Chapter 97: Zither Music Sword Formation
Chapter 97: Zither Music Sword Formation
Dong…
A long, clear note from a zither suddenly reached Mu Feng’s ears.
The sound was soothing and melodious, like a fresh breeze touching the skin, comforting and pleasant. It was also like flowing water down a high mountain, pure and untouched by worldly dust. Even this opening note made it clear it was the work of a true master, something truly extraordinary.
Who could be playing a zither out here in these wild, desolate mountains?
Besides, the mountain was chaotic with conflict right now. Who would have the leisure to play music?
Swooping low near the mountaintop, Mu Feng suddenly stopped, senses sharpened by an inexplicable danger. An unprecedented, violent throb pulsed between his eyebrows. The final defensive line was just ahead. If he broke through it in one go, he would be free as the sky and sea, heading towards Yinfeng Cave to reunite with Jing Wushuang and the others. Yet right now, this sudden zither music filled him with intense dread.
Whoosh, whoosh, whoosh…
Almost the instant he halted, sharp whistling sounds cut through the air around him. He looked up to see five black-robed figures wearing enormous bamboo hats suddenly appear before him. They landed silently, coldly settled on high branches, spreading out to encircle him. Their wide bamboo hats and dark battle robes looked chillingly severe. A cold wind blew past, swirling fallen leaves through the air, adding to the bleak atmosphere.
“Who are you people?”
Mu Feng’s expression turned grim as he slowly drew a sharp mountain bamboo from his back.
Each of the five black-clad figures radiated an intense sense of danger, cold and seemingly even more formidable than the North Flow Twin Ghosts. They felt less like ordinary cultivators and more like five elite, cold-blooded assassins!
Huuu…
Only the howl of the cold wind answered Mu Feng. The five black-clad figures stood utterly still and silent on the branches, swords not drawn nor ready to charge. Their icy silence deepened the unease.
Dong…
The zither music came again, clear yet soft and slow, soothing the spirit and quelling any stirrings of battle intent.
The notes grew even gentler, like the quiet flow of a cool, clear stream. They washed away the heat in people’s hearts, extinguished their killing intent. Gradually, Mu Feng, who had been tightly wound, found himself calming down unconsciously. For a moment, he even forgot about the pursuing soldiers swarming the mountains, forgot where he was, lost in the tranquility of the music. Only when a cold gust blew past did he snap out of it.
Powerful!
Mu Feng was inwardly shocked. This sudden zither music was far too strange. In that moment, he became utterly certain—it absolutely came from some expert under Mu Tie.
“Go!”
With a cold shout, Mu Feng gritted his teeth and charged at full speed towards the final defensive line not far away.
However, the moment he stepped forward, “Tink!” The tone of the zither changed abruptly, becoming heavy and urgent. If before it was a gentle trickling stream, now it was a surging, roaring river, immense and imposing. The five black-clad figures, who had been utterly still, suddenly moved.
In one step, they descended through the air while spinning rapidly. Still high above the ground, they simultaneously drew their sharp longswords with a sharp metallic rasp. Their toes lightly tapped the earth as they lunged coldly from different directions. The keen points of their swords aimed mercilessly for the vital spots on Mu Feng’s forehead, throat, and belly. Each attack was swift and fierce; each attacker seemed even more skilled than that swordsman Xing Jiu!
“Eighteen Evil Ghosts, kill!”
Seeing the five blades almost instantly appear before his eyes, Mu Feng’s pupils shrank. He desperately channeled his nearly exhausted Spiritual Power to summon the Eighteen Blood Witch Commands. Instantly, a chilling wind howled. Eighteen demonic ghosts roared and swiftly burst forth from the command flags. Just as Mu Feng faced imminent peril, they threw themselves bodily to shield him.
Hum…
The five icy longswords sang lightly in unison, piercing the skulls of five ghosts.
Each ghost possessed strength equivalent to a Middle Mortal Realm, even a Late Mortal Realm expert. Yet in one clash, five fell. They were no match at all for these black-clad assailants!
“Suppress!”
Mu Feng roared in anger, his hand seals shifting rapidly, altering the formation.
Instantly, the eighteen command flags whipped in the wind, cracking loudly. The pressure within the Yinfeng Formation intensified tenfold. Dust motes, blown by the wind, plummeted straight down. Even a lightly fluttering leaf, drifting into the formation, suddenly felt overwhelmingly heavy. Yet, the five black-clad figures seemed unaffected. After their successful strike, they shifted positions, evaded the remaining ghosts’ interception, and thrust their swords once more towards Mu Feng.
The zither music from below the mountain grew more frantic, its urgent beat mirroring the increasingly fierce, relentless attacks that came like a long-brewing storm. Swiftly, all eighteen ghosts toppled to the ground. The eighteen flags stabbed into the earth let out mournful cries, dissolving into streaks of red light that shot back into Mu Feng’s body.
The Yinfeng Formation, which had given even the North Flow Twin Ghosts a tough time, lasted mere moments under the five black-robed men’s attack before dissipating like smoke!
“Heh…”
Mu Feng let out a fierce cry and violently hurled a sharp spear. At the same time, dozens of tough, blood-red vines burst from his body, writhing like snakes to entangle the five black-clad men.
The moment the Yinfeng Formation broke, he gave up all thoughts of defense and launched a desperate counterattack. Only attack.
Attack was always the best defense!
The swift slaughter of the Eighteen Evil Ghosts showed just how powerful the black-robed figures were. Trying to defend passively would be the worst move—he’d die either by their blades or by exhaustion!
Dong dong dong, Deng…
Perhaps sensing Mu Feng’s counterattack, the zither music from below the mountain suddenly changed. After a flurry of sharp, urgent notes, a single heavy sound reverberated distantly. Immediately, the five black-clad figures shifted positions again, standing back-to-back in a circle. Their swords moved with deceptive lightness, looking almost slow, yet every precise slash severed another writhing Blood Vine at its base. Mu Feng’s fierce counteroffensive was cleanly and efficiently dismantled.
Each vine was a concentration of blood essence. Losing hundreds of them in an instant caused devastating energy loss. To unleash the Death Entanglement ability again was now impossible!
A Sword Formation!
This was a coordinated five-man sword formation!
Cold dread washed over Mu Feng’s heart. He finally understood the source of the assassins’ terror. Guided by the zither music, their advances and retreats moved as one seamless whole. Unless his strength surpassed theirs combined, victory was impossible. Once they drained his Spiritual Power, death would follow!
Gurgle, Gurgle, Gurgle…
Mu Feng’s abdomen heaved dramatically as he gathered his last ounce of strength and whirled around to flee.
Gazing at the distant, rolling mountain peaks, only one thought filled his mind: get past these five attackers before they could shift their formation again! Desperate, he clenched his teeth tight, but he hadn’t run more than a few steps when a sharp strand of sword energy pierced the air behind him. Glancing back, a freezing black figure was close at hand, having pursued him like a phantom. The tip of the longsword flashed coldly, already at his throat!