Chapter 103: The Power of the Sword Formation
Chapter 103: The Power of the Sword Formation
Outside Huangtong Town.
As the Soul-Concentrating Demon Beast Pangolin appeared, hundreds of monster birds and beasts’ morale greatly increased. They all turned around and charged toward Lu Hangzhi once again!
Roar!
In an instant, monster birds blotted out the sky, and beasts shook the earth, unleashing a fierce assault like a mountain torrent or tidal wave.
After its failed strike, the Soul-Concentrating Demon Beast Pangolin did not press the attack but instead retreated a short distance, sinking down and disappearing into the horde of monster beasts.
Lu Hangzhi watched carefully this time and clearly saw the Soul-Concentrating Demon Beast Pangolin sink into the ground. Alarm bells rang wildly in his heart.
He did not dare delay!
Holding the Tianji Umbrella, he gave it a gentle spin. Fourteen Artifact Flying Swords quickly rose into the air and returned.
“Five seniors, please cover for me.”
“No problem!”
The five Sword Spirit seniors responded, their Sword Qi surging as they swiftly met the monster birds and beasts.
As soon as he finished speaking, Lu Hangzhi spun the Tianji Umbrella again. Seven Flying Swords cleanly embedded into the ground nearby…
Lu Hangzhi formed hand seals and channeled nearly half of his Magic Power in one go, pouring it into the seven Flying Swords.
The Flying Swords shone brilliantly!
Buzz!
The Flying Swords resonated!
A faint, almost imperceptible white light linked the seven Flying Swords together.
Only Lu Hangzhi could sense and observe this; others were completely unaware.
Lu Hangzhi quickly drank half a bottle of Spirit Honey to replenish his lost Magic Power. Beams of Sword Qi light rose from the Flying Swords.
In the air, these Sword Qi beams from the Flying Swords soared upward and then quickly vanished, as if they had never appeared. Even Spiritual Sense could not detect them.
Each Flying Sword released seven strands of Sword Qi;
The Sword Qi hovering in the air swiftly increased to forty-nine strands!
Like forty-nine tiny, undetectable streams of air, they drifted and lingered above Lu Hangzhi’s head, moving according to his thoughts…
Lu Hangzhi knew this was the profound mystery of the “Seven-Seven Sword Formation.”
It fully integrated Seven Motions with One Thought and One Sword Seven Kills, then used the sword formation technique to conceal its aura and appearance—any enemy who overlooked this phenomenon and entered the area would immediately trigger the overwhelming assault of forty-nine strands of Sword Qi.
The five Sword Spirit seniors had already begun slaughtering the monster birds and beasts trying to break through.
Partly restrained by the Soul-Concentrating Demon Beast, part of their focus remained on Lu Hangzhi, so their concentration was inevitably lacking. From time to time, monster birds and beasts slipped through their not-so-tight sword net and charged at Lu Hangzhi.
These monster beasts unquestionably entered the sword formation’s attack range…
Lu Hangzhi, eyes closed, was sensing every movement underground and completely failed to notice several Ghost-Faced Demon Wolves breaking through from the side. Their powerful Vital Qi Power gathered into ghostly beasts, their pricked ears twitching slightly.
Swish!
Several strands of Sword Qi stirred faint, arrow-like ripples in the void.
Thud!
Thud! Thud!
Three Ghost-Faced Demon Wolves, while dashing forward, seemed to be struck by a giant hammer. Their bodies jerked backward and crashed heavily to the ground. Blood-red blossoms bloomed on their chests, gushing blood mixed with shattered heart fragments. Their eyes widened like bronze bells, filled with disbelief and terror, as their vitality rapidly faded.
Under the sword formation, the Sword Qi was more powerful and faster!
However…
The three strands of Sword Qi had significantly diminished, shrinking from their original two-foot length to less than half a foot, becoming even harder to detect.
Lu Hangzhi frowned slightly and calmly drank some more Spirit Honey, injecting a bit more Magic Power into the sword formation. The three strands of Sword Qi then revived.
Forcing the “Seven-Seven Sword Formation” at Peak Eighth Grade cultivation was indeed strenuous, consuming twice the usual amount…
Dealing with ordinary Epiphany Stage monster beasts was still manageable, as he could summon Sword Qi when needed without continuously draining Magic Power, which was a heavy burden.
He was also simultaneously supporting the consumption of the five Sword Spirit seniors.
But!
Facing a Soul-Concentrating Stage monster beast that could launch a surprise attack from underground at any moment, he had to be extremely vigilant and give his all at all times!
Lu Hangzhi secretly felt relieved:
Good thing he had prepared plenty of Spirit Honey!
Otherwise, with the monster beast waiting rested, just this sword formation alone could exhaust him.
“After this, I must hurry to improve my cultivation.”
As he pondered, from the direction of Huangtong Town, more and more monster beasts suddenly grew clever, skillfully bypassing the five Sword Spirit seniors’ sword net and breaking into the sword formation from several directions…
“Hangzhi, be careful!”
“That damned Soul-Concentrating Demon Beast is behind this.”
The five Sword Spirits shouted warnings.
The monster horde suddenly becoming so shrewd and breaking through the sword net defense line needed no reminder; Lu Hangzhi had already noticed the anomaly and knew it was a sign the Soul-Concentrating Demon Beast was about to strike.
The opponent seemed to have detected the dozens of Sword Qi strands drifting above the sword formation and intended to use these monster birds and beasts as the vanguard to deplete his strength…
What a cunning monster beast!
Lu Hangzhi’s expression turned grave, as if facing a formidable enemy.
All his Defensive Magical Devices were destroyed. Even if it was just an ordinary Seventh Grade Saw-Toothed Swine Demon, Lu Hangzhi did not dare let it enter the attack range. Gritting his teeth and steeling his heart, he unleashed all forty-nine strands of Sword Qi at once.
Dozens of invisible Sword Qi strands abruptly descended!
Over forty monster beasts seemed to collide with an invisible Barrier, flung back simultaneously, never to rise again. Fatal wounds appeared on their heads and hearts.
The eerie spectacle terrified the monster birds and beasts behind them. Fear instantly took hold, and they all hesitated, stopping in their tracks.
Almost at the same time.
Boom!
The powerful Vital Qi Power of the Soul-Concentrating stage appeared once more.
The Soul-Concentrating Demon Beast Pangolin timed its ambush perfectly!
Just as the sword formation’s power dropped to its lowest, Lu Hangzhi’s Magic Power was over-consumed, and his complexion pale, it suddenly shot out from the ground not far from Lu Hangzhi.
Its black scales layered and flipped up like numerous sharp shovel treads, curling into a ball that easily tore through the earth and burst out;
A terrifying, lethal Vital Qi Power swirled around one of its scales! Like an arrow about to be released from a bowstring, it vibrated frantically, slowly detaching from its body.
The Soul-Concentrating Demon Beast Pangolin’s gaze remained cold and indifferent, looking at the weakened human cultivator as if he were already dead.
At the critical moment, the Soul-Concentrating Demon Beast Pangolin shuddered, involuntarily halting all movement, including the frantic vibration of the deadly scale eager to leave its body…
Because it saw a cat.
A small, mousy-gray speck, as insignificant as an ant, yet it had appeared unnoticed near the hole it had dug out from, resolutely lifting its head to meet its eyes.
“Mee…ow!”
A soul-trembling sound drifted into the Pangolin Demon Beast’s ears. Its cold pupils abruptly narrowed to slits, showing a brief moment of daze.
Only a moment, yet it felt like a long time.
“Well done!”
Lu Hangzhi screamed wildly in his heart. He poured half a bottle of Spirit Honey into his mouth, which immediately turned into a powerful wave of pure Magic Power, rapidly refilling his nearly dry Spiritual Power Pool…
Whoosh!
The Spiritual Power Pool rose by half a pool’s volume like a rising tide.
Lu Hangzhi did not dare delay. He focused his mind to connect with the Sword Formation, pouring in Magic Power frantically.
The forty-nine Sword Qi once again burst with vitality!
Swish! Swish, swish…
Just as the Pangolin Demon Beast quickly broke free from the Mirror Spirit Cat’s Soul Capture, like a blind person regaining sight, a rare expression of panic and anger flashed across its face. But in the next moment, that anger turned into horror.
Forty-nine Sword Qi pierced through its body.
Smash!
The forty-nine Sword Qi fiercely crashed into the Pangolin Demon Beast’s body.
It all happened in an instant.
From the Pangolin’s sudden attack to the Mirror Spirit Cat’s Soul Capture, everything occurred in the blink of an eye. Lu Hangzhi had no time to find the Pangolin Demon Beast’s weak points. He could only rely on past experience, frantically attacking the Pangolin Demon Beast’s eyes, mouth, groin, lower abdomen, and joints.
Boom, boom, boom, boom…
One after another, invisible Sword Qi first struck the thick Qi-Blood Barrier protecting the Pangolin Demon Beast’s body.
Even though it was a Soul-Concentrating Demon Beast’s Qi-Blood Barrier, facing the invisible Sword Qi—each strike far exceeding the power of Peak Ninth Grade—the barrier rapidly weakened and visibly faded away.
Finally!
About half of the invisible Sword Qi broke through the Qi-Blood Barrier and slammed into the Pangolin Demon Beast’s body.
The Pangolin Demon Beast’s scales were incredibly tough, like a Magical Artifact, easily blocking the Sword Qi…
But!
Its lower abdomen, not protected by scales, suffered badly. It was easily sliced open with deep, long sword wounds.
Amid its painful howls, blood continuously dripped down;
The ground beneath the Pangolin Demon Beast was quickly dyed red with blood.
“Evil beast! Prepare to die!”
Strike while it’s weak! The five Sword Spirits chose that moment to return. As soon as they struck, they launched thunderous attacks, aiming straight for the Pangolin Demon Beast’s eyes.
It all happened too suddenly. The Pangolin abruptly woke up only to face dozens of Sword Qi and the fierce assault of five Sword Spirits. While in mid-air, it had no time to dodge. With an angry roar, it closed its eyes and spun its body, whipping its tail.
The five Sword Spirits nimbly dodged the Pangolin Demon Beast’s tail strike. They slipped underneath, pierced into the Pangolin Demon Beast’s lower abdomen through its wounds, and forced their way into its body.
The Pangolin Demon Beast’s body froze, its limbs stiffened, and it let out a hysterical scream of terror!
Wail!!!
So cruel!
Being invaded by five Flying Swords…
Could it get pregnant?
Witnessing this scene, Lu Hangzhi felt chills down his spine. He felt a strong urge to look away and a deep sympathy for the Pangolin Demon Beast.
Having just left the Sword Tomb and encountered a Monster Beast rampage through the town, almost forced to self-destruct to protect himself against a Soul-Concentrating Demon Beast, the five Sword Spirits naturally felt no sympathy for the Soul-Concentrating Demon Beast.
Once inside the beast’s body through its lower abdomen, the five Sword Spirits immediately shredded the Pangolin Demon Beast’s internal organs…
Blood poured out from the Pangolin Demon Beast’s lower abdomen like a waterfall!
Boom!
The ground shook violently!
The corpse, over ten meters long, crashed into the ground like a small hill, marking the end of the Soul-Concentrating Demon Beast.
Though the Soul-Concentrating Demon Beast was dead, the battle wasn’t over yet…
There were still over two hundred Monster Birds and Monster Beasts alive!
Lu Hangzhi immediately retracted the Sword Formation, took out another bottle of Spirit Honey, and continued hunting down the Monster Beasts that had fled into Huangtong Town while restoring his Magic Power.
Ten minutes later.
Not a single living Monster Beast or Monster Bird remained within Huangtong Town’s area.
Only a few dozen Monster Birds had escaped by flying far away; the rest were all eliminated on the spot!
Just as the battle ended, Revered Qin descended from the sky in a Flying Boat.
“Venerable One?”
“Hangzhi, are you all right? I received word from Yuanfeng that you were ambushed by a Soul-Concentrating Demon Beast. Glad you’re safe.”
“Thank you for your concern, Venerable One. I’m fine.”
“What about that Soul-Concentrating Demon Beast?”
“Over there.”
Lu Hangzhi pointed to a solitary “small hill” not far away.
“…”
Revered Qin paused, glanced around, and after a few seconds of silence, looked back at him in disbelief. “You did this alone?”
“It’s a pity I arrived too late.”
Lu Hangzhi showed no pride. Gazing at Huangtong Town under the sunset, filled with blood and devoid of life, he let out a deep sigh.