Chapter 72: Against an Embryo Realm

At the edge of the Inner Sect, outside the Array Formation, the four cultivators of the Cangming Sect stood in the air and calmly observed the formation before them.

Zhao Tianshu had already launched several casual attacks against it. He looked at the formation with a hint of admiration.

"It seems I’ll need some time to break this Array Formation."

The other three were slightly surprised by his words, but none of them were particularly concerned. If Zhao Tianshu needed time to break the formation, then they simply needed to wait. The outcome would not change.

-----

Seeing the Moon Fairy personally operating the Array Formation instead of leaving it to deal with the new enemies, the disciples of the Black Desolation Sect were filled with all kinds of thoughts. However, before anyone could say anything, Luo Yunjin silenced them with a single word.

"Silence!"

Her voice swept across the area, and the surrounding disciples immediately quieted down. ℯℯ𝘭.

"More enemies may have appeared, but the Heavenly Twin Stars will deal with them. For now, each of you has your own mission to carry out."

Luo Yunjin then gestured toward the nearby Peak Masters and elders, and they quickly took over.

Some went to help repair the damage being inflicted upon the Sect’s Protective Array. Others began transporting the frozen cultivators into the Shadow Prison. Several cultivators returned the demonic beasts to the Demonic Beast Garden now that their task on the battlefield was finished, while others began repairing the various structures that had been destroyed during the earlier battle.

Everyone returned to their respective duties, though their attention still occasionally drifted toward the Heavenly Twin Stars.

One was undergoing a Heavenly Tribulation as she broke through a major realm, while the other was personally operating the Array Formation and holding back a powerful enemy outside the Inner Sect.

Gu Yuan, however, did not participate in any of this.

He was probably the only person in the entire sect who was doing absolutely nothing.

His help wouldn’t make much of a difference. There were already plenty of stronger cultivators handling the various tasks, so rather than getting in their way, Gu Yuan preferred to stay beside the twins.

As time passed, the situation gradually became more tense.

The damage inflicted upon the Array Formation continued to accumulate, while the cultivators repairing it were unable to keep up with the destruction. Cracks spread across the formation, and it was only a matter of time before it was completely broken.

Gu Yuan’s gaze remained on Ji Yan.

There was something he couldn’t understand.

Why weren’t Ji Yan and Ji Yue using that power again?

Even this terrifying Heavenly Tribulation would have stood no chance against it, yet the twins seemed determined not to use that power this time.

Perhaps they had their reasons.

Fortunately, before the Array Formation could be completely destroyed, Ji Yan’s Heavenly Tribulation finally came to an end.

Her aura changed dramatically.

She had successfully broken through into the Embryo Realm.

Yet Ji Yan did not remain behind to consolidate her cultivation. The moment her breakthrough was complete, she moved toward the edge of the Array Formation.

"Open the Array Formation, Yue."

Ji Yue immediately did so.

The barrier surrounding the Inner Sect slowly disappeared, revealing the battlefield outside.

Ji Yan stepped forward and took out a sword.

The moment her fingers closed around its hilt, a terrifying flame erupted from her body. She swung the sword, and an enormous arc of fire tore through the sky, blazing toward Zhao Tianshu with a might far beyond anything Gu Yuan had ever seen her use before.

"Let’s see how strong a peak Void Realm cultivator is."

The flaming arc crossed the distance in an instant.

Zhao Tianshu casually raised his hand and blocked the attack. Yet the moment the flames dispersed, his expression became considerably more serious.

"Move away." He glanced at the other three. "None of you stand a chance against her."

The three cultivators nodded, and without wasting another moment, they retreated.

Just like that, the intense battle between Ji Yan and Zhao Tianshu began.

Haoyu watched the battle for a moment before finally shifting his attention away from it.

He reached into his storage ring and took out a blood-red crystal.

Then, without hesitation, he crushed it.

The blood within the crystal immediately transformed into an arrow and shot forward, passing through the opened entrance of the Inner Sect before flying deeper inside.

"I will go and take revenge against the person who killed my junior sister. Please allow me to do so, Elders."

Neither of the two elders objected.

Haoyu immediately followed the blood arrow, moving deeper into the Inner Sect.

Toward Gu Yuan.

The moment his eyes locked onto target the arrow reached, his face twisted with hatred.

"So you’re the one who killed my junior sister."

Gu Yuan’s expression changed slightly, a faint frown appearing on his face.

He didn’t bother answering.

His saber flashed.

Before Haoyu could react, a streak of saber light passed through him.

The newly ascended Spiritual Realm cultivator froze in midair, blood spilling from his body before he fell lifelessly to the ground.

One strike.

Killing someone several minor stages above him should have been an impressive feat, yet with Ji Yan currently fighting a peak Void Realm cultivator despite having only just broken through into the Embryo Realm, it somehow failed to appear particularly astonishing to the disciples watching from nearby.

To the two elders of the Cangming Sect, however, the situation was a little different.

Their expressions changed and one of them, Su Beiming, immediately stepped forward.

His figure flashed through the air, and an overwhelming pressure descended upon Gu Yuan.

First Stage Embryo Realm.

"..."

Gu Yuan’s eyes narrowed.

Where had Ji Yue gone?

He had noticed her disappear at some point, and with no one else around capable of dealing with the situation, Gu Yuan could only suppress the curse that almost slipped out of his mouth.

Couldn’t you have gone looking for someone your own size?

He didn’t even have the time to complain internally for long.

Su Beiming was already attacking.

Gu Yuan’s figure moved at once, his saber meeting the elder’s attack head-on. The collision sent a shockwave through the surrounding area, forcing the nearby disciples to retreat.

Only now did many of them truly begin to pay attention to the unfamiliar cultivator who had killed Haoyu.

Who was he?

No one recognized Gu Yuan’s current appearance, yet the strength he displayed was impossible to ignore.

Gu Yuan didn’t have the luxury of caring about their gazes.

From the very beginning, he went all out.

Crimson Fire erupted from his body, transforming the surrounding air into a sea of terrifying heat. The flames surged toward Su Beiming, forcing the elder to take them seriously despite the enormous difference between their cultivation realms.

Yet instead of fear, greed appeared in Su Beiming’s eyes.

This fire... he recognized it!

Gu Yuan’s eyes twitched.

Why does this scene seem strangely familiar?

He intensified his attacks.

This was his first time using Crimson Fire in an actual battle, and although he had already refined it, his control over it was still far from perfect. He immediately activated his Heart of Comprehension, entering a state of intense concentration.

As his mind focused completely on the flames, countless ideas began appearing in his consciousness.

The movement of the fire.

The flow of spiritual energy.

The way the flames responded to his thoughts.

Bit by bit, his control improved.

It wasn’t a dramatic transformation, but even that slight improvement was enough to make Crimson Fire considerably more useful in his hands.

Su Beiming, however, was no ordinary opponent.

His cultivation was two major realm above Gu Yuan, and every one of his attacks seemed to find the weaknesses in Gu Yuan’s movements. No matter how Gu Yuan changed his approach, the elder’s attacks would arrive at precisely the place he least wanted them to.

Gu Yuan’s saber blocked one attack after another, but each collision left his arms trembling.

Before long, he was injured. But, Gu Yuan couldn’t retreat.

If he gave Su Beiming even the slightest opening, the elder would immediately take advantage of it. The difference in cultivation was simply too great.

Seeing the unfamiliar cultivator actually continue fighting against an Embryo Realm elder, the surrounding disciples became increasingly shocked.

"Who is that?"

"How can a Golden Core cultivator fight against an Embryo Realm elder for this long?"

"He’s actually holding on..."

No one could answer them.

Gu Yuan didn’t hear their discussion either.

His entire attention was focused on the battle.

Crimson Fire surged around his saber as he repeatedly attacked, forcing Su Beiming to defend against the terrifying flames. At the same time, Gu Yuan carefully observed every movement the elder made, searching for the slightest weakness.

Then he realized something.

Su Beiming’s attacks were extremely precise, but because of that precision, his movements had become predictable.

Gu Yuan’s eyes sharpened.

He suddenly changed his rhythm.

Instead of meeting the next attack head-on, he twisted his body and allowed the edge of the attack to graze past him. Blood splashed from his shoulder, but he ignored the pain and stepped directly into Su Beiming’s range.

His saber descended.

Su Beiming’s expression changed.

He hurriedly raised his arm to block, but the Crimson Fire erupted at the same moment, forcing him to retreat.

Gu Yuan didn’t give him the chance.

His second saber strike came immediately after the first, followed by a third.

The elder was forced backward.

Yet even then, Su Beiming refused to lose his composure. He counterattacked fiercely, and Gu Yuan was once again pushed into a desperate exchange.

The battle became a contest of endurance.

Neither side was willing to give the other an opening.

Gu Yuan’s injuries continued to accumulate, but Su Beiming was no longer unscathed either. His robes were scorched in several places, and blood had appeared at the corner of his mouth.

The disciples watching became completely silent.

They had initially thought this unfamiliar Golden Core cultivator would be killed in moments.

Instead, he was actually fighting an Embryo Realm elder to this extent.

Gu Yuan knew that he couldn’t keep this up forever.

He had already been wondering when the other elder would interfere. Fighting one Embryo Realm cultivator was already pushing him to his limits. If another one joined, there was no chance of victory.

But for some reason, the other elder remained where he was.

Then Gu Yuan saw his opening.

It was tiny.

So tiny that an ordinary cultivator would probably never have noticed it.

But Gu Yuan had been waiting for it.

He poured every remaining bit of strength into his saber.

Crimson Fire exploded.

At the same time, the Blood Moon Severing Saber was unleashed.

The saber light erupted with terrifying force, merging with the crimson flames as it descended upon Su Beiming.

The elder’s expression finally changed.

He hurriedly gathered his spiritual energy and raised his defenses, but the attack had already reached him.

Boom!

The collision shook the surrounding area.

For a moment, nothing could be seen except the raging flames.

Then a figure was sent flying out of them.

Su Beiming.

His body crashed heavily into the ground, blood spraying from his mouth. He struggled to rise, but his body refused to obey him.

Gu Yuan stood several dozen meters away.

His clothes were torn, blood covered his body, and his breathing was heavy. His legs trembled slightly beneath him, yet he was still standing.

Su Beiming tried to raise his head.

His eyes were filled with disbelief.

"How..."

He couldn’t finish the question.

His head fell.

The First Stage Embryo Realm cultivator had lost his life.

Gu Yuan had won.

But it had been an extremely narrow victory.

Gu Yuan took a slow breath. He had barely managed to remain standing when a terrifying pressure suddenly descended upon him.

His expression changed... the remaining elder of the Cangming Sect moved.

And this time, he was coming straight for him.