Chapter 209

Chapter 209: Three Sects Join Forces, Defeat the Guardian Beast!

Mei Mei kept her usual caution and said: “Fellow Daoist Shen’s proposal, let us think it over first.”

She and Jiang Chu returned to their groups to discuss. This was no small matter. A single wrong step could wipe out an entire team, so they had to be careful.

“Alright,” said Shen Sang Ruo, not pressing for an answer.

She and the four behind her, including Ye Huai, began preparing to challenge the Mid Nascent Soul Stage Guardian Beast. It was a pity they could not let the Dodder Flower Sprite help.

The Dodder Flower Sprite had said the Guardian Beast was special. It existed to test disciples and could only be slain by the contestants themselves. If they borrowed any outside force, the Guardian Beast would respawn.

Once the five were ready, Mei Mei and Jiang Chu came back with their teams. One look at their faces told Shen Sang Ruo they had agreed.

Sure enough, Mei Mei said: “We have discussed it. As Fellow Daoist Shen suggested, we will cooperate for a win-win result.”

Jiang Chu added: “We also decided. Rather than each spend our strength alone, we will combine the power of the three groups.”

After weighing everything, they put the others on their trusted list. If someone like Dong Fang Xu had made this proposal, they would have refused without a thought.

Ye Huai and the others were no longer surprised by their junior sister’s way with people. In her hands, things always seemed to become simple, and they only needed to follow her plan.

Shen Sang Ruo motioned everyone closer and said: “Good. Then let us set the battle plan.”

To save time and strength, and because the Guardian Beast existed to test disciples and had no obvious weak point like the Dodder Flower Sprite, they could not take it lightly.

The deployment took shape quickly.

She assigned roles: “Jiang Clan excels at Body Cultivation and has tough bodies, so you will go up front to bear the Guardian Beast’s attacks and limit its movement, creating openings for the others.”

She continued: “Heavenly Sword Sect’s Sword Cultivators are agile. Use that speed to strike and slip back out. Ye Huai will join this group and attack with Mei Mei as the main offensive thrust.”

She finished: “The remaining four from Ninghua Sect will form another main attack unit.”

At first, people from the Jiang Clan and Heavenly Sword Sect doubted whether Ninghua Sect could carry such a heavy role. They knew Shen Sang Ruo and Song Wei Yan were strong, but they were unsure about the other two.

Once Bai Ruo An and Su Xi Yu showed their strength, those doubts vanished, and everyone felt reassured.

With everything ready, the alliance of three sects stepped into the Guardian Beast’s domain.

On Fengling Terrace, the watching cultivators were surprised and whispered: “They are actually working together?”

Another said: “Rare sight. In my lifetime I get to see top teams other than the Artifact Forging Sect and Alchemy Sect cooperate.”

A skeptic asked: “They dare show their backs to each other? And with someone like Shen Sang Ruo there, are they not afraid of a stab in the back?”

Someone snorted: “What nonsense. Since the Sect Grand Tournament began, have you seen Shen Sang Ruo do anything dirty?”

While the crowd argued, the three-sect alliance was already fighting hard inside the Secret Realm.

The Guardian Beast was a Mid Nascent Soul Stage Black-Scaled Wolf. Its fur had mutated into hard scales. Its attack power was high, and its defense had grown with it.

Under careful planning, the three squads moved like clockwork and surrounded the Black-Scaled Wolf.

Fifteen Jiang Clan cultivators ringed the beast, using their tough bodies to pin it in place and block most of its blows. Jiang Chu shouted in a low voice: “Hold the line!”

From behind the Jiang Clan, the Heavenly Sword Sect disciples charged. At Mei Mei’s crisp order, “Form up,” their positions shifted again and again. Cold light flashed off their swords and fell one after another on the Black-Scaled Wolf.

Ye Huai and Mei Mei flanked left and right, thrusting like a storm: “Now!”

The Black-Scaled Wolf howled in pain.

Song Wei Yan formed hand seals as a golden array dropped from the sky. Talismans burned at Bai Ruo An’s fingertips, then exploded when they struck the wolf. Su Xi Yu attacked from range with spiritual power, then rushed in and smashed with her alchemy furnace.

After one full round, everyone pulled back at once. A sea of Endless Glaze Flame roared out and swallowed the battlefield.

Shen Sang Ruo hovered in the air with the Luan Feather Fan in hand, eyes steady. Each sweep of the fan sent an even stronger tide of fire across the ground.

Even the wolf’s hard scales could not endure such heat. When the Glazed Flame faded, the Jiang Clan surged forward and ringed it again.

Under the combined assault, the Mid Nascent Soul Stage Black-Scaled Wolf lost any power to resist.

They repeated the cycle three times. With a boom, the wolf crashed to the ground and dissolved into points of starlight.

On Fengling Terrace, the cultivators watching could only think four words: pleasing to the eye.

There was no suspicion, no guarding against allies, no treachery. Everyone threw themselves into the fight. Each person did their job. It was close to perfect.

Cries rose: “They actually defeated the Guardian Beast!”

“After so many years, teams have entered the Heaven-grade Zone again, and there are three of them!”

“No one knows how many treasures are inside. I am so jealous my tears are about to spill from the corners of my mouth.”

“We are lucky to ride their coattails and get to see the inside of the Heaven-grade Zone.”

Elders from the various sects praised them nonstop.

Sect Master Ming Xi nodded, a rare smile on her face, clearly proud of Mei Mei and the Heavenly Sword Sect team.

Jiang Wen Sheng laughed loud and said: “See that? That is my son!” Liang Yue and Zhong Chuan both rolled their eyes.

Even so, the Ninghua Sect drew the most attention. So far, both team battles in the trial had featured Ninghua Sect. Immortal Lord Chang Li and the other two were envied countless times and could not stop smiling. They were already used to it and even felt like standing up and telling everyone to relax, this was just routine.

Jiang Chu blinked, then burst into joy as he said: “We beat it? We can enter the Heaven-grade Zone now?”

Mei Mei was calmer than Jiang Chu, but her excitement still showed. It was a Mid Nascent Soul Stage demonic beast, two major realms above them. Even with many people fighting, the sense of achievement made everyone’s blood run hot.

Shen Sang Ruo closed her Luan Feather Fan and said: “Working with Heavenly Sword Sect and the Jiang Clan was a pleasure. If there is a chance next time, let us cooperate again. For now, we part ways.”

As they had agreed, after entering the Heaven-grade Zone they split into three routes, each focusing on collecting materials without disturbing the others.