Chapter 318: The Return of the Azure Stripes

“Junior Brother Han, you truly are extraordinary to find a flaw so quickly! What is the weakness?” Liu Jing praised before asking with a gentle expression.

Han Li smiled faintly and suddenly handed over the crystal ball in his hand.

“Senior Brother, use this Violet Light Ball to look in that direction, and you’ll understand,” Han Li said, pointing to where he had been staring.

Curious, Liu Jing took the magical instrument and peered through the crystal ball carefully.

As he looked, Han Li showed a surprised expression. After a moment, Liu Jing returned the crystal ball to Han Li, lowered his head, and fell into deep thought.

A short while later, he lifted his head and said to the others who were waiting anxiously, “Junior Brother Han is right. For some reason, the spiritual energy fluctuations in this direction are vastly different from elsewhere—much thinner. It seems the enemy hastily set up the formation, leaving an unintended flaw.” Liu Jing’s voice grew louder as he spoke, brimming with confidence.

“Then, Senior Brother Liu, you mean…” asked Chen Qiaoqian’s senior sister, unable to hold back her question.

“Concentrate all our magical instruments and attack this weak point together. I believe we can break this formation without expending too much energy,” Liu Jing stated firmly.

“In that case, let’s act quickly!” Song Meng, upon hearing this, impatiently raised his hand and summoned his “Blue Silk Sword,” which began circling above his head.

The others, hearing Liu Jing’s words, also wore eager expressions.

Seeing this, Liu Jing hesitated no longer and immediately said, “Good! Let’s strike. We must break this formation and show them what we’re made of.”

As these words were spoken, over a dozen magical instruments emitted dazzling lights, flying out from their owners and shooting directly toward the flaw.

…

Outside, Bing Yao, who was directing his followers in various encirclement formations, was equally anxious.

Since the Black Fiend Cult Leader had ordered the four Blood Servants to remain on high alert within the palace, each shift should have been manned by two Blood Servants.

However, Ye She, who was supposed to guard the gate with him, had arrogantly claimed recent great merits and used the excuse of nearing mid-Foundation Establishment to sneak off to the Blood Prison to cultivate. Unwilling to offend this rising star among the four Blood Servants, Bing Yao had turned a blind eye.

This momentary negligence had led to the invasion of so many powerful enemies, with only him to defend the main gate.

Fortunately, he was clever!

He first trapped the intruders with the “Four Symbols Formation” and then immediately sent people to summon the other three from the Blood Prison and the rear hall.

He knew well that the Qi Condensation disciples before him were no match for so many powerful foes. But luckily, the Four Symbols Formation had trapped the enemies inside, buying some time.

With just a little buffer, the other three Blood Servants would arrive in time. Once the four Blood Servants joined forces, he, Bing Yao, would fear no one.

As he was thinking this, a rumbling sound came from within the Four Symbols Formation. The thick white mist inside the formation churned violently, as if the formation was about to break and the enemies emerge.

“What’s happening? The Four Symbols Formation shouldn’t be failing so quickly. Something must be wrong!” Bing Yao’s pale face, hidden within the cold air, turned ashen.

“Lord Bing, the enemy attacked too quickly, and several disciples specialized in maintaining the formation have already fallen. We’re short-handed now, so the enemy might have found a weakness,” a nearby Black Fiend Cult disciple cautiously explained.

Hearing this, Bing Yao was both shocked and furious. Just as he was about to loudly reprimand them, a gentle voice came from behind.

“Bing Yao, what’s happening? You’ve even activated the Four Symbols Formation, and it seems it can’t hold them.”

Hearing this voice, Bing Yao immediately relaxed. “Qing Wen, you’ve finally arrived! Excellent!” Bing Yao’s voice was full of unconcealed joy as he quickly turned to look.

About five or six zhang behind him, two figures had appeared unnoticed.

One was a man in his thirties with regular features, a clean-shaven face, wearing a blue Daoist robe, solemnly observing the anomaly in the Four Symbols Formation. The other was tall and burly, with a bald head—Tie Luo, who had previously fought Han Li.

“Who are the intruders? Where’s that brat Ye She?” Tie Luo rubbed his bald head, a bloodthirsty expression on his face.

“Ye She is in the…” Before Bing Yao could finish, a thunderous explosion echoed as the thick mist in the Four Symbols Formation vanished without a trace. Han Li and the others now stood clearly before the palace gate, where white mist had once shrouded everything.

Seeing the cultivation levels and numbers of the intruders, Qing Wen’s expression changed slightly, and Tie Luo was even more astonished.

“Haha! You evil cultivators thought a broken formation could trap us from Yellow Maple Valley? Wishful thinking!” Song Meng, excited to find himself back in front of the Cold Palace, roared triumphantly.

“Yellow Maple Valley?” Qing Wen and the other two were surprised, though upon second thought, it made sense. Aside from the seven major sects, who else in Yue Country could deploy so many Foundation Establishment cultivators at once?

“Why have you broken into the palace at night? Aren’t you afraid of violating the prohibitions?” Before Liu Jing could speak, Qing Wen, who was well-versed in the prohibitions of the seven sects, calmly asked, hoping to intimidate them.

Liu Jing snorted coldly but before he could respond, an exclamation came from the opposite side.

“It’s you! Weren’t you from the Thousand Bamboo Sect? Why are you with Yellow Maple Valley cultivators?” The bald giant Tie Luo, scanning the crowd, spotted Han Li at the back and asked in astonishment, his voice full of suspicion.

This statement stunned both allies and enemies, and all eyes instantly turned to Han Li.

Qing Wen the Daoist now got a clear look at Han Li’s face. His skin twitched, and his eyes showed disbelief.

“When did I ever say I was from the Thousand Bamboo Sect?” Han Li coldly glanced at the bald man before turning his gaze to Qing Wen the Daoist.

It was beyond Han Li’s expectations to encounter this old acquaintance from the Tai Nan Gathering, who had once eagerly invited him to travel together.

But because of this, the mysteries of why Qing Wen had so fervently recruited low-level cultivators to journey together and why Han Li had been inexplicably tracked and ambushed by men in yellow were now solved.

Understanding the truth, Han Li was furious and felt a strong urge to kill Qing Wen the Daoist.

“Nonsense! If you’re not from the Thousand Bamboo Sect, how do you know puppet techniques?” The bald man pressed on relentlessly.

“What techniques Junior Brother Han uses are none of your business! Let’s attack. They’re deliberately stalling for time—we can’t let them succeed,” Liu Jing said sternly, his face darkening.

As he spoke, he raised his hand, and a silver light shot straight toward Bing Yao at the front.

The Yellow Maple Valley group suddenly realized the enemy’s cunning and, without hesitation, summoned their magical instruments, plunging into battle.

Han Li had already fixed his sights on Qing Wen the Daoist. As soon as the fight began, he and Senior Brother Wang, one of Chen Qiaoqian’s companions, flanked Qing Wen.

Without a word, Han Li slapped his storage pouch, and over a dozen dazzling lights—gold, black, and red—soared into the sky. After circling briefly above him, they roared toward Qing Wen with a thunderous sound.

Han Li had no intention of exchanging pleasantries or catching up.

Both Qing Wen and Senior Brother Wang on the other side paled at the formidable display of Han Li’s attack.

Senior Brother Wang was pleasantly surprised, inwardly marveling at Han Li’s well-deserved reputation as a master who had slain many Foundation Establishment cultivators.

However, Qing Wen the Daoist wore a grave expression, his body faintly shrouded in a green aura. Seeing Han Li’s fierce attack, he knew Han Li intended to kill him and had no plans to wait helplessly for death.

Without wasting words, just before the magical instruments struck, he suddenly stretched out his hand.

Five green bead-like magical instruments flew from his hand, instantly arranging themselves in a pentagon around him.

With a flash of green light, a pentagonal prism shield materialized, encasing Qing Wen the Daoist securely within.

A shower of colorful lights erupted as Han Li’s “Golden Beetle Blade,” “Black Dragon Claw,” and “Flame Linked Fork” simultaneously struck the green prism. After a dazzling display, the peculiar shield remained unscathed.

“Han Li, my Azure Wood True Shield can only be broken by a Core Formation cultivator. Those at the Foundation Establishment level can’t harm it in the slightest. You might as well give up!” Qing Wen suddenly said with a smile, as if he and Han Li were old friends.