Chapter 556 497: "No, Don't You Touch Him!" The Defense of Peng Sword Immortal: A Crushing Defeat

But in that instant, Xiao Jiuxing's face contorted in horror, as if he had witnessed something terrifying!

"This is bad!"

With a fierce roar, he abruptly shifted his attack to a defensive stance. He crossed his arms before him as the lightning shrouding his body converged frantically, attempting to deflect the force of the incoming fist.

BOOM—!!!

The moment the fist's power erupted, the air twisted and shattered like a mirror!

The Thunderous Qilin didn't even reach the edge of Ji Shenyun's fist before it was torn apart by the sheer force of the blow, dissolving into a sky full of fine electric arcs that scattered and vanished.

"PFFT—!"

Xiao Jiuxing violently spat a mouthful of blood, the bones in his arms shattering inch by inch, and his whole body flew backward like a kite with a broken string.

Ji Shenyun slowly withdrew her fist, one eyebrow slightly raised, a faint hint of surprise flashing in her eyes.

She looked down at her own fist, the corner of her lips curling into a barely perceptible smile.

"Your combat instincts aren't bad."

"If you had dared to take that punch head-on just now, what would have shattered wouldn't be just your two arms, but half your body."

"If the quality of this era's Spiritual Qi hadn't declined so much, with your potential, you could have progressed a little further on your Dao path."

Ji Shenyun lifted her gaze slightly, looking at Xiao Jiuxing struggling to his feet amidst the smoke and dust, and said indifferently,

"Surviving that is worthy of a word of praise from me."

"However, that's all it's worth."

However, in the very instant Ji Shenyun lowered her hand and relaxed…

Yin Wanqing, who had been silent, motionless, and even feigning weakness, seized this one-in-a-million opportunity.

The Spiritual Qi around her erupted, her speed surpassing even that of Xiao Jiuxing when he was wreathed in lightning!

Ji Shenyun had just turned her head when Yin Wanqing struck down with a palm from mid-air. In her fair, jade-like palm, two Yin Yang Fish swam slowly.

In an instant, under the movement of the Yin Yang Fish, time and space seemed to freeze!

BANG—

The Yin Yang Fish transformed into a massive Tai Chi Diagram that pressed down, black and white waves of qi sweeping across the sky like a tsunami.

Seeing this, Shang Miaoyan broke into a smile.

"It's the Saint Master's Yin Yang Rebirth Order! When this order is used, it can cause the Yin Yang Qi in the target's body to lose balance, reversing life and death. It can even kill enemies across realms. It's the strongest killing move of our Yin Yang Sacred Land!"

After hearing Shang Miaoyan's words, the surrounding Refining Void True Monarchs all clenched their fists in pleasant surprise, their gazes fixed ahead.

However, as the dust and smoke cleared, a shadow of despair fell over everyone's eyes.

A towering, black-gold skeletal phantom of a Divine Demon stood in the center. Ji Shenyun herself stood safely within it, her hands clasped behind her back.

Yin Wanqing stood before the skeletal phantom. Her immensely powerful palm strike had landed on its ribs, less than three inches from Ji Shenyun's body.

Yet those three inches were as vast as the horizon, making it impossible for Yin Wanqing to advance any further.

"Your move is interesting. It's a rare Divine Communication Technique from the Human Race that's worthy of my notice."

As Ji Shenyun spoke, she unhurriedly raised her own palm and said,

"I learned about seventy percent of it at a glance. Let's see if I'm doing it right."

In an instant, two Yin Yang Fish appeared in Ji Shenyun's palm, causing Yin Wanqing's pupils to shrink at the sight.

'How is this possible?!'

'The ultimate secret art of my Yin Yang Sacred Land... she performed it after seeing it just once!'

Seeing that Ji Shenyun was about to strike, and sensing the aura of death, Yin Wanqing didn't hesitate. She raised a hand and tore the purple veil from her face, revealing her true appearance.

Ji Shenyun's eyes glazed over for a moment. By the time she came to her senses, Yin Wanqing had already fled backward at extreme speed.

Realizing she had been momentarily entranced by the woman's Charm Technique, fury finally erupted in Ji Shenyun's eyes.

"Very well. I've completely lost interest in you now!"

Ji Shenyun's red lips curled slightly, but her eyes held a bone-chilling coldness.

She lightly lifted a slender, jade-like finger, a wisp of Black Gold Evil Qi coiling around its tip. Tapping her snow-white foot, her figure shot out like a phantom. Her hand formed a claw, aiming straight for the White-clothed Sword Immortal's throat—

"Pei Yuhang, once I get my hands on you, I'll kill every last one of them!"

"Don't even think about it!"

A clear shout suddenly rang out.

Realizing this terrifyingly strong woman was indeed after Pei Yuhang, Shang Miaoyan didn't hesitate to block his path, glaring at Ji Shenyun like a lioness protecting her cub.

She spread her arms, and a dozen streams of light shot from her sleeves, transforming into overlapping Spiritual Light Barriers that sealed off the area behind her, protecting the person there completely.

Even though she was facing an unrivaled expert from whom even the Saint Master would retreat, even though she knew her opponent could likely obliterate her with a flick of a finger—her gaze was firmer than it had ever been.

"No one… No one will ever—take Xiaohan from me again!!"

"Pei Yuhang and I will never be separated again!"

Shang Miaoyan roared, her Protective Magical Treasures bursting one after another in a brilliant display of light.

Ji Shenyun sneered and snorted coldly.

"Another foolish woman who's lost her mind to a pretty face, just like Qing Yueqiu."

"I really don't know what kind of love potion a mere man could have given you to make you all so infatuated!"

She flicked her jade-like wrist, a dark vortex condensing in her palm. "Since you're so eager to die, I will grant your wish!"

BOOM! BOOM! BOOM!

Top-Grade Magical Treasures, strong enough to withstand a full-force blow from a Mahayana Cultivator, shattered one after another like liuli under the force of Ji Shenyun's palm.

Amidst the splashing Spiritual Light, her crimson fingernails closed in on the space between Shang Miaoyan's brows—

"This is bad!"

In the distance, Yin Wanqing, who had just regained her footing, felt her pupils shrink.

She watched helplessly as her own Saintess risked her life to protect Pei Yuhang. Her eyes turned red with anxiety, but it was already too late to rescue her.

'Shang Miaoyan, you've really been tied down by this man for your whole life!'

Just at that critical moment—

"Brother Pei, now's the time!"

CLANG!

The clear ringing of two swords echoed through the clouds.

A brilliant sword light poured down like the Milky Way as two white figures suddenly crisscrossed.

Nangong Yu and Pei Yuhang struck at the same time, their sword edges slicing through the air, pressing against the sides of Ji Shenyun's neck with a bone-chilling cold.

It turned out that Pei Yuhang and Nangong Jin had secretly laid a trap with Shang Miaoyan. Using Shang Miaoyan as bait, they would seize the opportunity to draw their swords and strike when Ji Shenyun was closest to them!

"Go!"

Shang Miaoyan bit the tip of her tongue and detonated all her remaining Magical Treasures.

Amidst the deafening roar, a sky full of Spiritual Fire distracted Ji Shenyun, paving a brilliant path for the sword light.

Ji Shenyun's expression finally changed slightly. She tilted her head to dodge a strand of Sword Qi aimed at her throat, but was unprepared for another longsword pressing against the back of her heart.

Pei Yuhang and Nangong Jin's robes fluttered as their sword momentum flowed like a rainbow. Their coordination was flawless, and they actually managed to force Ji Shenyun back a few steps.

"You two have swallowed Divine Pills and used a Forbidden Technique to forcibly raise your Cultivation. Aren't you afraid of suffering qi deviation, becoming Fallen into Demon, and perishing on the spot?"

Facing Ji Shenyun's scornful words, neither Nangong Jin nor Pei Yuhang spoke. Only the sound of swords tearing through the void rang out ceaselessly.

Ji Shenyun tilted back her long, snow-white neck, dodging a strike from the utterly enraged Pei Yuhang, and chuckled softly.

"Pei Yuhang, I have great use for you. I can't let you burn yourself out here."

As she spoke, she bit the tip of her tongue and spat a stream of golden blood that landed between Pei Yuhang's brows.

In that instant, Pei Yuhang felt all the acupoints in his body being sealed, cutting him off from even the slightest trace of Spiritual Qi.

"What did you do…!"

'I've become a mortal—'

"Oh no! Xiaohan, come back, quickly!"

Shang Miaoyan noticed something was wrong with Pei Yuhang and immediately flew forward, shooting out a red silk ribbon to wrap around his body and pull him from the battlefield.

Seeing Shang Miaoyan dare to snatch someone from right under her nose, Ji Shenyun snorted coldly. Her long, jade-white fingertip flicked the silk ribbon as if plucking a zither string.

A terrifying burst of energy traveled along the ribbon to Shang Miaoyan. Blood gushed from her mouth and nose. If not for the life-saving Inner Armor she wore, her organs would have been pulverized.

But even so, she endured the excruciating pain without a sound and gently pulled Pei Yuhang into her embrace.

After Pei Yuhang was taken out of the fight, Nangong Jin, now alone, was naturally unable to hold on. Ji Shenyun punched her in the abdomen, and with a pained cry, her body went limp and collapsed.

Ji Shenyun gave Nangong Jin a deep look and said,

"Your innate talent is quite good, so good that even I am reluctant to kill you outright…"

"Unfortunately, your Sword Heart is incomplete and your Dao Heart is clouded by dust. Ultimately, you cannot advance any further. The Forgetfulness Dao will not allow you to mend your flaws. You should think carefully about that."

After speaking, Ji Shenyun no longer looked at Nangong Jin and strode toward Pei Yuhang, who was cradled in Shang Miaoyan's arms.

Nangong Jin clutched her abdomen, half-kneeling on the ground. She looked up at Ji Shenyun's back as she walked toward Pei Yuhang, her heart twisting in agony.

"No, don't go near Brother Pei…"

"You… you can't take him… you can't… humiliate him!"

She struggled to mutter a few words with her pale, thin lips. Then, the side effects of forcibly raising her Cultivation washed over her like a tide, making her eyelids grow heavier and heavier until she collapsed, completely exhausted and unconscious.