Chapter 269: To Be in a Quandary
The sword acted as a conduit for the protective barrier, containing the power of the fourth level spirit realm as it roiled with the momentum of the surging clouds and billowing wind. The light from the sword was like a rainbow as it cut towards the Swordbirds just like the gale winds and a rain squall.
The aura of an earth spirit realm practitioner was incredibly strong. Once its full force was brought to bear, the ensuing effect was quite frightening.
The powerful aura had already soared to the clouds by the time the rainbow sword light had made its way to the Goldwing Swordbirds, forming a wind vortex as it crashed forward.
Zhou Yi had seen the Swordbirds that day on the border, and knew that he needed to use his superior earth spirit realm aura to suppress them.
However, things were different today.
That day, the spirit practitioners had been able to suppress the Swordbird army because there had been a difference between the spirit and mortal ranks. The Swordbird army had all been of the mortal rank at that point.
Even the strongest of them all had still only been of the mortal rank.
It was like someone of the true qi realm fighting against someone of the spirit realm. It was undoubtedly the same as using an egg to smash a rock, with only being blasted to smithereens a possibility.
However, these 24 Swordbirds had all been tried and tested, and were the first group to break through to the spirit rank. They were the elites amongst the Swordbird army.
Add to that that their spirit ocean had become one with the rest of the qi in their bodies after ascending to the spirit rank, and they naturally wouldn’t be dominated like they’d been in the past.
Not to mention that they were in formation now, their auras interconnected, and their strength merged with each other’s, forming a resonance between both their auras and strength.
This kind of resonance made their movements completely synced.
Zhou Yi’s aura surged upwards, but he discovered that the expected scene of him pulverizing the Swordbirds didn’t appear.
A spirit power aura that was even stronger than his, blew his vortex to pieces. The aura was like it was the wave of a hand snuffing out a candle, not even exerting the slightest bit of effort!
This scene made Zhou Yi’s scalp go numb.
He’d observed the Swordbirds from afar previously, and knew the level of strength that was behind this formation, but he was still somewhat confidence. They would have had quite a chance if the 16 disciples within had worked in tandem with him.
However…
Zhou Yi once again tragically discovered that he’d been too naive.
His carefully calculated attack had been easily dispersed, just like this.
And this wasn’t the most frightening thing. What was most horrifying was that the Swordbirds had pulled him into the fight with a mere opening and closing of their formation.
He’d been an observer on the outskirts originally, but had become a participant all of a sudden.
At this moment, the remainder of the Swordbird army was pouring out of the Jiang manor beneath Gouyu and Tian Shao’s leadership, and were encircling their enemies in the air.
The Goldwing Swordbirds in the very front of the flock also set up the Eight Trigrams Assimilation Formation, completely laying siege to the entire area based on eight different sectors.
Each of Jiang Chen’s personal guards were in charge of a sector.
The eight of them, having trained for such a long time, had now grasped ninety percent of the formation.
With their personal level of training, they’d be enough to fight against an ordinary spirit realm practitioner.
When the remainder of the Swordbird Army joined the formation, their overall battle strength was naturally raised to a frightening level.
“Ah!!”
One of the law enforcement disciples had been distracted for a second in their battle against the Swordbirds, and had suffered a blow from a sharp claw in midair before he fell from the sky.
His ghastly wail immediately affected his comrades. These disciples had never had this kind of battle experience before. No matter which way they charged, they couldn’t even create an opening.
Fear and despair started to spread throughout their hearts. When they saw their companions being struck down, they were naturally even more panic stricken.
Agonized cries started to ring out one after another, as disciples started to fall from the air.
Zhou Yi waved his sword again and again, rushing to different people’s aid as he tried to salvage the situation and help these disciples find their footing for a little while, and help to relieve their pressure.
However, they were in complete disarray now. It was as if they’d been sucked into a swift current, as they were completely unable to reach each other. He could save one, but wouldn’t be able to save the next one.
It was like a run-down house leaking all over whenever it started to storm. Another place would start to leak as soon as you plugged a leak in a different area.
Zhou Yi leapt here and there, but couldn’t prevent his disciples being slain.
“Ah!!”
Zhou Yi roared furiously as his eyes became bloodshot, and his sword danced in his hand, drawing out the clouds and the wind. The rainbow light from his sword scattered through the skies, like fairies scattering blossoms.
This scattered sword aura landed on the formation like it was raining flowers, but had the effect of a stone sinking into the ocean, not harming any of the Goldwing Swordbirds in the slightest.
A resigned feeling of despair rose up in Zhou Yi’s heart at this moment.
“Screwed, I’m really screwed this time!” He was beyond regretful. Why had he involved himself in this mess? Why had he provoked Jiang Chen?
Someone whom even his honored master, Iron Can, could do nothing to—had he completely lost his mind by provoking Jiang Chen?
They were unwilling to accept things at first, and felt that their honored master had come off short simply because Jiang Chen enjoyed Ye Chonglou’s protection.
But now, Zhou Yi finally understood that it was actually because of Jiang Chen having Ye Chonglou’s protection that made everyone make severe errors in their judgment and underestimate Jiang Chen!
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“This can’t continue, I have to break through this formation. Otherwise, even I will find my strength running out of strength at one point. Once that happens, these feathered brutes will devour me, and won’t even leave any bones behind!”
Zhou Yi was panicking greatly as he discovered that he could barely ensure his own safety. Who had the effort to spare for the other disciples now?
Wails of agony could be heard all around him, but Zhou Yi ignored them all. His sword thrust to the east and to the west, trying to identify the weak point in this formation and the path to break free from it.
He was well aware that, if he couldn’t make it out, he would be dragged down to his death sooner or later.
These spirit creatures might not have the strength to kill him with a single blow, but this was still a battle formation! It was a mob beating down on just little old him.
He’d definitely be the one to weaken first in a sustained battle. Even though he held the absolute advantage with his earth spirit realm strength, but the first to run out of energy whilst fighting against this battle formation would absolutely be him.
Not to mention the fact that there were thousands of spirit creatures on the outskirts. Although they were of the mortal rank, they were all at the peak of that rank. Even if he made it out of this formation at the end of his tether, he wouldn’t have the strength to charge again, and make it out of the larger formation on the outside.
Therefore, the most important thing to him right now was to make use of the time he had, break free of the first encirclement, and flee for his life!
Iron Dazhi’s mentality was still more or less affected when he heard the law enforcement disciples cry out with pain.
He was already employing his Black Dragon Halberd to its utmost at the time, but he was still unable to take down Jiang Chen, no matter how fiercely he fought.
Iron Dazhi had battled countless numbers of inner and outer geniuses since he’d embarked on his path of the martial dao, but he’d never been as aggrieved as he was today.
Even though this Jiang Chen’s level of training was much lower than his, he had no way to do anything to his opponent.
“Iron Dazhi, it sounds like the companions you brought along aren’t holding up well.” Jiang Chen’s blade twisted as he struck a blow towards his foe’s head. The blade’s form charged forward like the waterfall cascading down from the nine heavens, unstoppable in its motion, like an army of tens of thousands strong.
This stroke raised sparks when it crashed into the halberd.
Spirit ripples from the clash of spirit power slowly spread throughout the air.
Iron Dazhi flicked a glance towards his halberd, and saw that a few cracks had actually appeared on it!
“How is this even possible?” Great waves of shock rose in his heart.
This Black Dragon Halberd has been his greatest ace whenever he fought opponents of the same level as him.
There were almost none who also possessed weapons that were on par with his.
He’d made use of this weapon in order to trample a countless number of his peers. It was basically the reason for his domination of the sect.
But now, his greatest reliance seemed to be a simple short splint of wood in front of Jiang Chen!
Hairline cracks had started to appear upon the Black Dragon Halberd after this blow.
Although it wasn’t devastating damage, it was said that his halberd was made from the skeleton of a deceased deep water black dragon. Once its skeleton had mineralized, and had turned to metal, it had been dug up and refined into a halberd.
And, after being refined five times by a master refiner, the Black Dragon Halberd was absolutely a divine weapon that was the envy of the great majority of the sect.
However—
This divine, deadly weapon had currently been nearly destroyed by Jiang Chen’s single stroke!
The cracks that had appeared on the halberd also started to appear within Iron Dazhi’s heart.
As his companions ghastly cries reached him, the overweeningly proud Iron Dazhi started to feel the first hints of regret, and felt a desire to retreat in his heart.
A quick glance out of the corner of his eyes let him take in the situation—all of the law enforcement disciples had been defeated, and were lying helter skelter on the ground, their life and death unknown.
Zhou Yi had also been besieged by the Swordbirds, and looked to be having a difficult time as well.
“Jiang Chen, you filthy animal, you dare to kill the law enforcement disciples of the Precious Tree Sect!” Iron Dazhi roared furiously as he waved his halberd wildly, sending streams of black air currents howling through the air, as if a black dragon was roaring its fury towards the skies.
Jiang Chen was naturally unafraid of the attack of a trapped animal.
He didn’t even take a look as he tightened his hands on the nameless blade, his body shooting forward like an arrow loosed from a bowstring, and he viciously struck out, “Break!”
The strong force from his blade was akin to a dominating ancient beast, ripping apart all of the air currents from the black dragon!
Iron Dazhi was flabbergasted, and his desire to retreat grew even stronger.
Jiang Chen’s gaze was resolute. He would stick to something once he’d begun it. Since the Iron family had erupted in public hostility, then he’d prove that he wasn’t someone who’d be easy fodder for others.
Killing intent surged in his heart, as he had the desire to make sure that none of them left this place.
He whistled continuously, signalling the Swordbirds to put all of their strength into one final attack towards Zhou Yi, showing no mercy at all.
Once they received Jiang Chen’s orders, the Swordbirds that had been exerting only half of their full battle strength immediately grew berserk, and began to attack Zhou Yi crazily.
Once their full strength was brought to bear, the power of the formation was completely deployed.
Zhou Yi only felt that that the pressure he was facing suddenly seemed to increase many times over. No matter what method he used, he couldn’t prevent the pressure from continuing to rise.
Bouts of crazy attacks made it seem like he was in a boiling pot, in a painful quandary!
A cool draft suddenly blew across his back as a sharp claw broke through his flesh.
Another attack cut into his thigh!