Ye Ju looked at the skeletons on the ground, with their severed arms and legs, and the ghosts in the air, baring their fangs and claws. She felt a chill run down her spine, her skin prickling with goosebumps. She feared nothing in the world, but these ghostly things terrified her. They swarmed towards everyone in a dense mass.
It felt like a zombie apocalypse. The disciples of the Chao Tian Sect, though displaying alarm, remained relatively composed, striking down the skeletons with precise aim. However, the young master in the golden crown was visibly shaken, cowering behind his guards.
Despite their numbers, the skeletons were not particularly strong. A single sword energy would shatter a whole group. Yet, they emerged from the ground incessantly. It was as if they were trying to empty out hell itself. Behind the strangely shaped specters, they clawed at everyone, their attacks draining spiritual energy, which they fed upon. With only forty to fifty people from the two sects, their spiritual energy depleted, they would be torn apart and consumed by this skeletal army, even if they lacked stomachs…
The young master in the golden crown was at the Golden Core cultivation level, meaning these creatures should not be a threat. But he was too busy shouting and panicking, his casting repeatedly faltering, nearly getting him scratched by a skeleton. Though seemingly falling apart, each claw strike from these skeletons contained the power of an early Golden Core cultivator.
It was clear the young master in the golden crown rarely ventured out for training, lacking battlefield adaptability. But then again, before Chao Yang Zi was born, he was the pampered eldest son, showered with affection. Ye Ju could understand. She, too, kept a respectful distance from these ghastly entities.
The disciples of the Yu Shou Sect laughed heartily at the plight of the Chao Tian Immortal Sect and Cang Lan Sect.
"Kill them all! Make them nourishment for my Soul Summoning Banner, adding dozens of powerful soul generals," the leader in black exclaimed maniacally, viewing the people before him as mere meat on a chopping block…
"Fool!" Chao Yang Zi muttered. He exchanged a glance with Ye Ju, who nodded in understanding. As Chao Yang Zi appeared, he waved his Qing Feng Sword forward, instantly obliterating the skeletal army within a fifty-meter radius.
"What are you panicking about! Form the Celestial Star Formation!" Upon Chao Yang Zi's appearance, the disciples of the Chao Tian Immortal Sect rejoiced, immediately obeying the order to form the array. Their confidence surged! Once the Celestial Star Formation was complete, its power amplified, sending out sword energy from all directions, eradicating more than half of the skeletons. The young master in the golden crown's expression shifted upon seeing Chao Yang Zi suddenly appear… but his heart settled! He knew his good brother's cultivation was unfathomable!
Ye Ju also made a decisive appearance. Despite her fear, she found it merely unsettling after a while. Standing on the back of Xiao Mo, who had reverted to his original dragon form, she conjured a hand seal. She remembered the Soul Annihilation technique taught to her by Hua Xun. As the Qingtian Sword flew into the air, Ye Ju rapidly formed hand seals, moving so fast they became a blur, while chanting incantations:
"Heaven and Earth spirits, demons and fiends rise,
South Dipper on the left, Seven Stars on the right,
All gods heed my command, obeying my will,
My sword transforms into ten thousand forms, slaying evil and demons!
Hasten!"
The Qingtian Sword split into thousands of light projections, rapidly surging into the skeletal army. The specters hiding behind the skeletons encountered the sword light, and before they could even cry out, they were annihilated. These extremely Yin entities were no match for extremely Yang techniques! Fortunately, she hadn't forgotten this spell; the Soul Annihilation technique was specifically designed for such Yin abominations.
Before Ye Ju's appearance, Chao Yang Zi had already produced his Soul Capturing Bell, activating its chime and drawing countless specters into the bell.
The disciples of Cang Lan Sect's Tian Ji were in a sorry state, facing an endless, unkillable enemy. The skeletons were shattered, but the specters, not destroyed, could regenerate. They had expended a significant amount of spiritual energy. Ye Ju happened to land above them, and her devastating Soul Annihilation technique greatly alleviated their pressure, rescuing them.
The leader in black from the Yu Shou Sect, seeing Chao Yang Zi and Ye Ju riding a dragon, felt a sense of foreboding. Especially since both their techniques directly countered his Soul Summoning Art, and the man possessed the Soul Capturing Bell. He surmised that the Soul Capturing Elder had been slain by them, otherwise the bell would not be controlled by him. Only upon the death of the previous owner could a new master be recognized. He considered retreating. Anyone capable of killing the elder Soul Capturing, a formidable cultivator at the peak of Nascent Soul, nearing the Soul Transformation stage, could not be an ordinary individual.
He snatched the Soul Summoning Banner, activated a spell to summon more Yin soldiers to hold them back, and then led his retinue in a swift retreat.
Ye Ju saw them, but decided against pursuit, as investigating the rift was more crucial.
After casting several spells, the entire skeletal army was annihilated. Ye Ju landed, and Xiao Mo transformed back into human form.
The disciples and guards of both sects had no casualties, though injuries were unavoidable. Regardless of whether they were injured or not, everyone gazed at the fairy riding the dragon. Was that a dragon? A fairy riding a dragon was so cool, and her landing was so majestic! Her spells were incredibly powerful; which sect was she from?
Ye Ju felt a bit awkward under the gaze of dozens of sparkling eyes. Seeing Ye Ju's discomfort, Chao Yang Zi introduced her:
"This is Fairy Ye." Chao Yang Zi did not wish to elaborate further.
Everyone quickly expressed their thanks. Tian Ji from the Cang Lan Sect also stepped forward.
"I am Tian Ji. We thank Fairy for your assistance. Cang Lan Sect will surely repay this life-saving grace," Tian Ji said, bowing solemnly and making a promise.
Ye Ju looked at Tian Ji. He appeared much like he did in the immortal realm, a dignified elder with an air of cultivation. She hadn't scrutinized his appearance closely during the night. It wasn't the right time to reveal their identities.
"No need for such formality. It was a small effort, hardly worth mentioning. May I ask how you encountered these people?" Ye Ju said dismissively, wanting to know how they received their information.
"Replying to the Fairy, we encountered other members of the Yu Shou Sect at sea previously and learned of the boundary marker rift. Our sect dispatched us to investigate, and we happened to meet these individuals just as they were emerging from the boundary marker," Tian Ji replied, showing an inexplicable respect for Ye Ju. He himself was surprised; it was a genuine sense of submission!
Ye Ju and Chao Yang Zi exchanged a glance, understanding that they were all there to investigate the rift.
"Are you all here to inspect the rift? Then let's go together. Fairy Ye and I received the same intelligence," Chao Yang Zi said, glancing at his elder brother, Chao Tian Ci.
Chao Tian Ci felt a pang of guilt under his brother's gaze. He had suppressed the information from the black-robed man the sect had sent back and interrogated, intending to investigate it himself, to earn merit and enhance his prestige. This would strengthen his support among the sect elders, improving his chances in the competition for sect leader! Why should he be deprived of his inheritance? They were all his father's sons, and he was the eldest. Before they were born, he had the opportunity to be the sect's heir, but upon their birth, they had snatched his position as sect heir…
Chao Yang Zi was unaware of his elder brother's resentment. He merely instructed his guards to look after him and prevent him from causing trouble. He was not highly cultivated, but his ambition was sky-high, truly a case of the ignorant being fearless. In recent years, he had become increasingly influenced by his mother.
If Ye Ju knew about this, she would certainly tell Chao Yang Zi that this was a classic "mama's boy."