Chapter 107: No Way to Escape

At the forefront of Soulbreaking Cliff, Fang Yufeng, the steward of Huayang Peak, stood with his hands behind his back, flanked by more than twenty stewards of the sect. The elders had not appeared, and Zhao Jing had yet to arrive, making Fang Yufeng the highest authority present.

Half a step behind him stood a handsome young man, his broad sleeves and long robe accentuating his slender frame. Yet, a trace of cunning gleamed between his brows and eyes. This was Zhao Jinian, who had recently been promoted to steward.

Given his status, he should not have stood ahead of the other stewards; this was Fang Yuying’s intention.

“Why so silent? I thought you might harbor some resentment toward me,” Fang Yuying said, glancing sideways at him with a pointed look.

At this, Zhao Jinian’s lips curled slightly, and he replied calmly, “Uncle Fang, you worry too much. How could Jinian bear ill will toward the sect over an outsider?”

“An outsider?” Fang Yufeng smiled meaningfully.

“If I recall correctly, he is your guiding mentor,” he added.

“The word ‘mentor’ is too weighty,” Zhao Jinian waved off the notion. “When I was a child, I studied calligraphy with my family’s teachers and trained in spear, staff, saber, and sword under the instruction of a coach. By that logic, aren’t all of them my mentors? Yet, they were all hired with my father’s silver.”

“My master is only the True Immortal Li of Huayang Peak.”

Hearing the young man’s explanation, Fang Yuying nodded without comment. He didn’t dampen the mood by mentioning the other two masters Zhao Jinian had once accepted on Huayang Peak. To him, although Zhao could not be deemed entirely loyal, he was at least sensible and usable.

“Good, good. I have already warned the cultivators downstream of the Yellow Sand River. It is common to suffer losses amid demonic calamities. At the appropriate time, they will be forced to abandon some of their comrades. When that happens, you are to bring Yang Mu back from Little Green Mountain. I will speak well of you before Senior Brother Zhao Jing.”

At this, he instinctively touched his cheek, a grimace flickering at the corner of his mouth.

Fang Yufeng had spent many years on Huayang Peak. Though not of the highest rank, he was a respected elder of the sect. No one had dared to slap him in the face directly—except one. Offending Huayang Peak meant no chance of survival.

Zhao Jinian gazed ahead, his face expressionless.

Inwardly, he sneered. Master, it’s not that your disciple is unfilial; but you neglected Jinian and chose those worthless scoundrels to restore Little Green Mountain. And now, how are things?

Holding the connections of inner sect veterans but unwilling to share any benefits—did you ever consider that greed would bring retribution?

After a moment, he cupped his hands and said, “Thank you, Uncle Fang.”

Because others were present—even fellow stewards—no one dared speak plainly about such sordid matters, so they never mentioned that name outright.

Suddenly, two shouts came from behind.

“Everyone, quickly send for reinforcements! There’s trouble at Soulbreaking Cliff!” Helin and Yang Shulong hurried back.

Fang Yuying frowned slightly and turned to look at them. “What nonsense are the two elders spouting?”

Yang Shulong glared fiercely, stroking his beard. “Old man, I have no patience for your words. Quickly take out your jade slips and notify the elders of Huayang Peak! Soulbreaking Cliff needs aid!”

To him, Lin Ze was never one to speak lightly.

Not only did he have close ties with the inner sect sword immortal Qin Hongxiu, but he was also favored by the True Immortal of the Yellow Dragon. Having special channels for information was perfectly normal.

Being scolded unexpectedly, Fang Yuying’s expression darkened. In the past, he would have exchanged harsh words with Yang Shulong. But after the recent events at Little Green Mountain, he now feared these elders who, despite having lower cultivation, bore the elder title.

Hmph!

First, they targeted Little Green Mountain; next, every one of these already declining sects would be destroyed!

Before that...

Suppressing his anger, he swept his sleeve and said, “Calling for help before even seeing the demons is ridiculous... I won’t stoop to begging you all!”

The other cultivators looked on, bewildered and whispering among themselves. The stewards from Little Dan Peak and Mystical Law Mountain hung their heads awkwardly, silently wondering what had come over their elder, who was making them look weak.

Helin glanced at Yang Shulong. If they explained things carefully to Fang, it would surely drag Elder Lin into this... Lin Ze clearly didn’t want to reveal too much. There must be a hidden reason. He had kindly warned them, and they must not betray that trust.

But the matter was extraordinary and could not be delayed.

As the elder of Little Dan Peak, Helin had few contacts with powerful figures, fewer even than these ordinary stewards of Huayang Peak. So, he stifled his smile, narrowed his eyes, and pressed his status to order:

“All stewards of the peaks, heed my command! Immediately notify the sect masters!”

“This...”

The others exchanged doubtful looks but, seeing Helin’s serious expression, many hesitated before drawing their jade slips.

Fang Yuying narrowed his eyes and snorted coldly. Though displeased, he did not stop them. He wanted to see what tricks this old man was playing.

A faint glow flickered over a dozen jade slips. Yang Shulong breathed a slight sigh of relief. But in the blink of an eye, sweat broke out on his forehead as he looked up in shock.

Countless streaks of light darted wildly through the air like headless flies.

The spiritual light from the communication jade slips had been intercepted!

Witnessing this strange scene, even a fool could sense something was wrong. The cultivators’ faces changed drastically. As if facing a dire enemy, they drew their Taoist swords and scanned the surroundings.

Beyond the cliff, amid the rolling white clouds, a shadow loomed indistinctly.

A pair of enormous wings, at least thirty feet wide, bore a massive body through the clouds. Its feathers, forged like refined steel, gleamed dark red. As it fully revealed itself, it was an immensely fierce giant eagle demon!

On its back stood a dense crowd of various demons, all coldly watching the cultivators on the cliff below.

Perched atop the eagle’s head was a rat the size of a human knee. It cradled a smooth orb, spinning rapidly—the very culprit behind the interception of the jade slips’ spiritual light.

“Finally arrived,” Fang Yuying said calmly, stepping forward.

In that breath, he assessed the strength of the demons on the giant eagle.

Only four or five were at the Foundation Establishment stage; the rest were mere Qi Refining minor demons. Even with this grandmaster-level giant eagle, they were pitifully weak.

To put it in perspective, all the cultivators here were Foundation Establishment level—nearly forty of them—and the area was already sealed by formation. Even if the demons outnumbered them three or four times, they could still be easily dealt with.

Standing at the cliff’s edge, Fang Yuying was about to speak when his hand inside his sleeve trembled violently.

As the giant eagle spread its wings, the clouds in the sky began to disperse, revealing the endless formation of eagles behind it...

Behind Fang Yuying, Zhao Jinian swallowed hard, legs weak and trembling as he stammered:

“Nin... ninety-three.”

He was only counting the giant eagles, not to mention the numerous covetous demons riding each one.

Though none of the other eagles were as large as the first, the number of Foundation Establishment demons mounted on them exceeded two hundred, alongside hundreds of Qi Refining minor demons.

Fang Yuying lowered his gaze to the base of the cliff.

A dense swarm of Qi Refining demons marched in perfect step toward the bottom, stopping in unison, causing the earth to tremble. They numbered no less than two thousand, waiting for the eagle swarm to descend and pick them up!

His face turned ashen as he withdrew his eyes, staring blankly at the mocking demons above. His Taoist sword clattered to the ground.

The air was thick with demonic energy, almost dripping with malice.

From heaven to earth, there remained not a shred of hope.