Chapter 330 - 325: The Enemy Not Only Refuses to Surrender, but Even Dares to Fight Back

A total of seventeen Core Formation Masters lay in ambush near Soul-shaking Mountain. Sixteen of them attacked simultaneously, while only one remained hidden.

When Master Bai He and Hu Po Master tried to sneak in for a surprise attack but were discovered, the other fourteen also launched their assault, wanting to take down Du Youqian and the others in one fell swoop.

The result was that in the blink of an eye, both Master Bai He and Hu Po Master fell, one after the other.

How could the other fourteen not be terrified?

To make matters worse, the Beautiful Daoist Nun was now single-handedly fighting the Core Formation Master who had broken in using a Forbidden-Breaking Talisman, while Du Youqian, with the help of the array, was single-handedly keeping all thirteen others occupied.

It didn’t feel as if the fourteen Core Formation Masters were surrounding Du Youqian and the Beautiful Daoist Nun.

Instead, it was the other way around: Du Youqian and the Beautiful Daoist Nun were surrounding the fourteen of them...

Du Youqian was a Tier Three Array Master, and his Divine Sense had reached the standard of a Golden Core Late Stage Cultivator.

The power he could unleash by controlling several Tier Three Arrays far surpassed that of an ordinary Golden Core Late Stage Cultivator.

Although Du Youqian had never met a Nascent Soul Great Cultivator, nor did he know the full extent of a Nascent Soul Powerhouse’s might.

But according to fragments recorded in ancient texts, not even a Nascent Soul Early Stage powerhouse would dare to casually step into a Tier Three Grand Array controlled by a Tier Three Array Master.

At this moment, Du Youqian was like a master puppeteer.

With a flick of his fingertips, he made thirteen of Momenan’s top Core Formation Masters dance to his tune.

The scene was downright terrifying.

Even Pang Master, watching the battlefield from afar, muttered to himself,

’One against thirteen. This is ridiculous!’

’And several of these thirteen are at the Golden Core Middle Stage!’

’Master Baili... Master You De, you’re only a Core Formation Master, not even at the Golden Core Middle Stage. You can’t be—or at least, you shouldn’t be—this strong!’

But Du Youqian knew perfectly well that among these thirteen Core Formation Masters, Lin Sha, Meng Xiao, and Luo Jinyu were just putting on an act with him. Another four Core Formation Masters had already been turned; they had shown a very subtle sign and were awaiting the order to turn on their allies.

So in reality, Du Youqian was only fighting one against seven.

Although, to be fair, that was still insane... just not *that* insane.

An Array Master already received a huge boost within a properly laid-out array. Combined with Du Youqian’s powerful Divine Sense, his level of fine control would make even Array Masters of the same tier feel hopelessly outclassed.

However, although Du Youqian still had some strength in reserve, quickly slaying one or two enemies was not so simple.

These were all Core Formation Masters, legends in their respective Sects.

Each one had trump cards and life-saving techniques.

If Du Youqian used a killing move only for it to be neutralized by his opponent, it would create an opening in his own defense. The Core Formation Masters he currently had suppressed with the array might seize the opportunity to counter-attack.

So he unhurriedly continued to wear them down. In any case, he just needed to stall for a while longer, and powerful reinforcements would arrive.

At the same time, he kept part of his attention focused on the Core Formation Master who was still lying in wait.

Du Youqian suspected that Pang Master had a contingency plan involving this person and might possess him at any moment to deliver a devastating blow.

Meanwhile, Master Wu Ai had been fighting the Core Formation Master who broke in with the Forbidden-Breaking Talisman. They were evenly matched, and both were being cautious.

When the Forbidden-Breaking Talisman’s effect wore off, Du Youqian once again enveloped that person within the array.

The situation thus changed to Du Youqian fighting fourteen people alone. After a few words of instruction from him, Master Wu Ai held back, circling with her sword at the ready, conserving her strength and preparing to provide backup at any moment.

After stalling for the time it takes an incense stick to burn, the Core Formation Master who had been lying in wait finally made his move.

He flew quickly to the front of the Grand Array, gave a cold smile, and a Talisman appeared in his hand.

Du Youqian watched, his eyelid twitching. ’Such extravagance!’

It was an extremely rare Tier Three Middle Grade Array-Breaking Talisman.

Its value was more than twenty times that of a Forbidden-Breaking Talisman of the same grade.

Of course, its power was just as excessive.

A Forbidden-Breaking Talisman could only temporarily tear an opening in a Grand Array, allowing cultivators to break in.

An Array-Breaking Talisman, however, could destroy a Grand Array of the same grade and severely damage a Grand Array one minor grade higher than itself!

Crucially, the materials for an Array-Breaking Talisman were hard to find, and the crafting process was incredibly complex. Even an average Tier Three Talisman Master would have no confidence in making one, as the success rate was abysmally low.

An ordinary Core Formation Master could never possess such a Talisman. At most, only First-class or Second-class Sects could muster the resources to acquire one or two, storing them away as part of their foundational reserves.

For Pang Master to bring out even a Tier Three Middle Grade Array-Breaking Talisman, he was truly sparing no expense.

Du Youqian wasn’t afraid. On the contrary, his fighting spirit was ignited.

’Then bring it on!’

The Core Formation Master, suspected of being controlled by Pang Master, channeled his Magical Power to activate the Array-Breaking Talisman.

In an instant, an invisible, frenzied ripple of energy surged forth. Everyone inside the array felt a powerful, numbing sensation, like an electric shock.

If a Foundation Establishment Cultivator were to be caught in these ripples, they would be severely injured, if not killed outright.

The moment Du Youqian saw the Array-Breaking Talisman, he knew the Grand Array could not be saved.

Even the Nourishing Vein Array he had set up hundreds of years ago would be destroyed.

It was a real shame.

However, he remained entirely unfazed.

Just as the Grand Array shattered and the hostile Core Formation Masters were looking at him with amusement, some of them eager to make him suffer,

the Jinhuan Flying Sword let out a ring like a dragon’s cry and then vanished.

Of course, it had only vanished because its speed was too great, exceeding what the naked eye of most Core Formation Masters could track.

A few Core Formation Masters who cultivated divine pupil techniques could still barely make out an afterimage.

However, ever since the Foundation Establishment Stage, cultivators were accustomed to using their Divine Sense to track an opponent’s movements.

But Du Youqian’s Divine Sense could overwhelm most of the people here. He used it to mask his sword, effectively turning most of the Core Formation Masters present blind and deaf.

The few Core Formation Masters whose Divine Sense approached Du Youqian’s could sense the Flying Sword carving an arc through the air at inconceivable speed.

A sense of dread washed over them. They wanted to shout a warning, but it was already too late.

Jinhuan approached a Core Formation Master from behind, its Sword Intent only exploding forth after it struck the man’s neck.

The Broken Water Sword Intent could sever anything. No matter how powerful a Core Formation Master’s physique, it was no match for a sword’s edge to the neck...

A gout of blood shot to the sky as the poor Master’s soul fled his body.

Du Youqian did not pursue it, allowing the soul to depart for reincarnation.

"You still dare to fight back!" he declared, standing proudly and looking down on the crowd. "Did you really think the array was protecting me? No. The array was protecting *you*. Originally, I had no desire to be so ruthless. I wanted to leave Momenan with some of its strength intact. As long as I annihilated the ringleader, I was prepared to let the rest of you go. But now, you’ve forced my hand. I have no choice but to kill every last one of you."

"Such shameless boasting!" a Core Formation Master roared in anger.

The words had barely left his mouth when the Jinhuan sword appeared behind him.

Among the other Core Formation Masters, some watched on coldly, others watched the drama unfold with great interest, while a few, feeling a pang of sympathy for their comrade, moved to intervene.

That Core Formation Master was no slouch either, for he actually managed to track Jinhuan’s trajectory.

He spun around rapidly, holding an antique Copper Tripod to meet Jinhuan head-on.

A brilliant flash of sword light was seen, like a meteor streaking across the sky—brief, yet unforgettable.

The small tripod in the Core Formation Master’s hand let out a sharp DING.

Soon, the light in his eyes faded. The small tripod fell to the ground in two pieces, the break perfectly smooth.

Du Youqian’s expression remained unchanged, his eyes brimming with a smile, making him appear completely at ease.

In reality, that forced killing blow had already consumed a good portion of his Magical Power and Divine Sense. After three or five more strikes like that, he would have no choice but to flee.

Instantly killing an opponent of the same level might look as easy and carefree as slaughtering chickens and dogs.

But how could it truly be so easy!

But in the eyes of the other Core Formation Masters, the scene was utterly terrifying.

Even if Du Youqian were to confess that he could only manage such a strike three to five more times, the ability to instantly kill an expert of the same level with each strike was something no other Core Formation Master could possibly achieve!

Not even Master Wu Fei of the Taihe Sect, currently the publicly acknowledged number one in the world, could accomplish such a feat.

This wasn’t to say Master Wu Fei was weaker than Du Youqian overall, but in terms of sheer burst power, he was indeed a step behind.

Even the cultivators of the Lingxiao Sword Pavilion, previously acknowledged as the most adept at killing and possessing the greatest burst power, would have to concede defeat in this regard.

When it came to burst power alone, Du Youqian was now the undisputed number one in the world!

That one strike of his had stunned the entire field.

Even after discounting Lin Sha and the others, and the few Core Formation Masters preparing to defect, there were still six genuinely hostile Masters on the field.

Yet not one of these six dared to make a move!

They were terrified that the slightest movement would draw that thunderous sword strike upon them.

Du Youqian’s gaze slowly swept over everyone, but his Divine Sense remained locked onto the unfamiliar Core Formation Master who had used the Array-Breaking Talisman.

He suspected Pang Master was controlling this person, but he couldn’t be certain.

If he could be certain, he had a sword strike reserved for this man—one that would "implicate" Pang Master even if he were hiding at the ends of the earth.

Unfortunately, after activating the Array-Breaking Talisman, his opponent hadn’t made another move.

Du Youqian was unwilling to strike rashly to test his theory, fearing it might trigger a chain reaction and cause the situation to spiral out of his control.

He was currently stalling for time. He just needed to delay a little longer, and his reinforcements would arrive.

Just then, the expression in the eyes of the Core Formation Master who had activated the Array-Breaking Talisman suddenly changed.

Du Youqian acutely sensed him using his Divine Sense to communicate something to the other attacking Masters.

’That confirms it. Pang Master is the one in control. Otherwise, on what authority would he be giving orders?’

Jinhuan, which had been lying in wait, slashed out with all its might!