Chapter 116: Trump Card, Spirit Sword

Chapter 116: Chapter 116: Trump Card, Spirit Sword

Its head was as large as a table, covered in a mix of gray and green fur. Its eyes were like copper bells, bottomless abysses that seemed capable of snatching away a person’s soul. Its half-foot-long fangs resembled daggers, and as it opened its maw, a thick stench of blood washed over them.

Su Wan had only one thought. "This hulking beast needs to get lost! Right now!" she screamed in her mind.

The demon lion caught the unique scent of the Grand General’s Mansion. Because of this, it ignored Su Wan and lunged instead at Tingzhu, a maid standing beside her. Tingzhu was a Middle Tier Eighth Grade martial artist with exquisite martial arts, but facing a Seventh-Grade Demon Beast pouncing right at her, the color instantly drained from her beautiful face.

"It’s over!" she thought. It was her only coherent thought.

But right at that moment...

WHOOSH.

A streak of arrow light arrived in the blink of an eye. It came completely without warning—no sound, no killing intent. It was simply there. The demon lion never expected it and had no time to dodge.

THWACK.

The arrow pierced through its thin layer of defensive demonic aura and tough fur, driving deep into its flesh and pinning itself into the beast’s neck. The immense kinetic force sent the demon lion’s massive body tumbling away.

Tingzhu let out a long breath, having barely survived the ordeal.

"Who is it?" Su Wan wondered, abruptly turning her head to search for the archer.

WHOOSH.

The second arrow arrived. It flew just inches above Su Wan’s head. The fierce wind it carried softened into a gentle breeze, lifting a single strand of her hair.

THWACK.

The arrow struck the demon lion once again, sinking deep into its spine.

WHOOSH. WHOOSH.

A third arrow! Then a fourth!

The intervals between shots were incredibly short, and every single one landed with pinpoint accuracy on the demon lion. No matter how erratically the beast thrashed or moved, the flawless Archery Skill ensured it was hit. Its massive body had now become the perfect target—its greatest weakness.

WHOOSH.

The fifth arrow!

By now, the demon lion still hadn’t regained its balance, but instinct pushed it to rapidly ignite its Demon Power, cloaking its body in a protective defensive layer.

CLANG.

The fifth arrow was completely blocked by the Demon Power and failed to pierce through.

ROAR!

The demon lion rapidly twisted its body and found its footing. It stared vigilantly in the general direction the arrows had come from, searching for its hidden attacker. However, the area was too broad, and it couldn’t immediately lock onto a target.

At the same time, Lu Yuan stopped shooting. Once a Seventh-Grade Demon Beast had its guard up, it was much harder to hit, and continuing to fire would only make it easier for the beast to track him down.

The demon lion grew furious. Since it couldn’t find the sniper, it decided to vent its rage on the humans right in front of it. No longer wanting to waste time, it began gathering its Demon Power.

"Careful!" Cuihe urgently warned when she saw the blue light welling up inside the demon lion’s jaws. They were ill-equipped to block this kind of energy attack.

"Kill it!" Fortunately, the other martial artists had finally rushed over and surrounded the beast.

Mu Lingche channeled force into his arms and violently hurled his spear. It shot forward like a sharp arrow, yet possessed destructive power surpassing that of a Bed Crossbow. It was even comparable to Profound Weapon Arrows.

SWISH.

The demon lion drew back its Demon Power and swiftly dodged. It refused to sustain any more injuries, as the ones it already had were severely hindering its movements. As it sidestepped, it twisted its body and pounced directly at Cuihe. The distance of several dozen feet was closed in an instant.

ROAR!

Tasked with protecting Su Wan, Cuihe couldn’t dodge. She couldn’t even sidestep. She had to take the attack head-on. With a fierce war cry, Cuihe circulated all the vital blood energy in her body, unleashing a Secret Technique.

BOOM.

Her powerful vital energy surged upward, igniting like a highly purified, roaring inferno. She poured it all into her longsword.

CLANG.

It wasn’t a Sword Gang, but rather a Sword Aura she had forcefully generated—a blood-red Sword Aura. Using every ounce of her strength, she swung the glowing blade straight at the demon lion’s gaping maw.

SQUELCH.

The demon lion’s mouth was cleaved in two, splitting half its face open. Blood sprayed out in a horrifying, gruesome shower. However, the beast’s massive jaws clamped down at almost the exact same moment. Its dagger-like teeth dug mercilessly into Cuihe.

SQUELCH.

Cuihe’s body was punctured through, blood geysering from her wounds.

"Cuihe!" Su Wan screamed.

She desperately swung her sword at the demon lion’s head, but the strike only broke the skin. It was useless. Seventh-Grade Demon Beasts possessed an incredibly tenacious Life Force. Even after suffering such a grievous blow, it still hadn’t died. With Cuihe dangling from its jaws, it abruptly darted to the side.

"Set up the array! Lock it down!" Mu Lingche quickly commanded.

When dealing with a Seventh-Grade Demon Beast, a Magic Array was their only viable option. Cuihe wasn’t dead yet; if they could pry her loose in time, they might still be able to save her.

The Mu Family guards immediately brought out an Array Plate. But even the cleverest housewife can’t cook a meal without rice. Without the Primordial Qi link of a Seventh-Grade martial artist, they couldn’t activate the array at all. Mu Lingche was caught in a helpless predicament.

"Surround it and kill it!" someone yelled.

"I have an Elemental Spirit Array!" Su Wan announced. She took out her own Array Plate and executed a Secret Technique, drawing out a strand of Primordial Qi from between her eyebrows. This Qi had been sealed inside her by her family’s elders to nourish her Primordial Spirit and serve as a trump card for emergencies. Now, she had pulled it out.

HUM.

The Primordial Qi dropped into the Array Plate, instantly activating the formation.

HUM.

A massive Elemental Spirit Array materialized, directly engulfing a radius of dozens of feet. Naturally, this included the Seventh-Grade Demon Beast.

"Suppress!" Su Wan shouted.

With a light flick of her slender fingers, she controlled the Array Plate, marshaling the power of the formation to suppress the beast. This particular Elemental Spirit Array rivaled the Fifth Grade. Using it to pin down a Seventh-Grade Demon Beast was child’s play.

BOOM.

The Seventh-Grade demon lion was completely crushed by the overwhelming force, trapped and unable to move a muscle. The Mu Family guards hastily rushed forward to rescue Cuihe.

"Die!" On the other side of the battlefield, an enraged Mu Lingyan produced a crystal-clear miniature sword in her palm. It glowed radiantly, as if countless streams of Spiritual Power were converging within it. A fierce blast of Sword Qi abruptly rocketed skyward, piercing straight into the clouds.

"A Spirit Sword!"

"Miss has played her trump card!"

The Mu Family’s close guards all felt a wave of profound relief wash over them. They had this in the bag.

"A Spirit Sword!" Up in a tree, Lu Yuan’s eyes flashed.

As a Weapon Master, it was impossible for him not to recognize it. It was a type of Spiritual Weapon—a special, simplified version designed to store a powerful expert’s Sword Essence so their descendants could trigger it in moments of crisis. The sheer might of this Sword Qi could slay even a Fifth-Grade Demon Beast. Consequently...

SQUELCH.

The Spirit Sword slashed down, and unsurprisingly, the Sixth-Grade Lion was cleaved perfectly in half. Even if they had given it a fifty-meter head start, it would have been too late for the beast.

Delivering this single blow took a massive toll on Mu Lingyan. She hunched over, panting heavily, devoid of any strength to continue fighting.

At this point, only one demon lion remained, currently engaged by the Su Family’s guards. However, thoroughly terrified by the terrifying display of Sword Qi, it had completely lost its will to fight. It threw a quick glance at the suppressed lioness before turning tail and fleeing.

HYAH! HYAH!

Right at that moment, a large group arrived on horseback. Leading the procession was a girl around sixteen or seventeen years old, her yellow dress fluttering and long hair blowing in the wind.

"Lingche! Lingche! I’ve come to save you! Are you alright?"

"Chang Xiu!" Mu Lingyan’s brows instantly furrowed. She had a very bad feeling about this.

"Get them! Kill all the Demon Beasts!" Chang Xiu ordered with a wave of her hand.

"Yes, Miss!"

A middle-aged man shot forward. With a single flash of the sword light in his hand, the fleeing Seventh-Grade demon lion was sliced in two, displaying his unimaginably terrifying power. The man then darted to the front of the Elemental Spirit Array.

"Miss Su, you can release the array now."

Su Wan deactivated the Magic Array. If she didn’t, it would be almost impossible to pry Cuihe from the beast’s jaws.

CRUNCH.

The demon lion’s upper and lower jaws snapped together with sudden, vicious force, impaling Cuihe completely once again.

THWACK.

The middle-aged man reached out and made a light slashing motion. A sharp light flashed, and the demon lion’s body fell into two neat halves.

He was a Sixth-Grade expert!