Chapter 554 496: Pei Yuhang, I've Finally Met You~

'However... for that enemy to obliterate five Celestial Pillars in a single instant... Such power... Could she really be a legendary Saint?'

"Everyone! Stop letting your minds wander!"

"Pull yourselves together and continue to maintain the Array's operation!"

Elder Xiao's furious roar snapped everyone back to their senses. They forced their injured bodies upright and continued to hold their positions at the Array's eyes.

In one of the Array's eyes, Pei Yuhang's worried gaze fell upon Nangong Jin beside him.

Her once snow-white face was now completely drained of color, and a faint, unwiped trace of blood remained at the corner of her mouth.

But even so, her slender fingers were still clamped tightly around the Geng Metal Celestial Sword that controlled the Geng Metal Celestial Pillar.

Pei Yuhang's brow furrowed, and he said in a low voice, "Junior Sister Nangong, you are directly responsible for the Geng Metal Celestial Pillar. You suffered the worst of the backlash when the pillar was destroyed.

You can't hold on any longer. Let me take over guarding the Geng Metal Celestial Pillar."

Nangong Jin slowly shook her head. A few stray strands of hair stuck to her sweat-dampened forehead. She lifted her eyes, her calm pupils still as tranquil as an ancient well.

"Brother Pei, I'm fine."

"It's just an injury like this. I can still go on."

As she spoke, she took out an ancient-looking Token from her robes. The two characters for "Qiankun" were carved on it.

Nangong Jin lowered her voice, secretly sending a transmission to Pei Yuhang:

"Brother Pei, this Qiankun Great Shifting Order is a rare treasure passed down from ancient times. Please, take it."

Pei Yuhang stared, stunned, at the Qiankun Shifting Order that Nangong Jin was handing him.

"Junior Sister, what are you doing?"

"After this battle, the Dao Sect might survive once the Taoist Lord activates the Ancestral God Pavilion, but it will be difficult for us to make it out alive."

"When the time comes, if you see that the situation is hopeless, use this Token to leave quickly."

Seeing that Pei Yuhang was about to say something, Nangong Jin shook her head and said softly, "Brother Pei, don't worry about me. I have another one of these Tokens, so I can guarantee my own safety."

"So please, Brother Pei, just take it... You have a Dao Companion and disciples. Besides the Dao Sect, you have family you care about. You absolutely cannot die."

Silence spread between them, with only the humming of the operating Array echoing in their ears.

Finally, Pei Yuhang nodded heavily and accepted the Token, putting it away.

Nangong Jin watched Pei Yuhang's back, her eyes downcast.

'Actually, she had lied.'

'She only had one Qiankun Shifting Order, but it didn't matter... As long as Brother Pei took it, that was enough.'

...

...

BOOM—

After one punch annihilated a thousand-li radius and crushed all five Celestial Pillars.

Ji Shenyun watched the five reforming Celestial Pillars and raised an eyebrow slightly.

'It seems that destroying all five Celestial Pillars at once isn't enough to break this Grand Array. However, I can clearly feel that the Array's strength has weakened considerably. The people operating it must have suffered a severe backlash.'

"Well then, since you could withstand the first punch, how will you block the second?"

Ji Shenyun let out a great laugh, leaped into the air, and flew into the dome of the sky. Then, she stomped on the air, several sonic booms erupting behind her like vortexes. Like a nail driven down from the heavens, she smashed violently onto the ground!

Celestial Spirit Killing Break Fist—One Punch to Shatter a Myriad of Techniques!

It was like a meteor striking from beyond the heavens.

The earth within a thousand-li radius collapsed with a deafening roar. The violent fist wind transformed into a world-destroying shockwave. Wherever it passed, mountains crumbled and the ground split open. Vast expanses of land rolled like waves, and the dust and smoke kicked into the sky blotted out the sun, as if the apocalypse had arrived.

...

...

"AHHH—!!"

A mournful wail rang out.

Several Void Refining True Monarchs, their faces twisted and eyes wide, fell from the clouds like puppets with their strings cut. In an instant, they vanished into the depths of the Cloud Sea, their fates unknown.

Of the thirty-six Void Refining True Monarchs, half had fallen due to the Array's backlash.

And as for those at the very core of the Grand Array—Xiao Jiuxing, Pavilion Master Fu, and the contingent from the Yin Yang Sacred Land—they suffered the worst backlash of all. Although they managed to endure it with their powerful Cultivation...

But...

Fu Haixia glanced back at the remaining Void Refining True Monarchs. Barely a handful could force themselves to stand.

Looking around, only Pei Yuhang, Chen Tiansheng, Nangong Jin, Shang Miaoyan, and a few others—fewer than ten in total—still had stable auras. The rest were either unconscious or severely wounded and weakened.

The Five Directions Celestial Pillar Array was on the verge of collapse.

"Elder Xiao, this is as far as we can go... If this continues, we'll only take another punch and suffer more casualties."

"We've already lost... It would be better to protect our remaining forces and use the final fifteen layers of the Sect Protection Array to maneuver against the enemy."

Fu Haixia took a deep breath and said slowly.

Xiao Jiuxing was silent for a moment. The hand hidden in his sleeve slowly clenched into a fist, only to release it limply. Finally, he nodded and announced in a clear voice:

"All True Monarchs of the Dao Sect, retreat with the wounded first!"

Nearby, the Yin Yang Saint Master, Yin Wanqing, watched the Scroll. She saw a domineering, silver-haired woman completely destroy the Five Directions Celestial Pillar Array and break free. From beneath her purple veil, her beautiful eyes narrowed gravely.

She knew that the Dao Sect was in real trouble this time.

'As allies, we have already done more than enough. I need to get Miaoyan out of this place of conflict.'

...

"Xiaohan! You... you idiot!"

Shang Miaoyan's trembling voice was choked with sobs. She looked at Pei Yuhang coughing up blood in front of her, and her heart felt as if it were being squeezed by an invisible hand.

She bit her lower lip so hard she nearly drew blood. Her slender fingers quickly pressed against Pei Yuhang's violently heaving back, transferring her own Spiritual Qi into his body.

"Why did you have to act so tough? Why did you take the backlash from the Geng Metal Celestial Pillar for someone else!"

Shang Miaoyan seemed to be blaming Pei Yuhang, but she suddenly whipped her head around. A sharp, cold light erupted from her tear-filled, almond-shaped eyes, piercing straight through Nangong Jin, who stood frozen to the side.

Her gaze was a piercing question. 'Why? Why should Pei Yuhang get hurt for you!'

Nangong Jin was frozen in place, a rare trace of bewilderment appearing on her usually ice-cold face.

Her phoenix eyes, always so indifferent, were now trembling violently, reflecting Pei Yuhang's weakened figure. An unprecedented, wrenching pain seized her heart.

'Seeing Brother Pei hurt... she felt... so sad.'

"COUGH, COUGH... Don't worry, I'm fine."

Pei Yuhang took a deep breath, barely suppressing the taste of blood rising in his throat. He then gave Nangong Jin a gentle smile, as if to tell her not to blame herself.

"Brother Pei... I don't need your protection! My Cultivation is clearly higher than yours, I don't need you to shield me!"

Pei Yuhang shook his head lightly and smiled. "Silly Junior Sister, it's precisely because I'm your senior brother that I have to stand in front of you."

Seeing the heavy atmosphere, Pei Yuhang blinked and said, feigning a relaxed tone:

"Besides, the greatest advantage of the Giant Sun Saint Body is its strong Life Force. It's tough. See? I'm perfectly fine, aren't I?"

When Shang Miaoyan saw that Pei Yuhang was still in the mood to flirt, she was both furious and heartbroken. She choked back a sob and cursed, "Shut up!"

"You're in this state, and you're still in the mood to worry about others!"

Although Shang Miaoyan's words were angry, the movement of her hands transferring Spiritual Qi became even gentler, as if she were handling a fragile treasure.

However, a graceful figure quietly appeared behind her.

"Saint Master Yin?"

Yin Wanqing didn't reply to Pei Yuhang. Instead, she looked directly at Shang Miaoyan and said:

"Miaoyan, we can't stay here any longer. It's time for us to leave."

Hearing this, Shang Miaoyan immediately turned to Pei Yuhang and said joyfully:

"Xiaohan, the Dao Sect is extremely dangerous right now. Come back with me to the Yin Yang Sacred Land! If you can't bear to leave Ye Liyuan, you can bring her with you!

I swear on my honor, I'll treat you both well. I won't take advantage of your predicament!"

Pei Yuhang was silent for a moment, then gently shook his head.

"Business Saintess, I appreciate your kind offer, but the Dao Sect needs us right now. I believe that neither Liyuan nor I would abandon the Sect at a time like this."

"Xiaohan, you—"

"Miaoyan!"

Yin Wanqing's voice grew sterner, her beautiful eyes revealing her disappointment in her own Saintess.

"You can't persuade him. He doesn't trust you, and he won't abandon his Sect... There's no time for you to hesitate. Come with me now."

As Yin Wanqing spoke, she placed a hand on Shang Miaoyan's shoulder, as if to forcibly take her away.

However, before Yin Wanqing could act...

A tremendous sound suddenly echoed from ahead. The next moment, a figure tore through the vast sky, racing toward them.

Pei Yuhang looked up. Seeing the woman's long silver hair, identical to his own head disciple's, his pupils contracted.

"Pei Yuhang—I have finally met you again!"

Ji Shenyun's eyes were locked onto the handsome White-clothed Sword Immortal. Her thin lips parted slightly as she licked the tip of her crimson tongue.