Chapter 199 — Shaking the Mountains

The scene in the city chilled the crowd on the mountain to the bone: before Sanqi Fort's insect army could even stir itself, it was drowned in a sea of fire and a sea of swords, routed utterly. Sanqi Fort's insect army was formidable enough in its own right, but it had been caught completely off guard; the men were burned alive, and the insects burned with them.

Liqing Palace's women's army was fierce beyond measure, yet in a single instant it too suffered a devastating blow: countless keen swords came flying out of the sky and pierced the women's bodies; they died still standing, their bodies riddled with holes. By the time the bodies fell, the swords that had killed them had already flown up again, each returning to the sword cases on the backs of the cavalry.

The rebel forces and the disciples of the various sects had no time to react at all before they were scattered by the elephant troops among the infantry, and were left to fight each man for himself. Yet no matter how high one's cultivation, against the encircling formations woven by the Jingping soldiers drawn up in ranks, one's head was struck from one's shoulders in an instant! A sect disciple might surpass a common soldier in single combat, but their cohesion was poor; one charge and they broke apart.

Even among the rebels there were troops that had once belonged to Jingping's own armies, well trained and regular soldiers to the bone, but they had been taken utterly by surprise, and once a formation was broken, all was already too late.

This was slaughter, pure and simple. Beneath the Youmo Cult's teleportation banners, a surprise attack could be achieved at will, and for any army facing such a strike there was only one end.

Annihilation. On the mountain, the man in the bronze mask trembled, and said in a shaking voice, "Two paths, two paths.

. . " Imperial Teacher Jingping had given them two paths. One was for the Jingping army to roll over them, driving them all the way to the Southern Sea and hunting them down to the last man; that was the court's rule.

The other was to follow the rules of the jianghu: they would challenge Imperial Teacher Jingping, and the commanders would fight to the death. They had always assumed they would choose one of the two paths; it had never occurred to them that both would be chosen at once, that Imperial Teacher Jingping meant to beat them to death and wipe out the rebel army besides.

"When did the Youmo Cult throw in with the court?

" The Palace Master of Liqing Palace said harshly, "The supreme holy ground of the demonic path, since when did it become the court's running dog?

" Liqing Palace's Lihentian Sword Art demanded a heart severed from love and grief, a heart free of affection and hatred, of passion and enmity, so as to attain the highest state of swordsmanship: only when the mind holds nothing can it reflect the world like a flawless mirror. But now, watching the disciples of Liqing Palace being slaughtered, Qiu Dieyi, Palace Master of Liqing Palace, still lost her composure.

The instant her mind wavered, it was no small matter: Imperial Teacher Jingping pointed a finger, and the vital essence at his fingertip became a blade of light that surged and in a flash arrived at her throat!

It was not only the Palace Master of Liqing Palace whose heart had wavered; the others' hearts wavered too. When Imperial Teacher Jingping struck at her, not one of them had time to move to stop him.

"We're going to die.

.

. " The same thought rose in the hearts of Shen Wanyun and the others.

The mountain was sealed by a Heavenly Prison Barrier eight hundred mu in extent; the shockwaves of battle could not pass out, only rebound back and forth within.

It was likely that in the very first instant Imperial Teacher Jingping and the others exchanged blows, they would be shaken to death, shattered to pieces. Just as Imperial Teacher Jingping made his move, a great banner suddenly appeared before Shen Mu and the others, snapping in the wind.

It draped itself over them, fluttered, gave a single shudder, and in an instant the banner, the people, and even the Dragon Qilin vanished together. The next moment, Shen Mu and the others appeared at the foot of the mountain.

Shen Wanyun, Yun Que, Yue Qinghong and the rest all looked around, and saw strange figures in conical bamboo hats standing all about them, unfurling the great banners.

These several hundred strange figures had formed a ring around the mountain in the city, banners streaming, shrouding the whole of it, and an aged voice cried out, "Go! " With a whoosh, hundreds of great banners swept through the air, and when the banner cloths had passed, the mountain behind them, together with the Cult-Master-level beings upon it, Imperial Teacher Jingping included, was carried away!

Where the mountain had stood, only a bare patch of ground remained, and upon that ground the crushed ruins of the City Lord's manor! Shen Wanyun, Yun Que and the others were startled and uncertain, but then they saw the strange figures raise their banners again, covering themselves, and covering the group as well. Before Shen Wanyun and the others could gather their wits, a great banner had already covered them.

They felt the world spinning, and when their feet found solid ground again, they saw that they had left Daxiang City and its slaughter far behind and come to a mountain peak. The peak was very high, and a wild wind howled, making their clothes snap and crackle.

Around them stood several hundred strange figures in conical hats, encircling them completely. Shen Wanyun and the others suppressed their shock and exchanged a silent look: "They are experts of the Youmo Cult.

They've abducted us, who knows what they intend.

. .

" The profoundly mysterious Youmo Cult, the foremost holy ground and greatest sect of the demonic path, this holy ground had always acted in secret.

The Jingping court had investigated it more than once, but had never uncovered much of use. This time the Youmo Cult had lent a hand to Imperial Teacher Jingping, and had carried them away from the battlefield where he and the others fought; now they had snatched them from the field of battle, surely they had some design.

Suddenly, one after another, the strange figures took off their conical hats, and bowing low to them with the salute of disciples, said with one voice, "This subordinate greets the Cult Master and Holy Teacher! Greets the Holy Maiden! " Shen Wanyun and the others were at a loss, and looking at these Youmo Cult experts bowing with the salute of disciples, they grew frightened and uneasy.

The monk Yun Que hurriedly shut his eyes and cried, "I saw nothing! I didn't see your faces, don't kill me to silence me!

" At that moment, a familiar voice sounded beside them: "Rise. There's no need for such ceremony.

" "Thank you, Cult Master and Holy Teacher. " The strange figures rose to their feet, and Shen Wanyun and the others turned to look in horror at the one who had spoken. The first outcast of the Ruins to enter the Grand Academy, the first Erudite of the Grand Academy, Shen Mu, was he the Demonic Cult Master of the Youmo Cult?

Shen Mu's face was mild, and he smiled at them. "The Erudite is the Demonic Cult Master, then who is the Demonic Holy Maiden?

" Yue Qinghong said, her voice trembling. Si Yunxiang gave her a shy smile, and Yue Qinghong shuddered with dread.

"The Director of Hanguang Hall of my Grand Academy, Director Jian Sansheng! And the Director of Zhenyuan Hall, Chen Yunting! " The monk Yun Que spat furiously, "You've seen their true faces, you're dead for sure!

Why did you have to say their names?

This monk had his eyes shut, but now that I've heard the names, even I am dead for sure!

" The monk Yun Que hastily opened his eyes, looked at Shen Mu, and said with a fawning smile, "Erudite.

. .

Holy Cult Master, we were schoolmates, weren't we?

You even hit me once, have you forgotten?