That person in disguise is actually Will Wrath from Shaolin!
He actually managed to slip past my senses!
He’s actually switched sides to join the enemy!
“Ah!” A miserable scream rang out as Duan Xingyong’s aura in the tree hollow suddenly weakened. He Qiliao’s furious roar, the Fury Monk’s Buddhist chant, and the thunderous clash of combat echoed up the tree tunnel, rushing toward the topmost tree chamber. Crap, the tree hollow won’t hold much longer!
“Now’s our chance!” Seizing on Joan’s moment of hesitation, the Silver Priest bellowed, “Go all out—kill her!”
In that instant, killing intent flooded from every direction, completely surrounding Wu Zhengfeng.
The Silver Priest, Copper Priest, and Master Ruin closed in—some near, some far—unleashing rapid-fire, high-speed martial arts. Joan was boxed in by the murderous assault. All four shouted at once; victory or defeat would be decided in a flash, and they were holding nothing back.
Facing such an onslaught, Joan’s mind was racing but her hands stayed steady. She drew a breath of true energy, and three-foot sword gleams sprang from all ten fingers. Energy from every direction bent to her will, helping her move through the chaos as nimbly as a fish in water—like she’d been blessed by the gods. Outnumbered, Joan unleashed the second of Yang Qi’s two signature moves: Celestial Soaring!
“Hyaa—!” Joan let out a fierce cry, her whole body turning into a phantom in the void. Sword energy blasted out in all directions, fierce and unstoppable, shattering the space around her. Her figure split into nine, each one flying and slashing with a sword—wherever you looked, there was Joan, cutting through the chaos.
“Aaaargh!” Crackle, boom! Amid violent explosions, all four experts were fighting for their lives. Faced with Joan’s world-shattering sword attack, blood and torn robes flew, stray hairs sliced by sword intent scattered like drifting feathers. But the Silver Priest wasn’t holding back either—his hands came together, drawing energy from every direction to resist with all his might.
This whole fight lasted only a few heartbeats, but it felt like the sky was falling and the sun had gone out. On this energy-rich, mysterious isle, top-tier martial artists could unleash power far beyond what was possible anywhere else.
It was chaos outside, and just as tense inside the tree hollow. Duke Simon Duan crashed back into the chamber, having tried to block an iron palm strike with his fingers—crack! His right hand was instantly broken. Howard Hopeless cursed, "Useless bald donkey!" and kicked him back into the hollow, all while desperately holding the line. He threw the same line at Will Wrath: "You go berserk and bully the weak, but still can't finish him off—you're just as useless a bald donkey!"
He had to keep Will Wrath occupied—he was the last line of defense. If he failed, it was game over.
As for running away?
Ha! I’m the Kunlun Three Saints’ Howard—uh, Howard Hopeless! With guts and honor that reach the clouds, I’d never stoop to cowardice!
But—clang! His treasured sword trembled under Will Wrath’s palm strike, and Howard staggered back, face flushed. "This bald donkey really is tough! I can’t hold on much longer!"
Faced with this crisis, Grace Kwok gritted her teeth, sprang up, and drew her sword, charging into the tree hollow. Losing her powers was no excuse for doing nothing—at a moment like this, you give everything you’ve got. No hiding behind excuses.
Fight, even if you lose—it’s still a heroic death.
But if you don’t fight, even if you win, you’ll never forgive yourself!
Just as she sprang up, Gabriel Yang—who’d had his eyes closed—suddenly opened them and called weakly to Grace, "Xiang’er, come here."
“Big Brother! Are you okay?”
Gabriel Yang, Lydia Drake, and Master Yideng exchanged glances—none of them looked relaxed.
"Xiang’er, come sit here and grab my Quchi acupoint." Gabriel looked deadly serious, like he’d made up his mind. "There’s no time left for me to play dead. I’m totally out of commission—can’t move, can’t fight. So, Xiang’er, use Beiming Divine Skill to draw my energy and fight for me."
“What—!” Grace’s heart lurched, and her vision blurred. Beiming Divine Skill was a last resort—Gabriel’s situation must be truly hopeless.
"Dragon, Master—let’s all work together and stay sharp. Pass the energy slowly: refine a bit, then pass a bit; absorb a thread, then give a thread; don’t let Xiang’er get hurt." Gabriel managed a final smile at Grace. "It’s all up to you now."
“Mm!” Grace fought back tears and steeled herself. “Don’t worry!”
The four of them sat together, activating the Beiming Divine Skill. A surge of fierce internal energy poured into Grace’s qi sea. Even with her Reverse Constitution, the power burned her meridians, but she gritted her teeth and held back the scream. In this life-or-death moment, she focused her mind and held steady, absolutely determined.
From this moment on, she was no longer a little girl.
Outside, shouts, clashes, and flashes exploded in midair. To ordinary folks, it was just blinding light, tangled shadows, and wild blasts of energy—no way to see any details. But big flashy moves never last. After just a few breaths, boom—a shockwave blasted out, and the five fighters were flung in all directions.
On the Silver Priest’s side, everyone was wounded, blood streaming from cuts big and small. The Silver Priest’s robes were shredded, his energy scattered, and his steel-fork weapon snapped to bits. Tom Seven had a nasty gash on his forehead, nearly splitting his skull. Master Ruin was the worst off—almost cut in half, with three gaping holes punched clean through his body. He screamed and plunged into the lake, nobody knew if he was dead or alive.