Three days later.
Outside the Azure Spirit Sect's mountain gate.
Nearly a thousand people stood, dressed in black uniforms, their eyes revealing a fierce glint as they stared at the Azure Spirit Sect's mountain gate. In the front row, they held a huge banner with three blood-red characters etched upon it.
"Fallen Cloud Sect."
"Yu Xuzi, my Fallen Cloud Sect has come to visit. Why is your Azure Spirit Sect's mountain gate tightly shut?"
A square-faced middle-aged man in a black dragon robe, hovering in front of everyone, spoke towards the Azure Spirit Sect's mountain gate.
"Hehehe, Sect Leader Baili, you're truly in high spirits, coming to my Azure Spirit Sect with such a grand display. Do you intend to have some tea with me?"
A voice came from the Azure Spirit Sect.
Yu Xuzi, in a yellow robe, swiftly appeared above the mountain gate with Bai Hesheng and other elders.
"You finally decided to come out, Sect Leader Yu. It's been a long time," said Baili Changkong, the Sect Leader of the Fallen Cloud Sect.
"Sect Leader Baili, what is the meaning of your actions?"
"Hahahaha, my Fallen Cloud Sect wishes to form an alliance with you to dominate the Southern Desolate Barren. What do you think, Sect Leader Yu?"
"I don't think that's a good idea. My sect won't interfere with the Fallen Cloud Sect's beautiful dream. Please, Sect Leader Baili, return to whereyou came from."
"Hahahaha, Sect Leader Yu, a wise man submits to circumstances, I'm sure you've heard that before. To be honest, this year your Azure Spirit Sect only has two choices." Baili Changkong's expression instantly turned sinister.
"The first choice is life, the second choice is the destruction of your sect."
Upon hearing this, the elders of the Azure Spirit Sect angrily retorted.
"You bastard. How dare you act so presumptuously in my sect."
....
Yu Xuzi waved his hand and then spoke.
"Sect Leader Baili, unless you're talking nonsense, my sect is, after all, a sect with a hundred years of heritage. How can it be born or destroyed at your whim? If you want to fight, then come. My Azure Spirit Sect disciples are not afraid of death."
"Kill, kill, kill."
The Azure Spirit Sect disciples shouted loudly.
Baili Changkong laughed heartily at this scene.
"Good, since you've made this choice, I won't be polite. Fallen Cloud Sect disciples, heed my command."
"Begin attacking and occupying the Azure Spirit Sect. Whatever you seize from the Azure Spirit Sect will be yours."
With a single command, the Fallen Cloud Sect disciples roared.
"Fully activate the Sect Protection Array," Yu Xuzi ordered.
A layer of green protective shield enveloped the Azure Spirit Sect, directly transforming into an inverted bell covering a hundred miles.
Baili Changkong saw this.
"You still have some tricks up your sleeve. This is a Profound-grade array, the Azure Jade Spirit Bell Shield. However, this is merely a praying mantis trying to stop a chariot." With that, Baili Changkong directly summoned a black long spear from his spatial ring.
When the black long spear appeared,
Yu Xuzi and the elders exclaimed.
"High-grade Profound artifact: Shattering Destruction Spear."
"You still have some knowledge. Watch me break your array."
Under the gaze of Yu Xuzi and the Azure Spirit Sect, Baili Changkong, holding the Shattering Destruction Spear, thrust it forward.
Bang. Bang. Bang.
The air itself emitted explosions as he stabbed towards the Azure Spirit Sect's protective shield.
Rumble.
With a earth-shattering roar, the Azure Jade Spirit Bell Shield, also a Profound-grade artifact, withstood the blow.
However, the Azure Spirit Sect disciples maintaining the array felt their bodies churn.
"Sect Leader, we few will lend you a hand."
Then, four more figures flew out from the Fallen Cloud Sect's direction.
Bai Hesheng said, "These are the four Grand Elders of the Fallen Cloud Sect, all in the Nascent Soul Realm. I wonder if our sect's protective shield can withstand this attack."
Yu Xuzi said, "Elders, this array requires our reinforcement. If it relies only on the disciples, it might collapse after this attack."
The elders of the Azure Spirit Sect dispersed to different reinforcement points, as the five members of the Fallen Cloud Sect's attack landed.
After an earth-shattering sound, faint cracks began to appear on the Azure Jade Spirit Bell Shield.
And Yu Xuzi and the elders, who were reinforcing the array's operation, spat out a mouthful of blood.
The lower-cultivation Foundation Establishment disciples were directly sent flying.
Seeing this, Yu Xuzi took a deep breath and said to Grand Elder Bai Hesheng.
"We probably can't hold on much longer. Grand Elder, you take the disciples and withdraw first. I'll follow shortly."
Bai Hesheng hesitated for a moment.
"Alright, but even if we escape, given the Fallen Cloud Sect's demonic nature, we'll probably be caught very quickly."
"Mingkong had said she had a way, didn't she? Go find her, she's probably in the back mountain right now."
Bai Hesheng didn't hesitate. In this Life and Death crisis, a moment's hesitation could determine life and death.
"Father, I'm here. Let's go together."
At this moment, a voice came, it was Yu Mingkong, who had just arrived.
Looking at the arriving Yu Mingkong, Yu Xuzi quickly said.
"Mingkong, quickly go with Grand Elder and the others. I'll follow shortly. I'm the only Nascent Soul Realm here. If I leave, our sect's Azure Jade Spirit Bell Shield will be immediately destroyed, do you understand?"
Watching Yu Xuzi seriously analyze the current situation, tears welled up in Yu Mingkong's eyes.
"Alright, Yu Mingkong also knows that the situation is urgent and cannot be dragged out. Every second delayed means more danger for the sect."
After speaking, she looked at Yu Xuzi and said.
"Father, after we withdraw, hurry to where we're going, Dragon Phoenix Mountain."
"Dragon Phoenix Mountain?" Yu Xuzi was a little confused, but now was not the time to think about such questions.
Watching Yu Mingkong and Bai Hesheng's group gradually move away, Yu Xuzi gradually relaxed. He looked indifferently at the sneering five figures in the sky.
Baili Changkong sneered.
"Yu Xuzi, with just you left, can you still withstand the combined attack of the five of us? Since your sect insists on resisting to the end, then there's only death. Do you know why I didn't stop them from leaving? Because soon we'll play with you like a cat plays with a mouse."
"That's right, Yu Xuzi, I am Sikong Zhen, the Grand Elder of the Fallen Cloud Sect. Your Azure Spirit Sect has a hundred years of heritage. We only wanted you to ally with us, but who knew you were such an ungrateful fool."
Yu Xuzi looked up at the group of people.
"Enough, stop pretending. It's not like I don't know that your Fallen Cloud Sect is ambitious, wanting to rule the entire Southern Desolate Barren, and our Azure Spirit Sect is merely your stepping stone. Rather than live bowing our head down, it's better to fight with all we have."
"Alright, no more nonsense with you, Yu Xuzi. Don't worry, when we catch you, we won't let you die easily. We'll capture your sect's disciples and torment them in front of you. Let's see how you feel."
"Oh, right, you also have a daughter. I heard she's a beauty of unparalleled charm. Wasn't that her who just came? Hahahaha."
A disciple from the Fallen Cloud Sect with a lewd gaze said, clearly someone depleted by wine and women. This person was none other than Baili Chuixiao, the Young Sect Leader of the Fallen Cloud Sect.
Yu Xuzi was so enraged watching these people that he couldn't utter a single word.
He then activated the array, and the light on the Azure Jade Spirit Bell Shield array deepened significantly.
The few people from the Fallen Cloud Sect watched indifferently; breaking through was only a matter of time.
So they weren't worried.
"Hahahaha, Yu Xuzi, let's see how long you can stubbornly hold on. Third Elder, you and Xiao'er go after those who escaped first," Baili Changkong said.
"Understood, Sect Leader. Yu Xuzi, rest assured, once I catch up, your precious daughter will belong to our Young Sect Leader, hahahaha."
....
"You are despicable and shameless."
Yu Xuzi said with bloodshot eyes.
"Alright, now you should worry about yourself. The remaining elders, attack with me."
With that, he raised the Shattering Destruction Spear and smashed it towards the Azure Jade Spirit Bell Shield array.