Chapter 205: Desperation

At the entrance of the Spirit Palace, Ye Xiaotian was sprawled on the ground, coughing up blood. He could hardly believe it. The masked man was one thing, but where did this old man come from, and why was he so powerful? A carrying pole that could shatter space itself? Was this some kind of joke?

Cen Qiaofu squatted on a tree stump, playing chess with Xiao Qixiu. From time to time, he would tap the white-haired Taoist child on the ground with his cane, playfully scolding, "You rascal, how many times have you tried? Still coming back for more?"

Xiao Qixiu's eyebrows twitched wildly as he watched. Playing chess was not his intention, but he couldn't stand up to the old man's relentless threats! If he didn't cooperate, the three gray-haired individuals lying on the ground might never get up again.

"Speaking of the young man at the back," Cen Qiaofu said, looking at Qiao Qianzhi, who stood furthest away, observing the fierce battle, "Are you ready? If you have any moves, unleash them quickly. My tea has gone cold waiting." He picked up his teacup and took a sip. The tea set, he noted, was also self-made.

Qiao Qianzhi was stunned. He hadn't expected his carefully concealed actions to be noticed. But activating such a powerful array takes time! Even as a Grandmaster of Spirit Formations, while he could shorten the activation time, instant casting was impossible!

"Heh-heh-heh..." He awkwardly scratched his head. "Senior, you noticed?"

"Pfft!" Cen Qiaofu spat his tea directly onto Xiao Qixiu's face opposite him. That laugh... He apologetically offered a tissue and said, "To be honest, during my days in reclusion in the mountains, I also dabbled in spirit formations. I could, perhaps, barely be considered a Grandmaster myself!"

Everyone present was dumbfounded! Ye Xiaotian, sprawled on the ground, seemed to lose all strength, as if his very soul had departed. Was their highly anticipated final strike to die in the womb before it even appeared? Everyone fell silent. The air was terrifyingly still.

Cen Qiaofu waved his hand dismissively. "Just something to pass the time," he said casually. "I also practice alchemy, but my skill isn't as good as a certain young fellow in my own family, so I'm too ashamed to mention it. Spirit formations, however... I'm probably still decent at those." He looked steadily at Qiao Qianzhi. "The Eight Prisoner Pillars?" His tone was questioning, but the confidence on his face was unmistakable to everyone.

*Clatter!* The formation disk in Qiao Qianzhi's hand clattered to the ground, his face etched with terror. This old man wasn't joking... Was he really a Grandmaster?

The old man placed a piece on the board and praised, "Impressive! I didn't expect you to have also studied Dao Qiongcang's 'Heavenly Art of Divination.' Truly, the younger generation is formidable!" Qiao Qianzhi's face turned pale. Even "Heavenly Art of Divination" had been mentioned, making it undeniably true. With all their tactics forced, and in such a predicament, who could possibly resolve it? The "Sacred Slaves" had sent out only one old man, yet he had genuinely tied down all five thrones of the Heavenly Mulberry Spirit Palace!

"And you?" Cen Qiaofu looked at Jiang Bianyan, who was to one side, and asked directly, "What method do you intend to use?"

Jiang Bianyan's face fell, and he stammered, "Senior must be joking..." At that moment, he regretted intensely why he had come alone. If this old man harbored murderous intent, he might not even be able to return with his life! The Sacred Slaves could no longer be left unchecked... The news of Cen Qiaofu joining the "Sacred Slaves" had to be immediately conveyed to headquarters. The consequence of years of excessive leniency was now like raising a tiger that had turned on them!

Xiao Qixiu calmly continued playing chess. At this point, only he, the sword cultivator known for his steadfast resolve, possessed the composure to continue the game. Ever since his last confrontation with the masked man, he knew that any further powerful figures appearing from the "Sacred Slaves" were to be expected. So, staying steady, there was nothing to be surprised about!

*Clang!* Just then, a clear sword hum resonated through the sky, and the sword on Xiao Qixiu's back suddenly unsheathed itself, as if pointing to something.

"Ten Thousand Swords Return to Origin?" Even Cen Qiaofu was startled this time. Grandmaster-level sword intent wasn't something one could simply comprehend. He had been a guest at the Spirit Palace for less than a day and had already witnessed someone achieve it?

Xiao Qixiu's pupils dilated in shock. There weren't many innate sword intents within the Spirit Palace, and even fewer had the chance to break through to the Grandmaster level. Even Su Qianqian would need more time to cultivate, unless... "Hm?" With a bang, Xiao Qixiu sprang to his feet in alarm, knocking over the chessboard. "Su Qianqian?!" He quickly bent down, bracing himself against the tree stump, his eyes wide as he hissed, "The masked man went for the famous sword?!"

Cen Qiaofu stared blankly at the scattered chess pieces. A dirty trick before losing the game? "Isn't that obvious?" He looked up at the man in front of him, not understanding why he was suddenly furious.

Xiao Qixiu was fuming with anxiety. He spun around and flew off, which finally enraged Cen Qiaofu. "You've forgotten what I said, haven't you? You don't like sunflower seeds, and sitting down for tea isn't an option either?" He slapped the tree stump, sending black and white chess pieces flying everywhere. With a flick of his finger, several rays of light shot out into the air, arrayed in a precise pattern.

But Xiao Qixiu, who was already fleeing, didn't even turn his head. He blocked the attack with his long sword, spitting blood amid a clang, yet continued to fly into the distance. Cen Qiaofu frowned, then slapped and flicked again. *Whoosh, whoosh, whoosh!* More chess pieces shot forth. Even though the two were now a great distance apart, they still pierced Xiao Qixiu's body, which was already in a declining state.

"Fighting so desperately?" "What for?" Cen Qiaofu was surprised. The black and white chess pieces, imbued with the power of the Great Dao, were not easy to withstand; if not promptly removed, they could severely damage the man's foundation. However, with his mission at hand, he couldn't let the man leave. So he hoisted his carrying pole, instantly darted forward, and swept it down.

Xiao Qixiu showed no desire to fight, completely exposing his back. A strange glint finally appeared in Cen Qiaofu's eyes, but his hand still swung down mercilessly.

With an explosion, crystalline spatial fragments burst open. Ye Xiaotian plunged his hand into the sky, once again tearing open a section of the firmament. It was he who had just helped Xiao Qixiu block that strike!

*Boom, boom, boom...* At that opportune moment, eight heavenly pillars descended, locking Cen Qiaofu firmly within them. The two grand elders reappeared, their eyes burning with renewed fighting spirit. "We're old bones, but let's give it our all!"

In the distance, Jiang Bianyan sighed. He hadn't expected the people of the Spirit Palace to be so unyielding. Now he couldn't escape.

"Let's fight!" At Ye Xiaotian's command, dark lightning surged instantly within the "Eight Prisoner Pillars," tearing space apart. Even if Cen Qiaofu was overconfident, he didn't intend to take a full-powered blow from a Grandmaster of Spirit Formations. But the moment he tried to move, he found space itself was actually confined. Unpreventable!

An earth-shattering explosion nearly tore the night sky, pulverizing half a mountain range into dust. The Spirit Palace's grand formation, being too close, was shattered by the impact, revealing glimpses of the night within. Almost simultaneously, all disciples inside and outside the courtyards covered their ears; those with lower cultivation were directly left with ringing ears from the blast. Fortunately, the grand formation had protected everyone, resulting in no significant casualties among their own people.

Jiang Bianyan stared at Qiao Qianzhi in shock, unable to believe he had created that explosion. If he himself had been trapped inside, could he have emerged safely? As the dust clouds dispersed, hope began to stir in everyone's hearts... Had they succeeded?

"Cough, cough!" A cough sent shivers down several spines. Cen Qiaofu raised an eyebrow, his face covered in blood. He had apparently changed his clothes, making it impossible to see his injuries beneath. But the blood dripping from his fingertips indicated that the strike had certainly not been easy to withstand.

"Formidable, truly formidable, the younger generation..." The carrying pole was gone, blown to smithereens. The old man pulled out a small iron axe from his waist, his eyes full of admiration as he looked at Qiao Qianzhi. "You are very good!" He rotated his wrist joints, pushing the dislocated bones back into place, and said gravely, "It seems this old man needs to exert himself now!"

Qiao Qianzhi's lips twitched twice, realizing a slight chill had crept up his spine. He glanced behind him, secretly clenching his fists. "Old Xiao, hang in there! I've already bought you time, the rest..." Would the remaining threat be the masked man? Swallowing hard, Qiao Qianzhi felt a bitter taste in his throat. With formidable opponents on both sides, how could they fight? Yet, the resolve in his eyes never wavered, and his fighting spirit rekindled.

"If it's for my disciple, I'll go all out, even if it kills me!"