhat embarrassed.
“Not at all, not at all. Compared with you, Senior Brother Qingming, this little achievement of mine is hardly worth mentioning.”
His eyes shone with boundless admiration and longing for Su Hao. His worship was practically overflowing.
Su Hao then turned and glanced at Xuanjizi. Understanding immediately, Xuanjizi gave him a slight nod, and Su Hao answered with a faint smile.
A moment later, Su Hao swept his hand toward the disciples who had just completed their sweep and called out in a deep, powerful voice:
“Everyone, let us return to the temporary base and discuss our plans together!”
Under his leadership, the group set off in grand fashion. They looked like warriors returning triumphantly from battle, each of them brimming with spirit as they advanced toward the cave hidden among the mountains and forests.
When they reached the cave, Su Hao could not help but pause in surprise. The place had been transformed completely.
At some point, a faint spiritual radiance had enveloped the area around the cave. It was a protective formation, quietly guarding this pure refuge and warding off every disturbance from the outside world. An air of mystery and security permeated the surroundings.
The sudden change astonished not only Su Hao but all the disciples as well. They exchanged bewildered glances, curiosity and anticipation shining in their eyes as everyone tried to guess what had happened.
“Senior Brother Qingming! Our master personally led us in setting up the protective formation around the temporary base. It is sealed as tightly as a flawless wall!”
A disciple dressed in the robes of the Justice Sect emerged from the shadows of the cave with a broad smile, warmly welcoming their return.
Sunlight filtered through the gaps between the leaves and fell in scattered patches across his shoulders, lending him a dashing, vigorous air. He looked exceptionally spirited.
Su Hao had been lost in astonishment at the dramatic transformation before the cave, but the disciple’s voice pulled him back to himself.
He quickly gathered his thoughts, smiled at the enthusiastic disciple, and nodded gently.
“Grandmaster Yuchi Yuanhang is truly a man of extraordinary talent. He commands genuine admiration.”
His voice carried profound respect for Yuchi Yuanhang. Anyone capable of arranging such a formidable protective formation was certainly no ordinary person.
“Of course. My master is not only versed in the art of formations—he is also a grandmaster of talisman crafting.”
As the disciple spoke of his master, pride and reverence lit up his face, as though Yuchi Yuanhang were the most remarkable person in the world. His adoration was plain for all to see.
His words aroused Su Hao’s keen interest in the mysterious master.
Su Hao once again carefully surveyed the temporary base. A faint spiritual radiance surrounded the cave.
That radiance seemed to contain boundless mysteries and power, inspiring awe despite itself. It was as though the place had become an impregnable fortress of safety.
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The disciples of the Justice Sect hurried busily in and out of the cave. Some transported supplies, while others reinforced the formation. Each person had a duty, and everything proceeded in orderly fashion.
The entire scene was filled with vitality and energy, conveying a firm determination to stand united and resist the evil cultivators together.
Across the vast, boundless wilderness, the setting sun resembled a miraculous painter, dyeing the entire world golden with warm and brilliant colors.
Yet beneath that seemingly beautiful view lurked danger everywhere, as though peril might spring from the dappled light and shadows at any moment.
Biluochun led the four members of her squad swiftly along a forest path. Their figures were like five fierce gusts of wind, stirring faint rustles wherever they passed.
Their objective was clear: to track down the elusive disciples of the Bilo Sect, who moved like specters. Every step they took carried unwavering resolve, and every breath seemed to contain formidable strength.
As they advanced, a faint and intermittent sound of combat suddenly shattered the silence around them without warning.
In the still wilderness, the noise was like thunder exploding in the dead of night. It was so abrupt that everyone’s heart tightened instantly.
Biluochun reacted with lightning speed. She raised her hand and made a swift gesture for silence. The movement was clean and decisive, without the slightest hesitation.
Her eyes were as sharp as those of an eagle soaring through the heavens. Now they glittered with vigilance, as though they could pierce through every danger concealed in the darkness.
The next moment, she leaped lightly. Like a lithe cheetah closing in on its prey, she silently approached the source of the sound. Her movements were nimble and soundless, lest she alarm either side engaged in battle.
Through the sparse gaps between the crisscrossing trees, a breathtaking scene entered her sight.
Seven or eight evil cultivators in black robes were aggressively surrounding four cultivators dressed in the robes of the Justice Sect.
Although the four Justice Sect cultivators had been driven to the brink of despair and completely surrounded by their enemies, not one of them showed the slightest trace of fear.
Their swords moved with tremendous force, their techniques sharp and fierce. Every strike seemed to embody an unyielding will. Their readiness to face death without retreat was deeply admirable.
Biluochun paused for only a moment before swiftly assessing the strength of both sides. She soon reached a decision.
She glanced back at the four disciples following her. Every one of them wore a solemn expression and stood ready for battle, eagerness gleaming in their eyes as though they were merely awaiting her command before charging into the fray.
“Eight against nine. The outcome is still difficult to predict. But how could we stand by and watch them die?”
Biluochun considered the matter in silence, her gaze passing over the evil cultivators one by one before finally settling on their leader.
She knew very well that his cultivation was formidable. Even with her own strength, she would have to treat him seriously and could not afford the slightest carelessness.
At that moment, the Justice Sect disciple locked in fierce combat with the evil cultivator’s leader displayed astonishing agility. Her swordsmanship was exquisite, and she matched him blow for blow without falling behind in the least.
Biluochun was secretly amazed. Her admiration for the female disciple grew stronger.
With that thought, Biluochun no longer hesitated. She waved her hand decisively, signaling the four disciples behind her to move.
The four disciples shot forward like arrows released from their strings. Their speed was astonishing, and in the blink of an eye they had joined the battle.
Biluochun herself blurred into motion. After several leaps, she arrived beside the female disciple of the Orthodox Unity Sect and stood shoulder to shoulder with her, together confronting the evil cultivator’s leader.
For a moment, sword light crisscrossed through the air like a densely woven net. Every stroke carried the ruthless finality of a struggle between life and death. The air seemed saturated with the thick scent of blood and the chilling intent of blades, inspiring a shiver of dread.
The disciples of the Justice Sect had been struggling desperately to hold their ground. Now that reinforcements had arrived, their morale surged. Their counterattack swept forward like a raging tide, wave after wave crashing upon the evil cultivators.
One male disciple of the Justice Sect spotted a perfect opening. Seizing the moment when his opponent was off guard, he thrust his sword with explosive force. The blade pierced straight through an evil cultivator’s chest, spraying blood across the battlefield in a gruesome display.
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With that successful strike, the entire battle shifted in an instant. The stalemate was abruptly broken.
Under the combined assault of the Bilo Sect and Justice Sect disciples, the evil cultivators’ fighting strength rapidly collapsed. They were like a breached dam, utterly unable to withstand the surging tide of attacks.
When the evil cultivator’s leader saw this, panic flashed across his eyes. Clearly, he had grossly underestimated his opponents. He had never expected so many formidable reinforcements to appear out of nowhere.
Biluochun would never let such a fleeting opportunity slip away. She sprang violently into the air, her body like a soaring eagle. The long sword in her hand transformed into a dazzling streak of silver lightning and, carrying an overwhelming force, drove straight toward the leader’s left chest.
The blade pierced clean through his heart with such speed that the motion was almost impossible to see.
The evil cultivator’s leader managed only a muffled groan before collapsing lifelessly to the ground. The flame of his life went out, and his breath vanished completely. The arrogance that had once surrounded him disappeared along with his fall.
The remaining six evil cultivators watched their leader die before their eyes. Fear spread through them like wildfire, and their fighting spirit vanished entirely. At that moment, they thought of nothing but escaping with their lives.
Yet under the joint pursuit of the Bilo Sect and Justice Sect disciples, they were like beasts trapped in cages, unable to find even the slightest opening through which to flee. They ran about in despair, but there was nowhere to go.
In less than half an hour, the entire squad of evil cultivators had been wiped out.
The wilderness, once so peaceful, now lay in utter disarray. Only the victorious cheers of the Justice Sect and Bilo Sect disciples remained, echoing across the open land as though proclaiming to the world that justice would ultimately triumph over evil.
“Thank you, Senior Sisters of the Bilo Sect, for saving our lives! I am Yan Jiangping of the Justice Sect. On behalf of my three junior brothers, I offer you our deepest gratitude.”
Yan Jiangping clasped her hands before her and bowed with sincere feeling. Her voice trembled faintly, carrying the mingled excitement of surviving a disaster and gratitude for having been rescued. Anyone who heard it could feel the turmoil in her heart.
Biluochun smiled slightly. Her expression held both a woman’s gentleness and a bold, heroic spirit that naturally inspired goodwill.
“There is no need to thank us. Our purpose in coming here was to search for cultivators scattered across the region. I am Biluochun of the Bilo Sect. Meeting you today is simply a matter of fate.”
“So you are the senior sister of the Bilo Sect. Please forgive our earlier disrespect!”
When Yan Jiangping heard this, reverence immediately flashed through her eyes. She knew Biluochun’s name well. Throughout the cultivation world, Biluochun’s reputation was thunderous and widespread, and countless people admired her.
The gentle afterglow of sunset quietly spread across the land that had just witnessed such a fierce battle. It lent the shocking encounter a tragic, almost legendary quality, stirring countless emotions.
It seemed that everything had been arranged by fate. Perhaps the meeting between Biluochun and Yan Jiangping was precisely the moment when the wheel of destiny had begun to turn.
Beneath the sky still tinged with the fading light of sunset, Biluochun and her squad, together with the four disciples of the Justice Sect, began walking slowly back toward the base.
Their faces were marked by the weariness that followed battle. They had just endured a fierce struggle, and their strength and energy had been greatly depleted. Even so, their eyes still gleamed with the light of victory—the pride and satisfaction of having defeated evil.
As they drew closer to the cave concealed deep within the forest, the sight that suddenly appeared before them made them stop involuntarily.
Astonishment spread quietly through their hearts. Surprise appeared on every face, while their eyes filled with bewilderment and curiosity.
Before the cave, a protective formation glowing with strange light had appeared at some unknown moment. It hovered silently in midair, like an invisible yet indestructible barrier that completely separated the cave from the outside world.
Its radiance brightened and dimmed unpredictably, as though it possessed a life of its own. Mysterious, unfathomable runes flowed through it, flashing from time to time and radiating an ancient, mighty power that inspired awe.
The appearance of the formation transformed the once-unremarkable cave into something extraordinarily mysterious. It was as though some earth-shattering secret lay hidden within, making everyone yearn to uncover the truth.
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