In front, a middle-aged man wearing a pure white robe stood in mid-air, his deanor graceful and dignified, exuding the presence of a Banished Immortal.
He Shutong narrowed his cold eyes:
"Xun Yuan?"
The man nad Xun Yuan laughed heartily and said, "I never expected, after ninety years, the Lotus Sword Venerable still rembers my na. It truly makes feel flattered."
"Soone as repulsive as you is hard to forget." He Shutong’s tone was cold and dangerous, like the soft chi of a chilling sword.
Yet Xun Yuan was not angry, maintaining a calm and collected deanor.
Unbeknownst to him, in He Shutong’s eyes, Xun Yuan presented a different image, his white robe entwined with a crimson python, its scales dense, and the patterns on the scales resembling fallen eyeballs, complented by Xun Yuan’s face that hung like decaying flesh, rendering him extraordinarily grotesque.
"A beauty like the Lotus Sword Venerable is equally difficult to forget."
As he finished speaking, a surge of Sword Qi swept in, blasting the mountain wall behind him and exposing much of it. He Shutong stood silently with her sword, and where Xun Yuan once stood, only half of a white robe was left floating in the air.
"The temper of the Lotus Sword Venerable remains as fierce as ever." Xun Yuan stood in the air, with lingering fear.
He Shutong said nothing, her feet touched the ground and she flew straight up, her next sword attack followed closely.
That Xun Yuan did not engage in combat, rely dodged repeatedly, narrowly escaping several tis, leaving him secretly alard.
Rumor has it, the Lotus Sword Venerable sealed her cultivation to seek a breakthrough, hiding in the mortal world to train, yet even without cultivation, she’s still terrifying, truly worthy of the title as the foremost female Sword Cultivator.
"Venerable, don’t rush, I will let you return to Chuyun City, but this is not the ti." Xun Yuan subtly placed his right hand on a black gourd at his waist.
"What exactly happened to Chuyun City?"
"Venerable, you asked the wrong person. My task is rely to delay you."
"You can’t delay ."
He Shutong glared angrily, not because she was incapable of defeating this Evil Cultivator, but because his constant dodging was sowhat frustrating.
With a flick of her sword like a lotus, she held nothing back, but Xun Yuan remained unafraid, retreating swiftly as though anticipated, and while retreating, he unleashed several spells ford by dark Profound Qi to obstruct He Shutong’s offensive.
He Shutong’s gaze was resolute, any skill before her sword seed as thin as paper, and just as she broke through the final barrier, Xun Yuan’s gourd spewed a sky-covering black mist, enveloping He Shutong completely.
This black mist flowed as if it had Spiritual Sense, resembling a vast and sinister black jellyfish.
Xun Yuan looked toward the floating jellyfish in the sky with a sinister gaze, then imdiately sat down to restore, muttering with resentnt:
"Without Profound Qi, I refuse to believe I won’t be able to delay you..."
...
On the walls of Chuyun City, a group of people gazed intently into the distance, trying to pierce through the mist to see beyond the city, yet aside from an expanse of milky white, nothing else was visible.
Zhou Yichang tried to stick his head out but saw nothing, prompting him to ask:
"Mr. Liou, is there really a mountain-sized sinister presence outside as you claim?"
Mr. Liou, hands behind his back, shifted his gaze and said, "I am not mistaken... Its delay in arrival might be good for us, indicating that its interval between mist spews is long. After its next mist spew, we depart, making it easier to escape."
Zhou Yichang nodded, although all this was based on Mr. Liou’s speculation, there were no better ways to increase their odds.
Lv Muchun touched the mist, sowhat helplessly, "This mist is indeed very sinister, how can we possibly prevent it from spreading into the city?"
After speaking, he channeled Qi Movent, releasing Profound Qi from his palm to form an invisible wall, yet these pervasive mists circled around even this unseen barrier.
"Although releasing Profound Qi can block it, how can we possibly shield the entire city with just a few Water Condensation Cultivators like us?"
Mr. Liou shook his head, having no better solution, even if they could shield it, they couldn’t continuously output Profound Qi. He then turned to Qi Daodong and asked:
"Have you instructed everyone in the city to shut all doors and windows?"
"I had Wu Cheng handle that." Qi Daodong replied.
"Hmm... Mr. Qi, the food stock in City Lord’s mansion storeroom is not much, probably enough for the city residents for three days. In the next few days don’t distribute food. You must plan the allocation well, extending how long it can last. If any citizens riot, you must promptly suppress them with force, keeping morale stable."
Qi Daodong nodded in agreent, since choosing those to leave the city, Mr. Liou had been ticulously instructing him on city governance, making Qi Daodong admire Mr. Liou’s greatness. He even proposed that Mr. Liou stay, offering to go out and report, but was ruthlessly declined. The only one who’s seen the true sinister presence is Mr. Liou from the Divine Mountain; aside from him, no one else can grasp that glimr of hope for survival.
"City Lord, You Su has sothing to report." A servant approached Mr. Liou and said.
Mr. Liou was slightly surprised, rembering he had asked Zhou Li to escort You Su ho: "Let him up."
"Yes."
Not long after, You Su erged from the mist, bowing, his face unclear.
"You Su greets Mr. Liou."
"Hmm, what do you have to report?"
You Su paused montarily before saying, "I think Mr. Liou should not hastily leave the city."
"Oh? Why is that?" Mr. Liou asked, and the Sect Leaders around him were intrigued, looking over.
"Mr. Liou and the Sect Leaders are the steadfast force of the city; each of you is indispensable to Chuyun City currently. With you here, perhaps we can withstand until reinforcents arrive."
Mr. Liou smiled, thinking You Su had sothing novel in mind:
"You’re a good child, You Su. But you’re blind, unable to see that sinister presence; once you see it, you’ll understand, it is unstoppable. Whether we are here or not, it remains the sa. Thus, in this situation, we must find reinforcents swiftly."
"But have you considered, what if in the mist there’s more than just the one presence you saw? Wouldn’t that make this endeavor suicidal?"
Upon hearing this, the Sect Leaders showed surprise; indeed, they hadn’t considered this possibility. After all, they hadn’t seen a single sinister presence firsthand, relying only on Mr. Liou’s one-sided account.
"I have considered it; it indeed is possible." Mr. Liou continued with a faint smile, "If we dare not leave the city for such a reason, what’s the point of living longer? Rather than that, I’d venture out and fight for that sliver of hope."
Upon hearing this, all felt a tragic resolve.
You Su too felt helpless, respecting the City Lord’s choice, unable to articulate further.
"City Lord’s great spirit." You Su praised aloud, "Then I’ll take my leave."
"Hmm." Mr. Liou nodded.
You Su turned and left, deeply conflicted. As he turned to descend, his gaze inadvertently t the distant horizon outside the city, suddenly sothing erged within You Su’s muddled vision...
It was... a silhouette as massive as a mountain!
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