Chapter 625: A Terrifying and Mighty Being!

Just after sunrise at the Fengli Sect's mountain gate, war drums sounded across the planet. Tens of thousands of celestial soldiers drifted in from the west on a densely packed host of dark clouds.

Banners snapped sharply in the wind. With white-streaked hair and eyes brimming with killing intent, one elder after another advanced slowly above the formation of celestial soldiers. They exuded an extraordinary presence, their might pressing down on the planet.

High above them, the Celestial Wind Sect's sect master stood alongside Wang Beifeng. The two led Heavenly Immortals from both sects, flying at an even greater altitude.

They were spirited and at ease, conversing and laughing as though today's battle was already secured.

Below, the True Immortals responsible for coordinating the various divisions barked orders nonstop. The celestial soldiers with shallower cultivation remained tense, their nerves drawn tight.

In this decisive battle, the Fengli Sect would either collapse like a fallen tree, scattering monkeys in every direction; or it would launch a desperate counterattack and fight to mutual destruction. If it were the latter, these very celestial soldiers would suffer the most casualties.

The atmosphere within the Fengli Sect's mountain gate had already grown taut with alarm. Figures rose into the air one after another, standing and waiting silently within the luminous barrier of the grand defensive array.

Wang Sheng and Lishang had also been invited to join the core formation. The two had deliberately arranged to have their subordinates stationed along the edge of the left wing. If the duo went all out, the Xinghai Sect's immortals would not have to risk their lives too recklessly. They would minimize their losses as much as possible.

Today, the sect master of the Fengli Sect finally revealed herself as well.

She appeared atop a treasured pagoda, standing quietly on the stone pedestal at its peak. Her dark hair streamed behind her, fluttering along with her rainbow-hued immortal robes.

She was as beautiful as a painting and as poetic as a verse.

The Queen Mother of the West was the greatest female immortal of the Heavenly Court. She had never looked anything less than exceptional.

This paper figure had borrowed her visage and form. If the Heavenly Court's former subordinates were to discover this, would it anger them enough to come looking for trouble against the mighty being behind the Fengli Sect?

Eh?

A thought struck Wang Sheng.

Did the creator of the paper figure deliberately craft it in the likeness of the Queen Mother and even leave behind a strand of her hair to carry her aura? Perhaps their original objective had been to draw in the Heavenly Court's former members, who had scattered all over the endless space? That would prompt them to seek this place of their own accord and thereby reestablish contact.

The more Wang Sheng considered it, the more plausible it seemed.

However, he kept in mind what Fan Tuantuan and Zhang Zikuang had said: Earth's cultivators shouldn't allow the Heavenly Court's surviving members to absorb them. Hence, he could only shake his head slightly.

Lishang asked with concern, "What is it?"

"Nothing." Wang Sheng drew Spiritless. Deeply, he said, "Later, let's fight Wang Beifeng together and see if we can suppress him."

Lishang suggested, "Why not let me hold Wang Beifeng back while you quickly slay several of their experts?"

Through voice transmission, Wang Sheng replied, "I want to see whether the Fengli Sect's sect master will use her divine ability today. You heard the discussion in Xinghai City. That agenda still matters to me."

Lishang nodded lightly, her phoenix eyes curving with a hint of amusement. "

Mm.

If you need me to do anything, just contact me using voice transmission. After all, I have boarded your pirate ship, and your homeland's cultivators are rather interesting."

Wang Sheng smiled smugly. Spiritless, however, hummed faintly as Yaoyun projected an image of Mu Wanxuan in his mind.

Wang Sheng scratched his head, unable to understand how his sword spirit had become so unnecessarily sensitive.

The Celestial Wind Sect's army was now less than a hundred

li

away. Bells tolled throughout the Fengli Sect as its sect master raised her hand and pointed at the sky. The grand defensive array deactivated instantly.

At that moment, its grand elder shouted, "Attack!"

The Fengli Sect's immortals, who had been waiting for some time now, took to the skies and stepped on white clouds, swiftly forming ranks.

They had made many preparations today as well. Two burly men beat the drums in a steady, thunderous rhythm. Disciples, Protectors, elders, and celestial soldiers of each peak moved according to the drumbeats. Though they numbered in the tens of thousands, they remained orderly.

The Celestial Wind Sect's army arrived with their sect master in person and reinforcements at their back. The Fengli Sect still rode the high of their initial victory. Both sides had similar battle spirits and domineering presence.

Yet anyone could see clearly that the invading enemy was stronger by several degrees.

***

Wang Sheng and Lishang stood beside the elders of the Fengli Sect, yet everyone's attention was still on the duo.

To the Fengli Sect, they represented hope. To the Celestial Wind Sect, they were formidable opponents.

The Celestial Wind Sect seemed to share the same intention as Wang Sheng. Wang Beifeng, refined and imposing, stepped forward first and called upon Wang Sheng and Lishang by name, demanding that they enter the field and continue their battle from last time.

Wang Sheng and Lishang wore solemn expressions as they walked forward side by side, utterly unafraid.

Wang Beifeng made a gesture of invitation.

However, just as the three were about to charge into space, ethereal music unexpectedly played from within the Fengli Sect. Crimson flower petals filled the sky as the peerless figure atop the pagoda slowly rose.

Before the great battle even began, the mysterious sect master of the Fengli Sect had made her move.

Wang Beifeng's sword-like brow furrowed. Just moments ago, he too had found himself unable to gaze away from her. To his annoyance, she captivated even him.

The Fengli Sect's sect master landed right in front of Wang Sheng and Lishang, turned her head toward them, and offered them a faint smile. Behind the veil, her vermilion lips parted and closed.

In an incomparably gentle tone, she telepathically said, "

We cannot always rely on you two to face the might of the North-River Sword Sect. Even if we win today's battle as well, the foundation that our two sects have painstakingly built over tens of thousands of years would likely be ruined.

"

Wang Sheng nodded slowly.

Lishang replied, "

Then what do you suggest, Sect Master?

"

"I will go drive these people off myself."

The sect master glanced deeply at Wang Sheng. It made a chill run through his Dao Heart, as though she had already seen through his secrets completely.

Yaoyun telepathically grumbled, "

Just who created this paper figure? They imitated even my mother's voice perfectly.

"

Before countless gazes, the endlessly captivating sect master of the Fengli Sect slowly drifted forward.

Regardless of age, gender, depth of cultivation, and Dao Heart stability, everyone below the Heavenly Immortal Realm was drawn in by her every movement, their hearts tightening at the slightest shift of her eyebrows or lips.

The female sect master asked, "

Celestial Wind Sect, are you determined to destroy my sect?

"

Despite only imbuing a trace of authority into her words, they still left those present shaken and unsettled.

"

Hmph!

"

The Celestial Wind Sect's sect master snorted coldly and stepped forward as well.

These two sect masters, who had once shaped the balance of the thirteen qi planets, now finally stood face to face.

"

Your sect has acted against the natural order and brought calamity upon the people. You have schemed against my sect relentlessly, and you parade our banner around to bully and annex small celestial sects! Did you ever consider that, in doing so, you were also pushing us toward decline?

"

The Fengli Sect's sect master inclined her head lightly. "I possess a secret art that will ensure you and that elder won't leave the battlefield alive. If I were to use it, with two powerful reinforcements from the Xinghai Sect on our side, you would have no chance of victory. It would be best for you to withdraw today."

The Celestial Wind Sect's sect master frowned deeply, while Wang Beifeng shook his head slightly.

Hiding within the formation of the True Immortals, Li Tianyao scornfully shouted, "

Pfft,

how absurd!"

He stepped out to assert his presence.

"Even at a time like this, your sect still refuses to abandon its habit of bluffing and deceiving. If you truly possess such a secret art, then by all means, use it. You may as well severely wound me along with them."

The Celestial Wind Sect's army laughed. Several Heavenly Immortals of the North-River Sword Sect also frowned at the female sect master, unable to comprehend why someone beautiful enough to offend the very laws of heaven would utter something so irrational.

On the battlefield, only Wang Sheng and a few of the Fengli Sect's elderly women didn't show even the slightest trace of amusement.

By Wang Sheng's reckoning, Li Tianyao had just set a trap for his own father.

Unlike the others, there was no way Wang Sheng would not understand what the female sect master meant.

A powerful being had created the paper figure through Daoist arts. Hence, she possessed no emotions of her own; she acted solely based on reason. Though she was only at the Heavenly Immortal Realm, her divine ability wouldn't surprise Wang Sheng in the slightest, no matter how formidable or strange it was.

Mocking laughter filled the sky, and ridicule spread across the battlefield. Nevertheless, the female sect master's expression did not shift in the slightest.

With a gentle nod, she remarked, "As you wish."

She spread her arms, tilted her head back, and closed her eyes.

The laughter ceased at once. Despite their mockery, none of the opposing immortals dared be careless now that she had assumed a stance that made her look as though she were about to unleash a powerful technique. They all focused and prepared to respond.

Soon, a Celestial Wind Sect elder cried out, "Sect Master! Senior Wang! Around you!"

Following the warning, Wang Sheng looked at Wang Beifeng and the Celestial Wind Sect's sect master, finding a small green bird circling each of them.

Finally noticing that something was up, the two shot up into the sky almost simultaneously. They quickly realized that they couldn't even sense the presence of the green birds, let alone expel or dispel them.

No matter how astonishing their escape techniques, the two green birds clung to them like shadows. Sword slashes, palm strikes, surging immortal power, divine abilities, Daoist arts... none had the slightest effect.

Over ten seconds passed, and the two birds just kept circling them. Nothing else occurred.

The Celestial Wind Sect's sect master and Wang Beifeng exchanged a glance. They then split and hurtled toward the flanks of the Fengli Sect's sect master!

Lishang instinctively moved to intercept, but Wang Sheng pulled her back by her arm.

The Fengli Sect's sect master remained suspended in the same posture even as the two figures unhesitatingly rushed toward her. They rapidly narrowed the gap between them and the female down to a hundred

li,

ten

li

, then less than three hundred meters!

The Fengli Sect's sect master suddenly opened her phoenix eyes. Within them shone a field of jade-green light. From the depths of space, a beam of green radiance descended and enveloped her.

Wang Sheng looked up, but he failed to trace the light's origin. It seemed to have come from beyond the thirteen qi planets, crossing nearly boundless heaven and earth in less than half a minute to wrap the female sect master within it.

She then extended her right hand and snapped her fingers. Two green beams shot out from her eyes, piercing through the green birds. They landed a direct hit on Wang Beifeng's and the opposing sect master's heart meridians!

The two figures vanished and reappeared a thousand

li

away, their eyes tightly shut. They had sustained a horrifying, bloody hole in their chests.

The Fengli Sect's sect master snorted coldly. "

Hmph!

"

She now radiated a completely different majesty; it was cold, aloof, indifferent, lofty, and supreme, as though looking down upon all living beings.

Standing too close to the paper figure, Wang Sheng could clearly sense the changes that had come over her. His intuition told him that her mysterious and powerful creator had imbued a strand of their consciousness into her.

Wang Sheng's suspicion was immediately confirmed.

The Fengli Sect's sect master habitually clasped her hands behind her back, turned around, and glanced at the immortals of the Fengli Sect. She then nodded slowly. "

Hah.

Not bad."

She then gazed at Wang Sheng, who put away Spiritless almost instinctively.

"Oh? Lu Dongbin's Dao of Pure Yang? Where is your master now?"