Wen Rou carried Mu Jinyu on her back and, together with Jian Ruyan, cautiously approached the exit of the Heavenly Sword Faction's mountain gate.
After carefully checking the surroundings to ensure no one was guarding the area, they carried Mu Jinyu and made a dash towards the exit!
"Bang!"
However, just as they were about to leave the Heavenly Sword Mountain Range, a brilliant golden light protective shield suddenly appeared at the mountain gate exit, blocking their way and causing them to feel as if they had collided with a golden bell, leaving their bodies in great pain, unable to break through and leave.
"Damn it!"
Jian Ruyan's face immediately changed, realizing that the Heavenly Sword Faction had activated the Mountain Protection Array to its most extreme mode in response to the Blood Sword Sect's attack. At this moment, no one from the Heavenly Sword Faction could leave; they could only stay and fight to the death!
Given the circumstances, there was no way they could secretly leave the Heavenly Sword Faction with Mu Jinyu!
"Ruyan, what should we do now?"
As Wen Rou carried Mu Jinyu, she reached out with her hand to rub her forehead, swollen and reddened from the recent collision, and asked urgently.
"Let's go, we need to find a place to hide first!"
Jian Ruyan's face was grim; she hadn't expected the Heavenly Sword Faction to make such a resolute decision to cut off all retreat and fight the Blood Sword Sect, causing their plan to fail. She immediately decided to hide for now.
However, just as they were about to leave the mountain gate exit, a sinister, sneering voice suddenly echoed.
"Hehe… you really came here after all!"
Jian Ruyan and Wen Rou turned their heads sharply, spotting Li Daochen in pursuit.
Seeing this, Jian Ruyan's heart sank instantly. She swiftly drew her sword and, without looking back, said to Wen Rou, "You go quickly, I'll hold him off!"
She instinctively wanted to trigger her Ice Phoenix Bloodline in the face of danger.
But it didn't work.
Then she remembered that she had switched bodies with Wen Rou long ago and had long lost this secret technique!
This made her heart even colder and more despairing.
"No, splitting up is useless now; it will only lead to them dividing and conquering us. Let's face him together!"
However, what Jian Ruyan did not expect was that Wen Rou did not listen to her. Instead of escaping with Mu Jinyu, she set Mu Jinyu down and charged forward as well.
Wen Rou wasn't a fool. She knew that even Ji Li, in the Sixth Layer of the Divine Transformation Realm, could barely hold out against Li Daochen. She and Jian Ruyan combined would also not be able to match Li Daochen.
And how long could Jian Ruyan single-handedly hold Li Daochen back?
How far could she run?
Thus, Wen Rou chose not to heed Jian Ruyan's words and decided to stay and help deal with Li Daochen.
If they had to die, then they would die together!
"Hehe… what nonsense!"
Seeing the resolute expressions of Wen Rou and Jian Ruyan, Li Daochen's eyes were full of disdain.
If Mu Jinyu were still conscious, he would never dare to intercept them. But with Mu Jinyu rendered a cripple, what were these three hangers-on of his? Dare they suppose themselves to be his opponents?
"Ha!"
With a delicate shout, Wen Rou, in this moment of crisis, felt an unprecedented clarity in her mind. She began to perform the Ice Phoenix Secret Technique taught by Jian Ruyan, activating the Ice Phoenix Bloodline of this body.
Immediately, having trained hard for this moment, even though she was limited by her body and had not broken through to the Fifth Layer of the Divine Transformation Realm, she had already reached the peak of the Fourth Layer. Her power surged straight to the Sixth Layer of the Divine Transformation Realm!
Leaving Li Daochen utterly dumbfounded!
There was such a technique?!
Soon after, Li Daochen's expression turned to wild delight.
Unexpectedly possessing a secret technique that could elevate two minor realms at once, this was definitely not a secret technique of the Heavenly Sword Faction. If he could learn and master it, wouldn't he also have the qualifications to vie for the top five of the List of Outstanding Talents?!
He had to capture them to learn this secret technique!
With an icy expression, Wen Rou launched herself at Li Daochen after briefly reaching the Sixth Layer of the Divine Transformation Realm through the secret technique.
"Kill!"
Instantly, waves of cold ice energy erupted, directly assaulting Li Daochen, as if to freeze him into an ice sculpture!
"Indeed, it's the Ice Spirit Root!"
Observing Wen Rou's attack, Li Daochen showed no hurry to strike, his gaze revealing a hint of appreciation.
He had heard long ago that during the Outer Gate Competition, Wen Rou demonstrated the ability of True Cold Ice Essence. A slew of elders had been thrilled, wanting to take her as a disciple, but were thwarted by Mu Jinyu, and had to abandon the idea.
Now seeing Wen Rou display talent comparable to Mu Jinyu, coupled with her absolute beauty and cool demeanor, he found his heart stirred.
Especially, he also noticed that Wen Rou remained a virgin!
"Clang!"
As Wen Rou's True Cold Ice Essence attack approached, Li Daochen suddenly drew his sword.
A chilling sword light flashed past, directly obliterating Wen Rou's attack!
With one sword, Li Daochen annihilated Wen Rou's attack and felt a slight cold emanate from the sword, secretly taken aback, and subsequently joked with Wen Rou, "With your beauty and extraordinary talent, why struggle as Senior Brother Mu's maid? Why not follow me instead? With my help, you could…"
"Chuh!"
Before he finished speaking, a sword mastery strike followed, attacking him.
The power of this sword mastery was formidable, comparable to the peak of the Sixth Layer of the Divine Transformation Realm, nearly reaching the Seventh Layer!
"Clang!"
Li Daochen dared not lose focus in conversation, hurriedly raising his sword to block, barely managing to hold it off!
Only then did he turn to look warily at Jian Ruyan beside him.
He also discovered her strength had astonishingly reached the peak of the Sixth Layer of the Divine Transformation Realm, not far from the later stage of the Seventh Layer.
"What is going on?!"
Li Daochen recalled he hadn't observed Jian Ruyan using the same secret technique as Wen Rou just now, so how could Jian Ruyan also enhance her power to such an extent?
Unless they each mastered different strength-enhancing secret techniques?
No!
A sudden spark of realization flashed through Li Daochen's mind, recalling that just before Jian Ruyan charged to the fray, she had taken a peculiar elixir!
Thinking of the Blood Demon Life-Reducing Pill of the Blood Sword Sect, he surmised that the elixir Jian Ruyan consumed likely had a similar special effect!
In that case, facing two opponents at the Sixth Layer of the Divine Transformation Realm alone might not be so easy for him!
"Kill!"
Jian Ruyan and Wen Rou didn't care what Li Daochen thought, and after the first attack failed, Wen Rou rejoiced at Jian Ruyan's increased strength and launched a joint assault on Li Daochen.
Immediately, the cold ice energy rampaged ferociously in the area, causing the surrounding grass to instantly wither and cover with layers of frost.
Jian Ruyan was even more ruthless than Wen Rou, aiming every strike at Li Daochen's vital points!
She knew very well that Wen Rou's use of the Ice Phoenix Secret Technique meant her enhanced strength was temporary and wouldn't last long. Similarly, the elixir she consumed couldn't sustain her for long either!
If they didn't fight desperately, if Li Daochen dragged the fight out, they would inevitably lose!
The three engaged in a fierce struggle, their murderous aura soaring to the sky!
Yet no one noticed that Mu Jinyu, whom Wen Rou had set at the back, was subtly moving his ten fingers, and his eyelashes were faintly trembling.