Chapter 45
"So, what I really want to come has come."
Atop the cliffs of the Heavenly River, Wu Xinjie, Lin Yingmei and Zhu Sha were currently peacefully overlooking those whirlpools waiting for their own masters to appear. A beam of escape light descended before them, and yet another group of people blocked up the cliff's outlet from behind.
Wu Xinjie saw the sword manipulating Star Cultivator and clapped as she smiled. It seemed she was pleased that she had guessed correctly.
The sword manipulating Star Cultivators and the girls had crossed paths before, for it happened to be the one who called himself Yun Youzi of Dry Tree Mountain.
After finding out Gong Caiwei and Su Xing's identities as Star Masters, Yun Youzi came up with an audacious thought from the bottom of his heart. Star Masters entering the Flower Dragon Cave had no way of bringing their Star Generals along because of the restriction. Since this was the case, this group of good-looking beauties would all be left outside, separated from their own contractors. Losing the presence of their contractors, the Star Generals somewhat visibly expressed the effect of that.
This moment was a chance bestowed by Heaven to easily kill these Star Generals.
Compared with seizing something like the Blooming Water Divine Thunder, Yun Youzi had far more interest in slaying Star Generals because in legend, those that killed a Star General could obtain their Star Energy and could even enter Liangshan Continent's most mysterious Maiden Mountain.
"Huh, fellows, this place here has at least two Star Generals. Their contractors at this moment are inside Flower Dragon Cave. Heh, heh, what are we even waiting for?"
This group of cultivators were all Nebula Stage along with a few at Stardust Stage. This Nebula Late Stage Yun Youzi right here could be considered the one with the greatest strength.
These cultivators were all Scattered Star Cultivators. Scattered Star Cultivators' greatest trait was that they loved to seize every opportunity to advance their own cultivation. If they switched to doing things themselves, confronting the most mysterious, the most elegant and the most powerful Star Maidens from Liangshan Continent legend, and at least two of them at that, it gave the Scattered Star Cultivators the courage of one hundred to consider this for just a moment. However, the forty, fifty Star Cultivators were baffled at the confidence that formed when they acted as a group.
Jumping on the bandwagon always made people become blind and could turn into the start of a disaster.
"If you obediently turn over your Star Weapons, we could spare you." Yun Youzi threatened.
Wu Xinjie asked, "Are you a fool? You should have first pondered about why someone would be able to guess you would come but not leave."
Yun Youzi stared blankly.
"Because we were waiting for you all to visit and give your experience."1
"Fellows, do not let them escape."
The Star Cultivators chanted incantations, formed hand seals, intertwining their flights together.
"Little Sister Zhu Sha? I'll turn this over to you?" Wu Xinjie giggled and signaled Lin Yingmei with her eyes, jumping for the cliff edge.2
"You want to flee?"
Yun Youzi controlled his sword and coldly smiled, his sword's light swirling.
The Leader Star The Resourceful Strategist's expression was extremely stiff, not even looking at the two people running for the cliff edge as the several dozen Star Cultivators launched their assault. The Star Cultivators' attacks always used artifacts, and this was the biggest weakness when confronting the Star Maidens. When the Five Elements Weather Banner transformed, an array appeared, followed by Zhu Sha's figure completely disappearing into thin air.
All forty, fifty Star Cultivators did not see how the girl vanished.
"I've received all of your experiences."
A flat voice suddenly rang out from the sky. The Star Cultivators raised their heads and were shocked to see the Star General was already above their heads. The Five Elements Weather Banner flew and spun rapidly, growing extremely large. A large array then trapped the Star Cultivators within.
Zhu Sha then chanted an inaudible command.
Then, a mountain appeared within the the large array, a silver waterfall splashing, a gust suddenly kicking up, clouds and mist billowing over. The Star Cultivators hastily used defensive arts.
"It's the Toppling River Mountain Array!!"3
"This isn't good, it's the Leader Star!!!"
"How is that…"
The Toppling River Mountain Array covering a radius of one hundred meters gave rise to an unimaginable landscape. The great mountain collapsed, and the suspended waterfall rained down torrents, all a great turmoil. The Toppling River Mountain Array was a very powerful array such that only exceptional cultivators could resist it. Let alone being an expert in arrays, the Resourceful Strategist Zhu Wu was Liangshan's number one, and accompanying behind the Immortal Hero Princess Gong Caiwei allowed her to soar by leaps and bounds.
After the sound of a mountain flowing into the sea finished resounding, when the Five Elements Weather Banner floated back and shrouded Zhu Sha's whole body, the giant array's interior was already devoid of life.
More than twenty Star Cultivators were swiftly and neatly killed in a matter of seconds.
The remaining half of the Star Cultivators were completely scared out of their wits.
Zhu Sha landed on solid ground, her palm open, that expression still stiff like stone.
"She can only ambush with large arrays. Friends, don't give her a chance, kill her!!"
A rich variety of artifacts fired one after another.
Zhu Sha coldly scowled. Clenching her fist, the Five Elements Weather Banner disappeared, and when it reappeared, thereupon was another series of screams.
___
"Heh heh, where do you think you're running to?"
Only when Wu Xinjie and Lin Yingmei were already out of sight of the others entering a small path did Yun Youzi block their way. He already determined that the Star Maidens before his eyes were incapable of any sort of fighting technique, otherwise they would not have fled.4
How could he have known that Wu Xinjie did this only to prevent Zhu Sha from seeing through Lin Yingmei's identity.
"You really are motivated to chase after death." Wu Xinjie felt sorry for him.
Yun Youzi spoke "Go," not being too wordy, and a row of mother swords with child swords attached to the middle shot towards the two people.5. The rows of swords became a spinning killing formation. Under his magic power, an ordinary defense would have no way of blocking.
Lin Yingmei leaned over and dashed forward. The attacking mother and child swords suddenly were dispersed by a cold light from a wave of her hand. The girl's body movements were extremely swift that even Yun Youzi's Nebula Late Stage Divine Intent could only barely hone in by a bit. If his cultivation was just even slightly lower, it was hard to say if this comeback could have been put down by him, and he reluctantly sacrificed his flying sword.
He used it as a barrier.
The sharp sound of a blow against it.
An overwhelming power shook against him, numbing his hand. Yun Youzi trained at Dry Tree Mountain for some time, learned many fighting arts, but the first time he connected with that attack he knew that if he was shook open, the girl's weapon would stab sharply into his chest.
And there was another strike.
Yun Youzi's throat filled with blood. With a great shout, he fortified his fighting spirit.. Several ice cold chains flew out from within his Astral Bag and bound Lin Yingmei's hands and feet. It did not occur to Yun Youzi that the second Star General would unexpectedly have extraordinary power. Seeing that the "Beast Binding Iron Chain"6 successfully caught the Star Maiden, he did not hesitate in the slightest to stamp his foot, using a magic called, "Dead Tree Thorn."7
"Magic?" Wu Xinjie praised slightly. For a Star Cultivator, magic was even more important than artifacts. When using an artifact, if it was damaged or destroyed, then there would be a great loss in fighting potential, but mastery of magic arts could never be lost. Although its usage was not as convenient as an artifact, it still was a trump card that could not be lost.
A rocky thorn suddenly appeared beneath Lin Yingmei's feet like a sharp razor.
Taking advantage of the Beast Binding Iron Chain that captured its target, then using Dead Tree Thorn to finish the kill, Yun Youzi had lost track of the number of times he had used this combination. Just when he thought he could see the legendary Star Maiden be defeated by his attack, an unexpected scene unfolded before his eyes that shocked him.
Lin Yingmei threw her entire body, and the Beast Binding Iron Chains holding both her arms and legs were unexpectedly lifted by her might. The girl stood light as a feather on the tip of the thorn, and then she fiercely exerted her strength, making Yun Youzi's body lose control of his center of gravity. The iron chains that flew out from his Astral Bag had instead become shackles that bound him.
Lin Yingmei turned the tables and used the iron chains to drag Yun Youzi into the air.
An Arctic Star Spear flickered a cold light beneath the scorching sun. Clenching the spear with both hands, she raised it and cut open a half moon.
The iron chains clanged and were smashed to dust. A cold that chilled down into the bone passed through the half of his body that Yun Youzi had severed by Lin Yingmei's spear.
These days spent recuperating had restored Lin Yingmei's incomparably imposing bearing. Perhaps because of the side effects of signing a contract as well as the side effects of the Heavenly Cycle Northern Dipper Array, and also the battle strength she used to protect her master the next two times, Lin Yingmei deeply blamed herself. The actions she took this time showed no mercy, her offense moving smoothly.
Yun Youzi painfully raised himself. His near Nebula Late Stage Star Energy's defense was broken and killed on the spot with barely any resistance. But even so, this was a disastrous injury such that he completely was unable to stand steadily.
The Lin Yingmei standing atop the thorn looked coldly at him, her hand clenching her spear, her appearance imposing, almost like a deity descended.
"You're…you are…are" The Arctic Star Spear's terror already made Yun Youzi collapse. He hastily called on every artifact and talisman that he could and threw them out.
Lin Yingmei leapt, her spear point drawing a frightening arc, splitting apart every single artifact and talisman. This time, Yun Youzi had no way to defend.
Just before he put a foot in his grave, he heard a declaration that he would never have believed in this lifetime.
"You face Lin Chong!!!"
"Little Sister Yingmei, you really are too soldierly. It's a pity Young Master Su Xing wasn't able to see." Wu Xinjie tone was envious.
Lin Yingmei returned her spear and felt that her Star Energy was far more powerful than before. It seemed that Su Xing's entrance into the Nebula Stage was a great help to her, however, Lin Yingmei had no reason to be satisfied at all. She pursed her lips: "This is too far from enough to protect the Young Master!"
Far away upon a cliff littered with dead bodies, Zhu Sha recalled her Five Elements Weather Banner as she stood beside the cliff edge, overlooking from the edge expressionlessly…8
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And at this moment, Su Xing also was stuck in a situation he never wanted to happen.
"Could it be the Heavenly River Sword School just likes safety in numbers?"
Su Xing calmed his mind. The more than ten opposing Nebula Stage Cultivators encircled him, and he was unable to relax within his heart. Besides these Star Cultivators, there were still two Nebula Late Stage existences. However, running away was not a difficult task at all. As long as he used the Chaotic Tail Escape Technique he could easily break away from this bind. The only caveat was that the Chaotic Tail Escape required he sustain an injury, causing Su Xing to be very hesitant.
He definitely did not want to drag his injured body to go meet Gong Caiwei.
The speaking Cultivator Wu sneered: "Your hero saving the beauty act just now was very interesting. Are you scared right now?"
"Heh, heh, I've never seen such an upstanding Star Cultivator."
A Heavenly River Sword School disciple smiled.
A female cultivator also at Nebula Early Stage grinned: "Both Senior Brothers, how about you let this junior play with him? This Junior Sister has never played with such an upright Star Cultivator."
The rest of the disciples broke into raucous laughter.
"Fine, so as to avoid this small fry lamenting in the Underworld that we, the Heavenly River Sword School, used many to take advantage of the few, Junior Sister, do not humiliate our teacher." Cultivator Wu roared with laughter.
"Junior Sister, don't break him."
"Let me play with the upright Star Cultivator in a moment, too."
The rest of the people jeered. In the eyes of the people of the Heavenly River Sword School, the currently Nebula Early Stage Su Xing was a dead man walking. They were even already preparing to eye an even more wonderful prize.
An abrupt explosion suddenly jolted everyone present.
All of the ridicule instantly ended.
The center stage female cultivator's head had been blown open by a great, unsightly hole. Brain matter and blood splashed all over the surroundings such that it was even on several Heavenly River Sword School disciples' faces. Everyone without exception was terrified.9
- As in the Star Maidens are about to farm them for EXP. ↩
- Time to run away~~ Smokey!! ↩
- 傾倒河山陣 ↩
- Are you sure about that…? ↩
- It's like those traps in the movies where blades are attached to a revolving stick, apparently. ↩
- 縛獸鐵索 ↩
- 枯木刺 ↩
- Shiiiit… ↩
- And that was when they realized, they fucked up. ↩