C13 The Azure Lotus Sword Qi Displayed Its Might!

The crowd below watched in awe as ice crystals cascaded from the void. Curiosity got the better of some, who reached out to catch them, only to have their faces contort in horror as a creeping frost spread up their arms, swiftly encasing them in ice.

"Be cautious, do not touch them carelessly. Fall back," Sect Master Huang Feng commanded, seeing several of his disciples frozen solid out of curiosity. He acted quickly, intercepting the falling ice crystals.

The disciples of the Jade Sun Sect beat a hasty retreat, their faces etched with fear.

"Bright Moon Elder, this place is unsuitable for our battle. Let's take our fight elsewhere," the Jade Sun Patriarch suggested, acutely aware of the danger below. He deflected an incoming ice shard with the Clear Spirit Ring and flew off to a more distant location.

"Jade Sun Elder, there's no escape for you. Meet your end!" The Bright Moon Elder was not about to let his adversary get away. Tapping into his Spiritual Force, he pursued without hesitation.

Only after putting more than ten miles between himself and the Jade Sun Sect did the Jade Sun Patriarch come to a halt. He knew he was no match for the Bright Moon Elder's second-in-command, but fleeing was not an option. If he fled, it would spell doom for the Jade Sun Sect.

At the gates of the Jade Sun Sect, the Celestial Boat of the Bright Moon Sect loomed, blocking the entrance. The Sect Master of the Bright Moon Sect led the charge, with dozens of Bright Moon Cultivators emerging from the Celestial Boat to stand in silent formation behind him.

"Han Bing, what is your intention?" Huang Feng, concerned for the patriarch, had intended to assist in the battle but was taken aback to see the sect's entrance now obstructed by a host of Cultivators. His face fell.

"There's no need for concern. I won't act until the battle concludes," Han Bing assured him, his pallid face twisting into a forced smile, implying that he would indeed act once the outcome of the battle was decided.

Huang Feng, filled with trepidation, sent a telepathic warning to the three elders to be on high alert.

Meanwhile, the Jade Sun Patriarch wielded the sect's treasured Clear Spirit Ring, tracing white lines through the void. Clouds of condensed white mist enveloped him, forming a protective cocoon.

The Bright Moon Elder cackled with glee, brandishing a feather fan that radiated an icy chill. With each flick of his wrist, fierce cold winds buffeted the void, intensifying the chill in the air.

The gap between the middle and late stages was indeed significant, and the Jade Sun Patriarch was increasingly feeling the strain. His Spiritual Force was depleting and couldn't keep pace.

Before he could devise a plan, a frigid wind capable of freezing all in its path scattered the clouds. His face paled as he quickly wielded the Clear Spirit Ring to defend himself, only to feel an overwhelming void within.

His body was assaulted by a Spiritual Force so cold it froze his meridians. Opening his mouth, he coughed up a mouthful of blood.

"This is bad."

Defeated, the Jade Sun Patriarch summoned his remaining Spiritual Force to fend off the icy gale, commanding the Clear Spirit Ring to retreat swiftly.

"Disciples, heed my command. Enter the sect quickly and activate the Mountain Protecting Great Formation."

"Jade Sun, where do you think you're going? Meet your end!"

Huang Feng and the others were stunned. The Patriarch had fallen? They rushed to lead their followers into the sect to initiate the Mountain Protecting Great Formation.

Han Bing, the leader of the Bright Moon Sect, couldn't hide his glee as he charged forward, "Disciples, obey my command. Stop them."

"Han Bing, you're asking for trouble."

Furious, Huang Feng extended his hand to intercept Han Bing, "You three, join forces to hold off the Bright Moon Sect and ensure our disciples can enter the sect swiftly."

But how many could they truly hold back? The Bright Moon Sect had launched an offensive with dozens of Cultivators.

Over a dozen Cultivators, each beyond the eighth level of Qi Refining, broke through the defenses, their sinister laughter echoing as they bore down on the Jade Sun Sect Disciples.

Screams of terror filled the air, and the stench of blood spread.

Xia Xuanji had foreseen the outcome of the clash, being a level behind. Currently at Level Three of Qi Refining, she could barely defend herself. Upon hearing the command, she had attempted to make her way back to the sect.

Unexpectedly, the Bright Moon Sect's Cultivators had surged forward. Over a dozen had penetrated the defenses, and to her dismay, a seventh-level Qi Refining Cultivator had fixed his sights on her.

An icicle hurtled toward her, and the enemy's face twisted into a cruel grin. He couldn't fathom that a mere Level Three Qi Refining cultivator could pose any threat to him.

But who exactly was Xia Xuanji? As the Sect Master of the Purple Heaven Sect, the dominant force of the Spirit Realm, she commanded respect that even Nascent Infant Cultivators wouldn't dare challenge.

With a flick of her wrist, she transformed her hand into a sword finger. A burst of azure sword qi, radiating an unmatched sharpness, struck the icicle's weakest point with precision, shattering it into dust.

"What?"

The cultivator had no time to process what happened before another wave of sword qi slammed into his chest, piercing through and plunging him into darkness as he fell.

"Junior brother?"

The other Bright Moon Sect cultivators, previously engrossed in their bloodthirsty frenzy, froze in shock. They couldn't believe that a lowly Level Three Qi Refining cultivator had just slain one of their own.

Enraged, three cultivators charged at Xia Xuanji with fury in their eyes.

Xia Xuanji's gaze turned icy as she summoned her Spiritual Force. An Azure Lotus, glowing with a mystical light, materialized above her. As her assailants closed in, the lotus blossomed dramatically, engulfing them all in its radiance.

The air crackled with the sound of swords cleaving through the void. Razor-sharp sword qi sliced through the air, weaving a deadly web of killing intent.

"This is bad, watch out!"

The three enemies, now trapped within the Azure Lotus Sword Qi, panicked, desperately conjuring layers of protective shields.

To their horror, the relentless azure sword qi sliced through their defenses with ease, relentlessly piercing their flesh.

Terror filled their eyes as they faced the inevitable. In an instant, a barrage of sword qi burst forth from within them, reducing their bodies to fragments.

The sudden deaths of the three cultivators cast a hush over the entire scene.

"Impossible!"

Han Bing's face contorted in disbelief. How could a mere Level Three Qi Refining cultivator annihilate those who were at least at the seventh level with a single strike?

While Han Bing struggled to accept the reality, Huang Feng's face lit up with wild joy. Although he couldn't grasp how a third-level Qi Refining disciple could exhibit such formidable power, he faintly recognized the technique as a fragmented cultivation method he had come across years earlier.

"You're asking for death."

Han Bing's eyes glinted with malice as he swept his hand, unleashing a fierce blast of icy wind that swept Huang Feng aside. With a gesture, he conjured dozens of ice spikes that pierced the air, aiming directly at Xia Xuanji from afar.

Xia Xuanji sensed the murderous intent enveloping her and her face turned pale.

Damn it! First a Qi Refining nobody, and now a Foundation Establishment weakling dares to come after me. But her rage was quickly tempered by the realization that her Spiritual Force was nearly depleted, a stark reminder that she wasn't in the formidable body of Xia Xuanji, but rather a worthless shell.

A flash of cold determination sparked in her eyes. "Think you can kill me? Pure fantasy."