Chapter 251

Chapter 251: Sword Formation

Xiao Luo Si could not defeat Cheng Feng; she was still in the Wandering Star realm, yet Cheng Feng had lost to Wang Jie, who was merely at the Star Breaking realm. For Xiao Luo Si, this was undeniably a heavy blow. She clenched her fists tightly, watching Cheng Yi join the battlefield and rush toward Wang Jie. The feeling of being completely ignored was almost suffocating.

The old woman glanced at Xiao Luo Si helplessly and said, “Miss, perhaps we should return to the central command.”

But Xiao Luo Si gritted her teeth and charged directly toward Wang Jie and the others. Whether it was the Xiao siblings or this entire battle, she refused to be left behind.

“Miss!” the old woman cried out in shock, hurriedly following after her.

A sharp whistle sliced through the air, and Wang Jie swiftly dodged aside. In his original spot, a flash of sword light glimmered—Cheng Yi had struck.

Cheng Feng turned around, calling out, “Sister, he’s my opponent.”

Cheng Yi frowned, replying calmly, “You can’t defeat him.”

Cheng Feng opened his mouth to argue but recalled how he’d paid such a steep price in his earlier fight and still failed to overcome Wang Jie. To try again would be futile.

Cheng Yi didn’t care about Cheng Feng’s feelings. She flipped her blade elegantly, sending out another strike.

Wang Jie’s expression turned grave. Cheng Yi was a Wandering Star cultivator whose combat strength surpassed Cheng Feng’s. Her presence alone gave him more pressure than Han Song or Qiao Xi ever had. Defeating her would be incredibly challenging.

Cheng Feng’s sword style was fierce, but Cheng Yi’s sword was swift and delicate.

These were two entirely different sword techniques.

Wang Jie had barely grown accustomed to Cheng Feng’s aggressive style and now found himself awkwardly defending against Cheng Yi’s swift attacks. Fortunately, his Armor Eight Steps allowed him to evade continuously, moving in all directions like a ghostly shadow.

This was the first time Xiao Luo Si had witnessed the Armor Eight Steps.

She stared at Wang Jie in shock, [Isn’t that the Armor Eight Steps of the sect? Is he someone from Armor One Sect?]

The old woman noticed as well, her eyes narrowing sharply, [Armor Eight Steps? Qi refinement, Lock Force… Which family placed him within Black White Heaven? He couldn’t be directly from Armor One Sect. No Lock Force cultivator from Armor One Sect would ever be allowed on this battlefield alone.]

Armor Eight Steps was mysterious, deceptive—left seemed like right, forward looked like backward. Even Cheng Yi’s elegant swordsmanship momentarily faltered, unable to predict Wang Jie’s elusive movements.

“Another Armor One Sect cultivator? Don’t tell me you’re also the Xiao Clan heiress’s protector?” Cheng Yi mocked lightly.

From behind, Cheng Feng joined in the assault. Cheng Yi didn’t mind at all, perfectly complementing Cheng Feng’s strikes.

Even Wang Jie, with his Armor Eight Steps, couldn’t evade every attack. Sword cuts gradually marked his body. Thankfully, his Locking Star Armor and protective qi absorbed the starforce-enhanced sword qi, preventing serious injury.

His Thunder Pattern armor cracked under repeated sword strikes, nearing its breaking point.

Cheng Yi’s eyes filled with lethal intent.

For a mere Star Breaking cultivator to withstand both her and her younger brother’s combined attack was unimaginable—this man must die.

Meanwhile, Wang Jie was urgently contemplating a solution.

The siblings’ coordination was flawless. To Wang Jie, breaking their joint sword attacks seemed impossible. His Qi Observation could identify weak points, but exploiting them was difficult amidst their synchronized strikes. A direct clash wouldn’t help either. Although his physical strength and qi control were strong, their starforce was far greater, and his Lock Force alone couldn’t match them.

Furthermore, he couldn’t risk fully channeling his qi into offense, as he needed a significant reserve of protective qi to defend against their deadly sword qi. A single slip would lead to severe injury.

Cold blade-light enveloped him. Wang Jie responded by activating Bone Motion Art. If Armor Eight Steps was strange, Bone Motion Art made his body twist and shift even more bizarrely, slipping past blade after blade.

Soon, it felt almost natural.

Cheng Feng and Cheng Yi exchanged a glance, their killing intent growing sharper.

At that moment, Xiao Luo Si suddenly attacked. Her Empty Grasping Hands targeted Cheng Feng from a distance—she wisely avoided confronting Cheng Yi. Meanwhile, the old woman charged directly at Cheng Yi.

As the two joined the fray, Wang Jie finally caught his breath.

Immediately, he counterattacked, pointing a finger at Cheng Yi. Passively taking blows was never his style.

Cheng Yi hastily brought up her sword in defense. The finger’s force rippled violently through starforce, forcing her three steps back. Behind her, a bright sword ridge flared to life.

The old woman’s expression changed instantly. “Fall back!”

Cheng Yi’s sword ridge was nothing like Cheng Feng’s; a single strike could be fatal. Even the Six Dao Wanderer wouldn’t confront it directly.

Wang Jie, Xiao Luo Si, and the old woman swiftly retreated.

However, Cheng Yi didn’t unleash her sword ridge strike. Instead, she pulled Cheng Feng backward. Just as they retreated, sword qi erupted from the ground beneath them—hidden swords had been buried unnoticed. Columns of sword qi soared skyward, enveloping the area.

The old woman cried out sharply, “Way of the Sword Formation? Miss, escape quickly!”

But it was already too late.

Far away, Cheng Yi and Cheng Feng swung their swords simultaneously.

Both unleashed their sword ridge techniques.

Two terrifying waves of sword qi tore through the sky, directly slicing across the battlefield. Wang Jie and his companions faced the brunt of the attack.

Especially devastating was Cheng Yi’s enormous sword qi, bearing down like a heavenly judgment—not aimed at any single person, but the entire battlefield.

Wang Jie flashed aside, Thunder Pattern shattering instantly as he narrowly dodged the immense sword qi.

Xiao Luo Si and the old woman also barely escaped.

In that brief moment, the Sword Formation solidified. Some escaped, others did not.

Outside the Way of the Sword Formation, Cheng Feng sighed deeply, “It’s a pity. I couldn’t personally defeat him.”

Cheng Yi stared into the distance, excitement glinting in her eyes, “Younger brother, the harvest begins.”

Confused, Cheng Feng asked, “What do you mean?”

A faint smile curved Cheng Yi’s lips. “Two elders from Black White Heaven are trapped within our sword formation.”

Cheng Feng gasped, stunned. “What?”

Within the Sword Formation, Wang Jie and the others shared equal shock. Above their heads hovered two powerful elders, one of whom was unmistakably Elder Wu.

Two Hundred Star Realm elders were actually trapped?

“We’ve underestimated them,” one elder spoke gravely. “Who would’ve thought their target was us?”

“Attacking us is understandable, but sacrificing their own Hundred Star Realm to trap us both—that’s sheer desperation.”

“But it’s worth it,” Elder Wu replied solemnly. “With us contained, they can easily kill Old Mo and then use this Sword Formation to severely injure us. The advantage is entirely theirs.”

The two elders descended, staring grimly at their surroundings.

Sky-reaching sword qi rotated endlessly, isolating them from Cloudstream Domain. They stood within a world composed entirely of sword qi.

Wang Jie also looked around.

Never before had he seen such a powerful sword formation.

The formations he’d encountered in the past were only strong enough to trap ordinary cultivators. But this Way of the Sword Formation could even confine those in the Hundred Star Realm.

It seemed capable of remaking heaven and earth.

Many Black White Heaven and Edge Sect cultivators were trapped alongside him. The Edge Sect cultivators were the most desperate; abandoned by their own people, they were swiftly killed by the Black White Heaven cultivators.

The old woman led Xiao Luo Si around urgently, searching for a path out.

Wang Jie stared straight ahead. Sword qi danced endlessly before him, rising to the sky and giving him an entirely new vision. It was as if countless swords were leaping and twirling gracefully. He slowly closed his eyes. The sword formation brought with it great danger, but also a feeling he couldn’t quite grasp.

[This sensation—is it the Sword Form Technique?]

His eyes flew open, filled with confusion. Why would he sense the Sword Form Technique here? Yet it wasn’t exactly that. His Sword Form Technique had appeared mysteriously, as if forcibly imprinted onto him without actual practice.

This great sword formation, however, was intentionally arranged. Why did these two completely different forces feel similar?

Or perhaps, the similarity wasn’t in the Sword Form Technique at all, but in something else—the Yi Sword Technique.

Wang Jie’s eyes flashed with understanding. Yes, he also possessed the Yi Sword Technique. Although his own strength allowed him only to wield a single sword with the Sword Rain Technique, greatly limiting its power, he had indeed mastered the Yi Sword Technique.

So was it the Sword Form Technique or the Yi Sword Technique?

Or perhaps both?

In the distance, the old woman found Elder Wu and Elder Luo, urgently saying, “Elders, this is Xiao Luo Si, a legitimate daughter of Armor One Sect’s Xiao Clan. I ask you both to open the sword formation immediately and allow the young miss to escape.”

The two elders exchanged troubled glances, “The Edge Sect’s target is us. They prepared this in advance. The Way of the Sword Formation is not easily broken.”

The old woman raised her voice sharply, her face cold as ice, “No matter what, the young miss must return alive. Otherwise, our sect will hold your Black White Heaven fully responsible. I doubt your sect can bear such consequences.”

Elder Wu spoke gravely, “We ourselves cannot escape; don’t you see?”

The old woman shouted angrily, “Then stake your lives on it! You may die, but the miss cannot!”

“You—” Elder Luo was furious but was stopped by Elder Wu.

The old woman clearly didn’t care.

A mere Hundred Star Realm elder from Black White Heaven was nothing more than a lowly deacon in Armor One Sect’s eyes.

Elder Wu patiently responded, “Rest assured. Should an opportunity appear, we will certainly send the Xiao Clan’s young lady out first.”

The old woman snorted coldly, turning away to find Xiao Luo Si.

Elder Luo burst out angrily, “That arrogant old hag! We’re all trapped in the formation, with life or death uncertain. Who can help her now? Yet she still dares to use Armor One Sect to threaten us!”

Elder Wu sighed helplessly, “Enough. Don’t dwell on it. First, find a way to break the formation.”

Watching the scene unfold, Wang Jie gained a deeper understanding of Armor One Sect’s dominance. A mere maidservant at Wandering Star Realm could shout down elders from Black White Heaven at Hundred Star Realm. Even in this dire situation, the two elders dared not retaliate.

Armor One Sect far surpassed Black White Heaven.

All around, Black White Heaven cultivators were desperately searching for a way to escape, though no one expected much from ordinary disciples. Those weaker cultivators clung closely around the elders, fearing they’d fall prey to the deadly sword qi.

“You—go explore that direction,” Elder Luo commanded.

A Black White Heaven cultivator’s expression instantly paled. He hesitated, “Elder, this disciple is too weak, please—” Before finishing his words, Elder Luo waved a hand, instantly killing him. Blood splashed onto the ground, sending shivers through the surrounding cultivators.

“You, go.”

Another disciple trembled, not daring to refuse. He moved forward, but after a few steps, he was torn apart by sword qi.

Elder Wu turned to another direction, pointing at a cultivator, “You, fifty steps forward to the right.”

The cultivator didn’t dare resist, forcing himself to scout the way.

“You, ten steps straight ahead.”

That cultivator died miserably.

“You, attack that sword qi.”

No effect.

“You.”

“You.”

The two elders continually ordered cultivators forward. Occasionally, someone survived and wouldn’t be sent again, but most were killed. No one dared resist. A Hundred Star Realm elder could kill anyone here instantly. To them, these disciples were elite yet expendable.

The old woman watched coldly, occasionally whispering something to Xiao Luo Si.

Suddenly, the sword qi changed direction, bending inward and slicing toward those trapped inside. Several cultivators fell dead instantly. Wang Jie dodged quickly, unintentionally moving closer and closer to Xiao Luo Si’s group.

Without warning, Elder Luo pointed directly at Wang Jie, his eyes cold as frost, “You—move back one hundred steps.”

Wang Jie raised an eyebrow. He had rushed forward from behind. Retreating a hundred steps now would place him directly within the deadly range of sword qi attacks. Clearly, Elder Luo intended to use his life to test the sword formation’s power.

He didn’t move.

Seeing Wang Jie remain still, Elder Luo’s eyes flashed dangerously, immediately preparing to strike him down.