Chapter 378 56: Means
It was a well-known fact that there was internal strife within the Demon Sect.
In fact, if not for the Six Paths Demon Monarch keeping them in check, the Six Demonic Sects would have long since fallen into open warfare over the partitioning of Dazhou.
The Joyful Sect was no different.
As core Dao Foundation Cultivators of the same Forget Love Lineage, Zhou Yuantong and Yinn Bingtong were also competitors.
And in the Demon Sect, a competitive relationship meant one side would live and the other would die. There were no other options.
This undertaking was almost certainly a scheme by Zhou Yuantong to use Zhu Ju against Yinn Bingtong.
Likewise, Yinn Bingtong was more than capable of handling two Early Stage Dao Foundation Cultivators on her own, yet she had called upon Ping Daochuan. This was undoubtedly to counter any tricks Zhou Yuantong might have had up her sleeve.
As these thoughts raced through her mind, Pei Jingque let out a sudden, long cry to the heavens, her body transforming into a soaring Vermilion Bird with wings outstretched.
"Junior Brother?"
"Mm."
Zhu Ju took a step back and nodded.
"Ten breaths!"
"Alright!"
Pei Jingque's eyes flashed. She flicked her Three-Flame Simurgh Fan, and a simurgh bird formed from coalescing flames materialized out of thin air.
The Vermilion Bird and the simurgh bird shielded Zhu Ju, their searing heat melting the mountaintop below into lava.
"Attack!"
Although she didn't know what the two were planning, Yinn Bingtong's instincts screamed that something was wrong. Her Ten Thousand Clouds Colored Brocade shot forward.
Beside her, Ping Daochuan shook his head helplessly and flicked his finger, sending a jade-green flying sword streaking out like a bolt of lightning.
Both were Fake Pill Cultivators at Dao Foundation Perfection, possessing a wisp of Pill Qi within them. Though the Pill Qi was faint, it made them fundamentally different from other Dao Foundation Cultivators.
When used to power a magical treasure, Pill Qi unleashed might far beyond imagination.
As the Ten Thousand Clouds Colored Brocade, thin as a cicada's wing and a foot wide, shot forward, it instantly transformed into a rainbow-hued mist that covered an acre of land. Like a colorful cloud, it abruptly unfurled and enveloped the simurgh bird.
"SCREEE!"
"CRACKLE... POP..."
The surging flames collided with the seven-colored mist in mid-air, setting off a dense series of explosions that shook the surroundings.
Meanwhile, Ping Daochuan's Cyan Radiance Sword clashed with the Vermilion Bird that was Pei Jingque.
The Cyan Radiance Sword was also a Middle Grade Magical Treasure, refined from the Wood Heart of a Ten Thousand Year Celestial Tung Wood tree.
Though it was of the wood element, it was exceedingly tough and sharp. It contained the Power of Water and Fire, allowing it to manifest Yin and Yang. When used to execute the Star-Picking Tower's Flying Star Sword Technique, the void was instantly filled with countless stars that rained down upon the Vermilion Bird.
"BOOM!"
Fierce flames billowed out.
A divine light shone in Pei Jingque's eyes. Her Essence, Qi, and Spirit blazed like a furnace, spewing forth flames that could incinerate all creation.
The Vermilion Bird, wings spread wide, turned several li of land into a sea of fire as jets of flame shot up to meet the sky full of stars.
For a moment, she actually held her ground.
"Vermilion Bird Heaven-Burning Flame!"
Ping Daochuan narrowed his eyes slightly.
'As expected of a legacy from the Jade Void Sect. To have a taste of Pill Fire's might even at the Dao Foundation Realm...'
'Truly impressive!'
He was a Fake Pill Cultivator, after all.
Pei Jingque was Late-Stage Dao Foundation and about to reach Dao Foundation Perfection, true, but there was still a gap in their Cultivation levels.
And that gap should have been as wide as a heavenly chasm.
Yet now, Pei Jingque, a mere Magic Cultivator, was withstanding his magical treasure relying solely on her divine technique, the Vermilion Bird Heaven-Burning Flame.
And this was while she was also controlling the Three-Flame Simurgh Fan to fight Yinn Bingtong.
She was essentially fighting two against one!
"Hmph!"
With a low grunt, Magical Power surged wildly from Ping Daochuan's body, and countless stars materialized in the void.
Starfall!
"BOOM!"
A deafening roar echoed.
Like meteors falling from the sky, the starlight formed from sword light bombarded the Vermilion Bird, instantly leaving it covered in wounds.
Even the flames burning on the mountain below were suppressed, forced to recede.
At that moment, Zhu Ju's voice rang out.
"It's done."
"Senior Sister, move aside."
'Didn't he say ten breaths?'
Pei Jingque, who had been gritting her teeth and holding on, was taken aback for a second. Then, the Vermilion Bird spread its wings and dodged the brunt of the sword light.
The next instant, countless rays of starlight surged from Zhu Ju's hands, spreading out at astonishing speed to envelop the entire area for dozens of li.
The Twelve Celestial Star Array!
The starlight converged at the edges of the array, forming twelve phantom images that intertwined to seal off the area.
"An array!"
Ping Daochuan's expression changed drastically.
"How is that possible?"
Setting up an array was no easy task, especially a Tier Two Grand Array.
Even with a complete array plate and array flags, it would require a hundred people working nonstop for a full day and night.
That didn't even account for the time needed for adjustments, testing, or connecting to the earth veins.
'How could he be so fast?'
"SWOOSH!"
Yinn Bingtong's expression darkened. The Ten Thousand Clouds Colored Brocade reversed course and flew back, wrapping around her as she retreated.
No matter what, she had to get out of the array's range first.
Even a Fake Pill Cultivator would never want to face an array head-on.
"Trying to run?"
Zhu Ju pressed one hand on The Investiture of the Gods as Middle Grade Spirit Stones were consumed at a frantic rate, causing the array to transform.
Celestial Stars Reversal!
The twelve phantom star-images shifted abruptly.
In an instant, multicolored streams of light crisscrossed within the array, distorting perception and confusing one's sense of direction, causing Yinn Bingtong to falter for a moment.
A Tier Two Array couldn't perform spatial shifting or seal the void, but it could trap people by distorting a cultivator's divine thought.
"Attack!"
With that low shout, the Ten Directions Cross Sword transformed into more than ten beams of sword light that appeared around Yinn Bingtong, crisscrossing as they slashed down.
Ten Directions Killing Dao!
The erupting sword light revealed astonishing might, its sharp killing intent nearly freezing the Heaven and Earth Primordial Qi.
"CLANG..."
Ripples spread across the surface of the Ten Thousand Clouds Colored Brocade, and its iridescent light vibrated violently, like an exploding powder keg.
"Hmph!"
Yinn Bingtong's face darkened, murder flashing in her beautiful eyes.
"A mere Mid-Stage Dao Foundation Cultivator..."
"You're courting death!"
She lightly tapped the flower basket at her waist, and countless petals flew out.
The petals seemed to float weightlessly, but they were actually condensed from Profound Yin Qi. Not only did each weigh a thousand jun, but they also concealed a power capable of annihilating all things, which erupted the instant they touched the sword light.
As a battle-hardened Demonic Cultivator, she saw Zhu Ju's flaw at a glance: his Cultivation was insufficient.
She just needed to overwhelm him with raw power; no matter how clever his methods were, they would be useless.
However, Zhu Ju wasn't the only other person on the field.
"SCREEE!"
The simurgh bird and the Vermilion Bird followed close behind.
Pei Jingque burned her Essence, Qi, and Spirit, unleashing an assisting attack with a might no less than that of a Fake Pill Cultivator.
"Fellow Daoist Ping!"
Yinn Bingtong's expression shifted slightly.
"Hurry and help me!"
If it were just Zhu Ju or Pei Jingque alone, she wouldn't have been afraid in the slightest and was even confident of gaining the upper hand.
But facing the two of them together, and inside an array at that, was a different story.
On the other side, Ping Daochuan wanted to help.
But alas, the twelve phantom images had silently appeared near him, their multicolored divine lights weaving into a net that descended upon him.
It was as if twelve Dao Foundation Cultivators, their auras linked, were casting magic in unison to trap him in place.
Although his life wasn't in danger, escaping would be no easy feat.
"BOOM!"
Sword Qi Thunder Sound!
Zhu Ju struck with his sword again, its light spanning ten li of empty space.
A gash in space over ten li long appeared within the array, grazing past Yinn Bingtong's body.
It was just a hair's breadth away from slicing her physical body in two!
"It's useless," Yinn Bingtong said while commanding her magical treasure to resist the incoming attacks.
"The Sword Qi Thunder Sound is powerful, but with your level of Cultivation, you need time to prepare it."
"And that's enough time for me to evade your senses."
"True enough," Zhu Ju nodded.
"Your methods are impressive."
"But..."
"How will you dodge this?"
Hm?
Yinn Bingtong froze. Before she could react, she felt a Giant Power strike her from behind.
'Not good!'
Her expression changed drastically. Strands of spiritual light instantly appeared on her body as she transformed into a phantom and lunged forward.
"BOOM!"
It felt as if a great mountain had crashed down upon her.
Her protective spirit talismans and defensive magic robe were useless before this power, shattering in an instant.
The force of the attack landed on Yinn Bingtong. A single point of contact was enough to rip open the skin and flesh on her back and shatter her ribs.
"PFFT!"
She spat out a mouthful of fresh blood, a look of utter horror on her face as she looked back.
"Who are you?"
For a split second, Yinn Bingtong almost thought she'd been ambushed by a Golden Core Grandmaster.
Wukong stood in the void, wielding the Winding Dragon Staff. He remained silent at her question and shot forward again in a flash.
The Winding Dragon Staff in his hands might not have been the legendary Creation Immortal Vine, but it was certainly no Mortal Grade item.
Its incredible weight alone, even if it couldn't be refined, was enough to rank it among Middle Grade Magical Treasures.
"WHOOSH..."
The downward swing was accompanied by a piercing whistle, like the wailing of ghosts and howling of wolves, which made Yinn Bingtong's eyes narrow.
'Danger!'
'If that blow lands, I'll be more dead than alive!'
"SWOOSH!"
The Ten Thousand Clouds Colored Brocade suddenly recoiled, layering itself over and over in front of her while simultaneously obscuring her figure.
"BANG!"
The Winding Dragon Staff collided with the Ten Thousand Clouds Colored Brocade.
The perfect combination of Wukong's physical body, which was comparable to the Body Refining Fifth Realm, and the unbelievable weight of the Winding Dragon Staff was unleashed.
A terrifying Giant Power erupted.
Before this Giant Power, the Ten Thousand Clouds Colored Brocade began to tear apart, and the figure within coughed up more blood as she was thrown back.
"Fellow Daoist Ping!"
Terror filled Yinn Bingtong's eyes as she shrieked hoarsely,
"Save me!"
Before the words had even left her mouth, the Vermilion Bird and simurgh bird dove in, while beams of sword light filled the sky, converging on her in a frenzy of slaughter.
Wukong flickered, ignoring the void's obstruction, and appeared before Yinn Bingtong, raising his staff to smash down again.
"BANG!"
"RUMBLE..."
A deafening roar erupted.
The next instant, a mangled corpse fell from the sky. It was caught by a beam of sword light and then vanished.
Under the combined assault of three masters, even a core Dao Foundation Cultivator from the Joyful Sect was easily defeated.
Ping Daochuan's expression was grim as his gaze fell upon Zhu Ju, Pei Jingque, and Wukong.
"Impressive methods!"
"All three of you, I am a Chief Steward of the Immortal Alliance and a core Dao Foundation Cultivator of the Star-Picking Tower. The Ping Family also holds considerable weight in the Star-Picking Tower."
"My grandfather," he cupped his fists and bowed towards the heavens, "is one of the twenty-three Golden Core Grandmasters of the Star-Picking Tower, and one day he may even break through to the Nascent Soul Realm."
"If you kill me, none of you will escape!"
"However," Ping Daochuan's tone softened as he said slowly, "if you let me go, we can be friends. If nothing else, I am the one who has the final say on the Bright Void Sect's Immortal Tax."
Pei Jingque's expression froze, her eyes flickering back and forth.
She naturally wanted to kill Ping Daochuan, but the consequences of provoking the Ping Family, a Golden Core Grandmaster, and the Star-Picking Tower were unforeseeable.
Besides... the current Immortal Tax was indeed too harsh on the Bright Void Sect.
"Junior Brother?"
"This man colludes with the Demon Sect, captures female cultivators of the Righteous Dao to steal their Primordial Yin for his own benefit. Nephew Shui was definitely not the first," Zhu Ju said slowly.
"If we don't kill him, heaven's justice will not be served."
"Besides, even if we let him go, with the leverage we now have on him, he would never let us live."
"But..." Pei Jingque frowned.
"There's no time," Zhu Ju said.
"The Investiture of the Gods can map the terrain to set up an array, but it can't truly connect to the earth veins. The array is being powered entirely by Spirit Stones, and I don't have many left."
The Twelve Celestial Star Array wouldn't last much longer.
Moreover, Ping Daochuan had likely already sent a message, and reinforcements from the Ping Family would arrive soon.
"SCREEE!"
Pei Jingque threw her head back. The Vermilion Bird soared into the air, flying neck-and-neck with the simurgh bird as they charged toward Ping Daochuan.
"SWOOSH!"
Wukong flashed through the air, closing the distance.
"You..." Ping Daochuan roared.
"You won't come to a good end!"
He summoned his Cyan Radiance Sword to make a final struggle, but as soon as the sword light appeared, it was frozen in place by a beam of five-colored divine light.
Immediately after, the trio's attacks landed on him one after another.