Chapter 218: Killing Chief Qingye

Zhao Congyue had always been known for his peerless leg techniques in the martial arts world. His legs were like phantoms, moving so fast they were dazzling. Although Old Lady Lin had taken the lead, soaring dozens of feet away, Zhao Congyue, with a swift movement, pursued her like a ghost. His legs rotated like wheels. Before he even reached her, two gusts of fierce wind arrived, making the white hairs at Old Lady Lin's temples stand on end.

When Old Lady Lin had flown out twelve feet, Zhao Congyue inexplicably found leverage in mid-air, stepping again. His right leg suddenly straightened like a heavy sword forged from fine steel. Twisting his body in the air, his left leg, resembling a massive axe capable of cleaving mountains, swept with a whooshing sound towards Old Lady Lin's back. Where the leg wind reached, sand and stones flew, and a giant footprint appeared in the void.

Old Lady Lin calmly dropped downwards, lightly touching the tip of her embroidered shoe on a flying eaves. Her entire body then drifted like a withered leaf, landing on a rooftop thirty feet away.

The moment she landed, she reached under her long robe and pulled out a purple bamboo staff. As soon as she held it, a faint green light pulsed between its joints, and in the blink of an eye, it transformed into a three-foot-long umbrella.

Song Danyang's longsword arrived at that very moment. Its shadow transformed into twenty-four cold gleams, becoming sharp flying swords that resembled countless stars, shooting towards Old Lady Lin with bone-chilling coldness. Where they passed, the air was scarred with white streaks, piercing her twenty-four vital pressure points.

Old Lady Lin let out a low cry and opened the umbrella. This umbrella, seemingly ordinary, concealed a hidden mechanism. The moment its canopy unfurled, an invisible surge of internal energy spread out, firmly blocking the incoming barrage of flying swords. A series of crisp "ding-dang" sounds rang out as the flying swords struck the umbrella, bouncing off and falling to the ground, scattering sparks. The metallic clashing was as dense as a sudden downpour on banana leaves.

At this point, Zhao Congyue and Song Danyang saw the purple bamboo umbrella and inwardly cried out in alarm. There had long been rumors in the martial arts world that Old Lady Lin possessed twelve types of peerless hidden weapons, and this purple bamboo umbrella was one of them. Its hollow ribs concealed seventy-two different hidden weapons.

Sure enough, she pressed a mechanism on the umbrella handle with her fingertip, and the canopy suddenly spun open, sending countless hidden weapons flying out. Some resembled cold stars, some drifted like willow leaves, and others were shaped like silver needles, all whistling sharply as they shot towards Zhao Congyue and Song Danyang. A faint, chilling glow emanated from the hidden weapons, clearly indicating they were laced with potent poison.

Seeing this, Zhao Congyue repeatedly kicked, his legs creating a crisscrossing blur that formed an impenetrable defensive barrier, deflecting the hidden weapons aimed at him, though he found himself in perilous situations repeatedly. Song Danyang, on the other hand, swung his longsword, his body surrounded by crisscrossing sword energy, shredding any approaching hidden weapons. Sparks flew onto his sword, sizzling and emitting green smoke.

Just as the two were scrambling, True Master Lingxu's whisk finally swept in. The Daoist Grandmaster's silver hair swayed without wind, and the seventy-two dark iron beads strung on his whisk's tassel suddenly hummed. Powerful internal energy surged like a tidal wave, stripping off roof tiles in sheets wherever it passed.

The purple bamboo umbrella first trembled violently in the energy surge. Three of its ribs snapped with a "clack," and then the entire umbrella exploded into a myriad of bamboo splinters, like a piece of paper crumpled by a giant hand, with a resounding "boom."

Old Lady Lin grunted and flew backward, the front of her robe shredded by the residual internal energy, revealing a dark golden chainmail beneath.

"Old hag, old fool!"

Before she finished cursing, a black pellet from her palm had already struck the rooftop.

The moment thick smoke billowed up, Zhao Congyue shattered the last hidden weapon. Song Danyang unleashed a sword strike, and sword energy swirled away, but Old Lady Lin was nowhere to be seen. Only a tattered piece of her clothing fluttered gently in the wind on a distant rooftop.

Zhao Congyue saw Old Lady Lin vanish instantly and was about to order the Six Doors constables to search everywhere, but True Master Lingxu suddenly moved. With a gentle flick of his whisk, he moved as if strolling leisurely, his feet lightly touching the ground. He soared like a bird, landing on a rooftop in an instant.

True Master Lingxu stood gracefully, whisk in hand, his gaze sharp as a torch, fixed on a seemingly ordinary pillar in the courtyard. He spoke loudly, "My dear sister, we are both at an age where we should be preparing for the grave. Why can't you see things clearly? Grandchildren have their own fortunes. You have already sacrificed more than enough for the Lin family in your lifetime. Now, in your old age, are you not afraid of ruining your lifelong good name by doing these things? It's simply not worth it!"

Before his words faded, the air beside the corridor pillar suddenly rippled like crumpled silk. Old Lady Lin emerged, holding a piece of cloth as thin as a cicada's wing and almost transparent. This was her top-tier hidden weapon—the Heavenly Illusionary Light Silk—which allowed her to conceal her presence and appear and disappear unpredictably by manipulating light.

Old Lady Lin's fingertips caressed the silver thread patterns on the silk's corner, her cold laugh like ice. "Old Daoist, you solely pursue tranquility and inaction, while I solely wish to secure a lasting foundation for the Lin family. The younger generations of the Lin family are not ambitious. If I don't secure their future while I'm still alive, how will they stand on their own later?"

"What future can the Green Leaf Pavilion secure with its actions? No matter how many forces you secretly control, they cannot see the light of day. Once you are gone, no one in the Lin family will be able to control so much, and you won't be able to legitimize it..."

True Master Lingxu stopped abruptly at this point, his expression subtly changing. He instantly realized that Old Lady Lin's creation of the Green Leaf Pavilion likely held a deeper meaning.

Given the Lin family's situation, even if Old Lady Lin were to die, with the Grandmaster Lin Chuan still present, the family could barely maintain itself, though it would slowly decline. However, Old Lady Lin, in her schemes to bring down Pure Yang Temple, employed tactics like the "self-inflicted injury" and "linked plots," utterly ruining Lin Chuan's reputation and forcing him out of the martial arts world.

From Old Lady Lin's perspective, there could only be one possibility: the Lin family's long-standing ambition to transition into court circles, which had previously failed, now had a chance. Therefore, she did not hesitate to pay the price of Lin Chuan leaving the martial arts world, effectively cutting off the Lin family's path in the jianghu.

This explains why Old Lady Lin's creation of the Green Leaf Pavilion, if successful, would elevate the Lin family to a higher status, transforming it from a martial arts clan into a court family, no longer needing the martial arts world.

Therefore, the Green Leaf Pavilion would never need to be legitimized.

It would always remain a hidden, dark force.

"It seems Pure Yang Temple has indeed obstructed the Lin family's path," True Master Lingxu said.

Old Lady Lin understood that True Master Lingxu had seen through the true meaning behind the Green Leaf Pavilion. She chuckled lightly and said, "It's a pity. Now that my efforts have failed at the very last moment, it has allowed a lazy old Daoist like you to gain an advantage and benefit Pure Yang Temple."

True Master Lingxu frowned and said, "My Pure Yang Temple only cultivates the Dao."

"That's what you think, but your disciples might not," Old Lady Lin replied.

"Then I will pay more attention when the time comes," True Master Lingxu said. "My dear sister, are you still going to resist stubbornly? Here today, not to mention the hundreds of Six Doors masters and the hundreds of my Pure Yang Temple disciples, just Grandmaster Gu, Chief Constable Zhao, Danyang, and I—the four of us—will absolutely not let you escape."

Old Lady Lin sighed and said, "I shouldn't have been so ambitious. Originally, the plan was just to ruin Master Song's reputation and damage Pure Yang Temple's standing. But when I saw Grandmaster Gu arrive, I had an idea: to use him to directly eliminate Master Song and avoid future trouble. I didn't realize that one wrong thought would lead to complete failure!"

At this moment,

Gu Mo also appeared on the rooftop and said, "So, Lin Gu and Lin Xiangxi, father and son, were actually part of your plan. They never truly won against Lin Chuan from beginning to end; they were merely elements in your 'self-inflicted injury' scheme."

Old Lady Lin sighed and said, "I have wronged that father and son in this matter, but for the lasting foundation of the Lin family, sacrifices are always unavoidable."

Gu Mo felt a surge of emotion. Lin Gu and Lin Xiangxi, father and son, were truly pathetic, mere pawns discarded by Old Lady Lin and Lin Chuan from beginning to end. It seemed they collaborated with the Green Leaf Pavilion to bring down Lin Chuan, but in reality, they were just a part of Old Lady Lin's scheme to clear her own suspicions and successfully frame Song Danyang with the Green Leaf Pavilion. They never won from start to finish; to be precise, they were never even at the table.

"So the Puppet Pills were also fake?" Gu Mo asked.

Old Lady Lin chuckled lightly, "If I had such a thing, why would I bother with such complicated schemes? Wouldn't it be simpler to just control Song Danyang directly?"

By this point,

Gu Mo and the others had pieced together the entire sequence of events.

The Lin family flourished under Old Lady Lin, but a lack of talented descendants meant the family couldn't complete its transformation. Not only was it unable to transition from a martial arts clan to a court family, but it was also at risk of gradual decline.

Old Lady Lin must have formed an alliance with a powerful figure in the imperial court, or perhaps placed herself under their command. This led her to establish the Green Leaf Pavilion, secretly gaining control over various forces in Cangzhou for its purposes.

Those assassins were likely sent by that powerful figure to assist, as it seemed unlikely a martial arts family that had only flourished for a few decades could cultivate such elite operatives.

Now, with the Green Leaf Pavilion potentially reaching a critical stage of development, Pure Yang Temple, as Cangzhou's foremost martial arts power, became an obstacle. Thus, Old Lady Lin began plotting to bring down Pure Yang Temple.

To avoid suspicion, she initiated her scheme with the "self-inflicted injury" ploy, first orchestrating the downfall of Lin Chuan and Lin Xiangdong. Then, she used the Green Leaf Pavilion in Beijun as bait, exposing Lin Gu and Lin Xiangxi, and gradually guiding events to frame Song Danyang as the head of the Green Leaf Pavilion.

This matter must have been planned ten years ago, including bribing Xuan Songzi. Of course, it's also possible that Xuan Songzi had been Old Lady Lin's mole in Pure Yang Temple from the very beginning.

Xuan Songzi had already hidden the fake Grand Void Divine Armor inside the statue at that time. It's also possible he secretly found opportunities to hide the fake armor there over the years.

This had been planned many years ago, likely even before the Green Leaf Pavilion was established and emerged in the martial arts world. Given Pure Yang Temple's status in Cangzhou, the Green Leaf Pavilion would eventually need to bring it down to fully control Cangzhou's martial arts scene.

The plan was actually quite good.

If it had proceeded as planned, Song Danyang would have been utterly ruined and reviled by all. Pure Yang Temple would not have escaped responsibility, being thoroughly investigated by the Six Doors, its reputation shattered, and its prestige plummeting. This would have advanced the Green Leaf Pavilion's plan to control Cangzhou's martial arts.

However,

Perhaps it was the consistent success that had made Old Lady Lin somewhat overconfident, causing her to lose a sense of caution.

After seeing Gu Mo arrive in Cangzhou, she actually made a last-minute addition to her plan: using the lecherous demon Shangguan Shang as bait to keep Gu Mo there. Shangguan Shang's capture was also part of Old Lady Lin's plan; if he hadn't been caught, she would have arranged for another living person to ensure the plan wasn't affected, only needing to successfully keep Gu Mo.

Exploiting Gu Mo's obsession with capturing wanted criminals, she gradually led him to Shinan Mountain.

At the same time, she arranged for True Master Xuancheng to appear in Liucheng, a part of Song Danyang's supposed disruption of the Six Doors' plan, further deepening Song Danyang's suspicion.

In Old Lady Lin's plan,

Gu Mo was expendable; his presence wouldn't affect her plan. After all, if he fell into her trap, he would become a tool in her hands, helping her kill Song Danyang. She was very familiar with True Master Lingxu and knew he would definitely protect Song Danyang. She and Zhao Congyue alone couldn't kill Song Danyang, but with Gu Mo's help, their chances would be much higher.

If Gu Mo didn't fall into the trap and left Cangzhou, it wouldn't affect her plan either. She just wouldn't have full confidence in killing Song Danyang with True Master Lingxu protecting him, but she could still bring down Pure Yang Temple.

However, what she never expected was that the very element she considered insignificant, Gu Mo, whom she believed wouldn't affect her plan, ultimately led to its complete collapse.

If it hadn't been for Gu Mo, even if Song Danyang had escaped and sought protection from Grand Preceptor Zhang Daoji, and even if his name had been cleared, no one would have suspected her. Who would suspect that the Lin family, which had seen two successive family heads fall due to the Green Leaf Pavilion and seemed to be on the verge of ruin, was actually controlling it from behind the scenes?

"Alas!"

At this moment, True Master Lingxu sighed deeply again and asked, "My dear sister, stop now. You have the Imperial Golden Mace; perhaps there's still a way out for you!"

Old Lady Lin shook her head. "I'm already this old. I can't possibly go to the Six Doors to be humiliated, can I? Old Daoist, if you were in my shoes, would you endure the humiliation of imprisonment just to cling to life?"

True Master Lingxu sighed faintly.

Old Lady Lin smiled faintly, though there was no mirth in her eyes. She spoke, "Old Daoist, you and I belong to the same era, and for all these years, you've always surpassed me. I admit defeat in that regard. In terms of martial arts, I am indeed inferior to you. However, I have studied hidden weapons for many years. Today, I'd like to see if my hidden weapons can bridge the gap in martial prowess between us!" With that, she spread her hands, and a palm-sized bronze plate appeared in each palm, inscribed with mysterious runes and subtly glowing. "These are called the Yin-Yang Fish Shuttles, my second most proud creation. Old Daoist, do you dare to face this move?"

"Please!"

True Master Lingxu's expression turned serious. He gently waved his hand, signaling Zhao Congyue and the others, as well as the Six Doors constables and the many Pure Yang Temple disciples, to disperse and retreat far away, lest they suffer collateral damage.

Even Gu Mo, Song Danyang, and Zhao Congyue, these three Grandmasters, retreated slightly, remaining highly vigilant. After all, Old Lady Lin's reputation as a Grandmaster of hidden weapons was very well-known. For decades, only True Master Lingxu in all of Cangzhou had been able to surpass her.

However, the mastery of hidden weapons lay in the "hidden" aspect. No one knew how mysterious or powerful her hidden weapons truly were, especially these types that could be openly displayed. To reveal them without the advantage of a sneak attack surely meant they were exceptionally formidable.

Gu Mo never underestimated hidden weapons because Gu Chutong possessed the Thousand Mechanism Box, reputed to be the fifth most powerful hidden weapon in the world. He had witnessed it and knew it possessed the power to kill Grandmasters.

People of today are not necessarily inferior to those of ancient times.

Although the Thousand Mechanism Box was formidable, technology had been constantly advancing for centuries. It was normal for someone as exceptionally talented as Old Lady Lin, combining the wisdom of her predecessors, to create something that surpassed what came before.

Just as contemporary martial arts were generally stronger than older ones, because martial arts traditions were constantly being optimized, incorporating the essence of wisdom and experience from generation to generation.

The same martial art would undoubtedly become stronger and more perfected over time. Of course, those lost or whose lineage was broken were another matter.

At this moment, as Old Lady Lin prepared to unleash her hidden weapons, everyone focused their minds and grew vigilant.

True Master Lingxu stood at the forefront, accepting the challenge.

Gu Mo and the others didn't retreat too far, especially Song Danyang, who was ready to assist at any moment. After all, even if True Master Lingxu accepted a one-on-one duel, it didn't mean he had to stubbornly fight to the end if he was losing.

Instantly, many Pure Yang Temple disciples and Six Doors constables retreated.

Gu Mo was about to remind Gu Chutong, but upon sensing, he couldn't find her whereabouts. As he wondered, he heard Gu Chutong's voice transmission: "Brother, don't worry about me. I've already run outside the Pure Yang Temple mountain gate. Even if you smash the mountain, I'll be fine!"

Gu Mo: "..."

His worry had been unnecessary. His sister's awareness had always been very high; she never held anyone back.

In an instant, Old Lady Lin moved. She sharply raised both hands, and the Yin-Yang Fish Shuttles transformed into two streaks of light, one black and one white, shooting out with a whistling gale.

Where the black shuttle passed, the air seemed to be sliced by a sharp blade, emitting a "sizzling" sound. The surrounding temperature dropped rapidly, and anything it touched instantly condensed a layer of frost.

The white shuttle, on the other hand, carried rolling heat waves, its dazzling light like a scorching sun's rainbow. Along its path, fierce flames ignited, burning the ground bricks red and making them sizzle with steam.

The two shuttles interwove in mid-air, their trajectories unpredictable. Sometimes they merged into one, sometimes they moved left and right, making their attack paths impossible to anticipate. Where the Yin shuttle passed, the air within thirty feet condensed into an icy mist, and even the bronze bells on the flying eaves frosted over. The Yang shuttle, however, was wreathed in crimson flames, melting roof tiles upon contact. The two light shuttles overlapped in the air, forming an ethereal Yin-Yang fish silhouette, effectively sealing the area within ten feet around True Master Lingxu into a death zone.

True Master Lingxu's expression finally changed. He shook his whisk, and the seventy-two silver strands stretched taut like zither strings. Each strand was wrapped in translucent internal energy, a manifestation of his renowned "Universal Snow-Sweeping Force."

Immediately, Old Lady Lin pointed a finger with a hand seal.

As soon as the silver web caught the Yin-Yang Fish Shuttles, a "sizzling" sound was heard. The Yin shuttle froze the silver strands, causing blue spots to appear, while the Yang shuttle burned the ends of the strands, causing green smoke to rise.

True Master Lingxu's pupils constricted slightly. He took a step back, then moved his whisk, transforming it into thousands of silver strands, like a mighty waterfall cascading from the heavens, solidly blocking before him. The moment the whisk's silver strands touched the Yin-Yang Fish Shuttles, a rapid series of metallic clashes erupted, and sparks flew everywhere.

The black shuttle struck the silver strands, and frost quickly spread, attempting to freeze the whisk. The white shuttle, meanwhile, rubbed fiercely against the silver strands, flames licking at each thread.

True Master Lingxu's face was grim. His body swelled with internal energy, which he continuously channeled into the whisk, resisting the Yin-Yang Fish Shuttles' renewed fierce assault. After a brief stalemate, True Master Lingxu suddenly roared, and the internal energy within him exploded like a surging tsunami.

The whisk's silver strands shone brightly and suddenly shook, actually halting the Yin-Yang Fish Shuttles' attack. Immediately after, the silver strands, like agile long snakes, rapidly coiled around the Yin-Yang Fish Shuttles and twisted with force.

With two crisp "crack" sounds, the Yin-Yang Fish Shuttles instantly dimmed.

Old Lady Lin felt a dull ache in her chest, and a mouthful of fresh blood spurted out. Her entire body flew backward like a kite with a broken string. Seeing this, True Master Lingxu didn't hesitate. With light steps, he charged towards Old Lady Lin like a ghost, intending to capture her in one go. Suddenly, he felt a sharp drop in atmospheric pressure above his head. Looking up, he saw a massive red shadow descending—a tall, red-armored iron figure. A faint, dark red glow emanated from the gaps in its armor. Before its feet even touched the ground, the tiles had already cracked in a spiderweb pattern.

"The Grand Void Divine Armor!"

True Master Lingxu had no time to think. His whisk had already transformed into a light shield to meet the incoming force. In an instant, heaven and earth seemed to tremble. A deafening roar, like thunder exploding beside his ear, erupted. Surging waves of energy spread wildly outwards, centered on the two figures. The ground bricks were pulverized, and the blue tiles shattered into dust, scattering everywhere.

True Master Lingxu was thrown backward several feet by the powerful impact, like a falling leaf. When he finally steadied himself, he found the whisk in his hand was utterly tattered, reduced to mere threads.

The red-armored iron figure, however, stood firmly in place. A mechanical "clunk" sound came from its chest cavity, and two clusters of ghostly, faint light in its eye sockets slowly turned towards the fallen Old Lady Lin.

Old Lady Lin leaned against the broken wall, coughing, and looked at the red-armored iron figure. "Lin Chuan, why... haven't you left yet?"

The red-armored iron figure spoke in a muffled voice, "Old Lady, if you go to the capital alive, there's still hope for the Lin family. If I live, and I'm the only Lin family member left, then there's no meaning."

Old Lady Lin sighed, saying no more. After all, Lin Chuan had already appeared in the Grand Void Divine Armor; further words were meaningless.

The red-armored iron figure spoke again, "Old Lady, leave these people to me. You should find an opportunity to leave."

At this moment, on the rooftop,

Gu Mo quickly said to Zhao Congyue, "Chief Constable Zhao, immediately order your Six Doors personnel to prepare the Fish-Dragon Battle Array. Absolutely do not let this Grand Void Divine Armor escape again!"

As soon as Gu Mo finished speaking, the red-armored iron figure took a step forward, extending a massive iron finger to point at Gu Mo, and said, "Gu Mo, if I hadn't been thinking of using you earlier, did you really believe I couldn't defeat you, which is why I fled from you twice?"

Gu Mo remained silent.

The red-armored iron figure beckoned lightly with its finger towards Gu Mo and said, "Come here. Let me kill you!"

Instantly, the atmosphere became very oppressive and somber.

Zhao Congyue signaled, and the many Six Doors constables pulled out their prepared Fish-Dragon Iron Chains, quickly surrounding the area from all directions, ready to activate the Fish-Dragon Battle Array at any moment.

True Master Lingxu discarded the tattered whisk in his hand. Then, with a gesture, he drew a sword from a statue several feet away into his hand. This was the Pure Yang Sword, Pure Yang Temple's two-hundred-year-old heirloom, a renowned divine weapon in the martial arts world.

True Master Lingxu's sword was the first to move. His longsword twirled into a sword-flower, thrusting straight at the red-armored iron figure's throat, the sword strike fierce and accompanied by a whistling sound.

The iron figure seemed completely unfazed. Its iron hand, like a vice, didn't dodge or parry, but simply gripped True Master Lingxu's sword firmly.

In an instant, sword energy overflowed, surging violently. Sand and stones flew everywhere. It simply gripped the blade, allowing the sword energy to explode in its palm. The bluestone slabs cracked inch by inch, yet it stood as firm as an iron tower, with even a few sparks escaping from between its fingers.

Song Danyang followed closely, his longsword slashing diagonally at the iron figure's waist. The iron figure flipped its left wrist and clasped the sword blade as if it were a piece of straw. Master and disciple each exerted their energy, and the sword blade vibrated with a humming sound within the iron palm, yet it couldn't advance even a fraction of an inch.

The air suddenly tore apart.

Zhao Congyue appeared like a ghost, his right leg taut like an iron whip, carrying immense force as he kicked the iron figure's chest. Where his leg wind passed, the bronze bells on the eaves chimed in unison—this Grandmaster of leg techniques truly lived up to his reputation. The red-armored iron figure was actually kicked backward several feet, its metallic body crashing into a corridor pillar, scattering debris. Yet, upon landing, it carved two deep gouges into the ground.

Gu Mo descended from the sky at this precise moment.

The Gouchen Demonic Blade was wreathed in raging crimson flames, its patterns seeming to writhe like living things. Before the blade even arrived, the heat waves already stung faces. This strike had been building for a long time. The blade's light split the void, leaving a scarlet trail in the air. The iron figure tilted its head to avoid a vital spot, but the blade still chopped heavily onto its shoulder. Sparks flew onto the bluestone bricks, sizzling and emitting white smoke. The Grand Void Divine Armor was actually cleaved with a foot-long crack.

The red-armored iron figure brought its arms together, its iron palms gripping the blade like pincers, and then kicked Gu Mo in the lower abdomen. Gu Mo's blade was restrained, but instead of retreating, he advanced, flipping backward in mid-air with both hands on the blade, his robes billowing like sails.

In that flash of lightning, the demonic blade actually shattered into flowing fire, as if alive. Thousands of fragments sliced through the void, then suddenly reformed in front of Gu Mo. The blade's momentum didn't decrease but intensified. The second strike had already cleaved the iron figure's chest, erupting in a shower of sparks. This strike was powerful and heavy, causing the red-armored iron figure to stagger backward, and long gashes appeared on its chest.

True Master Lingxu and Song Danyang seized the opportunity to lunge forward.

Although their longswords couldn't pierce the divine armor, they specifically aimed for the cracks Gu Mo had made, their sword tips darting like spiritual snakes, repeatedly striking the damaged areas. Zhao Congyue was even more like a relentless shadow, his figure darting left and right, his leg blurs falling like heavy rain on tiles, kicking the iron figure back repeatedly, each step leaving a crater in the ground. Gu Mo's blade momentum grew fiercer, each strike pursuing the iron figure's weaknesses, one faster and more vicious than the last. The weaknesses and blade marks on the red-armored iron figure multiplied, and the cracks on the divine armor spread like a spiderweb.

Under the encirclement of the four Grandmasters, the red-armored iron figure gradually became capable only of parrying, with no power to retaliate.

Just then, five walnut-sized copper eggs suddenly flew from Old Lady Lin's sleeve. They fell into five different wells. The well water instantly boiled, and pillars of water shot skyward, exploding into a deluge of rain in mid-air.

As water droplets drifted and fell, the iron figure suddenly seemed to transform. Its already sluggish movements abruptly accelerated. Just as Zhao Congyue kicked from an angle, the iron figure swung its iron arm horizontally, its punch carrying a piercing scream. With a muffled "thud," Zhao Congyue's chest armor shattered inch by inch, blood mixed with rain sprayed, and he was thrown through a carved window.

The iron figure's silhouette flickered and vanished.

Song Danyang's longsword struck empty air. True Master Lingxu was just about to retract his stance when a strong wind hit him from behind.

The two spun around, simultaneously unleashing both palms, striking the iron figure's iron fist. Their internal energy clashed like waves, shaking tiles from the corridor eaves. Despite both being Grandmasters of internal cultivation with profound internal energy, they were still sent flying back several steps, their backs hitting the spirit screen. The bluestone bricks on the screen even cracked in a spiderweb pattern.

Where Gu Mo's blade cleaved empty air, the iron figure was already behind him. As the fist wind reached him, Gu Mo horizontally held his demonic blade, and dragon-shaped internal energy suddenly erupted from his other palm. Amidst a dragon's roar, the crimson dragon collided with the iron fist.

The energy wave ripped off roof tiles. Both were sent flying backward. Gu Mo crashed into the courtyard wall but used the momentum to spin upon landing, twirling the demonic blade into a fiery blade-flower in his hand. The cracks on the blade's edge actually healed slowly in the firelight.

Rain poured onto the iron figure's armor, flowing down the deep and shallow blade marks. Yet, from this seemingly battered iron body, a clicking sound of mechanical gears turning could now be heard, as if some dormant, ferocious creature was being awakened by blood and battle.

Song Danyang and True Master Lingxu exchanged glances, both seeing confusion in the other's eyes.

Because the Grand Void Divine Armor was originally an heirloom treasure of their Pure Yang Temple, they were very familiar with its power and knew it couldn't possibly move at such speeds.

"No, it's the water!"

True Master Lingxu realized. Old Lady Lin wouldn't do anything meaningless. The red-armored iron figure had just been at a disadvantage and was about to be defeated, but the moment this artificially created rain began to fall, the iron figure suddenly became extraordinarily agile and incredibly fast.

"My dear sister Lin, you truly are a born genius," True Master Lingxu sighed and said, "The Grand Void Divine Armor with its metal and earth elements was already very strong, but you actually forcibly added the water element to it!"

Old Lady Lin's lips curved into a faint arc, her smile as fleeting as a raindrop about to fall from the eaves. She didn't speak, simply resting her head on the red-armored iron figure's shoulder, her fingertips gently tapping the armor plate at the back of its neck.

The heavy rain striking the divine armor created silver sparks. The red-armored iron figure suddenly transformed into an iron-gray streak of light. The moment it swept past the bluestone slabs, it left behind half an inch deep skid marks on the ground. When it next looked up, it was already sixty feet away, moving with lightning speed.

"Form the array!"

Seeing this, Zhao Congyue made a swift decision and gave the order.

The constables, who had been ambushed on the rooftops, simultaneously shook their hands. Dozens of Fish-Dragon Iron Chains shot through the air. The red-copper tiger-head clasps at the ends of the chains gaped wide, weaving into an ancient net-like formation in mid-air. The dark iron talisman embedded at the core of the array glowed with a cold light, even freezing all the rainwater within a hundred feet.

The red-armored iron figure flexed its iron arms, and the chains instantly stretched taut. Fine sparks erupted from each chain, and the bluestone bricks on the ground cracked like a spiderweb. It actually forcibly expanded and inflated the Fish-Dragon Battle Array's cage. The chains were stretched so tightly that they groaned and creaked as if they would snap at any moment.

But the next moment, Song Danyang and True Master Lingxu quickly made their move. The instant their palms pressed on the array's core, the cage erupted in dazzling golden light. The internal energy of the two Grandmasters surged along the chains, actually shrinking the expanded cage by three feet.

True Master Lingxu's white hair flew wildly as he yelled hoarsely, "Grandmaster Gu, this Grand Void Divine Armor has a major weakness: its energy storage has a limit. By now, the divine armor's power must be nearly depleted. Let's attack together and exhaust its power. Otherwise, with its strength and speed, breaking through its armor will be as difficult as ascending to heaven, Grandmaster Gu!"

His palm was pressed against the iron chain, and faintly flowing golden river patterns could be seen through his sleeves.

The path of internal cultivation emphasized sustained flow. At this moment, two long rivers of internal energy poured into the battle array, becoming even more protracted and profound than when they fought individually.

The path of internal cultivation and the path of martial true essence each had their strengths and weaknesses. The path of internal cultivation focused on endurance and longevity, like a continuous stream, constantly flowing, but relatively lacking in explosive power.

Just like Song Danyang and True Master Lingxu, they could entangle with this iron armor for days and nights, but breaking it quickly would be extremely difficult.

However, if Qi Tianshu were here, with his exquisite understanding of martial true essence, he could certainly break through this divine armor in just a few strikes if he seized the right moment.

But this didn't mean that the path of martial true essence was entirely superior to the path of internal cultivation. The path of martial true essence emphasized instant kills; if one couldn't seize the opportunity, they could only passively endure attacks. Once an explosive strike failed to kill the enemy, or if one fell into an encirclement, the situation would become extremely dangerous.

At this point, with the addition of Song Danyang and True Master Lingxu, the red-armored iron figure was completely suppressed. If Gu Mo were to join the fray, the red-armored iron figure would likely only be able to struggle like a trapped beast.

Seeing this situation, Old Lady Lin's face revealed despair.

Unexpectedly, purple lightning suddenly ripped across the sky. The already gloomy sky instantly opened up with a torrential downpour, and large raindrops splattered on the bluestone slabs, kicking up an inch of mist.

"Hahahahaha... even the heavens are helping