Chapter 199: Moving Mountains

The sight in the city sent shivers down the spines of those on the mountain. The insect army of Three Marvel Fortress was overwhelmed by a sea of fire and swords before they could even react, utterly routed and disorganized. Though the insect army was originally formidable, they were caught completely off guard; both the soldiers and the insects were burned to death.

The female army of Liqing Palace was extremely powerful, yet they too suffered a devastating blow in an instant. Countless sharp swords shot from the sky, piercing their bodies. They died standing, their bodies riddled with holes. By the time they fell, the swords that had killed them had already flown back into the scabbards on the cavalry's backs.

Disciples from various rebel factions had no time to react before being scattered by the infantry's elephant army, forced into individual combat. But even with high cultivation, facing the siege formations of the Yan Kang soldiers, they were instantly beheaded! While sect disciples individually possessed greater combat power than soldiers, their cohesion was poor, causing them to disperse easily. Even the well-trained, regular soldiers within the rebel army, who were originally from Yan Kang, were caught by surprise; once their formations were broken, it was too late.

This was undeniably a massacre. The Sky Demon Cult's teleportation banners allowed for a complete surprise attack, and any army facing such an assault had only one outcome: total annihilation.

On the mountain, the man with the bronze mask trembled, his voice quivering, "Two paths, two paths..." The Yan Kang Imperial Preceptor had offered them two paths: one was for the Yan Kang army to relentlessly advance, pushing them towards the South Sea for complete annihilation—this was the court's way. The other was to follow the rules of the jianghu, where they would challenge the Imperial Preceptor, and the main commanders would fight to the death.

They had always assumed they would choose one of these options, but they never expected that both paths would be taken simultaneously. The Yan Kang Imperial Preceptor intended both to kill them personally and to annihilate the rebel forces.

"When did the Sky Demon Cult ally with the court?" the Mistress of Liqing Palace sharply demanded. "When did a supreme holy land of the demonic path become the court's dog?"

The Lihentian Sword Art of Liqing Palace required practitioners to detach from all emotions, cultivating a heart free of love, hate, and grievances to achieve the highest state of swordsmanship. Only with a mind clear of external distractions could one reflect the outside world like an unblemished mirror. Yet now, witnessing the slaughter of her disciples, Qiu Dieyi, the Mistress of Liqing Palace, found her mental state in disarray.

Her disturbed mental state was no small matter. The Yan Kang Imperial Preceptor pointed a finger, and the vital qi from his fingertip transformed into a rapidly expanding sword light, reaching her throat in an instant! Not only was the Mistress of Liqing Palace's mind in turmoil, but everyone else's was as well. When the Yan Kang Imperial Preceptor struck at her, no one had time to intervene.

"We're going to die..." The same thought arose in Shen Wanyun and the others' minds. This mountain was sealed by the eight-hundred-mu Celestial Prison, which trapped all battle fluctuations, causing them to collide back and forth. They feared that the moment the Yan Kang Imperial Preceptor and the others clashed, they would be shaken to death, shattered into pieces.

Just as the Yan Kang Imperial Preceptor made his move, a large banner suddenly appeared in front of Qin Mu and the others. It flapped loudly, then enveloped them. The banner swayed and vibrated, and in an instant, the banner, the people, and even the Dragon Qilin vanished.

The next moment, Qin Mu and the others appeared at the foot of the mountain. Shen Wanyun, Yun Que, and Yue Qinghong looked around to see peculiar figures wearing conical hats standing beside them, unfurling large banners. These hundreds of strange figures encircled the city-mountain. Their banners billowed, engulfing the entire mountain. Then, an aged voice commanded, "Go!"

*Swoosh—*

Hundreds of banners swirled. As the flags swept past, the mountain behind them, along with the sect leader-level experts, including the Yan Kang Imperial Preceptor, were all transported away! Where the mountain once stood, only a barren, white expanse remained, with the shattered ruins of the City Lord's Mansion covering the ground!

Shen Wanyun, Yun Que, and the others were filled with shock and uncertainty. They watched as the peculiar figures raised their banners again, cloaking themselves—and them—from view. Before Shen Wanyun and the others could fully regain their senses, a banner enveloped them. They felt a dizzying sensation, and when their feet touched solid ground again, they found themselves far from the battle-torn Da Xiang City, standing on a towering mountain peak.

The peak was extremely high, and a fierce wind howled, making their clothes snap loudly. Around them stood hundreds of the strange, conical-hatted figures, encircling them. Shen Wanyun and the others suppressed their shock and exchanged silent glances. "These are Sky Demon Cult experts," they thought, "they've kidnapped us. What do they want?"

The profoundly mysterious Sky Demon Cult, the foremost holy land and largest sect of the demonic path, had always operated in secrecy. The Yan Kang court had investigated this demonic holy land on multiple occasions but had never uncovered much useful information. This time, the Sky Demon Cult had helped the Yan Kang Imperial Preceptor, transported them away from the battleground where the Imperial Preceptor and others were fighting, and now abducted them from the conflict. They surely had a hidden agenda.

Suddenly, the strange figures removed their conical hats, adopted a disciple's respectful bow, and collectively announced, "Your subordinates greet the Cult Master and Sacred Teacher! We greet the Saintess!"

Shen Wanyun and the others were flustered, their hearts filled with trepidation as they looked at the bowing Sky Demon Cult experts. Monk Yun Que quickly shut his eyes and cried out, "I didn't see anything! I didn't see your faces, don't kill me to silence me!"

Just then, a familiar voice beside them said, "Rise, there's no need for such formality."

"Thank you, Cult Master and Sacred Teacher."

The peculiar figures rose, while Shen Wanyun and the others stared with horrified expressions at the person who had just spoken beside them. Qin Mu, the first outcast from the Great Ruins to enter Imperial College, the first Imperial College Doctor—he was the Demonic Cult Master of the Sky Demon Cult?

Qin Mu's expression was gentle as he smiled at them.

"If the Doctor is the Demonic Cult Master, then who is the Demonic Saintess?" Yue Qinghong's voice trembled.

Si Yunxiang gave her a shy smile, sending shivers down Yue Qinghong's spine.

"The Supervisor of Guozijian from our Imperial College's Hamguang Hall, Jian Sansheng! And the Supervisor of Guozijian from Zhenyuan Hall, Chen Yunting!"

Shen Wanyun's heart sank as he recognized the Hall Master of the Sword Hall and the Hall Master of the Formation Hall. He murmured, "We're doomed, absolutely doomed..."

Monk Yun Que angrily retorted, "You saw their true faces, you're dead! Why would you reveal their names? I had my eyes closed, but now I've heard the names, so I'm doomed too!"

The Hall Master of the Sword Hall glanced at the four of them and said, "Sacred Cult Master, they have seen our true faces. Should we eliminate them to prevent future complications?"

Monk Yun Que quickly opened his eyes, looking at Qin Mu with an ingratiating smile. "Doctor... Sacred Cult Master, we're classmates, remember? You even hit me once! Fox Sister, Fox Sister, please put in a good word for me, considering all the money I've 'filially' contributed?"

Fox Ling'er tilted her head and wagged her tail, indicating she couldn't help.

Qin Mu reassured them, "Scholar Yun, all of you, set your minds at ease. I'm here, I'm here." He turned to the Hall Master of the Sword Hall and said, "Sword Hall, they are Imperial College classmates after all. Ask them if they wish to join our Sacred Cult. If not, then bury them in this beautiful, scenic place." Qin Mu then turned back to them and added reassuringly, "Don't worry, don't worry, I'll handle everything appropriately."

Monk Yun Que was so terrified he nearly wet himself, and his hair stood on end—luckily his head was bald, otherwise it would have stood straight up.

Qin Mu turned back again and said, "Sword Hall, when you execute them later, please don't do it in front of me. Wanyun, Qinghong, you can also rest assured. We are not some demonic sect that commits murder, arson, and robbery. Put your hearts at ease, it's fine... just strike quickly, to lessen their pain..."

"I heard what you said!" Monk Yun Que cried out, "Sword Hall, don't come closer! I'm already a member of the Demonic Cult... I mean, the Sacred Cult!"

Yue Qinghong and Shen Wanyun exchanged a glance. Yue Qinghong whispered, "Senior Brother, what should we do?"

Shen Wanyun hesitated, then said, "The Sky Demon Cult is assisting the Imperial Preceptor this time, which suggests they're also connected to the court. So, joining the Sky Demon Cult wouldn't be an issue. If we don't join..." His eye twitched, and he fell silent.

Yue Qinghong sighed in relief. "There's no problem with joining the Sky Demon Cult. We'll simply join." Once she spoke, Wolf Slave naturally had nothing to add.

Yue Qinghong blinked and asked Si Yunxiang, "Saintess, if we don't join the Sacred Cult, you surely won't try to kill us, right?"

Si Yunxiang chuckled softly. "The Cult Master is kind-hearted; he was just joking with you."

Monk Yun Que breathed a sigh of relief and exclaimed, "This monk knew it was a joke! Doctor, you were just kidding, weren't you? Doctor?"

Qin Mu simply laughed heartily without speaking, leaving Yun Que's face ashen.

Qin Mu walked to the edge of the cliff and looked towards another mountain peak, where the Yan Kang Imperial Preceptor and the dozen or so sect leader-level experts were battling, a distance of over ten li. The Celestial Prison seal created by the man with the bronze mask and his group had been breached, with numerous holes appearing. Terrifying storms periodically erupted from these breaches, howling winds tearing through entire forests, sweeping countless trees into the air and shredding them.

The battle on that mountaintop was horrifying—a life-and-death struggle between sect leader-level experts. Even from such a distance, and despite the Celestial Prison seal, terrifying tremors could still be felt.

*Whoosh—*

Another fierce gust of wind swept by, and only then did Shen Wanyun and the others realize why they had felt such strong winds when they first landed on the mountain; the gales were actually tremors from the battle raging over ten li away. Moreover, the wind was growing stronger, bending the trees on the mountain. It came in successive waves; as soon as one gust subsided, another arrived, bending the trees again just as they sprang back. Some trees were snapped in half.

That mountain peak must have shattered, as Qin Mu observed the site of the clash steadily decreasing in height, now nearly level with the ground. From such a distance, even using the Divine Firmament Heavenly Eye and Azure Firmament Heavenly Eye, he could perceive the battle but not clearly. Their combat speed was simply too fast; even the Azure Firmament Heavenly Eye struggled to track their movements, let alone discern their specific techniques. Qin Mu could only estimate how many individuals remained on the mountain by observing the trails left by the experts' movements.

"Another sect leader-level expert has fallen," Qin Mu thought, his heart slightly trembling.

Yue Qinghong looked around and saw the Sky Demon Cult experts standing silently on the peak, gazing at the distant battle with no intention of moving to assist. Confused, she asked, "Aren't you going to help?"

"No," Qin Mu explained. "The Yan Kang Imperial Preceptor can handle this alone. Three old monsters from the ancient era might be able to injure an unprepared Imperial Preceptor amidst an army of ten thousand. But if the Imperial Preceptor launches a surprise attack, almost no one can stand against him. Our Sacred Cult's role was to create the opportune moment for him to strike. The instant those sect leaders lost focus was the perfect timing for the Imperial Preceptor's ambush."