Chapter 239: Breaking the Formation — Lu Qing's Terrifying Archery Skill

The Sword-Wielding Man was sent flying by a single blow from the Black Robe Figure, crashing backward for dozens of meters before finally regaining his footing. He stared ahead, his face twisted in disbelief. "Your Jingjie hasn't broken through—you're still at the Xian Tian Small Achievement level. How can your strength be so overwhelming?"

"Hahaha! This is the power of the formation! But you, a shallow-minded frog in a well, could never fathom its true mysteries, Yan Tianhua. Today is your end!"

The Black Robe Figure laughed heartily, his staff vibrating with force as he charged forward again.

Feeling the oppressive aura radiating from his opponent, the Sword-Wielding Man’s heart sank to the depths of despair. He knew now that breaking the formation on his own was impossible. Worse still, he might not even survive here.

Yet to retreat—abandoning the disciples, the Sect Master, and all the Yun Zhou cultivators trapped within—was unthinkable. If he fled, they would all die.

"Damn it, that old hag from Bai Hua Gong is too terrified to leave her sect! If she’d just come out, we could’ve broken this cursed formation together!"

The Sword-Wielding Man clenched his teeth in silent fury. As the Black Robe Figure advanced, he forced his Xian Tian Qi to surge through his meridians, igniting every major acupoint. His aura flared violently.

With a sweeping slash of his sword, he blocked the staff’s strike—yet didn’t retreat a single step. For the first time, he held his ground, matching the Black Robe Figure blow for blow.

"Oh? You’re using an Explosive Secret Technique?" the Black Robe Figure sneered. "But I have the formation’s power sustaining me, endlessly. How long can your Xian Tian Qi keep up such a burst?"

"Enough talk," the Sword-Wielding Man snapped coldly. "Just fight."

"Excellent," the Black Robe Figure chuckled. "I’ll crush you slowly, then see how stubborn your mouth remains."

He didn’t activate any secret technique—only relied on the formation’s support, slowly wearing down his old rival, savoring the moment like a predator toying with prey.

---

"Master, do you see anything?" Hidden behind a rock, Lu Qing turned to the Old Doctor beside him. Though they were close, both had mastered unique methods of masking their presence. Even the two Xian Tian Jing-level masters hadn’t sensed them.

"The two are both at Xian Tian Small Achievement, but the man in black—thanks to the formation’s power—is far stronger. The sword-wielder can only hold on with his Explosive Secret Technique. But soon, he’ll be overwhelmed."

The Old Doctor spoke gravely.

"I agree, Master. The man in black is clearly guarding the formation. This means Liu Yun Zong has a major scheme hidden within. We must break the formation quickly."

Due to the formation’s barrier, neither Lu Qing nor the Old Doctor could fully grasp what Liu Yun Zong’s true intent was. Their perception remained hazy.

"What should we do?" The Old Doctor nodded.

"The man in black is too strong with the formation’s aid. If we can kill him directly, breaking the formation will be much easier."

Lu Qing had already used his Abilities to identify them. The sword-wielder was the Tai Shang Elder of the Silver Moon Sect. The black-robed figure was Liu Yun Zong’s own Tai Shang Elder—and the grandfather of the man Lu Qing had once killed, Mo Xuan.

With that knowledge, there was no need for honor or restraint.

"Good," the Old Doctor replied without hesitation. He had no pride in being a warrior. As a healer, he valued life above all. The enemy was clearly corrupted. If he could be eliminated, it was best.

No more delay. The two struck at once.

The Old Doctor drew his sword silently. A dazzling white Sword Qi, sharp as a blade of frost, flickered at its tip. At the same time, Lu Qing drew three arrows from his quiver and nocked them onto his bow.

He wasn’t yet a Xian Tian Jing—couldn’t wield Sword Qi or blade energy. So he relied on archery.

After half a breath of preparation, the Old Doctor flicked his wrist. A blinding white Sword Qi shot forward like a comet, slicing through the air and crossing dozens of zhang in an instant, slashing toward the Black Robe Figure.

At the same moment, Lu Qing’s bow snapped with a thunderous crack. Three Qian Lian-ranked arrows vanished into the sky, tearing through the atmosphere like lightning, aiming for the Black Robe Figure’s head, chest, and abdomen.

"What?!"

The Black Robe Figure, still in the mood to toy with his foe, had no idea this attack would come. His eyes widened in shock.

He tried to defend—but Lu Qing and the Old Doctor had concealed their presence too well. No warning. No trace. By the time he sensed them, it was too late.

They were about to finish him in a perfect ambush.

Just as the lethal blows struck—BANG!

A surge of Hei Qi erupted from the Black Robe Figure’s body. The three arrows and the Sword Qi slammed into him with full force. The impact shattered his Hei Qi barrier, hurling him backward through the air, spraying blood across the ground.

"Ah! Who dares attack the Sovereign?!"

Mid-air, he twisted his body, using the recoil to vanish into the Hui Se Guang Mu—a swirling veil of ghostly light—his voice trembling with fury and pain.

His appearance was horrific. A jagged, deep wound split his chest and abdomen, bone exposed, viscera visible. He’d been nearly cleaved in two.

Three arrows were embedded in his forehead, chest, and abdomen—but only slightly, not deep enough to kill.

"Alive?" Lu Qing blinked in surprise.

He hadn’t used full power, but those arrows were no ordinary weapon. Even a Xian Tian cultivator shouldn’t have shrugged them off so easily.

And the Old Doctor’s Sword Qi—normally capable of cutting through stone—had failed to finish him.

The formation’s power was stronger than he’d imagined.

The Sword-Wielding Man was equally stunned. But when he saw the Black Robe Figure’s condition, his heart leapt with joy.

"Who are you? Fellow cultivators, come to aid us?"

Lu Qing and the Old Doctor stepped out from hiding. No longer concealed, their identities were now clear.

The two men stared in shock. They hadn’t expected the attackers to be a boy and an old man. Even more shocking—neither could fathom their cultivation levels.

"We’re just passersby," Lu Qing declared proudly. "Liu Yun Zong has set up a demonic formation to slaughter the righteous of Yun Zhou. This is an outrage against Heaven and Earth. Any who oppose it deserve to be destroyed."

"Perfect words!" the Sword-Wielding Man roared in approval. "Friends! Join me! Let’s break this formation and save our fellow cultivators trapped within!"

"Save them? Foolish dream," the Black Robe Figure sneered, pulling the three arrows from his body and tossing them aside. Then, dark Qi surged from his core. His wounds began to writhe and heal.

The formation’s power even had regenerative effects.

Yet despite the healing, he dared not leave the Hui Se Guang Mu. The previous attack—though a surprise—had been devastating. The white Sword Qi had nearly severed him in half. Only the formation’s protection had saved him.

He now knew the old man was far stronger than he appeared.

If he stepped out, even with the formation’s support, he’d be no match.

"When did Yun Zhou gain such a terrifying master?" The Black Robe Figure’s mind raced. This was no longer under control.

"Master, attack!" Lu Qing snapped.

The Old Doctor nodded. Without a word, his sword trembled, and then—dozens of Sword Qi, like a school of silver fish—raced forward in a storm.

"Impossible!" The Black Robe Figure gasped as the torrent of Sword Qi descended upon him. Frantically, he waved a small banner, pouring his Spirit Soul Power into it.

The formation responded instantly. Hei Qi poured into the barrier before him. The gray veil darkened, becoming pitch-black.

Boom… Boom… Boom…

The Sword Qi struck—without elegance, only force. The barrier shuddered, waves of Hei Qi exploding outward. But despite the damage, the barrier held.

The last of the Sword Qi faded. The barrier still stood—though weakened.

"Phew…" The Black Robe Figure exhaled, sweat beading on his brow.

But his relief was short-lived. His Spirit Soul Power had already dropped by one-fifth. If the old man unleashed another such barrage, he’d exhaust his reserves long before the formation fell.

Desperate, he sent a mental call:

"Senior Brother—how’s it going? A dangerous opponent just appeared. I’m barely holding on!"

"Almost done. Hold on for half a moment!" came the reply.

"Half a moment?" The Black Robe Figure groaned inwardly. But he knew—there was no retreat. If this plan failed, they’d be forced to flee for their lives.

"Fine. I’ll gamble everything. That old man’s probably exhausted after that attack. He can’t repeat it twice."

He clenched his teeth.

"The barrier’s Hei Qi can absorb my Sword Qi," the Old Doctor murmured, surprised. "It dissipates my power, but still holds. Formation arts truly are miraculous."

"Master," Lu Qing said, eyes closed. "He’s concentrating the formation’s power through the banner, defending only one point. That means the other barriers are weaker."

Using his powerful spiritual sense, Lu Qing now mapped the entire Liu Yun Town formation, sensing every pulse, every node.

"Does this boy understand formation arts?" The Black Robe Figure froze in dread—but there was no time to react. The Old Doctor unleashed another storm of Sword Qi.

"Old Master, allow me to help!" The Sword-Wielding Man, though awed by the Old Doctor’s power, knew the priority was breaking the formation. He slashed his sword, sending several more Sword Qi streaks toward the barrier.

The Black Robe Figure waved his banner again. More Hei Qi surged in.

Boom!

The barrier trembled once more.

"Right there!" Lu Qing’s eyes snapped open.

He spun, drew an arrow from his quiver, and loosed it in one fluid motion—his bow drawn like a full moon, the arrow soaring into the sky at a sharp angle.

The Black Robe Figure watched closely. When he saw Lu Qing draw, he tensed. Another attack?

But instead of aiming at him, the arrow flew upward—into the sky.

The Black Robe Figure relaxed. "Hah, boy, your aim is terrible. Go practice more—"

But before he could finish, a massive boom echoed from behind him—deep within Liu Yun Town.

His body jolted. The flow of formation power slowed by a fraction.

He focused inward, checking the formation’s core. His expression twisted in disbelief.

"You… you sensed the Zhen Fa Jie Dian?" he whispered, staring at Lu Qing.

Lu Qing lowered his bow, grinning. "While you were busy defending against my Master’s attacks, the other barriers were weak. My arrows found their mark."

He had deliberately shot into the sky—using a parabolic trajectory to destroy one of the formation’s key nodes.

"Master, Elder—keep attacking! Once I destroy eight more nodes, the formation collapses!"

Lu Qing nocked another arrow.

The Old Doctor and Sword-Wielding Man immediately unleashed their attacks once more. The Sword-Wielding Man, now inspired, poured everything into his sword, firing over a dozen Sword Qi in rapid succession.

"Damn you!" The Black Robe Figure roared in fury.

But he could do nothing. Only defend. He poured more Spirit Soul Power into the banner, forcing more Hei Qi into the barrier.

Boom!

Another node fell. The explosion rang out across the town.

"How… how can your archery be this precise?" The Black Robe Figure’s voice trembled. He wasn’t imagining it—this boy had the skill to break the formation.

And the arrow… it had struck a node one li away, through the formation’s barrier and countless buildings. No mistake. No luck.

That kind of precision—this wasn’t just skill. It was art.

Even he, a master of the formation, had never heard of such an archer.

"Trouble…" He realized, with dawning horror. "This is truly over."

(End of Chapter)

Chapter end