The middle-aged man in the jade-colored robe was named Wang Tu, the Palace Master of the Jixia Academy!
The disheveled, skinny old man was named Helian Hai, the Palace Master of the Shuiyue Academy!
Both of them were Innate Martial Masters and had entered the ranks of the top ten Innate Martial Masters many years ago.
Especially Wang Tu, in the prime of his life, had achieved unparalleled mastery with his "Lightning Sword." He had been praised by the Ten-Fold Pavilion as having "three parts elegance and grace among all sword techniques in the world"!
Their arrival alongside Lu Dongliu and his group made Ning Xihua and the others immediately realize that trouble had arrived!
Although Lansuo did not recognize these people, she was aware of the severity of the situation. Her beautiful eyebrows furrowed, and she prepared herself for battle.
"Behold, everyone, Su Yi manipulates the power of this forbidden formation and refines medicine here. His methods are akin to those of a divine being. If I hadn't witnessed it with my own eyes, I wouldn't believe that such a person exists in this world," said Lu Dongliu, pointing towards Su Yi, who was seated in the distance.
He appeared very composed.
"Hehe, all I see is that he is already exhausted, teetering on the brink of collapse. I can't bear to disturb his pill refinement," chuckled Li Cang as he stroked his beard.
"I wonder what kind of pill he is refining. The fragrance is so rich and refreshing. Perhaps... we should wait until he finishes and then kill him?" Liao Yunliu, who carried a sword on her back, whispered softly. Her gaze fixed on the resplendent Purple Capital Cauldron, revealing a hint of desire.
"No, we can't afford to delay!" Helian Hai, with his messy hair, firmly rejected the idea. "Delays lead to unexpected changes. In my opinion, we should strike immediately and kill this brat!"
The Palace Master of the Shuiyue Academy was filled with a surging killing intent.
"But what about these three?" Wang Tu, the suave middle-aged man in the jade-colored robe, looked at Ning Xihua and the others, a playful expression on his face.
Lu Dongliu pondered for a moment before calmly saying, "Ning Xihua, are you three planning to leave now or shall we send you on your way?"
The term "send you on your way" naturally meant sending them on the path of death.
"Action is the answer," Ning Xihua replied calmly, her tone resolute.
Mu Xi smiled and added, "I'd like to see today if the members of the Hidden Dragon Sword Sect are really as tough as they claim to be!"
Lansuo's response was simple. She said, "They hesitate to make a move because they fear that we will fight back with all our might."
With that, the exceptionally beautiful and noble disciple of the Donghua Sword Sect revealed a disdainful smile on her lips and lightly uttered a phrase:
"But I... have no worries!"
Swish!
She raised her delicate hand, and the Heaven-Ensnaring Rope soared into the air, extending its length like a silver torrent, forming a barrier in front of Su Yi.
Almost simultaneously, Lansuo swung both hands, unleashing more than ten elemental jade talismans.
Boom! Boom! Boom!
In an instant, hurricanes, raging thunder, seas of fire, water arrows, massive rocks... various magical forces surged like a bursting flood, covering the sky and the earth.
Each strike, though not comparable to the attacks of true immortal cultivators, held three parts of the essence and was enough to severely wound an Innate Martial Master!
When dealing with the monks of the Shanglin Temple before, Lansuo had caused tremendous damage to them with her indiscriminate bombardment.
At the same time as Lansuo made her move, Ning Xihua and Mu Xi prepared themselves, waiting for an opportunity to strike.
However, unexpectedly, Lu Dongliu suddenly grasped a bronze umbrella and forcefully opened it.
Boom!
As the bronze umbrella opened, it formed a golden radiant round light screen that stood before Lu Dongliu and the others.
Within the golden light screen, intricate and dense rune patterns flowed, emitting a radiant glow.
The Qianyuan Umbrella!
It was a secret treasure of the Elemental Dao refined by an Elemental Dao cultivator. It could withstand the fury of storms and resolve various attacks, rendering the defense impenetrable.
Many years ago, a true immortal cultivator of the Hidden Dragon Sword Sect had held this umbrella and stood on the battlefield, effortlessly blocking a rain of arrows from all directions!
And now, Lu Dongliu invoked this treasure, using it as a shield.
Then, a rumble!
The attacks from the elemental jade talismans exploded like fireworks on the golden light screen, creating destructive power that caused intense ripples.
However, the golden light screen remained unbroken.
Ning Xihua and Mu Xi felt a sinking feeling in their hearts. Lu Dongliu had even brought the Qianyuan Umbrella, clearly having planned ahead.
Lansuo's delicate eyebrows furrowed slightly, showing some surprise.
"These elemental jade talismans are all good treasures. It's a pity to waste them like this," Lu Dongliu lamented as he put away the Qianyuan Umbrella, his voice filled with regret.
Li Cang's face showed kindness, and he chuckled, "If people die, now that would be even more of a pity."
Clang!
Liao Yunliu drew the sword from her back, resolute and swift. She said, "Let's attack!"
Her voice echoed as she stepped on the ground, her figure darting towards Ning Xihua like lightning.
Swish!
The sword gleamed like frosty snow, radiant and dazzling, carrying an overwhelming sword qi.
Almost at the same time, Lu Dongliu smiled faintly, his figure flashing as he rushed towards Lansuo, his sleeves billowing as he threw a punch.
The elder from the Hidden Dragon Sword Sect's transmission hall, once he made a move, displayed an overbearing power akin to a demon or deity. With just a single punch, he unleashed a devastating force that seemed to shatter the heavens and split the earth.
On the other side, Li Cang, with his white hair, flicked his sleeve, and a black flying blade soared up, swiftly spinning towards Mu Xi.
In an instant, these three influential figures from the Hidden Dragon Sword Sect seemed to have an unspoken agreement as they respectively charged towards Ning Xihua and the others, coordinating seamlessly.
Boom!
A fierce battle erupted, and almost immediately, Ning Xihua, Mu Xi, and Lansuo employed all their techniques, without holding anything back. They couldn't afford to reserve anything in such a perilous situation.
Under normal circumstances, they wouldn't have to fight desperately like this.
However, they could see clearly that Lu Dongliu and his companions intended to keep them occupied, allowing Wang Tu and Helian Hai to deal with Su Yi.
And unfortunately, Su Yi was currently busy refining pills and had no time to spare!
To make matters worse, even if he were to abandon that furnace of pills, Su Yi was already at the brink of exhaustion, in his most weakened state.
In such a situation, the consequences would be unimaginable if he were to suffer a blow!
Therefore, whether it was Ning Xihua, Mu Xi, or Lansuo, they spared no effort from the very beginning, aiming to prevent the worst from happening.
However...
How could Lu Dongliu and his group fail to perceive the concerns of Ning Xihua and the others?
They also unleashed their attacks without holding back!
As a result, when this fierce battle broke out, it immediately plunged into a life-or-death situation!
Meanwhile, Wang Tu, the Palace Master of the Jixia Academy, and Helian Hai, the Palace Master of the Water Moon Academy, charged towards Su Yi, who was not far away as soon as the fight erupted.
Wang Tu summoned a three-foot-long sword, as blue as a clear lake, its edge shining brightly like the sun. With his sleeves fluttering, he suddenly struck down with his sword.
Bang!
The celestial rope, like a silvery torrent, which originally stood in front of Su Yi like a barrier, was violently churned by Wang Tu's strike and soon couldn't hold up. It fell to the ground like a dead snake.
Seizing this opportunity, on the other side, Helian Hai shouted loudly, brandishing a crimson war spear, his figure shooting towards Su Yi like a released arrow.
"Die!"
Helian Hai vigorously swung the crimson war spear, bringing forth a multitude of blood-colored spear shadows that tore through the sky, the spear tip aimed directly at Su Yi.
In that instant, Su Yi remained in a seated position, seemingly reluctant to give up on that furnace of pills, or perhaps completely oblivious to everything happening.
In Helian Hai's eyes, he was nothing more than a lamb waiting to be slaughtered!
An expression of excitement couldn't help but appear in his eyes.
At this extremely dangerous moment, a figure suddenly appeared out of thin air.
Clang!
A deafening collision resounded.
The figure that arrived in time staggered back, coughing up blood.
It was Ning Xihua!
Having sensed that something was wrong earlier, she completely disregarded the danger of being injured and rushed over in the first moment. At this critical moment, she blocked Helian Hai's deadly attack.
However, she was also severely injured.
First, she had been struck by Liao Yunliu's sword on her back, leaving a gory sword wound that cut deep into the flesh, exposing the bone.
And now, due to the hasty intervention, she was also shaken by Helian Hai's strike, causing her qi and blood to almost become chaotic. She suffered significant internal injuries, and her fair and beautiful face turned pale.
Especially on her back, blood flowed down like a spring.
Yet, she seemed completely unaware, her expression calm, standing in front of Su Yi. In one hand, she gripped the Green Flame Crescent Halberd, while the other controlled the Crimson Carp Flying Sword.
She faced life and death with indifference.
"You, as the prestigious Palace Master of the Tianyuan Academy, are you really willing to sacrifice your life for this Su Yi? Unfortunately... you won't be able to withstand it," Liao Yunliu said in astonishment, then shook her head.
As she spoke, she had already charged forward, her sword slashing through the air like thunder.
At the same time, Wang Tu and Helian Hai also attacked together, each one more ruthless than the other, not missing any opportunity.
Being caught in the joint assault of these three influential figures, Ning Xihua took a deep breath. A trace of madness appeared in her eyes, and her expression grew even calmer.
It seemed as if she had made a decision.
Inside her, a power that had been dormant for a long time slowly awakened...
But in that instant, a faint voice echoed in her ears:
"It's not worth using your trump card against these insignificant pests."
Ning Xihua was taken aback.
At the same time as the indifferent voice sounded, Su Yi, who had been sitting cross-legged in the void, suddenly turned his head and glanced at Liao Yunliu, Wang Tu, and Helian Hai.
His profound gaze, like a deep and unfathomable starry black hole, briefly flashed an unmatched sharpness.
Boom!
The figures of Liao Yunliu and the others who had charged forward trembled. Their souls were struck by a majestic and boundless sword intent. They let out a muffled groan, blood flowing from their lips.
Then, they suddenly retreated, each one bleeding from their lips, their expressions filled with pain, astonishment, and disbelief. Cold sweat broke out on their backs.
Soul Secret Technique!
With just a casual glance, Su Yi used the power of his soul to inflict damage upon their souls like an immense mountain. If they hadn't dodged in time, their souls would have been completely obliterated!
This sudden turn of events surprised everyone present, who were engaged in intense combat.
"What's going on?"
Lu Dongliu and Li Cang frowned.
"It seems like Su Yi... has recovered?" Mu Xi and Lansuo's eyes showed a hint of joy. The tension in their hearts relaxed somewhat at this moment.
Meanwhile, Ning Xihua seemed to have noticed something and couldn't help but gaze at Su Yi.