Chapter 290 - 171: Delving into Demon Ridge, Awakening of the Secret Blood, Horrified Jiang Hao

Chapter 290: Chapter 171: Delving into Demon Ridge, Awakening of the Secret Blood, Horrified Jiang Hao

"Don’t panic! Maintain the formation! Once the sect receives our message, they will definitely come to our aid," a male Cultivator comforted the group.

However, a female Cultivator offered a tragic smile. "It’s too late. The upheaval happened too fast. Even if the thousand sects react in time, it will still be too late."

They had no chance of making it out alive, let alone surviving until the sect’s experts arrived to back them up.

"The first wave of the demon beast horde was fine since it wasn’t very strong, but this wave is terrifying enough to make one’s heart palpitate. We won’t last until we can return to the Beardless Sect."

Having said her piece, the female Cultivator seemed to have accepted her fate. She exuded an aura of endless despair, yet no one stepped forward to contradict her.

ROAR!

A spine-chilling roar of a demon beast echoed through the air. Everyone turned toward the sound, their faces completely drained of color. They stared blankly at the beast horde rushing toward them like a torrential flood.

Most of the demon beasts within were comparable to Unity Realm entities, and there were even some as formidable as Great Powers of Transcendence mixed in. A single strike from one of them would be enough to smash the group into a bloody pulp.

"Why haven’t the Elders arrived yet? Senior Sister, I don’t want to die. I really don’t want to die!"

Staring at the inescapable, all-consuming slaughter bearing down on them, this group of Beardless Sect Cultivators felt utterly powerless. They had already prepared themselves for death.

Right at this critical moment...

BUZZ!

BOOM!

Within the boundless void, a Sword Embryo erupting with endless Chaos Qi pierced through space and tore across the sky, arriving with peerless sword might.

Wherever the Sword Embryo passed, visible Sword Qi clung to its trajectory, causing the entire void to tremble.

The ancient sword descended from the heavens, hurtling toward the area where the dozens of Beardless Sect figures stood, and violently stabbed into the relentlessly pouncing tide of endless demon beasts.

Suddenly...

BOOM!

An earth-shattering force abruptly erupted, forming an intense shockwave that swept across the entire beast horde.

In an instant, countless demon beasts were blown away. The ground quaked, and tens of thousands of trees collapsed. It was a terrifying display of power.

This scene caught the Beardless Sect Cultivators completely off guard. By the time they realized what had happened, the beast horde that had just been surging toward them like a flood had already been blasted away.

In its place, only a Sword Embryo radiating Chaos Qi stood quietly embedded in the ground.

For a moment, the Beardless Sect Cultivators were left dumbstruck, staring blankly at the sight before them.

However, before they could even recover their wits, the empty clearing that had just been swept clean by the Sword Qi was instantly swallowed up again by the endless beast horde pushing from behind.

"Hmph!"

A cold snort immediately resounded through the clouds.

Accompanied by this snort, the Sword Embryo stuck in the earth vibrated violently.

The next moment, a voice called out. "Sword, come!"

As the words echoed, the ancient sword pulled itself from the ground with a hum and shot into the sky.

Following the ancient sword’s trajectory, the crowd looked into the boundless void behind them. They saw a figure in white transforming into a streak of light, rapidly approaching their location.

Jiang Hao grabbed the Chaos Sword Embryo. As he rapidly descended, he unleashed a fierce sword strike.

BOOM!

A colossal wave of Sword Qi immediately swept away everything in its path, slashing toward the frenzied demon beasts. It formed a ripple of Sword Qi that reverberated through heaven and earth.

In an instant, countless demon beasts were sent flying by the Sword Qi. Swaths of towering ancient trees crashed down, and the entire forest ahead was leveled by that single strike.

Just as he delivered this strike, the white-clad figure touched down. He held the ancient sword, its tip pointing toward the earth, while his gaze was fixed intently on the depths of the Demon Ridge.

Looking at the back of the figure dressed in familiar attire, all the Beardless Sect disciples were stunned, their eyes soon brimming with excitement.

"It’s an expert from the Beardless Sect!"

As a male Cultivator exclaimed in joy, ten more streaks of light descended from the sky. They stood on either side of Jiang Hao, similarly dumbfounded by the awe-inspiring sight within the Demon Ridge.

"Junior Sister Yun Shang? Junior Brother Yichen? Is that you?"

Upon recognizing the figures of Mu Yunshang, Jun Yichen, and the others, this group of Beardless Sect Cultivators was overjoyed.

Hearing the call, the newly arrived group turned around. Jun Yichen was the first to speak. "Senior Brothers and Senior Sisters, are you all right?"

Indeed, even Jun Yichen and his peers had to respectfully address these Beardless Sect Cultivators as senior brothers and sisters.

This was because this group of Cultivators belonged to the previous generation of Beardless Sect disciples, having joined the sect earlier than any of the ten newcomers.

The world was not entirely made up of cultivation geniuses. Most of these older disciples were ordinary Martial Soul Awakeners. For them, reaching the Unity Realm by middle age was already a rare and commendable achievement.

It was much like the Patriarchs of Xingyue City, who might spend their entire lives without ever stepping into the Unity Realm. If that hadn’t been the case, the Tang Family’s old master wouldn’t have been stuck at the Spirit Transformation Realm with his lifespan nearing its end back then.

"We’re fine," a Beardless Sect Cultivator replied. "However, Junior Sister Yun Shang, Senior Sister Yun Ke, and the Elders are still holding the defensive line. I’m afraid things bode ill for them."

It was evident that they were merely a young squad that had been washed out of the defensive line by the beast horde. The true experts commanding the Beardless Sect’s defenses were still trapped inside.

At those words, Mu Yunshang’s expression changed drastically. She immediately transformed into a streak of light and took the lead, flying against the tide toward the depths of the Demon Ridge.

Seeing this, Jun Yichen quickly told the crowd, "Senior Brothers and Senior Sisters, return to the Beardless Sect first! Report the situation here to the Elders so the sect can swiftly dispatch experts to suppress this."

Faced with Jun Yichen’s words, all the Beardless Sect Cultivators were taken aback.

A male Cultivator immediately let out a bitter smile.

"Junior Brother Jun, I’m afraid you’ve forgotten the rules of the Holy Sect. We are disciples who were assigned to the defensive line. We cannot return to the sect without authorization until our term is up."

"What time is it now to care about sect rules? Surviving is what matters!"

Just as Jun Yichen finished speaking, he suddenly realized something. He remembered that the more critical the situation, the stricter the Holy Sect’s rules became.