Chapter 57: All of You Together

Jiang Yueli’s beautiful eyes flashed with a piercing chill. The air around her turned icy in an instant, as if a volcano were on the verge of erupting.

They could insult her all they liked—but they must never insult her master!

Her master was the one thing she would never tolerate anyone touching.

And now some nobody had dared to slander him. It was unforgivable!

“Junior Sister Jiang, if you’re not saying anything, I’ll take that as an admission. You and your master are a pair of cowards, then! Ha ha!”

Zhang Yang, standing nearby, was even more brazen. He failed to notice that Jiang Yueli was on the verge of losing control.

“Fine. Since you want to fight, I’ll see it through to the end!”

Jiang Yueli drew a deep breath and slowly lifted her head. Her gaze fixed on Zhang Yang and the others as a vast, surging sword intent rose from her slender frame.

The moment they felt that terrifying pressure, Zhang Yang and his companions’ expressions shifted.

“What terrifying sword intent. She must have reached the realm of a Great Sword Cultivator, at the very least!”

Zhang Yang and the others exchanged glances, their faces filled with shock.

He had known all along that Jiang Yueli possessed extraordinary talent in the sword, but he had never imagined she would become this formidable.

“You five can come at me together. That’ll save me time.”

Standing where she was, Jiang Yueli looked down at them and spoke.

Of the men before her, only Zhang Yang was at the Profound Entry Realm. The other four, like her, were at the Yin-Yang Realm.

But she was confident that, with her current strength, she could sweep all five of them aside.

“What? You want us all to attack you at once?”

Zhang Yang stared at Jiang Yueli, outraged.

She thought far too little of them—she meant to take on all five by herself!

It was a blatant insult.

“Are you sure? Don’t blame us for ganging up on you when you lose.”

Zhang Yang’s voice turned cold.

Outnumbering her was hardly something to be proud of. Even if they won, people would laugh at them for it.

“Bring it on.”

“I’ll defeat you. I won’t lose to a swarm of flies like you—you’re not worth the effort.”

Jiang Yueli’s expression remained calm. She was like a drawn sword, her edge bared for all to see.

“Hmph!”

Before Zhang Yang could respond, Lan Wanshan, behind him, gave a cold snort.

“If she’s asking for a beating, then let’s oblige her.”

“Zhang Yang, you and the others teach her a good lesson! Show her the might of Clear Sky Peak!”

“Yes, Senior Brother!”

At Lan Wanshan’s command, Zhang Yang and the others answered in unison.

A moment earlier, when they had sensed the sword intent Jiang Yueli released, they had worried that they might not be able to defeat her one-on-one.

But if she was foolish enough to provoke them, then they had only herself to blame.

“Go! Make her pay for her arrogance!”

Zhang Yang charged at Jiang Yueli first. The other four disciples followed close behind, surrounding her.

Brilliant spiritual light burst from each of them as they summoned their weapons.

“Darksteel Sword Formation—activate!”

Zhang Yang roared. A long sword shot into the air, becoming a blur of light that spread over the group.

“Boom!”

A series of thunderous crashes rang out. The five disciples joined forces and formed a formation, attacking as one. The terrifying force of their assault made the onlookers tremble.

“What’s going on?”

“Why have they suddenly started fighting?”

The Holy Land disciples nearby saw the clash break out and hurried over to watch.

“Hey, I think I recognize those people. They’re disciples of Clear Sky Peak, aren’t they? The man standing behind them, keeping watch, looks like their senior brother, Lan Wanshan.”

“Who’s that woman? I’ve never seen her before.”

“She’s gorgeous, though. Like a fairy.”

The gathered disciples murmured among themselves, their eyes glittering with interest as they watched Jiang Yueli and the others.

…

By now, Zhang Yang and his companions had completed their sword formation and launched a fierce attack at Jiang Yueli.

Countless sword lights shrieked through the air, seeming capable of cleaving open the void as they descended upon her with devastating force.

But then something utterly strange happened.

“Ching!”

A clear, melodious sword note rang from the scabbard in Jiang Yueli’s hand. The next instant, endless cold light burst forth, halting the incoming blades in their tracks.

“Crack, crack—boom!”

A succession of faint snaps rang out. The sword formation Zhang Yang and the others had formed shattered, piece by piece, all at once.

“Thud, thud, thud.”

Overwhelmed by the immense pressure, Zhang Yang and the others stumbled back three steps before barely managing to steady themselves.

Yet beneath their shock, their eyes were filled with terror.

She had merely drawn her sword and revealed her sword intent, and already their formation had crumbled. How terrifyingly powerful was she?

Jiang Yueli’s face was cold as she gripped the long sword in her hand.

“Righteous Sword Intent!”

She spoke in an indifferent voice, then swung her sword.

The blade swept through the air. Silver sword lights bloomed one after another, twisting the surrounding space as if it might tear apart. Gusts of wind raged in every direction.

In the next instant, Zhang Yang and the other four were all hurled backward. They crashed to the ground, coughing up blood.

They lay there, dazed, their minds completely blank. They could not even process what had just happened.

They had joined forces to activate the Darksteel Sword Formation, only to be defeated by Jiang Yueli in a single move. The blow landed like a bolt of thunder crashing down upon them.

“You’ve lost.”

Jiang Yueli raised an eyebrow, a playful smile curling her lips.

“How is that possible?”

Zhang Yang looked from Jiang Yueli to his fellow disciples, his throat bobbing as disbelief spread across his face.

Only moments ago, they had been boasting about teaching her a lesson. And now?

They could not withstand even a single strike from her. She had left them utterly helpless and humiliated.

“What kind of sword technique is that? It’s incredibly powerful!”

“She beat five people at once—and made it look that easy. That’s unbelievable!”

The spectators nearby exclaimed, their faces full of astonishment.

“Gasp…”

“Has Jiang Yueli really reached the late Yin-Yang Realm?”

Even Lan Wanshan behind them could not help drawing a sharp breath. His eyes brimmed with disbelief.

The aura Jiang Yueli had just revealed was unmistakably that of someone in the late Yin-Yang Realm.

How could that be?

In less than a month, Jiang Yueli—the one her master had dismissed as half-crippled—had already reached this level.

Her rate of progress was terrifying.

Even the Holy Land’s most exceptional prodigies would struggle to advance so quickly.

“If a monstrous talent like this is allowed to grow…”

Lan Wanshan’s expression darkened. His gaze remained fixed on Jiang Yueli, and unease stirred within him.

Clear Sky Peak and Cloudpeak had fallen into strained relations. If Jiang Yueli continued to grow, then at the sect competition a year from now, she would be beyond his ability to contend with.

At that thought, he narrowed his eyes and stepped forward.

“Junior Sister Jiang, impressive work. To defeat five of my junior brothers with a single move… Since that’s the case, why don’t we have a friendly spar?”

Lan Wanshan gave a cold laugh. A powerful aura erupted from him.

He meant to teach Jiang Yueli a lesson himself and knock some of the arrogance out of her.