The flames emanating from the Red Lotus Demon Lord were unlike any ordinary fire, possessing a single, bewitching hue of red.
Just as everyone was surprised by the sudden flare-up of the Red Lotus Demon Lord, two maidservants behind her suddenly sprang into action. Each brandishing a short dagger, they stabbed at her back.
Lin Yun watched and couldn't help exclaiming to himself, "Wow, are they all insider traitors?"
Seeing the Red Lotus Demon Lord under attack, Lin Yun also became anxious. If she were to die, he would be affected too. Perhaps he wouldn't necessarily be killed by the Green Lotus, but without his usefulness, his end surely wouldn't be pleasant.
However, as the daggers were about to strike, they didn't even pierce the Red Lotus Demon Lord's clothing and turned into molten iron instead. The flames spread along the daggers to the maidservants, turning them to ash in an instant.
Despite this, the Red Lotus Demon Lord's brow furrowed slightly, as if she was enduring some kind of pain.
At that moment, a series of sword lights approached from afar—the real enemies had arrived. The Red Lotus Demon Lord hit one with the back of her hand, sending it flying near Lin Yun, who promptly did a roll on the spot.
The sword that had been struck earlier was actually still a distance from him, and with his reaction speed, he wouldn't have been able to dodge it had it been aimed at him.
But at this time, if not now, when to roll? Even if you're just there to watch the excitement, you've got to keep some distance from the involved parties!
After a few rolls, Lin Yun quickly found cover behind the garden, and at that moment, several more sword lights struck towards the Red Lotus Demon Lord.
Wang Wanqiu noticed Lin Yun's movement, and taking advantage of the distraction, ran over to hide with him.
The actions of the minor characters on the field didn't attract much attention. Everyone's focus was on the Red Lotus Demon Lord and the seven enemies who had suddenly appeared above the Hundred Flowers Garden.
These seven were from three different forces. Four of them were from the Sword Sect, three men and one woman. Lin Yun recognized all four. The leading old man was Baili Liuyun, the Sect Leader of the Sword Sect. A couple standing close to each other were Elder Qing Shuang and Elder Zi Yue, who were Taoist partners.
There was also Elder Ming Xi who had been the one to send Lin Yun to the Demon Sect in the past.
If this old guy dies, my safety margin will increase, Lin Yun thought to himself, already considering how he might betray his master and destroy his heritage.
Wang Wanqiu, however, was in a state of panic. Her head was buzzing. She hadn't expected that to kill the Red Lotus Demon Lord, even the Sect Leader would come.
They had already decided to abandon the mission, and then as soon as the Red Lotus Demon Lord walked near Lin Yun, she burst into flames. The fire itself wasn't frightening, but the terrifying part was when her accompanying maidservants began their suicidal attacks—once they took action, it became the signal for the assault.
Watching the dominance of the Red Lotus Demon Lord, Wang Wanqiu began to worry whether her Sect's Elders could overcome her.
Lin Yun had the same thought. A villain as attractive as Red Lotus wouldn't be dealt with so easily if this were a TV show.
Looking over the punitive expedition, there was not a single young person among them. Aside from the few from the Sword Sect, there were two Taoist male cultivators with white hair and beards, and a monk with many wrinkles on his face.
This lineup was like a supporting cast, usually there to highlight either the villain's or the protagonist's awesomeness.
Lin Yun was curious: if everyone is cultivating, why does the Red Lotus Demon Lord look so young while her enemies all look so old...
"Baili Liuyun, I didn't expect you to come too. Aren't you afraid of dying here, leaving your Sword Sect in chaos without a leader?"
Surrounded by formidable enemies, the Red Lotus Demon Lord showed not a trace of panic. Her demeanor, looking down upon the world, made many fold in their hearts.
"Hah, Dongfang Hongyue, you are as arrogant as ever. Not to mention that even at your peak, killing me wouldn't be easy. Let alone now, with your techniques backfiring. How does it feel, having the Yin Fire devouring your heart?"
Ah, so the Red Lotus Demon Lord's surname really is Dongfang?
Lin Yun, while watching the excitement, didn't forget to throw in his own commentary.
Dongfang Hongyue, that name is quite pleasant to the ear.
"Killing you is sufficient!"
The flames around Dongfang Hongyue grew even more tumultuous. Although she was the one surrounded, she took the initiative to attack, commanding the flames towards the seven opponents.
At this moment, the guests who heard the commotion also rushed towards the back hall, eager to see who was so bold as to wreak havoc on Demon Sect territory!
Oh, it's a big shot from the Righteous Path, then there's no problem!
Those from the Demonic Path not part of the three sects, upon seeing who had arrived, dared not approach haphazardly anymore. Only Bai Feng of the Green Lotus and the three elders from the Red Lotus Sect continued to charge into the battlefield.
At this moment, Green Lotus also felt some trepidation.
He only knew that someone was going to move against Dongfang Hongyue, and he even provided intelligence beforehand, but he had not expected that the ones to make their move would be these individuals.
The Sword Sect excels in slaughter, and these four who came are almost the strongest in the Sword Sect. The two Taoists from Li Fire God Palace, You Xuan and You Ye, while not being Sect Masters, are both high-ranking cultivators of the Celestial Knowing Realm.
Monk Ci Xin from Eight Tones Temple, though his name suggests compassion, and he looks like a kind old monk, is incredibly ferocious in battle.
Green Lotus felt that if he were to face any one of them alone, he might have an even chance of winning, but it would be difficult to prevail in a short time. To resort to desperate measures would be too costly.
Currently, Dongfang Hongyue's condition didn't seem quite right, and Green Lotus couldn't shake off the feeling that disaster was looming.
However, under these circumstances, not taking action was out of the question. Even though there are grievances among the three sects, when facing the Orthodox Sects, they are branches of the same tree. If he dared to betray his allies, even with his high status within Green Lotus Sect, he would surely be punished by the Sect Hierarch.
"Sect Hierarch, I am here to assist you."
Dongfang Hongyue glanced back at the woman who spoke. She was the Great Elder of the Red Lotus Sect, Hong Rui, and also her junior sister.
Without a second word, Hong Rui confronted Baili Liuyun. She was the strongest elder in the Red Lotus Sect, second only in strength to Dongfang Hongyue.
The other two elders, Hong Ye and Bai Yu, targeted You Ye and You Xuan from Li Fire God Palace together. Watching his remaining opponents now comprising only the great monk, husband and wife duo, and an ordinary Ming Xi, Green Lotus swiftly struck at Ming Xi.
He certainly did not want to provoke the monk.
Bai Feng cursed under her breath for shamefulness. She didn't want to fight the monk either, but she couldn't show weakness at this time, so she had to face off against the monk. Qing Shuang and Zi Yue were cultivators of the same realm. The husband and wife had practiced dual cultivation for many years, reaching a state of complete understanding with each other, and they even possessed a combined strike technique. Their opponents were Dongfang Hongyue.
If it weren't for the rising flames around Dongfang Hongyue, the husband and wife wouldn't stand a chance against her. They wouldn't be defeated instantly, but as the fight dragged on, they would inevitably lose, and without escape, death was certain.
At the moment, both sides were equally matched.
This seemed to be a strategy akin to rotating racehorses. If the strongest combatant, Baili Liuyun, could quickly deal with Hong Rui, he would then be able to assist others, taking down Dongfang Hongyue's backups, leaving her with no way out.
Zi Yue and Qing Shuang were merely biding time. With their offense and defense combined, though they couldn't harm Dongfang Hongyue, neither could she wound them.
Various flashy spells shone brightly and flickered intermittently, while the repercussions of the battle turned Hundred Flowers Garden into ruins. Wang Wanqiu protected Lin Yun as they retreated time and again, while many of the handsome men were caught in the crossfire of the battle and perished on the spot.
The battle involving everyone on the field seemed to reach a stalemate, with both sides evenly matched.
Baili Liuyun hadn't expected that aside from Dongfang Hongyue, there would actually be someone from the Red Lotus Sect who could match him blow for blow.
If the situation dragged on like this, it would not bode well for them, as this was after all Demon Sect territory.
Baili Liuyun made his decision. With a sword thrust that forced Hong Rui back, he bellowed, "Dongfang Hongyue, take my sword strike!"