Zhu Guqing remained expressionless, not uttering a word.
Upon hearing Wuhuan Shuijun's words, Su Yi raised an eyebrow, his heart slightly shaken. Was Zhu Guqing going to die in place of Wen Lingxue?
With this thought in mind, Su Yi said to Ning Xihua beside him, "You deal with Wuhuan, and I'll figure out a way to obliterate this place."
"Obliterate?!" Tao Qingshan and Teng Yong gasped, their bodies covered in cold sweat.
How could they not understand that the white-haired woman captured in the central courtyard from a distance was the person the immortal master beside them was looking for?
"Wuhuan is done for!" Tao Qingshan and Teng Yong exchanged a glance.
"Alright."
Ning Xihua nodded, standing up tall. Her voice was cold as she said, "Wuhuan, I'll give you a chance. Release her, and I'll make it quick for you."
Her words were pleasing to the ear, yet they carried an unpredictable air of authority, clearly reaching the ears of every ghost and monster present.
Though her voice was not loud, it drowned out all other sounds in the courtyard, creating a silence in the atmosphere.
Numerous gazes in the field focused on Ning Xihua, filled with astonishment and confusion.
Ning Xihua maintained a calm expression, her clear eyes locked onto Wuhuan Shuijun. "I advise you not to let anger cloud your judgment. Think carefully before you decide."
At this moment, Zhu Guqing, who had previously been expressionless, trembled all over. A hint of brilliance burst forth from her hollow eyes, recognizing Ning Xihua's identity and becoming excited.
Wuhuan Shuijun furrowed his eyebrows, feeling somewhat suspicious.
His gaze swept across the entire venue like a bolt of cold lightning as he said in a deep voice, "Who knows this shameless woman?"
He intended to test Ning Xihua's background.
"I know. She came with Lord Tao Shan!" Hei Thirteen shouted loudly. "Water Lord, I seriously suspect that Lord Tao Shan has ulterior motives for coming here!"
"That's right, I can confirm this as well."
The old rat-faced man chimed in, looking at Tao Qingshan with a hint of schadenfreude in his eyes.
Tao Qingshan stood up, his expression solemn, and said in a deep voice, "Wuhuan old ghost, don't say I didn't warn you. You better release that woman right now, otherwise, the Nine-Bend City will be completely wiped out today!"
Suddenly, the previously silent atmosphere exploded with the words, causing a commotion in the entire venue.
Some of the ghosts couldn't help but burst into laughter.
"Hahaha, is Tao Qingshan crazy? He thinks he can destroy the Nine-Bend City? Even if a land deity comes, they wouldn't be able to do it!"
"Wait, something is fishy. Tao Shanjun isn't this foolishly arrogant. Could it be that he's intentionally provoking, trying to disrupt this sacrifice?"
...At this moment, Wuhuan Shuijun also seemed to find it amusing. He laughed in anger and said, "Tao Shanjun, I invited you to participate in this grand event, but you dare to threaten to destroy my Nine-Bend City. Alright, go ahead and try to destroy it, let everyone have a good laugh!"
Laughter erupted throughout the venue, with some of the ghosts laughing so hard their heads were about to fall off.
Tao Qingshan furrowed his brow.
At this moment, Su Yi shook his head and said, "What's the use of all this nonsense? Let's get to it."
Ning Xihua nodded and took a step towards the central courtyard.
She had a petite figure, dressed in a plain cloud-patterned long dress, with innocent-looking features that made her appear like a young girl in her prime.
But when Wuhuan Shuijun's eyes met her indifferent and cold gaze, an inexplicable sense of oppression surged within him, leaving him somewhat suspicious.
"You wretched woman, have you no shame? Get lost!"
The woman in palace attire suddenly stood up and blocked Ning Xihua's path. She raised her hand, intending to grab Ning Xihua's neck and toss her back to her original position.
But before her right arm could reach halfway, it was firmly grabbed by a slender and graceful jade hand.
"Not worth sparing."
Ning Xihua spoke softly.
The woman in palace attire's vision darkened, and her figure seemed to experience a terrifying pressure. She suddenly distorted and collapsed, accompanied by a burst of shattering and explosive sounds from within her body.
Under the astonished gazes of the onlookers, the woman in palace attire, like an overcompressed ball, burst with a loud explosion, dissipating into a pervasive malevolent aura.
Silence fell upon the entire venue.
Many ghosts and monsters changed their expressions in unison.
The woman in palace attire, named "Shanxiu," was originally a hundred-year-old vengeful ghost. Although not as powerful as a grandmaster, she was capable of killing characters in the Qi Gathering Realm.
But now, she had been killed with just a single glance!!
"Hmph!"
Wuhuan Shuijun's face darkened, and he shouted, "Where are the ghost soldiers? Go and capture this woman and Tao Shanjun and the others!"
Boom!
From all directions of the courtyard, groups of evil spirits rushed out, hundreds and thousands of them, exuding a dense malevolent aura. Some charged towards Ning Xihua, while others headed for Tao Shanjun, Teng Yong, and Su Yi.
A chilling and eerie atmosphere filled the air, spreading throughout the venue.
"Everyone, attack together and capture Tao Shanjun and the others!"
Hei Thirteen shouted loudly, as if he feared that the chaos wasn't enough.
In an instant, the ghosts and monsters attending the feast all stood up, their expressions hostile, and they all pounced forward, launching their attacks.
These ghosts and monsters possessed incredibly strange combat methods. Some controlled Yin Qi, while others spewed toxic mists and flames. Some even transformed into their true forms and directly launched their assaults.
Each one was more fierce and brutal than the last, with astonishing aura.
In such a situation, even a grandmaster would feel despair.
But whether it was Ning Xihua or Su Yi, they seemed completely unfazed, their expressions unchanged.
Boom!
In an instant, Ning Xihua's aura underwent a drastic change, and a dazzling and radiant light emerged around her petite figure, resembling a divine rainbow and a blazing sun, radiating brilliance.
Some of the evil spirits who had just charged forward let out a scream of horror even before they could get close. Their figures melted away into wisps of blue smoke.
But these evil spirits seemed oblivious to fear and continued to charge forward, shrouded in malevolent aura.
Taking advantage of the situation, some powerful ghosts and monsters attempted to launch a surprise attack.
However, the power displayed by Ning Xihua next made them all feel what despair and fear truly meant.
It was as if...
Her dress fluttered as she took steps forward, casually slapping her palm. Groups of evil spirits were instantly shattered, their bodies bursting apart in the void.
Some powerful ghosts and monsters approached wielding weapons, but they were effortlessly annihilated by her seemingly casual gestures, as if she were easily crushing ants.
This terrified many of the ghosts and monsters in the field, their expressions changing drastically.
At the same time, Su Yi had already risen to his feet, his expression calm. He said, "Follow behind me."
Saying that, he walked towards a massive bronze pillar not far away.
The evil spirits rushing from all directions seemed to be completely ignored by him, or rather, they were not even worthy of his attention.
Tao Qingshan and Teng Yong's faces turned solemn as they hurriedly followed. They never expected the battle to erupt so suddenly and intensely.
But they had no time to think too much.
The situation was too dangerous!
This was Jiuyu City, Wuhuan Shuijun's stronghold, and there were hundreds of fierce characters gathered near the courtyard to attend the feast.
If it weren't for Su Yi, they would have been overwhelmed with fear from the very beginning...
Now, they could only place their hopes on Su Yi.
Boom~~ Boom~~
The malevolent aura surged like a tidal wave, and hordes of evil spirits with bared fangs and claws rushed over, covering the sky and ground. This scene made Tao Qingshan, Teng Yong, and the others instinctively prepare to fight.
But someone was quicker than them—a flash of sword light.
Swish!
The sword energy was like a streak of silk, blocking the path of the approaching evil spirits. All of them were wiped out, and the black smoke billowed and dispersed.
There were also two demons lurking among the group of evil spirits, fierce characters that had infiltrated the mountainside as disguised guests attending the feast.
However, under this sword strike, they were as fragile as paper, slain on the spot without a chance to evade.
This scene left Tao Qingshan and Teng Yong dumbfounded and inwardly shaken. Was this the grace of an immortal?
"Not good, this kid is too powerful, retreat quickly!"
Originally, Ha Shisan had already charged forward, but upon witnessing this scene, his chubby cheeks trembled in fear, and he quickly turned around to retreat without any hesitation.
He never expected that a young man in a green robe, whom they had been ignoring all along, would be so terrifying when he took action.
Even the old man with the yellow rat-like appearance trembled all over and swiftly hid away like he was running for his life.
Of course, there were also those who were fearless and continued to advance, either brandishing weapons or employing sinister and malicious secret techniques.
However, without exception, they were all swiftly and cleanly cut down by Su Yi's swings of the Royal Mystical Sword, as if he were cutting melons and vegetables.
Soon, Su Yi and the others arrived in front of the bronze pillar.
"Kill!" "Kill!" "Kill!" "Kill!"
Those fearless evil spirits continued to charge forward, their momentum overwhelming, but they were all slain in waves before they could even approach.
At the same time as he fought, Su Yi extended his left hand, his fingertips like blades, swiftly carving mysterious and obscure symbols and patterns on the bronze pillar.
Dividing his attention, he fought the enemy while carving.
In just a few breaths, a cryptic and mysterious formation appeared on the bronze pillar.
Without delay, Su Yi, along with Tao Qingshan and Teng Yong, headed towards another bronze pillar.
Along the way, the slaughter continued incessantly.
But no matter how many opponents there were, they all died under Su Yi's sword like moths flying into a flame.
"Who are these men and women?"
"So terrifying!"
"Quick, hide! I came to attend the feast, not to die!"
...A series of uproars and exclamations resounded through the scene, completely throwing the situation into chaos.
However, it was evident to all that both Su Yi and Ning Xihua were unstoppable!
The terrifying power displayed by the two of them made the ghosts and monsters attending the feast tremble in fear and astonishment.
Who would have believed that such a powerful couple existed?
Who would have imagined that someone would dare to cause trouble so boldly in Wuhuan Shuijun's stronghold?
At this moment, Wuhuan Shuijun in the center of the courtyard had a darkened expression.
He no longer hesitated and took out a blood-colored flag from his sleeve, fiercely waving it in the air.
Boom!
Nine massive bronze gates rose up around the courtyard, forming a layout resembling a Nine Palaces. Each gate was ten zhang tall and depicted different blood-colored and eerie totems, including wind, thunder, earth, fire, the sun, the moon, and the stars.
As the nine bronze gates appeared, they instantly became walls, sealing off all retreat routes in the courtyard.
At the same time, Ning Xihua happened to break through the encirclement, moving lightly and coming within five zhang of Wuhuan Shuijun.
"Die!"
Wuhuan Shuijun roared loudly, waving the blood-colored flag in his hand towards Ning Xihua.
Boom!
Immediately, a streak of blood-colored thunder, resembling a long whip, surged forth from the southwest bronze gate with a dazzling and eerie light, fiercely slashing towards Ning Xihua.