Lin Yun saw that they had been fighting for a while, using many flashy spells and magical treasures, but not a single one called out the name of their technique.
Baili Liuyun was the first to do so.
But what he called out was not a move; fortunately, Lin Yun had a commentator by his side.
"Body and Sword as One, this is the Sect Master's sacrificial strike!"
"Sacrificial" implies giving one's life for righteousness, and only a Sword Cultivator would use such an extreme skill. Body and Sword as One concentrates all of one's essence, qi, and spirit into a single sword strike. One strike to determine life or death, either you die, or I perish.
Baili Liuyun gripped his sword with both hands, ready to unleash his power.
Dongfang Hongyue looked towards Baili Liuyun and finally showed a serious expression.
She made a spell gesture with her hands, and a blooming Demonic Red Lotus appeared in her hand.
Very good, the real battle was about to begin.
Lin Yun, watching the spectacle, found it thrilling. However, from his angle, the Red Lotus was on the right, and the left side was bound to lose in this clash!
The combatants, by an unspoken agreement, all paused their attack, and just then, You Ye and You Xuan took advantage of the distraction to each pull out a transparent crystal and threw it towards Honglian.
"Despicable!"
Hong Ye and Bai Yu immediately erupted in anger, shocked that the people of the Righteous Path would resort to a sneak attack.
As the two crystals neared Dongfang Hongyue, they instantly turned into a cloud of white mist, enveloping the entire area of the Hundred Flowers Garden.
Lin Yun could no longer see the situation on the field, seeing only the gold and red lights colliding.
"Sect Hierarch, be careful."
This was Elder Hong Rui's voice, followed by a muffled groan that Lin Yun heard, which seemed to indicate that Dongfang Hongyue was injured.
"Hong Rui, you!"
Lin Yun, listening to their exchange, was immediately anxious. He was frustrated; the crux of the show was being obscured by a smoke screen!
"This is Icy Ghostly Spring, a product of the Ghostly Spring's Eye that only forms once every hundred years. I didn't expect it to be used here. The Red Lotus Demon Lord is going to have a hard time!"
Wang Wanqiu, however, was getting excited. Ghostly Spring Water could indeed evoke Dongfang Hongyue's Yin Fire, and this purer, more effective Icy Ghostly Spring didn't even need to be ingested; proximity meant absorption, and the more one's physique aligned with the Fire Spirit, the more they would absorb.
Who else present could be more in tune with the Fire Spirit than the Red Lotus Demon Lord?
Impossible!
This was a sure victory!
Lin Yun, however, felt that something was not quite right.
He sensed his own Dantian had become a small vortex.
Even though his cultivation level was dissipated and his body was left empty, the moment the mist formed, his body began rapidly absorbing it.
Wang Wanqiu by his side didn't notice anything, only feeling that the mist came quickly and dissipated just as fast. The mist grew thinner, and visibility finally returned.
They saw Dongfang Hongyue with a dagger in her back, and the two Elders, Hong Ye and Bai Yu, protecting her on either side, while Elder Hong Rui lay on the ground, and the defeated Baili Liuyun was being aided by the people of the Sword Sect, clearly no longer able to fight.
"Hong Rui, I have always treated you well. Why did you betray me?"
Dongfang Hongyue looked at Hong Rui; she still had little expression on her face, but Lin Yun felt he could sense her sadness and confusion.
"Hahaha, why do you ask me? Dongfang Hongyue, have you forgotten what happened fifty years ago? You took away my lover and then killed him. Did you think I would forget this grudge, or did you think everyone is like you, treating men as mere playthings?"
Lin Yun, hearing this, was suddenly all ears—he loved a good piece of gossip!
"I've told you before, he was only using you," Dongfang Hongyue retorted.
"Do you think I would believe that!"
Elder Hong Rui struggled to stand up. Although she was hit by Dongfang Hongyue during her sneak attack, Dongfang Hongyue had only retaliated subconsciously at that moment, and having just clashed with Baili Liuyun, the power behind her strike was not very great.
As far as timing went, Hong Rui had chosen the perfect moment.
"You have already been struck by the Soul Severing Dagger, and your Spiritual Soul's Power is difficult to mobilize, with the Icy Ghostly Spring pulling at your Yin Fire, Dongfang Hongyue, you are truly destined to die today."
"But rest assured, out of consideration for our shared history in the sect, I will cripple your cultivation level. Since you like men so much, I will throw you into a pile of beggars and let those dirty, ugly men give you a good time."
Elders Hong Ye and Bai Yu also felt anxious upon hearing this, seeing Hong Rui being so aggressive, they couldn't help but get angry.
"Hong Rui, don't forget who helped you cultivate when your skills were lowly, allowing you to become the Great Elder. Yet now you betray the Sect Hierarch, has your conscience been eaten by a dog?"
"That's what she owed me!"
Hong Rui still looked at Dongfang Hongyue with anger.
"If it wasn't for her scheming and stealing my position as the Saintess, that position of Sect Hierarch should have been mine!"
Bai Yu was just about to speak up for Dongfang Hongyue, but Dongfang Hongyue stopped her.
"No need to say more, you two go first!"
As she spoke, Dongfang Hongyue supported Bai Yu and Hong Ye on either shoulder, and a burst of firelight appeared, and the two of them vanished without a trace.
"Who would have thought that at this moment, the Red Lotus Demon Lord would actually cast a spell to send her subordinates away."
Lin Yun's impression of Dongfang Hongyue improved.
Although she was promiscuous and a member of the Demon Sect, she still had a sense of loyalty.
"That won't help much, once Honglian dies, the downfall of the Red Lotus Sect is only a matter of time, their escape is futile."
Seeing this, Wang Wan Qiu felt that the situation was in her favor.
With the seven great masters of the Righteous Path present, and an inside traitor from your Demon Sect, what hope do you have in this fight?
Lin Yun also sighed. He thought Dongfang Hongyue would be a major boss, yet she seemed to be doomed as soon as she appeared.
In this situation, Lin Yun couldn't see how she could turn the tables. If she had the strength to do so, she wouldn't have let her two supporters leave first.
Dongfang Hongyue looked at Green Lotus and Bai Feng, and said, "Thank you both for your generous support today, but there is no use for you to stay here now, please leave."
Green Lotus and Bai Feng exchanged glances, knowing well that the Red Lotus Demon Lord probably intended to make a last stand. They had no desire to stay loyal to the Demon Lord, and even if it was their own Sect Hierarch, they would have betrayed her without hesitation, let alone the Leader of the Red Lotus Sect.
They escaped as fast as they could, with practiced ease.
Lin Yun watched as Green Lotus and Bai Feng left without looking back, almost spitting blood in frustration.
Damn it, if you're going to leave, at least take me with you!
By now, the mist in the Hundred Flowers Garden had completely dissipated, and Lin Yun could feel something like a fire burning inside him.
He felt like dry tinder about to be ignited.
Seeing Bai Feng and Green Lotus gone, the rest of the onlookers realized that something bad was about to happen and began to retreat. The disciples of the Red Lotus Sect were also quick to understand, starting to distance themselves from the Hundred Flowers Garden.
"We should leave too. The Red Lotus Demon Lord is surely preparing for a desperate fight. We'll be in danger if we continue to watch this battle."
Wang Wanqiu tried to pull Lin Yun away, but as soon as she touched him, she felt an extreme heat and quickly let go.
"What's wrong with you?"
Lin Yun said with a troubled face, "I feel like something is about to burst out of me..."
At that moment, the flames on Dongfang Hongyue reignited, this time fiercer than before.
A great battle was about to erupt, and now, the most dangerous fight was just beginning, because Dongfang Hongyue might be risking her life.
However...
With a dragon's chant, a beam of light fell from the sky, illuminating Lin Yun. He felt something erupting from within him.
His body was engulfed in golden flames, and two golden dragon apparitions circled around him.
Leaders from both the Righteous and Demonic sides turned their gaze to him, causing Lin Yun's scalp to tingle.
Dear leaders, please don't misunderstand, I didn't mean to steal the spotlight...