Chapter 378: the thousand dao city 48.

Su Yubing’s eyes moved toward the enemy commanders.

"Let them believe they have won."

Mo Yuxin’s eyes narrowed slightly.

Then she understood.

The enemy was not simply trying to destroy the Battle Maiden Sect.

They were trying to destroy it publicly.

They wanted the entire Southern Continent to watch the sect fall.

They wanted the Battle Maiden Sect to appear weak, isolated, and incapable of resisting.

That meant they would probably reveal everything once they believed victory was certain.

Mo Yuxin’s expression slowly changed.

A smile appeared.

"Fine."

The army climbed the final steps.

Elder Han Qingtian raised his sword.

Behind him, the leaders of the Golden Mountain Sect, Azure Cloud Sect, and Cangming Palace appeared.

Their faces were calm.

They believed the Battle Maiden Sect had reached the end.

The enormous suppression formation above the mountain completed its final circle.

Blue-white light flooded the sky.

The pressure descended.

The Battle Maiden disciples staggered.

Many fell to their knees.

Ye Qinglan dropped one hand against the stone steps.

Ji Ruyan gritted her teeth.

Su Lian’s formation collapsed.

Even the elders struggled to breathe.

The enemy commanders smiled.

Elder Han stepped forward.

"This is the end."

Ye Qinglan looked up at him.

Her face was pale.

Blood ran down one side of her robe.

But she did not lower her head.

"No."

Han Qingtian laughed.

"Look around you. Your formations are gone. Your supplies are gone. Your allies have abandoned you. Your disciples cannot even stand. What exactly do you think remains?"

Ye Qinglan looked behind her.

She saw hundreds of exhausted women still standing.

She saw Ji Ruyan holding her sword.

She saw Su Lian kneeling beside the broken formation.

She saw Ning Shuyue protecting Luo Qinghe.

She saw Mo Yuxin and Su Yubing standing quietly together.

Then she looked back at the enemy.

"We remain."

Han Qingtian’s smile faded.

The suppression formation descended another level.

The mountain shook.

One by one, the remaining defensive pillars broke.

The main gate cracked.

Then collapsed.

The enemy army surged forward.

Ye Qinglan stepped back.

The enemy entered the sect.

Han Qingtian walked across the fallen gate.

He believed the Battle Maiden Sect had been defeated.

Then Ye Qinglan suddenly smiled.

And Mo Yuxin was standing at the center of the courtyard.

The courtyard was almost dark.

Only a few spiritual lanterns still burned along the broken walls, and the flames were struggling against the strange pressure created by the suppression formation above. Dust floated through the air. Pieces of stone fell from damaged roofs. The once orderly courtyard had become a battlefield in a matter of hours.

Mo Yuxin stood at the center of it.

She was not holding a weapon.

She was not using any visible spiritual technique.

She simply stood there with one hand holding Su Yubing’s.

The enemy cultivators noticed her immediately.

A few laughed.

One of them recognized her as the wandering cultivator who had attended the Ten Thousand Dao Assembly with Luo Qinghe and Ning Shuyue.

"So that is the woman who embarrassed Elder Han earlier."

Another cultivator sneered.

"A Nascent Soul cultivator trying to look brave."

Mo Yuxin did not answer.

Su Yubing glanced at her.

"They are talking about you."

"I heard."

"Does it bother you?"

"A little."

Su Yubing smiled.

"How much?"

Mo Yuxin thought for a second.

"About this much."

She raised two fingers.

Su Yubing laughed softly.

"Then do not lose your temper."

"I am not losing my temper."

"You are thinking about it."

"Maybe."

The enemy commander stepped forward.

It was a tall man from the Golden Mountain Sect named Qin Wenzhao. His body cultivation had reached the late Nascent Soul realm, and his size alone was enough to make many younger cultivators nervous. He wore a heavy golden armor that covered his arms and chest, and a giant hammer rested against one shoulder.

He looked at Mo Yuxin.

"Move aside."

Mo Yuxin shook her head.

"No."

Qin Wenzhao frowned.

"This is not your sect."

"I know."

"Then leave."

"No."

The man stared at her.

"Why?"

Mo Yuxin looked at Su Yubing.

"She does not like bullies."

Su Yubing immediately looked at her.

"Me?"

"Yes."

"I did not say that."

"You do not have to."

Qin Wenzhao’s expression became ugly.

"You two are treating this as a joke."

Mo Yuxin shook her head.

"No."

She looked directly at him.

"We are waiting."

The man raised his hammer.

"Waiting for what?"

Su Yubing answered before Mo Yuxin could.

"For all of you to show your real hand."

That sentence caused several expressions to change.

Han Qingtian’s eyes narrowed.

The Azure Cloud elder standing behind him glanced toward the formations above.

The leader of Cangming Palace looked away.

The reactions were small.

But they were enough.

Mo Yuxin noticed all of them.

So did Su Yubing.

They already knew that the army standing before them was only part of the plan.

The real conspiracy was still hidden somewhere behind the visible battle.

The question was how far they were willing to let it go.

Ye Qinglan understood too.

She had been watching Su Yubing for several moments.

Something about the calm in the younger woman’s eyes told her this was not helplessness.

It was patience.

Ye Qinglan lowered her head and whispered to Mu Qingru, "Do not attack yet."

Mu Qingru looked shocked.

"Sect Master?"

"Trust me."

Mu Qingru stared at her.

Then she glanced toward Su Yubing.

She understood.

"All right."

The next attack came from the Heavenly Sword Sect.

A sword cultivator flew forward.

He was an early Soul Formation expert.

His name was Elder Han’s fellow disciple, Wei Changkong, and he was regarded as one of the strongest sword cultivators in the current generation of the sect’s elders.

His sword technique was beautiful.

That was the first thought Su Lian had when she saw it.

His blade moved like a silver river, drawing dozens of sword lights through the air.

The second thought was more important.

It was the same sword formation mark Mo Yuxin had seen on the convoy barrier.