Chapter 1626: Moon Demon Slash (I)

Mu Guyue swiftly assessed the situation and immediately sent a voice transmission to her squad.

“No matter what, you must hold for at least thirty breaths!”

Her command echoed in the minds of everyone in the garrison. At that moment, all the Golden Core cultivators and the four Nascent Soul cultivators were gathered in various rooms, pushing their magical power to the limit to keep the grand defensive array running at high speed.

Yet, from just that initial surge of the enemy’s attack, several Golden Core cultivators already had blood trickling from their eyes, ears, and nostrils. They knew, however, that if the array shattered, their fate would be far worse than death. Led by the four Nascent Soul cultivators, they frantically channeled their essence, desperately pouring it into the formation nodes before them.

Under normal circumstances, such an array would be controlled by a Spirit Transformation expert. But the Moji Dao Sect was not rigid; they knew that in the heat of battle, the situation could change in an instant. Therefore, these arrays were specially designed to allow the core control to be shared. While the primary control rested with one or two people, certain permissions could be distributed among the subordinates.

This allowed more people to share the burden of maintaining specific nodes. Even if the primary or secondary commander fell in battle, the subordinates could continue to fuel the array with their collective strength, ensuring the defense did not collapse immediately upon the death of a leader.

After taking over the grand array, Mu Guyue had dispersed the Green-Armored Soldiers to various positions, assigning each a node to guard. Although their cultivation was low, they were not clashing directly with the enemy. Ninety percent of the impact was absorbed by the array itself; they only suffered the backlash of the aftershocks. By giving their all, their collective effort was significant, especially with the four Nascent Soul experts anchoring them.

The Mocha Palace clearly knew the defense could not last forever, which was why they had launched an all-out offensive from the start. Furthermore, their cultivation techniques were incredibly eerie. Under the deliberate concealment of their Spirit Transformation experts, they had appeared near the walls almost the moment Mu Guyue sensed the spatial fluctuations.

After sending her transmission, Mu Guyue’s figure blurred, and she vanished from the battlements.

The nodule-headed burly man was currently leading several Nascent Soul cultivators in a frontal assault on the Beacon Tower. Each squad led by a Spirit Transformation expert maintained a specific distance from the others. This was a surprise raid; they expected the enemy to anticipate an attack within two or three days, but they had struck only hours after their initial probe.

Furthermore, based on the reports, their Vice-Commander had deduced that the cultivators at the Southern Fangs Beacon Tower were likely battle-hardened veterans. Consequently, they had mobilized hundreds of men to strike several points simultaneously, ensuring the other towers could not reinforce one another. Half of their total force was concentrated here at the Southern Fangs.

Their Vice-Commander was a master of tactical analysis and was highly favored by the Battalion Commander. The nodule-headed man and his subordinates trusted the Vice-Commander’s judgment implicitly. Even if they couldn’t seize the tower today, they were determined to inflict a heavy price on the defenders.

Just as the first wave of attacks was unleashed, the nodule-headed man felt a sudden flicker in his senses while driving his magical treasure. He immediately looked to his side. Space rippled slightly, and a slender figure appeared abruptly.

“It’s you!”

The figure solidified rapidly. Despite the green armor, the graceful, lethal curves beneath were unmistakable. Even encased in metal, she exuded a sense of searing, demonic heat. It was the breathtaking woman he had seen on the wall a few hours earlier.

Mu Guyue ignored him. Outside the walls, there were numerous Spirit Transformation experts, and several Nascent Soul cultivators possessed techniques that neared the power of the Spirit Transformation realm. The moment she emerged, a cold light flashed in her hand. A moon-blade with a protective hand-guard spun through the air, trailing a freezing glint as it whistled toward the man’s neck.

There were two groups attacking the Beacon Tower from the front, while others assaulted the flanks to increase the strain on the array. Mu Guyue had specifically chosen the nodule-headed man. The way he had looked at her during his first visit had filled her with intense loathing, and she had been itching to strike him down ever since.

Her appearance immediately drew the attention of the surrounding cultivators, especially the Spirit Transformation experts. However, they maintained their discipline. Their objective was to break the array and force the other experts inside to reveal themselves. They didn’t swarm her immediately, knowing that she was right next to the array and could retreat into its safety at any moment.

Besides, the woman was only at the initial stage of Spirit Transformation. Their nodule-headed leader was stronger than her and could easily handle her alone.

Indeed, seeing Mu Guyue target him specifically without regard for the others, the man thought, ‘The Vice-Commander might be right. If she’s this bold, perhaps they really do have several powerful experts hidden here.’

A Beacon Tower garrison didn’t necessarily consist of only two Spirit Transformation cultivators. Sometimes, a subordinate sect would send three or four experts from the same sect to fulfill their rotation together, and such groups were rarely split up. As their long-time rivals, the Mocha Palace was well aware of this possibility.

Thus, Mu Guyue’s solo appearance made him suspect that other experts were lurking behind the array, waiting for an opening. However, she was only an initial-stage expert, so he didn’t take her too seriously. He had allies nearby who could intervene instantly if anyone else emerged from the array.

“Continue the assault!” he commanded his subordinates. With a flourish of his black sleeve, a heavy black staff flew back into his hand.

Whish!

The black staff swept out with a low, heavy roar, crashing toward the moon-blade that was now only a zhang away from his neck. As the staff moved, the surrounding space shuddered violently, as if it were on the verge of collapse.

While the Mocha Palace practiced ghost arts, their techniques were diverse. Not all were of the soft and feminine variety. The nodule-headed man practiced the “Night Yasha Sea-Boiling Art,” a ferocious, malevolent method. When mastered, it granted the “Three-Halberd Yasha Body,” which was comparable in strength to the Diamond Body of the Buddhist sects.

As a result, his true strength was not that of an ordinary mid-stage expert, but rather approached the late stage of Spirit Transformation. Seeing that Mu Guyue was only at the initial stage, he felt confident. Even if she could fight above her level, so could he.

Hum!

The black staff struck the moon-blade with a vibrating ring. The blade’s momentum stopped instantly. The staff also halted, the blurring shadows of its movement vanishing. It felt as though it had struck a mountain of blades rather than a single weapon. The impact left both weapons locked in mid-air. The man held his staff, his body suspended as the collision halted his movement.

‘What? Such overwhelming strength!’ The man was stunned. He hadn’t expected this woman to possess such savage power. The force contained within her blade was so immense that he couldn’t even knock it aside.

On the other side, Mu Guyue’s Divine Sense flickered. A massive, icy force accompanied by a ghost-like erosion surged through the weapon. She quickly circulated her power to neutralize the creeping chill.

‘This ghost cultivator doesn’t follow the path of softness; he uses an extreme-yin force to generate a specialized, violent power!’

Suspended in the air, the man let out a cold snort. Red mist began to churn on his skin—a sign that his Night Yasha Sea-Boiling Art was running at maximum capacity. But just as he was about to pour all his strength into a single blow to shatter her weapon, an intense sense of dread suddenly seized his heart.

What he failed to see was a black needle appearing behind his head like a true phantom—an attack that cultivators of his level could almost never detect.

Before he could even comprehend where the danger was coming from, a soul-tearing, agonizing pain erupted within his spirit. His body jerked violently, and the fierce light in his eyes dimmed instantly, like a lamp running out of oil.