Chapter 1164 - 306: Poisonous Mist Locks the Pass, Heroes’ Courage Trembles; Sword Shatters Demon Smoke in the Radiance of Buddha

The bronze wine goblet in Shi Feiyang’s hand fell to the ground with a clang, and the wine seeped into the sheepskin rug, leaving a deep stain.

Ba Qianqiu gurgled with laughter in Gugela’s arms, waving his chubby little hands to grasp at his father’s quivering collar.

"Is it true?" Shi Feiyang stepped forward two steps, the Bright Jade Technique beneath his dark attire circulating unconsciously, "Wudang and Shaolin are willing to assist?"

"Indeed!" Xie Wen unfolded the blood-stained secret message, the handwriting blurred by snowwater yet still clear, "Elder Liao said that Shaolin’s ’Demon Subduing Staff Technique’ specifically counters the Fire Ox Array’s frenzied state, and Wudang’s ’Liangyi Sword Array’ has completely sealed the retreat of the rebel army! However, there is a more urgent situation now, this battle must be led by the Grand Squad Leader personally for us to have a chance for victory. According to the Celestial Star Sect’s carrier pigeon message, Poison Lady Yin Jiuniang has emerged. Her appearance is as youthful as a girl, but she’s actually a sixty-year-old crone. Having mastered the ’Ten Thousand Poison Golden Body’, even her breath can kill.

He spoke while handing over the letter, his knuckles still purple from frostbite.

The silver ornaments in Gugela’s bosom jingled amidst their child’s playful antics, and she noticed the fervent light rekindled in her husband’s eyes, suddenly realizing this brief reunion would once again come to an end.

Ba Qianqiu, however, remained oblivious, staggeringly rushing towards Shi Feiyang, mumbling indistinctly, "Daddy fight bad guys! Daddy ride big horse!"

Shi Feiyang lifted his son high, kissed his plump cheek, "Alright! Once Daddy quells the Bozhou rebellion, I’ll take you to see a real big horse!"

His voice carried a hint of laughter, but his gaze had already shifted to the ominous clouds in the southern sky—where new smoke of war was rising.

Dusk deepened as Shi Feiyang packed his luggage.

Gugela leaned against the carved wooden door, her moon-white cloak lifted by the hallway wind, revealing her fingers clenched tight and pale.

"Must you go?" Her voice was as light as snowflakes in the wind, her eyelashes somehow already misted with layers of water, "Ba Qianqiu just learned to call you Dad!"

Shi Feiyang stood before her, reached to brush aside her scattered hair at her temples, his fingertips grazed over her worry-creased brows, "Gela, though the Fire Ox Array is broken, Yang Yinglong’s main force remains intact."

He paused, embracing his wife and child, feeling Gugela’s slightly trembling body, "When the smoke of war is gone, I’ll certainly return with Jiangnan’s osmanthus brew, and accompany you to witness the prairie’s spring, summer, autumn, and winter."

Ba Qianqiu suddenly poked his head out from his father’s embrace, his milk-stained little hand patting Shi Feiyang’s face, "Daddy’s word counts! Pinky promise!" The child’s innocent voice made Gugela smile through her tears.

She lifted her head, tears quietly fell, "If you dare break your word..."

Before her sentence finished, Shi Feiyang had already lowered his head to kiss away the tears at her eye corner, the warmth of his vow spread amidst wind and snow.

When the Snow Wolf Castle’s brass bell rang again, Shi Feiyang’s figure had already merged into the night.

Gugela held Ba Qianqiu standing atop the arrow tower, gazing towards her husband’s departing direction until his dark silhouette vanished completely at the snow plain’s edge.

The child in her embrace suddenly pointed at the night sky, "Mommy, stars! Daddy turned into a star!"

The moon-white cloak fluttered in the wind, and Gugela held her son tighter, letting tears fall into the child’s soft hair.

The morning mist at Bozhou Feima Pass was as thick as ink, the acrid smell of sulfur mixed with the stench of decayed corpses soaked the bluestone tiles into a strange greyish-blue hue.

In the sky, Shi Feiyang and Xie Wen soared hovering above Feima Pass, carrying Shi Xiong.

Xie Wen, exhibiting the ’Feixu Qingyan Technique,’ approached Shi Feiyang, lowered his voice, saying: "Grand Squad Leader, Bozhou has always been the realm of Ye Lang Witchcraft, secret techniques abound in each village, the soldiers have tried purging for ten years, yet haven’t even set foot into the miasma forest five miles from the Pass."

As he spoke, his eyes cautiously scanned the battlements, his knuckles grasped tightly turning white.

Before he finished speaking, the copper bell at the battlements suddenly blasted, startling a flock of cold ravens over the mountain. Over thirty barefooted women descended the bone steps, silver bells at their ankles colliding to emit a haunting sound akin to life-ending talismans.

Among them, the woman, clad in crimson silk, her flaxen hairpin trembling lightly with every step, her seemingly youthful visage is betrayed by fine wrinkles at the corners of her eyes—none other than the Five Poison Sect’s Vice Sect Leader Lan Qin’er, having spent heavily to bring Poison Lady Yin Jiuniang.

Her fingertips grazed the neck of a nearby poison corpse, crimson nail polish marked vividly upon corpse spots, a sinister smile curled upon her lips, "Hehe! Do Shaolin’s bald monks dare to wade into these muddy waters? Isn’t this courting death?"

The poison corpse she touched suddenly rose violently, its skin’s green-black blood vessels bulging animately like live snakes, fetid purple mist spewing from its seven orifices, withered flowers and grass instantly where it passed.

Fifteen Shaolin Martial Monks chanted Buddha’s name in low tones, their Qi Mei Staffs standing like walls, forming the "Vajra Subduing Demon Array."

As the shadows of the staffs flew, the poison mist was dispelled widely, but when touching the tip of the staff, it made a "sizzling" sound, corroding the sandalwood instantly into honeycomb-like holes, with wood chips mixed with the toxic juice scattered everywhere.

Master Yuxu unsheathed his long sword, the cold gleam illuminating the cloud patterns on his robe, angrily shouting: "True Martial Demon-Vanquishing! How dare these fiends rampage freely?" The seven Wudang disciples stepped into Beidou positions, the sword array transformed into a spinning galaxy.

Master Yuyang took an unconventional approach, showcasing the "Seven Stars Chasing the Moon" from the "Wudang Soul-Seeking Swordsmanship," the sword tassel darting like a Spiritual Snake from its hole, sweeping across the poisonous corpse’s face.

Yet the rotten flesh suddenly curled like octopus tentacles, tightly wrapping around the sword body.

Master Yuheng shouted fiercely, the Sword Qi of "Heavenly Break Magic" split the poisonous corpse’s torso, the foul-smelling innards hadn’t hit the ground before they were corroded into black water by the red mist flung from Yin Jiuniang’s sleeve, rising white smoke on the bluestone, the acrid burnt smell nauseating.

Emei Female Hero Su Qinghan lightly tapped her toes on the flying eaves, her Cyan Nether Sword spinning out "Golden Top Buddha’s Light" sword florets.

Nine streaks of gold collided with the poison mist, emitting a sharp shattering sound like glass.

Her plain hands waved continuously, the sword momentum unfurling like flowing clouds.

Yin Jiuniang suddenly giggled sweetly, her neck extending three inches, a blood-red tongue shooting out like a poison arrow.

Su Qinghan’s pupils contracted sharply, spinning backward, her hairpin breaking with a "ding," sparks splashed onto her pale cheeks, scorching minute blood marks, a few strands of black hair curling by the heat. Heroic Sakura Association Elder Liao Pei roared like thunder, his arms stretching like an ape, the vigor in his fist wind fierce like a tiger, loudly shouting: "Lie Quan brother, let’s encircle from both sides!"

The "Heaven and Earth Saber" Lie Quan’s saber light flashed like silver, forming a pincer attack with Liao Pei.

Yin Jiuniang’s toes tapped on the ground, her vermilion gauze robe fluttering like a blood butterfly, astonishingly transforming into three phantoms between their encirclement.

Ling Lanzhi thrust her sword hastily, but as the sword tip penetrated the illusion, Yin Jiuniang had appeared behind her, a Poisoned Silver Needle shooting through the air from her fingertips.

"Celestial Sword" Lu Wen Tripod shouted loudly, his long sword sweeping out a move "Horizontal Sweep," knocking down poisonous insects, yet inadvertently stung by a poisonous scorpion on the wrist, his entire arm instantly swelling purple, veins popping out, yet gritting his teeth pulling Ling Lanzhi behind him.

Master Yuxu pointed his sword to the sky, his robe flapping fiercely: "Form array!"

The Wudang Seven’s sword array suddenly accelerated, the sword light forming a golden cage over Yin Jiuniang. Yet she remained undisturbed, blood-colored miasma rising around her, wherever it passed, vegetation wilted, even stones were covered in a layer of gray-black poison rust.

Master Yuyang’s Golden Silk Soft Sword pierced into the miasma, emitting a crisp metallic sound, quickly covered with spider web-like cracks.

"Celestial Star Sword" Blood Rakshasa noticed and shouted sharply, treating the sword as a saber, gripping the sword and slashing, the sword wind carrying fierce murderous intent.

Yin Jiuniang, however, didn’t dodge or evade, letting the blade sweep across her neck, yet no hint of injury was seen. Instead, Blood Rakshasa suddenly staggered, eyes rolling white, black blood oozing from the mouth—turns out Yin Jiuniang’s skin had long been soaked in deadly poison, ordinary blades touching would instantly poison.

"Iron Palm" Wu Zhong shouted loudly, both palms launching a move "The Fool Moves Mountains" from "Demon Subduing Divine Palm," dispersing the poison mist.

Yin Jiuniang snorted coldly, poison beads flicked from her fingertips colliding with the palm wind, exploding into poisonous smoke rising like a mushroom cloud.

Wu Zhong hurriedly held his breath, yet still felt sweetness in the throat, a hot stream surged to the throat, black blood oozing from the mouth, staining the front of his clothes.

"Mandarin Duck Saber" Xiao Lingling seeing things not going well, urgently ordered: "Retreat! Quickly retreat to the pass!"

The heroes of Heroic Sakura led three thousand disciples, fighting as they retreated, finally retreating into Feima Pass.

Celestial Star Sect Leader Shi Ying, who had already moved into Feima Pass, carrying her son Shi Nian, quickly came to the heroes’ front, the jade bottle in her hand emitting a warm glow: "Heroes, quickly take this ’Celestial Star Pill,’ it can cure all poisons!"

The heroes promptly thanked her: "Thank you, Madam Shi!" Ling Lanzhi and Su Qinghan were instantly dumbfounded, not expecting the Celestial Star Sect Leader Shi Ying to also be Madam Shi. How could Shi Feiyang have so many beautiful wives? Good heavens!

The female soldiers of the Celestial Star Sect Headquarters served warm water, distributing cup by cup to the injured heroes.

Immediately after, their skilled hands cleaned and bandaged the wounds for the crowd, their movements gentle yet efficient, bringing a rare warmth.