C1058 Rillrender
Thousands of delicate sword lights enveloped Fernand's formidable frame, relentlessly sapping his lifeblood.
Yue Mu brandished his sword amidst the Rainbow Ocean, yet the sword lights that sprang forth continued to drain his life force, effectively countering the Shura General's power.
"Rillrender!" Yue Mu, the ninth Sword Immortal of the Sword Sect, appeared to be locked in combat with Hu Caiyun alone, but in truth, he was facing two opponents simultaneously.
Peach Madam, having returned to her Unbound state, and Fernand, with his ninth-level bloodline, were both overwhelmed by his towering sword's will.
Yu Yuan was taken aback by Huang Baiqi's intensity, reflecting on how the once timid boy had transformed over three centuries into someone so formidable and commanding.
Clearly, Huang Baiqi, Lu Rui, and the other cultivators from Euwrea held a deep-seated fear of him, likely having witnessed some of his more fearsome techniques.
"Yu Yuan!"
Elena's urgent cry echoed from the Ashen Hollow behind him.
Yu Yuan's form shuddered as he quickly gathered his scattered thoughts. A crimson beam of light burst from his chest, slithering like a serpent into Fernand's body.
He was eager to assess the general's condition.
"Ah!"
As the blood light merged with him, Yu Yuan glimpsed a wondrous spectacle unfolding within Fernand's body.
A dense web of sword's will had formed, infiltrating Fernand's flesh and blood, leeching his vitality to sustain the operation of the sword force.
This sword net was steadily depleting Fernand's strength.
"So, the Everlands traitor reveals himself!"
A woman standing by a peculiar pond, her face set in a stern expression, spoke in an odd tone.
Within the pond, fish resembling Ice Shards darted playfully.
The woman's presence exuded the essence of Winter's Bite, allowing Yu Yuan to instantly recognize her sect affiliation. "Stay away from me!" he said, his brow furrowed.
With a whoosh, the Crucible of Evil came to life, and a swarm of Bane phantoms emerged from its opening.
As the cauldron turned toward the woman, Yu Yiyi, with her quirky charm and sweet visage, quietly surfaced. Extending a hand as pale as jade, she pointed at the woman's brow and cheerfully declared, "Bind the soul."
Hundreds of Banes exerted their force simultaneously, causing the central yellow lamp to emit a dim glow. The Winter's Bite cultivator, a Solar Spirit, suddenly had a vacant look in her eyes. A spirit began to drift out from between her eyebrows, seemingly eager to obediently fly toward the Crucible of Evil. This sight sent shivers down the spines of the other cultivators on the meteorite.
The Winter's Bite woman was no pushover, yet she was rendered powerless to retaliate. Merely at the utterance of Yu Yiyi's words, her spirit was coaxed out. What was happening?
"Boom!"
From the depths of the Rainbow Ocean, Yue Mu, with a hint of resignation, uttered a musical note.
The dimly lit wick within the Bane formation abruptly went out.
The Winter's Bite woman, on the brink of losing her spirit, jolted to her senses. She dared not glance at the Crucible of Evil again and, stepping onto the icy pond, she retreated as swiftly as lightning.
"Yue Mu, do you fancy yourself a hero?" Peach Madam was visibly displeased, thinking that this Grand Sword Immortal from the Sword Sect was meddling in other battles within her Rainbow Ocean, not giving her the respect she deserved.
"You didn't give it your all, so why should I?" Yue Mu, surrounded by swirling water dragons, exuded an air of supreme relaxation and composure. "I'm not one for combat; my expertise lies in the swordsmanship of entanglement. My role is simply to hold you back and ensure you can't escape."
He looked up at the Golden Rock Beasts colliding with the Starborn warships and said, "We'll address it when they turn back."
The Grand Sword Immortal made it clear he wasn't going to exert himself fully, with no intention of deploying his ultimate techniques in a life-or-death struggle against Hu Caiyun. He wasn't concerned about his lack of effort being transparent.
"You really are something..." Peach Madam rolled her eyes at the Grand Sword Immortal, who was clearly not fully engaged in the battle. "Yu Yuan, why don't you hurry up and take him to the Ashen Hollow?"
"That's not going to happen," Yue Mu interjected.
"Indeed, it won't," Fernand agreed, standing motionless and speaking with a pained expression in the articulate language of the Everlands' humans.
He was addressing Yu Yuan.
More than anyone, he was acutely aware that a meticulous sword net had slowly infiltrated his flesh and organs.
This sword net had seamlessly integrated with every fiber of his being, carrying with it an enigmatic aura.
It was as though the Rillrender's Way of Heaven had bestowed upon it an endless strength.
The aura emanating from the sword net alerted him that any attempt to move would allow the dreadful sword's wil to seep into his flesh and blood, exacerbating his wounds exponentially in mere moments.
This was precisely why, despite sensing Huang Baiqi's attack from the Thunder Sect in advance, he was helpless to react.
Being wounded anywhere but the heart was manageable—it would merely compound his existing injuries.
Yet, should he stir and disrupt the carefully crafted sword net by Yue Mu for the sake of evading Huang Baiqi's strike, his end would be certain.
Whoosh! Whoosh! Whoosh!
Streaks of lifeblood and refined spiritual energy, laced with Yu Yuan's Soul Power, boldly infiltrated Fernand's flesh.
With a grave demeanor, Yu Yuan also came to a deep understanding of the sword net's presence and the intricate swordsmanship it embodied.
His current endeavor was to apply his own power, his mastery of swordsmanship, and his knowledge of various forces to dismantle the Skyfall Net Yue Mu had embedded within Fernand. This would enable the Shura General to move freely and break free from Yue Mu's constraints and looming threats.
Without shattering this net, Fernand's life remained in Yue Mu's grasp.
"Mr. Hong, if you can unravel it, he's yours to take," Yue Mu acknowledged his intent, his eyes brimming with approval as he gestured nonchalantly, "Lu Rui, you're no match for him. Best keep your distance."
Sword force surged from Huang Baiqi's loosened grip on the Rapier.
The blade burst forth with dazzling lightning, zipping through the Golden Rock Beasts formed from Yu Yuan's vital energy, scattering his vitality.
In Peach Madam's Rainbow Ocean, he manipulated Huang Baiqi's sword with the force of thunder, aiding Lu Rui in his escape!
Overwhelmed, Lu Rui blinked, and suddenly the tumultuous vitality and the agitated Golden Rock Beast had vanished from his side.
Lu Rui gracefully acknowledged his cue to depart. With a respectful bow to Yue Mu, he turned on his heel and left the meteorite behind.
Huang Baiqi paused briefly, not even daring to grasp the sword. Following Lu Rui's lead, he too spun around and soared off to another meteorite, keeping a watchful eye on Yu Yuan from a distance.
"Yue Mu, you've become quite the haughty one," Yu Yuan quipped, his lips twisted in a wry smile.
"I don't have much of a choice; I'm a disciple of the sect, and I have to serve its interests," Yue Mu replied with a pained expression. It was only in Yu Yuan's presence that he allowed himself to seem so indolent and resigned. "Truth be told, I'm terrified you might resort to using poison."
"Poison?" Yu Yuan was momentarily taken aback, wondering, "Is he hinting at something?"
He was well aware that Yue Mu had done him a favor. If not for that, Fernand would have been long gone, not merely incapacitated by the sword net within his body.
Out of the blue, the call of a crane echoed from the distance.