Yun Po was completely stunned. Lu Zhihui had been perfectly fine just moments ago, so why would he suddenly trigger a beast tide now? This was nothing like what they had agreed on beforehand.
Yunxi caught a whiff of something unusual, a cloying, metallic scent that didn't belong to the forest, and she immediately raised her hand, sending a cluster of distress fireworks into the sky. A brilliant Haoran auspicious cloud exploded overhead, dazzling and unmistakable against the dark clouds.
At the same time, Yun Po was sent flying by Lu Zhihui's massive antlers. His body crashed to the ground like a kite with its string cut, losing all signs of life in an instant as his shell lay limp and hollow. Almost simultaneously, a faint female voice sounded beside Yunxi's ear.
"Ran Xi, retreat now. We can't stop Lu Zhihui. He is ninth rank."
Yunxi knew that voice well. It was Bing Li. She spoke at once, her gaze fixed on the charging deer. "Bing Li? You sacrificed a layer of cultivation to stay alive?"
"Yes. I couldn't withstand Lu Zhihui's attacks otherwise."
As the words fell, Bing Li's delicate face appeared beside Yunxi, her form flickering with exhaustion. At the same moment, Yunxi completed her final hand seal, wrapped Bing Li up in a protective layer of wind, and fled from the peak.
Lu Zhihui didn't chase after them immediately. Instead, he began attacking the Heavenly Dipper Evil Slaying Formation that was trapping Han Qingwen and the others in the valley below. Yunxi had no choice but to halt her escape to watch the barrier.
"What is wrong? Are we blocked?" Bing Li asked immediately.
Yunxi was already standing at the edge of the inner region, her brows tightly knit as she watched the impacts. "Lu Zhihui is attacking the activated Heavenly Dipper Evil Slaying Formation."
Bing Li pressed on, her voice strained. "Can the formation last until all the evil energy on the Dengyun Hall disciples is completely purged?"
"If it were the full version, maybe. This is only a simplified formation. With Lu Zhihui's ninth rank strength, it will hold for no more than a quarter of an hour. We have got to think of something fast."
Bing Li was anxious, but direct combat wasn't her specialty. Sneak attacks, backstabbing, and gathering intelligence were her strengths, but a head-on clash wasn't. She said at once, "I have already sent messages to nearby Zhēnzūn. They should arrive soon. Don't forget there's a Mahayana Zhēnzūn at Yixian Gate."
Yunxi flicked her sleeve and released Bing Li, whose cultivation had fallen back to late Void Refinement. "I'm afraid there won't be enough time. I will go stall Lu Zhihui first. Get ready for a sneak attack."
"Alright!"
Bing Li gritted her teeth and agreed. Even if she couldn't, she had to try.
Yunxi summoned the Mystic Frost Needle and split the single point into ten thousand, launching an attack on Lu Zhihui in hopes of breaking through his armor-like deer hide.
The ice needles, carrying a bone-chilling cold, turned into sharp ice cones the instant they were fired, stabbing fiercely toward Lu Zhihui's flanks.
Crashing sounds rang out nonstop across the clearing. Many ice cones shattered on impact against the beast's skin, though some managed to wound Lu Zhihui's fur, drawing thin lines of red. The attack clearly irritated him. He turned to look at Yunxi, his eyes burning, then appeared behind her in the next instant. His massive antlers, gleaming with cold light, slammed into her, sending her flying just like Yun Po before.
With a muffled sound, the second substitute puppet Yunxi had obtained from Wei Zonghao shattered once again, fulfilling its role of taking a fatal blow for its master. Even so, she spat out a mouthful of blood as the impact jarred her core. Her protective qi barrier broke, and she suffered severe internal injuries.
After crashing to the ground, Yunxi wiped the blood from the corner of her mouth and charged forward with the Seven Stars Soul Shattering Staff. She had set a limit for herself; ten minutes. As long as she could hold Lu Zhihui for ten minutes, reinforcements would arrive.
The Seven Stars Soul Shattering Staff sensed its master's resolve. The five activated star wheels along the staff lit up one after another, beginning to fuse thunder, ice, metal, wind, and wood into a single force to match her desperate attacks.
Yunxi could feel the staff drawing spiritual power from her body more slowly now, yet the aura it emitted was far more overwhelming than before. In the next instant, she teleported behind Lu Zhihui and swung the staff viciously. Whether it hit or not, she immediately shifted position again, giving him no chance to lock onto her location.
Bing Li watched as the sky filled with staff shadows and countless figures of Ran Xi. She couldn't help but sigh inwardly at the sight. No wonder Ran Xi had ended up on the evil cultivators' blacklist. She had once thought that sounded exaggerated, but after witnessing Ran Xi's combat power, she realized the evil cultivators had actually been conservative in their assessment. Anyone would feel fear facing such a suicidal fighting style.
At this moment, Yunxi entered a profound state of focus. She felt like the omnipresent wind itself, shifting and fluid. Lu Zhihui was a stubborn boulder in her mind. Gust after gust swept past the massive rock, unable to move it in the slightest.
But she didn't give up on the effort. She turned the wind into sharp wind blades and infused them with a trace of keen metal intent. When they swept across the boulder again, she heard a distinct clang. A shallow mark appeared on its surface.
"Not enough. Still not enough."
As she murmured, countless ice needles transformed into a blizzard and intertwined with the wind blades. She instinctively poured thunder power into the mix and pressed the attack.
In Bing Li's eyes, Lu Zhihui was now standing at the heart of a violent storm. Endless wind and snow carried explosive thunder power, along with threads of sharp metal intent, tearing down his natural defenses.
Lu Zhihui wasn't having an easy time either. His eyes flickered between black and brown as the tornado surrounding him shattered his protective defenses.
With an enraged roar that shook the mountain, Lu Zhihui spread his nine wings, burst out of the storm's eye, and once again smashed Yunxi aside.
That collision knocked her out of her profound state. Only then did she realize her dantian was completely empty. The blow worsened her internal injuries, and she couldn't even muster spiritual power to stabilize herself in the air. She could only be flung away by the force of the hit.
Seeing things go wrong, Bing Li flashed over to catch Yunxi. Someone else reached her first. Golden armor beneath Yunxi's robe manifested instantly, firmly protecting her frame.
She turned her head and saw that it was Hao Ran Zhēnzūn who had steadied her. She called out at once, her voice raspy. "Ancestor!"
Hao Ran Zhēnzūn spoke in a deep voice that carried across the battlefield. "This one saw your signal. Go rest first. Leave the rest to us."
Bing Li arrived beside Yunxi and immediately cupped her hands in greeting. "Hao Ran Zhēnzūn, I'm Bing Li, known as Bao Dating. I'm the one who teamed up with Ran Xi Zūnshàng this time."
He knew of her and waved his hand. "Take her out of the Wolong Mountain Range first. Leave the rest to this one."
"Yes!"
Bing Li supported Yunxi by the arm, preparing to retreat from the inner perimeter of the Wolong Mountain Range.
Before leaving, Yunxi spoke one last time. "Ancestor, Lu Zhihui should be confused by an evil soul. Please be careful. He is ninth rank, so even briefly controlling his evil soul won't be easy."
Hao Ran Zhēnzūn had already locked his gaze onto the nine-winged deer in its true form. He waved his hand dismissively. "You go first. The beast tide in the outer region has already started. Watch yourselves."
"Yes, Zhēnzūn."
This time, Bing Li didn't hesitate at all and carried Yunxi out of the inner region in a flash.
By then, the outer region of Wolong Mountain was already in chaos. Low-rank beasts were charging outward in groups, their target clearly Xiaolong City beyond the foothills.
Those cultivators who had wanted to watch the excitement and had rushed into the Wolong Mountain Range first were now forced to fight the beast tide head-on. Fortunately, most of the beasts charging out were only third rank, so they could still handle it.
When Yunxi and Bing Li appeared in the outer region, someone cried out in shock. "Ran Xi Zūnshàng!"