The head sectmasterâs chest tightened. The onslaught of Embittered Savages had increased in number and ferocity.
âGive it your all! We can almost break through, just a little more!â She shuddered at the fate awaiting her if she were to be captured.
âBuahaha, these wenches are pretty spirited. I like that type! Brothers, charge! If you can take one alive, the prince might give her to you!â A commander viciously slashed his saber at the head sectmaster as eight half-step great emperors charged out and swarmed the third sectmaster.
Not even the prospect of death could stop the Embittered Savages. These barbariansâ ferocity on the battlefield was their most defining trait. This reckless style was also the Moon God Sectâs greatest nemesis.
After all, the sect was comprised of women who took great pains to maintain their poise and elegance. They couldnât match the enemy in brutish savagery. Hence, despite a clear advantage in cultivation, the three sectmasters became flustered once surrounded, enabling the barbarians to fill the previous breach and tighten the encirclement.
The head sectmaster bit her lip, full of bitterness. âIs there truly no way out today? Shanâer, get ready. Weâll put our lives down on the line in a moment to cover for you all. Rush into the gap the moment you see it, understood? Youâll need to try your hardest whether you successfully flee or not,â the head sectmaster transmitted to Xu Shan.
She was searching for an escape route.
Holy Maiden Xu Shan sent back anxiously, âMaster, I havenât been your disciple for long, but a teacher for a day is a parent for life. Weâll die together at worst. Donât worry, the Moon God Sect wonât perish today!â
âFool! Who will rebuild the sect if all of you die here? Shanâer, youâre blessed with a unique constitution even young lord Jiang Chen admires. Donât you know the responsibility you carry on your shoulders?â The head sectmaster usually possessed extraordinary poise, but she now shook with anger. Their sacrifice would be for naught if Shanâer didnât understand.
Naturally, her fighting suffered when conversation diverted her attention. An enemy blade slashed an inch away from her shoulder. Despite her fast reaction, the tip cut a long bloody trail on her arm, dyeing her clothes red.
âMaster!â
âHead Sectmaster!â
But her clear eyes became firmer instead. She shouted crisply, âNumber two, number three, today is the day we sacrifice ourselves for our sect! Are you ready?â
The second sectmaster replied, her tone steadfast, âMore than ready! As long as I can kill a few more of these bastards, itâll be all worth it!â
âAwooo, awooo!â Seeing the sect on its last legs, the Embittered Savages roared like beasts, trying to intimidate the women and destroy the last shred of their fighting spirit.
Several half-step great emperors charged forward madly, backing the head sectmaster into a tight corner with their increasingly frenzied attacks.
âShanâer, prepare yourself. My final move will be your only chance to escape. Remember, donât let my efforts be wasted!â Her staunch voice brimmed with unyielding resolve.
Xu Shan couldnât hold back her tears. Her master had chosen self detonation in order to create a path for them!
A serene, enlightened smile appeared on the head sectmasterâs lips, as if finally relieved of all mortal burdens once her decision was set. It was at this moment of life and death when intense shaking travelled from the sky. On the verge of her ultimate attack, the sectmaster looked into the distance.
She saw four enormous figures as tall as several men rumbling their way like miniature mountains. They crashed into the crowd like tigers, killing everything in their path. No one and nothing could stand in the way of their destructive power.
A speck of hope suddenly rippled through the sectmasterâs utter despair. âReinforcements? Has someone really come to our rescue?â
âFriends from the Moon God Sect, hurry and make your escape.â A familiar voice, deep and masculine, giving off an instant sense of security.
Jiang Chen!
Everyone shook with uncontrollable joy. His voice was the most blissful melody to their ears.
Many had had reservations about him in the past. The second sectmaster in particular had been deeply hostile. To her, heâd stolen her disciple from her. And today, sheâd been ready to face death with equanimity, but hope and joy now bloomed again!
For some reason, all felt they really would survive the day when they heard his voice!
A true dragon danced in the sky, wreathed in chaotic currents of wind. It approached on the tops of clouds, its momentum seeming to swallow the earth and heavens. A man perched majestically its back, bow and arrow at the ready, radiating the awe-inspiring aura of a god descended from the heavens.
The mere sight of someone resting his butt on a dragon was enough to strike the Moon God Sect dumb. Even the Embittered Savages stared in disbelief, their eyeballs almost popping out.
Like unstoppable machines, the golems mowed through all of the cultivators below as they moved closer to the Moon God Sect group.
Though far short from their full strength, the four brothers made short work of the Savages. The half-step emperors whoâd been so threatening against the sectmasters crumpled like paper.
The brothers squashed them dead with a singular slap, crushed them with one stomp, grabbed the invaders and tore them in half, or simply cleaved them squarely in the middle with axes.
No one could withstand their onslaught.
These giants were surely subordinates that Jiang Chen had sent to help them! The scene delighted the Moon God Sect and reignited their fighting spirit. With a fierce desire to live, they erupted with a fighting strength hard to imagine.
An opening finally appeared in the Embittered Savagesâ siege. Drenched in blood, the head sectmaster sent her disciples to safety while she waved her weapon and brought up the rear.
Big Stone stretched out his enormous hand and grabbed her like a small doll. âYou leave too!â
As if bound in tight chains, she couldnât move an inch in his hand, only recovering her freedom after he threw her outside the encirclement. She flipped in the air before landing, caught by a group of disciples.
âHead Sectmaster...â
âMaster!â
After their narrow escape, the sect membersâ faces were a mixture of happiness and lingering fear. Seeing them still of a mind to prattle, Jiang Chen couldnât resist shouting, âWhat are you waiting for? Dinner?â
His irritation jolted the head sectmaster back to reality. She saluted him from afar. âYoung lord, my sect owes you yet another favor.â
Then, well aware they would be a hindrance, she waved her hand without tarrying. âWe leave!â The Moon God Sect fell back at lightning speed.
Flustered, Gu Tianqing shouted, âStop them!â
The fatty meat had been so close he could almost taste it. What a pity it was to let them get away! How could he allow it??
âYour Highness, these four giants arenât so easy to deal with.â Gu Qi observed the four golems brothers with his brow creasing in worry.
Gu Tianqing blinked. âWhat do you mean?â
âJudging by their aura and their fighting prowess, they arenât great emperors but empyrean masters. And my gut tell me they arenât going all out yet!â
Seeing the four giants as free as tigers amidst a herd of sheep, disquiet gnawed at Gu Qi.
But they werenât the most frightening threat. Rather, it was the young man riding the dragon high in the sky, and his divine bow, and his arrows...
Without a doubt, it was the same person whoâd ambushed them earlier. His cultivation was nothing to write home about, but the bow exuded an aura impossible to ignore. Gu Qi had the intense premonition that with that bow and those arrows, the young man was fully capable of killing them no matter his cultivation. In fact, he might be the four giantsâ masters!
Therefore, the old servant stayed cool-headed despite Gu Tianqingâs impatience. He could catch up to the Moon God Sect if he were to act now. He might even capture all of them alive in one fell swoop.
But he didnât dare leave. His first duty was the princeâs safety. If something were to happen to his master, everything would become meaningless.
The women became smaller and smaller in their eyes, turning into black dots that finally vanished from their sight. The golems continued their rampage unabated, visiting disastrous losses upon the Gunuo Villageâs ranks.