Chapter 138: The Fall

Chapter 138: The Fall

"Junior Uncle Mu!"
"Master!"

The cries of Ning Qian and Sun Yang rang out from a distance. Ning Qian, dressed in white, leaped several yards into the air, catching Mu Yun, who had been sent flying by the tiger's roar.

Jiang Yan's figure flickered, appearing beside Ning Qian. With a flip of his wrist, a vial containing Life-Transforming Powder appeared in his hand. He poured out a handful and hurriedly pressed it toward Mu Yun’s mouth.

"Cough, cough..."

As soon as the powder touched his lips, Mu Yun coughed, spraying the medicine away along with a mouthful of blood. After a few more coughs, he struggled, his chubby face twisted in pain. "So painful... Senior Brother, that sonic attack is so powerful—far more fearsome than the Howling Celestial Dog."

Seeing the powder was ineffective, Jiang Yan flipped his wrist again, revealing a translucent mutton-fat jade vial. He uncorked it, extracted a Heavenly Spirit Pill, pried open Mu Yun’s mouth, and forced the pill inside.

As the Heavenly Spirit Pill went down, a hint of color returned to Mu Yun’s deathly pale face. His furrowed brows relaxed, and the intensity of his pain subsided.

"Junior Brother, what I just gave you was a Heavenly Spirit Pill. Go back to the mountain and rest well; I will surely avenge you." After ensuring the pain had faded from Mu Yun’s face, Jiang Yan exhaled a long breath, stood up, and turned toward the second-grade spirit beast.

"Senior Brother, Sect Leader Brother, please do not offend a high-grade sect for my sake. I heard from Shopkeeper Gu of the Oddities Pavilion that the distinguished guest from the Tianshan Sect hails from the fourth-grade Xixia Sect. Do not provoke them; our Huashan Sect cannot afford to offend a fourth-grade sect." Seeing Jiang Yan stand up with a menacing aura, Mu Yun, worried that his senior brother was unaware of the fourth-grade sect’s involvement, hurriedly warned him.

Jiang Yan leaned down, patted Mu Yun’s shoulder, and signaled for Lin Ke and Duo’er to come over. He ordered them to support Mu Yun and take care of Ning Qian and Sun Yang, who had also been caught in the shockwave, and return to the main peak of Huashan on the Sky-Traveling Crane. Given their injuries—especially Ning Qian, who had forced his spiritual energy to save Mu Yun—they would recover much faster within the main hall, which possessed auxiliary healing properties.

Once Mu Yun had left, Jiang Yan turned, his gaze icy as he stared at the Golden-Winged Tiger in the distance. With a thought, he signaled the Moon Sable in the spirit beast garden, which then streaked out like a bolt of lightning.

"You wounded my junior brother and humiliated my Huashan Sect. Young Master Ximen, is it? Today, I, Jiang Yan, shall leave both of you behind."

"Swish!"

A golden gleam suddenly ignited from high atop Huashan. Moving with incredible speed, it dove straight at the arrogant Golden-Winged Tiger standing below; it was the Moon Sable, which had already reached the mountainside.

"Chi!"

The Golden-Winged Tiger leaped aside. The golden light struck the ground with a piercing sound, carving a deep, square hole into the bluestone floor.

"Awoo!"

The tiger, suddenly attacked, flew into a rage and roared toward the source of the golden light. However, as the sound crossed the Huashan mountain gate, it was blocked by a circular cyan barrier—the mountain-protecting formation had been activated.

"Shoo, shoo!"

Tang Wan flicked her delicate hands, and the Green Wood Arrows she had condensed launched instantly. They cut through the air with a brilliant light, heading straight for the sneering, arrogant Young Master Ximen.

"Clang, clang, clang!"

A bright light wall manifested in front of Young Master Ximen, blocking the incoming arrows. It was Lu Tiannan, who had been overjoyed to see Tang Wan attack the young master; he had flickered into place, held up his hands, and condensed an ice wall to intercept the attack.

Tang Wan tapped her toes on the ground, leaped lightly into the air, and spun several times. More cyan rays flew out in the wake of her motion, surging toward Lu Tiannan.

"Go!" Lu Tiannan crossed his hands, pushing them forward. A brilliant purple light erupted from the ice wall, which then surged toward Tang Wan.

The two clashed again.

"Roar!"

The golden Moon Sable finally appeared behind the gate. Seeing the tiger, it let out a furious roar, spitting out a beam of golden light that transformed into an invisible blade, striking the tiger, whose fur was standing on end.

"Awoo!"

The Golden-Winged Tiger did not back down, unleashing its own sonic attack from its maw, which collided head-on with the golden light.

Jiang Yan stood with his gray robes fluttering. The character for "Wood" on his forehead flashed with a brilliant cyan light, and his divine sense poured out, instantly enveloping the space around Ximen Shang. He searched for any flaw; the moment one appeared, his consciousness would strike like a tiger descending from the mountain.

"Ding Ning, help Junior Brother Nan and retreat. Zisu, kill that arrogant brat!" Jiang Yan’s divine sense tightly hemmed in Ximen Shang, but he could find no opening, so he resorted to external force to provoke one.

Ding Ning helped Nanmen Luo retreat behind the gate. Yan Feng and the other talisman apprentices were also taken inside. Once within the protection of the grand formation, even Ximen Shang would not be able to break through for some time.

Zisu flicked her wrist, and the Water Shuttle she wore on her back floated above her head. This was a spirit weapon recently bestowed upon her by Jiang Yan; it was shaped like a shuttle with smooth, curved edges, shimmering with a faint, silvery-white hue and radiating a gentle aquatic aura. As it hovered above her, the field was instantly permeated with a thick sense of moisture.

"Strike!" With Zisu’s soft command, the shuttle transformed into a silvery-white streak, diving straight toward the young master behind Lu Tiannan.

Young Master Ximen sneered, tapped his storage pouch, and a long golden sword surged into the sky.

"If you want to kill me, Jiang Yan, do it yourself. This young master is not one to be trifled with." Ximen Shang stepped back, forming a sword gesture with his fingers to control the golden blade. It tore through the air with a mournful whistling sound, heading straight for Zisu.

"Zing!" The golden blade and the Water Shuttle collided with a loud ringing sound, both spirit weapons rebounding.

"Heh heh..." Ximen Shang sneered, continuing to command the golden blade.

Tang Wan tapped her toes, spiraling upward. The Water Shuttle flickered and settled beneath her feet, allowing her to stand steadily in mid-air.

"Sword Control Technique!" Seeing Zisu in the air, Ximen Shang cried out in shock. It was the Sword Control Technique—a peerless art rumored to allow cultivators to travel a thousand miles in a day. He had only heard of it in legends; he never expected to see it in a second-grade sect like Huashan.

"Sizzle..." Because of his surprise, Ximen Shang finally revealed a flaw. Jiang Yan’s divine sense lashed out, the consciousness forming an arrow like a startling dragon, striking directly at him.

Ximen Shang retreated, waving his hands to create a circular light barrier for defense.

"Sizzle..."

Jiang Yan’s divine sense did not pause, its tip piercing the barrier and continuing toward Ximen Shang.

"Hum..."

A murky cyan light suddenly erupted from Ximen Shang’s body. Jiang Yan’s attack had struck him, triggering his spirit armor. A faint cyan curtain appeared, halting the assault.

...

"Boom!"

After a long battle, Tang Wan’s Green Wood Arrows finally closed in on Lu Tiannan. Without hesitation, she detonated them. The explosion of cyan spiritual energy forced back the ice barrier Lu Tiannan had formed.

"Boom, boom!"

Successive explosions erupted around Lu Tiannan. Tang Wan, seizing the opportunity, detonated the arrows repeatedly, determined to fell him so she could assist her senior brother.

"Pfft!"

Lu Tiannan could no longer resist. He coughed up a mouthful of blood as the force of the explosions sent him flying in an arc, landing far away.

"Hum..."

A murky light shimmered on Lu Tiannan's body; Tang Wan’s arrows had struck him, triggering his spirit armor once more.

"Boom!"

Tang Wan controlled the arrows to self-destruct right in front of him.

"Pfft!"

The shockwave of the blast struck Lu Tiannan’s chest, and he spat out another mouthful of blood.

"Strike!" a woman’s cold voice rang out.

A purple light descended from the sky, aiming straight for Lu Tiannan’s forehead. It was Ding Ning. After dropping off Nanmen Luo, she had rushed back. Seeing Lu Tiannan defeated, and fueled by the grudge of the Purple Robe Sect, she summoned the Water Shuttle and struck without hesitation.

"Ah!"

A scream tore through the air. Although the spirit armor blocked most of the impact, the sharp tip of the Water Shuttle still pierced Lu Tiannan’s forehead, creating a bloody hole.

"Clang, clang, clang!"

The sound of arrows striking stone was like heavy rain on a windowpane. Because of his scream, the light of Lu Tiannan’s spirit armor dimmed. The Green Wood Arrows following the shuttle instantly pierced through him.

"Ah!"

The scream was cut short, like a duck being throttled. Lu Tiannan stood there, riddled with arrows, struggling to lift his head and point a trembling finger at Tang Wan...

"Clang, clang..."

More Green Wood Arrows fired, piercing his neck and pinning him firmly to the ground. His head twitched, then went still. Blood trickled from the corner of his mouth, and he finally collapsed.

"Thud!"

Ding Ning fell to her knees, her beautiful face etched with grief. Tears streamed down her cheeks as she looked at the fallen Lu Tiannan, choking out, "Master, your disciple has avenged you."

"Lu Tiannan is dead!" Young Master Ximen felt a jolt of shock in his heart.

"Lu Tiannan is dead!" Ximen Shang’s heart sank. The mission had failed.