CHAPTER 153: THE FIVE WHO CHANGED THE TIDE OF BATTLE

Cloud-Piercing Wind Chaser was a rather powerful technique among the Shu Mountains' Sword-Controlling Art. It had two-man and four-man variants, allowing multiple flying swords to synchronize and unleash a ferocious attack.

With Wang Sheng's celestial-grade flying sword as the main weapon and Fei Lianzi's two flying swords as support, they not only brought out the full sharpness of the celestial-grade sword but also pushed Fei Lianzi's Illusory Core Realm strength to its limits. Even a Golden Core Realm cultivator would be forced to dodge the attack, let alone their Illusory Core Realm and Seed Formation Realm targets.

The cyan dragon charged forward with the twin flood dragons, slashing across thousands of waves and mountains!

Sword phantasms flashed swiftly, and the surrounding primal qi was stirred into chaos. Cracks crawled across the ground, turf exploded upward, and blood spilled all over the area. In the blink of an eye, more than ten corrupt cultivators were routed.

However, the move drained more than half of Wang Sheng's true essence.

"This is exhilarating! Hahahaha!"

Fei Lianzi laughed heartily and flew forward on his sword. Gao Shixing and Huai Jing followed the path of destruction that the flying swords had left, pressing their attack. The three immediately entangled and overwhelmed the few corrupt cultivators who had barely evaded the Wind-Chasing Dual Swords.

Wang Sheng, however, didn't rush in recklessly. He lowered his head and swallowed two alchemical pills before advancing with Mu Wanxuan.

In this battle, the celestial-grade flying sword that the formation spirit had gifted was proving to be a great help to the righteous faction. Wang Sheng had not wasted his time nurturing and refining it for more than a year.

The terrifying lethality of the Sword-Controlling Art's combined attack technique instantly drew attention from all sides. Many righteous cultivators who were locked in desperate battles felt a surge in morale, while the corrupt cultivators secretly frowned.

If no one could suppress the two sword cultivators, the monk, and the young female Daoist using yin-yang arts, then the corrupt cultivators knew that they would likely suffer devastating casualties even if they managed to win the battle. Wang Sheng and his group were putting heavy pressure on the Yin-Yang All-Creation Sect.

The corrupt cultivators swiftly reacted. Flute music came from the slope above, and more than ten corrupt cultivators near the metallic chest unleashed true essence. They disregarded their injuries and forced back the nearby Daoist masters and Special Warfare Unit soldiers. Afterward, a few corrupt cultivators immediately charged toward the chest.

The tablet was their main objective. Killing was secondary.

From the side, Wang Sheng and Fei Lianzi sent their flying swords to stop them. The corrupt cultivators rushing toward the metallic chest immediately dodged, not daring to take the attack head-on. In retaliation, several corrupt cultivators on the flanks threw concealed weapons at the two sword cultivators, forcing them to split their attention and break their full control over their swords.

The flute music suddenly rose in pitch. The corrupt cultivators made their way toward the stone tablet once more, causing another chaotic battle around the chest. The righteous cultivators constantly lost ground.

In midair, the two Golden Core Realm cultivators were locked in fierce combat. With his spirit surging, the burly man laughed loudly and launched a barrage of palm phantasms at Jingyun, forcing her to focus entirely on defense.

Jingyun did not rely solely on the longsword in her hand. A jade hairpin circled her, blocking many of her opponent's strikes. Still, she had no strength to spare. She couldn't even allocate a sliver of attention to the celestial tablet below.

Four or five corrupt cultivators easily lifted the massive silver-white chest, and over ten others guarded them. They immediately began retreating into the trees on the slope.

"Snipers! Don't let them take the celestial tablet!" a Daoist master shouted.

Several snipers near the convoy immediately aimed at the corrupt cultivators near the celestial tablet. However, sniper rifles had limited effects on Illusory Core Realm cultivators. After all, those with a strong enough true essence could resist weapons that relied purely on kinetic force. On the other hand, weapons like Spiritless could actually be more effective against them due to their unmatched sharpness.

Gunfire rang out continuously, but they couldn't stop the corrupt cultivators.

Seeing the corrupt cultivators about to escape with the celestial tablet, the nearby Daoist masters bombarded them with techniques. They couldn't let the enemies get away!

The corrupt cultivators were no pushovers, however. Though the righteous cultivators were now the ones on the offensive, they still failed to gain the upper hand. In fact, in their desperation to retrieve the stone tablet, a few Daoist masters had even been recklessly killed.

Sixty to seventy corpses were now scattered all over the battlefield. In this fight between righteousness and corruption, more than twenty to thirty Illusory Core Realm cultivators from both sides had already fallen.

"Where do you think you're going, you corrupt bastards?!" Fei Lianzi shouted, guiding his sword toward the celestial tablet.

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He didn't foolishly charge into the fray on impulse. Instead, he struck the enemies from above with his sword nonstop, which proved more effective than several sniper rifles. Wave after wave of attacks were thrown at him in retaliation, but he just kept soaring into the sky with his flying sword, keeping him safely out of reach.

The Sword-Controlling Art truly shone brightly in the chaotic battle. Even with such interference, though, they still could not stop the enemy from fleeing with the celestial tablet.

Wang Sheng gritted his teeth. In a low tone, he shouted, "Huai Jing! Let's stop them head-on!"

Using the Seven-Star Footwork, he evaded the two attackers in front of him. He then rushed from the side of the battlefield to the top of the slope, Spiritless still in his hand.

Spurred by Wang Sheng's remark, Gao Shixing realized that he and the others stationed on the flank were in the right position to intercept the corrupt cultivators. Hence, he used the exquisite footwork of the Wudang lineage to chase after them. His speed surpassed even Wang Sheng's by a fraction, allowing him to quickly pull ahead.

Huai Jing laughed as he struck down the corrupt cultivator in front of him with his devil-subduing staff. Instead of finishing off the fallen enemy, he turned and chased after Wang Sheng.

"If you can act with such heroism, Fei Yu, then what does it matter if I sacrifice myself today?"

Mu Wanxuan frowned slightly upon noticing that Huai Jing, who was empowered by Buddhist arts, was about to unleash his golden radiance. With a light wave of her hand, a strand of yin-yang qi coiled around his arm like a rope, dragging her forward with him.

Glancing down, Huai Jing immediately understood. He formed the Outer-Lion Hand Seal with both hands, and golden light coated his arms. With a powerful yank, he flung her ahead.

Mu Wanxuan used the momentum to vault into the air, leaping clean over Huai Jing and landing ahead of him. She swiftly caught up to Wang Sheng and ran alongside him.

Huai Jing blinked in surprise. Did I just somehow get left behind?

The monk grinned. A few drops of fresh blood stained his refined face, adding an eerie, almost devilish touch to his expression.

Gao Shixing was the first to reach the top of the slope. Hearing the flute music nearby, he immediately charged toward it, brandishing his sword and scattering the people hiding in the woods.

When he turned back, Wang Sheng and Mu Wanxuan had also arrived, and Fei Lianzi had come soaring in from above. Soon after, Huai Jing sprang in from the side. The five immediately formed a defensive line, cutting off the retreat of the masked, corrupt cultivators.

Roughly ten meters away, their enemies launched an attack. Talismans flew toward the five, and several among them began chanting incantations.

Wang Sheng, Gao Shixing, and Fei Lianzi simultaneously unleashed sword techniques. The three sword cultivators attacked with overwhelming force, breaking apart every incoming spell. Their murderous aura alone suppressed the corrupt cultivators' momentum.

Meanwhile, Fei Lianzi kept glancing warily at the slope behind them. He made one of his flying swords circle their group, guarding them against ambushes from the rear.

"Bu Yu! You're up!" Gao Shixing called.

With the others protecting her, Mu Wanxuan took a steady breath, assumed a stance, and formed a circular hand seal with both hands. A Tai Chi diagram appeared on the ground, and yin-yang qi surged once more to bolster the four.

From a distance, the flute was played again, urging the corrupt cultivators to retreat.

Over twenty had gathered now, all wearing demon masks. They let out a low shout in unison and bombarded the five with techniques. Red, black, green, and yellow talismans filled the air, sinister curses were cast, and spells of the Five Elements and various Daoist sects burst forth.

In the blink of an eye, the twenty-odd corrupt cultivators had launched a hundred attacks. Wooden arrows shot in every direction, icicles zipped past, the ground trembled under their feet, and lightning and flames raged toward the five.

"Ha!" Mu Wanxuan sharply shouted. The yin-yang qi around their group reversed, causing a sudden surge of primal qi that shattered every spell, curse, and talisman that came their way.

"Oṃ maṇi padme hūṃ...[1]"

Golden light burst forth as Huai Jing clasped a string of prayer beads with one hand. He then chanted a Buddhist mantra, cutting off several sinister incantations mid-cast.

Wang Sheng closed his eyes for two seconds and then snapped them open. Starlight flickered within them as he lunged forward.

Reversed Seven-Star Sword Formation!

Stars swept through the battlefield as his sword flashed like the wind. With the celestial-grade flying sword and the nameless longsword circling him, Wang Sheng advanced fearlessly while gripping Spiritless.

Cultivators prized tranquility and clarity, but there was nothing peaceful about the chaotic clash.

Positioned at Ziwei, commanding the Seven Stars, Spiritless fulfilled its purpose: to slay corruption!

Sword phantasms, aligned with the positions of the Seven Stars, swept forward in rows. Though Wang Sheng held back to avoid killing anyone, his offensive still drove back over a dozen opponents.

"Sword, rise!" Gao Shixing ordered. With his longsword seemingly turning into an extension of his body, he plunged into the enemy ranks beside Wang Sheng's formation, leaving trails of blood in his wake.

"Amitabha."

Huai Jing followed closely behind, guarding Wang Sheng's right flank. Golden patterns lit up across his devil-subduing staff. Though his looks had the solemn dignity of a Buddhist, his attacks were fierce and merciless.

"Though unfortunate, I have no choice but to open the gates of slaughter today," he declared solemnly amid the carnage.

Meanwhile, Mu Wanxuan pressed down her circular hand seal. Yin-yang qi exploded outward and battered the corrupt Illusory Core Realm and Seed Formation Realm cultivators, the alternating blasts of yin qi and yang qi forcing them to retreat.

Fei Lianzi didn't charge forward. Instead, he held the rear and defended the group's flank. His two flying swords shielded Wang Sheng with full force.

There were only five of them, yet they had stopped the advance of over twenty corrupt cultivators. From behind, Daoist masters and Special Warfare Unit soldiers were closing in, forming a pincer attack.

Wang Sheng's true essence was draining quickly. Whenever he found an opportunity, he would pop an alchemical pill into his mouth just to keep his reserves above fifty percent.

This was the downside of having a low cultivation realm. His Reversed Seven-Star Sword Formation had far greater potential, and his Sword-Controlling Art included much stronger attacks. However, his cultivation realm prevented him from unleashing them.

Even so, being able to fight alongside senior Daoist masters in such a battle was already exceptional for someone of his generation.

Rushing to forcibly break through to the Illusory Core Realm would do more harm than good since each step of the Foundation Establishment Stage had to be steady and firm. They were the true cornerstones of the immortal Dao.

Despite these limitations, Wang Sheng had already become a pivotal force in the chaotic battle.

"Useless trash!" someone roared from above.

The corrupt cultivators in demon masks flinched. Their eyes blazed with fury as they began fighting with no regard for their lives.

Wang Sheng, Gao Shixing, and the others had already been struggling to hold them back. Now, the pressure mounted even more. Wang Sheng's sword formation nearly collapsed under the renewed assault.

Azure Dragon, the corrupt Golden Core Realm cultivator in midair, let out a muffled groan. Eighteen blood-red markings spread all over him, and his aura surged wildly.

Jingyun's expression darkened. With her short sword in hand, she immediately began chanting an incantation.

1. This is a transliteration of a mantra, likely drawn from Tibetan or Sanskrit Buddhist tradition. ☜