Chapter 104: A Motley Crew

Noticing that Wang Sheng still hadn't shown his full strength yet, Chi Ling stopped Fei Lianzi.

The eight men charged at Wang Sheng all at once, unleashing over a dozen streaks of multicolored light within seconds and attempting to wound him with concealed weapons. Those who immediately resorted to throwing concealed weapons like them were often ruthless individuals who had committed countless atrocities long before the resurgence of primal qi.

Wang Sheng had already anticipated such a tactic. He swiftly dodged to the left as their concealed, true-essence-infused weapons struck the seawater behind him, the impact creating more than ten pillars of water.

With his footwork technique pushed to the limit, he continuously shifted positions and advanced toward the three men on the far right. His treasured sword, infused with a vast amount of true essence, shimmered like rippling water as he launched an all-out attack.

Despite being outnumbered, he pressed on with his offense. A continuous resonance of sword cries rang out from within him, as if a celestial sword imbued with the power of the stars was about to burst forth from his chest to vanquish corruption and slay devils.

Seven stars swept across the beach. As Wang Sheng swung his longsword down, sword phantasms engulfed the three men. His unstoppable swordsmanship once again spilled blood.

Wang Sheng utilized the true might of the Seven-Star Sword Technique, which Gao Shixing had passed down to him. It compensated for the intricacies that the Seven-Star Sword Formation lacked, while the Seven-Star Sword Formation covered its weakness in handling multiple opponents.

However, his opponents were far stronger than the mere riffraff earlier. Several talismans were shot into the swirling sword phantasms. They then exploded, forcing Wang Sheng to change tactics and evade.

Nevertheless, the three men within the sword phantasms had already sustained over a dozen wounds each. Striking them three more times in quick succession, Wang Sheng managed to pierce through the heart of one of them. The man collapsed and perished.

Cultivators at the Seed Formation Realm were still in the Foundation Establishment Stage. If their Dao body suffered a fatal injury, death was inevitable.

His opponents slashed and thrust at Wang Sheng's vital points. Moreover, talismans flew toward him like ghostly flames, and one of the corrupt cultivators began chanting the incantation of a sinister curse to attack his spiritual consciousness.

"True Five-Star Radiance, illuminate the dark!" Wang Sheng sharply shouted, instantly dispelling the malignant curse.

Pushing his footwork technique to the limit once more, he unleashed two sword energy waves, sending the two gravely wounded men straight to the gates of hell. He then exchanged several rapid blows with two corrupt cultivators who were pursuing him.

Their blades clashed, relentlessly prolonging the fierce battle. Just as Wang Sheng's victory became evident, several more Seed Formation Realm cultivators dashed out of the forest.

Wang Sheng swung his sword according to Dubhe's path. His sword momentum rose steadily as he shouted, "The Dao of Shu is difficult—more difficult than ascending to the heavens!"

Whoosh!

A sword flew from its wielder's hand, turning into a silver beam. It shot out like a comet streaking across the sky, slicing past the corrupt cultivators on the right.

Two early-stage Seed Formation Realm cultivators screamed in agony as they clutched the backs of their necks and staggered backward. Blood gushed from their wounds, and the fierce Sword Essence within the injuries made it impossible to stop the bleeding.

From afar, Fei Lianzi thunderously shouted, "Heaven-Earth Combat Art: Qi-Controlled Sword!"

The longsword that had shot straight ahead trembled in midair. It then abruptly soared into the sky.

Catching sight of it from the corner of his eye, Wang Sheng's spirits were immediately lifted. Nevertheless, he never once slowed down. Following the Seven Stars' positions, he kept the Seven-Star Sword Formation at its peak.

While the corrupt cultivators were distracted by the sword-controlling art, Wang Sheng further wounded his remaining opponents.

Standing at the edge of the speedboat, Fei Lianzi formed a sword finger with his left hand and inscribed a talisman in the air. He then flicked his finger, making the flying sword dive down like a shooting star toward another corrupt cultivator. His target panicked and tried to evade, only to find that the flying sword clung to him like his shadow.

Fei Lianzi leaped off the speedboat, his feet skimming the waves as he rushed forward. Right after, he spun the treasured sword in his right hand, sending out streaks of sword phantasms.

Some corrupt cultivators attempted to turn and take out Fei Lianzi, but Wang Sheng swiftly changed tactics. Instead of balancing offense and defense, he launched an all-out assault, throwing their enemies into disarray.

With their momentum lost, their enemies' superior numbers no longer mattered.

Sword of Violet Reverence!

Seven-Star Devil Executioner!

Wang Sheng seemed to split into seven sword phantasms, each radiating a brilliance akin to the Seven Stars exploding. The phantasms were neither illusion nor mere trickery; they were all real and capable of cutting down enemies.

The two weaved through the group of corrupt cultivators. Wang Sheng struck from west to east, while Fei Lianzi attacked from south to north. As they passed by each other, they exchanged knowing smiles.

Sword radiance burst in every direction, and the flying sword whirled through the air. Their enemies couldn't even find a way to escape.

When facing a sword cultivator up close, talismans and incantations became utterly useless. Moreover, although the two corrupt cultivators skilled in close combat had countless techniques at their disposal, they couldn't keep up with the sheer speed of the two swordsmen. In mere moments, they were completely annihilated.

By the time Wang Sheng and Fei Lianzi finally stopped their advance, the second wave of eight corrupt cultivators had already fallen. Five had long since perished, while three were on the verge of death. Wang Sheng and Fei Lianzi swiftly ended their suffering.

"This is exhilarating!" Fei Lianzi laughed and tilted his head back. "This is how it should be, purging corruption with our swords! Our righteous spirit soars to the heavens!"

In the forest, the corrupt cultivators who had been rushing forward stopped in their tracks. Wariness and hatred filled their eyes as they glared at the two sword cultivators standing on the beach. Considering their opponents could use even the Shu Sword Sect's legendary sword-controlling art, how were they supposed to win?

The two stood before the speedboat. Wang Sheng had his sword case on his back and his treasured sword in hand, while Fei Lianzi held a longsword behind him with his right hand and kept his left arm extended forward. Above his palm hovered another longsword, slowly rotating as layers of true essence wrapped around it.

Fei Lianzi chuckled. "Fei Yu, what do you think of my incomplete sword-controlling art?"

Wang Sheng nodded calmly. "I want to learn it."

"Good! Even if you can't pass the Seventy-Two Swords, I can at least... demonstrate our sword-controlling art to you a few more times."

Fei Lianzi had started boldly but trailed off near the end. He seemed to have realized that he didn't have the authority to pass down his sect's sword-controlling art to outsiders.

Wang Sheng chuckled softly but didn't press the matter.

Under the starlight, Wang Sheng and Fei Lianzi stood tall amid the fallen cultivators scattered around them, emitting a striking presence on the battlefield.

Meanwhile, under the boat, the four Illusory Core cultivators lay face down in the sand, biding their time as they waited for enemies on their level to make a move.

"So this is the Five Gods Cult?" Wang Sheng's words traveled across the island. "You claim that matters of the cultivation world should be settled by cultivators, yet your solution is to send your own people for us to slaughter, hoping that we would lose control and fall into the path of corruption?"

Fei Lianzi gave a subtle thumbs-up. He then questioned, "Where are you, Flowing Water God? You said in your video that you wanted to meet me. Well, here I am!"

Chi Ling muttered, "Don't provoke them too much. They might start killing hostages again."

Right after she spoke, a cold snort echoed from the island. Instead of the Flowing Water God, they heard a raspy male voice.

"Our disciples in the Five Gods Cult are utterly useless. There were so many of you, yet you couldn't even take out two Seed Formation Realm sword cultivators?"

A moment later, the Flowing Water God commanded, "All followers, advance. Use talismans and incantations to kill them. Disobedience will be dealt with according to the cult's rules. Do not keep Captain Chi Ling waiting; bring her up at once."

In the forest, a group of thirty to forty people had already gathered. They hesitantly began to move forward.

Wang Sheng quietly asked, "Daoist Master, shall we charge in and cut them down? That'll make things quicker. We just have to avoid pursuing too deep and make sure we retreat immediately if we meet a strong opponent."

Fei Lianzi blinked. "That wasn't part of the plan... but fine. Stay close to me, and don't underestimate them."

Wang Sheng tightened his grip on his sword hilt. The radiance of his treasured sword surged. "My footwork will give me an advantage within the forest. Let's go."

Before he could even finish speaking, they had already lunged forward. Mu Wanxuan immediately leaped onto the beach and followed them as well.

Though Chi Ling's eyes widened, she had nothing to worry about. She had four Illusory Core Realm cultivators under the boat, ensuring her safety.

Roaring in anger, one of the quicker-thinking corrupt cultivators threw several talismans and a flurry of concealed weapons at Wang Sheng and Fei Lianzi. In response, Wang Sheng used the Seven-Star Footwork to dodge most of the attacks and make his movements unpredictable.

Fei Lianzi took a more direct approach. He flicked his left hand, making his flying sword shoot into the forest and cut through the darkness with a flash of sword radiance. Failing to dodge in time, several men screamed in agony.

"They're charging in!"

"Don't panic! If we can all just land a hit each, they're dead!"

"That sword is too fast!"

"Charge!"

Under the night sky, combatants darted all over the forest. Their true essence and bursts of primal qi clashed amid the howling gusts of eerie wind.

Despite their numerical superiority, the corrupt cultivators were nothing more than a motley crew; they weren't core disciples of the Five Gods Cult or the Tianlin Sect. Still, Wang Sheng did not blindly rush ahead. If they managed to gather momentum, Wang Sheng's group would quickly find themselves overwhelmed.

Going on the offensive and scattering them before they could organize was the best course of action. Fortunately, the two swordsmen had the skill and courage to back up their plan. Wang Sheng relied on his intricate footwork, while Fei Lianzi—a sect elder who was close to breaking through to the Illusory Core Realm—wielded a simplified yet deadly version of the Shu Sword Sect's flying sword technique.

Deflecting a few talismanic attacks, Wang Sheng and Fei Lianzi charged deeper into the forest, completely destroying the corrupt cultivators' morale. They then began their slaughter, making panic set in among their enemies. Like floodwaters breaching a dam, the corrupt cultivators scattered and fled in all directions.

In the shifting shadows, Mu Wanxuan locked onto Wang Sheng and chased after him. However, his Seven-Star Footwork changed too rapidly, making him veer unpredictably from east to west. With no one able to stand against his swordsmanship, Mu Wanxuan found herself unable to intervene.

Barely thirty seconds after Wang Sheng had entered the forest, the hidden earpiece in his ear crackled to life with an urgent message from the other side of the island.

—Fall back immediately. Fourteen corrupt cultivators have left the central village and are headed to your location.

As if running out of patience, the enemies seemed to have finally deployed those truly capable of matching Wang Sheng and his companions.