Three hundred li beyond Yanhuang City, atop a nameless hill, Ji Bingyan stood at the summit, gazing at the distant scene.
Dark clouds gathered on the horizon, and the faint sounds of battle echoed across the wilderness.
Suddenly, Ji Bingyan's brow furrowed. "This aura... it's the arrival of an Emperor. Should I inform the Empress? But I have no connection to the Dragon Han Imperial Court... Better not to interfere..."
Just as Ji Bingyan was pondering and preparing to leave, a sinister laugh echoed from mid-air.
"Heh heh heh! I've barely arrived and already encountered such a talented young woman. Will you stay by my side and receive my guidance?"
As the words fell, the dark clouds parted, and a burly figure descended, exuding an aura of world-shattering power as he landed with arrogant authority.
The moment the figure touched the ground, Ji Bingyan felt the earth tremble violently beneath her feet. The nameless hill, unable to withstand the violent pressure, began to crumble.
"Illusionary Shift!"
Sensing the hostile intent, Ji Bingyan acted without hesitation, seizing the opportunity to escape.
However, the Palm Force, which Ji Bingyan believed to be flawless, was instantly repelled to the cliff's edge by a surge of Protective True Essence as it neared her opponent.
"Heh heh heh, such a bold little girl. Do you truly believe you can run rampant in this world just because you've reached the Egoless Realm?"
Ji Bingyan remained silent, acutely aware of the vast disparity between herself and her attacker. After this single failed move, she decisively turned and fled in the opposite direction.
But the moment she sprang into motion, a crushing pressure descended from above. She twisted sharply, narrowly dodging a devastating staff strike that shattered the air.
*Boom!*
The hillside collapsed in a thunderous roar.
Fortunately, Ji Bingyan's exceptional agility allowed her to narrowly evade the fatal blow, landing on level ground. Yet the shockwave still injured her, leaving a crimson streak across her delicate lips.
Her brow furrowed even tighter.
Around her stood Vajra Sect disciples, all clad in yellow monastic robes.
Sect Leader Darba stood with his back to Ji Bingyan. The disciple who had launched the surprise attack stood respectfully beside him—his personal disciple, the Golden Sage Venerable.
"Master, let me kill her."
"Would you, a Manifest Sage Realm cultivator, deign to kill an Egoless Realm cultivator? Wouldn't that be beneath you?"
"Yes, Master. This disciple knows their mistake."
Darba slowly turned, his majestic and solemn form now fully revealed to Ji Bingyan.
A terrifying pressure swept over Ji Bingyan, nearly forcing her to her knees.
"Little girl, will you become my disciple?"
"I will not. I already have a master."
"What a pity."
Darba's face was filled with regret. Ji Bingyan's talent was extraordinary; had she stayed by his side, she could have inherited all his legacy.
But since she refused, Darba would not force her.
If he couldn't have her...
He would kill her!
"Little girl, I gave you a chance, but you failed to cherish it."
With a soft sigh, Darba turned and dissolved into light, vanishing into the sky.
"Leave no survivors. Be swift."
The Golden Sage Venerable gave the order and immediately followed Darba toward Yanhuang City.
At the same moment, Ying Chaoyun, who was playing her zither, frowned. In the next instant, she left the Wind and Rain Pavilion and hurried toward the city gates.
Yet someone had sensed the anomaly even faster.
Shen Zhao, who had been chatting with Di Feijing on the rooftop, saw the strange phenomenon in the sky and immediately fled toward the city gates.
***
In the wilderness outside the city, Ji Bingyan stood amidst a sea of Vajra Sect disciples' corpses.
She gripped a pair of daggers, standing at the center of the battlefield, her gaze unwavering as she faced the endless tide of Vajra Sect disciples surging forward.
Having forcibly raised her cultivation to the Egoless Realm through a secret art, Ji Bingyan's foundation was unstable. After such a fierce battle, her stamina was beginning to falter.
"Heavenly King's Demon-Subduing Melody!"
Seeing that they couldn't take down Ji Bingyan, the Vajra Sect disciples decisively unleashed a formation.
Instantly, drumbeats, horn calls, and golden gongs clashed in a cacophony, their thunderous waves of sound relentlessly assaulting Ji Bingyan's divine sense.
Meanwhile, Ying Chaoyun, sensing something amiss, had just left the walls of Yanhuang City. After traveling less than a hundred li, she collided with Darba.
"Hmm?"
They exchanged glances, each detecting a hint of recognition in the other's eyes.
"Vajra Great Buddha Hand!"
Without hesitation, Darba struck out at Ying Chaoyun with a palm strike.
"Butterfly Dance of Heavenly Splendor."
Ying Chaoyun swiftly reversed her zither, plucking its strings. In an instant, the surrounding spiritual energy converged, summoning three thousand luminous butterflies.
*Boom!*
The two techniques collided, shaking heaven and earth, turning the winds and clouds upside down.
Ying Chaoyun retreated several steps, steadying herself. Behind her butterfly mask, her expression remained serene and composed.
Darba, however, was faring no better.
After their initial exchange, Darba realized the woman's cultivation was on par with his own.
For the future of the Xiongnu Kingdom, he had to eliminate this threat preemptively.
"Excellent. To encounter such a master upon arriving in the Central Region... The Dragon Han Celestial Dynasty truly hides its tigers and crouching dragons."
"Darba, there's an agreement between the Vajra Sect and the Celestial Dynasty—mutual non-interference. By appearing here today, are you seeking to break that pact?"
"This is a pact between myself and the Dragon Han Empress. How did you come to know of it?"
"Have you heard of the Wind and Rain Pavilion? It spans the entire Central Continent. Such a significant matter could hardly escape our notice."
"Is that so? Then I have even less reason to let you live today."
"We'll see if you have the skill for that."
With their words failing to find common ground, the two clashed once more.
"Heavenly Buddha Dharma Seal!"
Darba hurled an Emperor-grade Buddhist bead, its momentum surging as he struck. A swastika-shaped Buddha hand seal materialized in the air, crashing down upon Ying Chaoyun.
Ying Chaoyun twirled the guqin in her hand, transforming it into an Emperor-grade longsword.
The moment the sword landed, wind and thunder erupted around them.
"Son of Heaven's Sword: Establishing the Spring and Autumn!"
A colossal sword aura pierced the air, colliding with the Buddha hand. In that instant, heaven and earth darkened, and mortal affairs reached their end.
A tempest of sand engulfed their figures, yet the battle raged on. The fluctuations of spiritual energy and Dao principles shook the surrounding ten li.
***
On Ji Bingyan's side, the Vajra Sect disciples' powerful sonic offensive left her soul disoriented and hazy.
Just as she was about to fall, she hardened her heart, bit her tongue to maintain clarity, and desperately boosted her spiritual energy.
A war drum landed before her.
Without hesitation, Ji Bingyan leaped onto its surface. "Sonic attacks, you say? How dare you show off your skills before this masterpiece! Let me show you the Trapped Formation Shattering Army Tune!"
Using her jade-like feet as the rhythm, she began striking the drum in a steady, martial beat.
The overwhelming, murderous aura of the tune instantly blocked the opponents' Heavenly King True Demon Tune's sonic offensive.
Air crackled and exploded incessantly.
After several exchanges, many Vajra Sect disciples couldn't withstand the dual sonic assaults and collapsed, bleeding from every orifice, unable to rise.
But Ji Bingyan had also reached her limit. The Trapped Formation Shattering Army Tune was incredibly draining of spiritual energy. Her foundation relied entirely on a secret technique, and her physical exhaustion made it impossible to maintain mental focus. Soon, the melody began to falter, and she once again found herself on the defensive.
On the Vajra Sect's side, disciples surged forward in relentless waves, their momentum restoring their dominance.
*Pfft!*
Suddenly, Ji Bingyan spat a mouthful of blood as the sonic backlash from the *Trapped Formation Shattering Army Tune* surged through her mind. Unable to endure, she collapsed.
"Lord Governor, I'm sorry. I can't follow you any longer. This is my failure, and I've disgraced the Broken Army Manor."
Just as her consciousness began to fade, she felt someone catch her and steady her fall into their arms.
"Hey!"
The roar jolted Ji Bingyan back to awareness.
Looking up, she saw the handsome face of "Chu Liuxiang."
Before she could speak, Shen Zhao sighed softly and said helplessly, "The *Trapped Formation Shattering Army Tune* isn't meant to be used like this."
Ji Bingyan's eyes widened in surprise.
Before she could ask, Shen Zhao set her aside and moved to the war drum.
-----------------------
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