Stepping on the Demoness to become the strongest

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Between lightning and flame, Deputy Captain Zhang had already fallen into peril.

This was the problem with insufficient intelligence. Had he seen Su Yunjin deploying the Southern Dipper Galaxy Secret Art in battle recordings beforehand, he might not have fallen immediately into this flustered and overwhelmed state when engulfed by the flood.

But now, Zhang Huaide was completely disoriented by the rushing water, coupled with the poisoning from the Peach Blossom Gu, leaving him temporarily at a loss for what to do.

Tang Xiaolian quickly recalled her Peach Blossom Gu insects, and the pink miasma obscuring visibility disappeared. Meng Qingxi immediately mounted his Flying Sword and charged forward to rescue Deputy Captain Zhang.

But faster than Meng Qingxi was Zhou Hongyu's fire breath!

While coordinating with Qin Meng to confront the Judge of the Demonic Sect, the girl had actually found a moment to turn her head and provide support. The great bright flame transformed into a Flame Spear once again, lashing out at the oncoming Zhao Yuanzhen.

Zhao Yuanzhen turned sharply to dodge, and the Flame Spear shot past, missing its target and exploding on the ground, instantly igniting a large fireball.

This sudden surge of flame, with its intense heat boiling over, instantly obscured Su Yunjin's line of sight.

Although Miss Su's vision had lost its target, she continued to exert her effort to manipulate the aqueous Taoism Method. Alas, blind operation lacked precision, eventually allowing Zhang Huaide to seize an opportunity and accelerate using the Shifting Technique to break free from the watery entrapment.

Meng Qingxi used the Sword Control Technique to parry Lin Ning's Green Bamboo Sword attacks, and finally caught up to Zhang Huaide's side with his Shifting Technique, shouting:

"Go!"

The two men hurriedly fought as they retreated, fully energizing their True Yuan for Sword Control to block around them nonstop. The sound of metal clashing was incessant, as they made a difficult retreat step by step.

The assault of the Flying Swords from the opposing side was layered and complex. Lin Ning's green sword light was the most dominant, taking control of the field. On one hand, she pressed Tang Xiaolian so far back that she could barely protect herself with the Peach Blossom Tender Sword, and on the other, she managed to find time to block Zhang Huaide and Meng Qingxi's retreat.

Next was Zhao Yuanzhen's black sword light. The Demonic Sect Enchantress had not specialized in Sword Control Technique, but she had a wealth of experience in combat magic, persistently attacking with the Yin Wind Sword and forcing Zhang and Meng to focus entirely on defense, struggling every step.

Finally, there was Chen Lingyun's purple sword light. The Purple Extreme Sword meandered leisurely and flexibly, increasing the pressure with Zhao Yuanzhen's Yin Wind Sword. However, when a weakness in Zhang and Meng's swordsmanship was exposed, she would suddenly lunge with full force, startling the two men into a cold sweat.

As the tide of battle clearly shifted against them, Zhang Huaide forcefully suppressed his anxiety and began to think intensely of a strategy to turn the tables:

The tactics of the opponents were not chaotic; everyone had a clear role. Lin Ning's job was to suppress Tang Xiaolian to prevent her from using the Peach Blossom Miasma, for if the miasma were to obstruct the path and block their vision, the other side's Sword Control activation couldn't continue smoothly, and this situation would be broken.

Zhao Yuanzhen and Chen Lingyun were cooperating with Lin Ning to impose a significant defensive pressure on him and Meng Qingxi. Even a slight gap in their combined assault that could allow an opportunity to turn and retreat with the Shifting Technique would break their setup.

Su Yunjin... Wait, what was Su Yunjin doing?!

At the moment this thought arose, Zhang Huaide's ears, amid the sound of metal clashing, picked up a faint sound of water.

"Get out of the way!" he suddenly cried out in panic, pushing Meng Qingxi away from him while throwing himself to the side with the force.

Yet, the evasion failed.

It wasn't because Zhang Huaide was slow to react, but because both of his legs were firmly grasped by two spectral hands that emerged from the ground—he even heard two sharp, sneaky chuckles.

Immediately after, Su Yunjin's Jiaochong was used again, and the flood engulfed Zhang Huaide and Meng Qingxi together, sweeping them away to a place even farther from Tang Xiaolian's aid.

Tang Xiaolian, pressured by Lin Ning into an all-out defense, saw the deputy captain and Meng Qingxi overwhelmed by the flood and couldn't help growing more anxious.

Where was the team leader? Could he help?

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Zhou Hongyu, however, was already at her limit.

She had been coordinating with Qin Meng to encircle the Judge of the Demonic Sect and had also been keeping an eye on the rear. It wasn't until Zhang Huaide was caught off guard and Tang Xiaolian removed the miasma to let Meng Qingxi attempt a rescue, that she managed to spit out a Flame Spear and help Deputy Captain Zhang escape the engulfing flood.

Turning around, she saw that Qin Meng had been knocked to the ground.

Yan Yu moved beyond Qin Meng's body, nimbly navigating through the Judge's attacks. The Judge's board kept slamming down, missing Yan Yu every time but ensuring that Qin Meng was enveloped in the attack range—clearly, his dodging and movement weren't "accidental."

Qin Meng practiced the Dragon Elephant Nirvana Divine Skill and was currently invoking the Divine Elephant Technique, possessing immense strength and invincibility against blades and spears. However, with each blow he took, not only could he not stand up, but his True Yuan was also rapidly depleting, and it's uncertain how much longer he could hold on.

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We must hurry to rescue Qin Meng!

Once hit by the Flame Spear, it will explode in a small radius. If we attack Yan Yu with Taoism Method, that crafty bastard would definitely continue to divert his own attacks onto Qin Meng while dodging ours.

Zhou Hongyu kept her composure, fired another Flame Spear at the Judge of the ghost manor to draw his aggression away from Yan Yu, and with the Chi Yu Sword trailing a blazing path, she charged at Yan Yu.

"Impressive," Yan Yu blocked her attack with the Huang Tingjian, and said in an admiring tone, "Taking on two at once and still managing to support the rear, Zhou Hongyu, do you think you're a deity or something?"

Qin Meng had already gotten up and drawn his Vajra Sword, silently striking at Yan Yu's back.

But Yan Yu simply turned around, blocked the sneak attack, and then kicked him away with a Curved Curse Whip kick.

"Who asked you to chime in when team leaders are talking?" Yan Yu laughed mockingly, raised his Huang Tingjian again, and clashed with the Chi Yu Sword in midair.

The advantage of a heavy sword's great momentum was fully exploited by Yan Yu, sending the Chi Yu Sword flying backward with a tremor, while the Huang Tingjian barely shook.

Qin Meng, kicked away by Yan Yu and slamming into a pillar, vomited blood and realized that his Dragon Elephant Nirvana Divine Skill had ceased to function—his True Yuan was completely depleted, leaving him unable to maintain the Body Refinement Secret Art.

Behind them, the roaring sound of Jiaochong surged once more, with Zhang Huaide and Meng Qingxi being caught in the torrent, unable to break free.

Tang Xiaolian, left without support, was quickly penetrated through her defenses by Lin Ning, with the Green Bamboo Sword held against her neck.

Four of the five had fallen, and Zhou Hongyu herself did not know how many Flame Spears she had fired; her Dantian's True Yuan had long been nearly depleted. Yan Yu ignored Qin Meng and with a now serious expression softly asked,

"Are we still fighting?"

Zhou Hongyu didn't speak. The Chi Yu Sword returned to her side, and she once again assumed a combat-ready stance.

As the Judge from the ghost manor turned to attack Zhou Hongyu, Yan Yu suddenly used his Shifting Technique to appear at his side, smashing a Curved Curse punch into the Judge's waist, rippling his long robe.

No sooner had the punch been withdrawn than the Huang Tingjian followed in its assault, the strike landing precisely where the punch had hit. A muffled sound, like an arrow piercing leather, echoed as the Judge from the ghost manor was sent flying, letting out a piercing scream in midair.

"Don't rush me." Yan Yu looked at the gruesomely contorted Judge, threw out a cold remark, then turned to Zhou Hongyu, who was still putting up a stubborn resistance, and with a raised eyebrow asked, "What's the point of this?"

"Cut the crap!" Zhou Hongyu shouted fiercely, "Come on, Yan Yu, kill me if you can!"

"Let's finish off this Judge from the ghost manor first," Yan Yu said, turning away as if he had no concern about Zhou Hongyu attacking him from behind.

Zhou Hongyu paused for a moment, then turned to face the Judge from the ghost manor as well, with the Chi Yu Sword shooting out rapidly.

The Pingxi Army medical team had already arrived on the scene, dragging away Zhang Huaide and the others for emergency treatment. When Chen Lingyun arrived with her team, she saw Yan Yu and Zhou Hongyu joining forces, with their swords besieging the Judge from the ghost manor, beating him miserably.

"What's going on here?" Chen Lingyun asked with a chuckle, "Teaming up with the enemy team leader to fight a Mysterious Realm Gatekeeper, is this some sort of traditional act for our team?"

"Last time it was the Deputy Captain Li Minghu," Lin Ning immediately corrected her.

"Let me rephrase then," Chen Lingyun continued with a smile, "Teaming up with female cultivators from the enemy team?"

"Tang Xiaolian is also a female cultivator," Lin Ning corrected again, "but we didn't cooperate with her."

"A formidable female cultivator from the enemy team," Chen Lingyun's eyes curved as she smiled.

This time Lin Ning had nothing to say, but it was Su Yunjin who pressed the earpiece and asked directly,

"Team leader, are you teaming up with Zhou Hongyu?"

"Yeah," Yan Yu responded in the channel, "It's less effort with an extra person."

The girls were first taken aback, then fell collectively silent.

An extra person making it less effort... such a straightforward answer! But indeed, it was something their team leader would say.

"Since there's strength in numbers, let's go up and help too," Chen Lingyun said with a beaming smile.